Little Setbacks are Little Tests of Faith

Chip boards for the exhibit on Sunday ... wet.

'Cause imperfections make better stories to tell!

Awakening

Back to blogging.

I thank God for His faithfulness. Months passed since my last post. It was indeed a roller coaster ride to get here, but the crazy journey was all worth it because of the rich encounter with God along the way.

I was not as strong as I thought I was.

..but God showed me how stronger I can become if I come as I am to His feet, laying down all my weaknesses, bare-naked.

I stopped blogging because my laptop gave up on me. Little did I know, He laid my gadget to sleep in order to wake me up as I was obliviously giving up on myself. I was on the verge of falling apart and drifting away, so He stripped me naked.. And there I saw, ever so truthfully, how far from God my eyes were and how deep into myself my heart was.

During those humbling days, God clothed me with His grace, and I became the undeserving student of the Bearer of all wisdom. He's been teaching me how to fix my eyes on Him from the days of mundane to the nights of chaos. He's been teaching me how to stand with His strength, to stand in faith..

..to stand.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

So today, I decided to study Renal Physiology.

Physiology is the subject I hate the most this semester.

It is undeniably the most interesting, but it is also the most challenging.

We have a lot of readings and memorization, despite the fact that what we are studying about the human body is merely an overview.

Studying this afternoon revealed to me how much enjoyment I get at studying human life!

I deny it a lot, but I like learning about these things.

You know what I hated about it?

I hated Physiology because it required so much work.

Photo grabbed here.

Lately, God is giving me so much work.
I do not deserve any of these ministries, but His grace qualifies me.
Just last month, He started giving me new Bible studies to lead, more girls to mentor, and more challenge in the ministries I already have.
All these, while also raising the challenge in my academic life a notch.
I see all these as a blessing. Yet, I could not hide it - sometimes I do get tired. Physically, emotionally, mentally and somehow, spiritually.

Lately, I've been asking God.
I know I prayed many times that I wanted to grow deeper in Him.. Yet during the times when I feel the weight of it all, I can't help but ask God.. Why this heavy so suddenly? He did not increase the workload little by little.. But in only a matter of weeks, the weight increased tenfold!

I talked to people I trust about this heavy burden.
I prayed a lot about this for days. In fact, my heart cried out to God about this a number of times.

Little by little, He shows me why.

You know why God increases the workload?
It is because He sees your potentials and He sees that you have so much more you could do!
He knows how to maximize you to a level that your potentials would be materialized.
God knows I am capable of something more.
And seeing how I reacted in all these "level ups", I realize that I was lowering my standards a lot.
Just because I hate the pressure and the work that goes with big ministries!

Now I know that He's entrusting to me these responsibilities as a precursor to something bigger than I have ever imagined!

Who knows?
The pressure of being accountable for more girls than what I initially prayed for is just a little training to a bigger ministry to women that He has prepared for me.
My extra extra difficult Renal Physiology could be a little training for the future harder stuff He'd teach me.
All these He throws my way to lead me to my calling, the unique purpose in His mind when He was creating me, Faye Ann de Leon Medina.

When God called Jeremiah, this is what He said to Him:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
All these things make me seek more intentionally than ever, what is my unique purpose, Lord?
What is my calling?

