LTS: February Bliss (Update)

UPDATE (08-Mar-15 20:34)

It's time to update my February list... a bit late but well, better late than never... :)

Now, let's have a look what was planned... I have to be honest that this list barely came to my mind given the jam packed schedule that I have for this month... but here goes...

• Warm Shower with aromatic candles - This is not so uncommon but I do it with a twist... first, my shower does not have a heater... but I usually do it the pinoy hot shower way... boiled water inside a balde with tabo... :) second, I only have used (normal) candles during blackouts :D I can't do much with the first one, but I can easily buy that scented candles.
  
  *** Sorry, but this was a no go for this month... no time to buy scented candles.... I still have the ordinary ones, and I only get to use it during blackout... I'll have to consider this again for next month.
  
• Create something beautiful - Start a creative project... hhmm... it's been a while since I have done something creative... well, except the dream board... but I just have one in my mind.
  
  *** Instead of my planned creative project, I had to do my actual project for my thesis... so no go, for this one this month... :(
  
• Travel! - Oh-uh... february is not really a time for travelling especially with work at hand... maybe a local scene will do... :) although, I might have something in mind for April.
  
  *** I almost have this one... but as predicted this is a no go for this one... but still working on this for April... and looking forward to it. :)
  
• Cup of hot cocoa with a good book - This I'll definitely do! My mom have special cocoa reserves. ;)... and a book reserved!
  
  *** Ah, yeah... this one is done... Good thing we have a stock of cocoa! :) The book is still to be finished though. :)

So, over-all it's 1 out of 4... it doesn't look good but given the happenings for this month, I would have to say that I did more than the list! It was an unexpected February mainly because I have found new friends who reminded me how good life is and how worthy and loved I am. That's more than enough to last me the entire year! :)

ANAWIM Concert 2014

Have you ever seen priests singing in a concert? Here in Zamboanga, you can! :)

Got the tix! :)

Once in a year (or two), the archdiocese of Zamboanga prepares one of this events where you see priests, seminarians, and nuns sing (and dance) their heart out with ballad and pop songs.

This year's theme is "Do Justice and Love Kindness" and proceeds goes to hospitalization of our clegrymen.




For those who witness the concert, it was pure fun and party parteeeyy! :)

 Here are some of the highlights!
 

We're a bit early... prepping for the show!

Our clergies give it a go!

End of show party parteeyy! :)

With family :)

Not to be missed... our guardians :)

 

Bundles of Joy

"For we are God's masterpiece" - Ephesians 2:10

This.Is.A.Joyous.Day!

Get ready, mga nengs, when these tiny feet start to run!

It's surprising that whenever you see a newborn child, you can't help yourself but smile and appreciate the beautiful mystery of life. The child doesn't even know your name and hasn't done anything yet but sleep, cry, poop, suck, and sleep more. But deep within there's a fire of happiness and of excitement... and it's not even have to be your own child. I believe that when God created humans, He must have the same feelings of joy and more.

Today, I will send my joyous congratulations to two of my best friends who have once again delivery bundles of joys into our lives (in just a month! record breaker! :D)... these bundles of joy will later be little firecrackers who will mess up the room once again... and play around with our 10 shots and whatnots (nice job, Pao!). The TG might need a bigger room on the next gathering! Whew! 

Congrats Marsh for the new baby girl... and Monira for the new baby boy! Let's try a big TG family picture next time... and dami ng juniors! :)

LTS: January Startup (Update)

(UPDATE: 7:28PM 01.02.2015 )

Time to rediscover myself again... changes have to be made... from within and from outside. 

The plan: Achieve the weekly ways to love yourself as suggested by Marjorie... and that would be 52 ways for the 52 weeks in a year.

I have not done this kind of thing, that is, follow a how-to ways. Not even a new year's resolution. Well, I did but I haven't thought about it the month after. But I'm giving this a try. This is my way of waking up the inner fun within me which I would usually display for the world... and which I think has been dormant for some time. I might have to make some difficult decisions along the way but let's not get ahead of our heads.

Ok... I'm a little late for the start of the year, so I just have to get into the entire list for the month of January. Note: I have not read ahead of the ways because I want to surprise myself along the way.... and I'm not copying the entire text here, just a gist. 

• 

  My playroom ;)

  Time to exercise - I have to check this one as done. After  looong while, I just got back to dancing sessions again this year. In fact, I started on the first week :) and I don't have plans to stop anytime soon. How does it help? Aside from the benefits we already know of exercise from the experts, I think it also helps clear the battles within your mind, which you need to be able to think and decide clearly.
  
