Consistency: The Kingdom vs the King

Every now and then I'd add the calendar widget to my blog, just to see how "consistent" I've been in posting.

Usually, I do that when I really want to write, but somehow can't -- so I check how many I've written for the week and if I could get away with not writing, or if I can let it go and hope something comes to me a few days later.

Now that I think about it? I couldn't be any further from His heart.

I decided to write this blog, as I've repeated countless times, to try and foster a sense of community for Saints everywhere whom God decides to reach through this blog. With that, I've always held on to the idea that I will KEEP POSTING AS LONG AS HE KEEPS GIVING SOMETHING TO POST ABOUT.

For about a month that went on AWESOMELY. If you check it out, you can find a day or two when I posted about 2 to 4 blog entries! I was on fire last month. I just started typing away the moment I feel the Spirit stir up something in me to write about -- and since it's the Spirit working? My fingers just kept dancing around on the keys and words kept flowing.

Recently, I'm down to about a post a week. It's depressing and discouraging to say the least. What's more? These weekly posts -- by some silly standard I don't really understand but can certainly feel -- just don't seem to be at par with my older ones.

I feel like such a failure. As a writer. As a blogger. And definitely as a Saint.

That last failure category sure struck a cord -- Failure as a Saint.

And like any prodigal would do? I tried fixing the problem myself. I didn't bother seeking God, I was already bothering Him way too much with my school work -- this is something He has entrusted to me, and I want to do what I can to show I can be responsible in what He's given me.

WRONG

As Saints I failed with the only responsibility we've been entrusted with -- TO LOVE THE LORD MY GOD.

I was minding the kingdom too much, I forgot ITS KING.

There was no way I'd be able to get back to "my rhythm" in writing JUST BY MY OWN EFFORTS. After all, it's HIS blog -- He won't let me go on writing WITHOUT HIM.

I realized, I'm not just experiencing a common case of "writer's block" -- my HEART was blocked.

Lately, I've been under too much work -- a term nearing its end is like having stabbed a snake and have it coil up around you tighter before it lets go of its life. I've placed too much focus on what I have to do, and forgot what I OUGHT TO DO.

I am a Saint, I'm called to be in constant communion with Him -- nothing more, definitely, nothing LESS.

Why can't I write? Because I don't have anything to write about.

Why don't I have anything to write about? Because I have no source of ideas.

Why don't I have any sources? BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN AS CLOSE AS I SHOULD BE WITH MY GOD -- MY SOURCE OF ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

Jesus said:

Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15: 4-5)

Apart from Him (Jesus) we can do nothing. I'd personally go further and say, apart from Him, we are NOTHING.

God in His grace has reminded me of this, sure, I have to go through times of drought too -- but no season in life would ever trump His promise:

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU. (2 Cor. 12:9a)

TheProdigalSaint's been called to come back; and all this time he thought he's been back -- apparently, he's not "home" enough.

God's love is too stubborn to just let us be average -- it won't stop till we're fully basking in it.

Your Grace is ENOUGH

Too many days have passed since I last got to write a post -- and I feel awful. Spring is almost here (snowed AGAIN this morning -- YEY) and for university students? That means TERM PAPERS AND FINAL EXAMS are all underway.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads:

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Easier said than done, believe me, I know! BUT. It's not that hard when you see how God actually brings you through it.

I am in university, and have been here for about a year now (well, I had two years back in the Philippines and now it's my first year university in Canada) and I can honestly say?

I HAVE NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT -- "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." (2 Cor. 11:30)

If I were to show you my grades right now, I won't be kidding -- they're STELLAR. But, I can honestly say IT'S ALL A PRODUCT OF GRACE.

Okay, so you might think this as false humility? But let me tell of how the story has been recently.

I'm taking a Political Science course this term, and since I've only been in Canada for about 8 months, I KNOW NOTHING OF CANADIAN POLITICAL STUFF -- yes, even the current events related stuff. I have no idea why I'm in this class, but it's already past the deadline for dropping courses, so I have to live with it.

We have to write a term paper for that class, and as expected, all the topics are specifics on anything Canadian. None of the essay questions made sense to me, except for the one that seemed broad enough -- one on Economic Inequality. So I went with that.

I thought I was all set. But boy, was I ever wrong. Days passed and I still couldn't get my head around the topic. It was too alien to make any sense to me. AND YES. I am such a lazy kid. Research should have solved my problems right? But I had this idea that there's too much to know about and too little time? So I was more tired thinking about it than actually doing it.

