November 18 - I have finally declared my #sepanx for GOT7 over.

I know... four days was quite a long time. But they were really hard to get over with, especially that I purchased my ticket since August and... who wouldn't?

Although this may be irrelevant or overdue, I decided to make a fangirl version of the article I submitted to the Korean Cultural Center's The Krew. Anyway, I have decided to post it here with bonus commentaries that are in a different colored font. I struggled a bit writing the article because I had to keep my fangirl feels at bay. My friend noted that there were a few inserts here and there, but I still tried to keep the objectivity of the fan meeting which happened last November 14 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

When my friends and I were lining in front of the SVIP entrance of the coliseum, I honestly felt how old I already am as a K-Pop fan. More so, when the fans screamed when JB, Mark, Jackson, Junior, Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom opened the show with 하지하지마 (Stop Stop It) from their first full-length album, Identify. This immediately followed with their debut hit, Girls Girls Girls. Oh my gosh! The screams were seriously deafening! (Mark even acknowledged how loud the Filipino fans were during the press conference.) (They were wearing maroon suits and pants! Yeay! One of my favorite ensembles from their recent promotions. Every lady wanted a piece of you, Mark Tuan, especially after that abs flash. Thanks, Yugyeom.)

As the boys were allowed to take a breather, popular radio DJ and veteran emcee, Sam Oh, kept the excitement going as she introduced the members one-by-one. (She even commented how tall and good-looking they really are.) It was difficult to determine who had the most number of fans among the members as all of the fans screamed on the top of their lungs for everyone. When the boys came back to have a little chat, Jackson made a funny remark on how his chair was too high for his short legs. (But I have to say, he indeed looks short. The two youngest, Yugyeom and BamBam, were the only ones blessed in the group with long legs.) Sam continued to welcome them and asked how they felt being in the Philippines. Despite experiencing technical problems with the microphones, all of the members individually expressed how it felt really good to be back. Sam also asked if the boys managed to try any Filipino delicacies, which Jackson enthusiastically expressed his love for mangoes. (He even made a small chant with the fans about mangoes.) Mark, who hails from the United States, added that he particularly liked dried mangoes. BamBam, who is of Thai decent, mentioned that he liked what he thinks is “Peanut Soup”, which Sam Oh clarified as Kare-Kare. Mark (who cutely let out a scream of frustration for his bad mic) jumped in to add that he also likes what is to him “Pig’s Feet”, which quite caused a confusion until Sam Oh figured it was Crispy Pata. (I want to cry hearing Mark's sexy California English live. I absolutely love his voice.) Jackson excitedly volunteered to share a Filipino sentence he learned - “Gusto ko kumain [ng] mangga. (I want to eat mango.)”, which roused laughter from both the host and the fans. (I have to say, I was impressed with the variety of food that they liked. I don't often here international artists liking Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata. Kudos to the hotel they were in for making them try a wide range of Filipino food.)


The boys resumed their performances with the confidence-boosting Just Right and their latest 180-degree transformation, “니가 하면 (If You Do”). (Ugh... It was so good seeing that fancy footwork live.) In their latest release, the usual fun and bubbly boys of GOT7 transformed into dashing and charismatic men for “니가 하면 (If You Do)”. Host Sam Oh then asked what their initial thoughts was upon hearing the song. Yugyeom, who is the youngest of the bunch and one of the choreographers, said that he had mixed emotions for the song because it was about a man hurting. BamBam, who also happened to be one of the youngest, evoked squeals from fans when he said that he felt sexy upon hearing the song. It was hard to believe they were only 19! (I was like, "But BamBam, you're too skinny to be sexy. Your legs look thinner than mine.") This followed by hilarious individual re-enactments of their iconic scenes from their music video. (I thought that this was really innovative of the boys. They used their own bodies as walls (for Mark), as a car (for BamBam), and as a punching bag (for Jackson). They even used their face towel (for Junior and JB) and mineral water bottle. Good job on being very clever, boys!)

After showing their serious acting chops, BamBam shyly treated the fans with a sweet serenade of chorus of Ronnie Liang’s “Ngiti”. His vocals were soothing and his pronunciation was perfect. (Well, Thai and Filipinos are not far from ancestral decent. You can even mistaken BamBam for being a good-looking Filipino! And good choice of a song! I was sort of prepared for another Daniel Padilla cover, which thankfully, he didn't.) Fans hope that all of GOT7 will get to serenade a Filipino song in another visit. But it wasn’t only the fans that were in for a surprise. Local fanclub, GOT7 Philippines, prepared a surprise video message for each of the members. The video also included clips from the countdown event and tear-jerking triple wins from a specific Korean music program. BamBam said he won’t cry but the fans chanted that they want him to, which he laughed off instead. (The video also almost made me cry! The messages were so heartfelt. And then the triple wins! It felt so good to have contributed to their first series of music show victories.)