  
  *** So far, so goood... I have finally gotten my groove back... only missed 2 sessions... and in addition, I tried the new TRX (see picture)... and well, ahm, maybe I'll get used to it some day. :D
  

• 

  My Dream Board :)

  Dream Board - List your dreams and create a dream board. Accordingly, it will remind you of the things that matter most to you and pray for them daily to make it come true. Uhm... I think this will be a challenge, especially if your dream is becoming just an illusion. But well, we can dream on!
  
  
  *** It's on board! It's been a while since I have made some sort of an art project, and this I really enjoyed doing. My actual written dreams is not included in this image but I guess you get the picture. ;) I have also included some of my favorite quotes from books for more inspiration.
  
• Full sleep - Sleep for eight hours and have a good rest. I want this... I just have to learn to ease up my mind before bedtime. So far, I have been sleeping for 4-6 hours (and worst, waking up crying within that time).  Let's see.. the target bedtime: 9pm-5am / 10pm-6am.. uhm... I hope I can manage that.
  
  
  *** Well, partially achieved this one. Most of the time, I achieved the 10pm target but in some nights you can't just easily drop the book that you are reading. So, on average it's 7-8hours... more 7 than 8 :) But the point is to have enough sleep, and over-all I have... way better than before.
  
  
• Updated playlist - Listen to your favorite song preferably worship song. Oh-uh.. would it make you more depress if your favorite songs are mostly about separation and heartbreaks? I can always switch to praise songs. But in general, I think this will be fun. Time to activate that iPod again!
  
  *** This one is both sweet and melancholy. I just love some good soft music... and despite everything, I couldn't stop myself from including (in my opinion) some of my favorite love songs. All in all, this is just a feel good list with the main theme: Hope & Love. :)
  
  My list are longer but to be brief here's my top 10:
  
  1. All of Me (John Legend)
  
  
  2. Love Moves in Mysterious Ways (MYMP version)
  
  
  
  3. All of the Stars (Ed Sheeran)
  
  
  
  4. All This Time (Tiffany)
  
  
  
  5. All Cried Out (Allure)
  
  
  
  6. I Still Believe in Love (Jenny Hyun)
  
  
  
  7. The Art of Letting Go (Mikaila)
  
  
  
  8. Rainbow (South Border)
  
  
  
  9. Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson)
  
  
  
  10. Love Alone (Caedmon's Call)
  
  
  * All videos courtesy of YouTube.
  
  Moving on... :)

• Identify your Core Gifts - Write it down and thank God for them. "This will remind you how you are wonderfully made by God!" This is heavy when you feel unworthy of your self. But the list is the list. And it is part of the goal.
  
  *** This is a bit heavy for me. I think mainly because I have a lot of insecurities and uncertainties within myself. But I also believe that each and everyone of us is gifted and special in our own way. It's easier said than done... but truly it is easy if we only give ourselves some slack and focus always in the positive side... and the greatness of God. By doing this, we can better see the best of ourselves. As for me, I have my list save on my phone... ;) to keep myself reminded of who I am and to do something with this gifts every day.

Uhm... kinda heavy list to start... a month in a week. But so far, it's a good eye opener... well, not just an eye but both eyes :D I realized that this LTS is more of the little things that you do everyday that stores up love & happiness which will eventually the L&H that you share with the people around you.

Now, it's time to gradually rise up from the ashes! :) 11 months more to go! :)

LTS: Forgiving One's Self

I miss the old days... when all you cry about is that your parents wouldn't allow you to play outside... or when all you worry about is passing an exam... when all you do in most of your free time is sing your favorite tune... but life moves on... you become mature (you think)... mindful of what you say and do... getting your work done on time... doing the best that you can do in your work and your relationships. In all these, I somehow feel caged within the bounds of the realm which was created both by the people around us and by ourselves. I feel that I need to set myself free... and in order to do this, I need to know what keeps me in bondage.

Sometimes, all we can do is to submit a prayer to the Lord.

I started comparing myself now from before when I felt like nothing can break me. What was that I had before that I don't have now? And I realized that it was the other way around... I don't have work then and I never loved someone then. I generally felt stronger because I never experienced anything yet that made me vulnerable. No one knows me deep enough to know my weakness.

I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I made mistakes... and I admit those mistakes. You failed the expectations of the person you love most... and in turn, your expectations too. I can hear someone say let it go and move on. But what should one do when you are not forgiven? With that, how can one forgive one's self? In your heart, you feel unloved... and unworthy of someone's love.

