Not Alone

Twenty four years have passed when I saw myself standing at this same corner. It was dark, bare, and soundless that time. I can only see shadow of my body, hear my own heartbeat, and feel my own breathing. It is empty. And yes, I am alone.

But now, this corner seems to be chaotic and frenzy, disorganized and loud. Sounds and voices are coming from left and right. I can sense other’s inhalation, feel their pulse rates, and perceive their thoughts. Now, it is filled up with many people. And yes, I am not alone anymore.

Every day, I yearn for peace, for tranquility – same as what I have felt twenty four years ago. I heed to experience the same silent sensation, to taste the tingling effect of stillness. But, it can’t happen. I have to face the truth, I am not a kid anymore and I don’t have time machine, gadgets or gizmos to make me a child again. I am now a grown-up, and I have a lot of responsibilities to fulfill. I need to be with other people, to mingle with them – that sometimes, I felt anxious about that fact.

Well, I don’t know why, but every now and then, I have this “angst” feeling. I worry, guilty of being fretful. And I’m not happy of it. Worrying REALLY makes me feel sick. I need to battle this, and eventually, to win this war.

Twenty four years have passed when I saw myself standing at this same corner. Only to realized later that during that time, I am not alone. Yes, I am not. I have this “buddy” alongside that I am not aware of. Until, he introduced himself. And he promised me two things: 1) that I’ll be sensing again the peace I wanted and 2) that he’ll help me battling the war of fearing people. I just have to have “faith” on him.

Train Riders

You wanted to go to your destination without consuming so much time, effort and money? Or you wanted to skip the traffic jam in the left and right side of the lane? Maybe, you sought of a cooler ride with sounds along side or sometimes trivia’s. If that is what you usually seek, then I think you’re an MRT-rider.

Well, I am an MRT fanatic. Ever since I lived here in Manila, I always ride the MRT trains in going to different places. It’s the fastest way to go to every destination, plus I think one of the cheapest. Also, I can find almost every type of persons there – two elders with their cane talking about their lives, a group of students discussing their assignments, three Office workers chatting about their work loads, two boys conversing about their crushes, a family happily talking about their day, a woman with an Ipod on her ears, and sometimes a couple with “LQ”. And since I usually ride the MRT alone and normally focused on where stations I am, I nearly memorize the usual “train lines” repeatedly played. :)

“Let us give seats to the elders, ladies and persons with disabilities”.
“Please avoid pushing one another while getting in and out of the train”.
“Please give way to the passengers in entering and leaving the train”.
“Please take care of your belongings. Kindly check your things in the train and in the station”.

There. Anyway, one thing that amazes me with trains is that they are not fueled with gasoline but instead by electricity. However, since they are still dependent to something, it is still not assured that trains can work well every time. With that thought, I remember an Old Filipino Christian song “Tsuper ng Buhay”, with this lyrics.

“Hesus ang tsuper ng buhay

dito ka sumakay gasolina'y pang habang buhay

biyahe mo ay sulit pagka't patungong langit

di pwede ang sumabit”

No questions asked. There’s nothing in this world, even trains, can help us to reach our ultimate destination. So, enjoy your ride with Him. :)

Hard day? Nah...

Wake up late; spilled your coffee that mess up your dress; waited for a cab to arrive but to no avail, ended up riding a bus that took you to the office 30-minutes longer than the usual.You ran so fast to reach your early morning meeting, but the tip of your heels broke. You arrived late; all eyes were focused on you.

The meeting was over. You go straight to your desk and saw a three-layered pile of paper works to review. You one by one checked them, and surprisingly, they were labeled “Urgent”. You started checking; skipped your meals and the “chickas” with your officemate just to finish your tasks. You ended up doing all your work a quarter after 9.

You rushed to the elevator to reach the 10pm FX cut-off going to your home. Traffic jam caught you in the middle of the road that you arrived home starving. Unexpectedly, you forgot your home keys. You waited again for 15-minutes. At last, the door was opened. You kissed your mom good night, go straight to your room, and sigh.

Sounds familiar, isn’t it? Are you this person I’m talking about right now? If you are, before blowing up, pause for a while and watch this video (btw, this post do not aim to advertise,:)).

Well, that’s it. Sometimes, we are bombarded by the many “bad things” in our lives, but, we need to be reminded that our responses to that bad things matters most. It’s really 1% situation and 99% response. The way we perceived situation has a great impact of what will be the outcome. Always remember that positive outlook in life, a thankful heart and leaving all things in Big Dad’s hand will turn a bad day into a great one. It’s really up to us if we will live with the bad, hard day, or to celebrate each day with smile and gladness.

