God with us!

last friday was soooo amazing grabe, i just had to share. haha God is soooo good!

ganito kasi yon...

the day started out to be so stressful. it was our finals day at our cobol training and we were tasked to present 2 cases with their corresponding analyses and solutions. everything was provided naman in fairness, from the code to the documentation, even the solution... and the instructions were clear. but the amount of resources we had was just so overwhelming we didn't know where to start hahaha. even before the presentation proper we were all super unsure of our understanding of the case (at least 2/3 of our group was? haha).



anyway, i was extremely nervous. joke. nung thursday i wasn't so nervous honestly, i had this feeling na bahala na si Lord, and i was (sorry) kindof leaning towards my smarter groupmate (read: marck!) to fill in the possible lacks. i dunno, i believe i was blessed enough to be grouped with 2 of the best thinkers in class (naks! hi kamil and marck!) that i didn't have to worry about anything other than my pride (haha!) tipong, ano kayang pwede kong maitulong sa mga to, magagaling na to eh. >XD

anyway, i was given the easiest part of the case, which i believe i understood fairly well naman with regards to the documentation, kaso when i started to read the code, i was like where the hell does this block of code explain this sentence in the docu?! where?! where?!

so i was lost. looool

after wasting so much time trying to understand the entirety of the problem, i almost gave up na. with the little knowledge i extracted from the docu, i started to create the powerpoint presentation na lang, at least may isang part akong alam kong iexplain. wag lang masyado magtanong ang mga panel haha.

anywaaaaay, we were so anxious to get the day done with, unfortunately we were the last group to present pa! grabe lang. 8 hours of tension kumusta naman yon?! during that time i was super duper nervous na. i thought, okay it's doomsday! up to that point di parin ako confident sa sarili ko na madedefend ko ung mga ipagsasabi ko sa presentation.

when we entered the room i noticed na 2 of the 8 panels were my final interviewers and i was like waaaaaah, why Lord?! whyyyy! why must they witness a shameful moment of my life?! -____-; but then, we must carry on.

i don't remember how many times i prayed to God to help us get through the day at least, but at the end of my part of the presentation (which is the first part!) i was surprised that no one asked questions! that way we were able to transition to the next part easily! that felt soooo relieving! when my other groupmate was presenting i was taking notes about what he said, para in case he asked for backup i would at least have reference but at the back of my mind i was like, i'm so sorry marck i'm not even sure how my pretentious note-taking will help you. huhu. when our presentation for case 1 ended, it's time for QnA naman. for the most part eto ung pinaka-nakakastress kasi oh my gulay what if all of them asked hard questions!?

thankfully, only (sir) bong asked questions! grabe lang! whew! hahaha after nung case 1, i was mentally rejoicing already but of course we had to carry on pa until kamil finished with case 2. thank God it went on smoothly! as in wala naman masyadong nakaka-pahiyang questions and when we were done and they were giving feedback na, i was surprised at how positive their reactions were! tipong, really? did that remark came from the bottom of your hearts?! hahaha

i was so sure na magkakalat kami but it seemed like they actually appreciated our group! yehey! seriously, i could only take God's power into account. i would never ever have thought we'll reap in positive remarks from them. as in! sa loob loob ko talaga, grabe ka Lord! grabe ka! you are so amazing! not to be so hard on myself naman, i believe i did my best during the presentation. i mustered all my courage to be able to present my part clearly and in english pa hahaha! but still, it didn't look good enough in my mind >XD

hanggang paguwi ko sobrang dumbfounded ako sa nangyari. only God can make this happen. i am so freaking sure of it. i was thinking, maybe because we were the last group to present, they were more considerate, baka nagmamadali na sila umuwi or something kaya di na masyado nagtanong, but it never felt that way. haha i will never forget how (sir) bong somehow remarked 'save the best for the last'. best feeling ever. and thank you Lord, my presentation skills were noticed too! flattering much! >XD

it's a great great feeling to know that at the very least our group left a good impression to the panel. i could only hope none of us gets truncated by thursday! >XS

nung umuwi ako, di parin ako makapaniwala. it felt like a miracle really. only God can turn a seemingly disastrous day into a victorious one. i mean, the fact that we were able to satisfy the panel is victory enough for me. it felt like taking a test knowing only 10% of the topic, and coming out with a perfect score.

