A Glance Ain't Enough...Why Don't You Take Another?!?

Waking up every morning,doing the usual daily routines,getting yourself busy and all that stuff...Probably,this is the daily lifestyle for most of us.But let's just pause for a while and start it with this part...:P

One of the first things that you probably do every morning right after you wake up is look in the mirror.What do you see???A person with eyes still half-open,a disastrous hair,with still a hint of sleepiness in his/her whole facial expression...(Yep,whether smiling or just plain bored and annoyed...) It would even look scarier if you hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before...(Yup,plus the eye bags and eyesores!) But after you've taken your shower,brushed your teeth,and done the first comb-through on your hair,the view looks a lot better.Further,after the final touches you do with your hair and apply a little touch of make-up,(I don't do this one... :P) the view even, more so, improves...

At first glance,you seem to find yourself unhappy about the way you look.Either your nose is too long or short,your eyes are of the wrong color,having a zit or two,or something's just wrong with your smile,or worse...you see everything about your face wrongly proportioned!Just as if looking at yourself in the mirror would give you a day-long eyesore! Okay...Just before you feel that you're the ugliest being who ever lived on earth...Try to look again...You might be seeing someone who has all the imperfections one could ever have and all that,but look even closer.----------Now what do you see???

You know you're a person who has unique skills.(and might even have one you could call your own!) You have the ability to make a difference.Not only in your life's situations,but also in other's lives as well.You are the right person for the job at hand.Though you might need to make a few adjustments regarding some of the situations,you see that you really do have the potential.Probably even the one who would lead the whole group to the success of that something you ought to do!

You know God is your Creator,and you clearly know that He created you perfectly.Even patterned upon His own image.And if you happen to think that you weren't given any special talents or gifts to develop and nurture,think again!You don't really have to know how to play an instrument,be good in academics,know how to sing or dance or even compose a poem or so to consider yourself gifted by God's grace!

Don't you know that knowing how to care or reach out to others is a God-given gift as well???Yes,it is...Though it might only seem to be a simple and an "anybody-can-do-that-thing" kind of situation,trust me,it isn't!Actually,if you just take another look,it ain't that simple.Not all can care like you do...Not all can also make feel one better when he or she is down like you do...(Others might even let them feel worse just by trying to attempt to!) It is a gift....And it's stated in His word.There are no such beings who are totally useless created by God!Each and every one of us is sure to have been entrusted with something by God.

There's no such person in the world without any talent or God-given gift.Even those who are mentally retarded or those who were born with disabilities do have their own specialties... Infact, animals and plants do too!You are a valuable person in God's eyes.For He created you with His own hands,and also treats you as a child of His own.The world was created perfect.But because of sin,it wasn't the same as before,and so are all it's inhabitants,including us.Yet still,God doesn't see our imperfections.But sees whatever He created in us beautiful.And even values our good more than anything else.Instead of just mumbling and getting yourself heated up there,maximize whatever He has given you.Use it to it's full potential in helping others or even by glorifying Him.So before we criticize ourselves on how ugly,unpleasant or how imperfect we look outwardly,put your "God-glasses" on and take another and even closer look...Ü