Yes, you've guess it -- I MISSED MY DEADLINE.

Well, technically, I did not miss it. I went to my professor on the day of submission and told him I could not submit my paper in-class that day -- after staring at a blank Miscrosoft Word screen till 3am, I decided to give up.

I kept praying, but I wasn't hoping for much; I know it's my fault, these are the consequences of my actions.

The next turn of events blew my mind -- my professor was all kind and accommodating, and he did NOT force me to submit. He gave me until Saturday 5pm to submit my paper (the deadline was Wednesday 10am, in-class). Moreover? There's supposed to be a 5% penalty for EVERY day late, BUT he spared me from that, he gave me a FLAT 5% deduction for being 3 days late! To add? He even helped me with where my paper was going!!!

Forget mountains, my God moves deadlines!

For all my university life, if not my WHOLE life -- academia or otherwise, God has been so gracious to me. I've always told my friends: I'm God's needy baby.

I'm a cry-baby who's so dependent on His father -- way too dependent at times. My stellar grades? Are really all just products of His grace. I do not work as hard as I should be, and I feel the consequences of that; but He's never let me down -- especially when I DO NOT EVEN DESERVE TO BE HELD UP.

GRACE

It really is UNDESERVED FAVOR.

Nothing spells SALVATION more than GRACE and LOVE.

God loves us SO much, He gave us love SO UNDESERVED, we can only vaguely call it "grace."

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Cor. 12:9)

If I were to detail here how many times HIS GRACE came through for me in my 19years of existence? Wordpress would overload and I'd have to skip school for the next 38years -- spending two years writing for every year I lived.

God has really been gracious enough for me to even know of this and recognize His handy work.

The idea that God has a plan? And we just have to trust in His faithfulness? Are all too cliche to use to console people -- CLICHE BUT DEFINITELY TRUE.

Blessed Beyond Words (Part II): Matters of the Heart

I can't believe how MUCH God is being gracious in answering my prayer!

I found one of my best friends writing a blog:

http://thegirlhewants.wordpress.com/

For those of you who've been following my posts, I keep saying that I hope to achieve a sense of fellowship and community with this blog -- and He just keeps pouring in more people! He's allowed me to reach people I would never have met without His leading; and, He's re-connecting me with the people who mean a lot to me!

One of my best friends, whom I haven't heard from in like -- FOREVER -- have recently started blogging again. And it's just so overwhelming to hear how people very dear to you are doing, especially in their walk with God.

I can't believe I actually went through ALL (well, there were just 4, but still, ALL) her posts and couldn't stop myself from giggling and sighing all through the time I was reading! I was not only reading about how she's been lately, but I'm reading about how SWEET God has been to her! IT'S JUTS EXHILARATING! I WAS STOKED -- so of course, the only logical thing to do was WRITE ABOUT IT!

Check her blog out! I'll be posting a link to her blog (along with her blogger profile) on the "The Communion of Saints" drop-down page. Her blog is mainly about her relationship with God, and how God has been teaching her the truth in RELATIONSHIPS. Yup, it's a blog about love, heart-aches, Mr. Right, among other things a girl walking with God has to deal with. But NOPE, it's not exclusively for girls -- as brothers and sisters, co-saints, we learn from the way God speaks to each of us -- so I encourage you to check it out. Here's the link again: http://thegirlhewants.wordpress.com/

At The Foot of The Cross - Kathryn Scott

So today's Ash Wednesday.

Let's trade our "ashes in for beauty, and wear forgiveness like a crown."

Christ died so we could have life; He loved us though we were unworthy.

The least we could do is acknowledge His sacrifice and ponder upon the significance of the cross, His blood, and His resurrection in our lives.

Faithful? You don't know the half of it!

Recently, I've really been passionate about writing here. It's just that He's been revealing a LOT to me, and so I keep writing.

A lot of times, I'd be struggling with something, and the moment He shows me the way out, I write about it!

But, as I've been repeating countless times: even as saints, we still are human. This prodigal saint has his share of humanity too -- school work. I don't like it, but I have to do it. Deadlines and exams are piling up, and I just don't want to do them.

My weekend starts every Thursday -- yup, I'm one of those college dudes that have long weekends EVERY week. So when the weekend kicks in, I go into vacation-mode. From Thursdays to Sundays, I'll be at church everyday for choir practice, fellowships, etc. I feel like it's summer when Thursdays come by. So when Monday comes along, all my work piles up on me.