Yes, Mark. Filipino IGOT7s love you, too.

Series of performances from the boys continued as they serenaded the fans with “Playground” and hyped up the crowd with “Magnetic” and “Bounce”, which was originally the debut song of JB and Junior (JJ Project) prior forming GOT7. (Too bad JB's mic made him sound really bad. I love his singing voice, but it came out really nasal.) When the fans thought it was over, the boys returned on stage with a remix version of “A”. (Jackson and BamBam each got a fan's phone and filmed themselves! Waaaaa!)

JB with a fan for a Telepathy Game, wherein the goal is to raise the same colored flags without looking at each other.

This is me drowning in the sea of digital devices. Thank you for the chance to see you up close, GOT7!

Member Impressions

"14. When you enter a place, take in the surroundings. Don't look at it from a camera lens. Don't confine memories in an SD card. Don't have proof for every emotion you were feeling. If it was important, you'd remember it even if you had amnesia."

I did, and it lingered on me like a hangover. I guess if I had the option to go to another concert or fan meeting of a K-Pop artist, I would love to go back to GOT7.

Until we meet again, GOT7.

Pictures are all mine except for the members' individual shots courtesy of Bruce Casanova for SMART Araneta Coliseum.

I was getting anxious.

I was feeling insecure.

I was becoming desperate.

• I realized that I was unknowingly anchoring my identity on my career, not in Christ. Even though I was faithfully serving Him and studying about Him, I didn't know that I was using all of those to hide the pain that I felt. I wasn't completely honest with myself.
• I also realized that I didn't completely let go of my career dream. I had all of these conditions listed when I pray, when God is perfectly capable of answering MORE than what I've prayed for (a Christian company, a 10-minute walk away from my house, and tasks that tap my creative, administrative, and relational sides).
• Lastly, He is ABSOLUTELY FAITHFUL. His only condition was for me to exercise the same faithfulness to Him as well.

There is a reason I don't talk much about my life back in high school. I could narrate what I have experienced but not into detail. Without realizing it, my brain purposely suppressed the details and covered them with my achievements. I still can remember the names and the faces, but the bits and pieces of the events remain a blur.

However, these stories still make up for who I am now - no matter how hard my brain would try to bury them in the ground.

On the way back home from an urgent talk needed by a friend, I was comforted realizing how God indeed uses both good and bad experiences in counseling other people. This friend of mine needed my advice on deciding if she would quit her job or not. She had the same dilemma as I did, along with certain circumstances. Upon arriving home, she sent me one of the sweetest messages I received from a friend:

I was an emotionally-turbulent-with-a-rationale-of-an-adult high school student back when I first took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a "psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions." Going back when I was an emotionally-turbulent-with-a-rationale-of-an-adult high school student, my result surprisingly indicated I am an INTJ. Nearly 10 years to the present, when I took the test, I was surprised that the result remained the same! To make it fun, I have copied statements and areas from 16personalities.com (where I took the same test again) and commented to each one of them. Some of them are self-explanatory, so I won't be commenting on them.

(Warning: This will probably be my most lengthy post, but c'mon, let's have a little fun.)

I. INTRODUCTION

INTJs form just two percent of the population, and women of this personality type are especially rare, forming just 0.8% of the population...

So I am a rare human being that composes 0.8% of the population. I don't know if this pertains to the country or the world. Wow.

A. Nothing Can Stop the Right Attitude From Achieving Its Goal

With a natural thirst for knowledge that shows itself early in life, INTJs are often given the title of “bookworm” as children. While this may be intended as an insult by their peers, they more than likely identify with it and are even proud of it, greatly enjoying their broad and deep body of knowledge. INTJs enjoy sharing what they know as well, confident in their mastery of their chosen subjects, but owing to their Intuitive (N) and Judging (J) traits, they prefer to design and execute a brilliant plan within their field rather than share opinions on “uninteresting” distractions like gossip.

I admit I was a bookworm. My mother told me that when I was a baby she made me choose between a book or a toy. I immediately whipped my head towards the book. The bookworm in me further grew - beginning with a 7-volume scientific encyclopedia to academic journals at present. In short, nerd po ako na nagbabalat-kayo.

