SOLO TRAVELER

Out of the many personas that I could be, this isn't something I ever dreamt of. Yes, I do love being alone at times, especially when I want to de-stress I retreat to a quiet cafe, read a book, or blog (which I am currently doing now). I find it therapeutic. However, going on a trip for more than a day wasn't on my bucket list. 

My first taste of travelling solo, is a surf weekend in Baler, could just be an accident when a friend didn't show up. Although on the same year, for it to happen again on a long planned international trip, my faith tells me that nothing happens by accident. I believe that surf weekend was a preparation for the big one later last year. When everything is booked and paid, with God's confirmation, I knew I had to ride that plane alone - with big hopes of coming back whole and alone. And, that happened again this year. 

Because of my busyness turned idleness, I failed to blog about my first solo trip. Until now, I'm not convinced to be a travel blogger or writer - maybe not yet. For this blog to make such sense, I'll give a few details of my two international solo trips. 

Saigon, Vietnam - Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Siem Reap, Cambodia (October 2016)

A 7-day trip of multi-cultural exposure while crossing cities and two countries. My travelling mantra was not to be itinerary-bound, so I depended on the locals' tips and recommendations. Since this was my first, I grew a desire of talking to strangers, thus a photo album on my Facebook. My favorites were: Cu Chi Tunnel (SGN)  for its well-preserved historical value and hideaways (plus the tour guide was funny); Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (PNH) left a painful scar in me for the unbearable stories of torture and survival;  Angkor Temples (REP) is undoubtedly a world's best. This trip had many idle moments on a bus or sitting still while basking on a scenic view, so I was also able to have a lot of reading and quiet time. A highly recommended itinerary for first timers. 

Taipei, Taiwan + Taroko Gorge 

A last minute quick trip to replace my real goal as recommended by a friend. There's been a few great things written about Taiwan. A few city monuments or landmarks are the highlights as told by most. Thanks to my research I targeted for hidden gems that are worth all the walk. (oh this one got me walking endlessly!) Favorites are Elephant Mountain for a breathtaking view of Taipei & whole of Taipei 101; Yehliu Geopark had this rock formations that are beauty from a catastrophe; Bopiliao a quiant block of how old Taipei looks and turned to be a hub of everything hipster; and Taroko National Park, located in the province of Hualian, is way too beautiful to describe, thus must be included in the world's best list. Plus, Taiwanese are the kindest people ever (yes, more than Filipinos), I have never felt so safe in a foreign place until I came here. Short but truly sweet, a great country with many surprises. 

So, what now? The real goal of this post is to share why I am embracing this new persona. There are a lot of things written on why one should try travelling alone - all of which I agree, but I want to write in my own words. 

1. Deepen dependence on God. Technically, you are not alone because your travel buddy is right within you - a compass, map, protector, comforter, wisdom, and friend. With no one to talk to most of the time, it's a blessing to be able to consult Him with every decision and praise Him for keeping you safely right on track. He never failed me and will never fail anyone. 

2. Horizons widen from meeting new people. Travelling alone is a huge step outside one's comfort zone, and it's a risk worth taking because of the vast discoveries specifically the people you are able to meet or be acquainted with. More than the places, it's the people in your journey that holds the best stories you will forever keep, and eventually influence your growth. 

3. Appreciate the joys of your decisions. You grant yourself more credit on your spontaneity. Since you make all the decisions, you are doing what you actually love or would love to do. There is a thin probability of regret. You discover your capabilities and desire to stretch it out more. It's not self-centered, rather contentment from being self-equipped. 

4. Love for creation and humanity. Solo travelers surely seek adventure than those themed-park kind of places. And eventually, you reap the best of God's masterpiece. A non-stop wandering until you reach where your heart skips a beat. While on the journey, you appreciate all the help and kind gestures of people you meet along the way. And there are a lot of them. They are God's masterpiece as well. 

After indulging in two solo travels, I am surely hungry for more. My heart and mind yearns for so many places to visit alone. Lastly, I just have to say this, solo travelers are not soul searchers or finding themselves, I believe they are the most well-rounded people. They are complete on their own, with a bag full of stories and treasures all to themselves. 

