Thoughts on Psalm 84

This morning, I had fresh insights as I read Psalm 84 so let me put them down into writing before they slip off my mind..hehe

I've always considered it as the psalm where the song "Blessed" by Hillsong was based, and usually focused on v. 4 and v. 10, which declare that blessed are those who dwell in the house of the Lord. In connection to this, I've usually related the house of the Lord to the church and the physical building.

But as I read the entire psalm this morning and prayed it as my own, I realized that more than dwelling in the house of the Lord here on earth, my soul was longing to be with the Lord in His eternal dwelling place, in heaven. As I proclaimed v. 1 and v. 2, I knew I was longing and hoping for something more.

And then I came to v. 5 which says

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

Then I realized that Psalm 84 is my prayer, and the prayer of many other Christians who have set their eyes on the eternal, and have understood that our life here on earth is a journey towards something far greater, as great as being with God.

It is a prayer of those who depend on God for strength to live each day towards God's direction; because we all know it is not easy. But we do our best with the grace of God, because there's no place we'd rather be but with Him. I actually share the sentiments of the psalmist in v. 10 when he said 'I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked'; because I know I'm not the best Christian there is. I lack and fail in so many aspects and disciplines including discipling others; but I keep on trying anyway, if it would please my Master enough for Him to let me enter. I would accept any role He would give me in heaven if only I can be with Him, because being with Him is more than enough. (I say this with a prayer as I guard my heart, that the Lord will keep me grounded, gracious and humble until He comes)

As we press on, we are given an assurance in v. 11 and 12 which says

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Thank you Lord:)

The Search for the Best Throat Reliever

As a singer (ehem..ehem) even only during weekends in church, throat discomfort is big deal for me. What's even ironic is how easily I get it even just by eating a piece of chocolate or any sweets, failing to drink water, and talking for more than 30 mins.

I give lectures in the hospital so this is difficult to avoid but I try my best to rest my voice whenever I can. I always have water with me for emergency and I drink lots of it too. I try to avoid cold drinks including cold water, as well as fruit juices that dry the throat. I really try to suppress my urge to eat ice cream but when all strategies fail..hehe..I let the ice cream melt in my mouth first so the temperature is higher when it reaches my throat. Finally, I have my go to rituals to prevent sore throat such as drinking apple cider tonic with honey or hot tea with honey, using an antibacterial gargle, and taking an antibacterial lozenge.

But this afternoon while I visited Healthy Options to buy bottles of organic apple cider vinegar..I saw this-

I was interested with 'Throat Coat', but what got me was what was written in the product label which says, "With a smooth and silky feeling, this blend of comforting and slightly slimy-in-a-good-way herbs is like taking your voice on a vacation"..o di ba?!..haha

So even though I'm not a fan of flower-based teas, I decided to buy it and give it a try. I did not read the instructions before preparing it so I was not able to let it seep for 10-15 minutes but I hope I'll still be able to enjoy the benefits in full. It's a bit sweet though not in an irritating way (but I don't really like flower teas that much) and I feel this sweet sensation in my throat, which I hope are the herbs giving my throat its much needed vacation..hehe

I'll try the leaf variant next time if this works..bukas magkakaalaman..hehe

Thank you Lord for a productive worship practice this evening, for this discovery, and for the talents and resources you've been giving me. Allow me to give my very best tomorrow as I give it my all, singing your greatness and goodness out for all to hear! Love you!

Unexpected Blessings

I've been applying the prayer of Jabez since last week, asking God for more blessings; and now, asking as well for greater influence or opportunities to be a channel of His blessings.

As I was listening to Pastor Nixon's message last Sunday, I realized the timing of my current greatest blessing, the opportunity to fulfill my dream to become a doctor. Back then, the answer to the question, Why I want to become a doctor? was not so clear. The answer to the question, Why can't I become a doctor? were clearer and they were a frequent source of my bouts of self-pity..haay. Thankfully, I got answers to the other questions in my head and in the past four (4) years that I've been serving as a nurse in a lead tertiary specialty center in the country for renal diseases (naks..hehe..), the reason behind why I became a nurse become clearer to me each day. I've already written my thoughts in the past about being 'right where I'm supposed to be' and I love my profession as a nurse. Having that experience of caring for people you do not know as if you are caring for a loved one has been good for my soul, and I am 100% sure that I've been called by God to be a channel of His love in the area of healing/healthcare.

