Life can seem unbearable at times, but don't let it keep you down. Meditate on God's goodness, talk to Him, and know that He hears you. When life knocks you to your knees, you're in a good position to pray.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Break
Sorry po... hindi pa kaya ng powers ko. Hope to be back soon.
I am currently working on my quiet time right now. I miss my college days, where I guess I've had the healthiest quiet time ever since. I was thinking back then that I have the lousiest quiet time of all but if I'm going to compare myself before and now? I'd say that's the best that I've done. I'm ashamed, really. Because instead of improving as I get older, it just appeared I even got worse.
Well, I know it's not really the end of everything. There's always room for improvements. I should not let myself dwell in this guilty feeling, for I won't be able to do anything if I just kept on worrying about it. As of now, some people are helping me in establishing back my quiet time, through prayers & reminders.
Why'd I say that I did better when I was still in college? Well, I used to have a more constant appointment with God compared to now. Though I don't have fixed time for my appointment with God, which is encouraged... well actually I think it should be that way, so as to have discipline as well. But then due to the added responsibilities as you get older, like you finally get a job, help your parents support your daily living finances, other commitments, etc. etc., it came to a point where I did not have a quiet time at all.
What's a quiet time anyway? And what it has do with our life? I just chose this article I found on the internet about quiet time, because I'm not that good at words and I'm not in a mood right now to think more. It's only 5 minutes before we logout and we actually leave on the dot so I have to hurry this thing up or my colleagues will leave me behind.
Inside Saddleback: What's a quiet time? by Todd Wendorff
Every relationship takes time to develop. You have to spend time with someone to take that relationship deeper. It's no different with our relationship with the Lord. Spend time with Him. There is just no other way.
That's why we encourage every believer to develop the habit of a daily time with God. As simply as I know how to put it, a quiet time is time alone with Lord. If we do not spend time cultivating that one-on-one relationship with Him, we will eventually feel spiritually disconnected from Him, out of touch, restless, dissatisfied and unfulfilled. After a while we will begin drifting away and no longer be influenced by His presence in our lives.
The fact is we all desire a closeness with God but often aren't experiencing it simply because we aren't spending time with Him. After a while we say to ourselves, "I'm the same old person I've always been." "I'm not changing." "My relationship with the Lord is stale and stagnant."
That's why each day we need to set aside time to spend with the Lord in Bible reading and prayer in order to deepen our knowledge and love for Him that will result in real life change.
When I find myself worrying, it's an indication that I am not spending time with the Lord.
When I find my mind wandering or my heart hardening to the things of God, it's again, an indication that I am not spending time with the Lord.
The primary goal as growing Christians is to become "conformed to His likeness" (Rom. 8:29). Another word for conformed is "transformation" which means "life change from the inside out." We can change a behavior or an attitude on the outside, but to change on the inside takes inner transformation. Whatever is going on in your heart will be mirrored by your actions. No one can fake it for long. To change the inside takes a deeper relationship with the Lord. What we also desire for is congruence. We don't want to live one way in public and another way in private. It takes time with the Lord to bring these two into more alignment and consistency.
Roman 12:1-2 reveals that the only way to be transformed is to read, study and reflect on the word of God. The two primary elements that are used to accomplish this are Bible reading and prayer. I have written the following guide to help motivate you and give you the tools you need to begin implementing a quiet time into your daily schedule.
One author says, "In practice we often find ourselves to be "thirsty" Christians: either because we are failing to drink or because God is stretching our capacity for Himself and we need to drink more deeply."
If you find yourself restless, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled, it's because you are not regularly drinking in God's word or you are not going deep enough in the well. So I encourage you to use this guide and begin to spend regular time with God and drink deeply.
