Mirrors

October 12, 2008. Linggo na naman. Ito ang araw ng pagsamba at muling pagkikita-kita naming mga magkakasama sa church. Pagkatapos ng service ay nag-aya akong kumain sa Chowking. Treat ko!

Habang kaming lahat ay kumakain, nabanggit na maganda ang 'Eagle Eye'.

"Uy, maganda daw yun, nood tayo?" ang sabi ko.

"Nood tayo, sama ka Jay?" ang tanong niya sa isang kaibigan namin.

"Tara, nood tayo..", ang sabi ko pa.

"Ahm, hindi ako pwede eh..", ang sagot ni Jay.

Akala ko ay hindi na kami tuloy, kasi kaming dalawa na lang ang manonood kung sakali. Pagtapos ng aming pagkain at uuwi na sana. Lahat ng aming mga kasama ay sumakay na ng van. Iniisip ko kung tuloy pa ba o hindi na ang aming panonood.

"Ano? Tuloy tayo?", ang tanong niya sa akin.

Inisip ko na wala namang masama kung manonood kami na kaming dalawa lang. Magkaibigan lang naman kami, di ba? At dahil na rin sa gusto kong mapanood ang Eagle Eye ay pumayag ako. Nagpaalam kami sa iba pa naming kasama.

Sumakay kami ng jeep papuntang SM. Ngunit, di pala showing dun ang Eagle Eye. Tiningnan pa rin namin kung ano ang iba pang pwedeng panoorin. Nakabili na kami ng ticket at papunta na doon sa Cinema, nang mapansin ko ang poster ng Mirrors.

"Yan na lang kaya ang panoorin natin? Mukhang mas maganda yan kesa dito sa panonoorin natin.", ang sabi ko sa kanya. "Pwede pa kayang papalitan itong movie tickets?"

"Sige, tanong natin.", ang sagot niya.

Hindi ko alam kung talagang ganon ang kalakaran pero pumayag naman ang takilyera. Kaso lang maghihintay pa kami ng isang oras bago ang next screening ng Mirrors. Nagpasya kaming maglibot na muna ng mall. Pumunta rin kami ng PCBS. At dahil sa kakilala niya yun nagtitinda roon ay binati niya ito.

"Sya ba ang lagi mong kinukwento sa akin?" ang tanong nito sa kanya. Hindi ko narinig na sumagot siya, at siyempre hindi ko alam kung umiling siya o tumango, dahil sa nakatalikod ako sa kanya.

"Ay, hindi ako yun. Pero kwento mo sa akin at kilala ko yun kung sino," ang sagot ko.

Habang kami ay nagba-browse ng mga libro, bigla na lang niyang nabanggit na ang "love" daw ay hindi naman hinahanap, kung minsan ay magugulat ka na lang at bigla na lang itong nangyayari. Hindi ko alam kung anong ibig niyang sabihin noon at hindi ko rin naman tinanong.

Ayan, nakalipas na ang kulang isang oras at kami ay manonood na ng mirrors.

Movie trailers pa lang ang ipinapakita ng kami ay pumasok ng sinehan. May ipinakitang trailer ng isang suspense movie, biglang hinila yun paa ng babae. Nagulat ako, sabay siko ko sa kanya ng nanginginig pa. Natawa siya, sabay tapik sa ulo ko na waring pinapayapa ako.

Nag-enjoy naman ako sa panonood ng Mirrors. Umuwi na kami. Hinatid niya ako hanggang sa sakayan ng tricycle.

Pagdating ko ng bahay ay nakatanggap ako ng text message mula sa kanya, "Nag-enjoy ako, next time ulit!".

"Ako rin nag-enjoy, salamat."

Tayo Na?

October 5, 2008. Papunta ako sa kusina ng aming church nang madaanan ko siya, isang matagal ng kaibigan na nakababata sa akin ng sampung taon. Nagtetext siya sa kanyang cellphone.

"Text ng text, dami talagang chicks," ang biro ko sa kanya at nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad patungong kusina.

"Alam mo namang ikaw lang ang mahal ko eh!", ang sagot niya.

Nabigla ako, ngunit nasa mood akong magbiro kaya't sinakyan ko ang biro niya sa akin. "Mahal din naman kita, ah!" (Ang nasa isip ko ay pagmamahal sa isang kapatid at kaibigan lamang.) Ngunit di ko alam ang dahilan kung bakit dinagdagan ko pa ang aking sagot ng, "O eh pano yan? Di tayo na?" Sabay tawa ng malakas.

Bigla siyang tumayo, sabay sabi ng, "Oo ba, ano i-announce ko na ba?"

"Ok ka lang? Joke lang yun noh!", ang nabibiglaanan kong sagot.

