1. Jogging at the Sports Complex on Tuesday and Thursday
2. La Salle winning the championships. (wohoo, still high over it! Thank YOU Lord!)
3. Seeing and being able to talk to old friends
4. Celebration with the Spaniards last Thursday night
5. Meeting new friends
6. Free food last Friday night
7. Hearing the mass
8. Fred's treat last Friday at the Krocodile Grill
9. Go Nuts Donuts
10. 10 hours of sleep
11. GK Concert
12. Isaw and chicharon! :9
13. Seeing Gary V perform live again
14. Getting people to go to the Youth Camp (October 15-17, to those who are interested. )
15. 2 300 load in a week.
16. RE Apocalypse in a while.
17. Hershey's Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate Kisses
18. Planning something for someone's upcoming birthday :D
19. My dad coming to visit us this month
20. God's infinite love and how He can make everything alright. :D

One Tree Hill's theme song's been playing in my mind since last night.

*sighs*

Chad Michael Murray!

I was at 7-11 when the earthquake struck. I came from a YFC household (my first household since God-knows-when), then ate dinner at Wendy's, then was about to buy Flat Tops at 7-11 when the ground shook. Then Engel said, "Nahihilo ako." Which later on, she corrected herself, "Ay, lumilindol."

I didn't know what to do -- all those earthquake drills suddenly got out of my head. I held on to the shelf for support, and waited for the quake to stop. It didn't seem to want to stop, and when the lights flickered, I seriously started to freak out. The guards ushered us outside, and we stood there, holding hands and waiting for it to really stop. When we're sure it's over, Engel and Lara went home, and Engel told me to call her when I got back to the dorm. I half ran to back to the dorm (which is way on the other side of La Salle), praying as I did, because I was really scared -- it was the first time I'm going back to the dorm that late all alone -- and when I got back there, all the people were outside talking. I immediately texted my mom, and asked if they're okay, and thakn God, they are.

Engel was worried about me, because she called my phone, and then when she called me again, it was out of coverage area. I guess she didn't receive my text. It felt good that someone was concerned. Really.

God is good.

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And speaking of Him...going to the YFC household last night really made me happier. I was a little shy, because like I said, it was my first household since God knows when, but they all listened to me when I shared (kasi I'm in the "hot seat"...haha!), and after the household, they were all saying goodbye to me (Ate Tina na naman ako -- puro sila frosh!). I missed that feeling. Sobra. And it made me feel really good that I know that I'm always welcome there. That some people actually really want to get to know me there ("Talaga, kasama ka na namin? Hindi na lang hi and hello? Yay!" - Jade) and, well, I missed that.

I'm easing my way back in, and I thank God because He's given me these people who I haven't really took that much notice the past two years. I can feel their concern and love, which makes me want to spread it again.

Ang galing galing talaga ni Lord. There's a discovery camp next weekend, and I'm definitely gonna be there. :D

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And you know what else rocks? My dad's coming home for a visit on the 15th. I won't be seeing him as he arrives, but I'll be seeing him on Sunday, when I get back from camp. Wohoo.

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Nothing sure beats this happiness. I love You, Lord!

"He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done." - Ecc. 3:11

"For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disppoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." - Hab. 2:3

Thanks, Mixz.

One day in the house of God is
Better than a thousand days in the world
So blessed, I can't contain it
So much I gotta give it away,
Your love has taught me to live now,
You are more than enough for me.

I'm refreshed. I'm beautiful in God's eyes. And most of all, I'm happy.

I'd write all about it, but I have no words to describe the feeling. It didn't matter if it was YFC-DLSU or YFC-ADMU or YFC-CSB. We were all there because God wanted us to, and He sure made us feel welcome! (Yummy food, beautiful sights, no rain, cool weather)

And God told something too. That He's given me choices in what happens in my life, and that He's just waiting for me to make the right choice. And I know that He will give me strength to stand by my decision...and that in time, things will be okay.

I LOVE YOU LORD.

I think I'm gonna turn this journal into a faith journal.


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PLUG: I'm inviting everyone who will read this to Woodstruck 2004, the YFC Metro Manila Conference. Non-YFC members are invited. October 23, 2004, 4pm - 12 midnight, SM Megamall Parking Lot. :D Come and experience God in the most different way one can imagine. Comment if you want to come. :D

I learned last weekend that a friend tells a friend if something is bothering him/her. And because of the friendship that the people shared, then both shouldn't have any problem understanding whatever that is bothering each other.

So...how would you know if being involved in a friend's issues is still being caring, or interfering?

Hmmm. Just a thought. Nothing serious, just something I thought of.


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On other news, Live the Life magazine's coming out in November! Be sure to get a copy. P80 lang naman eh. Hehe. Will be out in magazine stands out there...or you can always ask me if you want to have a copy. :D

THANK YOU, LORD.

Thank You for showing me how big Your plan for me is. Thank You for letting me feel these feelings, but still reminding me that it is still You who is in control of everything and I have no desire whatsoever to take that from You.

I will hold on to what You promised me. That's all I can promise to You.

I love You!

New layout!

Please please copy the video already. I still need to get some shut-eye before we take videos for pasicatchan tonight.

Hrm.

