And God Whispered...

June 14, 2010

Dear Kristina,

Live for others. It’s the only way to live.

Have fun,

God

P.S. Learn from me, Kristina. I am love. And you should be too.

Thank You Lord Jesus!

Ok. So I'm still sick and feeling quite blue today. Bad and very dry cough, headache's getting better, cold is almost gone so yay! Praise the Lord! Been crying out Jesus' name all day, my family must think I've gone bonkers or something but hey, twas worth it. I'm so glad things are settling down a bit. My first day at my new full-time job was quite a success, even though I must've had the flu yesterday. Today was even better coz we got to work on our own and dig into google for research. Not really nerve-wracking, just a bit overwhelming as we had to go through a truckload of information. No complaints here, just reviewing the past couple of days.

I have a whole lot to be grateful for today but I'll try to squeeze it into a few paragraphs coz I still need to rest. I need to take some time out to thank Jesus for guiding me today.

First, I am grateful for the gifts of life and love, family and friends, most of all for God's immeasurable love for all of us. Life's a rollercoaster and sometimes the lows can get me down but I'm not giving up! The highs are worth it so it's only right to give thanks and praise where they are due. Thank you Jesus! Praise you Jesus!

Second, I thank God for curing some of my ailments. It's not easy working while you're under the weather but I'm grateful cuz at least my runny nose is dry now and even though the cough and headache are still there, praise Jesus for giving me kind mentors and co-workers. So this is a double thank you -- for the healing and for the nice people who I've been working with all day. Thank you God for the early break too! :)

Third, I am thankful for the messages from friends and for the daily Gospel which brightens my day. I read it a bit too late but still applicable. I am also grateful for the chance to relax after work and have a snack that's filling and tasty. And I am grateful for everything else in between.

Yes, the confusion remains (along with the cough and headache) but I'm sure that tomorrow will dawn bright and beautiful. Way sapot ron so yehey! Hihihi. Thank You Jesus! Praise You Jesus! Amen.

Thank You Lord Jesus!

This is going to be short cuz honestly, I'm kind of feeling under the weather right now. Migraine, cold, cough, sore throat, my body is trying to tell me something... slow down, I guess. Must be stress-related or something. Sigh!

Oh well, now that I'm done complaining, I'm determined to jot down the heaven-sent gifts for which I am truly grateful.

First, just reading my blog post from yesterday, I am reminded of God's indescribable love! No matter how down and out or out of sorts I feel today, I know that God is still there all around me. That alone is worthy of a whole page but since I'm sick and all, please pardon me if I stick to just a few sentences.

Second, I am grateful for yet another day added to my life and my loved ones' life as well. I'd like to insert a small prayer too. Lord Jesus, please guide my Uncle's journey. May he travel in still waters and come home happy and may his trip be safe all the way.

Third, I am grateful for new opportunities and yet another chance to challenge myself and the gifts God has given me. Honestly, I am quite aware that this was not his plan for me originally and I know that my disobedience has a price that's why I'm going to stop complaining about my ailments. God will heal me, and that is enough for me.

Fourth, I am thankful for all the gifts God has showered me. I know I am blessed and this sadness is passing. I believe that God has a great plan for me so no matter what happens, I am secure in the knowledge that I have already surrendered to Jesus and will do so every single day of my life. Yet another prayer... Lord Jesus, I am ready to deny myself and take up my cross. I will follow you Lord Jesus, my God, my Savior, and nothing will ever change that. Thank you Lord Jesus for your love and your guidance. I know you are with me every single day and I will worship you every single day of my life. I love you Lord Jesus. Thank you Jesus! Amen.

Fifth, thank you Lord Jesus for surrounding me with loving family and loyal friends who have stood by me in spite of everything that has happened. I am forever grateful. Praise you Jesus! Thank you Jesus! Amen.

Thank You God!

It’s been a while since I wrote down the things I’m grateful for; this should’ve been a daily habit that’s why I’m still berating myself but hey, there’s no use crying over spilt milk. Life goes on and so does this journal. I have a lot to be thankful for, God has blessed me with so much, it's surprising why I mope around sometimes.

I am grateful for:

• The gifts of life and love, loving family and friends.

• The gifts of faith, hope and most important of all, love.

