Long Live Life!

It’s been a long, long, loooooong time since I last updated this blog. A lot of things have changed about me and my surroundings that I felt the need to start writing again.

For one, I now live in Singapore. A major shift in the standard of living entails major changes in perspective as well. This is a first-world country. Its very different from where I come from.

Although so many things have been continuously overwhelming me since I moved here, it took quite a bit of a while before it sank into my head that this is really different now. Its a different place. It still feels a bit surreal, but in a beautiful kind of way.

But despite that I do anticipate that my life will never be the same and that I am looking forward to a lot of my long-time dreams coming to reality, I am glad that there are things that WILL not change. And these are the three:

1. GOD in my life.

He never fails to prove how He never leaves me nor forsakes me. His favor has just been enormous since I landed in Singapore and His grace and mercy have never left me.

I am glad that I have a church to go to and an instant family. And I still have a ministry. I get to sing for God. I get to write. I get to do all these creative things for His glory. And all these I consider a privilege. It is a great honor to serve the King of Kings and I am deeply humbled.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes and terrible ones, but God truly is the God of turnarounds. He taught me how to forgive others and most of all, myself… And that even if people hate me for many of the stupidest things I have done, I’ve learned that when God forgives a wrong, I am supposed to leave it alone because He always offers a chance to pick myself up, bounce back, and be doubly awesome… all by His grace and mercy alone. God is my motivation and driving force. His favor is the primary spice of my life, without which it will be tasteless.

2. My FAMILY in my heart

Singapore is not too far. And this is not the first time I’ve been away from home. I realize that everything I have ever been through has actually prepared me for all that I am going through right now. And technology has made it easier. The phone calls, Skype chats, and Facebook updates have all been sugar to me.

My family is my inspiration and will always be. My parents, brother, nephews, nieces, cousins, and other relatives cheer me on and up, too. They are the vibrance of my life. Your family understands the phases in life you have to deal with or even your reactions to the pressures and slaps on the left and right cheek that life throws at you sometimes. And they stand by you through all of it. My family reminds me that I always have a home in my heart that I can always go back to, whatever happens or wherever I may be.

3. My FRIENDS by my side

I prayed for good new friends when I arrived here. And thats what I have been getting. I can never be thankful enough.

I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and I know I will keep meeting more in the next few months. My new friends remind me of how bouncing back really is supposed to happen because they make me realize that life really goes on and on and on and that if I would stay stuck in just a moment in time, I would miss meeting all these beautiful people, learning new things, enjoying new ways, and finding new reasons to laugh or simply smile.

My new friends remind me how big the universe is and how broad the horizons are. The things I once thought were too big are actually just tiny specks of a huge picture.

And then of course, there are my treasured old friends. Their worth can never be questioned. It always makes me feel great when I get to connect with any of them in any way. They remind me that life is indeed big… because although there’s a broad horizon out there that would fit a lot more new people in my life, they still stand in their usual spaces in my life, unshaken. And that’s simply because that’s what true friends do. They stay. They never judge you as being a permanently cracked egg. Or a rotten one even. They always believe. Even if I did countless crazy things, they stood by me and believed that I can get out of the rut. And wherever I am– near or far– I would always consider my true old friends as being “by my side” always. Because they are.

And of these three things, I acknowledge that only God remains constant.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  -2 Corinthians 9:8

I’m excited about the things that are bound to happen. I’m a little scared, but I know that even if so many things have changed and are still changing, these that remain will help me pull through life in great color. =)

Posted by Wordmobi

When I Say I’m a Christian

Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin’.”
I’m whispering “I was lost,
“That is why I chose this way.”

When I say…”I am a Christian”
don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek His name.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not holier than thou,
I’m just a simple sinner
Who received God’s good grace, somehow!

—————

Thanks to my best bud, Ramil, for sending me this.

Tags: Christian, Christianity, God, KKB

Of God and Superhumans

We are not super humans.

This is one of the things one would realize while serving God for a long time within a ministry. We get tired and frustrated and eventually start to hate one another. This happens even among leaders.

I am blessed to have my cousins in the ministry with me. I’ve always been proud of them. But then came this rift between me and one of my closest. I guess we both hid bitterness and frustrations–maybe for different reasons. We were both stressed out and thought bad things about each other… and other people.

Last night, forgiveness came. I made up with a cousin and we texted the whole night and agreed we are both so AMPAW (synonym of WEAK and HELPLESS) and realized we only really need to be strong in the Lord. We both know God is in control of circumstances.

When I sent him the first text, I told him I have nothing to be proud of in front of God but I have a responsibility as a part of this ministry to let him know what I will have to go through. I was expecting a cold reply. But I wanted to let him know that I never ever lost respect for him just as he may have thought. And indeed I got the cold reply. But minutes later, he sends the same message, but added a few more lines of text about his realizations. And there came forgiveness fresh from the oven.

I have a lot of questions going on right now. Things like “when will this turbulence inside me end?” and “who among all these people surrounding me are my true friends?” But there are those people you know are there for you and will always be in your list of the TRUEST. They are those with whom you may have a rift or a gap with from time to time but you know will never leave that list.

