January 30, 2011

Cry, Cut, and Bleed

There goes this saying that when you’re upset or brokenhearted, apparently, everything turns to ‘Emo’.  Some might be wondering what ‘Emo’ really means and what happens when you’re an ‘Emo’. Is it just the music that defines being Emo? Or is it the fashion trend that has black clothes, eyeliner and bangs? Perhaps it’s the lifestyle that a lot of people are now living.

The word ‘Emo’ is merely the shortened term of emotional as to what most would figure. But actually this all began in the 1980’s when the hardcore punk rock groups started a new vibe of music that associated violence and incredibly deep diary-like outpourings of emotion lyrics. Other bands were influenced by this new trend, and thus, the emo-music was born. Fast forward to the two decades, the term emo isn’t merely the songs but also the very lifestyle of the devotees to this extraordinary trend that evolved through the passage of time.

The fashion would involve tight jeans, dark colors , a lot of the bangs brushed to only one side of the face, eyeliner for both male and female, worn out sneakers, studded belts, tucked in shirts, rolled up sleeves, black horned-rimmed glasses and some would even go as far as piercing and body art. As far as lifestyle would go, the open practice of expressing one’s feelings trough action and writing is visibly seen. The occasional scribbling on paper when at worst of times is inevitable, as well as creating songs or poems that widely expresses emotional crisis. When the feeling that the world is out to get you or everything is frustrating enough to make you go on the verge of breaking down, some would resort to violence that involves razors cutting the wrist or practically anything that has skin on it, aggression, rage, anger, or anything in that range. Music would somehow come out, to some non-emo fanatics, as something subliminal or dark and depressing, or maybe simply self-expressing.

Sadly, in recent media, emo has been stereotyped as the people who are unnecessarily too emotional, angst, shy, introverted or depressed. A lot of people would immediately conclude that emo is associated with depression, self-injury, or suicide. When in the earlier years, emo was just music that because of the rapid advancement in the various lifestyles of different individuals in the millennium, emo evolved into something that many would perceive as deep, dark and violent. But as for the emo-fanatics of this generation, they might argue that being emo isn’t what most would define it is. Frankly, nobody can really give a concrete definition of what being emo in the millennium is anymore. It’s not just the music anymore; rather it’s the lifestyle too. Let’s just keep it that way. 

We just have to remember that we are commanded to love one another. We are not here to judge them; we are here to show them the love that Jesus Christ showed us, regardless of our status, our personalities, even our belief.

January 29, 2011

A Proud Sister

Being a sister of 5 siblings who were not all raised by a mother is a hard task, yet very exciting. Since our mother is not living with us, we have to assume all her responsibilities. From preparing our breakfast up to telling stories to our younger siblings before going to bed.

Now, I have to be more responsible. I know there will be times when I will be tempted to give up. But God always reminds me that He is my Strength and He is source of Joyfulness.

This afternoon, my youngest sibling went home from school with a happy face, bearing the feeling of excitement to share what has happened in her class. Her name is Blessie Marian Reign. She is just 6 years old. You can really see how happy she was when she told me about their Spelling Contest. She got the 1st place!



I'm really proud of her because she is a type of kid who does not want to engage with those kind of school activities, but then she stepped forward to conquer her fear of rejection. As an act of appreciation, I treated her in a fast-food chain and let her pick anything she want.

When I was a kid, I also won in several competitions and I remember, my mother always bring me to restaurants to celebrate it. What I want to say is that, I also want them to feel what I felt when I was like them. I don't want them to feel the pain of this world. I just want them to enjoy their childhood.

I am very much thankful to God for giving me this little angel to make me forget the hurtful moments because of her sweetness and gentleness. Also, I am grateful that God is making a way to reach this young girl and enlist in His family. She, together with our siblings, is attending the Sunday School class at SBC-Makati. I am very excited for the plans God prepared for her. Again, to baby Blessie, ate is very proud of you. I love you.

January 28, 2011

RefresHer!

 Forgive me for posting this too late :)
Anyway, let me begin this now. Last January 22,2011, me, together with some of the girls in our church, were invited to attend this year's Ladies' Conference entitled "RefresHer". That was my first time to attend the said event, and all I can say was "A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!" The venue (Ynares Sports Arena-Pasig) was so fabulous! The speakers, they were all GREAT! I'm happy I was able to take a picture from some of them. Thanks to ate clarissa for allowing us to use her Sony Cybershot. :)


With my sisters(in pink) and  Ms.Vivian Dakpo




me, together with Ms. Karen Baird

Ms. Karen Baird, one of the speakers, currently serve as directors with MANNA Worldwide International. She has,definitely, a huge heart for women's ministries and for children around the world. As a present from her, she gave us a Bible (for free!), a proof of her generosity and kindness. :) She talked about the Ineffectiveness of an Independent Spirit. She pointed out in her message that we are not where we once were, we are not where we will be, we are in between. She emphasized that our life makes spiritual history right now. 

with Ms. Vivian Dakpo and rechelle

      Ms. Vivian Dakpo also spoke in the said event. She's from Botswana, Africa and is currently serving on a ministry team there as a Praise and Worship leader at her church. She gave us this striking question: Are you ready for a wedding? 
The Bible says that if we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, He is our BRIDEGROOM and we are His BRIDE! This message echoed in my mind until now.

    "You are the Bride of Christ. Never let circumstances or struggles or even your own failures tell you differently. Be what God has called you to be and you will be REFRESHED daily with the strength to keep going."- Vivian

Undeniably, I had a memorable time of fellowship with all the women present there. As a woman, times like these are few and far away, where I can just get away from all of life's pressing issues and concerns and just simply enjoy myself. I'm very blessed and thankful that God allowed me to witness this one of a kind experience with the One who truly loves me. 

