Happy Blog-birthday!

It's this blog's first year anniversary!!! I've been blogging for a year now (a year and 21 days actually) and this is a milestone for me because when I began with my first post, it was just to feed my longing to write about what happened or how I felt that came with the strong emotions I feel from time to time. I can't believe it's been 365 days, not that I post daily or regularly but a total of 72 posts is an achievement!!! This is a belated greeting though, although I did post something last June 8th of this year, just nothing about celebration and birthday. I can't believe I forgot about it! My only excuse is that I was cold and blue with colds last June 8th as evidenced by my post.

But as the saying goes, Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din!(huli:check!; magaling:check!)
Or in another, more "whatever goes" point of view, I don't think a celebration, no matter how late, would ever lose its value. 5 years from now, I can still celebrate my blog's first birthday, knowing and understanding that the experiences I've gained, the thoughts I've shared, and the wisdom that came with my increasing maturity, would always be with me and this online diary of mine. I've made a lot of changes in a year and I certainly enjoyed how I grew in knowledge and skill, from someone whose goal was just to figure out how this works, without any desire to share this site with anybody, to a less shy blogger now investing time and effort to develop this personal site both in terms of content and appearance.

I've changed my blog's name once, the design and layout many times, deleting and adding whatever I fancy. I consider it now as one of my favorite hobbies, both productive and distracting depending on the situation; but I can look back with pride on June 8th of last year, knowing in my heart that making the decision to blog and share bits and pieces of my life in an online diary is one of the best beginnings I've braved to make. For more than being just an outlet, this blog combines reading and writing for me, two important activities essential for my growth and maturity. I have no way of telling how I would be now if I hadn't begun blogging a year ago, but I'm very grateful to God for who I am now. I pray for many many more years of fun, laughter, excitement, challenges, inspiring thoughts,  and wonderful stories to tell! To God be the glory!

P.S.
A celebration isn't one without food!(for me:) but chips and chocolate would be good for now I guess (unless I crave for something else), bawi na lang ako on my birthday:) Coming soon!

Picture-perfect

Autumn Beauty

Camel Thorn Trees, Namibia

Photograph by Frans Lanting, National Geographic

Tinted orange by the morning sun, a soaring dune is the backdrop for the hulks of camel thorn trees in Namib-Naukluft Park.

This is my go-to photo whenever I feel down or stressed. It's so beautiful it almost seemed unreal, but it isn't, and from the first time I saw this and until now, it still invokes the same feeling in me each time- the overwhelming awe of God's wonderful creation, that even trees with no leaves, almost a sign of lifelessness, could be so beautiful against the morning sun.

I could go to Namibia if only to see this, haha!

It also reminds me of one my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis:

I believe in God like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but because of it all things are seen.

May we all see and experience God's loving goodness and power even in this gloomy weather:) God bless!

Happy Effort-y Father's Day!

Papa in his 'JR' squinting eyes look..haha

We only give gifts to Papa on two occasions- his birthday, and Father's day!, and today is that time of the year again. We usually give him what he wants (shoot!, no diggity), or what we think he needs, depending on our budget. We only started this after Mama died, because aside from the greater financial freedom that came with going to college far away from home, I guess it's more because of the greater appreciation for those who remain, that we develop after the loss of a loved one.

We celebrated the recent Mother's day that passed with a lunch date among us siblings here in Manila while Papa's in La Union for work and other things. We thought we were going to do the same for Father's day, but guess who came to celebrate with us?, or better yet, guess who made the effort of enduring a 7-hour travel to be with us on this day? No other than the main man himself, Papa! It's supposed to be his day (and we hope we made him feel that it was his day) but we felt like we're the ones who got a treat with a much anticipated visit from him! How we miss him so much! And he did not come empty-handed, he brought lots of our 'bilins' with him- food primarily that we can stock on the refrigerator, easy-peasy ready to heat meals for her studying and working girls:)

better...in his usual smiling self

But Papa has always been like that....(I can't believe I'm in tears just thinking about what to write next...haha) He has always been selfless when it comes to us, his children, always thinking about what we want, what we need, and what would make us happy. We are thankful for the blessing of two mothers in our lives, but we are also thankful, and now more grateful I guess, that amidst all those changes and adjustments, gains and losses; one man who loves us so so much remained. I look and think about him, and I see a man who has never left our side, or vacated his position behind our backs- he's our earthly reminder that though changes are inevitable, we could always hold on to someone who's love and support will never fail us. I guess one big reason why we trust in God the Father so much is because He has blessed us with Papa; it works in a direct relationship, our love for God increases as our love for Papa does too:)

Papa at the grocery- one of the few things he's not very good at:)

And this is not one of my biased blahgs, because my father definitely belongs to a rare breed of men, those whom you'd consider as a big, worthy catch:) It was him who first told me that there are two kinds of people who succeed in this world: the intelligent, and the strategic (for the lack of a better term; the only translation I can think of, "madiskarte" in his own words); and he, according to him, belongs to the latter. I say that my Papa is both and a lot more. He wasn't a good student but he certainly learned and understood what he needed to remember. His degree alone, BS Agriculture major in Animal Husbandry (we even joke about it at times), is an unusual choice but it's what he enjoys doing and he's good at those things-farming, taking care of chickens, cows, goats; even though he claims that the only things that he remembers from college are the scientific names of citrus fruits:) His involvement in the tobacco industry is his main work but he juggles that with planting rice and tending to his animals. My friends and classmates are always amazed that we have chickens, cows and goats within our compound and they play a significant part in our family's income because as Papa has put it, "Kulang ang sweldo niya sa lalakas daw naming kumain :)" We aren't rich but I am proud to say that with Papa as our provider and with the blessings and grace of God, we never lacked anything in our lives. He's kuripot (thrifty's mild..haha) in a lot of things except food but he's very generous, and it was him who taught us by example to be content, to place value in the right things, and to share our blessings.