As a sheep seeking my Shepherd's direction, I was amazed at His voice today.
Quite unexpectedly, my brother (once again) asked me if I am considering Medicine as a post-graduate pursuit.
I casually answered, "Yeah, I'd take NMAT, with or without plans of continuing to Med, and I'll start from the results of that."
Curious of his inquiry, I googled stuff about being a doctor.
I stumbled upon this testimonial somewhere which really touched my heart:
"       Taking up Medicine or becoming a doctor for me first and foremost is a calling. If you are called to become a doctor, no matter what happens, you will become one. It is such a hard course that will test its student to their limits physically, mentally and emotionally. The first three years are purely academic, you have to read a lot and memorize a lot. The last year was the baptism of fire wherein you have to endure one year of rotating duties on different departments in different hospitals. Here, doctors are tested and made. It brings out the best and worse qualities one has and those who endure will be awarded with the coveted MD insignia after their name.
       Is it interesting: Let me put it this way, you get to study the best creation. human life! And yes, once you graduate (although studying never stops at graduation) , you become partaker or should I say instrument of God's healing. Isn't that interesting?
       It is difficult. You have to read a lot, memorize a lot and sacrifice a lot of time with family and friends and even love ones. Just thinking of being able to help alleviate pain and disease of other people will already give joy to your heart. That alone makes it enjoyable. You handle life itself. Although Medicine is never an exact science, thinking that you hold the other person's health (or life) in your hand, makes you want do everything you can; there lies the challenge."
Since my kindergarten days, this to-be-a-doctor-or-not dilemma has been haunting me.
Am I running away from it just because I don't like the pressure and hardship that goes with it?
Or God wants something else (something bigger and more suitable) for me?

Nothing is clear yet.
But from everything happening around me right now, I have an assurance that
my God is holding my hand,
leading me to that place He calls me to go.

Still the Best Love Story

This shot was taken in November 2010. I was a baby Christian who was just getting a
hold of the idea of having a relationship with God. I was all giddy and amazed about
how it works. Storms passed by, relationships come and go, my love story with God
is still the best one I know! Nothing could compare to the love that He gives :)
Fresh like that :P

When my laptop's charger fell into a coma, my blogging was paralyzed in empathy.

For weeks, I was filled with thoughts vehemently constrained in my brain.

I looked for other ways to express myself. Besides my small group and my small group of friends, my thoughts had nowhere else to go.

So I prayed. I prayed hard. I know for sure that God understood how much I could not contain all these emotions I get from how He moves in my life every single day. So I asked Him, "Why should  even wait before writing these down?" And He only responded with, "Just wait, and you'll see."

When my laptop charger came back to life again, its user was the one who fell into a deep sleep.

Why did the desire to write die down? I asked God what I should wait for..

I even questioned the purpose of this blog, is it just an unhealthy splurge of emotion? But then, I realize the change it does to some readers, and the transformation it does to my heart. This blog's breathing for a purpose.

So I asked God further, "What are we waiting for? Go and breathe Your words into me and use my blog to make Your story known."

To my frustration, I did not have "inspiration" these past weeks to write.

Did God stop blessing and inspiring me? No.

He wanted me to realize a couple of things before writing again.

For these past weeks, my King was giving me a warm bath.

He cleansed my heart as I felt His desire to renew my relationship with Him everyday.

He dealt with the darkest parts of me and shed light to them. He revealed to me the sides of me that still needs His healing touch. He expressed His love in fresh ways. He embraced me even tighter with His faithfulness.

There was no special revival event, but He made sure that our love story will always be fresh and special. :)

I am writing about God's story which actually highlights

our amazing love story with Him.

What are the things around you that God use to refresh your love story with Him? :)

Killing did stop at Kaytikling! :)

This incident happened exactly one year ago.

It was a mourning day for everyone in Taytay.

I remember it very clearly. I was at home when this happened.. Our house is just a few hundred meters away from Tikling. We were all shocked when we heard a "Boom!" somewhere. Although, most of us ignored it.. My uncle saw people walking to Tikling to see what really happened, as news flew fast.

There they saw the chaos. Tikling was literally filled with people.

Reporters, townspeople, those who were just about to pass by Tikling but were supposed to go to Antipolo/Angono/Cainta.

It happened at around 11:30am.

It was heart-breaking to know that the truck crushed a little kid's and his parents' dreams. He was an elementary student :( It also killed someone innocently walking on the sidewalk. He wasn't even jaywalking or whatever! It also killed a guy riding his motorcycle. And of course, it killed the people in the truck. 

The truck was filled with soil. It was very heavy, that's why it ran at that rate, even going through the concrete barriers.

