The text I received this morning made me realize why this is God’s word for me this morning:
Exodus 33:13-23
13 If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
14 The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Cary, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
18 Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”
19 The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh,[c] before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.20 But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.”21 The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock.22 As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.23 Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”
So okay. It’s time to take a rest from my blogging challenge with my friend, Lynai and proceed with my other blogging commitments.
As of 9:23 am today, the last person I texted according my phone is no other than my mother. Honestly, sharing about my relationship with my mother and my family in general is one of the most uncomfortable and scariest thing for me and I really don’t know why. It’s maybe because it’s the most vulnerable aspect of my life. Though I can say that my family is not the most broken family in the world, I can’t say that it’s the ideal and perfect family either. We’re not even the sweetest family you’ll ever meet. And to tell you honestly, I’m really not that close to them, in general. But God knows that I love them and I praise God that He’s starting to correct this important area of my life.
So back to my mother, as I’ve said, ours is not the perfect and ideal mother-daughter relationship. Though she’s one of the people whom I’ve known the longest, I know that there are a lot of things that we still don’t know about each other. Like what I’ve said in my previous post, I was raised as a very independent and stubborn child so I grew up living independently from my family. I always knew what I want for my life and because I was so stubborn, I always get what I want from my parents.
Though I know that I’m stubborn, I can say that I’m not the spoiled brat and rebellious kind of a child. I’ve always known that we’re not rich so my parents really need to work hard for them to be able to provide for us. Because I know that truth, I always try not to add to their burden by studying hard and giving them back the honor by excelling in school. And between my two parents, it’s always my mom who I thought was really working harder for us. So seeing them suffering and working hard for us was enough proof for me to know that they love us. Because of that, I didn’t grow up seeking for their attention.
So I’ve learned to enjoy life on my own, of course with the help of my friends at school. Open communication was not also common in our household so telling my mom everything about my experiences in school was not a natural thing for me. That’s actually the reason why whenever I have problems, asking for help from them is not my default reaction. I usually tend to exhaust all the possible solution I can think of first before telling them. When I’ve tried everything and still my solution won’t work, that’s the only time I’ll go to my family and ask for help. And usually, it’s my mom whom I will call first. So yeah, my parents are always my last resort, but usually have the best solution.
Do I regret having that kind of family background? No, because I’m thankful that my parents have raised me well and trained me to learn how to live my life independently. I’m thankful that they allowed me to explore this world on my own and learn about the consequences of my own choices, and thankful that they are always there to welcome me whenever I made the wrong choices. I’m thankful that they are not overly protective to the point of limiting me from reaching my full potential but always supportive of my endeavor. And it’s funny that it’s only now that I’ve realized this.
I’ll stop here for now for I need to go somewhere. Maybe later I’ll give some concrete examples of my fond memories with my parents especially my mother.
I know, I know. It’s been a while and I have no excuses. But I’ve committed myself to finish this challenge so I really need to persevere and motivate myself even if I find it hard to write.
This week Week 6 challenge is to write letter for my past, present and future self. Actually, I’ve already drafted letters for my past and present self but for some reason,my draft got deleted in my phone. I have no choice but to start all over again but I can’t find the right words anymore. So okay, enough buts.It’s time to start writing again.
Dear 15-year old Cary,
I know you’ve been crying in your sleep again last night. Cheer up! God has heard your cry. Soon your tears will be wiped away. You have a bright future ahead of you so don’t ever ever lose your happy and lively spirit. Endure everything you’re going through right now for soon you will leave this city and will go places. You will also meet a number of wonderful people along the way. Cherish them and appreciate them for God will use them to mold you into the kind of woman He wants you to be. Please also remember that the road will not be easy but with these people around, you’ll get through it. Are you excited now?! You should be for your life ahead will be very much exciting. So just hang in there.
