Thank God for Friends

I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster ride for the past weeks and if not for my friends, I may have gone crazy.

9 You are better off to a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (CEV)

I’ve had a broken relationship with my sister and lately, I’m feeling at a loss. I’ve also been so busy with my tasks that I think, if I have gone through all this alone, I know I can’t take it. God just knows and provides what you need, exactly when you need it.

So here, I wanna introduce you to my friend Venice. She has helped me through my most emotional times this year.

Our Story

I’m attending Victory Makati since 2013 and every week, we have what we call a Victory Group (VG) . It is a support group where we talk about God, our careers, relationships and dreams, and all relate it to how God wanted us to live a life pleasing to Him. When our group leader Yasmin died in an accident in 2015, I took over and led these women here in our journey through life.

Our Victory group, with Yasmin in orange as our leader

The women I started leading in 2015

Eventually, life brings us to our destined purpose and we separated ways. Some of them took another job, and some went abroad to pursue a graduate degree and career. I thankful enough I get to influence their lives at one point in time.

As it is, Venice and I were the only ones who remained in the group. Since we also wanted to share the love of God to other people, we started our own Victory group in her dormitory. After a year, I have gained new friends and together, we are walking in this journey with God’s guidance.

Why am I sharing about them? Well, I just wanted to honor these people and make them feel special in this online space that I have.

For today, I just finished talking to Venice and I’m thankful enough God gave me friends who can rebuke me if needed, help me and encourage me when I’m down, and also, celebrate with me if I’m happy. I’m thankful enough to God because the relationships I have with these people are not disposable. I’m just thankful because I realize, if your friendship puts God at the center, you know that friendship will last. Lastly, I’m thankful enough because I know, I’m not alone in this journey called life.

PS: I’m still hoping my relationship with my sister be fixed in due time, and that my friends will also get to know my future partner so they can hang out together. For now, I’m thankful because even if not everything is sailing smoothly, I have friends I can count on most especially when I needed them.

How about you? Are you feeling down, discouraged or you just needed someone to talk to? I hope God can also give you a friend you can cherish for a long time. But if you haven’t met these kind of friends yet, you can talk to me and I can introduce you to the greatest friend of all.

Really, I’m here to help and talk to you if you need one. Just tag me in Twitter or Instagram @itswyza and I’ll do my best to help you out. 🙂

New Favorite Songs

I’ve come across the videos of Moriah Peters and boy, I have found a new favorite. Moriah Peters is an American Contemporary Christian singer and her songs are an inspiration. The lyrics to her songs are basically my conviction in life and love so I’m sharing to you some of her songs that I found inspiration:

Bloom

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPeudF7tcD8&w=560&h=315]

This song is an inspiration to me and an encouragement to all women out there who thinks less highly of themselves. Just like the song says, you are born to bloom.

Well Done

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu1VwK0fY9g&w=560&h=315]

This video speaks what I want in life and how I want to live this life. This song just reminds me I am not doing things for myself, but for the people to see the love I have received. 🙂

I’ll Wait for You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCiIAPrpW8k&w=560&h=315]

I’ve been waiting all these years for someone whom I will love and who will make me feel loved. I think I’ve met him, but I’m not really sure. Whatever the case, I’m waiting on God for His will to be done because I know, when that time comes, it will all be worth it. That time, I know, God will write my own love story, just like how God has written Moriah’s love story in this next song.

PS: The above video is her own wedding. 🙂

Haven’t Even Kissed

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvqmpfGQ2cM&w=560&h=315]

These are exactly my thoughts when I was listening to this song! This one song is something I would want to feel and experience someday. I am looking forward to that time when I will meet a man and our relationship will just inspire other people, just like what the lyrics of this song says. 🙂

These are my new favorites. How about you? You have new inspirations, too? 🙂

Trip to Bohol

I had the opportunity to visit the beauty of Bohol last year, where I’ve seen the Chocolate Hills in person, chilled in Panglao Beach Resort, and toured the Bohol Bee Farm, where I’ve tasted the very delicious ice cream.