I went there myself and saw this..

Photo grabbed here. (Go to site at your own risk. x( But please don't.. )

Okay, I saw only the crushed truck without all the water and people. I went there at night.

It was really heart-breaking. Nobody wanted that to happen. But sadly, it wasn't the first time! :(

People even call it the "Killer Junction".

It was very prone to accident.

Just a few months ago, a truck from Antipolo lost its brakes. Another from Cabrera Road rushed as it also had mechanical problems. Although, these two happened at midnight where there were less people hurt. Even before these two happened, many other accidents killed or hurt vehicle drivers. :( Accidents in this junction threatened people's lives for years!

That's why, exactly a week after this accident, our youth pastors spear-headed a Prayer Rally for this junction. Tikling is very near to our church, most of our members pass by it in most days of their lives. This is one way to show the town that God can give our townspeople protection, if the government or truck owners wouldn't.

Along with other adults, we went to Tikling at 11:30am, the same time it happened. We stood there silently praying for the killer junction, praying to Stop the Killing in Kaytikling.

TV5 was there to document our prayer rally. They interviewed our youth pastors. Unfortunately, their news report did not present what we did showing the real motives of our prayer rally. :( Haha. They presented it as if it was a political move.

Photos of prayer rally grabbed from gencon.multiply.com.

Some people joined us in praying for Kaytikling.

I talked to the mango vendor who I thought had the grimmest view of what happened with the truck incident. She talked to me. She was really sad of what happened - the kid killed by the truck was her son's classmate. She said that the boy was very masipag. In the morning, he would sell rags so that he would have baon for the rest of the day..

While some show their disapproval on what we did. I remember silently standing, praying for this junction. When a man driving a rather expensive van, rolled down his windows and talked to me..

"What are you doing?"

"We are praying for this junction, sir."

"Praying? Is this a rally of some sort? Are you blaming the government or whatsoever?"

"No, sir. We're just praying to God that nobody gets hurt again in this junction."

"Praying?! Don't you think talking to the company of the truck owners, or the government, more effective in solving this problem in Tikling?"

I didn't answer back, 'cause I know what he's trying to do.. I tried to tap the older Christians beside me.. But yea, their silence reminded me. Hey, we're here to pray, not to debate or whatever. Just pray with us, sir? Hehe.

Look at the one year that passed.

No accidents :)

The rotonda and the overpass promised by DPWH and the jailing of jaywalkers we don't see today.

(you can hear about this in the video I posted above)

But God's hands? It's so tangible in Tikling Junction.

Indeed, only God can stop the killing at Kaytikling.

Praise God for His faithfulness! :)

"For greater things have yet to come 

And greater things are still to be done in this City"

What are you doing to show your town how God loves?

Overwhelming Number!! T_T

In one month, this blog had 1,153 views! I'm overwhelmed! I did not even expect to have more than 10 readers!

I don't know how it reached this number, I really don't! T_T I don't even know who you are who read this blog!! Thank you very much! You're an encouragement, an assurance that the purpose of this blog is fulfilled!

This is absolutely God's doing! Because I cannot do anything that could make this blog reach this number! T_T

To everyone who actually takes time to read the posts and to visit this blog, I thank you.

This blog has surely given me a boost. Every number added on the Page Stats reminds me of why I am even doing this blog.. :) I'm not a blogger by blood (meaning, it's not easy for me to blog..) but I do it anyway because I want to shout to the world how God moves in my life! And I want others to experience it too!

Let's have more fun and God-lovin' this January ^_^

Do you have any suggestion for this blog? Just leave a comment below :)

Louder than Fireworks!

Do you know what it is with birthdays?

Here's what. The culture we are soaked in wants us to honor our birthday above all other days in a year.

That's why we become so self-centered when our birthdays are coming up. Thoughts of parties, or other creative ways to celebrate flood our mind.

"I'll treat myself a very expensive dress."

"I should be treated to a fancy dinner, I deserve it."