Where to next? 2017, tell me! 

All from and for Him. 

WINNING FROM LOSING

I lost. That might be the most heartbreaking two-word sentence ever but I am totally fine with it. Not because I don't care about the prestige of Mabuhay, rather it is already way more than enough of a blessing to being sitting there as a nominee. And so while I am thinking on how I would write my Mabuhay experience, my heart just screams gratitude and praise to God and those He used to carry me through the journey. Grace, undeserved gift, is the theme from start to end. 

LOSING

True enough, I am already a winner just by being nominated and I'll be so crazy to think I am loser. Aside from the fact that I technically lost the "competition", there's still something that I lost - simple life. My renewed life in Christ has stripped me off of "ambitious" and "competitive" desires. My hunger for success before was unstoppable that I always wanted to be at the forefront of things. And now that my eyes are fixed on Christ, I just want to finish the race well through the humblest and simplest routes. This prestigious experience will now be forever linked to my resume and name (a great booster indeed), however, great expectations and pressure come with it. I am not complaining, so don't get me wrong. I know for a fact that that is something I have no control with. Fact #2 is only God knows what the future holds for me. So, I lose myself again (again and again) to God's sovereignty. Having this contradictions in  life will turn out for something good in the long run. Romans 8:28. 

WINNING

My biggest, and the best award in everything, is LOVE. As God is love, He was just unstoppable in making His presence alive in this whole experience. This is the most nerve-wracking and most stressful phase of my life to date. God is so amazing to use this to pull me closer to Him during my anxiety attacks. He taught me a lot about honor - on using it for His glory and freeing yourself from it, and seeking wisdom at the end of the day from Him alone. Love was also shown in the form of people. I am afraid of enumerating names, as I might miss someone out, but also because I know everyone close to my heart became part of the process. I am overwhelmed to even receive so much respect and support from the company from the training, moral support and those that involves cash - it's beyond I ever needed. I have been blessed with mentors, who are seasoned professionals in the industry, who made time (a lot of time) to sharpen my iron for the panel interview. I have never felt like a "celebrity" with the pampering and sponsored gown from my boss / stage mom. I also realized that I have the best sets of friends from highschool and college who were cheering for me online / mobile that were deafening to my heart. My Sales and Marketing family gave me the sweetest gesture of flooding me with thoughtful encouragements. My prayer warriors from my church ministry and discipleship group who calmed me a lot and grounded me whenever my thoughts fly crazily. And, my family who was represented by my mom that night, the 30-sec spotlight moment was for her. See, I have a handful of trophies already. Receiving their love was unspeakable, that if I can resist, I would. But again, God freely gives without condition. I am still clueless on how I will repay him and everyone involved - which I am sure forever will not be enough to do so. So I let my words in this post (or the entire blog that is), proclaim His majesty all the time. 

As I write my ending, I look across the room and saw my Mabuhay trophy (all nominees get one, the winner gets a bigger one of course). It's being blocked by some other stuff on my study desk, and so it gave me this realization: this experience will forever remain in me, especially in my professional package, but as life goes one, there will be new memories as well. Those might be even greater or fall too short of its prestige, so Mabuhay could fade away in my memory bank. But it's still there. It will peek it's way through if I focus on the beauty it brought me. 

All from and for Him.

I AM MABUHAY

"Why should you win?"

"...."

The past days have been the most stressful with the pressure that comes along Mabuhay Awards, wherein I will be representing our brand. A brief background on Mabuhay Awards: it's the "Oscars" of the hospitality industry, that recognizes the "best of the best" on a national level. Hotels and restaurants send out their "best" to compete to win. It's that prestigious. For me to have a slot on that this year is truly an undeserving privilege.

As you read in my previous blog post, I only had simple career goals and Mabuhay was never in the picture. I can clearly remember last year when I supported my boss who was nominated, I was amazed to see this huge crowd cheering with pride for the nominees. It did came to me how grand this platform was, so I whispered to myself that I will never step on that stage. And by now you know what happened a year after.

