13 Things I Look Forward to at the End of the Week :)

in no particular order...

- my mom's cooking -- a big bowl of warm soup or porridge or a plate of her special veggie salad :)
- watching ina garten's barefoot contessa and giada de laurentiis's everyday italian on the food network
- an overseas call from my dad
- a warm hug from someone special
- see faces of people in our church's youth group and also jamming with them
- "yadnuh" :)
- study new songs on my guitar
- a time to write on my blog
- a time to read a chapter on my favorite book
- a longer time alone with god
- my newly manicured hands/feet
- my favorite song playing on the background
- a good night message from a dear friend
- an i love you from anyone

hmmm...now that makes hectic weekdays more bearable :)

8 Things Young Filipinos Can Do To Help The Philippines

8 Things Young Filipinos can do to Help the Philippines
by: Harvey S. Keh
The Manila Bulletin, July 20,2008 (Sunday)

Is the Filipino youth apathetic and indifferent to the plight of our country? That is a question that I am often asked by my friends who seem to be frustrated with the seeming lack of concern and action from the Filipino youth. My answer to this question is simple, I don't agree that young Filipinos don't care anymore about our country, they want and can do something but they just don't know how they can contribute positively in our society. In this regard, I'd like to share my own views of how young Filipinos can get involved in creating a better Philippines.

1.) Register and Vote in the upcoming 2010 National Elections. One of the major problems in our country today is our lack of effective and ethical leaders who will set aside their self-interest for the sake of the common good. In 2010, a great majority of Filipino voters will be aged between 18-35 years old thus, this is a perfect opportunity for young Filipinos to shape our country's future by choosing the right leaders who will lead our country out of poverty. You can help encourage young Filipinos to register and vote by joining IamChange 2010, send an email to the organizers at kai.pastores@ yahoo.com or you can contact them at (02) 426-5657.

2.) Keep yourself informed about what's happening in our country. In a talk that I gave last summer to a group of college students, I asked them if they knew the different between the roles of a congressman and a mayor. 95% of them said no. This was disheartening since they were already college students studying at a prestigious university. If we really care about our country, we should make a conscious effort to know what is happening around us by reading the newspaper, watching the news or simply taking time to visit websites that contain news about the Philippines.

3.) Harness the power of the Internet to share your sentiments about issues in our country. With the rapid growth of social networking sites and blogs, young Filipinos are now able to easily share their opinions and views with the rest of the world. This can be an effective means of sharing with your friends your views about different issues in our country and by doing so you can help generate more awareness and concern about particular issues and advocacies that need to be pushed for the betterment of our society. If you have time, visit my blog at http://filipinochan gemaker.blogspot .com .

4.) Share your books with public school students. The state of Education in our country is in a crisis. We have students who reach high school without even learning how to comprehend a Grade 3 textbook. This problem is compounded by the fact that less than 15% of our public elementary schools have adequate and functional libraries. How can we teach students to read if they don't have books that they can read? If you want to donate books or start a book drive for our public schools, you can get in touch with AHON Foundation by sending an email to ahonfoundation@ gmail.com or calling (02) 683-0262 local 109.

5.) When you go abroad or meet foreigners, share nice things about the Philippines. If you watch CNN or BBC, there are advertisements wherein countries showcase their beautiful places and encourage tourists to come and visit. This is being done since tourism can be a major driver in the economy and development of a country since it not only brings in dollars to the country but it also provides livelihood opportunities for the local communities. Given the meager budget we have to promote our country abroad, we can help by sharing nice things about the Philippines when we meet foreigners and through this we are able to encourage them to take time to visit our country's most beautiful places and enjoy the world famous Filipino hospitality.

6.) If you can, don't leave the country. Many of our best minds like our teachers are leaving the country in search of better opportunities and the effects are already showing in our public schools where there is a lack of highly skilled English, Math and Science Teachers. I totally understand and don't blame those who come from very poor families which decide to work abroad to provide a better quality of life for their families, some of them may have no other choice than to leave. But for those that have a choice and live a relatively comfortable life here, then I hope you can consider staying and working here to contribute towards moving our country forward. For those who decide to leave, I hope you don't forget to give back to the Philippines by helping send a poor but deserving student to school or sending books that our public school students can still use.