"I want to organize the grandest party! I want swimming pools and stuff."

"I want my birthday to be my glorious day."

Haha, see? Are you reminded of how you plan your birthday celebrations?

I remember how our tropa used to surprise each other when it's their birthday. We would carefully plan everything. We thought of stuff like balloons, decorations, etc, to give the plan more impact. Of course we spent money! We also thought of strategies to make the party a little more unexpected. Most of the time, we acted as if we could not have a celebration.. Until.. SURPRISE!!

Those birthday celebrations really had great roles in strengthening our friendship. Those were fellowships that made us more and more comfortable and happy in each other's company. We had group devotions too, which makes us aware of each other's spiritual struggles and feats.

This time, we take a different turn!

As we all matured spiritually, we decided that the best celebration we can do yet is extending our blessings to our own Lesters and Leslies. (Matt. 25:40)

 Here's my tropa helping me out and sharing with me the experience :)

We prepared tuna sandwiches.

 Here's Kir, my cousin. My comrade when serving others like this one!

 Dishwasher :)

Our first stop was Bagong Palengke in Taytay.

We found four Badjaos who were quite hungry.

Guys I want you to remember the times when you encounter a Badjao. It's most probably on a jeepney.

How did you treat him or her? When they hand you their paper envelops with the written note, what do you do? Do you fake sleep? Do you try your best not to look at them in the eye and stare at the window instead?  Do you raise your eyebrow?

People, please do realize that these Badjaos are people loved by the King! They may have wrong principles on how to gain money, but we all know that they are just trying to meet their needs! More than the money and food that we can give at the brief moment that we encounter them, it's best to offer them Jesus! Why not smile at them and make them feel that there are still people who choose not to discriminate them? Why not give them prayers instead of a fake sleep? 

I remember my encounter with the Badjaos on Christmas 2010.

Did you know that they do not even know who Jesus is?

So before you raise your eyebrows and get pissed off by what they do, think of how you can be a blessing to them. :)

This kids are Jonad and King Jasper! :) They are cousins (like Kir and I) and they are the most masipag 8-yr-olds I know! :) After talking with them and a lot of kulitan, they followed us wherever we went! I'm sure that they felt God's love, but I never thought that such a simple gesture and simple talk we did for less than 10 minutes would have an impact like that! Praise God! Let's pray that He'd continue to move in the hearts of these kids.

The sandwich and the orange juice we gave was a gift that had temporary help. But a prayer? Not ephemeral! I'm sure that God heard it and He'd continue to move in Ate's life!

Kuya had the most heart-breaking life story among the people we talked to :( He talked about how He forgot God during his trying times and he kinda expressed how much he wants to go back to have a life of worship! Men like him just want someone to talk to. And when he had the chance to express everything in his mind, he just cried :(

Okay, this is a lesson for all of us! Whenever we see someone who looks kinda lonely and God taps our back to take a step to talk to that person, we should obey and be a channel of hope.

 Kuya "Leongson" said that he would try to find our church! He knows APNTS but he does not know where TFCN was..

 Junction. These moms did not have enough sleep and food because of the Filipino tradition of staying up late to welcome the new year. They took advantage of this and did not close their stalls until 4am!

Nanay had an illness but had no money for it :(

 JR :)

Had a great time talking with these two! They were sooo bubbly! Hehe the one in the center is so kind.. The woman in the right is already a lola but all her children and grandchildren left her to start their own families. The one in the center takes care of lola, even though they're not blood-related :)

This is so amazing! Nanay is not the richest woman in the world but she's willing to spend money for taking care of lola!

 These kids are the cutest! Hahaha! Had so many laughs with them. They were so funny, especially the baldy kid at the left. :) 

 They prayed before eating, led by Kuya JR. When Jan-jan in the center starts eating before praying, Baldy kid told him, "Ba't kumakain ka na di pa tayo nagdadasal.. Siraulo ka ba?!"

I don't even know what to feel when he said that.. Hahaha..

