The Dawn of Maturity

The more you try to save everybody, the more you tend to choose to give up somebody. It's nasty, especially when you have a harmony-loving nature. It does seem complicated at first, because you always try to avoid ending up hurting someone. But there comes a point when you really have to set your priorities. Who matters most. Once you figure out who from whom, no matter how hard it is to try not to burst somebody else's bubble, you just have to do it. Painful, but a must-do. Otherwise, the ones who really matter will suffer. Can you bear that thought?

You really can't please everybody. So better please yourself first, then everything will follow.

A Wonderful Christmas

An eve of fullness, a morning of profoundness....





So, how was YOUR celebration?

Check out the rest of my pictures here :D

Untitled Hymn

Check my current Soundtrip entry. I hope you experience the same feeling I had upon hearing this song.... God bless, everyone :D

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live....

The Legend of the Christmas Prayer

Once upon a time, at Christmas time, long ago, a man who had a big heart, but little money, dreamt he could give his friends endless riches. When he awoke, the dream kept running through his mind, over and over. Finally, he asked himself: "If I could give my friends anything, what would I give?" He smiled as he began to think of all the wondrous things he could buy for them. But then he thought: "I'm a happy man, yet I have none of those things." And he began to think that perhaps real wealth could not be measured in riches. Perhaps there were gifts of greater value than the things money could buy. In the still of the night, he pondered these things and thought of Christmas and what it meant to him.Taking out his quill, he began to write on a parchment scroll:

On the first day of Christmas,

I pray for you JOY, in abundance and laughter, for joy cures our ills and joy makes our spirits soar. My servants shall sing for joy of heart. Isaiah 65:14

On the second day of Christmas,

I pray for you a SIGH, when you need one,for a sigh clears the heart as a cough clears the throat, and with a sigh comes acceptance of what we cannot change. Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You. Psalms 5:11

One the third day of Christmas,

I pray for you TEARS, when you need them, for tears clear the eyes to see the stars and cleanse the soul to let healing begin. You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle. Psalm 56:8

On the fourth day of Christmas,

I pray for you SERENITY, for fights and wars start in individual breasts and that is where they must end. What does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy,and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

On the fifth day of Christmas,

I pray for you WISDOM, for our priceless gift is the gift of choice and we should use it well everyday, in word and deed. He who heeds the word will find good. Proverbs 16:20

On the sixth day of Christmas,

I pray for you PATIENCE, for most troubles pass if we wait them out, and success comes with persistence. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7

On the seventh day of Christmas,

I pray for you COURAGE, for there may be many pitfalls and dangers ahead and problems can only be solved when they are faced. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid... For the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. Deuteronomy 31:6

On the eight day of Christmas,

I pray for you COMPASSION, for we cannot help others until we understand them, and we cannot understand them until we walk in their shoes. Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Zechariah 7:9

On the ninth day of Christmas,

I pray for you a WILLINGNESS to work, for work turns dreams to reality whether the dreams are ours or belong to those we can help. Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. Proverbs 22:29

On the tenth day of Christmas,

I pray UNWAVERING FAITH, for faith shapes our morals and our destiny and draws us closer to God. The just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

I pray for you a Mind full of HOPE, For hope determines our attitudes, sets our goals and Creates our Ideals. You are my hope, O Lord God, You are my trust. Psalm 71:5

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

I pray for you a heart so full of LOVE, that everyday you must give some away to those whose paths you cross. Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

And with each prayer, the man realized he was not giving a gift at all, but hoping that his friends would find the gifts they already had within them. Each time he wrote a prayer, a marvelous thing happened. It seemed to him that the prayer, although offered for his friends, remained in his heart and produced in him the very thing he prayed for them. The man copied his scroll and sent the Christmas prayer to special friends, just as I am doing for YOU now, and that is where the legend of the Christmas prayer is lost in the mists of time.The man was never heard of again but, over the years, the Christmas Prayer began to appear all over the world.

People on obscure villages and big cities would receive at Christmas time a copy of the scroll from a friend. And so the wonder multiplied, until the story finally reached YOU. May you, too feel the warmth and enjoy the riches of the Christmas Prayer.

~ Forwarded by Marlou Badiola, SFC Missionary

Beautiful One

Wonderful, so wonderful
Is your unfailing love
Your cross has spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen no ear has heard
No heart could fully know
How glorious, how beautiful you are.