For the past few days, I've been very tired. There are things God is changing within me, there are things I do for His church, there's stress with rehearsals for an Easter Cantata, and then there're school work -- I have to deal with all of these. It's not a fun feeling to be burdened down by all these.

I find myself struggling to just focus on Him and that all I do is for Him. Sadly, staying focus isn't my only problem: when you're down and tired, it's when Satan tries his best to fill you with lies.

"Pst. PSSSST! Hey, you! What are you doing? Praying again? You actually think He's going to help you? PLEASE! Wake up! He's a narcissistic God, He'll only care about Himself! Can't you see? He's getting you involved in all these services you do for Him. You're keeping a blog for His glory, you're in the choir three times a week -- you're spending way too much time in church when you're supposed to be studying. When has He even helped you with your studies, huh? Does He care? NO! Wake up! You're not His son, you're His slave! He won't be helping you, look, you have tons of papers due -- good luck with that!"

The devil taunts me to let go of God's unfailing love. He's filling my head with doubt. I struggled. It's hard to think straight when you're emotionally unstable. But by God's grace, I was still able to pray. I sent the devil away, and surrendered in prayer. Nothing has changed, I still have deadlines and exams, I'm still tired; but who cares, I'll just lift it up to Him.

So today, I just finished writing my history midterm. Also, today I handed in my history paper which was a day late. I did the paper on the night of the submission day, finished it at around 4AM the next day. So when I handed in my midterm exam, my professor smiled at me and said: "Your paper was great!" I didn't pay her much attention, I was tired from writing an exam for two hours -- it was at the end of my day, and I had a whole day of classes and I only got to review in between classes, I was just glad to get it over with. She handed me my paper, which she just graded, and first thing I saw was (- 2%) on my title page. I knew that, so I went out of the room and stopped by the stairs to read through her comments.

I was feeling exited, I don't know why. But when I got to the last page this met my eyes: "91" I GOT AN A+! (The original grade was a 93, and it came with "I don't usually give A+!")

I could actually hear God saying to me: "What did I tell you? Just trust in Me!"

He actually saw me through! And NO! He did not just care about His ministry, HE LOVES ME! He's taking care of me, He knows my every need, and He's my FAITHFUL HEAVENLY FATHER who'd ALWAYS SEE ME THROUGH!

I walked to the bus stop giggling and smiling all the way -- I think people might have though I was crazy or something. I don't care! I was walking on sunshine, He just dispelled all my doubts and my cares.

What's even sweeter? He did not need to do that! He was God! I am a servant, He does not need to prove anything to me! But in His love? He did so. He really is the God of love -- LOVE Himself. He is just the SWEETEST! ♥

"The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

OH YES HE IS! AND YES HE WILL!

More than blessed!

So today I stumbled upon this:

http://unfailinglovee.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-witnessed-love-of-christ-for-his.html

It's a blog by a really special person.

I'm used to calling her "my daughter," and I remember the times when I would have to constantly remind her to pray and seek God above all else. But look now? She's basking in His unfailing LOVE and even sharing it out!

It's really encouraging to see other saints commune with the Father, and more so to see the courage to just be true and out there.

Because of her, I realized an error I've been neglecting for the longest time:

I haven't been as true as I can be. I haven't been able to post for quite some time because I keep re-thinking about the things I would be posting. Trying to make sure it's "good enough" to be posted for the world to see. I totally forgot about the "good enough criteria" that I should be using -- HIS criteria. Whatever He would want me to say, whatever He has revealed to me to share, THAT is what's GOOD ENOUGH.

So with your prayers and by His grace. I'll try to do what this blog was supposed to do in the first place -- to just write about what He convicts me to write.

********

It would really mean a lot if you guys could follow her blog too, and I'll do my best to keep you guys updated about her updates too. There's no such thing as "too many believers communing together in His name" so let's spread the love:

HIS UNFAILING LOVE.

Let Go

If you're feeling all bagged down by just a whole bunch of stuff?

LET THEM GO.

No chains are to be tied on to us ever since He set us free and we accepted that. That's the key though, "acceptance." Salvation IS about acceptance.

We accept:

1) the truth that God loves us and He came to Earth to die for you and me

Salvation comes from the recognition of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His divinity and humanity rolled into a perfect Lamb that was slain and came back to life to give us the victory we can never attain on our own. (John 3:16; Rom. 10:9)

2) that we are WORTH saving.

He did so, we must be worth loving so much. A God coming down to Earth and dying by the hands of His creation? What more proof about love do you need? We KNOW love BECAUSE He loved us. (1 John 4:19; John 1:1-5; Luke 19:10)

3) that we NEED Him.