Since I’m on reminisce mode, let me share to you my journey and pictures (no filter) of my travel: 😀😁

Bohol Bee Farm: Buzz Ice Cream

Bohol Bee Farm: Ocean View

Panglao Island: Public Resort

We found a place to chill here without paying too much! I think we only paid less than a hundred bucks for the entrance fee.

Bohol: Chocolate Hills

We went there 1st week of October 2016 and at that time, the hills were not so chocolatey.

Ancient Church

I forgot the name of this church but it is one of those churches during the year that was affected by the great earthquake.

So there. I’m trying to document all my previous travels so pardon me if some are dated years ago. But heck, I enjoyed life by traveling once in a while so I wanna have some documentation to inspire others, and that includes you!

😀😀😀

Cultivate Your Beauty

Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful that way and were good loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as “my dear husband.” You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated.

1 Peter 3: 4-6 (MSG)

Yesterday, it took me about 20 minutes to choose what to wear for office. As I was looking at myself through the mirror, thoughts came to mind if people would really appreciate what I will wear for the day.

For men, it will only take a few minutes to dress up but for women, some may take hours.

So now, let’s talk about beauty.

In today’s world, we are bombarded with products, wardrobe and fashion icons that will make us beautiful. In commercials, women with slim body, fair complexion and beautiful smile will show you that beauty focuses on the outward appearance. It’s as if the outer beauty is all that really matters. On the other hand, there are groups of women who feel so disconnected with the idea of being beautiful that they totally neglect themselves and instead, they believe inner beauty is the most important for it all. Though the bible says to cultivate inner beauty and the outward appearance is not all that really matters, my stand is that we should not neglect ourselves being beautiful, both inside and out. Why? Because we are not being beautiful for ourselves alone; we are being beautiful to reflect the image of God in us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Beauty: What is it?

Your outer beauty may describe being physically appealing to both men and women alike — in the way you dress, how you carry yourself, the style of your hair and the jewelry you wear. In the webster dictionary, beauty is described as:

a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight

and

a combination of qualities that pleases the intellect or moral sense

In appreciating outer beauty, your eyes decide that what you see is pleasant. However, when the inner beauty of a person appeals to you, your senses, emotions and intellect mostly gives you that happy satisfaction of one’s qualities. He/She may not be attractive to you, but deep inside, you know you wanted to spend another chunk of your time to get to know this person.

Worthy in God’s Sight

While reading the verses above, it struck me that Peter was telling the church inner beauty is what matters most. If you read up the verses before this, in Chapter 1 and 2, Peter was telling the church that as we are given a new life in Christ, we are called to be holy. If you go down next to Chapter 3, Peter started off with giving an advice to husbands and wives. For wives, particularly, outer beauty is not emphasized but the inner one. He goes on to the length of giving Sarah as an example of how a beautiful woman, wife and daughter we could be in the eyes of God.

Instead of choosing to cultivate the inner beauty only, I have decided to cultivate both my outer and inner beauty. As a child, I didn’t have the confidence that people will appreciate me. I was so insecure that even my social skills were not developed. When I would see strangers on the street just because I needed to buy something from the store, I would wait until that stranger passes through before I make a move.

Then growing up, I came to a point where my identity is lost. Questions resurfaced. Am I beautiful? Will people accept me for who I am? What can I offer the world?

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1

All those fears — fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment — all these were replaced by divine beauty and unconditional love. That love is the love given by Jesus Christ.

How Do You Recognize that Inner Beauty?

If you have received that unconditional love, your beauty will reflect to show the world without you even making an effort. That is because the beauty you are carrying is not your own anymore, but the beauty of Christ — the beauty of forgiveness, of unconditional love, of irreplaceable joy. If we go back to the verse above, we will immediately know inner beauty by the following attributes:

Gentle – Women may have different personalities and doesn’t mean that if one is gentle, she only speaks mildly to other people. You are being gentle when you are able to lead other women in inspiration and not discouragement. People will know because it will show in your actions and words.

