halaga

“minsan hindi ko maintindihan. parang ang buhay natin ay napagti-tripan. medyo malabo yata ang mundo. binabasura ng iba ang siyang pinapangarap ko” -parokya ni edgar

naglinis ako ng kwarto nung isang araw lang. nagtanggal ng mga lumang damit, sapatos at bag na ilang taon nang ‘di napapakinabangan. pati na rin mga unan, laruan, papel, bolpen at kung anu-ano pang mga gamit na nakakalat lang doon. inilagay ko ang mga ito sa mga malalaking supot para itapon.

nagpatulong ako kay ate dina (na naglilinis ng bahay namin tuwing sabado - wala pa rin kaming kasambahay hanggang ngayon) para ibaba ang mga supot. sabi niya sa akin, “ay ma’am.. magagamit pa ito.. magaganda pa ‘yung iba.. sayang naman.. pwede ko bang iuwi na lang..?” siyempre, pumayag ako.

totoo nga.. marami tayong mga biyayang hindi lubos na binibigyang-halaga. marahil ay nasanay na tayo na naririyan lang ang mga ito. iniisip nating pangkaraniwan na lamang ang mga ito.. maaari nang ipagpalit. lalo na kung nakatuon lamang tayo sa mga mas bago at mas magagarang bagay na maaari nating makuha.

pero para sa isang taong mas nangangailangan.. para sa isang taong iniisip nating mas salat sa biyaya, kasagutan na sa kanyang mga dasal ang mga bagay na binabasura lamang natin.

ano ba ang mahalaga para sa iyo, kapatid? o di kaya.. Sino ba ang binibigyan mo ng halaga? nagpasalamat ka na ba sa Kanya para sa napakaraming biyayang ipinagkaloob Niya?

kung matagal ka nang miyembro ng community na ito, kailan ka huling nagpasalamat sa Kanya at dinala ka Niya sa Rivers? kung may pinagdaanan kang ‘di kanais-nais na karanasan noong nakaraang linggo, nagpasalamat ka na ba sa Kanya dahil iniligtas ka Niya dito? kung kasalukuyan kang nakakaramdam ka ng lungkot o pighati, kaya mo bang pasalamatan Siya sa Kanyang pagdamay sa iyo?

marami tayong dapat ipagpasalamat. maraming mga biyayang dapat na bigyang-halaga. huwag sana nating ibasura na lamang ang pinapangarap ng iba..

spare change

“change; we don’t like it, we fear it, but we can't stop it from coming. we either adapt to change or we get left behind. and it hurts to grow, anybody who tells you it doesn’t is lying.” - grey’s anatomy

at the start of the school year, when we were informed that the elementary kids would be temporarily “housed” with us in high school, i didn’t like the idea. i figured the halls would be too noisy; there would be too many kids running around, etc. there would be too many changes.. too many “new things” to adjust to. i didn’t like it.. but none of us were given any choice anyway.

a couple of months passed.. and somehow, i found myself actually enjoying having elem kids around. they’re a bit noisy.. but they’re so cute.. and they always have nice smiles on their faces. they greet us “good morning ma’am!” so cheerfully - something that very few teenagers do, haha! and now that the first semester’s over, the little kids will go back to their newly-renovated building inside the campus. and me..? well, i’m honestly going to miss them :(
i’m someone who hates change. if i could have my way, i’d probably have the same hair style for my entire life (which is *almost* true, actually). i wouldn’t dream of moving out of the country.. or out of quezon city.. or even out of our house! the thought of trying out or learning new things, exciting as it is, scares the hell out of me.

but i, like everybody else, am not spared from change. and as the quote says, none of us can stop change from happening. we adapt or else we get stuck in the rut. and while it may be tempting to just sit still and wait for the world to stop revolving, we know that wouldn’t happen. the world won’t give us a hand if ever we lose the energy (or the courage) to adapt to all the changes going on around us.

but HE will.

“on my bed i remember you; i think of you through the watches of the night. because you are my help, i sing in the shadow of your wings.” ps 63:6-7

it is a great source of comfort to know that in the midst of an ever-changing world, there’s someone we can hold on to - someone who will *never* change.

thank you lord, for being that one constant we can always rely on.. :)

why “father” is a four-letter word

wait. before anybody reacts to my title.. i just want to make it clear that not all four-letter words are bad :p after all, L-O-V-E is a four-letter word. and if you ask me, father = love ü

how does my father love me? hmm. let me count the ways.. ü

1. he is *always* there for me to talk to. no matter how late (or early) the hour, my dad makes sure to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.