Here's Janjan, the shyest among the three. Look at all those gifts.. He did not even know what to eat first! Haha. There was a couple of ladies giving out food wrapped like a Christmas gift.. :)

Had great extraordinary fun with JR, Kir, Jopel, Niro and Kenneth! We ended the day later with a group devotion with Camille and Kuya Levin.

We only had P860 to make this event possible! Could you believe that?!?

That P860 would not be enough for the expenses of even one person if we did what we originally planned - to shop, to eat and to ice-skate at SM Mall of Asia! Haha.

This is the loudest move we did to welcome 2013! It was louder than any trumpet blown. It shook the world harder than any firework lighted. It disturbed the wickedness of this world more violently than any other Chinese rituals!

It was the sound of God's love overcoming the world. :)

(I thought of not posting about this because it could sound like doing good deeds because I wanted to tell the world how good I am.. But you know, it's not me who's good. It's my King. I'm just His servant. This servant originally thought of pampering herself on her birthday. But that does not make her the King's servant, right? That's a day off from being a servant. My King wanted to celebrate with me on my birthday.. So I thought.. Well, can't think any better way to celebrate my birthday!! And you, who are also a servant of Jesus, I want you to realize how you could use your birthday to serve the King! Glory to Jesus, my King!)

How do you plan on celebrating your birthday in 2013? Plan it early! Hehe

Welcome 2013! Welcome 19-year-old Faye! :)

It's a unique feeling for new year babies like me! :) Have you ever wondered how new year babies celebrate their birthday?
Here are some stuff about how I celebrate mine :)

1. I'm not used to having guests during my birthday.
    I always wanted to celebrate my birthday with friends since elementary. But Filipinos consider New Year's Day and Christmas Day as family days! My 17th birthday is the first birthday I actually celebrated with my tropa!

2.  I don't have to worry about preparing food for guests.  
    Filipinos instinctively prepare food for New Year's Eve. Besides surely having something on the table, I know that guests are already busog because they too have food in their houses. What I want to give my guests are dishes that are not common in festivities (they got too much of that already during the Christmas break). I want serving them stuff like Sinigang instead! HAHA!

3. I know that it's already my birthday when the sound of firecrackers is the loudest!
    It's an exciting yet dangerous tradition of Filipinos for welcoming the new year - firecrackers. When our neighbors light their sinturon ni Hudas, sawa, fountain, etc (they save the best firecrackers for the first minute of the new year!), I know that it's already my birthday! :)

4. Even without any prepared birthday celebration, I still feel that it's my birthday.
    I hear other people's sentiments about not feeling their birthday. They say that it's because nothing special happens on their birthday. For New Year Babies like me, who lives in the PI, that's never gonna happen. Until there's left a Filipino neighbor who buys firecrackers, until a kid blows the torotot to participate in the tradition of noise-making, until there's a car owner who horns and has fun with all the noise, until there are steel palanggana, I will know and feel that it is my birthday on when the clock strikes 12!

5. The people I love have no classes or no work during my birthday. (well, there are seldom calls of duty for some)
    Yehey! :D

6. People always talk about the hope for change on my birthday!
    This indeed is a unique one. During my birthday, every church sermon, inspiring articles, people on TV, friends, FB status updates, talk about starting afresh! Every time I have my birthday, I feel renewed! My birthday is a day where many people assess the year that passed, their failures that they would not want to commit again in the new year, and the blessings that they received from God. It's all about having a deep breath, and taking on life with a fresh hope! :)

I celebrated the gift of a New Year with my family! This made me a looot moooore happy that night :)

I'm one blessed birthday girl! I praise God for this genuine joy! :)

The neighbor's fireworks and my brother's photography skills. Hahaha!

Look at what firecrackers do to birds :( Found him dead :(

 My brother was hyped to take pictures that night! Hehe

 Of course we would not forget my Daddy Pogi on days like this! Thanks to technology, we got to talk to dad and we got to have a lot of kulitan! :)

 I don't know what it is but my mom and I always end up wearing clothes of the same color. We looked like puto bumbong on New Year's Eve. Haha!

