September is almost at the end and I just had my 18th birthday of my 2nd life last September 25. My mind is buzzing with so many thoughts. It’s similar to a superhighway and they give me a nostalgic feeling. All I can think about right now is how grateful I am to be alive despite of the pandemic and all the negativity that is happening. It’s a marvel that I’m still breathing right now.
My friends are perplexed as to why I celebrated another birthday. For me, September 25, 2003, the day my life turned 180 degrees, is a day worth celebrating. I felt it was the end of the road for me when I entered the surgery room; but God gave me another chance at life. What happened that day is still vivid in my mind. That day, I observed God’s healing power, and I learned that nothing is impossible when you have faith.
I turned 40 last month, and I am so thankful to be surrounded by my family. What more can I ask for? I understand now why I am still alive. I have to experience life’s challenges and trials. I have to make a lot of mistakes and learn from them and my mission is to spread positivity and be contagious to God’s goodness.
I started serving Him when I was 17 years old. I assumed it would be simple now that I’m an adult. That’s why I chose to return to serving the church as a means of giving all the glory back to Him. I encountered a lot of judgements along the way, I wanted to give up but that didn’t stop me from serving Him. I committed a lot of mistakes but God assured me that those mistakes don’t define who I am. He allowed me to stumble many times to teach me how to get up and continue my journey as His servant. I still have a long way to go till I reach my final destination. I do not know what lies ahead with my life but I am confident that God will always be by my side.
Let us not be afraid to make mistakes. We must always have the courage to get up and start over. Life’s lessons are priceless. It’s painful at first, but it’s totally well worth it in the end. Bittersweet? Yes, absolutely! Life is better when we learn to embrace our flaws because none of us are perfect. When you are anguish, remember that this, too, shall pass.
Among all the commands in any program, the Undo command is my favorite. Why? Because you have the chance to correct your mistake and pretend it didn’t happen.
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When I recall the times when I was using a typewriter, oh my! All my Term Papers were a mess! My paper is always full of corrector fluids (There is no such thing as a corrector tape back then) and I will end up with a grade of C because of all the erasures hahaha.
Image B
Then the electric typewriter came. I was so amazed when I saw it from my classmate. At that time, it was very expensive, so only a few people can afford it. If you have one, you are one of the cool dudes in class because it means you are rich! For the millennials out there, let me share you the wonders of an electric typewriter.
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Image A-1
The difference between manual (refer to image A) and electric typewriter (refer to image B) is that in Electric Typewriter it has black and white ribbon in one set (refer to image B-1) while the manual only has 1 color which is black (refer to image A-1) or sometimes you have the choice to get the black and red ribbon in 1 set (refer to image A-2).
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Too bad I won’t be able to show you our vintage typewriter because we have disposed it ever since the mighty computer and printers were invented. Luckily, I searched on google some images of this antique machine and I found the exact machine that we’ve had way back in the 80s. (Refer to Image A)
Anyway, what makes this electric typewriter so special? You can be able to correct your mistake! All you have to do is just press the backspace then click the white ribbon switch button then after that, you need to press the letter that you want to erase… then voila! The letter is gone! Amazing right?! We were so grateful with this machine back in the 80s (Oops now you will know how old I am now hahaha).
There came a lot of versions of this type machine. Maybe I will discuss that on my next coming articles.
So the computer era came. I can fully recall the time when we had our first computer, Oh man! Our monitor and CPU is so heavy, the weight is unbearable! We need a macho man to carry it for us. Funny isn’t it?!
In this machine we have to memorize a lot of codes. There is a code when opening a specific program. That is the beauty of an old machine, they make things complicated for its users (eh?).
Then as years go by, the computer age has developed. Internet has been a life to all of us no exceptions on that. We can’t live without it. I am very happy that I can write my articles for my website through my mobile phone. I used to bring my laptop everywhere I go back then. Whoever invented a smartphone, I thank God that he created you and you have my respect 🙏
What is my point of all these techie stuff?
Did you notice that I just started with the Undo Button then the rest follows?
Most of the people my age or older than me would say, “We wish to bring back the good old days where everything is so simple.” Or “I wish we have an ‘Undo’ button wherein we can erase all the mistakes and wrong choices that we had and just simply correct it”.