P.S. Remember that time you prayed and asked God to give you a best friend?! God has also heard that prayer. He will send that person to you soon. So just wait a little longer for I promise you that God will send you the Best Person around. 😉
Bye for now! 😘
Dear Present Cary,
By now you have met Jesus, that Best Friend I’m telling you about the last time. I told you He’s the BEST. Continue to cultivate your relationship with Him. Continue to love Him and let Him love you all the more. You’ve already gone through a lot of things, both good and bad, with Him and He’s proven Himself faithful so continue to trust Him. Continue to hold on to the promises He’s give for He will fulfill it in due time. Just wait patiently and listen carefully to His instructions. And by the way, don’t just wait patiently but also wait eagerly and expectantly. Be excited ☺
Dear future Cary,
I’m not sure how does your life look right now but I’m sure it’s good. I hope you alreàdy have that gentle and quiet spirit. I’m not even sure if you’re married but I hope you are. But if not, I’m sure you’re still happy because look at that offspring. What a joy to see them all growing in the Lord! Life is still not easy but by now I know you’re no longer easily swayed by life’s cirsumtances. Keep it up. Continue to seek the Lord for soon you will see Him face to face. Are you now excited to see that day?! I’m sure you are. 😊😇
Finally! I’m done with this challenge. You may also see partner Lynai’s letters to herself here.
I plead to you, young lady. Let Him. Let Him love you first. Before you start waiting for the right guy, grant the access to your heart first to its Maker, Jesus. And when you give that heart to Him, I won’t promise that it will not be broken. Because it will be. Yet it will […]
Yay! It’s week 5 already for this blogging challenge. Imagine that, it’s been a month since we started this challenge!
The topic this week is very timely for me because we just had a very refreshing retreat at church 2 weeks ago. Our retreat was called F.I.R.E. (Foundation, Intercession/Intervention, Revival, Edification) and was organized to help us pray for a breakthrough in our personal ministry. On how was this retreat connected to this week’s topic about what I wish for the most, it is what I want to share today.
The topic reminds me of the question we asked when we were tasked to moderate the online and face-to-face book discussion for Harry Potter. One of the questions we asked during the online activity was “what do you see when you look at yourself at the mirror of Erised?” (For those who are not familiar with the book Harry Potter, the mirror of Erised is a magical mirror that shows you of your heart’s deepest desire.) Since I was one of the moderators, I did not participate in the activity. However, after the face to face discussion, one of my friends asked me what my answer is to that question. So I told him that I see myself standing in front of the mirror with 12 ladies who are committed to Christ behind me. Then he told me, ‘yan na talaga calling mo, noh?’ (Is that really you’re calling?) What he said was actually more of a statement and I answered yes.
My greatest desire is really to lead 12 women to Christ who will later on commit themselves also to raise their own disciples of 12, just like what Jesus did. I’ve already mentioned it in my previous post that my desire is that God’s will and purpose in my life will be fulfilled and raising disciples for Christ is surely one of them.
And since I just concluded my meditation on the book of Genesis this morning. I prayed silently again to God that I want my life to be like that of Joseph. Like what He did to Joseph, I also want Him to use me as in instrument for the salvation of nations.
And finally, I was able to catch up with this blogging challenge! This post will be short and sweet for we are only asked to list 5 things we want to know or learn.
Actually, there’s just one thing I want to know~ I want to know…
……WHAT LOVE IS.
Just kidding! Here’s the list of things I want to know or learn:
1. Learn New Language or Dialect. I’ve always wanted to learn french. I just thought that speaking that language sounds so elegant.
2. Learn Effective Financial Management System. Or invest in stock market.
3. Learn how not to be socially awkward.
4. Learn how to thank God in all circumstances.
5. Know Jesus more deeply and intimately. I want to grow all the more in my relationship with Christ so I’m praying for a more intimate relationship with Jesus. 😃
How are you, dear friends?! Welcome to the 3rd week of Cary and Lynai Blogging Change. Just to recap what we have accomplished so far, we’ve shared some qualities about ourselves during Week 1. We’ve also shared some of the things we love doing in Week 2.
Now for Week 3, it’s time to share our most prized moments! Truth be told, this is my favorite topic in the challenge so far. I am really excited to write this post because I see at as an opportunity for me to finally write the long-overdue stories of my favorite travels and adventures. So in chronological order, here we go!
1. Ilocos Trip (January 2010). One of the things I love about my first job was the opportunity to enjoy the perks of working while having fun. Our organization was generous enough to bring us all to Ilocos to conduct our regular Mid-year assessment and planing. I can’t remember anymore the things we’ve discussed during the planning and assessment but the memories of the places we’ve visited after the activity still linger on my mind (thanks to the pictures we’ve taken, of course!).