But with that understanding also grew a desire to be able to do better, and do more as God's instrument of healing. From a clinical nurse, I was assigned to be a research and continuous quality improvement nurse. From bedside care, I suddenly found myself assisting leaders in making policies, research studies, and continuous quality improvement initiatives to improve patient safety and the overall care we provide to all our patients. And in my desire to become better in my work, I enrolled in the Master of Arts in Nursing program of a university, with the ultimate dream of becoming a Doctor of Epidemiology so I would be really good in doing research..haha...then 3 days before my enrollment for 2nd semester, I was suddenly faced with a detour. But it was a detour I welcomed with open arms and much excitement and anticipation because the dream is no longer just to become a doctor. At 25, the dream is now to become a better healer, whether in the area of direct patient care, in research, or both.

So I decided to put my post-grad plans on hold temporarily until God asks me to permanently put it away. I am enjoying this season of uncertainty, just allowing God to lead me where He wants me to be because I'm certain it would be awesome. I am reminded by the lines from the song Ocean, which has become a prayer of my heart:

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the water wherever you would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my feet will be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior

And there's a different kind of joy that comes with unexpected blessings, just like a few things I received this week:
- Much needed help and assistance with the Prayer Team
- Free favorite Jamaican patty merienda treat from Gemma:)
- free cardigans from Maam Vicky
- and my boss' consideration for the 'deadlines' we have not been meeting..hehe

So I say thank you Lord for blessing me indeed! According to your will, I pray that you would grant my desire to become a doctor, to be able to help others and have greater influence at work and in our community. Thank you very much!

Love,

Katy

My 3rd Painting

A record of this sweet milestone is long overdue so before I forget, here are a few pictures of my 3rd painting (1st and 2nd were projects in highschool which were both done 10 years ago) that I lovingly and painstakingly made one random Friday night with the guidance of instructors at Sip and Gogh. It was such a fun and relaxing experience, it was an effort not to keep smiling on the way home..haha..I hope to be back soon!

I had an amazing highlight moment today when...
as I was receiving documents from Maricar, a ward clerk in the hospital, out of the blue she asked me, "Christian ka ba?" And with my biggest smile I answered yes, which she further affirmed by saying, "Matagal ko nang napansin"...so in front of her I praised and offered God the glory for letting His light shine through me! Maricar is also a Christian by the way and she's one of our most responsible and reliable clerks...I dared not to ask what was it she saw in me but I'm just so grateful that even without having to put the Christian label on my clothes or my forehead, some people notice...yay! Thank you Lord and unto You be all the glory as I work harder to make you famous with all that I am and have! I love you!

Research x 1

Praise God!

Today, December 11, 2013, is a special day as it marks my first try as a legit 'researcher'...haha..I joined the Annual Research Forum in our hospital and the entire process- from having the proposal approved, doing the data gathering, to submitting the paper and waiting for the results, was quite a stress, and if not for God's peace that transcends all understanding, ewan ko na lang. Now that I think about it, this is probably one of the reasons why I missed my period last November, and now that the forum's done, I'm praying that I could get back to my regular cycle again.

But back to the forum, I'm very very happy because I won! I joined the Prospective category and out of 7 papers, I was 2nd place! Yey! But it isn't all me because I got a lot of help....on second thought, it's entirely not me, it's all God, who gave me the strength, the passion, the wisdom, the perseverance and many other things I didn't have, plus the big bonus of having a bunch of people who lent a hand in the different phases of this tedious journey.

All I can say is, research is not for the weak-hearted. Most things are difficult to begin or end, but this one's difficult all throughout. But it's also a very rewarding experience, and I'm actually looking forward to doing it again soon, while looking for ways on how I could share the results of my study to other nurses or healthcare institutions as well.

But the reason I'm recording it here now is to remind myself and to let others know that throughout this entire journey, God has been very good to me, and I could no longer keep count of how many times I talked to Him, to Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help me deal with the raging thoughts and feelings inside me. This annual forum and my research has been on our list of prayer items for months now, not just in our weekly family prayer but also in my two cell groups so quota talaga kami sa pray unceasingly...haha.