"and God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" - 2 Corinthians 9:8

How was my Mabuhay journey so far? It is a overwhelming to the nth level! People at work would nag me a lot how blessed I am, which I agree 100%. From the bottom of my heart (include all my internal organs), I am grateful beyond words. However, what some may not understand is that I am humbled to my knees. As much as the probable questions be of what have I done brilliant, that is also my question and my answer would always be it is because of God. 

What blows me away is that our Sovereign God knew this will happen ever since. That truth puts me to shame because I wasted 23 years of my life not living for Him. He knows me inside and out, He sees my actions even when no one else does, and He loves me in my most unlovable self. So I also ask myself, why me? Why am I supposed to win?

My company has been so generous and supportive with us (there are two of us representing in different categories). They set up coaching sessions to sharpen our answering skills to possible questions. I truly appreciate the wisdom from my coaches who are already veterans in the industry and experienced Mabuhay. I haven't cried so much out of pressure because they have rubbed on my face how seriously prestigious this is and I am representing our company there. On the other hand, they never lacked on bringing my confidence up and sharpening my eloquence.  

In the midst of pressure, I turned back to the Giver of blessing. What makes it difficult for me is my lack of will to win. If I can withdraw I would. Then God reminded me that this from Him and still for Him, so I must do excellent in what He entrusted me with. 

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

That is my confidence to win. Not for the honor of winning, rather to be a testimony of His great faithfulness. This is indeed a huge opportunity for me to represent Christ in a nationwide platform. A tool I can use so they know who I am working for and how it works. As promising as it sounds, I aim to inspire my generation who are so competitive and driven to succeed in life, still spiritually lost and empty. I am representing not just God, the company but a bunch of aspiring millenials. Whether I win or not, the journey refined my character a lot and I can't wait to talk about it. 

Answering the question above: I am undeserving to begin with, but I am confident that God purposed me to be here and I have worked with integrity from day 1. The honor will fade away but the opportunity to speak boldly and inspire more people is my will to win and my drive to work harder each day. 

All from and for Him. 

ENDURING THE STRETCH

"It is finished, but not with you yet"

I love my job - the company and my colleagues. There are gray areas but imperfections are normal. Since I started in my current job until the early months of this year, people know how much I am content with my career. It is stressful and demanding, yet I can sleep with a fulfilled spirit. I was even given an opportunity to share workplace testimony twice in our church. I was also blessed with a work recognition that I will never take the credit for. Simply God's grace. 

True enough, life goes on until we are dead. And the road is not always smooth or straight. Midway to this year, a rocky and dark road in my workplace surprised me. There are handful of reasons for it that I may not be able to disclose fully. In a nutshell, I felt unmotivated with what I am doing. I do finish my deliverables but I don't feel like tapping myself on the back for it. The 5-year to 10-year career plan suddenly haunted me. Before when we are asked where or how do you see yourself in the future, a vague "I want to be successful or happy" answer is enough. But I guess this is quarter-life crisis - when things just got real-er and real-er. I am not fully convinced that what I am currently doing is where I see myself growing old in. It's an extreme contrast to the simple life I hoped for. 

In times of distress, I cry my heart out to God for help. I am ashamed of this, of reading the bible to answer my questions or seeking God during the bad times only. How gracious is He who gives without reproach despite it all. (James 1:5) As I start my search for clarity and peace of mind, I stumbled upon the life of the Israelites in the book of Exodus. (read here) God promised to bring them to the promise land and it took them 40 years in the wilderness. It's so strange for a good God to give them an easier, shorter route. But that's how He shows His love for us. In their journey, their sinfulness were magnified and God didn't tolerate any of it. He disciplined it, yet constantly provided for their needs. And yes, He never broke the promise. He is not a genie, He is God - holy, loving, perfect, just, merciful and the list of good attributes goes on. 