"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:14 (NASB-U)
"My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken." Ps 62:1-2 (NASU)
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Ps 42:1 (NIV)
"The one who looks steadily at God's perfect law…and makes that law his HABIT - not listening and then forgetting, but actively putting it into practice will be happy in all that he does." James 1:25 (Ph)
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Ps 1:2 (NIV)
(originally saw this from http://jimmy-read.blogspot.com/2004/11/whats-quiet-time.html)
I am starting to get really lazy and lose interest in blogging, but I guess it's just for now. Nga lang I don't feel good leaving my blog friends hanging and waiting for my next update. I really am so sorry my friendly friends if I haven't updated this blog for quite a while. I've been busy thingking and doing a lot, and planning what I would do but the fact is I haven't done anything I planned. Feeling ko, ang gulo gulo ng utak ko ngayon. Di ko mawari kung anong nangyayari, but I just feel like eveything is not in it's place, or pinagugulo ko lang ang sarili ko. I can't really describe my state of mind right now, pero magulo lang talaga. Haay...
But since I promised I'm going to show you some of our captured moments in the Island of Mindoro, eto na po ang mga pics as promised. Pasensya na po talaga sa delay dahil hiningi ko pa ang mga yan. Ang hirap talaga ng walang digicam.
So here's what we practically did during our vacation in Puerto Galera.
We left Manila at around 5am in the morning and had our 2 or 3 hours travel time ata yun to Batangas Pier. I am actually already used to going there since our province is in Mindoro, but not to go to Puerto Galera. Our family usually rides the RORO to get there, but there are separate smaller boats that will take people to Puerto Galera.
So we boarded on this boat to get there. It was my first time to ride a boat from Batangas to Mindoro and find it a lot more fun since I get a closer look at the water. It was like 45 mins to an hour travel time from the pier of Batangas to the shores of Puerto Galera. Inantok ako ng onti habang nasa laot kami (or in the middle of the sea) but I didn't fall asleep. It was my first time din to go to Puerto so when we got closer to the shores, I can't help but admire the clearness of the water. I have been going to beaches since I was a kid and I've never seen anything clearer than the waters of Galera. Well that's because we can't afford to go to resorts kaya we only get to bath in some beach areas in Mindoro that are free. Kaya yun na ang pinakamalinaw na tubig na nakita ko among beaches. Napaisip nga ako eh, paanong malinaw ang tubig doon samantalang sa ibang beach, hindi mo makikita ang ilalim. Yun talaga kita mo ang tinatapakan mo, at ang dinadaanan ng bangka, lalo na kung di pa ganun kalalim.
So still amazed at what I saw, and mind you, I'm not really used to seeing people wearing clothes that only cover their private parts, or sa madaling salita, bikinis in person, I can't help but stare and wonder. Sensya na, lumaki kasi ako sa bundok . Saka ang mga tao dun kasi, walang kyeme. Kahit na nagsusumigaw na ang kanilang mga bilbil eh parang wala lang. Ikaw ang mahihiya kung maliligo ka nang hindi ka nakaganun. At lalakas ang loob mo maski na meron ka nang ready na salbabida around your hips or belly.
We then headed to our cottage. Ang ganda sana ng pwesto. Well actually, maganda naman talaga dahil overlooking sa buong shores ng resort na pinuntahan namin nga lang, since mga pagod kami galing sa byahe, we are all complaining dahil sobrang taas ng inakyat namin. Pero okay talaga sya, lalo na kung gusto mong mag-relax dahil malayo sa madlang people at sa maingay na night life. Tapos nga kita mo ang buong island.
Ito ang makikita mo mula sa cottage:
Oh diba! Ang taray!
So what we did the whole day after our arrival is to swim and eat. Ang ibang kasama namin, gumala, nagpa-henna (andaming naghe-henna dun), nagpa-corn rows (maliliit na tirintas lang yan na nakadikit sa anit), at ang iba nagbanana boat na.
At nang pahapon na syempre, palalampasin mo ba naman ang magandang sunset.
The next day, we all woke up early for our next activity: Island tour and Snorkeling.
On the boat during Island Tour
(Wala akong pics nung Snorkeling eh.. sayang)
Bumalik kami nung malapit nang mananghalian. Since hindi naman kami lahat kasya sa kusina para maghanda ng pagkain, ang iba sa min ay naligo ulet at ang mga hindi nakapag-banana boat kahapon (kasama ako dun) eh sa araw na 'to nag-banana boat.
