Thursday, October 26, 2006
Unity in Love for God, Others, Work, Studies and Prayer
This was the speech I made that gave my cousin first place in oration. During the days I did this, I had to pray, I had to discern, I had to lay down my heart.
This is my offering.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. " (1 cor 12:13)
Before anything else, let me start this speech by asking you to reflect on this question: what is one thing you can't leave the house without? Brothers and sisters, months ago this was the same question surveyed among the youth by a popular newspaper. And just like 95% of the replies, I guess most of you thought of one thing: your cell phone. Some of you may have thought of your IPods, maybe some may have also thought of their CD players or Mp4s. In this world dependent on technology, everything has become so fast paced that people are starting to get busy and everything is always done in an instant. Why then am I talking about this?
Brothers and sisters, in today's world of progress, technology, prosperity, luxury and lost love, self-love has been created. With the loss of love, today's man has lost happiness, mirth, satisfaction - the fruits of love. But besides its fruits, love also grants us unity for it is only through love this is made possible. Why so? Because we must remember that God is love; if we would live our lives on the superficial side of our faith, like simply going to mass because we are required to or even praying without action, then there is an absence of love, an absence of unity and an absence of God.
For people our age, brothers and sisters, we can show our love for God if we consequently love our neighbors, especially those who have less in life. Let us remember that Jesus, Himself, had reminded us to keep one of the two greatest commandments: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
But loving our neighbor, isn't just one of the areas wherein our love for God can manifest; it also through loving our studies and our work. Let me share this to you: make your studies and your work a form of prayer, your offering to God. With excellence in the things we do, we must give back the glory to Our Father.
Lastly, we must all come together in prayer. Prayer connects us to God. Yet simply praying recited prayers isn't enough. I urge you all to pray to God intimately. Aside from your personal concerns, pray for your country...pray for those who are oppressed and poor...pray for our national leaders; pray that this world may be a world of love and unity and not a world of war, vengeance, violence and hate as it is today.
My dear brothers and sisters, you have all heard of the depressing news that scatters in the papers everyday. You have all caught a glimpse that this world we live in is stricken with poverty, corruption and selfishness. CHANGE must begin with us. Today, I share to you the flame of unity and hope by giving this message. I urge you to move, to be one in loving God, our neighbor, our studies and work. I urge you all to pray fervently. I urge you to keep the fire burning and to share God's love to all those who are still astray. In our own little ways, with our voices in unison, we can make things happen. All these because we are one body with one head who have died for us on the cross just to save us---Jesus Christ. Move, have faith and pray!
With this, may God be praised. A pleasant Good morning to all.
7:00 PM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Holding on
It sucks when oppression comes before the event you have been preparing and praying for so hard.
But it is during the moments of tears I hold on more to God and simply bask in His peace.
Being down, knocked down by oppression is a choice and I'm glad I chose to hold God's hand inspite of being at the brink of falling apart.
If the people I love fail to show their appreciation or even stab me to the point of bleeding in dismay, I will never stop loving them the way my God loved those who had crucified Him.
At the moment, I have two more days. I believe that on the third, He will raise me up from this death.
For now, all I see is God, all I hear is God, all I feel is God...all of me for God.
---------
They say in the moments of pain, when loneliness strikes, God sends us angels in the form of friends.
Do I need to acknowledge you further?
You know who you are.
Thank you for being mine. :)
12:46 PM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Busy for God's Kingdom
This sembreak is the best sembreak ever! God had given me a LOT of surprises so far in every aspect of my life and there are still unopened parcels!
Since the metrocon is drawing to a close and I am part of the medical mission team of YFC Manila, plus the fact that I'm also part of the SouthB team, I had been busy nowadays to the point that mom and dad are starting to complain of the less time I spend with my family.
But instead of restricting me, I've got their support which, of course, makes me uber happy nowadays.
Last night, we had our very first midyear camp meeting and as the camp also draws to a close, I am quite nervous and excited at the same time. I'm going to give the 2nd most important talk of the camp, which is talk 3. Plus, Kuya Arvin will give talk 4! Wee! If Awee's cluster will even agree, we might have the very first sb1-sb2 midyear camp!