i only have one thing i'm so sure of, only God can do that! ganito pala yung feeling na wala akong maipag-mamayabang kasi alam kong hindi ako yung magaling kundi si God? whew!

when i came home and finally did my devotion (na supposed to be ay first thing in the morning), lalo akong nagiyak (naiyak sa galak. ohaaa) sa title ng message: God with us

and my faith was reinforced that night, knowing that there is a God who hears our prayers and gives us victory!

have a gooooood day! >XD

UPDATE: 3/26/2014
PS: despite the seemingly good news, this doesn't exempt me from the big possibility of getting truncated by, wait, TOMORROW! my cobol 1 exercises all suck just so you know. i'm just banking on the instructors' consideration, and another miracle! yeah! haha

Hillsong United Live in Manila 2014

something to look forward to this year! famous worship group Hillsong United will be holding another concert here in manila this June 13! who cares if it's friday the 13th? haha >XD

anyway, as of writing tickets aren't up for online purchase at ticketnet and beccamusic yet but i'm sure it'll be up in a few! let's all watch out for it! >XD

Hillsong United Live in Manila 2014
June 13, 2014
7:30PM
Smart Araneta Coliseum

Ticket prices:
Patron/Lowerbox: Php 1,500.00
Upperbox A: Php 1,000.00
Upperbox B: Php 500.00

General Admission: Php 300.00

let's go! >XD

a dream in bullets

- mela dancing like crazy doing her 18th birthday video
- tall blonde guy in pink pants chasing me (us?)
- ate a muffin, saw that it has strands of hair, complained to the owner but he just shrugged
- owner happened to be sweeney todd. urhgk

Breakfast at Spiral

it's been ages since philamlife held their annual national recognition program at Sofitel! congrats mommy! i lost count of the years she's been a consistent awardee basta alam ko since grade 2 pa ko. hihi as usual, with the overnight accommodation comes the complimentary breakfast buffet (and the complimentary hoardables* as well) at Spiral! yahoo! and since terai and i are such pigs, we prepared so much for this! she worked out at the gym (it's called So Fit, katuwa. so punny! hahaha), then we swam, tapos sauna, steam, jacuzzi, and everything... magpawis ba kahit konti para ma-offset (kahit pano!) yung kakainin namin kinabukasan. hahaha

i love sofitel because their rooms are kindof bigger than the metro manila shangs, and super duper ganda ng ambience and view from the rooms, overlooking the bay ba naman kasi. haha the interiors, exteriors, lahat peg ko. ganon naman yata talaga sa mga hotel no? i looooooove hotel furniture. hahaha

anyway, on with the food! would you believe i only had 3 plates? yes! usually on buffets like this i average 4-5 plates including dessert but yesterday was different probably because it's breakfast and the food i'm looking for belonged to the lunch/dinner spread pa. haha

this was supposed to be my japanese plate, kaso hanap ako ng hanap ng maki at sushi wala akong makita kaya ayan. 

2nd plate! blueberry whipped cream pancake with nuts, yogurt with oatmeal, scrambled egg, tapa tocino and smoked salmon. lahat masarap pero hindi sila bagay sa isa't isa. walang theme ang plato ko. basta mukang masarap, getching!

last plate! salaaaaad with an abundance of parmesan and an ozom vinaigrette dressing! fruits na bawas na, i already ate the dragon fruit when i realized i haven't taken a picture yet. lolz. underneath that cracker is an assortment of cheese! hehe

ayan. kering keri ang breakfast. i had two cups of coffee that morning. during that time they were attending to sooo freaking many customers (i could tell!) because we were put in a function room (awaaaay from the buffet!) with large 10-seater round tables instead of the lounge with the pretty view (aw). i didn't like the idea of sharing the table though kasi nga terai and i eat a lot, nakakahiya naman sa mga senyorang kasabay namin. buti na lang we shared the table with tita luchie, mommy's friend, who didn't mind at all! hahaha 

i also noticed how they lacked so much man power that morning. ang dami kong naririnig na reklamo sa paligid. hehe and it took me 5 follow ups for my 2nd cup of coffee to arrive. i had a few learnings here: 

1) wherever you go, be humble, and always understand the situation. always be polite and don't be too demanding! the amount you paid for doesn't include a right to be rude. //end rant

2) health is wealth. sabi nila, ang kalusugan ay kayamanan. but lately, it seemed more like ang kalusugan ay pang mayaman. ang mahal kaya ang healthy foods!