I also had a lot of challenges but God has proven himself greater than any of them. There were weeks when I felt that he was teasing me, when I would be scheduled to lead worship in church before my big deadlines. I also admit that I was afraid when I learned that there were 7 of us who submitted papers under the prospective category knowing that they were all doctors and I was the only nurse. But I was comforted by the belief that God is great, and the more contenders, the more opportunity for Him to be glorified if I win.

But in all those times that I prayed or asked people to pray, I always told God that while I would probably be a bit sad, I wouldn't love him any less if he did not give me what I wanted because I know that His will is best. Pero buti na lang my desires are in line with his will, and although I admit and am sorry that I still worried a lot (being the melancholic that I am), I now realize that with the obstacles came opportunities for God to display his power...and once I tell this news as a testimony, he will be glorified even more because a lot of people prayed with me, so it's a collectively answered prayer for all of us!:)

Another amazing thing that happened this morning by the way was I was able to deliver the presentation excellently. Knowing myself, that is indeed the power of the Holy Spirit working in me. Not once did I buckle, and I was also able to answer all the questions from the judges. As I was speaking, even I was amazed at how God gives wisdom, speaking abilities, and many other usually-not-present-traits, to those who would earnestly ask. I think faster than I speak or write, and even as I type right now, the words in my head have the tendency to jumble such that I mix up the sequence of the statements, with my most recent thought overtaking what I was preparing to write.So what happened this morning, it was a miracle, and I really am in awe.

What I feel right now is depicted in the lines of the song The More I Seek You by Kari Jobe which says:

The more I seek you

The more I find you

The more I find you

The more I love you

...

This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand

I melt in your peace

It's overwhelming

You are amazing God! Thank you for never giving up on healing my worrisome heart and for patiently dealing with my flaws so that each day, I could become more and more like your faithful daughter. Thank you for always pushing my fears away with your love, and for assuring me with your multitude of promises and your wonderful surprises/miracles each day! I love you!

P.S. I hope to update this post soon and add some pictures once I've grabbed them from Maam Claud!

Happy Thanksgiving!

God is good! And he has given me so many reasons to be grateful and I'd like to say a few ones before snooze time:

- Thank you Lord for healing me. I haven't had fever in a while, in a killer collaboration with sore throat at that, and it's my first time to beg off work since I joined NKTI, because I was feeling so cold and weak I could hardly do anything productive. But you healed me so fast. Thank you po dahil tama ang prescription ni Doc C_____!...kahit diskumpiyado po ako nung una...hehe

- Thank you Lord for the gift of family- for Papa, Ate Angel and Micah. I remember lines from my favorite poem whenever I reflect on how blessed I am to have them...

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not His

To the Father through the features of men’s faces

...they bear your image for me, and I know more and more each day how much you love me because of them:)

- Thank you Lord for your providence! Thank you for allowing us to be of help to others as channels of your blessings. We have big faith goals by the end of the year and next year, but we know that if it is you who have planted these desires in our hearts, then you'll also help us find a way to make them happen, and we can only be excited for the surprises you have in store for us!

Father, my thoughts and emotions are not hidden from you, and every now and then, I admit that I still get sad about things I do not have, or I wish I could have gotten. But thank you for always forgiving me, and for always helping me pick up myself, by reminding me of who you are, what you have done for me, and what you have promised to do for me.

Again, I love you and thank you! not just today, but every day and every moment, for your unfailing love that endures forever!

As I Wait on You

Beginning this year, June 1 will always be a memorable day for me as today marks my appointment as Nurse 1...woohoo!

It probably seems like a small achievement to some, but for me, it is a testament of God's goodness and faithfulness in fulfilling his promises and wonderful plans for me. Recalling my previous posts more than a year ago, I would oftentimes talk about losing heart and turning to God for strength and courage to wait on him whenever I felt that life wasn't fair especially relating to this job of mine. But as I sat there at the conference room, answering questions from the interview panel just a day after celebrating my first anniversary as Nurse 1-Job Order, my  heart was overflowing with so much joy and gratefulness, knowing that it is only through God's grace and favor that I got this far. I look at those seated beside me, at nurses whom I consider as senior colleagues, having seen them during my training days 2-3 years ago and I marvel at how much I am loved by the Big Guy upstairs:)

They say 'Ang galing galing mo naman.', but I proudly said during the interview that I am so grateful, and the glory is God's for this opportunity he has given me. As 1 Cor 1:31 says,

Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

So I say thank you Lord for giving me knowledge, wisdom, and strength each day, and for pulling me through every duty miraculously with little to zero mishap..haha..Thank you for providing me with opportunities to let your line shine brighter through me; and for my supportive immediately family, workmates, and friends who prayed for me and understood my lapses whenever I lacked sleep. And thank you for your perfect timing!!!