But aside from being a good provider, our Papa's the sweetest, most caring, thoughtful, loving, and most supportive father we could ever ask for. An all-girl brood suits him (although he'd surely do great too had he been gifted with sons) because he's very expressive of his love for us- both in words and in actions. Aside from the iloveyou's, the hugs, and the kisses, he makes sure that we're always well fed and more than comfortable. Mama was a very good cook but in her absence, Papa learned how to cook our favorite dishes for us. As the need arises, Papa would also wash our clothes for us, clean the house, and do house chores that none of our neighbors' fathers do. He can even compete with women when it comes to getting the best deals in the market! He's also a very good handyman (hats off!) and we're always amazed with the way he does the things we ask of him:) On top of it all, he's got a big sense of humor!...and that's where I'm going to end the positive adjectives for now, sa sobrang dami my blogging hours won't suffice...

He has his share of imperfections too though, and in the same way that we have hurt him because of the things we said or did, he too was the cause behind some of our heartaches and tears. But even in those few situations that we don't agree with each other, we could never question how much Papa loves us. He loves us like no other, and so in our own ways, we, his daughters, also try our best to make him feel that we love him very much. We are all Papa's girls, and as such we'll always be:) Thank you Papa for being the best father that you are. I'll probably never run out of stories that boast of how blessed we are by God for having you in our lives. One post dedicated to you will sure not be enough (so there's a lot more to come in the future) but we pray that for the many many more years in your life, we'd be able to show you how much we truly love and appreciate you. We love you so much and after God, you will always be the main man in our lives. We hope to make you proud as we pursue the dreams you have helped and inspired us to achieve:) We also pray to find a life partner like you in our lives (which is quite a feat but I hope not); until then, you have nothing to worry about:) We'll choose carefully, and rest assured that your opinion will be an important consideration:)

Happy happy Father's Day Papa!!! We love you very much!

I am not my own

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame; As tumbled over rim in roundy wells Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name; Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: Deals out that being indoors each one dwells; Selves - goes itself, myself it speaks and spells, Crying What I do is me: for that I came." I say more, the just man justices; Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces; Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is - Christ - for Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his To the Father through the features of men's faces. Gerard Manley Hopkins

Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior of my life is and will always be the best decision I've ever made. His love never fails to overwhelm me (even just writing about it brings me to tears:) and my life has never been the same since He chose me and made himself known to me.

Thank you Father for breathing life in me, for setting me free, and for loving me so much you had to claim me back. As I offer and entrust my life to you each day, help me live no longer for myself, but for your glory. Own me forever, and never let me go; and may your loveliness be seen in my life, in the eyes of the people I encounter each day, as I strive to be righteous; not by my own might, but by your Spirit who lives in me.

I live and breathe for the love of you...:)

2 Corinthians 5:17
        Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Cold/s Blues

It's Day 3 of my battle against this yet another cold virus trying to attack my system. I have not been taking in my daily dose of Vitamin C religiously lately but I have surely been eating a lot...sweets and junks included...haha. Add to that my daily lack of sleep and lots of sources of infection nearby- Kuya Lem at the office & Ate Angel at home...haay

It again started with the all-too-familiar-but-I'll-never-really-get-used-to sore throat. Upon inspection, my left tonsil's bigger than my right and I have this itchy feeling and overwhelming desire to take out my throat, wash it with vinegar probably, kill all the bacteria and viruses, then return it only when it's not itchy anymore. I've been overdosing with multivitamins and ascorbic acid for days, trying to stay away from any decongestants or any antibiotics in the future. I was beginning to have nasal discharges awhile ago which made sleeping very difficult, but I'm still hoping and praying that it will just go away without becoming any more serious. It's been raining all day outside and in my effort to keep myself comfortable and illness-free soon, I'm back in my daily dorm getup for four college years in Baguio- my oversized sweatshirt and pajamas.

I'm supposed to be doing yearbook work, with everything I need sitting beside me on bed right now but I can't seem to even begin editing one profile and all I can manage is writing and watching my favorite show at the moment-Frijolito!...hahaha. My unconcerned batchmates (those who weren't my friends) would probably comment some harsh, unfeeling words in their rage again, but I really need this time to relax, do something unnecessary but would make me happy, and enjoy bumming and resting even just for a few hours.

And so I write again, not because I need to but because I want to. My thoughts are pointless and nonsense for others; but they're sanity, solid ground, and soul food for me. I hope to write about reason, of more intelligent and wisdomful thoughts in the coming days when I get better. But for now, this is what I can do, not my best, but my own...