2. Christmas 2012. I’m trying to recall why I’ve included this in my list. Then I remembered that my favorite Christmas celebration in my present job was in 2012. I love Christmas 2012 because:
This was the first time I saw office crush, during the pinoy henyo contest. I was impressed by his performance during the game and I also find him cute so I decided to make him my office crush. Hihi!
We won the Staff presentation contest. I really enjoyed the preparation we made for that contest, especially the costume, so I’m glad that all our efforts paid off.
I received a surprise gift from my other secret crush. This is not actually related to our office celebration but another reason why Christmas 2012 was memorable for me is because of that gift. I’ll stop here because I want to keep that moment secret. 😛😙😅
3. F2F Discussion (February 2013). This is one of my favorite face-to-face book discussion in our book club, TFG! I just love the romantic feels during this event.This reminds me of how much I miss attending book discussions.
4. LDI 2013 (May 2013). Attending the leadership development institute is one of the most important milestone in my Christian life. It was a month-long of training for future disciplemakers in our church.
5. Relient K Concert (September 2013). It has always been my dream to see my favorite Christian band perform live here in the Philippines. But I never thought that I don’t need to wait that long to watch their concert. Thank God for the organizers because they brought Relient K here in the Philippines so I’ve got to see them live! By the way, it’s kind of free. 😀 Relient K at Trinoma
6. Japan Trip (February 2014). Of course, this was my first out-of-the-country travel ever! I praise God that I was able to get an all-expense-paid training in Japan. Not only that, I gained at least 15 new friends because of that training. I’ve also got a first-hand snow experience as a bonus.
7. Ilo-ilo Trip (September 2014). This was my first out-of-town travel with my bookish friends, the Laslas Girls. Travelling with these ladies taught me that travelling is more fun when you do it with your beloved friends. And how can I not include this in my most precious moments when this was also the first time I met my dear friend and partner in this blogging challenge, Lynai (and her cute baby, Ikay)?!
8. Day in Prayer and Fasting (DIPF) (January 2016).I always look forward to our monthly DIPF. Our church usually do it every first Saturday of the month and I love attending DIPF because it’s the time of the month when I get refreshed and have an entire day devoted to spending time with God in prayer. The first DIPF we had this year was extra special for me because God answered one of my prayers in an unexpected way during that day. What’s funny about it is that my prayer was so random and kind of silly (or so I thought) so I didn’t expect that God would take that prayer seriously. Maybe someday, when the time is right, I’ll share the details of that prayer. For now, let’s leave it at that. 9. Korea Trip (March 2016). This one of the greatest blessing I received this year. I praise God for He gave me another opportunity to go out of the country to learn. 10. All other small things that matter. I want to make a list of 10 but I thought I have a number ordinary moments that are worth mentioning so I’ll save it for my next post.
Looking at my list, I realized that most of my unforgettable moments happened just recently. I tried to recall my favorite experiences during my college days but I find recent experiences better than before. This reminds me that indeed, greater things are yet to come.
Hello, again! It’s been a tough and busy week for me so I wasn’t able to write my blog post as scheduled. (Just in case you want to read my previous post, you may refer to this link.)
This week’s topic is about things I love doing. As a self-confessed introvert who rarely gets bored being alone, naming the things I love doing is quite easy. I have so many interests that I want to do them all at once.
1. Reading. I think I don’t need to elaborate it further. 2. Listening to music while working. I find music therapeutic and it helps me think more clearly. 3. Spending time with God through praying and meditation. Doing my quiet time with God every morning is one of the habit that I was to develop through God’s grace. 4. Going to church every sunday. My Sunday will never be complete without this. 5. Spending quality time with friends. What is life without friends, right? 6. Doing artsy fartsy stuff. Artsy fartsy means calligraphy, making beaded jewelries, drawing. Just so you know, I’m not really an artist. I just love art. 7. Walking. This is the only form of exercise I’m good at. 8. Trolling. You’re not really my close friend if I’m not a troll to you, unless you’re someone I respect. 9. Dressing up and putting make up. This is one of the habit I’ve just learned recently. According to our former voice lesson instructor, ‘when you look good, you feel good’. I feel good when I think I look good with my make up. haha! 10. Shopping alone. I’m more comfortable doing shoppoing alone. 11. Fixing things. I love tinkering and trying to fix broken things even if I have no idea what to do with it. 12. Singing. I’m not good at it. I just love singing that I even tried to join a free voice workshop. Too bad I wasn’t able to do my recital because of my travel to Japan. 13. Cooking. This is the only household chore i love doing. 14. Writing. When I say writing, I mean writing using color pens and fancy papers. I even have a notebook full of written lyrics of my favorite songs. I also have a collection of handwritten quotes copied from text messages on my phone. 15. Stalking my crush online Eating. This explains my love for cooking.