I am anticipating, and am somewhat worried of changes to come but I am more excited this time, knowing that wherever you will lead me, you will be with me, and will take care of me. 

I love you Jesus!

Krispy Kreme Pull-apart

After a long-time absence, I'm temporarily on a blogging mode stint because of this-

Source

Today's a fun, laid-back yet productive day for me. I woke up at almost lunch time, had breakfast/lunch, spent time with God, took a bath then went to the mall to have my phone checked. I was in the mood to dress up so I literally wore a dress instead of shorts, which is just as cool in this very hot weather of ours. I anticipated that checking my phone would take hours so I brought the laptop with me and looked for the nearest wifi zone to do some work. I ended up at Kripy Kreme where I ordered the doughnut with almonds, Mocha Latte Chiller, and my current peyborit- Sausage and Cheese Pull-apart! Interestingly, it wasn't my first time to taste it, but now I'm already looking forward to my next sausage and cheese pull-apart experience!

The tech advised to have my phone reformatted but I need time to back-up all the numbers in my phone book so I'll just be coming back. I was also able to do some shopping afterwards (even though I didn't have heart to spend my money on clothes I just want 'coz I'm thrifty like that), and some work again at home after dinner so overall, this is a fruitful OFF day from work!

I know I'm not talking any blog-worthy sense but I'm just happy! haha...Thank you Lord!

Lovin' Cello's Doughnuts

I finally got to taste Cello's doughnuts today! I've been wanting to go to their Katipunan branch, which I thought was the nearest and most accessible branch for me, but as I was walking through SM North Edsa awhile ago to go to Trinoma, I spotted their very cute orange stall and it was an opportunity I just couldn't pass.

I got these two flavors :) :

Pictures are from Cello's website, as I was too excited to take pictures of my own coveted doughnuts.

They were delicious and could definitely compete with Krispy Creme in terms of flavor and the softness/texture of the dough. I haven't tasted their other flavors but Cello's is proudly Filipino so they've already won for me. Micah said their honey-glazed doughnut's similar to Krispy Kreme's but I'm definitely going back for their cheese and also to try out other flavors. I got my doughnuts for take out in their very cute orange bag but someone told me that they taste even better when warm so I'd keep that in mind next time. Doughnuts have also been our signature pasalubong to Papa whenever we'd go home to the province. We've brought home different brands but I'd definitely have him try this on our next vacation.

Thank you Lord for this day, for new opportunities, for money to spend, and for delicious food I can share with my loved ones!

Ilovedoodle

Of all the blogging sites available, I've always loved, and been proud to have chosen Blogger. It suits my needs and wants perfectly, I never had a problem with it until now...huhu

That was my drama moment at work last Monday night when I thought I couldn't post ilovedoodle.com's amazing artworks here. Thank God for drafts, and for the frustration I felt then that made me give up on this post that night. I'm at home today and decided to try it again and I was able to download it so easily. I guess that's what I get for doing beyond work stuff during office hours..haha.

I also have a Tumblr account but I only use it for viewing purposes and the moment I saw this, I fell in love:)

Hi-5 chain

Stars are among my favorite things in the world. I don't know why but I'm just drawn to them. I never had this awesome idea but I've always imagined reaching out to a star, or be face-to-face with one (yeah, Stardust fan here..haha). The idea this image proposes is definitely more creative, and more feasible (well, not really...but come on!) and if only I could hi-5 with the bear, I could actually make my dream happen...haha...

I saw another one of his works again the other day which made me realize that he's been around my dashboard for a very long time. He's famous among my friends and the other bloggers I follow. It's just that I had to see this picture to have the desire to look him up and more of his works. And now I'm a fan!

Lim Heng Swee aka Ilovedoodle

Hello, my name is Lim Heng Swee. I am an illustrator and visual artist living and working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I have been working as an illustrator since 2003. I love doodling, this is why all these started.
Thru illustrations and designs, i hope i’ll be able to doodle a smile on people’s face.