A paradox to most observers, INTJs are able to live by glaring contradictions that nonetheless make perfect sense – at least from a purely rational perspective. For example, INTJs are simultaneously the most starry-eyed idealists and the bitterest of cynics, a seemingly impossible conflict. But this is because INTJ types tend to believe that with effort, intelligence and consideration, nothing is impossible, while at the same time they believe that people are too lazy, short-sighted or self-serving to actually achieve those fantastic results. Yet that cynical view of reality is unlikely to stop an interested INTJ from achieving a result they believe to be relevant.

 B. In Matters Of Principle, Stand Like a Rock

INTJs radiate self-confidence and an aura of mystery, and their insightful observations, original ideas and formidable logic enable them to push change through with sheer willpower and force of personality. At times it will seem that INTJs are bent on deconstructing and rebuilding every idea and system they come into contact with, employing a sense of perfectionism and even morality to this work. Anyone who doesn’t have the talent to keep up with INTJs’ processes, or worse yet, doesn’t see the point of them, is likely to immediately and permanently lose their respect.

 My self-confidence took quite some time to develop over the years. I think it was only after I turned 18 when I could really say that I was confident of myself. I have no idea if I radiate that mysterious aura, but those who personally, please tell me if I do or do not. When having deep conversations with a group of people, I usually am the quiet one. Aside from falling to the spiral of silence, I am actually "deconstructing and rebuilding" pieces of the conversation and gaining "insightful observations". Wow. Ang deep.

Rules, limitations and traditions are anathema to the INTJ personality type – everything should be open to questioning and reevaluation, and if they see a way, INTJs will often act unilaterally to enact their technically superior, sometimes insensitive, and almost always unorthodox methods and ideas. 

This isn’t to be misunderstood as impulsiveness – INTJs will strive to remain rational no matter how attractive the end goal may be, and every idea, whether generated internally or soaked in from the outside world, must pass the ruthless and ever-present “Is this going to work?” filter. This mechanism is applied at all times, to all things and all people, and this is often where INTJ personality types run into trouble.

This is probably one of the statements I do not entirely agree with and relies entirely on what "rules, limitations and traditions" are being discussed here. But in general, I always ask "why?" because I want to satisfy the congruence of logic. If I don't see the logic between the rules, limitations and traditions and the given answer, then I will keep on asking "why". But then again, there's such a thing called respect.

 II. EMOTIONS

INTJs are defined by their confidence, logic, and exceptional decision-making, but all of this hides a turbulent underbelly – their emotions. The very notion of emotional expression is synonymous with irrationality and weakness to many INTJs, a display of poor self-governance and fleeting opinion that can hardly stand up to the enduring light of factual truth.

This mistrust of emotions is understandable, as Feeling (F) is the most weakly developed trait for INTJs – like any complex tool, skilled hands can use it to remarkable effect, while untrained hands make clumsy and dangerous work. 

People with the INTJ personality type take pride in remaining rational and logical at all times, considering honesty and straightforward information to be paramount to euphemisms and platitudes in almost all circumstances. In many ways though, these qualities of coolness and detachment aren't the weapons of truth that they appear to be, but are instead shields designed to protect the inner emotions that INTJs feel. In fact, because their emotions are such an underdeveloped tool, INTJs often feel them more strongly than many overtly emotional types because they simply haven't learned how to control them effectively.

Again, another set of statements which I do not entirely agree with as they somehow conflict my results from Solving the People Puzzle and temperament. Also, the Thinking area is only 6% ahead than Feeling, which indicates that I can be sensitive towards other people's feelings and avoid being blunt. Lastly, having developed a personal relationship with Christ, I always have to be cautious to be filled with the Holy Spirit and letting the Spirit guide my life to produce fruits in my life such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

III. ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

In romance, people with the INTJ personality type approach things the way they do with most situations: they compose a series of calculated actions with a predicted and desirable end goal – a healthy long-term relationship. Rather than falling head over heels in a whirlwind of passion and romance, INTJs identify potential partners who meet a certain range of pre-determined criteria, break the dating process down into a series of measurable milestones, then proceed to execute the plan with clinical precision.

Since I am not entirely emotionless as a typical INTJ is, I still tend to fall head over heels when liking and loving someone. Having a pre-determined criteria like listing down negotiables and non-negotiables, I believe, is very important because it helps reduce the selection process. Also, the Bible served as a guide on what would give glory to God (see Titus 1). I have yet to put the abovementioned theory into practice, but I could sense that every action and decision will be calculated.