• The gifts of the Holy Spirit and the inspiration that comes with it.

• The gifts of wisdom, enlightenment and discernment.

• The gifts that come from a good confession, as well as the trials that may follow. It may be a contradiction of sorts but after reading today’s Gospel and reflection, I realize that temptations and trials are part of life.

To quote today’s Gospel reflection, “The publishers of the New American Bible put as title above the first part of the Letter of James, ‘The Value of Trials and Temptation.’ Yes, you have read correctly: the value of temptation, it says. Temptations are valuable and important. They are tests that will show whether we love God, whether we are able to show our love by loving obedience. They come, especially when you least expect them to come.”

Wow! Such an amazing and eye-opening revelation! I thought that after a good confession, life would be peaceful. Oh how wrong I was. True, my confession was sincere and heartfelt but I guess dealing with your past and accepting it isn’t as easy as I thought. I guess the key is to lift everything to Jesus and allow Him to work wonders from within. The silver lining is His constant presence. That’s the best part about wanting to grow closer to God… He responds in the same way. The most inspiring part about this experience is that not only does God respond He also sends His instruments to help us along the way! And for that, I am forever grateful.

• The gifts of second chances, reconciliation, new opportunities, blessings old and new.

• The light at the end of dark tunnels, the flickering embers of love that never dies out, the flickering light of guidance and the bright light that always replaces the darkness that threatens to engulf us sometimes.

• Most important of all, I am grateful for God’s unwavering presence in my life and for our Blessed Mother’s constant love and support. Believe it or not, her presence was tangible last Friday after mass. My aunt and charismatic sisters and I were engulfed in such fragrance that all I could say was, “whose perfume is that?” and my sister replied, “That’s the blessed virgin! She is always with us.” Honestly, that nearly brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe that Mama Mary would still accept me, sinner that I am. I guess it was her way of saying that now that I am finally ready to accept and carry my cross she will be with me all the way. I guess it’s just my pride and anger that stand in the way of true joy and peace of mind. All I know is, that night, I felt God’s embrace; and in the midst of the tears and doubts and the fact that I give in to some residual anger sometimes; it is of great comfort to know that God loves me in spite of my weaknesses and sinful nature. And so I am happy and at peace. Hopefully, as I gain spiritual maturity, this journal will grow too.

There's so much to be thankful for so I'm hoping that each day I will get the chance to tend to this journal and watch how God's love is helping me grow in every aspect of life. Thank you Jesus, for every single blessing!

My Thank You God List for Today

I am grateful for:

God's gift of life and love, family and friends, good cheer, joy and happiness.

The gift of another beautiful day added to my life.

The gift of healing, enlightenment and peace of mind... plus a good night's sleep.

God's instruments constantly working in my life--bringing hope, strengthening faith and spreading love to me and through me.

The opportunity to learn new things, gain new insights, practice what I've learned and learn how to redirect my actions in service of God's ministry.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom to use them for service. This is a constantly evolving process so I'm curious, nervous yet excited at the same time. It's such a great feeling knowing that little by little God's plans for me are being revealed. Lord, as I continue to pray for guidance, wisdom, enlightenment and discernment, through the power of the Holy Spirit, please continue to mold me and use me in service of your ministry. I pray for healing for my family and others who need it most. Please touch and heal us Lord, this I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

My "Thank You God" List for Thursday, 1/21/10

I am grateful for:

1. The gifts of life and love, loving family and loyal friends.
Thank you Lord for adding one more day to my life and blessing me with great family and friends, new acquaintances and for simply loving me unconditionally.

2. The gifts of guidance, enlightenment and discernment.
Thank you Lord for showing me the way and helping me out amidst all of my struggles and for sending your instruments to guide me along the way.

3. The gifts of hope, second chances and the chance to build bridges.
Thank you Lord for being the light at the end of my tunnel, for granting new opportunities and giving me a new job, finally!

Praise you Lord Jesus! Thank you for overlooking my mistakes and sins and giving me yet another chance. I am humbled and ecstatic at the same time. Yay! Thank you Lord! Your love is awesome! You are awesome! I love you Lord!