Source: http://ilovedoodle.com/wp/about/

Here are more of his lovely works and some of my favorites:

Acrobatic Ice cream

Cheer up your Life

Dandelions

Left brain and Right brain

Peace is delicious

Why does the moon follow me?

Why I wake up late every morning

Souce: ilovedoodle.tumblr.com

I hope to buy an art print from him in the future. Check out his site too and fall in love:)

So Blessed

Waaah...what can I say?!... I'm elated, excited, with just a bit of sadness that usually comes with big changes in my life. This day marks my very soon comeback to being Maam Katy again...and no, not as a teacher...kundi bilang isang NARS...hahaha!

Thank you Lord! Haay Lord, the irony of life talaga. Just a few weeks ago, I was again attacked by feelings of inadequacy, impatience, and not seeming to have a clear direction in life. And just as when I surrendered them all to you once again, here you go, surprising me with the best of surprises, and proving to me that you are at my life's helm; therefore, I shall not want, I shall not doubt, I shall not feel weary...

Naiiyak na naman po ako...haha...so once again, THANK YOU! not just for this blessing, but for taking full control of my life. I hope to pay it forward soon:)

I love you very much!

,Katy:)

Merry Christmas from the Paglicawans! (2011)

It's obviously so late for this post but what's 2011 without my favorite time of the year- CHRISTMAS! Every year we spend it with our relatives on Papa's side with the 10 siblings (Papa's ninth) taking turns in hosting the ever improving Paglicawan Christmas Reunion!...haha

It was held in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro last year (still referring to 2011) and it was such a fun, definitely memorable and laughter-filled event. As usual, the foods were overflowing with lechon, different kinds of fishes (bangus, tapas), shrimps, a variety of pork dishes, make-your-own vegetable salad, plus the usual pansit, spaghetti, ham, fruit salad, buko pandan, bibingka, ube halaya, the local specialty aroz with ibos, and a lot more. We are a few short of a hundred in total- that's all my aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces combined although not everyone's present all the time. But the food's always more than sufficient to feed us all- most of us being certified 'above average eaters' at that. I remember when it was our turn to host the reunion, there were more than 60 of our relatives (yaya's included) in attendance and you can just imagine how every meal, even the regular ones, seemed like a feast.

But I guess we would all agree that we also laugh like we never do when we're in each other's company. All of us always look forward to our annual reunion because it would most certainly be a blast. And through the years, we have improved! We now have Christmas shirts, last year we had bingo, and then next year we will have a raffle apart from the usual exchange gifts and parlor games. They attempted to hold a talent show but we only had two willing contestants...haha. It was already announced early last year but although we would've wanted to join, we could not find the time; and fine, the inspiration, to conceptualize and really practice for a dance or song number. Pero buti na lang at hindi kami nagprepare!; else, we would've competed with our little nephew and nieces' impromptu numbers; agaw pa sa prize...haha

Here are snapshots of our 2011 Christmas reunion:

We skipped to Paluan to have a splash in Calawagan (very cold waters coming straight from the mountains) on the 23rd even just for a day. The one hour-ride from Mamburao was worth it. Paluan is our father's hometown and it's where our lolo and lola's narra house still stands with minor renovations. It's now where my Tito Ler and his family lives, and where most of us stay every time we go there. We had a superb lunch featuring sinampalukang baka and inihaw na tapas.

with my sisters and cousin Tin-tin posing on top of some rock formations...medyo hanglayo

lang ng nilakad namin to indulge Kuya Mak and have this picture taken

our 2011 Christmas family photo:)- always the first part of the program

the remaining 8 of the 10 Paglicawan siblings- they're 9 thorns and a rose 

 with Lola Ely (their aunt and Lolo Itoy's sister) and their wives and husband; Papa is partnered with Tita Josie, whose husband, Tito Narding, already passed away even before I was born I think; not on photo is Tita Virgie, Tito Oca (who also passed away years ago)'s wife

with emcees Kuya Mak and my eldest niece Kate

I won videoke queen with a score of 100!; and I was also the first contestant so my other cousins tried to add to their scores by dancing while singing, but they still fell short of 100, ang yabang!...haha...the videoke machine seemed to love me because I sang another song and still got 100:)...and my winning piece- Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me! I had my nieces singing with me like in a choir the whole time..haha