In a while, I'm off to Ortigas for the Genserve and program meeting. I'm not sure what's in store for me there but I know at the end of today, I will surely have a huge smile on my face.
Really...at the moment, I'm deeply in love with God. Sobra, sobra!
----
I'm too happy to be coherent.
12:04 PM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Thursday, October 19, 2006
never will :)
I have just realized...
I can never, and will never tip the glass.
I'd just let it be and wait til someone else breaks it for me.
9:58 PM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Grabe.
Though I still have four days to spend with the babies in the nursery as part of my make-up duties, I would like to close the previous sem, anticipate the next with high enthusiasm, embrace the remaining days of my vacation, sleep like there is no tomorrow (though I still have to be up at 4:00am until thursday...pfft) and start the road to a change in the drive to healthy excellence at school.
The last sem was an overkill of emotions. I had realized, finally, that people can stab you hard in college. Whenever mom would tell me never to trust anyone in college, I'd brush the advice aside and tell her that the people I meet are trustworthy and would never bring me down.
Guess mothers do know best.
After everything that had happened, I now believe that in order to get even, people will do everything to stop my momentum; that though your efforts were for the best of all and were directed towards changing for the better, still there are closed-minded people who would forever stick with the initial impression.
And so, yes, enough is enough. I have already consulted with the authorities and though it pains me to leave those who have been there with me since the start, I do have to save myself from totally spiraling down. I can't afford another year of people trying to make me feel inferior...trying to use me when they feel the need to.
Change would be great, I know. It will be a fresh, new start; another chance to redeem myself and start telling people that not all the time I can tolerate the idea of being subjected to jeers that are totoally uncalled for. Change will make me firm and make people start having the impression that not all the time I can tolerate being jeered at, especially if it does damage. Problem with people is they think it's always okay...
Now all I really ask God for with regards to school life is the approval of authorities for me to have a new start with new people. I do not care if the grand case assignment would be harder; as long as I have people who would support me, people who I know are sincere, I know everything will be alright. The grade wouldn't matter to me; it doesn't anymore.
-----
To add up to the excitement of my sembreak, things had just been getting happier and happier.
I thought that resuming the regular household yesterday will be the turning point from badtrip to happy but God gave it away too early.
I.am.absolutely.floored.by.yesterday's.happiness.
First, I got to bond with Kel again yesterday after a loooooooong time. I miss Bibbo (my old group) already. I miss them so, so, so much.
Second, when I thought I had to wait 'til December for me to buy a new phone, God graced me by my uncle and auntie who bought me a motorola c261 yesterday! Now I can really my other auntie's present in December for ILC Bohol and a new Mp3 player! =) My brother actually bought his 512mb for 1800! Besides that, the features are great. Haha...I can't wait for the next surprises!
Third, just right after make-up duties, I'm gonna go to Puerto Galera with my auntie and uncle. Grabe. This is too much fun. Haha.
Fourth, the upcoming Victory party of SB2. I miss my cluster to death! I wish we could secure the poolside at Chateau Elysee.
Fifth, the Hillsong United Concert on Nov21! I got court tickets! Seat number 42! Near the stage! My fervent wish to see them live was granted! Can't wait!!!
Sixth, the Metrocon. I'm gonna serve as part of the Medic team! Another granted wish!
Seventh, sb2 started to have a purely pastoral household last Friday night. I can't wait for the next. I was so kilig by Tita Baby's and Tito Benjie's love story. Haha. And she actually ended up with the man who had the qualities he had been fervently praying to God for. All of the sisters who were with me were wishing the same thing would happen to us someday. Hay. Imagine ending up with the man you had always asked God for... =)
Eighth, last Tuesday my professor in my major subject pulled me aside at Ministop and said these words: "Ms. Rosal, you're one of the highest in the n201 final exams. Congratualtions, ha? Naku baka magtopnotch ka na sa boards ha?"
Wow God...grabe...I want to see and hug You tight!
------
I am at the threshold of oblivion. I don't want to leave.
9:05 AM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
confused.