Sentiment, tradition, and emotion are INTJs' Achilles Heel. Social standards like chivalry are viewed by INTJs as silly, even demeaning. The problem is, these standards have developed as a means of smoothing introductions and developing rapport, of managing expectations, the basis of personal relationships. INTJs' propensity for frank honesty in word and action tends to violate this social contract, making dating especially difficult for them.

Not true. Good manners, etiquette and respect are extremely important to me, which is why I still believe in courtship. Others might diss courtship as putting on a mask and not being entirely honest, but I can always seek a second opinion from people who possibly know him well.

INTJs are bewilderingly deep and intelligent people, bringing stability and insight into their romantic relationships. They prize honest, open communication, and all factors of the relationship are open to discussion and change, but this must be reciprocated. INTJs do what they think is right, and sometimes that comes across as cold – it's important to know that INTJs don't make these decisions lightly. They spend a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to understand why and how things go wrong, especially if they've devoted themselves to the relationship, and they certainly hurt deeply when things fall apart. 

The challenge is finding partners who share those same values – though Intuitive (N) types are uncommon, they may be a must for many INTJs, as sharing this trait creates an immediate sense of mutual belonging. Having one or two balancing traits, such as Extraversion (E), Feeling (F), or Prospecting (P) can help to keep a relationship dynamic and growth-oriented by keeping INTJs involved with other people, in touch with their emotions, and open to alternate potentials.

I agree. This ice princess wouldn't mind having a little sunshine as long as we share the same values, most especially in terms in faith and vision.

So that's about it. I left out some areas to leave a little mystery, but you can access the full text at http://www.16personalities.com/intj-personality. I encourage everyone to take this test so that you can know more of yourself such as your strengths, weaknesses and even potential.

It was the most difficult decision I had to make.

It began last December when the management called us for a meeting on the company's new directive to establish a Customer Care Center, a non-threatening name for a call center catering to all of the mother company's projects. I immediately wanted to resign. I felt demoted and limited than I already was in my current function for a specific brand. Even though they were enticing us with the thought of being promoted as Team Leaders, I remained unwavered. I also had this violent reaction in my head, "Is this what I will still be doing for the next five years? Of course not! I can do so much more than just answering e-mails and calls of clients." These thoughts branched out further, including wanting challenge to my intellectual capabilities and worrying about my top priorities.

One of the permanent things in this world is change. As cliche as it sounds, it is inevitable. Change can be as simple as when the leaves change color or when the day turns to night. It can also be as complex as when something can a change a person's life. It can be for better or for worse. My life has its share of changes but ever since the past month until I-don't-know-when, I am up to the biggest change in my life yet.

As some of you already know, I officially ended my thesis last October. That also means I have already graduated from college. I have been keeping this secret because I wanted to make it official, that is, when the graduation rites are nearing. Honestly, I don't have the graduation tingles, which is probably the downside of finishing on October. I hope I will have them soon when I visit Baguio by January when I start processing documents for graduation. (I will probably create a separate entry of my testimony of the whole thesis drama. I hope I don't fail this one.)

Being an 'unofficial' college graduate, I have been on the hunt for my first regular job employment. Although I already worked as a workshop teacher from July to October, I couldn't stay as a part-time teacher for long. It was quite a painful decision to make, especially when one of the administrators asked me if I will be teaching for the second semester. What made it more saddening was when most of my students didn't want me to leave. However, I was only on a part-time status who teaches once a week for only a number of sessions. Nevertheless, it was still a wonderful experience.

The anticipation of possibly starting a career has really been putting my emotions all over the place. But as I was organizing my curriculum vitae, questions clouded my mind...

What am I really good at?
Where would I fit in?

 Back when I chose Communications as my course, I knew that I wanted to become a holistic person. I could do journalism, I can do broadcast communication, or even a fusion of both. That vision was reflected in my CV after four years. My experiences ranged from print media, education, and public relations. However, it has its flip side. Because I am able to do so many things (and I'm saying this with all humility), I  don't know what am I really good at anymore.

The content of my CV has left me confused and I didn't realize that I missed God's point. The CV was a reflection of God's goodness to me. He has blessed me with so many gifts and opportunities that God was actually training me for something BIGGER and GRANDER in building His kingdom. Wherever God will lead me to work, I claim that He will place me where His name will be glorified. (And this is my birthday prayer.)

To be honest, I did think of the big "What if?" However, as I look back, I knew it would be tough. I would be so different. Things would just be so different. We just live in such different worlds, backgrounds and statuses. It could be worth a shot, but I don't think I'll be able to handle it long enough to last.

o•a•sis /ōˈāsis/
Noun: A pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult, troubled, or hectic place or situation.