A Week Away From Civilization

Hey there!:) Just came back from YGC Youth Summer Camp last Saturday...Well,I was really exhausted so I just got to write my entry today.I got to have a six-day break from the bustling noise of Manila.Though I'm not that sure if it's called a "break" hehe...Anyways...The camp was entitled "Real or No Deal" and was held at Caliraya Recreation Center in Laguna from April 7-12,2008. (Actually,I just went there last December for our church's winter conference.:P)
This time,I went with some of my church friends to this camp.We traveled by bus and it was a pretty long drive from Manila.About 5 hours or so?Imagine that...Good thing we had a stop-over.Got to grab some coffee from Starbucks along the way...:) Upon arrival,we were all very tired from the long trip, and still had to ride a boat across the lake to get to the resort.Since we got there at 11:30,we immediately had to proceed with the opening program and the acquaintance games.Turns out,the rooms weren't ready yet.So after the games...It's chow time!Starvation much!(Yep...we were pretty hungry and were already eating horses!) and right after munching,siesta time...I grabbed the chance to replenish myself and get some needed sleep.During that evening,we had our first message.In this camp,we had to of the most renown speakers.Rev.David Cheung for the theme message and the evangelistic message (group A) and our church's very own Rev.Danny Reyes for the revival message of group B.The schedule of the camp was quite hectic...Despite having 5 days for all the activities,it was still a jam-packed sched for us.Though the sched seemed tight and all,I never regretted attending this camp.(I almost backed-out---due to some personal reasons.) My confirmation in UST was scheduled on April 8.Since I was in Caliraya,my parents had to be the ones to confirm for me...God had been so gracious that nothing went wrong.This time around,I got to experience the "Slip and Slide"(I wasn't able to experience it last December during our church's wintercon) It was so fun!!!Though dirty haha...It's a fun way of getting oneself dirty!You'd be sliding from a hill above,covered in soap water...All the way down to a whole puddle of mud!!!Yuck...but fun...:P We also had a sportsfest in our camp.The "algorithm march" was simply hilarious! Haha...:P For the last night...We had the awarding of camp ballots and some presentations wherein we had to present a bible story skit with having commercials as a twist.It was fun...:) The camp program committee had lots things in store for us for the whole camp.Never did we have any dull moment.Our team turned out to be the over-all winners in the camp activities.We were named "Phi's Angels" (since we had ahia Philemon as our head counselor in the team.) We got Starbucks Coffee gift certificates each as prizes...Neat Huh?!?Then after the awarding,we headed off to the lakeside to have some fellowship and some bonfire.We sang songs and ate underneath the beautiful silhouette of the starry sky ceiling.The sight was simply breathtaking...Had our last shots of the camp to make memories last...:P The camp had been fun...I learned a lot of things. Especially things about God and how vital and important His word is in our lives.Realizing how privileged I am to be chosen as one of His children.Some of us take His gift of salvation for granted.We should love Him for He is God.Not because of the things that we'd be gaining or benefiting from.We should realize His feelings or try putting ourselves in His shoes.Would He be happy or would He be pleased?We should always remember such questions in our mind before making any decision in our lives.I also learned that we should view things with an eternal perspective and not use worldly things as a basis in our lives.Aside from learning things about God,I also got to learn things about life as well...We had some of our camp counselors to discuss the special topics with us.They were really a great help and very informative since the topics were about the usual things that teenagers like us worry about or think about in our minds.(e.g. love life,family feud,media...etc...) Like any other camp,we had our own devotional groups with our very own counselors...Thus making the learning experience more fun.;P I'm greatly thankful that God gave me a chance to be able to experience such an event in life...To Him be all the glory...:P

YGC Youth Summer Camp 2008

Caliraya Recreational Center

A top view of the whole venue

Enjoying the obstacle course with Kristelle

Kristelle, Katherine and Me

Bonfire during the camp's last night

Goofing around with my fellow UECM colleagues

The group with Achie Mary Grace

**For the rest of the pics...Just visit http://pinksapphire08.multiply.com

A Night That Has Left a Mark In Our Lives

The day drew closer than I thought...March 29,2008 that is...The much long-awaited Grad Ball of SSHS Batch 07'-08'....(well,for some it is...hehe..:P) Another part of our highschool life and probably one of it's lasts.But definitely one of the most memorable and spectacular.Not only in our highschool life but also in our life as a whole.For you guys....Here goes my entry!:P

The Whole Table of Friends

I wasn't able to schedule any appointment for that.Haha...Goodness gracious...It's really good that I needed to get my do done earlier since they are already full with appointments by the afternoon!After getting it done,we(with my mom and sis) walked in Shakey's to grab some lunch and headed over St.Stephen's Parish for a before-performance rehearsal.By 2:00 we already left for Liberty Hall for my performance.After rendering the song,I left right away to go and get ready for the grad ball.My friend arrived just in time to fetch me.We then dropped by at his house in Dynasty Towers to get changed and eventually, set-off for the hotel.We were already in Makati around 5:20.It was extremely early and I didn't expect that we'd be so!Since Ongpin area had terrible traffic that day!Me and my friends heard about last year's "early-bird" award and we wouldn't want to be awarded "that" this year sincAt first,I wasn't really planning to attend our Senior's Night.Well,there are probably countless reasons why I didn't want to.But here are just some of the few...First and formost....The price of the ticket was quite expensive and quite unreasonable.(I asked some of my friends from other schools and it turns out that theirs was cheaper.) Secondly,being a female....EXACTLY...Countless expenses...Dress,shoes,bag,accessories,hair and make-up....(Hay...hirap mging gurl...)Less expenditures are required if you were a male.Aside from that,it also came to my mind that for a one-night-only-event,you really need to spend a lot of money!Definitely not my kind of persona...That's why my mentality was different...When it comes to those kinds of things...I'm definitely out....etcetera......And despite all these "anti-prom" reasons that I had in mind,I still ended up going in the end!It was definitely a last minute resort! (upto now I still can't believe that I my friends succeeded in pushing me regarding this matter---you know who you are....haha...:P) Well....Anyways...:P Started the day by waking up early,getting my things ready,the works....I had to go to school that day by 1:30 p.m. to meet up with Achie Pat and Pan Zhu Ren since I will be representing the school and had to perform in Liberty Hall for their ("Tsing Dian Tsiat") gathering.So I left the house at 9:00 am and got to Masangkay by 10:00 and had to crash the nearby salons to get my hair and make-up done!Sincee all those to be awarded are required to dance...Just to escape that,we ended up making circles around Makati and even dropped by Starbucks Coffee just to get our caffeine-fix since we're all feeling sleepy!Haha...Loooong story...:P We got to the hotel at exactly 6:20 just in time...It turned out na wala nman kwenta since the program also started late!Upon our arrival,there were already people around walking in the hotel lobby...Exploring and waiting for others to come.Our faces that day showed the glow of excitement even upon arrival.Clearly we were all very happy seeing each other all glammed-up for the night.Nagpipic sessions lahat ng tao pgdating plng sa lobby ng hotel.And then grabeh...We only later found out na sponsored by Candy Mag ang prom and they had a photo booth setted up.Asyd from Candy Mag tlgang nghire pa cla ng proffessional photog for the event...Shucks...The night was full of different faces and mixed emotions...Haha...So time came na mguumpisa na yng program and before we went in,we registered and even got a lot of freebies.So upon entering na talaga,they even had a sort of a"red carpet runway" setted up.We were all required to go in one by one ata or pwede by twos and had our pics taken tlga!Since our theme was "Old Hollywood". Ako I hate photog sessions...di me marunong mgpose and all that...haha...nkakailang rn kasi eh...Upto a point na I almost cried nung solo-solo for the studio picz....Pano b nman...Kung anu anong pnagawa skng pose at kng anu anu rn pinatatanggal haha!:P and then the whole room was really full of people...each of them anxiously waiting for their turn...Our food...Isn't as we expected it to be.The only buffet part was the dessert course of the meal.The rest were served.We were all starving at that point of time...To our dismay...the food seemed have to have veggies all the time...There's the aftertaste from the soup...and also each meal served turned out to be involved with veggies...Even the smell...Well...atleast we finally got the hang of that.There was hardly any food.The dessert part was the best na ata sa meals nmin.Moving on...We also had games...Such as modified bring me and musical chairs type of game with a twist...After all these things...Finally,the slowdance time came...Probably one of the most na iniiwasan ko sa prom...I even promised myself not to dance...Turns out in the end I broke my own promise!Haha...The dance was really unexpected.From the person who'll be asking you...To the people or partners that you don't expect to see together...To most of us,it was definitely a dream come true...:P (No elaboration needed...you know what I meant..:P)
Votation for the Mr. and Ms. titles and tally of scores followed.Denise even turned out to be Ms.Metamorphosis!!!In which I'm so proud of!Haha...(Love Yah Den!!!:P) They were awarded sashes amd trophies.Tiara and flowers for the Prom Queen.
Since the program ended pretty late,we weren't able to set off to Martini's anymore as we early planned to do so...We left at exactly 12:20.Since some of my friends have curfews to catch.Yup!"Cinderellas" in the car so we had to leave much much earlier than the others.They didn't reach their house at their curfew time though hehe...I was home by 1:00 am and finally ended the day with a night's sleep @ 2:00...(thought that's considered to be morning na haha!:P)That night,though I was filled with mixed emotions,I didn't regret attending such an event as I always expected, and even enjoyed every bit of the night.It's a wonderful and happy memory that I'll certainly not forget even through the years to come.