“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart” Psalm 32:11 NIV”

Mundane Monday

You’ve spent the rest of your weekends a blast. You’ve eaten your most-wanted food; bathe with your favorite Jacuzzi – inspired bathroom; laugh out loud with jumping/clapping on the side with your friends; have some taco party with your family, did a bible studies with your discipleship group, and other stuff you missed doing. You wished weekends will never end... But, here comes Monday… ugghh,,, you’ve felt you never wanted to go back to the office and work.

Is the above picture sounds familiar? Haha… have you ever experienced such scenario in your life? Well, I am. I am hook with a blissful Saturday and Sunday getaways that sometimes, I forget to prepare and think for the following week. I am attached with the coziness and ease it brings, leading me not to plan ahead and be lazy – as in literally lazy at the office during Mondays. Well, I am not saying that it’s not good to enjoy every inch of your relaxing period, but, sometimes, it’s just that it has an effect with your Monday (that is why I tagged this post as Mundane Mondays).

So, what’s the purpose of this blog? Well, expert or not, I want to share some tips how I turn a Mundane Monday into a Merry Monday (hope this help).

1. Plan ahead. Even though you are enjoying the comfy and restful weekends, try to allot 10-15 minutes of your time drafting what you will do on Monday (please note, we are just talking on Mondays – you can plan the rest of the week on that day, if your Sat and Sun schedule won’t permit you to do so). By doing this, you’ll be able to know what you need to do first when the morning Monday arrives.

2. Condition your mind and body. You need to set your mental and physical clock for the next week as some of the weekend activities, although enjoying, are strenuous. With this, you need to sleep early and have your mind calmed and settled.

3. Pray and read Big Dad’s word. Nothing will ever make you feel relax and unwind except the peace that comes from Him. Before you end the weekends, utter a prayer and read God’s word. Same goes when you wake up on an early Monday morning. Ask His guidance and strength to help you carry on the day. For sure, He’ll never let you walk with your Monday stuff alone.

Tadah! There you go.

Don’t forget to smile. =)

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” Psalm 3:5 NIV

Realizations

Street children in Quezon Ave.
Sampaguita vendor in North Edsa.
Blind couple singing besides MRT station.
Families living in the underpass of Buendia.
Little girl starring at the roasted chicken along Ayala.
Little boy running along EDSA asking for alms.
Crippled man begging in MRT Taft Station.

Every day, I can’t help but noticed these people, in different gender, age, and status in life. I wonder if there are also other humans that can perceived them. But whether or not I’m the only one, I really felt the urge to do something about this. I’m actually having this “small little voice” pushing me step out of my comfort zone and act. I wanted too… but how?

Now, if someone’s reading this post and has the same sentiment as with I have right now, let’s talk.

I want to be of someone’s angel, in my own little ways. But it can be bigger, if you and I will mingle.

At last...

Im going to write...

My Brother’s Laugh

You are just seven years old when God talked to you and said, “My child, I will entrust a special gift to you. Remember that this one is a very exceptional present. This is fragile; you need to handle it with care. In my own perfect time, he will bloom, and I need you to assist him”. What will then be your reaction?

I was shocked. I am only seven years old when we thought that in the family, it will only be me and my eldest sister. It was just a plain day, a magical indeed, when we were blessed by a cute little angel, a baby boy crafted in God’s perfect hand. We named him Dexter, which is derived from the Greek Word Dexi meaning worship. And from that time, I became his eldest sister.

He grew up, he started to discover and learn things around him, the environment he belongs. He began to find out his innate talents, a guitarist, and an ear for music. He little by little appreciates the gift of wisdom, and the future that awaits him. In small steps, he began to draw near to his Creator. And I was there, in every milestones of his life.

We are just the same as with other siblings. We do have quarrels, and oftentimes, a silent war. I used to write notes to him for the words that I can't explain vocal. I knew he read it. And keep it.

Yesterday, I saw tiredness in his eyes. He was so exhausted with the 8:00pm study schedule. I was in my bed waiting for him so that we could have our dinner together. He enters the door so swiftly without dropping any word. He slump his bag, and directly go to the dining table. I thought he is mad at me. But then, he smiled and hugs me so warm. He started to share all his experiences, dilemmas, and funny moments in school. We started to laugh with all the events that are happening.

We call the day off. Dex asks me to sleep near to him. So, I got up and get a pillow. Until I found myself hugging my little brother.

Yes, I love the sound of his laugh. But most of all, I love my brother’s body, spirit and soul.