My "Thank You God" List for Tuesday, 1/5/10

After yesterday's slump, today is such a wonderful (and welcome) surprise! So many opportunities have come up and I'm on a natural high. Yep, it's that time of the day again. Time to thank God for all the blessings he has showered upon me. :)

I am grateful for:

1. The gift of life, love, family and friends. I am especially thankful for God's never-ending guidance, which has led me to new doors that He has opened for me. I love my life! :)

2. New opportunities and second chances. Truly, I am amazed at God's boundless love for us. I know some people may get tired of hearing this but everyday is a new beginning for me. Yesterday I was so down cuz I had to turn down a job offer from a very close friend. It was heart-wrenching for me to say no because aside from the fact that I am such a people-pleaser, this was kinda my fault cuz I wasn't up front about my hesitation over the long hours. I felt really bad and it was such an unexpected downturn that I was really so melodramatic about it. Long story short, I woke up to a welcome call from a former employer asking me if I was interested in taking on a new client. Praise the Lord for such fantastic news! :)

3. Tonight's get-together with my oldest friends from grade school, my closest friends, my berkz, my peepz... well, you get the picture. Round two this time! Wheee! Can't wait! Updates and pix tomorrow. Mere words cannot express how much I love these peepz. I'm amazed cuz they've stayed with me through thick and thin, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health... and we're not even married. lolz. Thank you, Lord for giving me such wonderful friends. May we continue to be blessed with many years of good health, good cheer and clean fun. Wait, the last part may be stretching it. Fortune na lang akong iilis peepz ha? :)

And so that caps my list for the day. I'm keeping it to 3 for now, just to keep things interesting cuz I tend to ramble. lolz. Cheers everyone! God bless you all! :)

My "Thank You God" List for Saturday, 1/2/10

Now that 2010 is officially underway, I've got so much to be thankful for that I simply don't have enough time to write everything down. So from now on, I'll limit them to 3 things.

I am grateful for:

1. The gift of life. New year, new life. Lots to be excited about.

2. The chance to go back to a former employer (or two, God willing). I won't say which one(s), since everything's still up in the air. Needless to say, I'm gonna have to make the tough decision -- office or home-based work. Tough decision, cuz I like working at home but I also miss working in an office environment. I am grateful for every opportunity that God has sent my way but heaven help me, making this choice is going to be sooo difficult. Wish me luck?

3. The gift of forgiveness and second chances. This one's a no-brainer. I know how tough it is for us to forgive each other for offenses real and imaginary. One thing that amazes me though, is God's boundless love for all of His creation. I'm amazed that He finds it so easy to forgive us, no matter how many times we have sinned. I am both humbled and awed by His patience and unwavering faith in all of us. I mean, it's a bit ironic that in spite of our lack of faith, sometimes, God never lets go of us.

And so, I will end today's list with a short prayer. Thank you, Lord, for loving us unconditionally and for making the ultimate sacrifice. I pray that this year would bring us love, peace, joy, hope, and faith. I pray that the gifts of reconciliation, kindness and gentleness will rule in our hearts. I pray that broken relationships will be healed and that love will reign all over the world, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit remain in our hearts. This I ask in Jesus' name. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

My "Thank You God" List for New Year's Eve 2010

Advance na lang ni kay I can't wait til midnight. Sooo sleepy na me. (Yeah, right! Eat pa me spaghetti. Mi favorito! hehe.)

I am grateful for 3 major things:

1. The gift of life -- here on earth and the one that awaits us in heaven -- life everlasting. Thank you, Jesus for coming here on earth, becoming one of us, suffering the indescribable agony on your cross, our cross, and saving all of us from the slavery of sin. I praise you Lord Jesus, now and forever. Thank you, Lord. Your love truly is incomparable. I am utterly humbled by your love for all of us, sinners that we are.

2. The gift of love -- from God, from my family and friends. Thank you everyone, for making 2009 memorable for me. May God continue to shower all of us with blessings, good health, good cheer and endless love, peace, joy and happiness all throughout the coming year. Peace be with all of you!