 Craziest guy I know - my very own Kuya Paolo. :)

 We thought we would be welcoming New Year with an empty house.

We were about to sleep and grieve at how we always have New Year's Eve with just the three of us until my other brothers came.. :)

Yehey! I know that it was God who brought us together that night! I thank Him always when our whole family gets to bond like this! Just laughing and celebrating God's blessings to our family.

This year, I pray for our family to grow closer.

I pray that we would bond not only through celebrations like this, soon we would bond as we serve God together and bless others as a family. Lord, I know you're listening! And I'm sure that you'll move in my family powerfully! :)

What did you do to welcome the new year? What's your prayer for your family this year?

(You can mail this to me and I can pray for you too :D)

Big Things

Went to Gencon's (our youth group) Frontliners meeting.

I was very much encouraged by what God tells each and every one of His servants.

He has big things in store for us.

By big things, it does not mean big material blessings (but could be, if God's calling you to use it for His glory).

By big things, it does not mean mere big fun and pleasure.

By big things, it does not mean "big enough things because what I wanted to do was too ambitious".

By big things, it means big opportunities to minister and to maximize our potentials for the glory of the Lord!

If you are a hardcore follower of Jesus, don't settle for less!

We love dreaming big things for our careers, family, etc.

Why not dream and pray for big things to happen in your spiritual journey, in your spiritual life?

Why not ask God to reveal to you what He calls you to do?

Why not allow God to search the corners of your heart and tell you what you should do with every part of it?

That's God's challenge for me as my 19th birthday approaches.

God wants me to open up my heart so I could see what's in it, to lay down my insides so I would see where I'm good at, and to roll it all together at the feet of my King and just let Him use all these for His glory.

My desire is to be used by the King

powerfully and mightily.

What are God's challenge to you in 2013? :) This is more than a New Year's Resolution! This is a commitment.

Kedebon Colim: Nothing is Impossible!

I am the lady in red in the background! :))

So last year, 2011, we went to the Nazarene Youth Congress in Cebu.

It was a place where we met youth from Nazarene churches all over the Philippines!

There we met Kedebon Colim.

He was the jolliest and the funniest guy in that place! He oozed with so much confidence. He talked to everyone and tries to make everyone smile. ㋡

I remember how he would make a scene during dinnertime - he would walk in the cafeteria, carrying a guitar and a lot of confidence, and would serenade people eating on every table.  He also had the funniest pick-up lines.

For days, we cannot get enough of him!

When we got the time to have a serious talk with him, we saw a different side of Kedebon.

Especially Jopel, whom he called Ace and whom he said was his bestfriend when he performed on the last night of NYC. (hahaha, touching) They talked mostly about how Kedebon could be used further to bring glory to God. Kedebon was encouraged during the NYC, through many things, to do greater things for God, no matter what the situation is, especially in his local church. ㋡

Look at where he is now.

He surprised everyone by taking the Philippine television by storm!

He graced through X-Factor, a nation-wide singing competition televised internationally, and was a significant part in the competition's Top 6. We voted for him every week, and we followed his journey in the competition. We saw how he professed to the world his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ㋡

Last Sunday, Kedebon, yet again, surprised us! He gave Taytay First Church of the Nazarene a visit and shared his testimony to both the Tagalog and the English service in the morning.

Everyone was surely blessed, witnessing how God showed His great power in Kedebon's life.

Kedebon also performed Nothing is Impossible that has a message that he found so true and so tangible in his life ㋡

This was what he shared in the English service.

Nothing is Impossible, indeed!

Let's keep on praying for Kedebon that he would just let Jesus's light shine in his life through and through! ㋡

God Loves Pianos

          How did you feel upon seeing the first piano in your life? Upon feeling its ivory keys? Upon gazing at its prestige? If you were deaf, do you think you would appreciate it? If that piano was out of tune, thus, produces only noise, would it even catch your interest?