Pagkatapos nito ay tumuloy na kaming dalawa sa meeting. Bago magsimula ang meeting ay pabulong na tinanong niya sa akin, "Sabihin ko na ba sa kanila?"

"Ang alin?", nakalimutan ko na ang mga nangyari.

"Yun tungkol sa ating dalawa...", ang sagot niya.

"Huh? Joke lang kaya yun," ang tugon ko na nanlalaki pa ang mata.

Pagtapos ng meeting ay dumalaw kami sa isang kasamahan sa church na nagdaraos ng kanyang kaarawan. Kasama namin ang iba pa naming mga kaibigan.

Tinutukso pa niya ako sa isang kasama namin sa church. May nabanggit siyang, "kung ayaw mo, ako na lang", na akin namang ibinibilang sa mga pagbibiro niya. Pagkatapos kumain ay umuwi na kami.

At inakala ko ngang biruan lang ang lahat dahil sa lumipas ang isang linggo na wala naman kaming communication.

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." - Genesis 2:18

May Lovelife na... SA WAKAS!

Matagal na rin ang nakalipas mula ng ako ay huling sumulat dito sa aking blogsite. Marami siguro ang nainip sa tila naudlot na pagkwekwento ko kung paanong ang Diyos ay nagsimulang magsulat ng aking lovestory... Naks! SA WAKAS! May lovelife na for the first time in history... hehe Muli ang aking paumanhin sa mga nagbabasa, naging busy lang sa aking lovelife... sorry na... at para naman makabawi sa matagal ninyong paghihintay, ay eto na ang aking pagbabalik.

God is faithful! I can testify on that. Way back in 2002, I received a confirmation from the Lord that I will get married. I waited... and waited... and waited.. and waited... hahaha! It seemed sooooooooo long that sometimes I almost gave up. Yup, I was on the verge of accepting that I'll be single all my life, my only prayer then was that God will sustain me and give me joy kahit na mag-isa lang akong haharap sa aking future. But still, I have my faith on Him, for I know that the One who promised is faithful indeed! One time, I listed down my requirements of the One I am asking from God and here goes my requirements' list:

1. Born-again Christian
2. Loves me
3. Sincere
4. Faithful
5. Loves his family
6. Confident
7. Happy person
8. Financially capable to support a family
9. Has dreams in life
10. Responsible
11. Respects me and is proud of me

It was sometime June 2008, nang itanong sa akin ng isang kasamahan sa church kung ano daw ba ang qualification na magugustuhan ko, at ipinakita ko sa kanya ang listahan ko. Ang listahan na yan ay naka-save lang naman kasi sa aking cellphone kaya napakadaling i-access at ipakita kung sino man ang magtanong. :)

Naalala ko ang sabi niya, "Ay, wala kang makikitang ganyan.. masyadong perfect yan." Somehow, nagtanong ako sa sarili ko kung napakataas nga ng aking standards at kailangan ko nga ba siyang babaan? Ngunit, ako'y nananatili sa aking pananampalataya na kayang ipagkaloob sa akin yan ng Diyos ko. May bahagi sa aking listahan na non-negotiables at negotiables, siyempre. Naalala ko rin ang panalangin ko ng gabing iyon, sinabi ko sa Lord, "Lord ipakita mo nga po sa taong iyon na may kaya kang ibigay sa akin na ganyan ang qualities. Kasi hindi ako papayag na hindi Mo po kayang gawin na ipagkaloob ang pangako Mo sa akin."

Lumipas ang ilang buwan at ako'y nagpatuloy lamang sa aking usual na gawain.. trabaho, bahay, church, liwaliw sa Palawan... at nang sumunod na buwan, mukhang may maliit na intro isinulat ang Lord... yan ang isusulat ko sa susunod na mga panahon. Kung paanong nagsimula ang Lord sa pagsulat ng aking lovestory.

P.S. May boyfriend na nga pala ako ngayon mula sa Lord... Ang pangalan niya ay Allen Paul Rubian Gloria...

When I was still a child, there has been a hit name-game song... Do you remember it? It goes something like this...

Shirley! Shirley, Shirley bo Birley Bonana fanna fo Firley Fee fy mo Mirley, Shirley!

Love is defined in the Bible as...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

What if I replace the word LOVE with my name?

Zha-zha is patient, zha-zha is kind. Zha-zha does not envy, Zha-zha does not boast, Zha-zha is not proud. Zha-zha is not rude, Zha-zha is not self-seeking, Zha-zha is not easily angered, Zha-zha keeps no record of wrongs. Zha-zha does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Zha-zha always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.

Now it's your turn...

Will I Know It?

History never looks history when you're living through it. It always looks confusing and messy and it always feel uncomfortable. - John Gardner

Will I know when I'm walking through the story for the first time? Will I recognize the event that will begin the chapters of my love story with my mate? Will time stand still for one moment to tell me that this person, this one person, out of all the billions bustling on the planet -- is the One? Will I recognize when it happens? Or might I miss it? Some questions are probably best left unasked. I know I should push them aside and wait for life to unfold its mysteries.

