My favorite place in Ireland

It's Kerry, no doubt about that! :)

Life is not all about Work

"Still you hear me when I'm calling

Lord you catch me when I'm falling

And you told me who I am...

I am Yours...."

For the past two weeks, my work life has been a helluva roller coaster ride, with a big sudden dip splashing me with criticisms and testing my self-esteem earned in the last seven years in the market place. But I was just briefly reminded that my security should not be placed on work. "What do workers gain from their toil?" asks Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Life isn't just about work. Though I've been failing more and succeeding a little in my current marketplace, I don't have to be insecure especially when I'm fully aware that I've been giving my best.  

If I'm sad about work, that doesn't mean I should be sad about life in general. It's a big part, yes, because I work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and work, I've learned in my Christian walk is a ministry, a place where I can use well the talents I've been granted with, a place for training to relate to people, to practice love and kindness. But it's not all.

If I lose my work now, I won't grumble, I won't complain. It won't be the end of the world because I know, God will still take care of me. I'm secure in my place in His place somewhere out there. God loves me no matter what,  He hears me when I call, He catches me when I fall, and He always tells me who I am. :)

10th M♥nth

Some 10 things for the 10th

10 Things in the Past 10 months

1. Philippines/Singapore/Ireland.
2. Phone calls/Skype/YMs.
3. Airports/Airplanes/Tickets.
4. Flowers and Chocolates.
5. Leila and Raoul.
6. Time Difference.
7. CCF.
8. Prayers.
9. Moo!!!
10. Day 33/40 - Relationship Principles of Jesus by Tom Holladay

10 Things I Love About You

1. You love God and you take your faith walk seriously. (gazillion pogi points)
2. You sing songs to wake me up. 
3. You buy me flowers. :)
4. You remember small details about me.
5. You like photography, travels and books.
6. You appreciate my unique beauty (uy meron pala?! hahaha).
7. You accept my flaws and scars, the bad and the ugly sides.
8. You know when to pamper me like a princess, when to rebuke me like a child.
9. You listen to my nonsense ramblings, you laugh at my corniest jokes.
10. You care for my dreams, from the silliest to the grand ones.

Because of You....

1. I now know why it never worked with anyone else. 
2. I'm now watching CNN and National Geographics.
3. I cooked! (waaaah!)
4. I've forced myself to wake up early.
5. I've been trying to live simply.
6. I've learned to prioritize and value what matters.
7. I learned not to get stuck with my mistakes.
8. I'm no longer as afraid to fail.
9. I learned about CCF... and my faith journey was never the same AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...
10. I know that God indeed loves me! :) (and you can forget about everything I've written except this one.)

Oh Good God, where shall I start?

It's been over a month and I still can't believe that Lando and I are engaged. It's s still so surreal! Oh yes folks, let me just say repeat it again in all caps: WE ARE ENGAGED. Why do I feel giddy every time I say these 3 words that changed my life forever? (*_*)

Please understand, that I'm still going through the just-engaged syndrome, if there's such a thing. Hahaha! I'm happy, giddy, dreamy and unbelievably excited! The downside is, I'm completely overwhelmed with all the plethora of resources and the million-mile-long wedding preps list that I find myself doing this and that without really accomplishing anything!

For example, I woke up this morning and found myself googling "Wedding venues in Tagaytay", flipping wedding magazine pages, browsing brochures I looted in the two wedding expos I've been and discussing with fiance over skype our wedding budget! At least the budget was all set so as not to shock as quotations have already started piling up!

These photos will tell you the story:

I'm praying to God to give us wisdom and put HIM first in making our decision: a.k.a choosing suppliers and eventually shelling out hard-earned savings, ay savings lang pala ni fiance! Hahaha!

After all, our wedding is going to be God's story. Because He led us into this moment, right here, right now, preparing for the big big day when we will finally become one!

So, let's start... Where shall we start? :)

Fears for all things new

Here I am at lunch break in an unfamiliar concrete jungle. You zoom in and you see me in my cube typing away words that have been running my mind since Day 1, the day when I took the plunge in my new job, my so-called leap of faith a month ago.

Today is the end of my second week and yet, I still find myself getting overwhelmed with all the jargons and acronyms I see everywhere, and worst, have to get used to or memorize. I feel dumb most of the day for navigating a system that is completely alien to me. I get shy with new voices and faces. I was born introvert and I haven’t figured out how to be Ms. Extro without looking like an idiot or a phony or both. I smile alright then stay silent.

