Gah, so much energy and emotion left and no one to share it with. :(
Maybe I really am yearning for that special someone.. haha..
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Almighty 2012
Truly a blessed experience. Aside from the sessions, creatives, competitions, workshops and sessions, my highlight of this year's conference was meeting new people and getting closer to those I already knew.
Shout out to Carlo Aguilar, Thea Respicio, Joseph Alonsabe, Neil Francisco, and Jeff Adolfo!
Of course Shout out to my Pac Region and CFC-Youth Canada!!!
Honestly though, such a blessed weekend and bus ride! haha
"Stir my heart when I lose my purpose."
For You, Almighty
Shout out to Carlo Aguilar, Thea Respicio, Joseph Alonsabe, Neil Francisco, and Jeff Adolfo!
Of course Shout out to my Pac Region and CFC-Youth Canada!!!
Honestly though, such a blessed weekend and bus ride! haha
"Stir my heart when I lose my purpose."
For You, Almighty
Monday, July 23, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Sometimes I feel like I'm looked down upon, or doubted for my abilities to do things, or seen as innocent in every sense. I feel like sometimes I'm not taken seriously or respected as an equal when doing anything from service to just talking and being friends with people.
I understand we're put into this system of YFC leaders, or that society dictates that being serious or "tough" equals maturity, but in all honesty, YFC and society aside, you're just a human being. Nothing too great as many people think we are compared to the universe.
The reason I act care free, a bit weird and sometimes a bit too "troll"-like is because I love life. When brought to the light and almighty presence of God, one command is barely enough for us to hold: Love one another. In our humility when brought before Him, what could you honestly do for God that is pleasing? How you ran that event? Lead that worship? Gave that awesome talk? Was a chapter head or area head or PV? Those things are only pleasing when done in love for Him, done through Him, and done by His grace. Sure, you had these responsibilities and were pretty important for awhile, but for me, past the service roles of YFC are you really being a Christian? Are you really being a respectable human being?
Did you forgive that person who hurt you? Did you feed, counsel and clothe the poor? Did you truly humble yourself before God? Did you go to confession? Were you prideful in dealing with people? Did you ever judge someone? Did you ever look down on members or those "below" you because you were a leader? Did you try to include new people? Did you try to guard your heart and the other person's heart? Did you avoid peer pressure and stay true to yourself? Did you always try to tell the truth? Did you refrain from pointing fingers and just admit your wrongs and mistakes? Were you respectful of others not because of any position in YFC but because it is God's command to respect other human beings?
Were you genuinely loving?
To me, to love people is the most important thing before anything else. And any service for God is fake without it. I guess that's the reason I try to just be an honest, innocent and smiling guy. Because that's what Jesus commanded: to love.
And to truly love others is to forgive them, to respect them, to be kind, and to always want the best for them.
I honestly just live my life everyday trying to live it to the fullest for God and to love and forgive others just as God has unconditionally loved and forgiven me. It's nothing complicated, but in fact it's probably the hardest lifestyles to live out there.
I challenge you to step up in just being a better person--all service roles, all friends, all societies, all hurts, all pasts, and all things of this world aside.
Just make your life's judgement between you and Him alone.
I understand we're put into this system of YFC leaders, or that society dictates that being serious or "tough" equals maturity, but in all honesty, YFC and society aside, you're just a human being. Nothing too great as many people think we are compared to the universe.
The reason I act care free, a bit weird and sometimes a bit too "troll"-like is because I love life. When brought to the light and almighty presence of God, one command is barely enough for us to hold: Love one another. In our humility when brought before Him, what could you honestly do for God that is pleasing? How you ran that event? Lead that worship? Gave that awesome talk? Was a chapter head or area head or PV? Those things are only pleasing when done in love for Him, done through Him, and done by His grace. Sure, you had these responsibilities and were pretty important for awhile, but for me, past the service roles of YFC are you really being a Christian? Are you really being a respectable human being?
Did you forgive that person who hurt you? Did you feed, counsel and clothe the poor? Did you truly humble yourself before God? Did you go to confession? Were you prideful in dealing with people? Did you ever judge someone? Did you ever look down on members or those "below" you because you were a leader? Did you try to include new people? Did you try to guard your heart and the other person's heart? Did you avoid peer pressure and stay true to yourself? Did you always try to tell the truth? Did you refrain from pointing fingers and just admit your wrongs and mistakes? Were you respectful of others not because of any position in YFC but because it is God's command to respect other human beings?
Were you genuinely loving?
To me, to love people is the most important thing before anything else. And any service for God is fake without it. I guess that's the reason I try to just be an honest, innocent and smiling guy. Because that's what Jesus commanded: to love.
And to truly love others is to forgive them, to respect them, to be kind, and to always want the best for them.
I honestly just live my life everyday trying to live it to the fullest for God and to love and forgive others just as God has unconditionally loved and forgiven me. It's nothing complicated, but in fact it's probably the hardest lifestyles to live out there.
I challenge you to step up in just being a better person--all service roles, all friends, all societies, all hurts, all pasts, and all things of this world aside.
Just make your life's judgement between you and Him alone.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sometimes I think about my past friendships that failed or faded away for their ambiguous reasons. There never really was an official goodbye, or a mutual understanding that both parties were growing up, and growing in separate ways.
It's that phase of preteen to teenage years that's filled with an equal amount of affirming friendships and awkward ones, and how each one plays out is usually a surprise born out of our lessons to not expect too much of others and to stay true to ourselves.
