I woke up feeling lost
With heart all in boast
That things will turn out better
With me manning that one-seater.
I walked down that aisle
With head held up in the sky
That breeze, a new morning has come
All over my face made me calm.
What made this day different
That my heart sings on a fret?
Why its vibe got me thumped
That my feet moved and stomped?
I see the sun shines up high
As I give one big sigh
Oh Lord You are my knight
With shining armor in my plight.
Now I know why this ain't no ordinary
Though at start it felt so dreary
For God made it known to me
To seek only the God of thee.
We often think why am I here and why am I doing this? Does this have any connection with my degree? Looking at this, I would say that this is the most subtle way of complaining...discontentment...whining...I am no exception to this. I am a graduate and a licensed secondary Math teacher but I only had less than 3 years of teaching experience which I am proud of saying because I worked with the best schools there is in the metro. After that, I transferred to a marketing/research company who does surveys for their clients. Moving forward in July of 2004, a friend introduced me in the BPO industry which then had been my house for the next 7 years. The first 5 years were spent in WCMG in Makati and it was a nice journey for a first timer. I started as a Tier 1 then Tier 2 then Quality Assurance then Team Leader and these opportunities opened doors of success for me.
Fast forward 2011, I am still in Operations and is on my second year in one of the biggest BPOs in the country then one day, I stopped and thought to myself that I was not getting any younger. I started searching for a morning job that pays the same as what I am currently earning but for many, it was kind of a suicide to look for that kind of job as if it's a needle in a haystack but God promised that He will give me anything that I pray for in His Name.
One day, I saw an email from Lina and applied for two companies which I was clueless of their identities. I just took a chance and just prayed that God's will be done. I patiently waited but thought of what would it be like to work in the morning again. Some of my friends are surpised to know that I already talked to 5 people but no results yet. I know that I can be affected by that thought but I just waited quietly til our faithful God gave me the job! Everything that I prayed for in a morning job was given to me and I am just at awe at His faithfulness to me. But that did not stop there for my concern right now is how will I succeed in this new job given the fact that I do not have any single idea of bolts and nuts work but I felt God illuminated in me a realization that He is Greater than anything. I got the confidence from Him that i can always come to Him whenever I would start something because the best lesson I have learned is that total surrender to God is the start of God's reign in our lives.
As I anticipate the end of this long wait, I silently looked back and was so ecstatic to know that God prepared me for this. With those years of experience, He made me go through every single task there was in my previous jobs for He is preparing me for this. I am just so thankful for His presence in my life. He is the Only One who can make things happen in the most unexpected way. He will leave us jaw dropped in awe of His wonderful works in our lives. I believe that the formula in a successful life is:
GOD + Dream + Pray + Faith + Surrender + Believe
Follow this formula and experience life at its fullest!
I bought 3 books last Sunday and one of them is LOVESTRUCK. I would like to believe that most of the population must have read that already but it was the first time for me. Actually, it was my very first time to finish a book without any pressure. It was fun to read for it brought me to another dimension where I felt like a teenager again who is longing to know more about what God wants me to learn at that stage in life. As a teenager, I can say that no one taught me the right things to do though there was my lola and my dad to "control" me, I still feel that there was something missing in their so called guidance.
I used to be a part of a group back in the day where I was part of this sort of Sunday school if you call it like that but the focus was Mary. (Don't get me wrong guys! I still love Mary and I acknowledge her being the one who bore the Son of the Living God.) I know that I was with the right people in that group for most of them are from honors class and a lot are really nice. I enjoyed every single time I was there in that group. When I graduated from high school and was introduced to a non-sectarian group, that's when i started drifting away from the good people. I did not attend church anymore and I did not meet with the group again but this is purely a decision I made for myself back then. A lot of things happen in between and looking back at them, my life was a mess because there was no one who dared to stop by and see the potential in me. In short, I was not discipled by anyone.
Everything I did before was just about me and what will give me happiness at the moment and a lot of times, I was left empty and lonely. Days passed by and I saw my future to be darker and no where to go. Good thing there was DFA who kept me in school if not, I probably would not be making this blog at all. You may all be thinking what's the connection of this with the book I mentioned at the start of this item? HUGE CONNECTION!
It was super fun to read that 100-ish paged book. Though it's not as thick as Harry Potter's nor as exciting as Twilight, it was so worth the time I spent to read and finish that tiny book. Every word is like a dagger to my heart especially when it talked about relationships and how people of this world thinks and deals with relationships. I may not be able to tell the details of my past but GOD renewed and restored me through Jesus. Seeing the last period of the book made me think what have I done with my life. Why did I waste my time in those activities that hurt God? I made the most shameful decisions in life and even acted on them but GOD is a loving God. He forgave me and gave me a new life, new heart, new people, better friends.
*SIGH* It was such a nice read and the youth should grab one for themselves to know that God has made them in His own image and likeness. They must realize that Holy Spirit resides in them and they should take respect it is God's not theirs. They would also realize that there's more to temporary happiness for God promised eternal happiness in HIM. The book made me realize how important it is to honor our parents for I am guilty of it. They would realize that parents are there to protect and love them and are there for us no matter what happens. They would realize how huge is GOD's love for us no matter how big or small our sinful acts may be. Do something worthwhile like this for an idle mind is the devil's workshop and we should not let this happen instead, we should let GOD reign over our lives. I am happy that God is in control of my life and I am forever thankful for being HIS child.
READ. REFLECT. GLORIFY GOD.
Merci. Mahalo. Salamat. Gratias. Taku. Grazie. Blagodaram. Thank you. These are variations of one important sentence in our daily conversation but how often do we give this to the people that matter to us? In our daily encounter with them, how many times do we stop by to stop, smile and say hi to them? How many times do we pass by our people's station and tap their back? Do you greet your boss good morning when you bump into him at the hallway? We then would ask ourselves, what good does it do to them? Does it have any effect on them when we do this YES! These are simple gestures of appreciation and everyone deserves it.
Stop. Smile. Greet. Appreciate. These make wonders.
People come in and out of our lives that we sometimes feel bad when they leave and move on. I myself is some kind of like that but is it worth it? We must admit that there can be a lot conflict these people can bring but do we have to cling on to that kind of relationship when it seems that they do not nourish your friendship with them? I often tell people that I have separation anxiety that is a psychological condition in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment. (Wikipedia: Separation anxiety disorder) I sometimes find it hard to let go of people who had been part of my life knowing that they have moved on and ready to take their lives on another level.
Just today, I heard Joel Osteen preached about connecting with the right people. After hearing the message, he made me think if these people I am with celebrate my life with them. As he said, spend less time with those who complain for they do not help you fulfill God's plans for you. He also said not to worry about your so-called friends who may have left you behind for God will send you not just new friends but BETTER FRIENDS. This is true and I have a first hand experience of it. God never leaves us alone in our walk with Him. He sends people who would fellowship, laugh and cry with us.
Then it got me thinking, do I have people who are like this in my life? Yes and Yes! I am so blessed to have people who are walking with me in the light of the Lord. They are the ones who help me fulfill the plans that God has for me. There may be times when we would share some stories that we have been struggling with but this is my core group who would help each other get through things in God's grace. Sit down, relax and think things through. Find the perfect time to be silent then talk to God and ask Him to send this kind of people into your lives. I am so happy to have them and never felt so blessed til God introduced them to me. God is faithful. He will send you better people in your lives. My life has been way better than before because God carefully planned the story of my life which includes them in it. Believe. He has perfect plans for you more than you ever hoped for.
