Come and...get it?

We all have something that we always dream of having. And we will go great heights just to have that or to make it happen. Often, it leads to good results...or so we think it does. Many times in our journey toward what we have been dreaming for, we end up either falling short or making the wrong decisions. Which, at times, leads us to not even reaching close to achieving what we are dreaming of.

What constitutes the wrong decisions that we make? 

Simple.

Impatience.

The journey is a process. And in the process, we gain experiences. And in the experiences, we learn and grow.

Yet, we get too caught up with the dream that we never want to go through that process anymore. We want to get it instantly. No room for waiting, for thinking, for discernment. And in that impulse of immediately chasing after what we have been dreaming of, we feel happy. We feel content. 

Or so we thought we were.

Then we realize one thing: 

...the bliss was just temporary.

It becomes a fleeting moment that just fades away. Then you will feel disappointed. Causing you pain and sometimes...other people as well.

We should've learned by then, right?

Wrong.

One painful and disappointing experience sometimes is never enough for us. We would still keep on taking the quick and easy path to our dreams once we see the opportunity to do so. Waiting is never an option. Instant gratification is.

Instant joy. More disappointment. More heartbreak.

I realized that one has truly learned if he does not commit the same mistakes he has done before. 

This is something all of us should be reminded of.

We all have hopes and dreams. It is part of being human. But not all dreams are given to us in an instant. The fulfilment of our dreams is always something worth waiting for. Just like your favorite food will never be served instantly, so do our dreams. It takes time, it goes through the (painful) process. 

And it is the process that makes it refined and perfect for us.

Dream. Wait. Receive.

You deserve better.

Wait...don't go....

As they say... people in our lives come and go.

Some will accept. Some will reject.
Some will love. Some will hate.
Some will stay. Some will leave.

Whatever it is, the question now is: what are you going to do about it?

For some, its a never ending chase.

Running.
Running.
Running.

A never ending run trying to chase someone who has made a decision to leave. Well, for some they never get tired. They keep on chasing even if the signs say that there is no point in doing so.

Why do they do it?

Well, I think its simply because they are used to that person's presence in their lives that it's just too difficult to allow them to leave. They want to ease that pain of seeing this person/ these people leave.

Been there, done that.

Yeah. Chased a couple...no...a bunch of people who decided to leave. And I tell you, I never gave up without a FIGHT. I didn't allow them to leave. They kept pushing me away, but I kept on running to pull them back. It was insane!

Prayers and novenas were said. 
Tears were shed. 
Time was wasted.

Did anything happen? Well, for a very few people yeah. But for the most part...well. It was a seemingly never ending chase.

Looking back at those times where I run the marathon of chasing people, I just smile and say to myself:

"Craaaazzzzyyyyyyy!!!" 

(plus an insulting self-laugh follows)

Yeah, crazy me indeed. But then, after those years of craziness, what have I learned?

1. I have learned that it is such a waste of time, money and effort trying to chase people who never wanted to be with you.
2. I have learned that chasing people is more tiring than jogging for 30 minutes (or more).
3. I have learned that you will surely miss a lot in your life during the chase.
4. I have learned that chasing can eventually be very depressing (even suicidal).
5. I have learned that you create more enemies during the chase.

Yeah. had to learn all of those the hard way. But sometimes, we really need a dose of such hardships until we finally learn.

At the end of it all, my most important learning is the art of LETTING GO.

Yes.

LETTING GO.

There's no other way, my friend. Why is this important? Well, simply because in letting go...

1. You'll discover that better things are up ahead. (Way better things).
2. You'll gain more friends and connections along the way.
3. You'll know who your real friends are.
4. You'll learn to deal with different kinds of people around you.
5. You'll be more at peace knowing that there are people who celebrates YOU.

So...Are there people pushing you away right now?

Then get ready...
Set...

LET GO! :)

Challenge accepted?

The First Step

"Let him that would move the world, first move himself"

- Socrates

We all have dreams that we want to fulfill.
We all have goals that we want to achieve.