That's how He loves me (us) as well. The burden got heavier and longer for a couple of months. I tried hard to shake it off but my heart was still restless. With the help of my accountability partners, I gained wisdom on how to see and pray for my situation. True enough my heart was beating for wrong motives. I keep on asking for fulfillment when it's my choice to be happy about with what I do. I forgot to appreciate having a job that provides for me and my family. I begged for breakthroughs when my situation was already a start to it. I want to be competitive for who or what, when in fact I am working for the Lord. My reward is already secured in heaven, I am to live my purpose of being a witness wherever I am in. 

GOD IS FAITHFUL. If there's a sound to this blog, it will be in the highest volume. God used my mid-year review to fully assess myself and to reveal the reason for the storm. My only prayer was for God to give me confidence to objectively tell my boss how I feel towards work and that I may receive well what my boss will tell me. Just before I raised my heart's concern, my boss already told me her next plans for me. It was the opposite of what I wanted, but surprisingly it gave me so much peace. I am convinced that God's hand was over my boss' decision. I am now doing a task that I have been dreading to do but that's how He loves (me). 

God is more concerned with my character than my success. He knows me inside and out, so He knows what I need to improve on. God's great will is to make His children Christ-like, and directing my career is only a tool to fulfill that. As I seek Him, He aligns my desire to His. (Psalm 37:4) Amazingly, our lesson in our discipleship group is about the book of James that talks about what genuine faith really is. 

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3

My faith, patience and love are being stretched to be more enduring so I could finish well. Taking a new turn again in my life, I am so grateful to know that God has never and never will forsake me. My weakness and lack of faith was never a reason for Him to love less because that's who He is. (1 John 4:8) I am excited to write another opportunity that God is opening up for me, but I will keep still for awhile and wait for His time. Meanwhile, I am reminded of my purpose of being a witness for Him by worshiping Him.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1

All from Him, all for Him. 

MY PURPOSE

Sitting in a corner of a noisy coffee shop, looking at the face of each crowd - wondering why they are storming up a should-be-quiet cafe on a Sunday night, it got me thinking why am I also out here? Alone?

In everything that we do, places we go to, words we say, and expressions we make, there is a big WHY in all of it. "Life is all about choices" - this fact will never go down the drain. Our lives are driven by choices we make or didn't make. There are a lot of things we can't control (yes) that may affect our current situations (yes), however, in the end we still have the choice to be affected or not. The dead end only happens as we die in the end. Does that makes sense? Our daily decisions build up to the weekly, yearly and our entire stay in this temporal earth. Our moment by moment decisions are motivated by a bigger decision. So, there is definitely an answer to my earlier question which is another question: what is my purpose?

7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

Last year at the retreat, where I fully committed my life to Jesus, we were asked to set our biblical visions in life. With all honesty, I was lazy enough to take it seriously. Little did I know that in a few months, I will answer the call of discipleship. It's a decision that I never regretted and I am sure I won't ever. I have never been so caring to people I just met for a short time, I have never invested so much on serious and personal issues of someone, and I have never been so mindful of my decisions as it will reflect on them in other ways possible. Then, there came opportunities for me to be a vessel of His word. May it be in the workplace or with friends, it always humbles me to my knees to know that I am being used for God's glory. And in the church service earlier, the message hit through me. It talked about John the Baptist, who was an ordinary man like any of us, but used extraordinarily for the audience of One.

Wiping my tears through the closing prayer and worship, God affirmed me that I (all of us actually) are to live for the purpose of His glory on earth. It sounds prophetical, evangelical and over-the-top (especially to those who maybe wandering still in the field), but the amazing 2 years of my walk was never about MY decision. My choices were nothing but a speck of dust to His sovereignty.  Yes, I still do have control over my body, thoughts and actions, but what I realized is that when we truly grasp the idea of accepting Christ in our lives, our moment by moment choice becomes an entirely 1 purpose - to glorify Him in our lives. Our uniqueness make our application of this purpose different from one another. Having this in mind, it spark the desire in my heart to legitimize my life's unique purpose in His body. And as they say, if it's not on Facebook, it's not official; but as for me, blogging something makes it official and important. 