Someday when I'm older and wiser, I'll sit back and tell my story to someone who will listen. And as I tell my story, will I remember the doubts and questioning prayers of today? Or will I have forgotten the silent longings; will they wash away like footprints on an ocean shore? I'll probably tell some young fool the same things I get tired of hearing from others. I'll tell her to bide her time, "for it sure work out in the end." And of course, "you can't rush these things."

Someday I'll have a story to tell. How will I respond when one day I look back on my love story? Will it bring tears of joy or tears of remorse? Will it remind me of God's goodness or my lack of faith in that goodness? Will it be a story of purity, faith and selfless love? Or will it be a story of impatience, selfishness and compromise? It's my choice. I am encouraged (and continue to remind myself) to write a love story with my life that I'll feel proud to tell. - Excerpt from "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris

An axiom in mathematics means that if your premise is incorrect, then your conclusion is bound to be wrong as well. Use the wrong formula and the answer is certain to be incorrect.

But who knows which is the right way? No one, except God... we can always ask Him for guidance. I remember asking the Lord, "Lord, how will I know if he is the one for me?" For some, it might come as a coincidence, but for me I take it as His answer to my question.. reading from Isaiah 18:3b "When a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it."

Simply telling me that when love comes knocking at my door, I will hear it and when the right one comes, I will surely see him and not miss the start of my love story.. God is good... God is great... and He loves me so... I can simpy trust Him to take me to the right place at the right time when I am ready. I surrender to the One who knows the best things for me.

meron akong kwento...

All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely. Yan ang sabi sa Bible, yan ang mababasa sa 1 Corinthians 13:12b.

Meron akong kwento, hindi ko pa lang maikwento... hehehe

Kahapon ako'y nagdiwang ng aking kaarawan... (Oist! sapat na yung malaman mong birthday ko kahapon, wag mo ng itanong kung ilang taon na ako sapagka't di na ako nagbibilang ng aking edad mula nang ako'y mag-debut... LOL!)

Balik tayo sa kwento ko... November 3, mga past 10pm na ako nakarating ng bahay pagtapos ng aming meeting sa church. Kahit na pagod ang aking katawang lupa, for the first time in history... hindi ko alam kung anong nagtulak sa akin na antayin ang ika-12 ng umaga ng November 4. Habang aking inaantay ang pagtuntong ng alas dose, ang aking ginawa'y nanalangin sa Panginoon. Akin ring inilagay sa "flight mode" ang aking cellphone at ng ako'y di maistorbo ng anumang text messages, sapagkat ang nais ko'y makapiling ang Panginoon... siya at ako lamang... :) Natapos ang aking panalangin, aking tinanong Siya kung ano ang kanyang mensahe para sa aking kaarawan...

At ito ang aking nabasa na tunay naman na nangusap sa aking puso:

Is it not my family God has chosen?
Yes, He has made an everlasting covenant with me
His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail
He will ensure my safety and success. - 2 Samuel 23:5

Ang mga talatang ito ay nagbalik sa akin noong taong 2002 ng una kong tanungin ang Panginoon, kung ako ba'y mag-aasawa pa o hindi na... Nakakatuwa sapagkat sa aking devotion, ang aking nabasa ay mula sa Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. A cord of three strands cannot easily be broken".

At sa pagbuklat ko ng aking devotion mula sa "From This Verse" ay ito ang nakalagay...

One Plus One

Often in my ministry I'm asked to prepare a marriage ceremonies from today's passage, for it tells us that one plus one equals more than two. A good marriage exceeds the sum of its partners.

Charles Wesley thought so, too. Charles isn't as famous as his brother John Wesley, the founder of Methodism; yet Charles' hymns are far better known than John's sermons. All over the world, Christians still sing, O For a Thousand Tongues; Christ The Lord Is Risen Today, Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Jesus Lover of My Soul.

Charles wrote hymns day and night, sometimes jumping off his horse and running into nearby houses, shouting, "Pen and ink! Pen and ink!" He reportedly composed 8,989 hymns during his lifetime, an average of ten poetic lines every day for fifty years. He was still writing hymns on his deathbed.

When Charles fell in love, he wrote his love letters in the form of hymns, composing forty of them, right up to his wedding day.

He was forty years old and had met Sally Gwynne, who was half his age, while on a preaching trip in Wales. Sally's father, a wealthy landowner and magistrate, had initially opposed the Methodist movement, but he came to be one of the Wesley's most enthusiastic supporters.

As Charles pondered his love for Sally, and as he studied Ecclesiastes 4, he brought the two subjects together in a hymn that began:

Two are better than one
For counsel or to fight
How can one be warm alone
Or serve his God aright?