All we have to do is just simply take the first step.

But most of us have one thing that prevents us from taking that first step...

Fear.

 We are afraid because we might be criticized badly or simply because we might fail...

Failure.

Most of us think that we are failures. And once we do, fear starts to kick in.  We think: "I blew it, it's over." This is probably one of the deadliest lines we can ever say every time we encounter failures. Once that kind of mentality fills our minds, then definitely it is over for us.

Many times in my life have I failed...

...I failed in my preformace in class

...I failed in delivering as asked for at work

...I failed in handling my relationships

...I failed in handling my finances

...and much, much more failures have happened (and will possibly happen).

But despite the fact that I did fail, I discovered that it wasn't the end for me. Many times I was tempted to just raise the white flag and declare that it is over for me. Yet, I realized that giving up was never an option. I have witnessed myself fail, and other people as well. Did they give up?

Never.

They stood up, took a step back, and took another shot at what they are aiming for.

I have learned that our lives is about:

1. Taking the first step
2. Moving forward
3. Failing or Succeeding (if failure happens, a fourth step takes place)
4. Standing up
5. Learning from the failure
6. Taking another first step (and possibly even more)
7. Succeeding

We wouldn't be who we are right now if it weren't for our failures. We would never learn to begin with if we are too afraid to take that first step. We should never allow our fears and failures get the best of us. Take risks, take a lot of "first steps". From there, we grow from our many experiences.

Don't be afraid to take the first step in your lives. It is in that first step that we learn many things about us. 

What we should do, and what we shouldn't.

What we can and cannot do.

Take the first step. 

Take the leap of faith. 

Take the good risks.

Life is just too precious to be wasted by being stagnant and not do anything about the opportunities that we are given.

Always remember that many times, God reminds us of one thing: "Do not be afraid". For He promised that He will be with us.

Always.

"And surely I am with you always to the very end of age"

- Matthew 28:20

The Amazing Adventure Called Life

"We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round."

- Edward Cole (Bucket List)

In our lives, we've had our share of ups and downs. Storms come our way. Some are just devastating. There are those who crumble and stumble and decide to just stay where they are - thinking that there is no point in standing and fighting knowing that nothing will happen anyway. While there are others who always make it a point to find a way to stand every time they fall.

Being an educator of the faith, I assume that it is quite expected that I am the latter. Well, guess what? 

Not all the time.

I have questioned my faith and God a lot of times in my life. It even crossed my mind to just simply end my life since I can't find meaning to it anyway.

Some might think, how in the world could I teach my students about the faith if I myself would question God in my own life?

I kinda asked that myself...and I discovered the answer to that question....

God.

Yes. God. Cliche, you might say. But I tell you this with full confidence that He is the reason why I have been living for 25 years in this world. He is the reason I have been inspiring young minds and hearts to continue living their life even if it doesn't make sense at all. He IS the reason.

In my life as an educator, it has always been a struggle facing my students knowing that I have my own struggles in life. But when all else fails, He just stands out. He finds a way to make His message known to me.

The time I had a struggle after a terrible heartbreak, He led me to a book that just spoke to me from cover to cover.

The time I felt like I was a mess in the classroom, He spoke through my students who never cease to affirm me of what I do in the classroom.

The time I wanted to end my life because I thought I was abandoned by my friends, He spoke through another friend who just brought me back to sanity.

These are just a few of the many instances that God made Himself known to me. And I know He will never, ever stop communicating His love for me. He wants to make sure that I would know that every single day of my life. I guess God allows us to wake up every morning because He is not through with us YET. He has a plan. A great, great, great plan for our lives. 

You might ask: Why then am I encountering struggles?  Why the heck is God "allowing" difficulties in my life? Well, I think struggles are present in our lives for a couple of reasons:

1. To equip us for what is up ahead;
2. To make us understand what we are doing wrong in our lives (trust me, this is SO TRUE);
3. To strengthen us for any possible pain that may come ahead.