They always say that on our journey through life people will come and go, but every person we meet is there for a reason. I guess if we do roll along with the universe and the idea of destiny and fate, I find it a bit melancholic that there are people we meet who are only there to teach us a lesson. And then after we have met, laughed and held on fast, suddenly we'd have to move on.
Maybe it's the late night honesty of my observations, or the ambivalent nostalgia nagging at my heart when I look back at past summer days and of old friends who've come and gone. But whatever it is, I like to think it's just because I have a big heart and wanted to care genuinely for all the people I met, but obviously I couldn't keep up with every person in my life and so... some just fell away. I guess an analogy would be like scooping up a handful of pebbles and as you walk towards that bucket where you know they will be secure, some just fall out of your hands and out of your control before you get there because that's just how the world goes round.
Although, I guess you could say I never did stop caring about them, and by them I mean my old friends. Even if our paths split through means of a failing or differing of faith, or a change in mindset and choice of lifestyle, or a bittersweet wave goodbye as they moved half way across the world away.. I never really did stop caring.
But anyway, growing up is new to me, and much of these experiences and feelings I've yearned for and missed dearly aren't new to the world and all its "simply complicated" and "complicatedly simple" roads and paths. I guess what I'm hoping for is just for an open heart and mind to the new foundations, experiences and friendships that God will be placing into my life. And to keep walking forward, while smelling the roses on the way and always greeting with a smile and a wave to those who happen to join me as I continue to walk on this journey called life.
Here's to ambiguity. And to all the mysteries of life.
God bless
"Once you meet someone, you never really forget them." -Spirited Away
P.S. All that aside.. God willing, let's meet again, guys! Let's meet again. =]
It's that phase of preteen to teenage years that's filled with an equal amount of affirming friendships and awkward ones, and how each one plays out is usually a surprise born out of our lessons to not expect too much of others and to stay true to ourselves.
They always say that on our journey through life people will come and go, but every person we meet is there for a reason. I guess if we do roll along with the universe and the idea of destiny and fate, I find it a bit melancholic that there are people we meet who are only there to teach us a lesson. And then after we have met, laughed and held on fast, suddenly we'd have to move on.
Maybe it's the late night honesty of my observations, or the ambivalent nostalgia nagging at my heart when I look back at past summer days and of old friends who've come and gone. But whatever it is, I like to think it's just because I have a big heart and wanted to care genuinely for all the people I met, but obviously I couldn't keep up with every person in my life and so... some just fell away. I guess an analogy would be like scooping up a handful of pebbles and as you walk towards that bucket where you know they will be secure, some just fall out of your hands and out of your control before you get there because that's just how the world goes round.
Although, I guess you could say I never did stop caring about them, and by them I mean my old friends. Even if our paths split through means of a failing or differing of faith, or a change in mindset and choice of lifestyle, or a bittersweet wave goodbye as they moved half way across the world away.. I never really did stop caring.
But anyway, growing up is new to me, and much of these experiences and feelings I've yearned for and missed dearly aren't new to the world and all its "simply complicated" and "complicatedly simple" roads and paths. I guess what I'm hoping for is just for an open heart and mind to the new foundations, experiences and friendships that God will be placing into my life. And to keep walking forward, while smelling the roses on the way and always greeting with a smile and a wave to those who happen to join me as I continue to walk on this journey called life.
Here's to ambiguity. And to all the mysteries of life.
God bless
"Once you meet someone, you never really forget them." -Spirited Away
P.S. All that aside.. God willing, let's meet again, guys! Let's meet again. =]
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
I'm sort of at a cross roads right now in my life.
My faith is there for sure, but where it goes into I'm not sure. I feel like half of me is being called to leadership in YFC but my other half is calling to get my life together.
I'm almost 19 and I don't know how to drive and I've never had a job yet.
My life has been AWESOME though, in all honesty!
It's just... now that I'm trying to do both, I know that once I work, my service may suffer. And not to mention school is starting soon.
And then there's always the part of me that has the sort of enmity to YFC and its system and the way things are run. And that little dent just pushes me even more to just... leave.
But I'm not leaving because I have lost faith or anything, I strongly believe in the love of Jesus Christ, it's just that I really do need to get my life together!
And if I can't have both without one pulling at the other, I honestly think I might shake off YFC. It's been a heavenly ride with YFC anyway, so maybe this Conference is my last bet.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Back from my trip from the Phils and China which was AMAZING.
So many things on my bucket list I never actually took seriously but what do you know? I never asked, just thought about those things in my heart, and God provided.
Thank You for this trip and for the family bonding!
The whale sharks were beautiful.
So many things on my bucket list I never actually took seriously but what do you know? I never asked, just thought about those things in my heart, and God provided.
Thank You for this trip and for the family bonding!
The whale sharks were beautiful.
“The truth is that this cross – if you embrace it with Christ – ceases to be as ugly as it looks. If you trust in him, you discover that this fire, this cross, does not burn, and that peace can be found in suffering and joy in death,” Enrico explained.
...
"When his son grows up, he added, he will tell him “how beautiful it is to let oneself be loved by God, because if you feel loved you can do anything,” and this is “the most important thing in life: to let yourself be loved in order to love and die happy.”"
...
"When his son grows up, he added, he will tell him “how beautiful it is to let oneself be loved by God, because if you feel loved you can do anything,” and this is “the most important thing in life: to let yourself be loved in order to love and die happy.”"
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