Coins can get you far.

I love volunteering, more so when there is so much to be done. It's practically the story of my life. I used to donate a lot even back in grade school, even if my classmates find it weird. I remember one instance when we were asked to bring only rice but I brought so much more, and I was reminded by one of my classmates that we were only required to bring rice.

But to me, you shouldn't limit yourself to what was asked of you. If you know that you have been so blessed, ibigay mo yung kaya mo. Kung hindi ka nasalanta, at maraming naapektuhan sa paligid mo, wake up call ni God sayo yun na kahit di ka materially well-off, pero kung physically, kaya mo naman tumulong sa pag-repack ng mga relief goods o gumawa ng makeshift beds para sa evacuees, gawin mo. Wag mo nang hihintayin na mawalan ka pa ng opportunity na tumulong. I believe that one of the best values of Filipinos is bayanihan. More than just helping, it is giving the best of your abilities and melding them into a great effort that can make such a huge difference.

Whatever transpired during these past two days was such a life changing experience. I was able to go to Cubao with coins amounting to around P150 or something. Basta bottomline, dala ko lang puro barya. Ang pera ko lang na di barya ay P20. Kumusta naman yun, diba? Anyway, I believe that God provides, so with faith, I went there. The only contents of my bag - a rosary, my phone, and the coins. I prayed that God will provide, especially because I did not have a decent lunch. Sobrang good luck, but it all turned out for the best. Here are a few snapshots from day 1.

 

Ate Dane and I

Modelling our work :P

Kinarir ang Big

si Regz, may namimiss nga ba? Haha!

Pasa-pasa ng goods.

Me at work

Stolen? Haha.

Regz and Jessa

Stolen kuno?

I was touched by this kid's determination to help. I honor her. Her name is Mariel :)

GOOOOOODS!

There are several relief centers around that are gathering volunteers and donations for the victims. As of today, I've been to three. I plan on going to STC tomorrow. I can say that God is great (kahit puro barya lang ang dala ko, sobrang sulit hehe!) Sobrang galing ni God kasi kahit papaano, pinagsama-sama nya yung mga tao para tumulong sa kapwa nila kahit di nila kilala. Magaling din si God kasi sa panahong ganito, hindi iniinda ng tao kung ano yung katayuan nya sa buhay o kung saan syang grupo nabibilang. Basta Pilipino ka, tutulong ka sa kapwa mo Pilipino. Hollywood celebrities have already done their part. Sana, ikaw din. If you feel that you have been blessed, be a blessing to others as well... kahit time mo lang and effort, okay na yun.:)

God blessed us to be Filipinos so that we can inspire everyone to be heroes and for us to shine in dark moments such as this. Let us show the world that we could rise together and make our nation stronger. This is true people power.

WALANG IWANAN. 

Meet the Robinsons

Lyrics | Rob Thomas lyrics - Little Wonders lyrics

"Around here, however,
we don't look backwards for very long.

We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

~Walt Disney

Last night, without anything to do,  I turned to my favorite tv station, Disney Channel, for a good show to watch. As part of their festive fiesta celebration, they showed the Disney Pixar movie "Meet the Robinsons". I appreciate the movie a lot because it has a lot of messages enveloped in it.

Since I have forgotten most of the movie because it has been ages since I last saw it, I watched it. And just as the last time I watched it made me (almost) cry, I still felt the same way. For many reasons, I could relate myself to the story. We've all been through the school of hard knocks and there are at least two ways to deal with our problems, we could either try to escape from it or face it, and if we fail the first time, keep moving forward and pray that God will pick us up because no matter how many times we fall, He will always be there behind us, even if the world abandons us. And once we deal with these burdens, we just let it go and thank God. We move forward to our next adventure, learn from the mistakes we've made and make ourselves better.

We've only got one life to live and it's best for us if we live it to the fullest.

Blogs from the Past Series #10

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE

Apr 2, '09 9:07 PM for everyone

Sabi ni Rhea, IN LOVE AKO.

SASABIHIN KO SA INYO NGAYON... IN LOVE AKO!

Actually, matagal ko na itong pinipigilan.

Matagal ko nang inililihim sa inyo.