If you will ask me, I am happy with the Life that God has given me. With all the decisions that I made for the past 38 years, I never regretted it. I never blamed God that he diagnosed me with a Brain Tumor. I never regretted that I chose to work in a non-profit organization. I never regretted that I chose to work afterwards as a freelance real estate agent and pursue my passion in writing. I never blamed God that I am not as strong as the others whenever I climb mountains.
My friend, if you feel life has turned its back on you, always remember that God never fails to love you. He knows the desires of your heart, all you must do is surrender your life to him. Why? Because he created you, he knows every detail of you.
Once we do that, we won’t need to press the ‘Undo’ button ever again.
Dear God, I thank you for the Life you have given me. Send me with the gift of wisdom and knowledge to understand your plan for my life. Protect my mind from negative thoughts. Help me to appreciate life as the day goes by. Give me the courage to rise up whenever I make a mistake. Never leave nor forsake me O God. I am nothing without you. Amen.
How are you, my friend? Are you in pain right now? Did someone just ruin your mood? Sometimes, things just don’t turn out as expected.
How do you deal with it?
Photo Credit: lollydaskal.com
It can be disappointing when you’ve got a day full of activities and thought out your strategy down to the last detail — only to encounter roadblocks at every turn. For example, you’re on your way to your first or second errand when a road accident causes a terrific traffic jam that makes you decide to just make a U-turn and call it a day. Frustrating, isn’t it?
Let me share a similar scenario….
Just the other day, I was driving inside our village when a fast car came out of nowhere and almost hit me. I wanted to shout and swear at that other driver quite by instinct. But something held me back. Maybe that was my guardian angel telling me, “Stop and think before you say something nasty.” After a few deep breaths, I calmed down, continued driving and pretended nothing happened. And then I reflected, “Will I let that person ruin my good mood? Is it worth it?”
If a random person shouts at you, “Hello?! You’re blocking my way!” The easiest thing would be to get back at that person is to shout back, “What did you just say?! Are you telling me I’m stupid?!” Then you just might go ahead and hit that person until a full-on fight ensues.
Is that really the best thing to do in that situation?
Friends, it is very easy to curse or insult someone when they get on your wrong side. A friend once taught me a very important lesson regarding this. He told me that, if placed in the same scenario, I should stop, think and ask:
What would Jesus do?
So, I did that. And you know what happened? I felt peace.
When we see someone going through a difficult time, we usually say “Everything is going to be ok”, or “This, too, shall pass” or even, “What you are going through is nothing compared to what I’ve been through”. But anyone who is going through depression or pain is not likely to listen to all that or understand what you just said. I can assure you, though, that Jesus is beside us every step of the way. Our Lord is shaping us to be a better person whenever we make a mistake. That’s why we should not be afraid to make a mistake. If we do, let’s have the courage to rise up when we fall. Focus on how we can improve ourselves. Never let your happiness depend on another person. You are wonderful, beautiful, and you are capable. Always believe that there is a new beginning when the sun rises.
I want to share with you my favorite verse from the Bible …..
Photo Credit: dailyverses.net
Let me say a prayer for you my friend….
Dear God, bless the person who is reading this right now. Remove all the pain in their heart. Bless them with the gift of wisdom and understanding. Give them hope for a brighter tomorrow. Embrace them with your love and protect them from the enemy that blinds them from choosing to do good. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Have you had a feeling when all you need to have is just a piece of cake?
As some of you may know, my favorite cake is cheesecake! Every time I will have a slice of cheesecake, once it lands my mouth, ooh my! I can hear the angels singing hallelujah and I am lost in space. Now I know the reason why it is perfect for people who are stressed because when you spell it backwards it is D-E-S-S-E-R-T-S. And oh my……. I simply love it! Most especially when you pair it with coffee, I can fly and get lost in the wind hahaha.
Did you notice that there is an idiom expression of “It’s just a piece of cake”? It means something that is easy to accomplish. What am I trying to point out here? Everyday, we are preoccupied with our list of things to do within the day. Most of us have too much on their hands that some of it are getting out of hand.
My friends, life should be handled on what we can only accomplish. If we feel that our health is already at stake, we need to stop and simply take a breathe of fresh air. Life is short to focus on too much work. Life is about spending time with our love ones and being a blessing to others. Yes we need to work for a living but let us not forget that there is a life outside of the four corners of the office.
My friends, life should be lived simple. Allow me to say a prayer for you…
“Dear God, thank you for the gift of today. Thank you for all the blessings we received right at this moment. Send the Holy Spirit to the person reading my entry now. Give them a sense of peace in their hearts that everything is in your hands and we have nothing to worry about. Allow them also to be a blessing to one another. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
Let us all smile as we face our triumphs because Life is a piece of cake!