He's so loving that He'd allow us to go our way if that's what we want. He won't force His salvation onto us, He wants us to willingly accept it. (John 3:16)

4) that we HAVE been forgiven

This is probably the hardest thing to accept; for the most part, we accept His grace., but we fail to accept His forgiveness. How? We fail to forgive ourselves. "He forgave us all our sins. (Col. 2:13b)"

5) His lordship as part of the process

We have been born into sin, no way out of it but through Him. Thing is, we don't just get whisked up to heaven the moment we accept Him as our Savior, we are commanded to still live in this world while not being of it. Hard eh? Given that we are NOT capable of doing good. So what's His answer to that? "Accept me as LORD and SAVIOR -- not just as SAVIOR." His ways are sure, and His plans are perfect. We have no idea what we're doing, we need His guidance. (Jeremiah 29:11)

This Saint is not in a good position right now, and he knows this is what he needs to do: LET GO.

To be able to fully follow Him? We must let go of the pride that we keep as part of what we THINK is righteousness, most of all? We must let go of the need to control our lives. Salvation is about acceptance, true. But acceptance will not be complete without letting go -- we never really fully "accept" something until we let go of something else.

Just let go. If it seems like you can't? Cry out to Him. He'll listen. He's our Father after all.

Decision Made

After belaboring through my old posts, I realized two things:

1) they ARE embarrassing and some are quite ridiculous

and

2) they're a testament of how "prodigal" I was and where I am now.

Can't say I've traveled back far enough, but surely I've been somewhere. If anything, I'm keeping these posts up because "He who began a good work in me(you) will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus" (reworded it a bit, but it's from Philippians 1:6)

It's final then, theprodigalsaint is back to writing.

The Saint Communes 1

Yup, the Saint is finally doing what he should've done LONG AGO

Communing with Him who mattered most :)

So read on, and I hope that through OUR moments, He would also talk to you :) Commune is such a strong word after all <3

*******

After weeks of being lazy and plain bummed out. The Saint finally decided to catch up with Him up there.

To be honest? I was expecting a rebuke or something like that... But I guess He does know me all too well -- I'm such a big baby that being mad at me won't do me much good.

So here's what He gave me.

Revelations 21: 1-5

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rev.%2021%20:1-5&version=NIV

1. We are His betrothed wife.

Someone engaged to someone should only be with that someone they're bound to -- no turning left nor right. Lately, I have completely lost track of this status of mine. After reading those five verses, that was the first thing that jumped at me. The word "bride" just burned through my mind. No turning back when I made a commitment to be a Saint, and now what on earth am I thinking forgetting my vows?? I am His bride, and I should not forget that; my actions should reflect that, and my heart should confirm that. See how loving He is? Even in the midst of me wandering off, he reminds me of my status in Him!

2. He is with US.

He did say that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) This does not mean that the roads ahead will be smooth, nor does it mean that there will no longer be difficult decisions... BUT His presence will always be with us. Things may never be easy, but I guess things became tougher for me, simply because I forgot the only survival guide I had -- HIM. I may be torn, I may be wandering, I may be disoriented; but He still is with me.

3. He has my pain.

He does not send His soldiers into battle like a chess player plays with his/her pawns. He knows our pains, He knows my pain. My tears don't flow unnoticed, whether they be from my eyes, or from my heart. (Ps. 56:8) As if His presence wasn't enough? He had to add the fact that He did have every pain that I have ever felt in His heart. Nothing I go through I go through alone, He goes with me, and He feels for me.

4. He'll make all things new.

He created everything, and He can remake them. I'm living a new life the moment I acknowledged the cross and what its worth. He made things new then, He can also make things new now. I just have to let go and, SERIOUSLY, LET GOD. Also? I'm living a new life here, and its scary, but that doesn't mean this life won't be like the one He directed for me back in the Philippines. It's still the same God, just a different country.

5. There is hope for a future.

This is Revelations after all, and the passage IS talking about the new heaven and new earth. Literally, that means there IS more to come. This Saint has to stop stressing himself out on stuff of this world, it's not where my heart should be. This world, this life, these problems? They're all temporary. Something's bigger out there waiting for us! Soon we'll be home! :)

*******

His grace is just SO great. These promises remind us of the status we have -- we are Citizens of Heaven. That should be more than enough to go through a busy life right?

After days of going astray, He welcomes me back with promises! I guess, I'm the only one who can't truly forgive myself -- even after the King Himself has moved my sins away from me.