It’s quite hard describing a new phase of life or in my case, a new job. If this is called growing up a.k.a. leaving your comfort zone, then I must deal bravely with my fears for all things new:  workstation, local number, accounting system, company jargons and the hardest, always the hardest---new faces, new bosses.

I hate to say this but I've been feeling so alone for most of the 8 hours in the past two weeks. But even so, I don't want to grumble. In the first place, I asked this job from God and He allowed for things to happen. Yesterday, I lead the devotional in my bible study group about God's Immensity. I know He is miraculously BIG and I just have to keep on trusting and putting my security in Him, not on anything, not even on this job. I know that I should just cast and surrender all my fears to my BIG BIG GOD who owns the universe and who, by His perfect will, can realign everything to give me help and grace that I need. My BIG GOD is bigger than my fears, surely! :)

Now, I shall go back to work.

Hello Howth!!!

Finally saw an afternoon full of SUN in Ireland (these pre-autumn/post-summer days, Mr. Sunshine is hard to come by).  We spent the whole day in picturesque Wicklow (which is worthy of another post). Would have been perfect except that it was cold, damp and raining, not a very good case for photo ops.

We got back in Dublin before 5PM and were surprised by SUN!!! It was as if the king sun has just risen from its peaceful nap and begun spraying rays and rays of sun! In Ireland, if there's a ray of sun, you don't waste it, you go outside, lay down in park, hit the mall, go get your bike and spin off and in our case, go to the beachside: in Howth! :)

Our Howth Day! :)

8th M♥nth

30th of August 2011. The first monthsary that we were actually together, in one place, in the same country, in the same timezone. And it happened to be in the charming city of Dublin, Ireland. R booked me a ticket to Ireland to bridge the long distance relationship somehow. I resigned from my previous job and was transitioning to a new one so the timing could have never been any perfect. 

This is the most romantic thing a guy ever did to me. Ever. I couldn't help but swoon---at the flowers on my arms, at the blinking white lights behind, at the man I waited and prayed for. 

Happy 8th R. I really couldn't ask for more. 

First Day High in Ireland

It was my first day in Ireland yesterday. I was not wearing the proper cold weather apparel, but I braved the cold nonetheless to jump start my visit in Ireland. :) I had only taken a few photos because we were trying to catch up the stores at 6PM to get me the right clothing (boots, thick jacket, etc). We only started the stroll at 6 pm because bf had to work (sabi ko na nga ba!) and I was still struggling with a jetlag from my almost 24-hour flight, thus couldn't leave the pillow and the blanket during the day.

There are some things I learned about the city of Dublin during the walk. In Ireland, most stores even in the city center, only stay open till 7PM. Most employees are already on their way home at 6PM. Just how lovely is that? :) Cheers to my first day high. I promise to take lots and lots of photos. Just waiting for shopping to get done and Dublin, I'll ,explore you. I swear. :)

Blessing Overflow

God is at work today! Whew! I can only thank Him over and over again! See my sequel of tweets today:

Yes friends, I made a leap of faith today! I bounced and I lept with faith and God granted me the desire of my heart! Oh what a great thing to trust God more! This blessing is a humbling experience! Thank You Lord for this one big favor! :)

Introvert on Interview

“So how do you classify yourself? Are you an introvert?” asked the interviewer.

“I was born introvert but I’m learning to be extrovert, so I think I’m in the middle” I said. Oh my gosh, is there a word “extrovert?” Pang Ms. Universe ba? Hahahaha. I don’t have any regrets with my answer. It’s the truth. I’m in the middle.

Another truth is: I hate interviews. I just don’t hate them, I dread them. I get nervous on interviews. I stutter, I ran out of words. But today is different. Today is the breakthrough.

I related yesterday that I would be interviewed today. Haven’t done this in one year plus so I was nervous as a freaking dog who just had its first shower in 10 months. Honestly folks, I think I did well. *blush*blush. But as I tweeted, “God’s will be done”… Of late, God has been imparting me to ask… So ask, I did. I asked to be able to answer all the questions excellently. I did not ask first to be accepted. I am now learning to be patient. Paisa-isa lang. Our hearts can only handle too much. First ask for grace to be able to pass through a difficult times, then God will clearly reveal to you what to do next.

There’s no use fearing things, bible says so 365 times! ;)