My uncles escorted and danced with their only rose, Tita Imba, while Tito Boy, her husband, was singing something with the videoke as part of the contest. She was crying the whole time while we were all laughing. They even did 'pasabit' but in the absence of pins, they inserted the money at the back of her shirt, on the strap of her bag and on her eyeglasses..haha..

the two contenders for the talent contest

Vince showed an impromptu dance in the tune of Teach me How to Dougie while duo Kate and Kc did a well-prepared and well-executed dance in samba tune I think. Kaloka lang ang 'shirt removal' and exhibition ni Vince..haha. They both shared the cash prize equally (obtained right there and then via ambag-ambag) so no one would feel less, and because we're all biased, unworthy judges anyway. 

yes, we laugh hard...and ugly...haha

on the ferry ride home

We all dread the journey forth and back but when we're there, and with each other, all the hassles we encountered would all just fade in the background of fun and laughter. We don't have big shops and malls in Paluan and the electricity is only available for a scheduled time every day but we have a lot of those here in Manila so it's just refreshing to have even just a short opportunity to bum, eat-all-you-can, enjoy the scenery, breathe fresh air, and tan ourselves soaking in the beaches and rivers. 

Going home to the province gets more and more difficult every year with work and other things getting in the way but we all try our best to clear our schedule for 2-3 days to celebrate Christmas together. We get bigger and louder every year, with new nephews, nieces or adopted cousins joining our tribe; as the celebration also seem to get more and more complicated. But whatever new games or surprises we may add to the program, on the day of the reunion itself we would always find ourselves going back to the basics, but that's not to say that the plans for some additions don't seem to push through. Some do and some don't but it doesn't really matter, we're family and whatever we do together would surely be fun. Food and videoke (the usual staples) are just all it would take; because with our gratefulness to Christ and our love for each other in our hearts, we're a party in a box.

And I am looking forward to all the Paglicawan Christmas reunions to come!

I have not given up :D

This victory's so sweet and so fresh I can still taste it...haha

Toggle Repeat

here's a song that just made me smile and feel giddy all of a sudden:)

it kept me awake at work last night...and it's still keeping me awake until now, 12 hours later when I'm in dire need of sleep...

the music and lyrics are so soothing, and perfect for Off/Rest/Solitude days like this...

and somehow, I feel like I'm singing this for someone, or I want someone to sing this for me...someone who has not revealed himself to me yet...

I'm such a believer of destiny and God's will and with sweet sounds like this filling my ears every now and then, I would just probably wake up one of these days, with the realization that the hopeless romantic in me's back,

and in full force:)

Have a restful and peaceful Friday!

MAAAAP

this isn't a map....it's a MAAAAAAP!

hanggandaaaa

i'm so adding this on my wish list!!!!

I Wanna Be a Master Minesweeper (take2)

A few days ago, my dream of becoming a master minesweeper finally took off with this win...

I was so happy!!! and totally surprised as well...haha...I could no longer keep count of how many tries I make in a day...as in...it's as if every spare I time get while on the computer is spent on Minesweeper- even in between page loads...haha; so you can just imagine the smile on my face when I actually won the expert category for the FIRST time...the beginner and intermediate categories were mediocre (yabang!)..haha...but this one just couldn't be dealt with with pure analysis and intellect (that's just for myself:), luck should also be on your side, and it's been out of my grasp for weeks now that I was already praying, "Lord, give it to me please, even just one win..."haha

And true enough, it was a ONE time, BIG time WIN. I would've wanted to post this immediately but a part of me, yes the prideful one, wanted to prove to myself that it wasn't a shot at the moon and that I could go on a winning streak.

Since you're seeing just one picture, I don't think I even need to tell you that my hopes were crushed as I'm back to my trying self. But my prayer was answered and so if ever one day magkaroon ng payabangan sa minesweeper, I can proudly say that I finished it (without delving on how many times I tried and how many times...or time I won it..haha)

But I'll keep on trying, especially because this game really teaches me to be careful. It feeds on my OC-OC tendencies but it also helped me deal with my very poor hand grip issues. Focus is the key, so what I'm practicing on now is the habit of focusing on the things I'm holding in my hand, taking care not to accidentally release them from my grasp.