Moments in our lives that we tend to question God why we exist. Sometimes we are surprised with the day to day task that we face each day. In this time and age, most of our moments are spent on electronic gadgets. We invest our time scrolling our facebook timeline, twitter, instagram, etc. This really saddens me because people seem to forget that there is a life out there. Moments of “Now” are being taken for granted because these moments can make a big impact to what the future brings.
I feel so blessed that I was able to experience to play on the streets, bike around the neighborhood, share toys with playmates, and etc. I will never forget the times that we close the entire street to celebrate Christmas and other special events with our neighbors. Endless laughs and stories to share that my neighbors, friends and love ones have had are the most unforgettable moments that no money can buy.
There are also moments that are very painful. I cherish these moments because I know that God is shaping our character through different challenges. Some people are choosing the easy way out instead of going through the hard process. Life is so sweet when we are able to cross the path of darkness towards eternity. It is a good feeling that we are never the same person as we were yesterday.
We also have the tendency to jump into the future which sacrifices the moments of the present situation. By doing so, we get frustrated, stressed and worn out which results into failure. It is alright to plan things out, but let us not forget that by enjoying the journey, the puzzles can build its own pieces towards our goal. As what the book of Mathew 6:34 says:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble on its own.”
I have learned that past exists only in our memories. I believe that everyone has the right to change for the better. It is going to be difficult to change if we keep on looking back to our old self. Remember, our past does not define who we are today. It is time to bury all the baggages that is slowing us down towards greatness.
My friend, it is time to forgive yourself. Always remember that God never looks on our faults. He is a loving and forgiving God. It is time to embrace the present moment and live each day with a grateful heart.
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Hello, how are you? I hope you’d still remember me. It has been more than a decade since you took care of me when I was recovering from my sickness. I wanted to send forth my gratitude to your valuable service. Thank you for being so patient with me when I am being so difficult. Thank you for not giving up on me when I cried in pain whenever I am having discomforts. I am so blessed that God sent His steward through you. Maybe your parents named you “Angel” because you are truly like one.
I cannot forget the very first time I opened my eyes and saw your Angelic face. I felt a sense of calmness and peace inside of me. Thank you for giving me hope to fight for my life. I have almost given up because I feel like I cannot fulfill God’s promise for me to prosper. I always wished that he should have taken my life if I am just going to be prohibited to do the things that I love.
Nurse Angel, I hope that God will make a way for you to read my message. I don’t know where you are right now but I remember back then you were dreaming to work abroad for greener pastures. I believe by this time and age, you are already living the dream that you have desired many years ago.
Lastly, I want to tell you that if you have the chance to read my message. I hope that we will find a way to meet. I want to tell you that I am living the life that I want. I want to acknowledge your service and give credit to all the good things you have shared in my own being.
Continue to be an inspiration to others because that is what God has called us to do. I will pray for you and your family. I will be looking forward for our meet up.
Halos ako’y mahulog sa aking kinauupuan habang pinapanood ko ang bagong pelikula nina John Lloyd Cruz at Bea Alonzo. Mula sa mga hugot lines na kanilang binato sa isa’t isa, lubos kong binibigyan ng pugay ang manunulat at gumawa netong pelikulang ito.
Hindi ninyo ma aappreciate ang pelikulang ito kapag hindi ninyo napanood ang “One more chance”. Mula sa linyang, “You had me at my best, she had me at my worst”, ito ang linya na lubusang tumatak sa bawat puso ng mga Pinoy na nakakarelate sa kwento nina Popoy at Basha.
Nung natuklasan ko na magkakaroon ng ikalawang yugto na pinamamagatan na “A second chance”, hinanap ko agad sa youtube ang kanilang trailer. Mula pa lamang sa trailer, alam na alam ko na papatok ito sa takilya.