Gracious – I remember the quote that “Grace is something God gives us even when we don’t deserve it.” So here, being gracious means being able to extend that understanding, love and forgiveness even if the other person doesn’t deserve it. On the same way, it is able being able to ask for understanding, love and forgiveness even if we don’t deserve it.

Loyal – This literally means showing strong support or allegiance. As a woman of inner beauty, you are able to show strong support to your friends, family and loved one, in whatever way to encourage them. This word is synonymous to being faithful, so being loyal would cover a long span of time.

Caring – You have this characteristic if you are able to show genuine concern for other people. This is not just a one-time concern but a consistent display of love, and genuine interest to help the other person.

Endearing – Dictionary defines this word as inspiring feelings of love and affection. In the above verse, I would focus on the fact that Sarah is not afraid to show and tell his husband words of endearment. As women who cultivate our inner beauty, are we also the ones who are not afraid to tell our friends, our family members and our significant other those words of love and affection? We may not know it, but sometimes, just a word of inspiration is what they need from us. So if we constantly practice being generous with our affection for other people, it may just change their lives and then our beauty will be reflected to the world.

Unanxious – This word can be translated to faith. Are you full of faith? If we check Hebrews 11:1, faith means being sure of what you hope for and being certain of what you do not see. So cultivating that inner beauty means not worrying about the littlest things in life, but instead, putting our faith that everything will work out through well at the end. After all, it is said that “All things work together for those who love Him [God].”

Unintimidated – Lastly, cultivating that inner beauty means not easily deterred by the problems of this world and by temptations. One word to relate to this could be being courageous. Are you courageous enough to fight for what you believe in? Are you undeterred to stand your ground even if you feel mocked by other people, especially if you know you are doing what is right?

I know, you may be thinking, I do not have that kind of beauty… yet. We are all a work in progress, and we will one day be perfect in God’s eyes. But just as Peter says, “Cultivate your inner beauty.” This doesn’t mean we’ll wait to become beautiful, but instead, let us become self-aware on how these attributes can become ours one day, allowing God’s love to work through us, each and every single day of our lives so people will see that incomparable beauty in us. 🙂

Book Review: Every Soul A Star

This book has been recommended by a close friend and I do, too, for reasons below. 🙂

every_soul_a_star_book_cover

Every Soul a Star is a young adult fiction that shows the point of view of three teenagers who unlikely met each other at a campground to watch a total solar eclipse, and developed genuine friendship along the way. It is a story set in approximately about two week-time frame how three three kids, with very different personalities and under normal circumstances would never meet, learned from each other and grow individually.

The author, Wendy Mass, did a great job describing the characters in detail given a first-person point of view. It was like looking at one character in three perspective, which made me appreciate each character, with all their strengths and flaws. The main characters Ally, Bree and Jack are just normal kids, at varying life situations, who are able to share their passion for science, fashion, books and drawing. Additional characters Melanie, Kenny and Ryan are also described in a way that showed how their friendship developed as a whole. I’ve seen in this book a very innocent characterization, with raw definition of how life is treating them, in their own perspective. Puppy love can also be interpreted, but again, in a very innocent depiction. Also, I thought the parents of these kids were depicted as killjoy overall, but their actions were given justice eventually and how the kids resolved family issues on their own highlighted a normal family circumstance — that kids have to accept things whether or not they like it, and just learn to make the best out of it.

The pacing of the book is just so, so, but since there are so many mentions about astronomy, stars, sun and the love of characters for this subject, I came to love it as well. I have been fascinated with heavenly bodies, but not to the extent to really do research and run after it. After reading this book, I felt like I want to experience a total solar eclipse, and made me want to see it on my own. With this book, my close friend was inspired to watch and experience for himself the total solar eclipse last August 21, 2017. It is also the same for me. After reading this book, I want to catch the next total solar eclipse and experience the magic, mystery and life-changing effect this miracle of the universe can do to people.