Pero ngayon, narealize ko,

...BAKIT KO KAILANGANG ITAGO KUNG SOBRANG LUPIT NUNG NARARAMDAMAN KO?

...KUNG NAGBIBIGAY ITO SA AKIN NG WALANG HANGGANG KASIYAHAN?

...KUNG ALAM KO NA DAHIL SA KANYA, PATULOY AKONG NABUBUHAY AT NAIINSPIRE SA LAHAT NG GINAGAWA KO?

...KUNG ALAM KO NA SA BAWA'T KILOS KO, SYA ANG INIISIP KO?

...KUNG BAKIT LALONG TUMATAG ANG AKING PANANAMPALATAYA?

...KUNG SA PAGMULAT NG AKING MGA MATA SA UMAGA HANGGANG SA AKING PAGTULOG NG GABI, SIYA ANG LAMAN NG AKING PUSO'T DIWA.

...KUNG SYA ANG DAHILAN NA NARITO AKO.

...KUNG MINAHAL NIYA AKO KAHIT DI AKO PERPEKTONG TAO.

...KUNG BAKIT HINDI MAPAPANTAYAN NG MGA SALITANG MAKIKITA NYO SA BLOG ENTRY NA ITO KUNG GAANO SYA KAGALING AT KALUPIT.

... KUNG BAKIT NARARAMDAMAN KO ANG LANGIT DITO SA LUPA.

...KUNG BAKIT ALAM KONG PAGKATAPOS NG BUHAY NA ITO, ALAM KONG MAKAKASAMA KO PA RIN SYA.

I admit.

I HAVE BEEN SELFISH.

But you know what?

I SHOULDN'T BE.

Because

HIS LOVE HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNCONDITIONAL.
HE HAS ALWAYS REMAINED FAITHFUL EVEN IF WE WEREN'T.
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN STILL.
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN US EACH DAY.
HE HAS TURNED OUR MOURNING, SORROWS AND PAIN TO EVERLASTING JOY.

So kung tatanungin nyo ako ngayon:
BAKIT?
..bakit ako nagseserve?
..bakit ako kinikilig?
..bakit kahit ang dami kong problemang personal na mabigat, di ako sumusuko?
..bakit ako nagiging optimistic?
..bakit ako nagwoworship?
..bakit nag-eenjoy ako sa buhay?
..bakit kahit maraming di mapapalad na pangyayari sa buhay ko, nagagawa ko pang ngumiti?
..bakit nagmamahal ako?

ito lang ang sasabihin ko sa inyo.

KASI MAHAL AKO NG DIYOS.
at MAHAL RIN NYA KAYO.

Nakakakilig 'noh?

Blogs from the Past Series #9

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY LOVE

 Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 8:54pm | 

Dear God,

Hi.

I'm guessing that you've been anticipating this letter for a while now. It's a bit overdue, in fact... 21 years and 2 months, to be exact. Well, I suppose that now is the perfect time to write you this because You've been nothing but great to me.

I know that our story has not been the most perfect. I was innocently following You as a child. We used to talk a lot whenever I prayed at night in front of the grotto of our home. But then, I thought that those prayers were to be answered immediately, not thinking that they were to be answered in YOUR PERFECT TIME. As I grew up, I chose to stray from You because I thought You didn't care for me whenever those prayers seemed unheeded. And though you sent me people to hear Your word, I turned a deaf ear. Instead of listening to You, I went with non-believers -- those who turned me against You. And though I thought I owned and had control over my life then, I didn't realize how lost I was without You by my side. I chose to banish You because I thought that I can do things on my own, even at the point of challenging you to turn things around when I thought that everything in my life simply went wrong. And after challenging you, I first thought that you simply defeated me. But no, I realized that You simply won me over again and that you brought me back to the light... something that I am truly grateful for.

Since then, you've made me realize how much I was loved by you through the people I've lived my life with. With them, You've made me realize that You were always here by my side and that sometimes, I just had to feel hurt and struggle, because You wanted to me to be your strong soldier. During the times you gave me a push, You made me hold on to You all the more. And you know what? It was way better than doing things on my own, because I know that everything I did was Your work.