So far in my fairly young life, I understand that life is not always a smooth road. The roads that we are travelling are filled with bumps, cracks, holes and obstacles that will really slow us down. But then we have to completely trust in God, our traffic enforcer, who will be there to place road signs that will warn us of what is up ahead. He will place a re-route plan so that we can reach the destination He has planned for us. He is always after our safety. He knows where to take us. Let Him be the ultimate guide of our lives. He has a wonderful future mapped out for us. That is a promise that He made when He said:

"For I know the plans I have for you...a future filled with hope...plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

- Jeremiah 29: 11

The secret of life is LETTING GO...

Friends, are you still haunted by past pains and experiences?

Is it stopping you from living your life to the fullest?

Friends, life can only be enjoyed to the fullest if we just learn to LET GO...

...of past pains
        ...of bad experiences
               ...of people who put us down
                      ...of trials and difficulties

and LET GOD work His wonders in our lives!

Surrender all to God, and He will do the rest! 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

God is my NUMBER 1!

God is a loving God!


God makes things possible for me!


God is very merciful!


God cares for me!


God knows what I need!


God provides for me!




Friends, is God number 1 in your life? Is He an important part of you?

Friends, even before we are born in to this world, we are already NUMBER 1 in God's loving eyes!

Let us Give back to God all praise and thanksgiving for we are the best and special in His eyes! :)

Change your words to change your world!

The words that you speak have tremendous power over what you want to happen in life!

God wants us to WIN BIG in our lives!

So, speak GOD's Words of love, joy and abundance!

What are you waiting for? God is READY to bless you! Just ask!

This I PROMISE you! :)

God LOVES us SO MUCH! Want proof? Here are just SOME of His PROMISES for you:

“According to your faith let it be done to you.”  (Matthew 9:29) 

"Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”  

(John 16:24) 

"I know what you NEED even before you ask! (Matthew 6:8)

"For I am the Lord your GOD who takes HOLD of your right hand and says to you: DO NOT FEAR! I will HELP you!" (Isaiah 41:13)

"I will show you the right way to go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you!" (Psalm 32:8)

KEEP POSTED here! more promises coming up! :) 

At the top of my lungs... I'm GIVING IT BACK! :)

God blesses us everyday!
He deserves no LESS than our THANKSGIVING!

Let us SAY our THANKS to God who is ever generous with His abundant blessings!

+1 this if you are thankful to God!
COMMENT your THANKS to God! :)

Time to be glad!

"This is the day the LORD has made...let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it!" (Psalm 118:24)


God is ever generous with His love and mercy. And EVERYDAY, He blesses us even in the most simple way...


our friends...
      our classmates...
             our co-workers...
                   the food we eat....
                          the home that we live in....

and a whole lot more!

So, is there a reason for us not to be happy everyday?


I don't think so.   :) 


Each day is a time and a chance for us to LIVE, LAUGH and LOVE for God will always provide for us. :D

Let me be the change I want to see...

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

                                                                - Mahatma Gandhi

This world is indeed in dire need of change:

In one's lifestyle,

     The way we treat others, just to name a few...

I'm sure you want to make a big impact in the society...

The question is...how can you do it? How can you "be the change you want to see in the world"?

UST @ 400

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI giving his message for the Quadricentennial year of the...

Pontifical

                   Royal

                                    Catholic

University of Santo Tomas!

GO USTe!!!!

The Universe On Its Knees...

Why You Don't Get What You Want: You're CONFLICTED (by Bo Sanchez)

As long as you are clear and you have a well- defined goal or wish in life...

....the universe will conspire and will willingly give that to you!

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Surrender:

Lord, I receive every blessing, every miracle, and every healing that you want to give to me today.  And because of this, I will become a rich blessing to others.

Lord, I surrender my future to You.  I place my entire life into Your hands.

I also surrender my family and friends into Your care, knowing that You love them more than I can ever love them.  I pray all these with a trusting heart, in Jesus name, Amen!