His love is just too great! Bask in it :)

Mes Amis (My Friends)

Well I believe my life hasn't really been anything less than an "open book" to almost everyone. (or at least the part of me about my friends) So here, here's a little something to...

1. Thank my friends for being there for me, and providing me with their "special magic" that's uniquely special to each of 'em.

2. TELL THE WORLD who my friends are! And "BRAG" about them~ hahahah

But I won't really be enumerating my friends here one-by-one, all I would do is mention those who have really made an impact on me, and I would do that by utilizing "symbolism" XD yay!

here goes!
[NOTE : all pronouns are in GENERIC MASCULINE so as not to reveal who they really are, for i believe they already know who THEY are~]

Lluvia (rain) - Recently, I've noticed that I had this fascination for "rain" (rain as in the form of precipitation), whenever it rains, I am happy, it uplifts me! Despite the fact that it also makes things hard for me (like me getting drenched, too cold, etc. basically the usual annoyance rains bring). And just like the rain? This friend of mine really makes me happy, in spite of all the troubles we go through~ And I really appreciate this friend of mine, he does things that are REALLY out of his way, and even out of his character, just because he knows it would make me happy. By all means, I wouldn't want to lose this friend~

Viento (wind) - This friend of mine is really like the wind. He's always there even if it seems like he isn't. And just when I am about to fall? He softens my fall, or even prevents it! He's always there JUST in time! He never fails to give me that "knock" on the head whenever I need it. He gives me enough advices to keep me going (both in my Christian life and my life in general)! And just like the wind, he "howls" when he needs me, and I like being needed~ =)

Tierra de tierra (earthen ground) - This friend of mine I associate with the "Earth" (not the planet, but the earth we're stepping on, the "ground"). He's, just like the earth, always there to support me. Though he is as weak as me, he still makes it a point to be there for me to lean on. And just like the earth that absorbs in all the rain? This friend of mine is there whenever I need to cry~ He's there for me, we cry a LOT together~

Étoile (star) - Why star? Well, because we both didn't expect to be there for each other, but we see each other often... Like how we see the stars. And this friend of mine has guided me through A LOT! Just like the star that silently follows and does its best to light you way with everything its got, my friend does that too! And why star? Not just any light? Because as we all know, stars are balls of flames, and flames mean warmth... This friend has never failed to show me and give me the warmth I need, just when I need it!

Oleada (Billow) - To those who don't know, billow is another term for "wave" ~ Hm.. This friend of mine is just like the billows at sea! Who here has experienced playing at the beach and did not have fun with the waves? None right? (or probably REAL few~) This is why my friend I call BILLOW, he is SO fun to be with. You'd both be laughing like there's no tomorrow! But just like the waves, this friend of mine, at times, would cause me to slip and fall. Yup, there are times when we unknowingly hurt each other. (It is, after all, part of every friendship~) Those are the times when the waves just knock you down. But he would never drown me! =) Also, isn't it surprising how the waves can carry ships and other large vessels? Well, this friend of mine has sure have had her share of "carrying me through troubled waters", and just like the wind? This "Wave" of mine never fails to "drench" me in God's word~ =)

Vapeur (Vapor) - This friend I can say I have known the L O N G E S T! He has been with me for.... 11years!! (and to think that I'm only 16~) Why vapor? Well, the vapor is, like the wind, seldom seen. For 11 years we have had our fair share of ups and downs, and there are times when it just seems like we are alone. But nonetheless, we always got through! Just enough amount of vapor could neutralize the temperature around you! Same is true with this friend of mine! Just a "little bit" of him would be enough to calm me down, and just help me relax~ And after all the "vapor" brings about rain right? Well, at this VERY MOMENT, this "vapor" of mine is helping get my "rain" back~ =)


Well, as most of you might know... I have a lot more friends... and I've only given a few... That's because these are the ones whom I REALLY WANT TO SHOW DEEP APPRECIATION TO.

To Vapeur, Oleada, Étoile, Tierra de tierra, Viento and Lluvia...

THANKS A LOT! =) THANK GOD I FOUND YOU!

And as for those whom I haven't mentioned... It doesn't mean that I don't appreciate you...=) Its just that at this moment? These friends mentioned above are those that I REALLY want to show deep gratitude to~ =) You'd have your time... =)

So it was...

So it was... Shockingly, I had the chance to talk to our newly appointed principal today! =)

(Yep, PRINCIPAL, finally we get to have one!)

Well, contrary to what I thought, she actually didn't forget what she said, and so... we talked.