The couple was married on August 3, 1749, at Garth, Wales with John officiating. Charles preached at their honeymoon spot for two weeks, then left for an evangelistic tour. Their marriage, however, was a happy one, and Charles soon cut back on his journeys, deciding that two, after all, are far better than one.

Pagtapos kong manalangin, akin ng ibinalik sa Phone mode ang aking cellphone upang makatanggap ng mensahe... Meron naman akong natanggap na mensahe, isang pagbati ng maligayang kaarawan mula sa isang taong di ko pa mapangalanan... saka na lang pag sigurado na ako... hahaha

Meron akong kwento.. hindi ko pa lang maikwento sapagkat nasa unang bahagi pa lang ang Diyos ng kanyang pagsusulat ng aking sariling kwentong pag-ibig. Ayaw ko Siyang pangunahan kaya't mananatili muna ang bawat pangyayari sa aking puso't isipan.. saka ko na lang ibabahagi sa inyo kapag ang lahat ng ito'y naging malinaw na sa aking isipan... at makita ng totohanan. Uy, excited.. hahaha!

LOVE IS...

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back,But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled. ( I Cor 13: 1-10 The Message)

Loving good people is as easy as counting from 1 to 3. Loving the unloveable is as hard as chemistry, advanced math, calculus (both differential and integral)... Now, did you get it?

God calls us to love our enemies. I tell you, it's difficult but it can be done. Why? Because, God himself did it to us. He gave us His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, to save you and me from death. You asked, "Wow! that's incredible!"... Some may say, "What kind of Father can do such a thing?". Yes, that's how great God's love is for you and me. That is the GREAT TRUTH.

We can love because God first loved us. Love is...

P.S. If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord and Savior, don't you think it's about time? You may pray,

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me. I confess that I am a sinner worthy of eternal punishment. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay for all of my sins. With your help, I am turning away from all my sins. Today, I put my trust in you as my Lord and Savior and I receive you into my heart. Thank you for forgiving my sins and for coming into my heart. I accept your free gift of eternal life. Thank you that one day, I will go home to be with you in heaven. From this day on, I will follow and obey you. Amen.

God is still at work...

Dave was raised on the mission field in Africa, and after he completed his seminary training he took a position in a local church, still searching for the right one who could go back to Africa with him. He kept looking over the crowd every Sunday morning to see if a new face had appeared. Finally he asked my advice, “What do you think I should do?” What do you think God wants you to do with your life?” I inquired. “I think God wants me in Africa ,” he responded.

“I said, “Then you had better get moving that direction.”

Sudan Interior Mission, the group that Dave was serving, needed him on a rather remote outstation a distance from Addis Ababa. “Great chance of finding a wife there!” people told Dave. Nonetheless, he went.

Meanwhile an Australian nurse felt called by God into medical missions. She was single but hope to meet someone who shared her vision of missionary medicine. Nobody even came close to being answer. Finally she joined the same mission Dave had joined. They told her about a medical in a pretty remote area outside Addis Adaba. Her family and friends told her, “If you go there, you’ll end up being an old maid for sure.”

Putting the will of God above “finding the right man,” she packed and went to Africa.

You guessed it. They met, fell in love and married.

Believe it or not, they both had lived in the same apartment complex in the same city, on the same street, but had to go 7,000 miles away to meet each other, fall in love, marry and have a family. (I got this story from jhunnelle's blogsite.)

This is the 2nd story I read about "serendipity" or destiny as you may want to call it. The 1st story I read was about Shelby. They may all sound fictional to you, but I believe that they are true. Even if they were not, there is one story that is real. You may visit jhunnelle's blogsite and read about how her fiance met her.

Now, you might be asking, "Who's Jhunnelle?". Well, I don't know her either. We haven't met. But, one night as I was trying to look for a write-up about "Touch of Glory", I found her blogsite. Of course, instantly as I read her posts nakarelate agad ako. We are of the same age. We are both Born-Again Christian. We both have the same struggles in waiting for the "right man" in our lives. I was inspired about her story. I believe that God has led me to her blogsite to tell me that He is still at work.

God is at work in our lives all the time. Every need, every desire, every little things or minute details of our lives are in His mind all the time. Our every call is heard. Every tear that falls, he sees. Every thoughts in our minds, he knew. He is the author of life. He is also the author of our love story.

And one day, I am hopeful and prayerful that I will be able to post my own love story God has wrote about in this blogsite.

You may have a struggles or difficulties in your life. It might be something about your job, school, relationships, finances or anything that you think matters to you. I just want to encourage you on one thing, "God is at work in our lives! He loves you so much. There is nothing good for us that He will withhold. Just think, that if God has given His ONE and ONLY SON for you, what is that one thing will He not do for you?