I was browsing around Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot, looking for this particular quote I needed so I could write something, when I read this particular chapter again. I think it's really insightful...that's why I took the time to type it all in. Read it and be enlightened. :D

Chapter 21: What Women Do To Men
(from Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot)

Women are always tempted to be initiators. We like to get things done. We want to talk about situations and feelings, get it all out in the open, deal with it. It appears to us that mean often ignore and evade issues, sweep things under the rug, forget about them, get on with projects, business, pleasures, sports, eat a big steak, turn on the television, roll over and go to sleep. Women respond to this tendency by insisting on confrontation, communication, showdown. If we can't dragoon our men into that, we nag, we plead, we get attention by tears, silence or withholding warmth and intimacy. We have a large bag of tricks.

C.S. Lewis' vision of purgatory was a place where milk was always boiling over, crockery smashing and toast burning. The lesson assigned to men was to do something about it. The lesson for women was to do nothing. That would be purgatory for most of us. Women, especially when it comes to the love life, can hardly stand to do nothing.

A young woman came to me after a meeting to tell me she was going to be a missionary. "Good!" I said.

"And I'm going to get married."

"Wonderful. When?"

"Well, I don't know exactly. You see, I'm not engaged or anything."

"But you're getting married?"

"The Lord has told me I am."

"Has He told you who the man is?"

"Oh yes, he goes to this church, we're good friends and --"

"Whatever you do, don't tell him what the Lord has told you."

"But I already have. I called him right away. He wasn't sure about it. I mean, you know, like, he hadn't really felt called to the mission field or anything, you know; he was, like, surprised, but --"

"You'd better leave him alone until the Lord tells him something."

"I can't do that, I mean -- what if he doesn't understand that this is the Lord's will? I try to call him every few days to remind him. He seems sorta cool, you know, but he's thinking about it, I'm sure. Like, you know, he's really my friend and all, but well, I just know God is going to work it out."

That man has my sympathies.

Another woman wrote:


I've had nearly six months to digest your speech on submission, and now I'm seeking your advice. The matter concerns a young man I have became very attached to. I committed the matter to the Lord in prayer. I eventually dealt with the situation by writing to him and tactfully making my feelings known. He did not reciprocate my affection, but he assured me that he wanted to continue our friendship. I have written him three other letters in three months. NOne of these have been answered/ I called him, mostly to make sure I could still talk to him. Two months later, I called again, mainly to assure myself that he was still alive. He was rather cool.
In none of my letters or calls have I attempted to push myself on him. I wanted to return to our status as friends as he suggested we do.
I no longer understand him.


Poor girl. She had no business in the first place "tactfully" making her feelings known. Poor choice of words. A woman taking that kind of initiative is not tactful. Very likely, she scuttled any chances she might have had with the man. When he did not reply, she had a clear signal that he was not interested. To continue to try to arouse his interest by writing or calling was worse than useless.

I can imagine the thoughts when he picked up he phone and heard her voice. Oh no, not her again. What the heck do I do now? She's sweet, she's cheerful, friendly, maybe a little breathless. How do I get her off my back? The only course open to him was to be, as she said, rather cool. Any other response she could gave taken as encouragement.

She called again, this time, perhaps, not quite so cheerful. Maybe she breathed heavily, spoke plaintively. I'm only guessing. She did not attempt to push herself, she said. Hadn't she? She was unfair to him and dishonest to herself, only wanted to assure herself he was alive. There are other ways of ascertaining that. In truth, she was crying, "I'm here. Please love me."

She said she did not understand him. I did. He didn't love her. I tried to explain this. If he had loved her, he would' have pursued her. He did not want to hurt her, but she would not let go.

A letter published in the Christian magazine's advice column says, "I have been a widow for more than twenty years and I thought I was over my sorrow and my romantic notions. Recently, I met a man my age who had lost his wife. When I expressed sympathy, he seemed very appreciative and began to pay quite a bit of attention to me. The long and the short of it is that I fell in love with him." So far, so good. Women do that. The letter goes on, "Then the conference ended, and I went home. There was a phone call or two from him, then nothing. Next thing I knew he was dating another person." Men do that too. The amazing part to me was the columnist's reply: "If this man is as fickle as he seems to be, you can be glad that the relationship is over now, rather than later. It would be a far greater heartache to live the rest of your life with someone you could not trust."

Fickle? Someone you could not trust? What was the columnist talking about? It was the lady who first expresed sympathy. The man was glad to get that. He paid attention to her, but it was only a conference. How many days were there in which to build a relationship? The lady doesn't say he had told her he was in love with her. He made a phone call or two. That was nice of him. What else was he supposed to do?

Her expectations were entirely unreasonable. I would like to ask her what she would have said if somebody at the conference had remaked, "Well! You seem to be having a thing going with that widower!" I suspect she would have retorted, "How ridiculous! His wife just died! Can't two people even sit together without everybody's assuming they're in love?" Yet here she is now expecting much more of the poor man, resenting his dating somebody else. She's been treated shabbily, the columnist tells her.

I protest. Women expect too much of men.

I can hear the howls of protest from the women. "Men want to play around. They lead us on, try to get what they can out of us, deceive us," and so on. True enough. Which is exactly why I beg women to wait. Wait on God. Keep your mouth shut. Don't expect anything until the declaration is clear and forthright.

*ouch* Haha. Tamang tama ano.

"Let my mouth speak in praise of the Lord, let every creature bless His holy name, for ever and ever." - Psalm 145:21

I should remember this. I should remember this.