And that's palusot 101, the in denial me trying to reason out for my weird attachment to minesweeper.

But I'm still gonna keep trying, for lesser times in a day I hope, and when I finally become an EXPERT in the real sense of the word, I'll let the whole world know:)

I Wanna Be a Master Minesweeper:)

...was momentarily just as sad as the yellow face above...9 mines?! just 9 mines! then I examined my right hand...it isn't sore or tired yet...I think I can play another round:)

This is my current obssession (exaggeration intended), although if I keep on losing or 'almost winning':), then the end will I guess be close to that because rarely do I give up on games I enjoy, especially on those that give me sooo much hope...haha

I thought 'I must really have a case of serious boredom' to enjoy it, but now that I've been hooked for weeks even in my busy-ness, it's really fun! I don't know anyone who thinks so too...haha... but fun is subjective anyway (defensive?! ang loser lang...haha)

I finished Tumblebugs after several months of playing and psp game Crash after more than a year so I can surely take my time with this. And when I win it, I'm gonna give my hand a relaxing massage then I'm gonna treat myself with a cup of Wendy's Frosty or whichever ice cream I fancy:)

Grabbed Photo Overload

Happy Birthday Julius! And thank you so much for the treat!
And it was so nice to have seen Bea plus Gerard, and Fatima again!

Thank God for occasions and photo-genius friends, I still get to have great photos without a great cam:)
We celebrated Julius' birthday at Aveneto, Trinoma last Saturday over dinner.
As usual I came home the earliest-10:15pm and I really thank God for the courage and strength I had that night. Peer pressure isn't just for teens, especially with the friends I have. Pressure kung pressure!
But of course I also know that they just want to spend more time with me. Sorry guys, I just could not make the compromise. I led the worship in our church, FCF, the next day and I'm so glad I did not party the previous night away:) Balance is the key. And yes, I'm so not spontaneous but I really value my commitments.

But thank you so much for the pictures! I love you guys!

The following photos were taken by my high school friend Toto and my bff for the longest time, Cathlyn (who also happen's to be Toto's girlfriend) using Toto's sosyal na camera:)

These one's are by Maru:)

Happy birthday again Julius!

Life is good with wonderful friends. Even peer-pressuring ones:p

Super Late Bday Celebration!

I meant that in two ways...

Last Friday, September 2nd, I finally had the chance to meet up with my high school friends for the birthday treat I owe them. It was almost a month late (real birthday's Aug 5th) because my weekends for the past weeks have been filled by unexpected work duties and other birthday celebrations. We had a blast, like we always do, whether we're celebrating anything or just meeting up for coffee, though this one's different because aside from my birthday celebration, it was also April's send-off as she's going to KSA very soon for work. Not everyone were able to come but nevertheless, we enjoyed the night because it's always fun to be with my long-time friends Julius, Cathlyn, April, Ging, Maru, and Maka:)

What was supposed to be an intimate dinner though proceeded to a late-night videoke party. Lumelevel-up na talaga kami...or baka ako na lang...haha. It was my first time to be out with them 'til past 2 am. I actually didn't want to come at first but peer pressure won...haha...and I'm glad I did! I didn't know we could sing continuously for such a long time, pwede na magconcert!:)

Now let me allow the photos taken by Maru, April, Ging (and whoever's free to take the pic) to tell the story...

 cake's mine, cupcake's April's- spell unfair...haha

At Mesa- SM Megamall

Special thanks to Julius for the cake! We loved it!:)

agawan ng mic at Music Match, Metrowalk

mic's for the celebrator

love;) thank you guys!

I've been friends with these guys for more than 10 years now (wow! that's half of my life already), and some of them I've been friends with even longer. For Julius and Cathlyn, I'm talking about a lifetime long...haha...Thank you so much for belatedly celebrating my birthday with me! The subjects of our conversations are improving already as they're starting to be penetrated by grown-up stuff; but some things never change...like, I still have to go home the earliest, only this time, literal na early na at past 2 am!

God bless April as you venture into unknown lands! I'll be praying for you and always remember that we're just a message away if you need a piece of home:) And to the rest of us, cheers to productivity, level-up hangouts, and a lifetime of friendship to look forward to! We miss the others! 'Til our next date! (re: Julius' birthday treat...haha)

Thank you Lord for great friends!