So, overall, if you want a good read with a bit about science, astronomy, and a story of how a genuine friendship can develop from very unexpected places, this one is for you. 🙂

Tribute to Teachers

Every year, we have been recognizing select teachers from all over the Philippines for their exemplary contribution on the field of education.

Our sister company, Bato Balani Foundation, Inc (BBFI), founded an advocacy campaign to extol the virtues of teaching by providing role models who inspire excellence not only for educators but for most Filipinos as well. This advocacy campaign is called, “The Many Faces of a Teacher”.

Private or public entities can nominate a teacher to be honored and recognized by BBFI in an annual gala gathering called “Tribute to Teachers”, in front of hundreds, sometimes thousands of educators. These nominees are then filtered, interviewed and selected by panel of judges from different sectors involved in the development of the education in the country. Four honorees are selected each year and recognized as leaders and unsung heroes in the teaching profession — those who can become sources of inspiration and knowledge for both teachers and students.

I have the opportunity to participate in this event every year as manpower. It inspires me most of really why I am staying at my current company, doing what I love — that is, I get to help the education sector in the Philippines in my own little way. Hearing the speeches of the honorees makes me want to salute all the teachers I know for their passion, hardwork and compassion to teach the next generation of this nation.

So to all the teachers, thank you for your hardwork and your compassion. Thank you for believing your students and thank you for thinking how the next generation of leaders are molded into the persons they could become.

Here are some photos from Bato Balani’s Tribute to Teachers 2017 last September 1:

The Idea of Giving Back

The past few weeks has been very busy for me, so pardon me if I update this blog just once a week. But in those few weeks, I can only sum up my weekends using two words: Giving Back.

I was the kind of gal who wondered if I can eventually make an impact to other people, and to the society as well. With the opportunities presented to me the past few weeks, I guess the heavens answered that simple question in my mind.

Making Connections

I had the opportunity to meet a guy who is into taking a degree in Instructional Design and Technology. He is just starting out in the field and is on the lookout to learn more. We met and were able to exchange ideas on elearning, international studies, and how can we make an impact in the education sector. Meeting him actually allowed me to share my insights on the industry; thus, giving him an opportunity to know how the education sector in Philippines is thriving with e-Learning. The simple act of sharing my knowledge and experience on the industry gave me that feeling of fulfillment, as I am able to help other people with their career goals.

Helping Mother Earth

I was invited by a friend to participate in a tree-planting activity at Mt. Balagbag in Bulacan. I usually participate in these kinds of activities so when the opportunity was available, there’s no time to say no. It was an opportunity to help the community since they have been into charcoal industry and planting trees would lessen the impact of this human activity. On one end, we cannot blame the community for burning and creating charcoal as it is their source of income, but we all know its effect to nature. Headed by Green Ants Environmental Camp, we and other volunteers planted more than a hundred seedlings. It was a fulfillment for me to be able to help Mother Nature, and while digging and planting those seedlings, I couldn’t help myself but think about the parable of the seeds found in Luke 8:4-8.

The Story of the Seeds

4-8As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.

I was hoping that time that my seedlings will grow and provide shelter. I realized how important for farmers to have good soil to plant the seeds, because when I encountered the rocky soil and the soil filled with weeds, I immediately doubted if these seedlings will grow. Lesson learned, a soil near the water source and with less rocks and weeds will allow any plant to grow abundantly. Just like our lives, if we allow our hearts to become fertile ground to the love of Jesus Christ, that love will grow abundantly not only to benefit us but also other people.

Participating in Social Responsibility

I had the opportunity to join an event of Maybank (private company) , Teach for the Philippines (NGO) and Renovate to Educate (NGO) to help Panghulo Elementary School in Malabon. The day’s activities included mural painting, fixing old chairs and tables, classroom repainting, chair repainting and seedling planting in the frontyard. We arrived in the area and started the activities around 8am. Immediately, we were briefed with what to do and we head on to work. My friends and I started planting the seedlings, landscaping and then afterwards, we helped repaint the chairs. While on break, I saw the sign in the classroom for the vision of the school — to see Filipinos love their country and be passionate in building the nation. I was moved, for even though it is just a reminder, it is what we really need right now given to what is happening in our country. We need people who love the country and passionate in building the nation, in whatever contribution they can. At the end of the activities, we were able to finish and meet our goal, and at the same time, help the principal and teachers be effective in teaching by providing their classroom needs.

All in all, I enjoyed doing these kinds of things and the idea of giving back in whatever form can give you fulfillment. However, I wanted to reiterate that I’ve already found fulfillment in Christ and this is just an overflow. I may only have little time in this world for we never know what will happen next, but the fact that I am able to contribute to the betterment of a person or nature or the world is already a fulfillment for me.

How about you? What makes you fulfilled? That’s a question you can ponder on. 😁

Through Thick and Thin

It is good to have friends who can share our accomplishments and cheer for us, cry with us if we are ever so down, and fight for us when other people do not believe in us.

In the previous months, my mind and my heart was in conflict whether or not to look for career growth elsewhere. I’m vying for career advancement, but at the time, I do not see any light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve blogged my thoughts in this post, and you see, I came to the conclusion that it’s better to cultivate the grass on my own lawn, be happy about it and just be excellent with what was given to me. So, I stayed. It was not easy, though.

I was trying my best to become the person I’ve dreamed about myself five years ago, but the reality was that I was not close to it. Even far from it. I had envisioned myself to be working in a production industry for development-oriented programs, but God had other plans. He chose that I flourish in the eLearning industry.

My career in the eLearning industry is not without bumps and obstacles. I started as a learning integration specialist — a school consultant on how to use technology inside the classroom, then worked as a specialist — learning everything I need to know about the industry. I’ve had several managers, met new people, dealt with a hundred issues, and was left behind by friends who chose their paths to their own career growth. It was not easy staying and being left behind, but I know, everything was kept in order so I will understand God’s purpose someday. Recently, I just realized how privileged I am to have a career that I really like, earn money for it, and help other people through it. I may have been anxious some time this year as to why things happen, but true enough, the kind words of friends helped me see the bigger picture.

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but kind words cheer him up.

Proverbs 12:25

In the previous years, I had been insecure and a bit immature, and I wanted to rush things for my career growth. Back then, I would tell my friends my aspirations and they will tell me upfront if something is amiss and I need to endure. They would tell me to my face if I had been too proud of myself, yet celebrate with me if I would receive good news. When I was struggling in my career, my friends were there. If I had done wrong, they rebuke me gently so I will do the right thing next time.

You know, it is rare that we find people who would be there for us through thick and thin, but if we do find them, we hold on to them and never let go. I am just so thankful for friends who say the right words when things don’t go right, and for friends who are still by my side after all these years. If you also happen to have those kind of people in your life, don’t let go. Instead, cultivate that friendship to last a lifetime.

I realized that I have lived a good life with these friends around. So, I just wanted to honor these people who showed me love over the years:

My Love Letter to FL p1

Dear Future Lover (FL),

How are you tonight?

You know, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. I’ve been to several places in the Philippines and I’ve kept a journal so that someday, when we meet, I’ll be telling you all those stories. You know how I miss you when I travel alone? I’m looking forward to meeting you so whenever I wanna go on travel, I’d have a buddy to accompany me and talk to me for hours. I have been sleeping on the bus whenever there’s long travel, but when I meet you, I look forward to hearing your stories on how you meet new people, travelled around and escape “oh no!” circumstances. But most of all, when we’ll have long travels, I look forward to looking deep in your eyes and sleeping on your shoulder. I’ve been waiting for you for so long that when I meet you, I know I will cherish those little moments.

You know, I received news that one of my friends is currently in the hospital. Tomorrow, we’ll visit her and pray for her healing. When I meet you, I long to see you accompany me to places of friends, hang out with them, laugh with them and pray for them. I long to see you spend time with the ones I love, and getting hooked with your conversations with them. I know you’d be a natural people person and a fun guy to be with.