Bakit ba sobrang affected ang mga manonood dito sa pelikulang ito? Unang una sa lahat, di hamak na napakagaling ang pagganap nina John Lloyd Cruz at Bea Alonzo sa likod ng mga karakter na si Popoy at Basha. Pangalawa, ipinakita dito ang realidad ng isang kwentong pagibig ng mag asawa. Hindi lang puros kilig at saya ang inilahad kundi ipinakita ang lahat ng poot at sakit sa buhay may asawa na nagbukas sa aking isipan na walang “Forever” kung hindi sisikapin ng dalawang tao na ipaglaban ang kanilang pagmamahalan. Sa panahon ngayon, usong uso ang hiwalayan. Magkaroon lamang ng konting hindi pagkakaunawaan ay hahantong na agad sa decision na hiwalayan. Base sa aking analysis, hindi man ako psychologist pero may kanya kanyang pagpapasya ang tao. Ang decision na mahalin ang isang tao ay mahirap gawin ngunit sa gabay ng Panginoon ay hindi ito impossible. Kaya maganda talaga na ilagay sa sentro ng bawat relasyon ng mag asawa ang ating mahal na Hesukristo upang pagtibayin ito kahit anu mang sakuna ang dumaan.
Ang pag aasawa ay hindi madali. Hindi ko pa man nararanasan ay nakita ko ito sa samahan ng aking magulang. Madaming pagsubok ang kanilang hinarap at hanggang sa huli ay lubos na ipinaglaban nila ang isa’t isa hanggang sa tuluyang yumaong ang aking ama. Sabi ng aking ina, “Sulit ang lahat ng hirap at sakit dahil kayong mga anak ko ang aking pinanghuhugutan ng lakas kaya hindi ako bumibitaw sa samahan namin ng ama ninyo.” Ang masasabi ko lang ay … Wow! Isa kang dakilang ina at asawa.
Ito ang aking top 6 na hugot lines na nagustuhan ko sa pelikulang ito:
“Gusto na kitang iwan ngayon Poy. Gustong gusto ko na. Pero hindi ko gagawin kasi nangako ako na kahit ang hirap hirap mong mahalin, mamahalin kita. Kahit na nasasaktan ako, susubukan ko pa. Kasi nangako ako. I promised to love you even if it hurts and to love you more when it hurts.”
Mula sa linyang ito, dito ko nakita ang tibay ng pagmamahalan ng isang mag asawa. Sabi ng aming pari sa parokya namin sa tuwing nagbibigay siya ng sermon sa mga kinakasal, “Love is not a feeling, it is a decision”. Sa totoo lang, kung ang pag ibig ay ibabase lamang natin mula sa ating mga emosyon, masasabi natin na walang katotohanan na may “Forever” na magaganap. Ngayon ko naintindihan at nalaman na makikita mo kung gaano katagal ang samahan ng isang mag asawa base sa mga kilos at galaw nila. Kapag ang mag asawa ay sobrang sweet sa isa’t isa, bagong kasal o wala pang isang buwan ang kanilang samahan. Kapag sila ay magkatabi lamang at diring diri ang babae kapag mahalikan ng kanilang esposo, ibig sabihin ay ilang dekada na sila magkasama. Kaya sa tuwing ako ay nakakadalo sa isang annibersaryo ng isang mag asawa na ilang dekada ang pinagsamahan, ako ay natutuwa dahil nagkakaroon ako ng pag asa na nag eexist pa talaga ang “True love”.
“Bash wala na ang dating Popoy na pinakasalan mo. This is me at my worst. Kaya mo paba akong mahalin ng ganito?”
Dito ko na realize na hindi dapat maging basehan ang pagmamahal base sa kanilang strengths lamang. Kapag nakapamili na tayo ng taong mamahalin natin panghabang buhay dapat bukas sa ating kalooban na tanggapin sila ng buong buo despite sa kanilang mga kahinaan. Di naman natin malalaman ang buong pagkatao ng isang tao kapag hindi natin siya makasama sa iisang bubong. Dito papasok ang pagpapasya ng isang tao kung willing pang tanggapin at bigyan ng pangalawang pagkakataon sa kabila ng mga pagkakamali na nagawa man ng kanilang kabiyak.
“Kung nahihirapan kang pagkatiwalaan siya, pagkatiwalaan mo muna ang pagmamahal mo sa kanya.”
Ito ang mga linya na binitawan ng kaibigan nina Popoy at Basha na si Krissy (Dimples Romana). Kapag may pinagdadaanang pagsubok, maganda ay lumapit sa isang malapit na kaibigan na magbibigay ng “Words of wisdom” na magpapatibay sa inyong relasyon. Huwag lumapit sa mga taong na magbibigay lamang ng payo na hindi maganda. Huwag din natin idaan sa sugal o anu mang bisyo tulad ng alak at droga. Pansamantalang kaligayahan lamang ang maibibigay nito, hindi mabibigyan ng lunas ang problema. Mas maganda pa ay lumapit sa isang spiritual counselor para hindi magkaroon ng padalos dalos na pagpapasya na sa bandang huli ay pagsisisihan lamang.