Inaayos na namin ang aming mga sarili sa banana boat. Sa dulo ako pumuwesto dahil kawawa daw ako pag nasa gitna, madadaganan ako. Ang liit ko pa naman. eh yun pala, masmadali kang mahuhulog dun, dahil lahat ng alon galing sa unahan, sayo hahampas.
Ayan na nga po't hinila na kami.
Scary mag-banana boat, pero masaya . Hinihila sya ng speedboat at pilit ilaglag ang mga nakasakay. Masarap kapag may alon, yung tipong tumatalbog kayo, pero hindi masarap kapag hinuhulog ka . Medyo risky kasi malaki ang chances na magkaroon ng injury. Kaya kahit na madali ako tumilapon sa dulo, at least wala naman akong nasasaktan, or hindi ako masasaktan. Pero hindi rin naman masaya kapag nahuhulog ka, kasi masmasaya kapag nakasakay syempre. Dagdag pa yung sobrang exhausting at nakaka-drain naman talaga kapag babalik at sasampa ka na sa banana boat. Madulas kasi, tapos galing ka sa tubig. Try nyo minsan para ma-experience nyo .
Pagtapos ng tanghalian, alis na kami ng Puerto Galera at pumunta naman kami sa Falls. Pero hindi naman kami ng araw din na yun naligo. Ang lagay eh, lagi na lang kaming basa. Tumambay muna kami sa bahay ng isang ka-church namin na taga-Mindoro din and on our way to their place, nadaanan namin ang isang masterpiece ng Lord. Ang Tamaraw Falls.
Tamaraw Falls. Ang ganda nyan lalo pag maganda ang camera. Pwede mo gawing wallpaper, lalo pag magandang anggulo nakuha mo. Phone ko lang kasi pinangkuha ko nyan kaya di ko makuha yung buong falls.
Picture taking lang ginawa namin sa Tamaraw Falls. Eh nadaanan lang naman namin yun saka nasa daanan talaga sya.
Tapos, kinabukasan, punta naman kami sa Baco, sa Lantuyan. Dun kami naligo.
Sa batis sa Lantuyan. Sobrang lamig ng tubig dito, prang may yelo. Brrrr!
Hindi ako sumabay sa mga kasama ko, na umuwi din ng araw na yun. Nagdecide kasi akong mag-stay pa para madalaw ko naman ang mga kamag-anak ko. Minsan na lang kasi akong makapunta dun eh. Syempre, may trabaho.
Nung Friday pa ko nakabalik from my vacation in Mindoro pero sa pagod, ang ginawa ko lang nun eh mag-check ng new messages at mag-bloghop. Tapos yung mga following day, busy din dahil may mga naka-pending akong trabaho pagdating ko.
Sa ngayon, wala pa ko mai-post tungkol dun sa aming bakasyon dahil wala pa kong pictures. Hindi ko kasi madala ang phone ko nun (yun lang ang cam na dala ko kasi) kasi mababasa. Saka baka mawala lang, tapos lagi pa kaming nakabilad sa araw, baka masira sya sa sobrang init. Na-nognog nga ako eh. Sino ba namang di iitim? Sarap kaya maligo sa malinaw na tubig ng Puerto Galera.
Bumili din ako ng hamster for pet. Naaliw kasi ko dun sa alaga ng pinsan ko na bigay pala sa kanya ng manliligaw nya kaya hindi ko tuloy mahingi. Bumili ako ng pares para pwede padamihin . Anlalakas na kumain. Kakatuwa sila. Ang cute! Parang mga stuffed toy . Post din ako pics para makita nyo. Wala pa ko nabibiling kulungan eh, sobrang naubos pera ko nung nag-Galera kami. Kaya ngayon, sa makeshift na bahay sila nakatira, sa kahon ng sapatos . Ayos naman sila dun.
I don't intend this to be my life's chronicles but I might write some of my experiences here.
Even so, everything that's written in here are either products of my excessive contemplation, or just plainly, pure boredom.
In any case, I still try to write as sensible as possible, for what I really intend to do and I hope is achieved in every writing,
is to impart or share some of the things I learn and sometimes, some struggles in life. Don't expect all seriousness in everything in here though.