Heal our land...

EDSA-Buendia Bombing

Dear friends, let us pray for those who died in this incident...Let us also pray for peace in our country.

Mother Mary, we beg you...bring peace to our family, to our country and to the whole world...

Teaching is a gift...and a task

I am a teacher, a new one to be exact. And I just realized that there is a lot more to discover when it comes to the teaching profession.

When I was still in college, our professors in our Education courses would always tell us that teaching is an art. It is also a gift, that is developed through the years. At this point in time, I have been teaching for almost two years. I cannot say that I have fully mastered this art and this gift. All this time, I thought I have been doing well. I never imagined that it would take a student for me to realize how much gift and skill is needed to be a success inside the classroom. 

Our school has this Student Teacher program where chosen students will be replacing us for three days. All we have to do is to observe as the chosen student teacher does his or her thing. Today is the first day of that program....and having just three classes today, I managed to observe just those three classes. As I watched my student teachers handle the class, I have come to realize that for the past two years, I have been doing the same thing. I ask myself now...Do I handle my classes well? Do I always know what (and what not) to say inside the classroom? As I prepare my lesson plans and my visual aids, do I always think of what would capture the interest of the students? I never realized how tough it really is to just handle the class. 

It's more than that.

It is also about making practically everything relevant to them, always interesting, always fun. However, its not always the case. Inside the classroom, students are varied in interest and learning styles. At times, it would be very difficult to cater to all of them. This is where the 'art' of teaching comes into the picture: how can the teacher manage to cater to the varied interests of the students in his or her class. This 'art' is again not something one can learn overtime. It is largely based on the teacher's varied experiences inside the classroom. To enrich this experience, the teacher should not only deliver the lesson, but he must know his students really well. It's not always about mastery of the subject matter...books can provide that. However, mastery of the students cannot be known by merely reading books; it can be learned really well by getting to know the students from their family background down to their strengths and weaknesses. 

Teaching is not merely a battle of cognition. It is also a matter of how this cognition that is shared to them can make a huge difference in their lives. Learning is not merely about good grades. It is about getting better grades outside of the classroom - how they apply it to their own experiences. A teacher is not just tasked to talk about pure academics in class. He is in charge of the life of the students inside the classroom. A single word can either make or break a student. A teacher is not only mentally competent and mature, but also spiritually and emotionally mature as well. Teaching is an art, and every student a teacher encounters is a canvas waiting to be enhanced through his years of schooling. And no one can paint that canvas very well except the teacher.

Let GO and let GOD! :)

How valuable are you?

I heard from my favorite preacher Joel Osteen that scientists made an attempt to compute how much the average human would cost - every single cell, atom, tissue, bone, etc. It showed that the average human body would cost around 6 Million Dollars, or 258 Million Pesos... :O Wow!!! that's some amount...who would've believed that we are actually multi-millionaires! :O

And take note...that's only the amount computed for an AVERAGE person... ;) peace out! :)

I guess this is enough to make us realize how valuable we are; how much value God put into us. I think that's how we should put it. :)

Putting that aside, how valuable are we?

I have realized that we are very valuable and special, no one should take that away from us. No one in this world is licensed to take away the value and dignity we have. The same preacher said that we seemingly base our values on the wrong places. We base our value and self-worth to what other people think about us. So, if these people say that "you are not good enough", "you are not that handsome/ beautiful", "you are not talented", your self-worth will also go down the drain because again, you depended your value on what other people tell about you.

And I agree to that. For years, I have depended on what other people think of me as my basis for my self-worth. As a result, I think I never fully realized how valuable I am because I would always hear negative comments about me...even as we speak. I've had my dose of people looking down on me...ignoring me every single day, people who single me out, and so on. And I tell you, its a pain everyday...it is a constant struggle trying to get the approval of others (who tend to disregard me anyway). And I tell you, it sucks...it is tiring, it is stressful. No wonder I lost (for  a moment) my motivation in doing things. I based my value on the wrong people, on the wrong places.