As some of you probably know, I am down to my last semester as a college undergraduate. I only have one subject to complete, and that is my thesis in communication. You are probably thinking that I am living an easy life unbothered by time constraints. However, that is all one big misconception.

Other than being a "transitioning" college student, I am a teacher (to be more precise, a workshop facilitator), a daughter, and a disciple-maker. When God blessed me with a part-time teaching job last July, I scheduled my days carefully. Here's a view of what I am doing in a week:

On Mondays, I teach basic journalism for interested elementary students. In the afternoon, I tutor English and Filipino to a home-schooled child.

From Tuesdays to Fridays, I do my thesis at home.

Saturdays are what I call my "free" days. Being free in this context doesn't really mean I could relax or get away for a while. I only used the word "free" to describe my Saturdays, because I want to allow flexibility in my schedule. This means I could choose to do my thesis, go out with my family or friends, or take some time off in front of the computer.

Lastly, Sundays are exclusively for church worship and ministry. As much as possible, I try not to think of my work or my thesis every Sunday. There are people who need me, and I need them as well. So I make sure that I give them my full attention for the whole Sunday.

Honestly, I thought things would go easy for me if I follow this schedule that I set. I am also daughter and the eldest one in fact. As a love language to my parents, I do some of the chores in the house. I always wash the dishes, and sometimes - especially when my mom comes home late - I cook dinner. Our family loves to talk, especially over dinner. Believe it or not, it takes approximately two hours for us to get up from the dining table. We talk, we laugh, talk some more, laugh some more.

So imagine how much time is consumed in a day. As a teacher, I also spend time to study and prepare the materials for my students. Although there are times, I am exhausted physically, I am actually more exhausted mentally and emotionally.

The pressure to finish my thesis and to graduate this October is mounting. With almost a month a left, I feel excited, nervous and pressured all at the same time. And I think those emotions manifested last week when I could no longer understand what I was reading nor think of an appropriate paraphrase to put into my research. My Facebook statuses were filled with expressions of exasperation like "I could feel my brain cells evaporating". I was tired... really really tired.

As easy for others to say that I should rest, I couldn't. I was traumatized of my experience before and it was affecting me. I was consumed by the idea of working and working and working until I could be satisfied. There is a deadline that I needed to meet and I was pressuring myself to meet that.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went of to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

Although this verse gives us a picture of the prayerful attitude of Jesus Christ, it struck me differently. Jesus rose up "very early in the morning" to pray. It was still dark and everyone, even His disciples, were still asleep. Jesus, as wonderful as He already is, sacrificed His time for sleeping to pray. He was already a busy man at that time, so I'm pretty sure He needed all the time that he could get just to recharge before doing going to another town. However, He made time to talk to God. He went out to flee from things that could probably distract Him. He MADE TIME.

In order to compensate lost time, I sacrifice my time to talk to God and for Him to talk to me. As embarrassing as it is to admit, it's becoming often that I do that. I was guilty when I read the passage above. I was thinking, "What excuse am I giving not to spend time with God when Jesus was also busy?"

So for the past two days, I did not open a single window of anything work-related or thesis-related. I spent two full days of being replenished by God's Word and by the company of God's amazing people. It felt like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert, as my friend calls it. It feels refreshing... absolutely refreshing.

I guess God intentionally made me feel tired because I had become self-absorbed of both my work and my thesis. I was in that desert, parched and dried up, yet I still did not try to look for an oasis. But God took away the very thing I was holding unto - my intellect - to humble myself and focus on Him alone.

So if Jesus Christ was already a "busy man", who are we not to spend time talking to God and listening to His voice?

If I were to produce a soundtrack for my summer, I would summarize everything in "Roots Before Branches" by Room for Two. I first heard the song during the season finale of Glee, and I fell in love with the lyrics. It talks about establishing an identity before spreading wings or stretching branches. You may listen to the song and read its lyrics by clicking the video below:
Branching Out
I have mentioned before in my previous post that "I would like to continue to go through windows, just when doors are closed". Two job opportunities are waiting for me this July. The first is to conduct a junior journalism workshop (which is also found in the same link above. The second is to teach creative writing with an integration of reading and English grammar in a home school setting. I still don't know how the thesis will work out, that's why I'm putting both on hold.