When I was looking for the perfect job, You've searched it for me. At first, you made me experience what I thought I wanted for my life. But though I was happy with that, I felt that you wanted me to do something more, and that I had to risk. And even if my family isn't exactly well-off or stable, You gave me a mission. Even if I haven't always received monetary compensation (well, even now) on time, I don't resent you for it. I know that You're doing this because when I receive it, You have plans for me. Once I get it, I know that You will teach me how to spend it wisely. You will tell me to invest it in You and Your plans for me, my family, my friends and the people whose lives I'll touch, which does not entail any risk because it is a product of Your love.

You've been calling me to serve You. Over the past year and a half, You've brought me to places I've never thought of going for reasons other than sheer recreation or immersion. And the best part of those trips were because I dedicated them to You. You've brought me to the less fortunate, especially to GK Villages to show me that I'm still blessed amidst my own financial crisis -- to tell me that You will provide for me. You've brought me to camps to know You more and to make me realize that You've given me so much to share to others such as my talents and skills. You've brought me to sports fests and competitions so that I could adjust my outlook in contests and to teach me to have FUN doing YOUR way. You've brought me to far-flung places to worship you and to be a witness of Your unconditional love. You've brought me to training activities to help me realize that You indeed have plans for me, and that all I had to do is be humble and listen, to follow You, even when the road I'll take will be a challenge and a struggle. Even when people doubt the sincerity of my actions, God, You stuck by me, and You've kept me still, and for that I'm eternally thankful. Most importantly, You've brought me back to the HEART OF WORSHIP and say that IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU. You've welcomed me back with open arms. You've made me feel the awesome warmth of Your undying love. You've showed me heaven on earth, the most amazing feeling I can imagine.

And though I am still waiting for your gift to me, I am contented with THIS relationship. OURS. I know that You're still planning on the space of THIS TRIANGLE that he will occupy. Right now, it's You and Me. The best part? It will NEVER be AGAINST THE WORLD, because YOU LOVE ME as much as YOU LOVE THEM ALL. And you know what, that gift can wait. You've already given me the GREATEST GIFT OF ALL -- Your son, Jesus Christ, who came to proclaim Your Kingdom, to be a brother to all of us, to die in atonement of our sins and those of the whole wide world and to be the MOST PERFECT MANIFESTATION OF YOUR LOVE.

Now that I'm taking another step up in serving You, I leave everything up to You -- all Your plans for me, all the pains that I will encounter, all the sorrows because I have learned to depend on You. I know that I should allow you to be tough for me. The enemy will linger around, but with You there, I know that everything will be okay, just as it was always meant to be. Keep me safe. Protect the people I truly love and care for, Lord God. Be with them too. And when they turn their back on you, show them the beautiful light that you've shown me.

I Love You, God. I REALLY DO.

Always,
Carmel

Blogs from the Past Series #6

God's victories

 Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 8:27am | 

Early morning inspiration :)


We always tend to ask for something. There's nothing wrong with that. It's our way of satisfying our human needs. For most of the time, we do it for self-actualization. But sometimes, somehow, when we pray for something, we fail to realize how important it is to rely on God's timing. We want the answers at once. And when He does answer, we are not satisfied. For the many favors I've asked from God, I have realized how amazing His will is.

For all the amazing victories and favors I've received I've always felt how the timing was great. But I've also realized that whenever I try to do things my way, I fail. An even more amazing thing that happens is that when someone tries to make me feel that I could not gain a favor from Him after I've genuinely prayed for it, He gives me more than I ask for.

However, I've also observed that for the many times that I've prayed for something and tried my way because of my impatience, the favor or victory does not come into fruition. If for those many instances that I've attempted to force my will and not His, I end up in bitter disappointment. It's as if God reminds me 'in My time, not yours'. And for the many times that I do not pray for His victories and favors, He taps my back and says 'forget Me not.'

I believe that if there's a way through anything, it's because God has paved the way for it, and we could only expect good things to happen if we pray for Him to guide us through it. Like a pathway that is invisible in the dark, the road can only be seen if we ignite the fire on the lamp to walk the right way. We could never do away with God for our victories is not for our glory, but His. :)