Powerful so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see (beautiful)
The beauty of your majesty
Awakes my heart to see
How marvelous how wonderful you are.

You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on Earth is as beautiful as you.

Beautiful one I love you
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing

Christmas Time is Here

Kantahan. Kainan. Pikchuran. Asaran. At walang humpay na tawanan....

Princess, Stem, Icel, Len, Jan, Sally, Ariel, Jerome, John, Carlo at Chip: Maraming salamat sa pag-ampon sa akin :D At para sa mga kapwa ko ampon, Nhap at Lags, next year ulit! Hehe.






Cheers, mga kapatid! ;-)

I Still Believe

I've been recently introduced to a new artist, Jeremy Camp. At first, I thought I heard Chad Kroeger of Nickelback singing. My best friend had been talking about him for weeks. I didn't understand if it was just about his hunky physique, or his husky voice. But when I heard one of his songs, plus the story behind it, I was deeply moved. How, I cannot explain, but it gave me goosebumps, then later, ease.

I am still in the process of internalizing every word in his song -- so pure, coming straight from the heart. It might even take a while before everything is finally taken in, but it's a start.

Music has always been a part of my life. And I feel it's such a blessing that I'm starting to really appreciate songs about God. I guess I just needed to pick a genre that would fit my taste. But the message is still the same, may it be country, r&b, rock or even rap. Sometimes, we just need to explore to express what is in our hearts.

Here are the words of the song I have just uploaded in my Soundtrip section, "I Still Believe". He wrote it right after his wife of 2 years died. Instead of expressing hate and frustration towards God, his faith was strengthened even more.

Scattered words and empty thoughts
Seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before
Seems I don't know where to start
But its now that I feel your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

Though the questions still fog up my mind
With promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind
It's my heart I see you prepare
But its now, that I feel, your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

Well the only place I can go is into your arms
Where I throw to you my feeble prayers well in brokeness
I can see that this was your will for me
Help me to know that you are near

I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe
I still believe

Sing. Internalize. Believe.

Time For A Fresh Start

There are no good excuses for not seeking to improve ourselves. We all have problems to address and things we need to work on. We all have opportunities of one kind or another. To do our best with what we have is what life is about. When we do we will hear our Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21).

Here are the steps to follow to make improvements in life:

1. Assess Your Life.

2. Find the "Want to."

3. Set a Realistic Goal.

4. Give Yourself Options.

5. Pick a Reward.

6. Keep At It.

7. Value the Process.

8. Appreciate Any Progress.

9. Pick a Partner.

10. Learn from Your Mistakes.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year, everyone!

On Being In Love

What we call "being in love" is a glorious state, and, in several ways, good for us. It helps to make us generous and courageous, it opens our eyes not only to the beauty of the beloved but to all beauty, and it subordinates (especially at first) our merely animal sexuality; in that sense love is the great conqueror of lust. No one in his senses would deny that being in love is far better than either common sensuality or cold self-centredness. But, as I said before, "the most dangerous thing you can do is to take any one impulse of our own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs". Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling...Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last; but feelings come and go...But, of course, ceasing to be "in love" need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense -love as distinct from "being in love"- is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriage) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God... "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is no this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it. -- from "Mere Christianity", C.S.Lewis

Wheel

People have the right to fly
And will when it gets compromised
Their hearts say "Move along"
Their minds say "Gotcha heart"
Let's move it along
And airports, see it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home
In hand, a single rose

You can't build a house of leaves
And live like it's an evergreen
It's just a season thing
It's just this thing that seasons do
That's the way this wheel keeps working now
You won't be the first to love
And I won't be the last to love

You can find me, if you ever want to give
I'll be around the bend
And if you never stop when you wave goodbye
You just might find if you give it time
You will wave hello again
You just might wave hello again

I believe that my life's gonna see
The love I give return to me....

Clarity

I worry I weigh three times my body
I worry I throw my fear around
But this morning there's a calm I can't explain
The rock candy's melted, only diamonds now remain
By the time I recognize this moment
This moment will be gone
But I will bend the light pretending
That it somehow lingered on
And I will wait to find
If this will last forever
And I will pay no mind
Worried bout no rainy weather
And I will waste no time
Remaining in this life
Was there a second of time I looked around?
Did I sail through or drop my anchor down?
Was anything enough to kiss the ground
And say I'm here now?