In starting to love myself again, I have to accept that there are things that I cannot change. There are expectations and plans that you set yourself that cannot be, maybe, or will never be fulfilled. I just have to accept God's plan for me and to trust in His forgiveness. Easier said than done and I know this will still be a long way to go... a way to forgiveness... and a way to loving one's self again.

I whisper to God this prayer (by Reinhold Niebuhr):

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

Loving Thy Self (LTS)

Disclamer! I tell you now... Nope, this content will not tell you what to do or what not to do. I intend to write it for myself as my first ever (public) journey to self-realization. If somehow, someway, it helped you too, I would love to read about it.

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During the holidays, I did a major cleaning session of my room and, as you usually encounter when scouring old stuffs, I found an old notebook of mine that contains a handwritten essay of my thoughts (then)... and it reminded me of how I would lead myself to writing when I feel like expressing my scrambled mind. And I have been itching to write again in the past weeks. Not just writing about some person or place but trying to get into me. I am currently having a scrambled mind... and heart. And I'm itching to understand it and write about it.

Finding thy self is like finding the light from within.

I decided to read a self-help book about loving yourself*. Note, I have never read any self-help books before, just some articles about "10 ways to not get yourself into trouble" and the likes, which most FB users probably read on their feeds at least once a week. And by the way, since I decided to focus on me, I have already deactivated my FB account. I believe that FB lets you focus more about your "friends" lives... their lives not yours.

Back to the book. I have just finished reading the first chapter of the book and I can't help crying (like a wolf). And I think there will be lots of crying reading this book.

I am reminded of how much my parents loved and cared for me... but most importantly, how much God, as our Almighty Father, loves us. I have been doing PopeWatch this week too like the rest of the Filipinos and this has been Pope Francis' core message. I think this message never really sinks in until you need it the most. And at this moment, when I feel most uncertain of my life, of a person close to my heart, and of my self, it struck me... I need the certainty of God's love.

"My plan for your future has always been filled with hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

"Because I love you with an everlasting love." - Jeremiah 31:3

This is an excerpt of the Father's love letter which you can read in full here. And I strongly suggest that you read it. I will probably be reading this more and more and more until it gets into the deepest core of my heart and carries with me in every step I make.

I will end this chapter with this:

"This is our true identity. Knowing who we truly are --- children of God --- we become our true selves. We begin to love ourselves...When we start loving ourselves as our Father loves us, we can start giving true love that is not needy, not clingy, not expecting anything in return --- the kind of love that heals not only ourselves, but also our families." - Marjorie Duterte

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* The book that I'm currently reading is "Loving Yourself (As God Loves You)" by Marjorie Duterte. I bought this book a couple of weeks ago... I guess, my subconscious was trying to tell me that my heart and soul needs healing.

To the BlueGreen-Eyed German

To the BlueGreen-Eyed German,

Some time two years ago in Florence, I heard Thomas talking German on his phone. It was the first time that I heard him having a long conversation with someone in his language. I was told that it was your birthday. I knew so little about you then but knowing Thomas, I have more or less have an idea. The time I spent at your home has given me the privilege to get a glimpse of your life... who you were as a person and who you are to your family.

Beyond those blue-green eyes is an intelligent and heartwarming individual.. a loving father and husband. I enjoyed the moments when we played the game of flags... I discovered where your son got his love for history. I cherished the time when you cook us for dinner... I offer to help but you were insistent that I am a guest... your hospitality made me feel at home in a foreign land. I enjoyed helping decorate your Christmas Tree... it was my first real Christmas tree... looking at how much ornaments placed, you told us you could have bought another one. It was fun watching you and your family opened your gifts... even the terrible ones, your words... I still have some of those gifts including the little brown bear... and I cherish each and every one of them. Thank you for opening your home for me. It was, indeed, a pleasure meeting you.

I should have send a birthday greeting last year, if only I remembered. I promised then that I would do something this year... so I have pour my heart out remembering these sweet memories. Unfortunately, you will not be able to read this anymore. It is true that life can be taken away like a thief in the night. But in the end of one's time, we discover that he continuous to live within someone's heart. I hope this message will reach out those who have cherished your memories as much (or more) as I do.

I pray for my guardian angels to express send this message to wherever you are. And if you happen to meet a burly Filipino man with dark brown eyes, tell him that we miss him and never cease to love him.

From the Dark-Brown-Eyed Filipina

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy."