Kali : May 2009

Do I Know Me?

this week, i was able to have a conversation with three persons of different status. asking some advices in different life situations that they are into...

i know that i am a good listener. i am aware because i really practice that... with all efforts of keeping my mouth shut and just lend my ears wide open! and that is what's important at times when people confide to you, right??

but not all the time, you can just "hmmm... ok... ohhh! really??"
what's difficult is after they just delivered their pieces... they will look into your eyes... and wait for your reply. when the 'dead air' strikes... boom!!! its your moment to speak up!

and when this time comes, i usually take advantage of the 'air gap' - silence to pray and ask guidance to whatever words that will come out from my big mouth :)
words that might add up to their misery or hopefully might be something good that can help them to cope up...
i always pray that i can say good words to inspire them... give them hope and made the feel that things are lighter than it seems.

sometimes, i am constrained with the thought that i might not say the proper words to make them feel better... because in reality, the truth will hurt... yeah?!

and during such conversations... im afraid to involve myself... not in the situation but on my speech... when you need to site some incidents that happened. i dont want to tell other people's story... luckily, with these three.. i was able to relate...

when i share my own personal experience to them and hear myself saying the lessons that i've learned... the realization that was long overdue... those things somehow made me proud.
knowing that i survived... with God's grace ofcourse!

then i get to know me as well and realize my firm foundation of faith.

i do enjoy such conversations... serious talks... sharing experiences... giving advices that benefits both of the listener and the speaker...

and as the talk ends... there goes the question... Do I know Me?
after all the sharing... this quick question will pop into my mind and i know that no one can answer but me.

i read it before in heartlight that we have 3 personalities... that we have to discover:
1.) the person that YOU think you are...
2.) the person OTHERS think you are...
3.) the person GOD knows you are...

life is indeed a contiuous discovery of oneself.

at times when we were hit by waves and cant find the answers to why these things happens... it is because its not the proper time yet....
soon, in God's time, we can understand everything!

you are the person you are today because of these experiences.

and you need not to keep it to yourself. you have survived to share it also to other people...
we can all learn from each others mistakes... and somebody's victory will always be an inspiration to everybody.

we just have to know ourselves first... so we can introduce 'us' as the person that we truly are.

i have introduced myself to my 3 personalities... and i am happy that they collide.
knowing who i am, who you think i am and who am I in God's own eyes.

Dubai Metro

almost ready!
here's a glimpse of the Dubai Metro, the first train transport in Dubai.

the red line will run in about 52.1Km from Rashidiya to Jebel Ali (29 stations) along sheikh zayed road and is expected to operate on 09.09.09.

the green line is 17.6KM from Al Ittihad Square to Rashidiya Bus Station, through Deira City Center and Dubai Airport Terminals 1&2.

in few more months, there will be no traffic jams in the ever congested Sheikh Zayed Road... (fingers crossed!)

and bus stop will serve as a resting place, while walking towards the stations...

Crack-a-Coke and Break-a-Record

Crack-a-Coke and Break-a-Record

Coca-Cola is attempting to break the WORLD record of the highest number of Coca-Cola bottles opened at the same time.

You can be part of this world breaking exciting event as it is taking place right here in Dubai!

When: Friday 29 May 2009 @ 4pm

Where: Creek Park Amphitheatre

Everyone and anyone can be a world record breaker – bring along your friends, parents, children, grandparents and dogs (if they can crack open a Coke).
.
The Coke supply will be FREE.

open happiness

Happy Thoughts

SIMPLE WAYS TO BE HAPPY

-free your heart from hatred

-free your mind from worries

-live simply

-give more

-expect less

-fake it til you feel it!

those words are comments from my cuz - poks, from my previous blog - what's keeping me from being happy?

sounds so simple, but really hard to practice. well, we can fake it, til we feel it!!!

i believe that it is really possible... and once we have feel it and got used to it, life will be simplier and a lot better.

also, i want to add something to this... i believe that true happiness is based on and found in our relationship with our Lord.

"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,

whose hope is in the Lord his God." -Psalm 146:5

am i sounding too preachy here? are you starting to get bored with my post?

well, these days are not just the same as any other days that passed... most people are experiencing downfall... financially, morally, spiritually.

and i hope that this messages will somehow enlighten them...

for at these times, most of us were ruined by anxieties. fear for this global crisis... our minds were filled with worries, thinking about all the worst things that might happen...

"Who among you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" - Matthew 6:27

we continue to allow the anxieties of those things that we cannot control to depart us from the energy that we need to enjoy the simple and happy life that we could have.

but if we just surrender these fears to Him... we can give away smile to everybody.

it is not a matter of being thoughtless about tomorrow... but rather, we are to keep things in proper perspective.

millions have read the book - The Secret. one week. two months. lucky when they reach one year of practicing The Secret's principle... and after that, life came back to their old styles...

actually, we just made The Secret a hit! millions of copies sold... translated to different language... had dvds... but same as other phenomenal success, it will eventually fade... and with it comes the lessons of the book.

the rule is simple:

BE free from anxietiy by trusting God to oversee the matters of your life.

you dont have to read the book to understand what is The Secret.

the most significant matter is to always be willing to live in the Father's will.

"If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that..." -James 4:15

Open Happiness

what's keeping me from being happy?

this crisis keeps grilling people...
plans were set. some continue to pursue their goals, no matter what, while others have tried settling down, to whatever they have...

money talks. pre need plans, insurance, car loans, housing loans aside from shopping and out of town travels. these are just some things that makes life somehow better, but in reality, a lot more difficult.

relationship matters. break ups, dishonest partner, unwanted pregnancy... things that we cannot control yet makes us worry.

family, whether wanting it or hating it. we have them, and yet we tend to put pressure on whether we belong to a good or bad family.

these are the source of our happiness! for us to be happy in the future we need to secure it!
we have to do everything... stress ourselves out, pressures, work like donkeys and worry! all these for our tomorrow!

and that made us missed the most important part of our life. our today! we have been living ahead. we are missing the present because we always look foward for tomorrow and the day after...

the truth is there is no better time to be happy than right now!!!
if not right now... when?
when are you planning to smile? to laugh your heart out? to enjoy what you've worked for last month? to share love to your family? to spend time with friends?

do you really think that problems will be gone tomorrow???

our life will always be filled with challenges... as soon as one thing was settled, another will surely appear! that is the thrill and adventure in this wonderful life.

" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6: 34

i know, we are all securing our future. that is important!! and its a must. but to spend our days for that is different... we because we are living today. now. at present!

what's keeping us from being happy?

are we waiting for some future events that will change everything; and will make things better or different?

are we waiting for someone else to change their life, their attitued, likes and dislikes, believing that will make us happy?

do we need to have millions in our accounts to have that smile on our face?

our standard of living should supposedly make us happy. it should inspire us to do good. we it should somehow stop from there, lets make things better, by starting to enjoy life today!

" You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while... and then vanishes." - James 4:14

Now Open

sunshine after the rain

this week has been so hectic.
and there are a lot of other issues involved.
many things happened. good. not so good...

last sunday, our department had a general assembly.
our big boss announced that starting immediately, the company will implement cost cutting measures strictly... and yes, again, some people lost their job :(

then, monday came. aside from the company related concerns, our housemates (the couple) had a big argument last week... and still not ok. its their life and i dont want to share more... but the guy talked to me and expressed his grievances... which i somehow absorbed (the nega vibes).

tuesday was fair. after another tiring day, we headed to one flat where we purchased a fridge for my brother's new place. the thrill of buying some "sale" and 2nd hand items made us enjoy that night... and ofcourse, as he fixed his room, the happiness is priceless.

wednesday. another busy and quite nega day as a buyer of the washing machine that we were selling backed out. not because its not working properly, but because of the little rust in the body that he saw... which is explainable because of the kind of water in the UAE... well. its fine, since another person purchased it.

and today... before these long and stressfull week ends...
great things happened.

erika and i were able to finalized our vacation...
got approvals and confirmed flight bookings :)
and yes. we are coming home soon!!!
as she said, "Happiness! I’ve never been happy as this before!"

and while i was waiting for my boss earlier, i am talking with my nephew derick...
i asked him to pray for me, and he said: "Opo lagi kaya kitang pinag pray tuwing gabi." (Yes. I always pray for you, every night)

those words gave me confidence, because i'm having second thoughts about taking this holiday. due to the present economic condition and our company's situation... but me and my family prayed for this... that God will give what is best for me. whether to take this vacation or not... Thy will be done.

this is always true - there will never be a forever bad day or week... or good times wont really last that long. its a constant adventure. you will never know what will happen next, or how long this phase will be...

yes, there are some humps and round abouts during the travel, but the journey will always be safe and happy as long as you trust your Driver.

Thank You, NAY

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31

___

as my 100th Blog... luckily, its for Mother's Day.

and to the person who give life to us...

I just want to thank my Nanay, as I always do...

for all the love that she poured into our hearts.

for being so understanding, inspite and despite of all our mistakes.

for all the care that never change... since we were babies...

for showing us the best example of being a parent...

for allowing us to be kids... for making us feel extra special as daughter / sons...

for giving us a beautiful family.

for all the nights that she's awake, to make sure that we are safe in the middle of storm...

for all the foods that she didn't eat, since its our favorites...

for all the clothes that she made for us...

for the education that they gave...

for teaching us the right and wrong...

for being so patient that we can also be one...

for letting us stumble freely so that we can learn to stand again...

for giving us duties so that we can be responsible...

for offering your life to us...

for teaching God's unconditional love to us...

for showing us the difference of living in this world, and living for God.

and for the many many many many things...

that we can no longer write...

and for all the things that she sacrificed...

and most of all...

thank you nay, for allowing me to be me; the person that i want to be...

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!

I've Got Nothing!

I am tired...

I am weak...

I am worn...

I am a struggler...

I am a sinner...

I am a child...

I am human...

I have questions...

I have fears...

I have temptations...

I have pride...

I am self-concious...

I am selfish...

at times, I am a mess..

I cry out to you, Lord and I confess that i have nothing!

As my cries goes silent, I hear you say...

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:3

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Your grace is sufficient for me, O Lord...

I may be lacking many things.

I may not be knowlegable in many ways...

Yet, You have come to rescue me.

"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." - Romans 8:28-39

I was saved by Your love.

Strengthen by Your mercy.

I have nothing, yet, with my faith in You...

"I can do everything, through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13

Lord, I have nothing! But when I stop, listen & hear your voice...

I realize that I have You & You know me.

That's all I need.

Kamikaze - the Bomber

As most people celebrated Labor Day with rallies and demonstrations in different parts of the world last Friday...

We, the "bagong bayani" (OFW) from Dubai welcomes this day with self-pampering activities. After a whole day of shopping at the Dubai Outlet Mall, we went to DFC (Dubai Festival Center) for our dinner and to add some thrill to our not so very expensive lifestyle.