I look forward to meeting you, for when I meet you, I know we’ll have endless conversation about anything and everything under sun — whether it is about politics, religion, education, organizations and even my pet dog and cats. When I meet you, I know we’ll have quality conversations that will stir the mind, the heart and the soul of our own true selves.

When I meet you, I know God answered my prayer for a bestfriend and a lover. I look forward to meeting you even if I do not know you yet, for I know, that time will soon come. I’ve been waiting for you for so long that all these time I’ve been waiting, I know, I’ll be waiting no more.

Love,

Your future lover

How Do You Deal with Rejection?

Remember my dream to study abroad for a Master’s degree? If you read other blogs sharing their story about getting their dream after several tries, it gives hope. But what happens when after several tries, you still don’t fulfill the dream you have for yourself?

For the last two years, I’ve applied for scholarships to be able to take a Master’s degree in the field of Instructional Design and Educational Technology:

Walden University Scholarship

Fulbright Scholarship

Chevening Scholarship

Endeavor Scholarship

University of Nottingham Masters Scholarship

Recently, I got a rejection letter from a scholarship I’ve applied for a Master’s degree. When I read that letter, I cried.
You know, this letter is not the first rejection letter I’ve received. I’ve felt ecstatic upon realizing I got into several universities abroad, but knowing I may not be able to start the Master’s degree without a scholarship to support me felt devastating, especially when you’ve been rejected several times.

This is not only applicable to a dream I have in professional growth, but also in relationships. So many times, I’ve been asking God when He would take away this desire to romantically love and show another person that intimacy God created in me but many times, I feel rejected. Rejected in a sense that I have to wait, because there’s no man yet who can meet the standard He has designed for me. I am not counting it as losing hope, but instead, I consider it as testing — a spiritual refining, so that in the end, when my dream is fulfilled or when I marry the man I’ll love, I know, it will all be worth it.

So for now, how do you deal with rejection you’ve so many times received?

1) Cry. Mourn. Grieve.

It is just normal to get hurt when you are rejected. This is the time to let out your emotion and let your senses feel the need to understand the situation that you will not be able to reach your dream. Is it all to no avail? You’ve done everything to get what you want but why are you rejected? Is it because you are not worthy enough? These are most of the questions that plague us. Can we escape the pain? Can we turn our back to the reality that we are rejected?

The answer is no.

The circumstance will not change when you are rejected. But you can change your attitude on how you respond to that rejection.

Why? Because if you undergo this stage, it will be easier to heal from the hurt you feel. This stage is essential when you let out the seering pain that rejection caused you and then it is on this stage you feel the freedom to choose to respond to rejection in a good way, or bad way.

2) Choose to accept.

Accepting the decision of the other party is easy to say, but hard to do. It will involve strength in facing the next days of your life without realizing your dreams, not regretting your plan to risk it after all. But then, if you choose to accept, it means letting go of everything that would attach you to the other party. It means not looking back and moving on to another direction. Choosing to accept means making that intent never to go back in the past just to regret, but to use it as an inspiration to move forward.

3) Move forward.

It can be very tempting to choose to accept yet stay where you are. But in order to deal with rejection, it is necessary to give it all to the One who gave you those emotions and start walking one step at a time towards another dream you have. Think of it as one door of opportunity that closed, yet, God opens the windows to let in other opportunities to come your way. You may be looking for doors of opportunities, but really, you are meant to open several windows.

It is a matter of perspective. Would you choose to stay where you are and after few months, or years, you’ll realize that nothing really changed? Moving forward is taking those little steps to move ahead from what you experiencing. Move ahead from the pain. Yes, there may still be pain, but eventually, the memory of it will fade as you walk one step at a time.

Do you like doing other things? Focus on those. Think of all the rejection you’ve experienced as a chapter of your life you want to share to your future kids, or to other people who needed inspiration. But different from other stories, it will not give hope to reach for your dreams but instead, it will be a story to show how you endured the pain and how you moved forward.

Every now and then, people are not looking for success stories, but for inspirations they can get hope from. Maybe, you can also share your story of how you deal with rejection. Who knows? Your story might provide a way to change their perspective in life.