Taking into account the journey of being in a relationship with God, I am confident now of what I want to do for the rest of my life. The bible verse above fits perfectly it - to witness changed lives of a rusty relationship to a clingy relationship with God (insert hearts here). On a personal note, there's this unexplained and explosive joy in my heart to hear testimonies of changed lives by God's grace. I love listening to brokenness - weird, right? But maybe that is where I could connect my name, HOPE, because it gets me more excited to see what and how God fixes it. The idea is not being a reason for change or photobomb that picture-perfect change, but I guess, this is how God designed me to be - to get energy from being accountable to people. 

I have mentioned a lot of times the biggest point of improvement in my character which is patience. And to realize that witnessing lives changed, gives me so much fulfillment, is truly a cure to it. This gives me chills! How amazing is God's hand to mold my character to be ever pleasing to Him; to align my desires and goals to be more Christ-like.

If you'll ask me how I get to be a "witness"? Do I wait and sit around? Well, that's not how it works. As Jesus said above, I will never know His timeline, but I have to step out of my comfort zones and share Him. Making disciples and proclaiming Him is everyone's responsibility actually. My strategy in doing this is creating small groups in every possible areas that I am in - church, family, workplace, friends and wherever next. I find joy in gathering people, studying His word and discovering its life's application. It could be in a group or being in a usual company of a friend. 

To see myself at this point, it truly humbles me to get it all figured out. It's definitely not from my own wisdom, but God's grace that changed my life completely. I am 100% sure it will do the same for each person who will accept it. It is written, it is finished. 

Just to share, I wrote the first half of this blog the following day in a different coffee shop - a more quiet one. Across the room is a group of ladies (who seem to be followers of Christ, yay!), are praying deeply but one of them is clearly not paying attention. Her eyes are open and wandering around without interest to the petition. It strickens my heart a bit. With no judgements, this lady is a proof of the need for more witnesses. So, sitting alone in a corner, I am purposefully blogging as a way to pledge my commitment to His work. 

All from and for Him. 

MID YEAR REVIEW

Dear Blog,

It’s really been awhile since I last talked to you, but it’s not like I haven’t thought about you, rather there were just so many things that happened the past months. I haven’t even set clear goals this year, but I have done and am doing things I wouldn’t imagine to be doing. It might be late for a mid-year review, still I want to update you, and hopefully, figure out by the end of this blog of what / how else will I spend the remaining months of 2016. Here’s a rundown:

1. PURCHASED A CAR! And her name is Wimby (Wimbledon G. Oxford) born March 23, 2016 :) You are well aware that I dread driving because it is one of the easiest way to die or kill someone. But how amazing our God is. I can clearly remember when I was young, naively picturing my future, I set a goal that when I’m 24 or 25, I’ll have my own car and by the age of 30, I’ll settle down (the second part is still a blur, nonetheless, never losing HOPE haha!) I didn’t push for it to happen, I was just reviewing my savings from last year and prayed to God how wise can I manage my finances well this year. Cutting the long story short, of choosing and buying the right car for me, it has been a huge blessing to my daily whereabouts and ministry also. As I promised God that even this material thing will be for Him, since it’s from Him, I hope to continue utilizing it in ministering to people and not for any image flattery.

2. AWARDED AS THE ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR. Though this for my work last year, it was given February of this year. I've mentioned this on my previous my blog post, one of my 3 simple work goals is to have my face on the "board of outstanding associates quarterly and yearly". Yes, it’s selfish and petty. However, my current job, like what I would always say, was God’s first breakthrough in me upon surrendering my life to Him. Learning that my real boss is up there in heaven, it pushed me to work excellently even without recognition. This is definitely a cherry-on-top of my work for the Lord. And it even gave me an opportunity to share a short testimony of His faithfulness to my workmates. Little did I know that it was just a start.

