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I have recently done a blog post on serving others, when I encountered this on Facebook:
Full story may be read here.
Now, having a boyfriend who worked for a while in the media, I know and understand how stories get tweaked or twisted by the industry for better ratings and stuff, but if this were true, I am so disappointed at the Binay clan. For one, you are public servants, in other words, you are supposed to serve the people, not the other way 'round. Second, last I checked, Dasma Village is privately owned, you do not have the right to dictate nor force your way through. Third, what kind of officials are you if you couldn't follow rules as simple as this? The fact that one of you had the balls to blurt out the ever famous sablay line "Don't you know me?", is embarrassing enough, you even had the guts to have the guards arrested? Shame on you people. Guns were loaded... really? Were the guards being threats or were your security thugs just maangas and trigger happy?
To the public, I encourage you to fervently pray for these officials as they have already been put in place. For the future elections however, please do not base your votes on last names that just sound familiar.
This month, I had been accidentally tasked the job of organizing our Christmas party. It started with everyone asking me whether we’ll have one this year or not. I decided to ask the boss who replied something to the effect of “We could, if you want.” I forgot the exact words. Anyway, I sent the compromising e-mail asking them if they want to have one. From there, everyone kinda assumed I’d step up and arrange it for them.
Being a part of last year’s committee, I knew off bat that this won’t be an easy task. I just thought people would want to volunteer and help. Boy, how wrong I was. Everyone, with the exception of a select few just wanted to pay up and have the party without helping with the arrangements. This stressed me out a few times. I mean, you want a party, you’d better help arrange it. I do have a point, don’t I? Yet, this logic doesn’t seem to apply to them.
Two weeks after that dooming e-mail, the frustration, irritation, and impatience are taking their toll. It’s like being pregnant, when the contractions are getting closer to each other. There were people who confirmed their participation, but backed out when it was time to pay. Then there were those who can’t decide if they’re going or not. What could be so hard? It’s a yes or no thing. Probably the worst ones are those who wanted to go to the event unwilling to contribute to the funds, telling me things like, “Hahabol lang kami” or “Sige, hindi na lang kami kakain”. I mean, come on, really?! What are we supposed to tell you when you get there? You can’t have any food or drinks because you did not pay your designated fee? Seriously?!
Anyway, that and a series of petty issues came up, like we need a tent because the old one is too ugly to repair, like the lights used last year are missing so we need to make new ones, yada, yada, yada. You can then imagine steam coming out of my ears, but then somehow God reminded me that as a Christian, I am supposed to serve others. I was created to serve others for the same way I serve them, I am serving Him.
Matthew 25:40 (NASB) The King will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
I kept thinking that this is so hard, not to mention unfair, but then again the world isn’t fair. It isn’t about being fair. It’s about loving. Each other. As God loved us. Sure, I could just drop everything and justify that it isn’t part of my job description, it isn’t my responsibility, but that isn’t loving, that is not serving in love.
Galatians 5:13-14 (NASB) For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
John 13:34-35 (NASB) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
After all, Jesus Christ came to serve. The Highest of High came, served, and gave His life as an ultimate sacrifice to save us all. Who am I to complain?
Mark 10:44-45 (NASB) and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
So I’ll suck it up and remind myself that aside from doing this for them, I am doing this for the Lord. Let there be joy in my heart while serving, and to God be the glory for all this, especially the enlightenment.
In the spirit of Christmas, let us serve one another, and let this Christ-like attitude last even after the season.
After praying for a year, it finally happened! Marc has prayed the sinner's prayer and has accepted Christ as his Savior. I am ecstatic and super excited for him! And what's great about it is the Lord's way on how it happened. It was not an instant thing... the both of us, as well as the people who love us went through a process of learning, praying, and believing. It was patience, frustrations, and lessons after lessons. Looking back through my quiet time journal, I browsed through a lot of impatient pleading, crying, bargaining, negotiating, learning, enlightenment, gratitude, shame, etc. at least on my part. In this experience alone, I feel a sense of fulfillment and eternal appreciation on what God has done and is still doing in my life. Praise Him who alone can save, praise Him for His mercy and grace.
I have shared what God is to me, I have mentioned Him a few times to Catholic friends in a weak attempt to instill a mustard seed in them. I have tried to impart my faith to others on an on and off basis, but I have never attempted to fully share the gospel to anyone. I have asked God repeatedly for an Aaron, a spokesperson who could assist... well, my idea was actually that he could do the talking and I could do the supporting. God had something different in mind, which I found out recently. I had the awesome privilege to share God's selfless act of loving and saving. It was a full blown intimate gospel sharing. The experience left me so blessed, I thought I got as much out of it as the person I shared it to. I was hit with the realization that I should've known a long time ago. It wasn't me who was doing the work. It was the Holy Spirit, and with the Holy Spirit using you and guiding you to share, there wouldn't be anything left not considered. In my case, it was an impromptu meet, yet I had my journal and my Won by One booklet with me. I had the verses written there days before, and everything just simply fell perfectly into place. In the course of sharing, I relived my own experience, times when I feel God's abounding love and grace. He gave His only Son to die for us. There is no greater love than this. It was a wonderful night.