Mr. Osteen suggests that we do away with such thinking. Base our value and self-worth on someone who chooses us, approves us, and loves us unconditionally:

GOD.

God created us in His own image and likeness, we are chosen, we are His prized possessions. He approves of us, we are uniquely special. For our Creator, we are just perfect. Our unique characteristics are important to Him. We are unique, special and treasured. :) And this alone, my friends would be enough for me to say that there is no room for insecurity in our lives. Even if others reject you, even if others don't see your worth...God, our Creator is constant in making us feel and understand that we are His Masterpiece. 

Celebrate the people who celebrate your existence. Shun any thought of negativity in your mind due to your past experiences and what other people tell about you. Join people who love you and care for you because of YOU. 

Don't dwell on your past experiences that caused you pain.

Don't dwell on people who tell you that you are not special and not good enough.

Dwell on people who celebrate your existence. Dwell on people who celebrate your personality. Remind yourself that you are God's masterpiece, you are chosen, prized and cherished. Your value is much more than the negative things the people around you are telling you. Fill your life with positivity and gladness. :)

Let GO and let GOD! :)

Change?

The only constant thing in the world is CHANGE.

Why is it so difficult to accept changes in our lives?

Simply because we are so attached to a lot of things, we are afraid to accept changes that might affect certain aspects of our lives that we are attached to.

However, whether we like it or not, changes will always come into our lives - at any given time.

I am happy where I am right now...or...I am just simply convincing myself that I am?

My mind is now on a constant battle between staying or leaving. Bummer. I hate it when I have to make such tough choices. Whatever I choose, it will surely bring about huge changes in my life.But what can I do? Life's full of choices...no one can avoid this fact.

I guess at this point in time, I just have to see the joy in what I am doing, and bring back the vigor that was once in my system when I first got here. I need it back...badly....

Life is what you make it...

Life.

It is a gift given to us by our Almighty God. Freely given, free of charge. However, there is just one simple condition so that we could always enjoy the benefits of this gift:

Take GOOD care of it.

I mentioned earlier that life is a gift from God. However, sad as it may seem, for others, this very life and existence that was freely given is a CURSE for them. And this gives them 'enough' reason to end their very existence. And yet, there are a lot there who, despite the fact that they still wish to live longer, their lives are taken away from them - when they LEAST expect it. :(

If that is the case, what are we to do with this very existence that was freely given to us? Simple.

Make the most out of it.

But I wonder...is it really that simple to make the most out of our existence?

We can always find a lot of reasons to tell everyone that life is meaningless, useless and just some crap that we deal with everyday: stress at home, stress in school, stress at work, stressful classmates and co-workers, financial stress, and so on. The list seems ENDLESS...we just can't find a reason to SMILE...

Yet, one principle comes to mind:

Happiness is a CHOICE.

No one in this world can REALLY make us happy except OURSELVES. No one in this world can calm you down and snap you off your "sober mode" unless you choose to.

At this point, you might say: "that's easy for you to say, since you are not in our situation...!"

Let me tell you this: I have had my dose of moments where I felt down, lost, defeated...but what spells the difference? Why am I still existing?

I chose to be happy.

I picked myself up after falling, and moved on. And if I fall again, I do the same thing. If i fall really hard, I don't choose to stay there. If others extend a hand to help me rise again, I'd gladly reach for his hand and guess what? Move on again. It is never easy all the time, yet it is our choice to be happy that gives it a different perspective. And if we continue to practice this in our very lives, we can find that life will just be a breeze...storms may come, but you can just brush it off. Your joy will be your most powerful weapon in facing all the storms of your life. And eventually, this joy that you have with you can help you build an 'army' of people who share that same joy and happiness and you will find yourself getting through without sweat. :)

Does stress pull you down? Well, continue to be stressed!

STRESS this point to yourself: BE HAPPY, BE HAPPY, BE HAPPY!


Let GO and let GOD!