          Unappreciated, dull. A piano, dressed with nothing but black and white, may not appeal to anyone at all. This is how I once viewed myself. Unappreciated and dull. In this world where a vast sea of people have lived and died, I was just some wave tossed in the water. Seeing other people's achievements, I always told myself that there's nothing special about me. I didn't even think of how I would live my life. Que sera sera. I was out of tune, and I didn't care. I was a piano randomly played by some kid, instead of music, produced noise, heavily annoying anyone who hears. And I didn't care.

          You may not remember what you were doing on May 15, 2008, but to me, the last hour of that day was the beginning of something that made the remaining years of my life worth living.

          After so many years, I experienced the most unexpected thing in my life. I never thought it was the very thing I was actually waiting for all these years.
          He started playing my keys in a manner no one else can contend. Every note He played just seemed right. The melody, the rhythm, they perfectly suited my taste and gave justice to my existence. His prodigious playing left me in awe, staring at the potentials I didn't know I have. It was the most professional yet personal touch I've ever encountered. The Greatest of the greatest has done it again.

          When that time came, I sensed how every key was again in tune, like how I was when I was freshly created. Notes ran smoothly and came out less stressfully. Very difficult musical pieces were played on me just like that, like a soft breeze.

          I was unexpectedly revived by God. It was then that I decided, I will let Him play my keys as He wills. Only to Him would I make myself wholly available. 'Cause I really felt that it is He who knows me best.

          It was a phenomenal episode. In music, an episode is a passage between statements of a main subject or theme, as in a rondo or fugue. It was a transition I was very glad I went through. My joy didn't run out the more I knew about Him, opened my Bible, and be in the Truth. It was that one decision that made me jubilant not for two days, three months nor five years, but for ever.

          The more I let Him maneuver, the more I realized that it absolutely wasn't about the piano. It was about the Amazing Hands that plays its keys. A piano would be nothing without a pianist. And so am I. I would be nothing without Jesus.

          I may not excel if you look through other people's eyes, but through God's, I am the best of all His Creation. He even called me His masterpiece!

          Putting Him in charge of me ensures the outcome of a wonderful melody. I may not know exactly the next note He is about to hit, but I know for certain that altogether, He would be producing music that would best define me.

          I wouldn't be unappreciated nor dull again. 'Cause my Creator colored me with melody whose beauty no one, even I myself, can ever fathom!

That's me playing at an event in our school in 2011.

Schertzino - Augusto Espino

Norwegian Cradle Song - Gabriel Morel

Unmindful? Me, yes. God? NO! :)

Have you ever been unmindful of a certain gesture when suddenly God rebukes you that it's wrong?

Haha I experienced that earlier.. I was in LRT 1. As usual, the train was full-packed. Some compares it to a can of sardines, but I disagree. It's worse than that! Because it's a moving can. Riding the train for years now, I mastered the art of balancing.

So there I was, standing still (because I cannot move in any way, hahaha), oblivious of what's happening around me. The woman behind, all sweaty and sticky, almost hugged me as she tries to stand still by putting almost all her weight on my shoulder. In my mind, I was complaining.. "Ate, ang init na po, ang lapit po nung hawakan sa inyo, pwedeng dun na lang po kayo humawak.." "Ate, ang lagkit at ang bigat niyo po.. Ako din nagbabalance."

Amazingly, the irritation got away quickly when God reminded me of my prayer before I got out of bed.

"God, please make me a blessing to everyone I would meet today."

Boom! Hahaha. Tamang tama.

If I become rude for that harmless thing she did, what will I get? It will only add up to the heat!

And besides, who says simply helping someone balance isn't blessing others? A little good deed works wonders!

I looked her in the eye and smile afterwards ☺

Thank You Lord for enabling me to do these things and experience the joy of helping others in any way I can. I obviously cannot do it without You!