2. he’s ever-reliable. i know that whenever he makes a promise, my dad would *always* deliver. he does not renege on his word. if he tells me he will pick me up from school at 3pm, i am sure he will be there at that time - even earlier.

3. he tells me the truth. my dad has always been my greatest source of encouragement. he’s generous with his praises and often tells me how proud he is of me. but my dad also lets me know whenever i disappoint him. when i do something wrong, he reprimands me. but he always does it with love.. and i never really feel offended when he tells me off, because i know he always has my best interests in mind.
4. he is open. even when i was a lot younger, dad would talk to me about adult concerns like work, finances and even asked for my opinion on family matterse. he showed me that he trusted my judgment; and i never felt like i was “only a kid” around him. i may have been a kid then.. but i always knew that in my dad’s eyes, i was already “somebody” ü

5. he is strong. dad not only does a lot of stuff around the house; he’s also our source of strength when it comes to resolving “issues” in the extended family. he never passes judgment on anybody.. and he aslways acts as “peacemaker” during times of conflict. we all appreciate his wisdom, but more than that, we recognize the strength of his character. he’s been through *a lot* of tough times.. and my dad has always used his experiences to glorify the Lord even as he gives advice.

i’ve said this so many times before.. but i’ll say it again. my dad is one of the greatest blessings the Lord has given to me ü because he mirrors my Father in Heaven so well. through my dad, i get to know Him a bit more each day. i learn how my Father shows His love for me in the way my dad shows his ü

happy birthday, dad. i love you ü

color my world

i’m not a huge fan of lunches. usually when it’s time for lunch at school, i stay at my desk.. read a book.. check some seatworks.. or work in front of the PC (or laptop) while munching away at my “lunch” of chips/snacks from the cafeteria.

but that was a long time ago. nowadays, i find myself looking forward to lunch at school. why the change? hmm. it’s all because of the lunch notes.

see, a while back, my dad started packing lunch for me. yes, you read that right. my dad packs my lunch *every day* before we go to work. and to make sure i finish the food he prepares for me, he hides notes in my baon :p it works, though.. coz i’m forced to eat all my rice (and even the dessert!) just to get the notes my dad hides at the bottom of my baunan haha ü

the thing is.. my dad’s notes have made me appreciate lunch hour so much more than i used to ü no more “multitasking” for me while eating.. no more snacks-for-lunches.. no more rushing/skipping noontime meals. because i know the effort my dad puts into preparing my food.. as well as the love he pours out into those teeny-tiny notes he writes for me ü

in the same manner, the Lord gives us *a lot* of His love notes every single day! and He uses all sorts of ways to send them to us. He gives us His Word to remind us of His numerous promises of love and blessings. He sends encouraging messages to inspire us to keep on walking the Christian walk. He surrounds us with friends and family who rejoice with us in times of triumph and who cry with us in times of sorrow. God provides us with a loving community to journey with us as we walk closer to Him. He gives us 525,600 minutes each year.. for us to use as we see fit - to smell the roses, to smile at friends, to spend time in prayer, to glorify our Lord ü

i see trees of green, red roses too. i see them bloom for me and you. and i think to myself, “what a wonderful world”

i see skies of blue and clouds of white. the bright, blessed day, the dark, sacred night. and i think to myself, “what a wonderful world”

the colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by. i see friends shaking hands, saying ‘how do you do?’ they’re really saying ‘i love you’

i hear babies cry, i watch them grow. they’ll learn much more than i’ll ever know. and i think to myself, “what a wonderful world”

every blade of grass.. every flower.. every person we meet is a “hello” and “i love you” from our God. and if we open our eyes.. our hearts.. to accept His daily messages to us, we will realize that it truly is a wonderful world ü

brothers and sisters, who colors your world? who makes it wonderful? who enables you to enjoy life and see it in a new light?

may we always find time to savor His love for us.. and to thank Him for all the blessings He continues to send our way ü