On the way home...With Erica and Denise

Double Trouble

Here it is...Just as promised...The "adlib" to my last entry here in my blog.
Like I said,we got back to Oxford Hotel by 9:10 since the mall wasn't far away and it only took us a 10 minute drive back.My pianist arrived back from dinner @10 pm.So i had to wait for him for almost an hour.But good thing that he's already in our meeting place before 10:30....Although... something really bad happened...Upon entering the room, a certain something had landed on my shoulder!(yep...you've guessed it....) Non-other than "Mr.Friendly Old Roach"!!!!Since it really gave me the creeps,it had me screaming all-over the room.Good thing,we were the only ones around the area!Well,annoyingly,my pianist remained calm and concentrated on what he's practicing....(yep...still playing on the keyboard...) and just calmly asked me---"Anu yun?Ipis ba?"---I was almost awed by his behavior...Becuase it really seemed he wasn't even shocked!His calm state didn't last for too long though...The roach remained still for quite sometime...So we decided to start practicing.But just before we started,it started to fly all-over the place again!And again it left me screaming!(I hate roaches...Especially flying ones!) Upto a point that I hid behind my pianist!Worse...I just couldn't stop screaming each time it flapped it's wings and hear it bump on the wall...My pianist then just decided to kill the roach for me.But after he himself saw how big it was....He also got scared!Though he still tried to be brave enough to try and kill it...But just before he was about to do so,it started to fly again!To his shock he also screamed!We both did!Then after running circles around the room,we just decided to postpone the rehearsal and we both scrammed out the door.We were still running out of fear till we reached the staircase..."Ay!Kailangan natin bumalik!Dali!" "Bakit?!?Anung gagawin mo?!?Hahabulin mo?!?" turns out.....He left his cellphone inside the room!Oh my.....Goodness!He urged me to go back with him but I was too scared...I did though...But i just waited outside the room and just waited for him to come outside...To make the long story short,we ended up laughing since we were actually both scared to death!haha...He's human afterall....Haha...PEACE!!!!:P So our supposed tobe catch-up rehearsal turned out to be a delayed rehearsal again after such an unfortunate incident...So we had to rush tomorrow morning so that we'd still be able to rehearse just a few mins. before the singspiration session...Instead of being a solution,it ended up being a DOUBLE TROUBLE for us...Luckily,by God's grace we were able to do the task well....:P

UECM Family Retreat 2008

Hey Guys!:P

Just got back from the retreat yesterday...:P Still feeling "groggy" (have to admit...haha...) I was even too tired to open the PC when I got home yesterday!I slept right away upon getting home.That's why I'm just typing my entry now haha...Well, anyways...:D

This year,our church's family retreat was again held @ Oxford Hotel, Clark Eco Zone,Pampanga from March 19-22,2008.And just like last year,we stayed there for four days and three nights.But we formally started the retreat on March 20,2008(the second day) since the first night was a given free stay at the hotel.So it's free time for us though not inclusive of dinner...(Aww...haha!:P) So that night we had to go and eat outside and had our dinner at SM City Clark.
Since it was Holy Wednesday...SM had to close exactly at 9pm that night.After munching,we tried to make a few circles till the clock striked @ exactly 9.Woah...it's the first time I got to get the chance to see SM closing!Haha...anyways...Moving on...:P
When we got back to the hotel,I had to meet up with my pianist for rehearsal...Since I was attested to be the songleader in the children's division.And we hadn't had much practice back in Manila.There were still many songs we had to rehearse and with the guitarist this time.(the guitarist is my younger bro by the way haha...) We got back by 9:10 since the mall wasn't far away and it only took us a 10 minute drive back.My pianist arrived back from dinner @10 pm.So i had to wait for him for almost an hour.But good thing that he's already in our meeting place before 10:30....Although something really bad happened...(I'll be posting that incident next....so just check it out...) So we weren't really able to practice that night.So I just decided to get some sleep.For this year,I was in another room and wasn't staying with my parents.I shared a room with my choirmates hehe...and was bedmates with our boksu's daughter Wenslyn.:P We had fun by the way haha...Anyways...:P
The next day,(the official start of my job) I had to wake up @5:30 am to take a shower,blowdry my hair,and drop by my parent's room.Have breakfast by 7am and be done by 7:30 to rush for rehearsal and a prayer meeting scheduled at 7:45.The session officially starts at exactly 8:00 for singspiration and split groups afterwards.My worship teammates can already go after singspi session and go to the adults division for their activities.As for me,I had to stay since I was also one of the assistant teachers for the junior division.(So practically speaking,I was in the children's division the whole retreat)So it was really a brand new experience for me.This is my first time ever to be one of the handlers in the kids division.I got to handle 10-12 year old kids.(together with Achie Olivia) They were the oldest in the pack.The group I handled included my two other sibs!(Imagine that!) Since they were the "big kids",we expected them to be already disciplined and mature....But we were wrong...They were noisy!Very noisy!And they could be very demanding kids too!Luckily by God's grace,we were able to find a way to gain control over them.Yep...(Thanks to the score board!haha!)We splitted the group of 13 kids into two groups and conducted a contest for the whole period of the retreat.Whoever gets the most points would be given prizes on the last day of the retreat.So that's what kept them glued on to their seats.Though we had a pretty hard time controlling them,it was still a worthwhile experience for me.Our afternoons were free except for the third day of the camp wherein we had to participate in the sportsfest portion of the retreat.So for that afternoon,I went to explore Paradise Ranch with some of my fellow churchmates and my cousins.It was a wild life sanctuary located just around Clark.Well we had a great time there!Saw animals,took a lot of pictures and ofcourse bonded with the group.Even though the heat of the sun was very dehydrating....We still had fun hehe...:D Then the respected sessions resumed at 7:00 pm after eating our dinner at 6:00.The same routine went on for the rest of the retreat.The sportsfest event was loads of fun!haha...cheerin' for you team and all...There was the traditional eating contest,a new singing contest,obstacle course,ever-mouthwatering marshmallow shoot-out and the usual relay games.The games were really fun so everybody had a great time participating.But most importantly,all of us got to learn more about God.There are many first-timers who got to know Christ and accepted Him as their personal Lord and Saviour.Everybody had a lot of fun and fellowship with one another ,altogether learning more about God and serving all for His glory.
I'm really thankful that He gave me such an opportunity of a new experience and also to be eble to serve Him while enjoying it at the same time...:P And I really hope that it would always be like this in the other years to come...:P