I was at her office at around 4:30pm?? Give or take... And I left about 7pm... O_O (Am shocked myself!)

As planned, I told her about my "concerns" regarding the English Club thingie...
She said she'll look into it, and that she needs to talk to some people about it. (admin., club adviser, etc.)

If you know St. Stephen's (our school, apparently) you'll know how "significant" that statement already is!

I can't really blame her, you should've seen her table! It was nowhere in sight! It was covered with tons and tons of paper! And I am not one bit exaggerating! =.=

So much for that, if I were to say here what else we talked about... You might say that I've been quote-on-quote "brainwashed" o.O

I'm just happy that I was finally able to voice out, and that I was heard. I just hope and pray that they can hasten the processes, because BY ALL MEANS, time is running out! =)

FINALLY! =)

FINALLY!
THANKFULLY!
I can use the computer again!!!! =)

I skipped quite a number of days as you can see...
Well, I slacked for 2 days =.=
And then after that, I got banned from computer.
Yeah, just got the permission last night. =)

As for the details of my being banned. They'll be here... Tomorrow? Saturday? Not really sure. =) But I will post it! =) I wrote it down you know... Hand-written. =)

Anyways, yesterday... Chiz came home fresh from Aussie!! =) haha, and as usual... We bonded at her crib for almost half a day. And I guess that's that. =) Nothing to elaborate on. =)

*Yawn...

It's getting late, and surprisingly I AM already sleepy. .....zzzzz.....

I'm going to try and make up for my "incompetence" haha =)
NightieNights! =)

Rain, rain, not again...

For some reasons after a LONG time... It RAINED! =) Well, I am supposed to be happy ain't I? But the thing here is... WRONG TIMING!

It started pouring at around 3 in the afternoon (GMT +8) and did it pour! It was really raining cats and dogs awhile ago.

Actually, my "timetable" has already been planned. After waking up at 12:58pm , I had the following "actions" arranged.

1. Play for 3 hours. 3 hours only because:

• My mom limits my use of the computer to only 3 hours.
• Counting 3 hours from 1:00pm, means I'll be finished by 4pm, and I have an engagement at 5, so leaving the house at around 4:15 - 4:20 (I need about 15minutes preparations, including all the unnecessary delays.) would just give me ample travel time.

2. Be prepared to leave the house AT LEAST by 4:30pm
3. Be at school/church (Its one and the same.) by 5pm to be on-time for rehearsal.

Apparently though, the rain got in the way. (Actually, I think I have to refer to it as a storm already.) It rained SO hard, that I can actually hear the rain drops hitting our roof! And since my mom was out with my sister (The latter had piano lessons so my mom had to bring her there.) and so I have to use public transport to get to school. Which included quite a lot of walking, so I had to wait for the rain to seize for me to actually be able to walk outside.

It stopped, but not completely, now the drops are really tiny, at around 4:20pm , so I had to rush my "before-going-out-preparations", and ended up ending at around 4:30pm. I went out, and I rode the PUJ (Public Utility Jeepney) and for some reasons, I sort of reached the train terminal at 5pm! I was like... "WHAT?!"

And so there, as expected... I was late. And to top that? My shorts really got dirty from all the mud.
(I left the house with a shirt, shorts and my slippers. And so since the rain left the roads muddy, my slippers kind of "sprinkled" mud on my shorts as I walked.) And my feet was no better.

*Sigh... What A Day!

But actually, I am some what thankful for that downpour. Well, since it was raining I got to "extend" the activity that I was currently engaged in, playing! Which resulted to some other things. Here's a list of things I thank God for sending the rain for. (Whoa! A lot of "for's"...LOL)

1. I got to play some more!
2. I knew I was going to be late despite my "timetable" and so the rain sort of provided a nice "excuse" for me. =)
3. Since I got to play a bit more (Well, I was playing an MMORPG then BTW.) I was able to get to know one of my playmates better.

Lesson:
Things happen for a purpose, and things could really work out for you. You just have to learn to look at them from a different perspective.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. -Romans 8:28 (NKJV) "

Learn to be thankful for everything. And always face the day with a smile, and even start it in the same way. They say, the secret to a successful life, is all in "right attitude". So smile! =)

MMORPG - Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game. Basically an RPG that's online and can be played by a lot of players/people.
*Check previous posts for description of RPG

PUJ (Public Utility Jeepney) - Most commonly known as "Jeepney" or "Jeep" . Its the most common public transport in the Phil. They were originally made from US Military Jeeps left over from WWII and are now well-known for their flamboyant decorations. They have also become a symbol of Philippine culture.

ooops.