Looks like I got my Christmas presents early this year!
It's not too late, is it? Here's my wishlist in no particular order:
Lumix LX7
Vans Canvas Trainers (in the exact colors as shown)
Pink Blazer
Out of town vacation (that includes a relaxing soak in a tub)
HTC One (32Gb, white or black)
Too much? ^_^
I have been neglecting my blog lately so now I'm trying to make up for it. It's just that I have been so very busy that I haven't had the chance to stop and just write about stuff. With all the hustles and bustles of life, I kinda lost track of making the memories. My scrapbook, which I have vowed to complete for this year has been gathering dust on top of a new shelf. Anyway, here's what's been happening lately:
Since the retirement from my previous company, my office stuff has been cluttering the living room corner. I have been too lazy to clean up and find space for them. My mom, being the sweet angel she sometimes is, bought me 2 shelves to put my kalat in. I have then channeled my inner carpenter self, (yes, I do have one, courtesy of spending much tinkering time with my dad growing up) and managed to assemble them into decent furniture.
Not bad, huh? I have transferred everything to both shelves and they now have a place in our room. I have also recently tidied up my cabinets and drawers and am hopeful they'd stay that way for more than 3 days... a week... forever.
Another thing keeping me busy is the more than usual dining with friends. A few weeks ago, Marc and I had dinner with his friends at Sunrise Buckets and coffee after at Starbucks. We had another bonding over dinner this past Friday at Vikings, SM Marikina. The reason for the cramming was the impending migration of Dave, Christine, and their daughter Charley to the States. They left Sunday, December 8, 2013.
If there was a list done to note my approval for Marc's group of friends, I would've had them at the top of the list. This group being composed of Dave and his family, Karlo and the very pregnant Lala, and Kenneth and Ann. I like them, and if I had the chance to know them longer, I know for sure I'd love them tons more. While they have the usual banter and asaran, they are not bad influences. Not even the men. Their interests revolve around cars and bikes and are not looking for ways to get away from their wives 24/7 (unlike some people I know, smirk.) I actually enjoy spending time with them, which makes their leaving that much harder.
Karlo, Lala, and the soon to be born baby are about to leave for Canada on Dec. 28, too. We're going to miss all of them.
This past weekend, I spent Saturday night to Sunday morning with the girls for fellowship. We stayed at a hotel and bonded. We did accountability activities, future visions for our life, and the like. It was a blessing to get together and have everyone there. (Almost complete!) Praise God for aligning our schedules.
I've been wanting to visit Christmas bazaars, but Marc's on business trip for the week, so we'll see if we can do it on the weekend or next week.
I recently re-took my FBS test and my sugar has gone down, but still exceeding the normal range a bit. After my follow up checkup with the endo... (Would you believe the original endo is out of the country again, and I got a different reliever this time. One who knows what she's doing, thank God, compared to the previous reliever.) I'm back on medication. This time it has gone down to one 500mg tablet a day, with strict bilin to exercise. Also, the Metformin brand has been changed from Glumet to Glucophage because of the diarrhea.
Since I don't live in a village where I could run/jog or bike, Marc suggested I do stairs instead. He's been incredibly thoughtful and supportive with this, I could not ask for more. He actually searched for easy routines I could do and emailed me instructions for them. I have yet to learn to do the stairs thing properly to avoid injuries, and I need to make a schedule I could stick to by this week. I'm due back in 3 months. Hopefully, by then I won't need to maintain the meds anymore.
For my PCOS, I'm still taking the pills. I'm on my third month now and had a bit of a mishap with the timing when I started this batch, but hopefully I could stick to the original time and be PCOS free by January!
In the mean time, I'm also adjusting my diet and trying to lessen the carbs. (Goodbye white rice, sniff sniff.)
Like most Christians, I am struggling to be a better person. Like all people, I am having such a hard time doing so. In comparison to ladies my age, one could say I have led a good life so far. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't party excessively, I go to church, I don't curse, yada, yada, but then again man's standards are different from God's. I cannot justify that I am a lesser evil for evil is evil no matter how big or small. It's like the concept of killing and stealing. Man may have set severity levels on these, but the Lord's laws see them as the same: SIN.
James 2:10 (NASB) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
So there, I am no better than the murderers or the thieves that are locked up in prison or those in line for death row. I have no cause nor right to think I am better than anyone else. Ang galing diba? Our all-knowing God has seen this even before. He has known all this and has made the perfect laws.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Anyway, the reason I'm blogging about this is because of a current discovery. Friends have been sharing posts through FB from Joy Mendoza's blog. She is the wife of Edric Mendoza and daughter of Pastor Peter Tanchi of CCF. She writes about the ups and downs of being a woman, a wife, and a mother. It's very inspiring really: her marriage, her motherhood, her personal walk with the Lord. What I like most about it is that no matter how imperfect everything is, she shows through her life how one always has a choice to pick the right side, God's side. I hope she doesn't mind that I'm sharing a link of her blog here. I wish as well that her blog encourages more people.
Love. Love. ^_^