7.) Volunteer your time and Share your skills for causes that are bigger than yourself. According to studies on what makes people genuinely happy, being able to help and take part in causes that are bigger than yourself is one of the most fulfilling and happiest experiences. There are so many non-profit organizations and foundations that are currently doing their own share in helping change the Philippines but for them to reach more people and do more good work, they often need volunteers who can commit time to help in their activities. For example, Pathways to Higher Education-Philippin es needs volunteer tutors who can commit 2-3 hours a week to help poor but deserving public high school students gain access to quality higher education. Another example is Museo Pambata which looks for volunteer tour guides and storytellers who can help in entertaining and educating children who visit the Museum. You can visit the Pathways website at http://www.pathways philippines. org or call them at (02) 4266001 local 4048.

8.) Join advocacy groups that promote good governance in our country. According to a study made by the World Bank, the Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries in Asia wherein billions of pesos are lost every year due to rampant graft and corruption in our government. These billions of pesos could've been used to build homes for the poor, provide quality healthcare to the sick and build enough public school classrooms for the Filipino youth but instead they money just goes to the pockets of a few elite families which govern our country. It is no wonder why the poor remain poor in the country while those in power continue to drive around our streets in their brand new luxury vehicles. In order for us to achieve genuine and lasting reforms in our country, we need to work together to promote greater transparency and accountability in our government leaders. If you are interested to volunteer and join the fight against corruption, you can join TEAM RP by sending an email to team.rp.official@ gmail.com .

all in a day's work

my co-officers in sje and i organized a personality development talk entitled "beyond captivating" this afternoon. i was tasked to pick up 5 huge boxes of eaji from our sponsor in san miguel mills in the morning. we were stuck in heavy traffic plus we got lost. and to add to my dismay the whole pick up process took us an hour or so. so there, finally got the goods then went straight to school.

the event started at around 1 p.m. with Cory Quirino's arrival. have never seen such "jawdropping" beauty before. a mix of ooohhs and aahhs were heard from the crowd (all girls) when she took off her coat.. kutis porcelana haha...tell me if i sound like a "t-bird" for saying these things :) there's no denying the fact that she's a brilliant motivational speaker. we learned a lot while having fun. super kwela din niya. but one thing i noticed though is that her talk is all about releasing your power, your inner goddess, acquiring wealth etc.. there's nothing wrong with these things, it's just that there are certain points in her speech that i don't believe in... too worldly for me if i may say. i was looking for a "godly" dimension... personally, i believe that we are nothing without God and that there is no greater power other than him... but all-in-all the talk was interesting and fun..

our next speaker was Nina Ricci Alagao. she looks so much better in person than on television. her speech sort of became an open forum about confidence etc... people were not really that into it but when she started talking about beauty tips, how to walk, talk, and even sit like a beauty queen that was the time when people really started to listen. one thing that struck me most was when she said that the biggest confidence booster for her was when she became a christian... sayang lang because she was not given a chance talaga to share the gospel... ayun, but super fun din tska inspiring nung talk nia.

all the hardwork was incomparable to the end result. the participant evaluation sheet was filled with good comments such as keep up the good work, we learned a lot etc...everyone went home happy and that's all that matters...

it's all in a days work... :)

to god be the glory. :)

From Nelson Mandela...Hope you'd be inspired.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you ...
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
- Nelson Mandela

So true...

my life in a week

it's been such a busy week.

tired.

imagining what headaches months ahead will bring :(

but i still have a lot to thank god for.

finally passed the feasib!!! haha... after 3 months. di ko napigil sarili ko nung nkita ko ung final paper na naka bookbind. todo ngiting aso.. haha.

got a failing grade for my quiz in production management. a staggering 65%!!! haha... don't know kung ang bagal ko ba pumick-up nung mga panahong yon. haha. just have to do better on the next exam. :)

it's my bez's birthday last thursday. so happy andito na xa sa pinas. pero parang mgay nagbago. medyo awkward ung mga chat namin lately. don't know why i feel so shy to talk to her. pero sobra kong na-miss un. hope we'll be able to catch up on things. dami ko gus2 i-share sa kanya.

ate finally closed a sale on a condo unit!!! balato! :)
haha...ano kayang papabili ko? :)

went with my mom a while ago sa valley fair. she needs to find a space for their company kasi. there, i stumbled upon Word International Ministries. they were having a worship service. at dahil usyusera ako :P i went inside to take a look.

medyo maliit lang ung space but they have a nice office tpos may room for children's sunday school, plus ung pinapangarap kong lcd. haha. it's not naman being materialistic or anything pero i want our church to have those kind of amenities.

i believe hindi naman imposible. i have a rich father in heaven. kaya niyang i-provide un.

sana the members of our church will share the same vision. ayaw kong madatnan kami ni Lord na hanggang dun nalang. 18 years na ung church nmn pero di parin ganun ka-develop. sometimes i get so burdened bout our needs. if only everyone will feel that burden too.

haay Lord...

i lift it all up to you... in your time...