“You want me to trust you but you can’t trust me. Because if you do you should’ve trusted me. Hindi mo sana tinago. Poy ‘di mo lang ito buhay, buhay natin ito. Poy asawa mo ako baka nakakalimutan mo.”
Gustong gusto ko itong linyang binitawan ni Basha dahil ang tiwala ay ang numero uno na nakakasira sa isang relasyon. Naiintindihan ko ang mga kalalakihan na hindi lahat ng bagay ay kailangan sabihin sa kanilang asawa ang lahat ng problema kung kaya nila itong solusyunan. Pero kapag ito ay makakaapekto na sa pagsasama bilang mag asawa, walang masama na magusap at mag “open up” kung ano man ang problema na inyong kinakaharap. Tandaan, ang komunikasyon ay isa sa importanteng sangkap upang pagtibayin ang isang relasyon.
“What if I made a different choice and a different life? I want to stop wondering what if and what is.”
Ito ang mga linyang binitawan ni Popoy nung mga panahon na sobrang mababa ang kanyang tingin sa sarili niya. Naku po…. Huwag na huwag natin itanong o ikumpara ang ating mga sarili sa mga dapat na naging decision sa buhay. Ang lahat ng ating mga decision ay may tulong at gabay ng ating Panginoon. Kung saan man tayo naroroon, dahil ito sa mga personal nating pasya. Wag na mag sisihan ba. Mas maganda yung mag look forward kung ano ang pwedeng mangyari kaysa mag hook up tayo sa mga dapat na naging decision natin. Wala na tayo magagawa eh, mag move on na lang tayo. Let’s live in the present.
“You are my ‘what was’, ‘what is’ and ‘what will be’.”
Boom! Eto ang wagas na linyang binitawan ni Basha sa huling scene ng pelikulang ito. Gustong gusto ko itong linyang ito dahil ipinapakita dito ang bukas palad na pagtanggap ni Basha sa buong pagkatao ni Popoy.
Have you ever felt to be worn out? Have you felt so tired from the demands of everyday living? Let us be still and allow the stillness to speak itself.
Whenever I am caught up in a place wherein I felt worthless, I look for a peaceful place where I can gather all my thoughts. While I was waiting for my mom, I passed by the cemetery where my dad is buried. I know that a cemetery is a place for the dead and definitely unpleasant. I don’t know the reason, but I just find the place so relaxing whenever I spend time beside my Dad’s grave. The smell of the green grass calms my mind and helps me connect with the person who created everything that my eyes can see. As I see the different creatures flying around and crawling underneath the ground, I cannot contain myself not to be in awe with the greatness of what God has created. Being still helps us hear beyond our expectations. As I observe all the living creatures around, I asked myself, “If he spent time producing these tiny animals, what more how he took the time to mold every part of our system?”
Whenever I see this place, I would compare myself to these people lying underneath the ground “Nakakainggit naman sila dahil wala na silang problema at nanahimik na.” (I envy these people because they don’t have problems and they are now peaceful.). As I reflect on my life in this place, I started thanking God that I am still alive. I am grateful for the pain that I am feeling as of the moment. I look forth to more challenges to what life can bring. I want to inspire and bless people who will cross my path through my story. So that at the final stage of this journey, I will have the courage to face our creator and say…… “My Lord, Thank you for the gift of life!”
Sometimes, we have to consider what we can and cannot perform. We have to know our boundaries because life is supposed to be simple. Whenever we are strained from tasks, we have to consider our own wellness. If we are not happy with what we are practicing, we have to be still and reflect. Life is too short to dwell on complaints. Our creator wants us to be delightful when serving because at the end of the day it is only between you and Him not your boss or your neighbor. If things do not work out as we expect it to be, then let it be. I know it is very easy to say, well in fact it is that simple. My friend, this is just to remind you that it is alright to stop and reflect. Let us reevaluate our own self and prioritize what is most important in our lives.
Dear God, thank you for all the graces that you have given us. Show us your divine light to see what your eyes can see. Allow your spirit to remove all the pain inside our hearts and let your light shine upon thee. Amen.
Life Hugger 