3. WEDNESDAY CREW BIBLE STUDY. A major prayer and fasting week answered prayer. I may take credit that I’ve been public in workplace that I’m a Christian, but after a year in my faith, God has revealed to me what it is to be His disciple – which is to have a deliberate effort in making Him known. It was the Monday after my prayer and fasting week that my Kuya in Christ at work invited me to their bible study group – they were still 3 men then.  With only 2-4 weeks that we missed and a handful of attendees (still) since it started 7 months ago, I am in awe that it is possible for professionals to gather and talk about God (which is a Voldemort in a workplace). This has changed my character a lot for the better. I can claim in Jesus’ name that more miracles will happen in this ministry.

4. DISCIPLESHIP GROUP IS GROWING. It was a little more than a year ago that I committed to the great commission of discipleship. I have 2 girls under my care coming in this year. I don’t care a lot on the number because I was more focused on building a closer relationship with each of them and seeing those two grow spiritually. My first girl had to leave the country, but God surprised me by blessing me with 4 more. My start with each of them was shaky, it wasn’t like a “match-made in heaven” feeling. Thus, my love and obedience was stretched, and God’s faithfulness was slowly revealed. They have been my source of joy and my motivation to keep my focus on studying His word and act it out. More of my discipleship journey on a separate blog (promise!).

  

So far those are the highlights of my year. I wish I could write more details on each and share some more, but those 4 stood out because of the reason to my everything – God :) I really can’t finish sharing amazing things in my life (even my downfalls) without mentioning Him.

And as you may have noticed, there are aspects in my life that weren’t included like family, love and friends, travel, career growth, and spiritual maturity. It’s not that it’s not a priority, especially my family; rather these are things I’m praying deeply for. Seeing that there are a lot of points for improvement, my HOPE is never in vain because my God has and never will forsake me. He is the same yesterday, today and forever – that’s my proof of faith.

That’s quite a long catch up, dear blog! I hope you’re feeling well-fed by updates in my life. As much as I want to promise to keep you up-to-date with whirlwinds of my life, I won’t let you get hooked on empty promises. But you, dear blog, is also God’s way of allowing me to make Him known, moreover, remind me that I am loved best and fully.

All for Him, all from Him! 

ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR

When I came to Marriott Manila for my first interview, I already had three goals in mind:

1. Pass the 6-month probationary period

2. Build a good working relationship with my boss (because I heard a lot that she's a difficult one)

3. Be on the wall of outstanding associates of the quarter and year

These maybe simple goals, but trust me, it was tough to achieve. By God's grace alone, I accomplished those three one by one in my 1 year and a half in the hotel. Just recently, I got my photo on that wall by being awarded the Associate of the 4th Quarter 2015. As if that award was not enough, God continued to show me His favor by hailing me as the Associate of the Year - Heart of the House (heart of the house or back of the house). 

Fact: the award is from the Lord. Period.

How do I say so?

Since I accepted Christ in my  life last 2014, this job was the first answered prayer. I knew that this is where God wanted me to be at. I held onto that promise through the stressful and challenging times. That 3rd goal isn't something I was desperate about, I never laid it to Him. But God knows us, more importantly, He knows better than our desires. 

I got the nomination letter for the award during the first day of church-wide prayer and fasting week on the 2nd week of January. It really came as a huge surprise because that morning I was so depressed for a work disappointment. My major prayer item then is seeking the Lord's guidance that I can specific moves to glorify Him at work. I know I haven't been a good servant for being passive Christian at work. Knowing that whatever I do and wherever I am, by God's appointment, I am expected to shine for His glory. While waiting for the results (the awarding happened a week later), it left me confused by the early blessing. All I prayed for, with regards to the award, was for Him to humble me in the process. 

Sitting at the front row of the ballroom, everyone's cheering, suspense music arises, but I on the other hand, was surprisingly calm with a normal heartbeat. I was at peace that God is in control and whoever wins is from His approval. 

So yes, I am beyond blessed to get it. My initial reaction was great praises for God and then I felt bashful for an undeserved favor. I knew that this moment was a chance for me to glorify Him - the chance I have been praying for. It gave me the opportunity to share His amazing work in me on social media with many of my friends and colleagues were able to see. I was able to share this short testimony to my sales & marketing team. And, it continues to humble me whenever people congratulate me, then I give the credit to Him. 