Happy :)

Pure insanity. haha. depress-depressan ang drama. :)

had to make this for my wikispaces homework.

my sis loved it. said i look like "Pucca" on the last frame.

see any resemblance? :P

lonely. stressed. alive. happy.

yep. that sums up how i feel.

wish the happy part would last longer..

Feasib

so tired.

i've been stressing over this feasib paper for 3 months now and it really sucks. i'm on the verge of breaking down. i had no choice but tweak the balance sheet based on my own terms (in short, dinoktor ko haha) to be able to pass it tomorrow :(

hope everything turns out well...

Life's Anthem

Desert Song
by Hillsong
Album: This Is Our God

Verse 1
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus
I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conquerer and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know i'm filled to be emptied again
The seed i received thy will sow

The bridge says it all. Whatever the circumstance...we have all the reason to worship God. Trust me. I know...

D-group

Jerina (my spiritual patner and d-group leader) asked me to join other d-group leaders from miriam college to a sort of "team building seminar". she said she was praying for me to become a d-group leader and that our school is a harvest field--in need of more workers.

i got scared.

it was like God talking to me.

ever since that revival night happened, my life kinda had a new perspective, a new direction...

so back to God "talking" to me. god's prompting was so strong--it couldn't be ignored and resisted. but something inside me tells me not to go. it was that deep sense of fear.

i remembered asking God to talk to me bout his will for my life. and when he finally did, my fears and insecurities took hold of me. the thought that i am not deserving for that "call" keeps bothering me. or that i am not prepared to obey. i am just not ready in this point of my life. i have a lot of responsibilities, i'm pre-occupied with a lot of things. maybe those were the reasons for my fears...

but God was faithful, his love is greater than all of my fears and insecurities combined. he used people, His word, and other books to open my eyes for what he wants me to do.

one of that people is Louie. He is one of the few people who truly understands what i'm going through aside from Jeri and my bestfriend tina (if she only knew coz' we haven't had the chance to talk bout it yet). He lent me his father's book and told me to read the chapter on "god is my home" (i'll post it next time). God spoke to me bout putting off my luxuries and taking up my cross for him. He wants me to obey him and make my life his home. he's the owner to the "deed" of that house and he has every right to use it as he please.

so there i finally decided to come, not because i want to do it for myself but because i wanted to obey him. I'M GLAD I DID.

i was able to talk to ate justine bout all the stuff inside my heart. it's funny because ate justine and I are quite the same. we're both honor students pressured by our families and people around us to "succeed" (in their own interpretation of the word). we're both ambitious individuals and expected to be "the most successful girl in class". but god is putting a "distaste" in our hearts for things not of His own. tears just kept streaming down my face, and people who saw me was probably thinking i'm nuts. ate told me that everything in this world is "rubbish" in the eyes of God and that our lives have a higher purpose, and that is to serve Him. she told me bout her experiences when she was still in the corporate world and compared it to her experiences in the ministry. she said there'll be a lot of trials and challenges but at the end of the day...what matters most is that we were able to serve God.

the whole day was filled with fun. i got to know trippy, abi and lica (d-group leaders as well). they told me bout the history of PROJECT S.C.H.O.O.L. (Saving Colleges and High Schools of Our Land) which gave birth to d-groups (discipleship groups) in different schools. their mission of spreading the word of god is just remarkable. as ate told us, we have a DREAM and that is to disciple others, return to our first love, make evangelism our lifestyle, eliminate apathy and wait for God's miracle to abound. our prayer time was very special because we prayed for Miriam College, that God may use us to make him known in our school. as jeri puts it: "We are building a MOVEMENT--not a MONUMENT!"

i'm quite scared but my heart trusts that God will use everything in me (including my weaknesses) for his greater glory.

i'm excited.

may god's miracles abound.

"His power in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine."
Ephesians 3:20.

p.s. i was thinking of inviting ate justine for one of our youth fellowships in church. i'm sure everyone in our group will be inspired to do our part in spreading the gospel.