These job offers came to me unexpectedly. I don't know if you have experienced the same, but I realized that sometimes we just need to stop hunting. If we're wise, we wait for the hunt to come to us. The same principle applies when we're waiting on God, except we are not to be wise - we are to be faithful (Note: I'm not degrading God to a hunt. I'm just trying to create an analogy here.). I'm not saying we are to do nothing while we wait. We are to exert effort as well but not forgetting that God has a plan. It may not be now, but if we continue to trust, He will eventually answer.


Quenching the Thirst
The first Sunday after I came back from Baguio, I was in culture shock. It felt like the church was plagued with a lot of new faces! Although I had a number of chances going home, the moments I share with the people in church are always so fleeting. It was such a struggle juggling 2-3 days among family, friends and sometimes, individual dates. Of course, there are people who I wanted also to get to know, but I just couldn't squeeze time for them.


Among those that I had to give up my time was my home-grown ministry. There were opportunities in Baguio though, but I couldn't risk my safety since most of the activities were held during the evening. I knew God was sustaining me uniquely, but I was craving to come back to the ministry I love.


Assisting during the preparation and the duration of the camp was the best comeback. It was both what I wanted and what I needed. Although the physical preparation wasn't as rigorous as the others, I was preparing myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I was never a people-person, and being in this camp means, I have to be. I could easily relate to people who are my age and beyond, but to those in their early teens is more difficult. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but probably it's because I don't know what they talk about these days.


This year's summer youth camp was about engaging in spiritual warfare. I thought it was such a brave theme because all of us were fighting head on against the enemy. I know a lot of Christians who acknowledge the presence of sin but disregard about the enemy itself. They are too comfortable in where they are now that they don't know that complacency can be Satan's way into their hearts. We can't let our guard down. We have to put on the full armor.


Although I was spiritually preparing myself before the camp, I was dealing a lot of emotional issues. I even brought them to camp while trying to put on a strong font. However, during those four jam-packed days, I realized I was putting on a fake armor. The armor wasn't strong enough so Satan came into me filling me with doubt and anxiety. The armor wasn't of God, it was of myself. Therefore, it was brittle and easily broken.


I felt humbled and blessed after knowing everyone from the camp. I may have not developed a deep friendship with them, but they inspired me. Every tear, laughter, smile and conversation inspired me to play a vital role in their lives. Every young person came to that camp with different battles. Holding on to the victory that they have in Christ, no battle can take them down. So when the camp ended, everyone came out as soldiers... as victors in Christ.


PS: To all the campers who are reading this portion of my entry, I just want to thank you for you again. Though this segment is already quite lengthy, I still couldn't come up with the right words to describe how much you are all a blessing. My prayer is that you would also be a blessing to your families, your schools and your friends, just like what you all did to me. Hold on to that victorious promise. You are not alone. :)


Bearing Fruit
Though I have been a Christian for most of my life, I admit I was selective to some of his commands. One of those commands was obeying the call of discipleship. I am a disciple, but I struggled to become a disciple-maker. There were a lot of times I was already being pressured, but I didn't have the courage that I wasn't ready. I knew it shouldn't be an excuse, but I had a lot of personal issues to deal with back then. Accountability required vulnerability, and as some of you already know that was what I was most afraid about.

Upon my permanent return to Manila, I knew I had to set my heart and mind to finally obeying the call of discipleship. There's no more running away or making excuses. This is it. I began seriously praying about it, until the opportunity came a little before and after the youth camp.

These two girls have been attending the same church I'm in for a very long time. I didn't know them until the camp! They are friends to begin with and I was both blessed by them. When I began to have a heart for these girls, I sincerely asked God if these are the girls that I will be discipling. Days after, His answer was clear and soon after, these girls became my disciples.



I knew others have thought how quick the process was, but I wanted to strike while the iron is hot. These girls have been longing for a disciple, especially from a more particular ministry. Just like apples hanging from a tree, they are already so ripe that they are waiting for someone to pick them. Whenever I meet them, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have met these wonderful girls. And I am sure that together, we will grow beautifully with the love of Jesus Christ.


This entry might be long overdue, but God's faithfulness continues. This summer was only the beginning of what God has delightfully in store for the second half of the year. This is what it is to live, to write and to inspire... all for the glory of God.

Last April, my heart was settled that I will only be enrolling to do my thesis this coming semester. Arrangements are yet to be made, but I am definitely back home for good. However, as much as I like staying at home, I wasn't used to doing nothing. Unable to handle boredom at the same time missing the stress, I knew I had to do something worthwhile. So since April, I was on 'Operation: Job Hunt'.

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