Wah! =( I am supposed to be updating my blog daily, but due to time constrains, it seems like today's (a.k.a April 29, 2008) post would be dated as tomorrows, since its already 12:30am....

Anyways, here's what's for 29!
And YUP, I will also be posting tomorrow, ergo today. =)

April 29, 2008

Sleep

Yeah, sleep... I slept 14hrs! Apparently my body knew that I didn't actually have anything planned for today and so it kind of ensured that I get back on my sleep.

Happy Birthday Friend!!!

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY MAE!

Mae Chan Li turns 17 today! =)
Love you Mae! =)

You really are special, something that we are blessed with! Stay the same! And thanks for all those times we've spent together, I know there are quite a lot of times that we both are busy with "work" and our other friends, but despite that you still are always there for me! THANKS A LOT!!! =)

Death
I was supposed to actually have been able to post on-time. But as I was using the computer a while a go (about 10:40++ pm), my mom asked me to accompany her. We went to La Funeraria Paz a.k.a Araneta Paz. The grandmother of one of my batch mate and friend died. (Ryan Yu)

And it just got me thinking, we humans really don't have a say in our lives do we? Whatever we do, it has its limitations pre-set already, even before we begin. We are very limited, whether it be our strength, our emotional and mental capacities, and most especially our life. We don't know when this ends. We have the slightest notion of our future. The list goes on and on, but I'm afraid I'd better stop here, for if I continue it might already offend others, at the same time, I might sound so "emo" =)

Lesson:
Sleeping is good, but everything in excess is always bad. =) [generally that is]
Its always good to have friends who are there just when you need them, not just when they are available or when they "need" you.
Life is uncertain, but it doesn't mean that its all bad. We still can work some things out, and as I have said before, hoping is never a bad thing. =) Again, caution though on hoping too much.

Malfunction?!

Its really annoying! The fact that I seem to have this writing sickness that somewhat sets a parameter on my pieces. I mean as far as I can remember, I have been blogging like this, like "boring" this.

So far? I can't seem to let go of the usage of "apparently", "currently", "some what", etc! Haven't you seen?

Its really depressing! Knowing that as a writer, instead of improving, I'm stagnant! Not to mention the fact that I feel like before being stagnant, I even stepped back a little.

*sigh...

People has always been saying that the way I write is usually very "flowery". Too flowery, as some may put it. But I... I don't really know.

I think its no secret, the fact that I actually envy Chiz's way of writing. She has the ability of disposing pompous words without having the slightest notion of being a "know-it-all".

I want that, but I guess the more I try... The worst I become.

I feel like a broken recorder. You know. One that ALWAYS repeats the same thing again and again. No matter how many times you try to have it change the way it does things, you never succeed. I feel so trapped. Its as if I'm to stay in this repetitive event that never seems to be over. The feeling that no matter what you do, and how you do them... They always come out the same. I feel powerless.

So much for that... (I guess)

I really would like to , like Chiz. blog about my day. But I guess its just not me to do so. I can't seem to find the right words, nor the right way of stating the events. You may say that writing is really a free form type of art. But still, it has standards, mostly? Standards I impose on myself. And one of the greatest disappointment one can face it having yourself dissatisfied with yourself, failing yourself.

So I guess, its better this way then... I'll just try to enumerate them! HAHA =)

Today:
1. Was at Monique Gaw's house early morning. Yep! Real EARLY! (7:00++am)
2. Went to Makati (with Monique) , to Chemworld to be exact, and attended a seminar on Perfume making.
Yey! I now know how to make perfumes! =) And they actually allow you to be about to make perfumes that smell exactly like those commercial ones! =) Namely? D&G, Bvlgari, Lacoste, Paris Hilton. ETC! =)
[NOTE: Message me if interested =)]
3. Instead of buying stuffs for perfume business. We settled for scented soaps instead! Easier, cheaper, and much much more SALABLE! =) And we went to her house to actually start the "soap scenting".
4. Apparently (see? here I go again...) after all those,
I had to rush to school for choir rehearsal. And since my day was really jam packed, (We walked A LOT btw... me and Monique) I was sweating BULLETS! And I think at that time, I really smelled awful already. So, being far from home, I had to turn to my ever so reliable friend Chiz! Since I didn't really want people backing away from me right? So I called her up, and asked if she could spare me a shirt, and she did! =) She even gave it to me! If only I had time, I would've showered off... But I was really running late, so I just went to.... HEY! I don't really think I have to share these do I? Anyways, to make the short story even shorter, I mad it to choir practice smelling & feeling fresh! =) (though the shirt was a little tight)

Lessons:
Friends , TRUE friends I mean, are really a BIG BIG BIG help! Never ever underestimate a friend!
And you're never TOO young nor TOO old to be an entrepreneur.