We go through different circumstances in life. We don’t know what really goes inside each and every other person we encounter. I am going through a difficult one right now.

We are mere humans. We don’t have super powers that let us be invisible when our enemies come or fly to where no one can reach us when we want to isolate ourselves or turn into sand when we wish to hide.

We get nervous, angry, stressed, frustrated, cold, bitter, and every feeling else that every other human feels. The Bible itself tells us we are not to be exempted from all these things that have to do with living in this world.

The thing that God revealed to me is that when we feel these things, we don’t have to suppress them inside of us to keep our beautiful Christianly package. We were designed to express and in expression, comes the control that comes from the Spirit. We will explode if we keep these feelings to ourselves and eventually find it hard to seek control.

My cousin gave me this verse last night: 1 Corinthians 15:58

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

It is difficult being human. Much more if you’re a Christian human. But the thing that we must always bear in mind is that we are mere humans and God is God. He has everything beyond the limits of our weak human capacity.

Forgiveness came. Hopefully, my own peace of mind is next.

Tags: fritzie plamenco, God, Jesus, KKB, Superhumans

The Thing About Dogs and Goodbyes

This is my baby dog, Barak. He just looks really big but he’s about 4 months old. He is one of the four babies of his mommie dog Whoopie. Last week we had to give him away.

I took this photo the night before he had to go. We gave him to one of our churchmates who also loves dogs. I talked to him while he slept and pat him on the forehead. I told him it hurts for us to do this but he was becoming very big too easily and he had tripped my dad flat on the floor about three times already. My dad has been recovering from stroke and he still has a hard time walking straight. Plus, Barak is one really noisy dog!

But I love him dearly. And so does my mom and dad. My dad nearly even backed out from relinquishing Barak’s ownership.

But looking at the big picture, giving him away would be so much better for all of us. The only thing we made sure of was that he was going to be given to a family who would love him just the same.

His mom missed him the first few days because she had this habit of whispering something to his ears, probably inviting him to stop playing and start eating, whenever its chow time. She probably had to make a lot of adjustments when he was suddenly gone. She was obviously sad. But a few days after, she was okay again.

I miss him. But I am going to see him again in a few weeks.

Having to give up something so precious to me for a better situation taught me valuable lessons:

1. Love is all about looking beyond the flaws and imperfections . – Barak is not ugly but he definitely was a hyper, eardrum-breaking dog. And yet we loved him for who he is– just a cute little dog doing the normal things that he does.

2. Life is all about moving on. -I moved on when Barak left. So did my parents. So did his mom. So did Barak. That’s just how life is. We move on in different ways but that is making sure we don’t step on anyone’s rights or hurting anyone intentionally I guess.

I thank God for these simple special moments that allow me to think… and learn.

Posted by Wordmobi

Rich in things, Poor in Soul.

When I was young, I wanted to be so rich so I could be a doctor and heal sick people. It has never happened. I went to law school. I wanted to be a lawyer so I can stand up on behalf of people in need. In the middle of it, I quit. I realized that money isn’t the central need in helping sick people or standing up for those who are in need. I just need to be strong and sincere and to have faith in God and myself and in people, and then I know I can make a great deal of difference.

It saddens me that most of our so-called leaders have lost what it takes to really help. They are probably strong. They have the money to help. But then most of them have lost the sincerity, empathy, and faith in their own people. All they have are their formidable beliefs in themselves (aka overconfidence) and in what they can do and yet all they can deliver are empty promises and loads of wrong motives. They are like bubbles. Pretty to look at but are mere air. Most of all, they lack fear of the Lord. In fact, they lack it so much that they are unashamed to be so lavishly extravagant while their fellowmen lie in dire poverty.

I guess that poverty in itself cannot be called horrendous. What is more despicable is when in the midst of it, those who have the capacity and responsibility to alleviate it spend more time going some place else–in the guise of an official trip–partying, eating, and drinking, and being merry… and just losing their soul.

Click photo to read story

Read more…

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Oh well, eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow… hmmm… (Isaiah 22:13)

Wait till they all lose their strength and are drained of breath… Would people feel sorry for them? Or would they rejoice… and eat and drink and be merry?

We’ll see…

Tags: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, God, Integrity, Jesus, New York, NY Post, Poor in Soul, Poverty, President, Public Service, Rich in Things

Sleeeeeep

Lately i’ve been lacking sleep. It’s like each time I wake up in the morning, I’d find myself blurting out “That was it?” I’d usually have to drag myself out of bed because my back just seems to want to stick to it the whole day.

My parents have just been really sweet. Mom prepares my lunch to take to the office each day except Fridays. And there are mornings when I’d hear them just outside my room asking out loud if they should be waking me up or not yet. They just completely understand how tired I am.

And sure enough, I am tired. Not to mention I seem to get easily depressed by some things. But the one thing that keeps me going is how I know God has something beautiful in store for me and the people I care about… And even my dogs… each day. The strength he provides is extraordinary. His grace is so immense.

Though it is sometimes hard to get up coz my body just makes it so, my heart and soul is always grateful for another new day to experience God’s goodness.