A Song That Touches The Heart

Let Them See Christ In Me

Jesus is so real to me
I see Him through eyes of faith
I have felt His presence near
In the moments of each day
Yet so many do not know
Of the love He longs to give
Oh how would they come to see Christ and believe?


Let them see Christ in me
Let them see Christ in me
Let me be His eyes of compassion
And His ears to hear their need

Let them see Christ in Me
Let them see Christ in Me
Let me be His heart of boundless love
Let them see Christ in me


**I was the songleader for the Junior division of the family retreat and this was one of the songs that I taught the kids.This song reminds each of us to live for Christ and to set as an example to others out there.But more importantly,to lead those who are lost to God.Children of God who are yet to be found that they too might be saved and granted salvation by God's grace and at the same time experience the enlightening and life changing warmth of God's great love.This is the mission of each and every Christian that exists in our world of sin.So let us use this song to remember this duty of ours...Which is our attested mission to God...:P

Things I'd Definitely Miss...

Highschool is probably the most unforgettable part of anyone's life...Cause it's where we started to grow up...It's where we experienced more out of life...And it's also where we learned to surpass struggles and stay strong...I have really been thinking lately---What's instore when we reach college?---Just one of the many questions recently poppin' in my mind.But it's sure to be different from highschool life. Although there are so many things to be ecstatic about finally graduating highschool like leaving all those "bad memories" behind my back and never to turn to them ever again.Yet there are still so many things that I'd surely be missing after leaving that chapter of my life.---that I even dunno where to start!Haha:P Things such as friends,bloopers and happy,funny memories.Also my usual "school routine" from Mondays to Saturdays.:P
People that have already become part of my life that made "letting go" so difficult.The everyday laughs...teases...moments of sympathy...boredom...Name it!Haha...Simply the people that made life so colorful and always kept a day's warm sunshine..:P Experiences...(like extra-curriculars) meeting all sorts of people and fitting-in to different kinds of environments.All these things are sure to be unforgettable.---Especially recesses and Saturdays with the Chorale...Though rehearsals took much of my time,I never regretted joining the group.Aside from doing what I love and improving that skill,I came to know more people and their different personalities,learning how to mingle with each and every kind.Being one of the members also taught me how to be responsible and at the same time to value time.Being one of the firsts to be in the contest group in four straight years was simply a great honor.Life experiences with friends and broken friendships made me to who Iam today.Though there were many tears shed and wasted,they were all replaced with joyous smiles and laughs---such memories to keep for the rest of my life.Advantages?Trials that I met lead me closer to my Lord and made me stronger.Prepared and armed for the world that's yet to open it's doors for me.Highschool would definitely be my stepping stone to whatever things ahead.
And the Lord's guidance in my each and everyday walk to complete it.
As I face another new chapter of life and all the other things yet to come,I'll be taking these precious times with me...Forever kept in my heart...Never to forget them...Centuries to pass...