If THERE's A WILL... WAYS CAN BE FOUND! =)

So?!

So... Today is the first official day that my dad's far away. I don't really feel it's difference, at least in the morning. Since during summer mornings, my dad's already at work, thus I don't really get to bump into him too often. Its when night falls, that's when I THINK I'd probably feel its "weight"(?).

Apparently, I usually stay up late OL (online), as most of you might know, and my mom doesn't really stay up late... That's when my dad comes in the picture. He's the one who ensures that I go to sleep, and he's also the one who stays up and waits for me to finish everything I have to do and then only sleeps when I am in the room. (We sleep in the same room BTW... My WHOLE family... Immediate family that is)

Sigh...
Well, so much for that... =)

Today was really something, we went to 168 Sopping Mall to do.. obviously... do some shopping. But only Mae was able to buy something. I guess I was just TOO picky... or the clothes were TOO picky... =)

Anyways, after that we (me and Gladys) spent the rest of the afternoon at Chiz's place. We watched "Disturbia" well at least the second half. And as we were watching, Willy (haha, I guess it wouldn't hurt if I mimic they're way of addressing him ;] ) came. The original plan was to scare me, yup poor old me. But since Willy came, I got to borrow his PSP and somewhat was not paying that much attention to the screen anymore, and so they didn't have had the chance to scare/frighten/shock(?) me! LOLx

*Thanks Willy! In you face Chiz, Dobz, Demiee, and Donway! haha

After that, we played Bleach on (I guess you could use on... right) Chiz's PS2... Apparently, we were successful in tiring out our vocal prowess!! haha, We shouted quite a lot! =)

Again, this entry is somewhat something to show my gratitude to my BELOVED friends! YEP! BeLOvED!! =) Thanks again guys!!

Love Lotz!!

Sleeping

So my birthday passed... *sigh* what an occassion that was. Anyways, as expected from an indolent guy like me, I wasn't able to post on that day, nor on the next day, good thing I have persisten "blogger" friends.
So feel free to check out what happened on my bday from these links below... =)

http://denicesy.blogspot.com/2008/04/happy-birthday-my-lve.html

http://denicesy.blogspot.com/2008/04/ivans-birthday-at-moa.html

http://chioarocks.blogspot.com/2008/04/im-too-tired-to-type-it.html

*phew! What a hassle! For some reasons I can't "copy paste" those links, yup, I had to type them manually. Well, if they didn't work just check out their blogs whose URL's are part of the links on the rightmost column of my blog (namely "Chioa's" and "Chiz's)

I would also like to take this time out to thank the following:
>Gladys Yu
-Giselle Yu
-Marvin Chua
>Darlene Talento
>Darlene Keng
>Marion Go
>Monique Gaw
>Rochelle Cheng
>Jefferson Sia
>Katrina Tee
>Rachelle Fabico
-Bernadee
>Walter Yuloque
>Denice Sy
>Ralph Chioa
>Cindy Ong
>Mae Chan Li
>Audrey Lu
>Kevin Dionisio
>Nielsen Jaranilla

Thanks guys! YOU really made my 16th Birthday memorable!! =)

BTW, these people were those people who really took time out to make my birthday special.

Some of them even stayed up until 12 midnight just to greet me a "Happy Birthday".
(names in Yellow)

Some greeted me exactly on that day
(names in white)

Some even called!!
(names in green)

And of course! Those in "Red" are the ones who really outdid everyone this year! =)
They were the ones who treated me to an "All-expense-paid" day at the mall!
YUP!

All expense paid!

Instead of the usual gathering wherein the birthday celebrator (yup! its celebrator not celebrant!) is the one in-charge of the bills, it was the other way around!!! This time, we went out and they treated me to everything I wanted!!! Movies, games, food, even transportation were all paid by them! Thanks guys!!!

Apparently it looks like I've focused too much on my birthday, and forgot the stuff that I was really supposed to write about, TODAY.

Well, I guess that was so because today wasn't really something, aside from the fact that I slept half the day off. Nothing really special...

Once again I would like to extend my HEARTFELT gratitude to the names stated above! Thanks guys!! Love YOU!!!! =)