3. The gift of yet another year -- hope I make it til the end of 2010. Hey, only God knows what's in store for me, for all of us so cheers to everyone! Have a blast tonight but please, please be safe. No firecrackers, I hope. Basta, be safe lang jud. Much love to you all! Hugs and kisses! Happy new year! La buona fortuna! (Hope I got that right. In any case, good luck, everybody!) Praise the Lord for another year! I can't wait to unravel what He has in store for me. Yipee! Nyt nyt Peepz! See you next year! And the countdown begins. Mana daw ang new year sa New Zealand, ingon c Marjo. Hahaha. Ka late pud nato oi. :)

My "Thank You God" List for Saturday, 12/26/09

I know. I wasn't able to make my usual list for Christmas day. Sorry, I got too caught up in my blog about Father Bob's sermon that I was too tired to write anymore after that. In short, tingbon lang nako karon. hehe.

I am grateful for:

1. The birth of our Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus for saving poor wretched sinners like us (hmmm... too much ra pud ang wretched no?). I am forever grateful for the gift of salvation and life everlasting. Thank you, Lord!

2. The chance to spend quality time with my half-brother and cousin. Thanks, Vin and Don! I had a blast! Even though nag cramps jud ko from all the walking we did... sakit from feet to upper thigh. But what the heck, these muscles need to adjust kay I intend to start walking again, bahala na maabot na pud ko ug airport ani walking. hehehe. I sorely need the exercise so Evz! :P

3. Hanging out at the mall with my best cuz, Donna (and almost running into her old karela. wahahaha. now that would've been one very awkward moment!), and then eating Mais and sharing a 500ml-bottle coke on the way home. Mas lami pa kaysa mga fastfood sa Gai Mac. As in! :)

4. Coming across some of my old write-ups during our local general cleaning. Forward mags, natch! As in napa ako pic didto nga naghiyong ang mata pag first year! Tawn pud oi. hehehe. Nice man diay mi mo write even back then. Char! Self-promotion ayo. I'm thinking of bringing these mags gai to our reunion tomorrow though not sure pa ko if katunga ko kay sunod2x jud ako laag ron ay. Medyo kutas pa... yeah right! Ako? Kutasan laag? Now that will be the day!

5. The prospect of seeing some of my oldest writing pals from college. Forward Fipol reunion tomorrow -- for those who have not received the memo from our ever responsible organizer, Belle. Now this, I have to attend! Wish me luck, peepz! Cuz I need to convince the fam to let me go pa. Kinda feeling Britney, er, "overprotected" here...

6. The promise of yet another warak, este, kodak moments come Tuesday with K2y and the gang. Looking forward to that jud! Bahala d ko sugtan ana, moipsot jud ko. Ing ana ta mo ka love Noemz. (Diay to, ikaw na pud ako alibi Noemz. hala ka! hahaha. peace wui!)

7. Hearing about Marvin's call center antics. I never realized lingaw man diay ang call center jobs, irate callers and all. Thanks for the advice pud, bro! Will chill re the job thingy. I know God has a plan for me so I'll wait for His go-signal. Kay I wanna be in for keeps this time. Lord, your will be done! My calendar is yours, iuli na pud nako Lord, kay You're much better at planning my life than I ever will be. I surrender my occupation na pud this time. Thank you, God!

8. I am grateful for all the laags pud this month, and all the laags that are still coming up. Can't wait, y'all! Looking forward to more chika, sungog and perhaps harassment suits? aw unsa ba? wahahaha.

Seriously though, I have a lot to be grateful for this month alone. I'm sooo psyched I embarked on this journey of documenting my gratitude on a daily basis. Gives me something to look forward to each day and maybe something to look back on in the near future? When I'm old and gray, I hope my blogs will still be around cuz I sure would love to reminisce about the things I have been grateful for. I bet magbalik balik ra jud ni ba. Life, love, good friends and loving family. Ah, God truly is good! Thank you, Lord Jesus! Happy birthday again! :)

My "Thank You God" List for Christmas Eve 2009

I have so much to be thankful for, not just for this day, but every single day that I've been blessed with in my oh-so-dramatic life. In the spirit of Christmas, I would like to focus on one thing, just one single blessing that I am and always will be grateful for.

Thank you, God, for:

1. The gift of unconditional LOVE.

Thank you Lord, for loving me and the rest of us sinners in the most precious, amazing, unconditional way. And thank you for giving me such a wonderful family and fabulous friends. My cup is overflowing, Lord. Truly, I am blessed. I love you, Lord Jesus! Happy Birthday! Mille Grazie!

Buon Natale peepz! :)