* speaking of complimentary hoardables - eto yung mga take-homes from the hotel room na ang lakas maka-sosyal! HAHAHAHA lanvin shampoo,body gel, and soap! tootbrush set, suklay, laundry bag, stationery, sewing kit, etc, etc, etc,. aminin inuuwi nyo rin yan. >;P

osya osya, pic spam below! 

and lastly, the obligatory cr selfie! hahaha

happy sunday!

a saturday that felt like a sunday

waaaahhh yesterday was so fulfilling! breakfast at spiral sofitel, in the afternoon - attended 'foundation for victory' (f4v), explored fairview terraces - the newly opened ayala mall right across sm fairview haha, theeeen attended 7pm service! all in all i had 4 cups of coffee. wala lang. haha

anyway, our first f4v lecture was very enlightening and interesting. hahaha i actually signed up for it for knowledge purposes because i'm in this phase in my spiritual journey where i'm so excited to know more about the Bible and the doctrine of Jesus. i call it the curious phase!

when i came in, i realized that this training is geared more towards equipping us to build disciples in the future, something i've always feared a lot... before! naaaaaaaks, ngayon kasi di na a lot. pero afraid parin ako honestly.

i took it as a chance to really learn a lot, because one day, when i'm finally out there sharing the gospel, i want to be sure of what i believe in and of the things i'll be sharing to others. i want to be able to bring the same enlightenment to others, the same excitement and fascination! woooh.

okay okay, here are thoughts i found interesting yesterday hehe

when we walk in the light, our sins are magnified

which is important for a life of daily repentance. how else are we going to acknowledge our sinfulness if we continue to live in the dark! walking in the light is not a happy stroll in the park. madami kang makikita na hindi talaga nakakatuwa. mga bagay na dati akala mo okay lang, pero hindi pala! sins we considered too petty before (like spitting, or throwing balat ng candy on the streets) will sound all too grave and deserving of death. lol. seryoso. so to be in the light is an opportunity to recognize sin better, and claim victory over temptations!

faith brings about good deeds

remember that faith alone saves (ephesians 2:8-9). not faith + good deeds, definitely not good deeds alone, and most definitely not grace alone. the argument found in james 2:14-17 saying that "what good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? can such faith save them?" is only confirming the notion that good deeds is an automatic product of having faith. if you don't feel the urge to do good, then your faith must not be full.

---

i do feel more empowered even just after our first meeting. i still have a few questions but i'll save it for later na lang! haha >XD

nakaka-kilig!

last last month i joined this nuffnang blogger contest sponsored by globe where you answer the question:

“If there is one thing you can give to the Philippines, what is that gift?”

this was my response: #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014 - A gift of reading :)

the owner of the most creative blog entry will get an ipad air and a gift come true from GLOBE Project Wonderful! also, one lucky commenter will win an ipad 2 naman! bonggaaaa! sa sobrang dami ba namang nagcomment sa entry ko (mga lima HAHAHA), i know how tight the competition was. congrats to Jinky Sagum for winning with me! >XD

i didn't really expect to win (naks haha), but i knew my entry had a fighting chance because it was a pitch for TSP! it's already a great project, and i just had to write about it and let Globe know! hehe i didn't even think my entry was 'creative' per se, but i believe it was something concrete enough for Globe to take part in. yes may mga ganong konsiderasyon talaga hehehe



nevertheless, i'm soooo blessed to have won this contest! honestly, i was only aiming for the next 15 best entries kasi mas peg ko ung globe tattoo stick, kelangan ko un eh haha. pero IPAD AIR pare, IPAD AAAAIR (at the back of my mind: shoot, magkano kaya to mabebenta?!) when i learned that they'll be announcing the winners by 3pm today, inabangan ko talaga. HAHAHA as with any contest, shempre you feel hopeful! HAHAHA

while waiting i was busying myself with our cobol exercise, and a few minutes after 3pm, i checked my facebook and boom! SPEECHLESS MOMENT! as in, what, what, i won an ipad air! my classmates started flocking over me kasi sobrang naoverwhelm ako! hahaha

thank you soooo much Lord for this blessing, not only did i win an ipad air (that i am most probably going to convert to cash!) but i also kindof got Globe to sponsor TSP! asteeeeeg! i'm so excited to collaborate! ang dami dami kasi nilang pwedeng maitulong! they could fund the publishing of our first ever story book, or they could sponsor a TSP community, or they could give us free load. chos. haha