Still not recovered from the first award, the annual recognition awards already happened few weeks later. The annual awardee is chosen from the winners of the four quarters. I am not HOPEFUL for it because the attention and responsibility scared me. I really felt undeserving for the quarterly recognition, what more would the annual award would do. Negative reactions from people that I am not deserving pulled my spirits down. During the recognition day, I woke up feeling so anxious because there are 3 of us in the department nominated for different categories. I know the other two are sure winners. Seriously, my self-esteem is that low. As I sat down on my chair,  I invited my seatmate to pray with me. Prayers are powerful! I thought I saw a slide with a picture of the winner, whom wasn't me. I felt relaxed and texted my friend that I didn't get it. So, when they called my name, I was completely stunned! I was hesitant to even stand up in disbelief. Felt like the infamous funny Ms.Universe 2015 moment. 

This humbling experience is a proof of God's faithfulness if we follow His command in Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." The verse speaks about us making God the boss of our work. We are working for Him and He pays us for the hard work. However, our performance should be excellent - giving all our heart. Being excellent for Him doesn't require to be the most efficient one, but doing every task with integrity, keeping His commands as our standard. This kept me sane whenever I feel unmotivated, it draws me back to keep pushing because it is the Lord I am working for. The One who only wants the best for me, whose rewards are greater than trophies, and who is faithful forever. 

I completely agree to this: "You are only good as your last achievement." People may only remember that I received the award but not the reason behind it. So, the pursuit for excellence for God continues. 



All for Him, All from Him. 

2 0 1 5

This is more than a month late. I know, shame on me! 2015 was an eventful year and it flew by so fast that on its last day, I was still in denial that it was over. For the first time in many years, I ended a year without any regrets and hunger for a new chances. My heart was filled with gratefulness, contentment and love. All because I have accepted God's love. It's true that with Him, my life had meaning and direction. (John 10:10 the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly)

I made a long list of goals for 2015, which I am glad to achieve most of it. But, what I am really happy about are the unexpected achievements and blessings. Indeed, I can only plan ahead, albeit God establishes my steps. Here's a brief list of the last year's highlights:

1. Baptized! During our Singles' ministry retreat last June 2015. Definitely, the best decision and commitment I ever made in my life! More of it here. 

2. Discipleship - so unexpected but praise God for tugging my heart to take courage to follow life's great commission. It gave my spiritual walk a clearer direction and purpose. I am blessed to have 2 wonderful ladies under my care. 

3. Better relationship with parents. My renewed faith changed to a better daughter. I'm still working on it but I am hopeful.

4. Traveled solo Saigon, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap! My first solo trip was in Baler earlier this year but little did I know it was a preparation for the most unexpected, yet most fulfilling experience! True enough, once tried, you'll surely do more of it. I will definitely do more of it!

5. Outreach Activity! had a taste of my philanthropist dreams. Had an evangelistc outreach at Ospital ng Muntinlupa with my accountability partner and CCF B1G South family. More of it here 

6. Read 12 books this year when my goal is 10. My top picks are Lolita by V. Nabokov and I Feel Bad About My Neck by N.Ephron.

7. Short trips here and there - two surf trips in Baler, hiking at Mt.Batulao and Boracay with HS friends

8. Launched the Marriott Grand Ballroom - the biggest ballroom in the country! A career highlight and learning experience I am proud to be part of. 

9. Decent Savings - reached my target but I still feeling guilty because I know I could've saved more. 

10. Updated blog. I had 21 posts this year!!! Aren't you glad, dear blog?  :)

If there is one goal I am sad not to do is DRIVING. 

There's so much I want to share and I hope the 21 posts last 2015 captured it all. To end this post, I used to write about the lessons I learned, but this time, I'll just answer this: What is God's biggest revelation to you this year?

Everything is from Him, through Him and for Him! I learned a lot about His love and that my life is meant to love Him back. I couldn't have gone through those written above without Him. And, I went through all those for His glory. (Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength)

Thank you 2015 for being packed with awesomeness! I did fall in love this year. 

All from Him, All for Him.