I no longer want to be a slave of confusion.
But what can I do?
I have the option...
but I'm scared to push the glass.
Will I allow it to shatter...
or will I safeguard it and wait 'til another force breaks it?
11:02 PM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Monday, October 09, 2006
allow me an emo moment
I remember getting hooked before. For some weird...weird reason I hate to tell. Eep. Allow me to enjoy this moment of recalling.
Though I have my heart to gothic and celtic, deep inside, yep, I still absolutely LOVE this song...this band for their sheer poetic music.
The one in red color...those lines...never fail to make me weak to the knees.
Everything Straylight Run makes me want to bury myself under my pillow and allow the butterflies to swarm around me.
I love John Nolan's magic. Haha.
I really should be studying right now but the sudden memory of this heartwrenchingly saccharine sweet (haha exaggerated!) song can't seem to stop haunting me.
And yes, those lyrics in red...makes me want to feel my heartbeat slow down right this very moment.
The Tension And The Terror
by Straylight Run
All the boys voices cracking
Oh, the moaning half tones
Come summertime, we're all the same age here
All the tension and the terror
Thin-limbed gorgeous green eyes smiling
And I'm going straight to hell
All the possibility and promise just weighs on me so heavily
[CHORUS]
And I try but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist
And I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with a certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need
Just keep me guessing please
Darling, all of these awkward jumpstart-stalling conversations
Mean much more to me than anything
It comes down to me and you
And whether we're supposed to or not, we still will
We're so much better off than them
All the possibility and promise just weighs on me so heavily
[CHORUS]
A look
A laugh
A smile
A second passes by and I regret it
words just aren't right
Sometimes I just can't explain
All the ways you devastate me
Always on my mind
[CHORUS x2]
10:38 AM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
Sunday, October 08, 2006
...fixated.
I am starting to hate Smart Broadband. Not only do they have sucky technical support, they have an engineering staff (working round the clock, mind you) who have not yet fixed the base area, wherein my connectivity depends on, for 8 straight days now.
Whose blood won't boil with rage when after a day at school, I expect it fixed as promised only to learn that it's still down and I can't download lecture attachments speedily for me to study right away?
Grr...I want it terminated but I have a one-year contract which ties me with them. Sucky!!!
-----
From the time I did the last post, a lot has happened. I got my heart stepped on, my eyes puffy with tears, my stomach infested with butterflies, my head thundered by migraine, my dignity stepped on, my body all weak with fear, self-pity and sadness.
I thought I could go on and continue but I'm too scarred. It's not cowardice anymore, it's common sense. I can no longer tolerate me being used and me allowing myself to be stepped on.
An angel came in the form of my clinical instructor who noticed that I was losing the zest...that vibrancy which I had when she handled me in Ethics and in Skills Laboratory. She affirmed me by telling that I was one of those she noticed who would go a long way because I was, according to her, a "very bright student."
I relayed to her what possibly may have caused the loss of efficiency and she understood.
"Hindi ka laruan nila. Know when to be firm and tell them that it's below the belt. Humility and firmness can go together. You don't have to be quiet about it and bottle it up only to find yourself bursting in the end."
And yes, she's right. There's an end to it.
Sometimes, it is okay to be mataray when there is a basis for being such.
Goodbye, pain. All of you cannot hurt me now.
-----
I do not know how I could describe yesterday. What transpired the whole time was... simply amazing.
I felt so blessed...happy... that I am lost in the myriad of positive emotions.
I thank God for bring GK into my life. I thank God for the wonderful people I spent time with yesterday. I thank God for our couple coordinators. I thank God for finally bringing mom and dad to understand the magic of YFC. I thank God for allowing me to feel loved by a lot of people. I thank God for everything. Every.single.moment.I.find.hard.to.describe.and.narrate.because.everything.brought.smiles.to
my.face.
I watched the sunset and the sunrise, the moon beaming up the sky, the fireworks blasting in the air twice.
A lot of times I was fixated at the niceness of the things and people around me.
I am just so happy.
6:58 PM
-----*-----
I don't care what the world
throws at me now.
It's gonna be alright.
-----*-----