December 31, 2010

My Not-so-Perfect Plan

      For me, PLANNING is deciding in advance what is to be done, when, where, how, and by whom it is to be done. Thus, a plan is a determined course of action. It is an attempt on the part of an individual to anticipate in the future in order to achieve better performance. The essence of planning is looking ahead. It is always concerned with the future. So before the clock strikes at 12, i want to share to you my not-so-perfect plan for the coming year 2011 :) and oh! please help me eliminate some unnecessary details. Thanks :)



Here's my list:

I.SPIRITUAL 
  A. Have a daily devotion with my Savior
  B. Set up at least 10 minutes a day to listen to Christian Songs and meditate on it
  C. Finish reading the Old Testament
  D. Attend a Bible School
  E. Have something special  for my babies in Sunday School :)
  F. Memorize 2 verses a day
  G. Pray daily

II.CAREER


A. Do my homeworks
B. Be on time! :))
C. Explore things. Learn everything I can.
 D. Master Accounting
 E. Be an ACCOUNTANT :) (although it will take four more years) :)


III.PHYSICAL


     A. Remove excess fats :) 5 curl-ups a day
    B. Eat more fruits and vegetables :)
    C. Avoid Make-Ups
    D. Try  new sports
    E. Take Vitamins

IV.INTELLECTUAL


         A. Finish 1 inspirational/good book at least once a month
       B. Memorize 5 songs a month
       C. Watch a good movie once a week
       D. Read one novel every quarter :)
       E. Read in advance the lessons on all my subjects

V.RELATIONAL


     A. Have a date with my boyfriend: JESUS, at least once a week
     B. Learn more recipes for my family
     C. Be more intentional
     D. Invite them to church every Sunday
     E. Set a movie day with family and friends
     F. Meet new friends
     G. Set a day out with the GIRL POWER :) at least once a month
     H. Have a girl talk with my sisters every night

That's it! :) I know to myself that I can do most, if not all, of these things by this promise of God:




But still, I have to do my part as a believer. Proverbs 22:4 says, "Respect and serve the LORD! Your reward will be wealth, a long life, and honor." 

Have a wonderful planning! :) GOD BLESS.

"God plans the best for us and together as God's people, He would make us PERFECT." Hebrews 11:40

Volunteers' Retreat @ Loreland

December 27, 2010, another day full of experience and happy moments. It was another bonding moment with the members of the church I'm attending to. We had the SBC-Makati‘s ministry leaders retreat in Loreland Farm Resort. Some were not able to make it as they left for the province, taking advantage of the holiday break. Truly, it is a joy to fellowship with this church family. :D Pastor Jeff and Ate Jen have always been good to us. I love their attitude of being appreciative, a wonderful character, indeed. We are thankful to God that He is using these kind of people to make us feel His love for us. 


We had so much fun! The place was fantastic! I wasn't expecting that it would be that wonderful. Honestly, i'm not into swimming(that's why I'm being teased by my friends and family that the fact that I'm tall, I don't know how to swim), but when I saw those beautiful pools, i was encouraged to take a swimming class. And hopefully, I could start it by summer. 


But above all else, our focus here is thanking God for the grace and strength that He is granting us to continue serve Him. I'm hoping that this experience will not be the first and last. :)


Here are some of the shots on that day. (Thanks ate Jen, ate Eloisa, and ate Cla for these photos) :D







































December 5, 2010

State Of the Nation Address: P-Noy

Last July, we were required in our Philippine Governance subject to comment on our President's State of the Nation Address. Honestly, I am not fond of listening to SONA ever since, but then I realized that as a Filipino, I must also be sensitive to what's happening to my country. After all, who should love and take care of this counrty? We, Filipinos.

Below is my observation on P'Noy's first State of the Nation Address:



The first STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS OF President Benigno Aquino III after his election was delivered at the joint session of the Congress of the Philippines on July 26, 2010.
The SONA can be summarized into two basic parts. The first part enumerates the sins, incompetence and the alleged anomalies of the past administration which result into contributing factors why the new leader feels that he is facing problems to deliver his promises.
The second part includes the solutions and strategies he wants to adopt to solve the perceived problems in order to promote prosperity and peace for the nation. At the end, he enjoined the people to participate in this gargantuan task which he and the people he appointed in the different positions would carry out to make the people’s dream a reality.
"That’s it?!" The very first reaction I said after the SONA. I feel that the address failed to convince me that we are going to the right direction. Yes, he succeeded in citing the past administration’s anomalies but he did not cite specific and concrete plans such as increasing the education budget, agrarian reform, employment etc.   
Well, we cannot blame him, ‘wise man speaks less’, and I hope he is such one. We should not always give negative responses about our president's governing ways because it’s not that easy to handle a democratic country like us. But we should not stop eyeing the government for we never know politics might be deceiving.

December 3, 2010

The Start of Something New

     At last, I have started blogging! I'm happy for my self :) Honestly, I don't have an idea about this "blogging" thing. Yes, I have heard this from my friends, but I was not encouraged by them. Maybe because my thinking before was, it was just only a waste of time and money, since I don't have my own computer and internet connection. But now, I am interested about this "something new". With the help of blogging, I can share my ideas, thoughts and emotions through writing.
     I have realized that written memories are very important to me, because I admit I don't have a photographic memory. These memories,whether good or bad, will serve as a remembrance of what I have did and going to do with the life God has given me. Although there's a lack of confidence in me, still i want to share a part of me, and hopefully it can also be an inspiration to others.
    And now, here I am, hoping that I would be having readers who will be interested about my posts.

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