I first heard about the word meet-cute from my book club friends, during one of our online book discussion a few years ago. According to Urban Dictionary, meet-cute is….
Scenario in which two individuals are brought together in some unlikely, zany, destined-to-fall-in-love-and-be-together-forever sort of way (the more unusual, the better).
The way the characters meet in “Serendipity” or “When Harry Met Sally” or at least half the romantic comedies out there.
I was reminded of this meet-cute scenario when I was meditating on Genesis 24 during my quiet time this morning. Genesis 24 details the story of how Abraham was able to find a wife for his son Isaac. To summarize the story, Abraham is now very old and wants to make sure that his beloved son Isaac will not get a Canaanite woman for his wife. So he sent his oldest servant to his hometown to get a wife from his relatives. Abraham asked his servant to make an oath to make sure that he will only do what he was instructed to do. So the servant left for his master’s hometown to find Abraham’s relative, Nahor. After his long journey, he arrived at a well located outside the town of Abraham and asked God to bless his mission and lead him to the right woman whom Isaac can marry. He also asked for signs that will tell him that he had found the right woman.
While he was praying, Rebekah came and the servant realized that she meets the signs he was asking from God. It turned out that Rebekah is the daughter of Nahor’s son so the servant thanked God that He led him on his journey to the house of his master’s relatives.The servant told Abraham’s relatives about his intention of finding a wife for his master’s son, Isaac and how God has led him to Rebekah. Rebekah agreed to go with the servant and become Isaac’s wife.
Probably you are now thinking that this is a typical arranged marriage story so you find nothing romantic in it. So now this is the exciting part and let me quote the passage directly.
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[f] and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. (Genesis 24:62-66)
When I saw this passage, I can’t help but notice the reactions of Rebekah and Isaac when they first saw each other. There was surely an attraction between the two of them I even thought that though God has pre-arranged their meeting, their story may still be love at first sight. And even if I’m wrong, I’m pretty sure that their marriage was a happy one since it was clearly stated that Abraham did really love Rebekah.
The love story of Rebekah and Isaac is not a new story to me, actually, because their marriage is always our reference whenever we talk about love, courtship and marriage at church. And because of their example, I am very much convinced that God can also arrange a perfect marriage for me.
That is why I’m not really into dating.
One funny thing about me though is that lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage. No, it’s not because of wanting to get married but more of fear that what if marriage will happen to me sooner than I expected? I know deep in my heart that I’m not yet ready and I really don’t know how to prepare for it. I also thought that just like Isaac, when the man that God has prepared for me started looking to for his wife, will he also find me as a woman of godly character like Rebekah?
The truth is, right now, I don’t think he will. And marriage is still one of the areas in my life that I really need to submit and lay down before God.
Today’s topic is about describing and introducing ourselves. It’s truly quite a challenge for me because I don’t usually share a lot about myself to other people unless we’re close. Good thing I’ve blogged something about some random facts about me almost a year ago so I’ll just take off from there. Plus, our book club had this activity last year called ”Navigate Me”, wherein we were asked to describe each other, so I’ll just share the result and the perception of some people I know about me.
Since I’ve already listed 5 qualities, I’ll just identify 20.
From My ‘Navigate Me’ Result:
1. Purposeful
2. Spiritual/Religious/God-fearing/godly/faithful/Prayerful/Devout (note: I’ve grouped these qualities into one because I believe they are all related)
3. Demure
4. Earnest
5. Uncomplicated
6. Warm
7. Conservative
8. Loner
9. Compassionate
10. Funny
11. Simple
12. Thoughful
13. Naive
14. Idealistic
15. Dependable
16. Caring
17. Wallflower
18. Unknowable
In addition to these above-mentioned qualities, I consider myself as opinionated and stubborn. Yep, that’s me, friends!
No Ordinary Day 