And I can sleep with peace… Knowing God watches over me and is wrapping up another surprise when I wake up.

Posted by Wordmobi

Tags: fritzie plamenco, God, Jesus, KKB

Blogging From My Mobi

This is really fun! I was able to install the Wordmobi WordPress client on my phone and now I’m testing it. Now I can blog right at my fingertips haha!

I think this is cool. I can maximize the use of my phone and manage my blogs wherever there’s wifi. I’m loving it! I have yet to learn how to post images and other things though.

I also just installed Tweets60, a Twitter client on my mobile and i’m enjoying it lots too.

Okay, this getting to be quite a long post for a test blog entry…

Posted by Wordmobi

Tags: Mobile

36 Christian Ways to Reduce Stress

1. Pray

2. Learn to praise God wherever you are and whatever the circumstance.

3. Go to bed on time and get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say “No,” to projects/activities that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K. M. S. (Keep Mouth Shut.) This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough exercise.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a podcast while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write thoughts and inspirations down.

22. Everyday, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until its time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good “Thank you Jesus!”

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before or that you always forget to thank God about.

——
Original Post

Tags: fritzie plamenco, God, Jesus, KKB, KKB Pulilan, Kristiyanong Kabataan para sa Bayan, Seeking God, Stress

Attitude

by Rev. Chuck Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say, or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.

Tags: Attitude, Charles Swindoll, fritzie plamenco, God, Jesus, JIL, JIL Pulilan, KKB, KKB Pulilan

IT’S NOT IN THE GUITAR

Last Sunday, we trained a bunch of youngsters who wanted to join the Worship Arts Ministry. We had a number of excited young people who wanted to learn how to play the guitar and drums, dance, and sing.

I’ve been part of the ministry since I was very young. At one time, I was even the youngest in the team. Eventually, more people got involved and the party people grew in number. It has become so much more fun!

On the second week of May, our church was finally able to put up a satellite service in one of the hardest-to-reach barrios in our town. A family volunteered to turn their home terrace into the temporary church and there have been about close-to-a-hundred attendees since we started. There are also new equipment that have been raised for the glory of God. One of our friends donated his drum set too.

Everyone is excited about our new outreach—even if there’s so much work to do and lots of sacrifices to make. The small sacrifices include having to get drenched in the rain sometimes, taking some of the instruments back & forth, or back riding on the motorcycle sitting sideways because you’re wearing a skirt and having to bear that not-very-comfy position for the whole 10-Km ride (because you forgot your pants in the bag you left with mom). And then, there are the bigger sacrifices—really big ones.

When we came face-to-face with the youth—with all the squirming anticipation in their eyes—we also had to come to our own realizations about our personal service to God.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE WE WERE THAT EXCITED ABOUT BEING IN THE MINISTRY WE WERE CALLED FOR?

I go to practice every Saturday, prepare lineups when I’m assigned to lead worship, jam with the musicians until we perfect the songs and shifts, go out bonding right after and happily go home to prepare for the next day’s Worship Service.

We are excited to commune with God, yes, but most probably not as we were when we first started. Whether we admit it or not, there are many things about what we do every weekend that have become routines for most of us.

Being in the ministry for this long–from being the youngest to now standing as one of their “ate’s”—has surely toughened me up. I have become fierce enough to talk about mistakes and other things to my younger (and even older) friends. Being a servant of God certainly brings out the toughie in you.

When it was my turn to talk, I shared with the youth some of the things we need to survive the “ministry challenge”. I told them it’s as simple as keeping these 3 things HIGH: IQ (Intelligence quotient), EQ (Emotional Quotient), WQ (Worship Quotient)

A high IQ means a high level of skills. We have to keep trying to get better as time progresses. This is trying to be excellent in the craft you have chosen or enhancing the talent God has given you.

A high EQ means being tough… no matter how discouraging the situations are or what people say in front of or behind you. It also means being open to corrections… no matter HOW the corrections were delivered to you (’cause it’s not always going to be in the nicest way).

A high WQ means remembering to look up–that we are not playing these instruments or singing or dancing just for the sake of doing these things or to become very popular with our peers. We are doing these to WORSHIP THE KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.

Facing these new “ministers” allowed me to look back to how I was when I was in the same boat as they are now. I want to be just as charged up as they are. We had a great time with them. We laughed together, joked around, and shared what we know.

My team mates and I love to have fun and enjoy our moments together but we have been through so much and known one another so well throughout these years. This is how this new team will probably be in the years to come.

I pray that they keep it up no matter what happens, now knowing that serving God is the greatest calling ever… and the most fun too! It’s not in the guitar or drums or voice or the moves—It’s always what’s in the heart. It’s always about having a heart that is always enthusiastic to worship God.

Just like them, we “oldies” (and I don’t mean in “age”) still have lots to learn ourselves in our Christian walk—things that have to do with how to get along well with our brothers and sisters—but it always helps to go back to the basics and remember that everything begins with the love of God.

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Tags: fritzie plamenco, God, Jesus, JIL Pulilan, KKB, KKB Pulilan