In short, this blog is my outlet. My noted thoughts and reflections.
About Me
Name: Goldi
Home: Pasay City, Philippines
Birthday: June 2
Hobbies & Interests: Jesus, music, books, journals, internet, computers, tech stuff, gadgets * sound tripping, singing, playing musical instruments (I know guitar and flute recorder, I just wish I can play them well), watching movie with a tub of popcorn drizzled with melted butter (yum!), reading * observing, pondering, reflecting, learning * laughing or making people laugh (though I'm not good at it) and laugh with them, make people smile, or just listen to their stories. Minsan, trip ko lang din mang-asar =p
About Me: I'm a simple, idealistic but down-to-earth, & friendly person. Quiet most of the time, but friendly enough to have a nice talk (or even a hearty laugh) with anyone. "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 NLT
Principles I live by:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4
"If people talk negatively about you, live in such a way that no one will believe them."
"God is a God of happy endings. If you're not yet happy, it's not yet the end."
"It's not what we know but what we do that counts." -Our Daily Bread
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Dumbledore, Harry Potter 2
"Girls should assume that until a guy expresses interest, they're just friends." -J. Harris, Boy Meets Girl
"True love doesn't just wait; it plans." -Boy Meets Girl
"Eros will have naked bodies; friendship naked personalities." -C.S. Lewis
"Ideals are like stars; we will not succeed in touching them with our hands but by following them, as the sea faring man in the ocean, we will reach our destiny." -J. Harris, Boy Meets Girl
So we boarded on this boat to get there. It was my first time to ride a boat from Batangas to Mindoro and find it a lot more fun since I get a closer look at the water. It was like 45 mins to an hour travel time from the pier of Batangas to the shores of Puerto Galera. Inantok ako ng onti habang nasa laot kami (or in the middle of the sea) but I didn't fall asleep. It was my first time din to go to Puerto so when we got closer to the shores, I can't help but admire the clearness of the water. I have been going to beaches since I was a kid and I've never seen anything clearer than the waters of Galera. Well that's because we can't afford to go to resorts kaya we only get to bath in some beach areas in Mindoro that are free. Kaya yun na ang pinakamalinaw na tubig na nakita ko among beaches. Napaisip nga ako eh, paanong malinaw ang tubig doon samantalang sa ibang beach, hindi mo makikita ang ilalim. Yun talaga kita mo ang tinatapakan mo, at ang dinadaanan ng bangka, lalo na kung di pa ganun kalalim.
. Saka ang mga tao dun kasi, walang kyeme. Kahit na nagsusumigaw na ang kanilang mga bilbil eh parang wala lang. Ikaw ang mahihiya kung maliligo ka nang hindi ka nakaganun. At lalakas ang loob mo maski na meron ka nang ready na salbabida around your hips or belly.
. Hinihila sya ng speedboat at pilit ilaglag ang mga nakasakay. Masarap kapag may alon, yung tipong tumatalbog kayo, pero hindi masarap kapag hinuhulog ka 
. Medyo risky kasi malaki ang chances na magkaroon ng injury. Kaya kahit na madali ako tumilapon sa dulo, at least wala naman akong nasasaktan, or hindi ako masasaktan. Pero hindi rin naman masaya kapag nahuhulog ka, kasi masmasaya kapag nakasakay syempre. Dagdag pa yung sobrang exhausting at nakaka-drain naman talaga kapag babalik at sasampa ka na sa banana boat. Madulas kasi, tapos galing ka sa tubig. Try nyo minsan para ma-experience nyo 
).
Nung Friday pa ko nakabalik from my vacation in Mindoro pero sa pagod, ang ginawa ko lang nun eh mag-check ng new messages at mag-bloghop. Tapos yung mga following day, busy din dahil may mga naka-pending akong trabaho pagdating ko. 
. Anlalakas na kumain. Kakatuwa sila. Ang cute! 
. Post din ako pics para makita nyo. Wala pa ko nabibiling kulungan eh, sobrang naubos pera ko nung nag-Galera kami. Kaya ngayon, sa makeshift na bahay sila nakatira, sa kahon ng sapatos 