HAHA sa sobrang overwhelmed ko my hands are shaking from happiness habang nagta-type (OA much e no). pero naman kasi, this is my biggest win so far, sa dinami dami ng kung ano anong online contest na sinalihan ko. ngayon lang ako nanalo ng super grand prize, and it felt extra fulfilling pa that i didn't win this for myself, but for the countless children who are waiting to be reached! naks, maabot na namin kayo. waits lang.

anywaaaaay, i was already too distracted to continue cobol-ing after learning the good news so i just hoped against hope that i find a way to run microfocus at home kasi waley na waley parin ako sa exercise namin!

nung nakauwi nako at nagopen ng laptop, i immediately opened vm ware and launched my virtual xp, earlier at class i learned something that could possibly allow microfocus mainframe express 2.5 to run on xp (because i keep on getting compatibility errors). sabi ko, Lord i want to stretch my blessings my today... MAKE THIS WORK PLEAAASE!!! after a few clicks:

YESSS!!! IT FINALLY OPENED!!!! I AM ONE ULTRA BLESSED CHILD TODAY, THANK YOU FATHERRR!!! at dahil nagopen na sya, clinose ko rin. masaya na ko na nalaman kong matutuloy ko sa bahay yung mga exercises. hahaha

notes: micro focus mainframe express 2.5 runs only on windows nt 4 or windows 95, to make it work with xp.... right click program, properties, select compatibility tab, check on compatibility mode and select the os where the program runs natively on! yeyy >XD

ang tanong, matatapos ko ba ang exercise? haha

killing boredom, chasing dreams

i read something really insightful yesterday from Bo Sanchez' newsletter, it's about writing down our 100 dreams and working on accomplishing them every time we feel bored. i realized that there's really never a reason to get bored if we're always running after something. and if we take time to list down our dreams and aspirations in life, no matter how crazy they sound, every time we find ourselves not doing something productive, we can figure out small steps to reach them!

i find it a very effective way to avoid wasting time and eliminate boredom. even if we don't see ourselves realizing our far-fetched dreams right now, we must take small steps towards it, and eventually it'll dawn on us how close we have become. it's still better than doing something that doesn't lead to anything like scrolling over facebook or instagram. :P hehe

so what are my 100 dreams?

for now let me just write about 11? haha hey it doesn't matter how silly or impossible it sounds, as long as you can imagine yourself in it, write it down! aaaand, our small steps could be anything we can do in our free time to get a step closer to it. this isn't saying we should drop what we're doing, specially if we have a job, and chase our dreams full on. this is more of a stress reliever, doing things you like and is productive in your free time, so that a day never passes that your breaks are wasted on nothing.

so here they are!

1. illustrate a book

small steps:

- learn to draw figures

- learn rendering styles in photoshop

- read illustrated books

2. become a yogi

small steps:

- do yoga every morning (arg >XD)

- stretch! haha

3. become a pro blogger

small steps:

- write regularly
- write something sensible HAHA
   smaller steps:

   - read regularly (books, articles, novels)
- subscribe to blogs with great content

4. host a podcast

small steps:

- write about a topic i like

- record!

5. start a watercolor project

small steps:

- learn watercolor haha

- get inspired! lol

6. open an online business
small steps:
- decide on a product
- scout for suppliers

7. start a food cart business on a prime location and be super successful!

8. be a rockstar!
small steps:
- continue singing in the bathroom
- and in the tricycle on the way home because

9. write a fiction novel, ala dan brown wooh!
small steps:
- read, read, read!
- write, write write!

10. become a famous graphic designer!
small steps:
- get inspiration! browse browse browse
- draw, draw, draw
- design, design, design

11. be a philippine team swimmer naks
small steps:
- uhm, swim more often siguro no? >XD
- learn tumbling
- learn butterfly

12. become a radio dj!

13. magka-abs! HAHA have an overall fit body!
small steps:
- exercise regularly
- avoid junk foods!

hmm, i think it's a good start! nakaka-good vibes to know that i'm not gonna slump over idle moments anymore because of this list! ang galing galing lang, i just realized how beautiful life is to waste over things that doesn't lead to anything! at least strive for your dreams diba? hahaha!