About 6 months ago, I decided to put up this blog for the purpose of putting my insights and thoughts about the Lord’s goodness into writing and sharing my experience and journey with Him, to others. I’ve also shared that I don’t consider myself a writer so I’m not really sure if I will be able to write more often. But praise the Lord, who is the source of all wisdom and grace, I was able to write more often than I’ve expected. I was also able to write posts that I can’t believe I am capable of writing about. I believe this is because I know that I’m broken inside because of life’s disappointments and frustrations, and writing has become my outlet. And the Lord is with me all the way so I was still able to find good in the situation and create something out of it. So what have I learned from this writing stint so far? The Lord can use our unpleasant experiences to create a wonderful story that will also give hope to others.
Category: Uncategorized
Love Keeps No Record of Wrong
Today is the first day of the last month of the year. It’s the time of the year again when people here in our country become more stressed because of the Christmas rush. As for me, December is usually my most favorite month of the year, simply because I really love Christmas celebration.
However, I don’t know why but unlike the previous years, I don’t feel excited about Christmas this time. I know I should not feel this way because it’s the birth of our Savior we’re celebrating right?
But because of a number of new and unfamiliar experiences of frustrations and disappointments I had this year, I just simply want this year to end so that I can start anew next year.
One of the new and unfamiliar things that I’ve experienced this year (though I’m not sure if it’s the most accurate word to use) is betrayal. As someone who is a SanPhleg by personality type, it is really easy for me to get along with all kinds of people. I know when to act prim and proper or when to act giddy and crazy according to the type of people I’m spending time with. I can be quiet, loud, crazy, and even mean, specially when I’m with my closest friends. Because I can be patient, friendly and nice with everyone, it’s also easy for me to trust people and accept them for who they are without judgment.
This year is a year of testing of my character though because God has brought me into a situation where my patience and love for other people were tested. God has shown me the other side of this broken world and introduced me to people who are now, to my own definition, unloveable simply because they’ve hurt me. These people are the people who I thought will never do anything wrong to me but they did, so I felt betrayed. And because of this feeling of betrayal, it’s really hard for me to trust and love them again. But as a follower of Christ, I know that I am called to love. I know that the proper response to people who have hurt me is to love them still because love covers a multitude of sin. How to do this, however, is really a struggle for me.
Whenever I need guidance and affirmation whether I’m loving people the right way or not, I always go back to the Biblical definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. The description of Apostle Paul on love in this passage has become my checklist.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
What strikes me the most from this passage is the truth that love Keeps No Record of Wrong. As a representative of Christ, it is rightful to really forgive those who have hurt me and forget what they’ve done. Honestly, I really don’t know how to do this. I know that it’s really beyond my capacity.
So dear friends, because I want to end this year right, please help me by praying for me to overcome my struggle. Please pray that God will help me forget all the hurt and enable me to have a renewed relationship with the people I’ve hurt and hurt me. Pray for me also to become more open with my feelings, online and offline alike so that I would be able to avoid misunderstanding.
Thank you.
Being Thankful for Small Things
I’d like to share this article of mine posted in Coffee Bean’s Brew Your Best Year website.
Earlier this year, a lot of my friends joined the #100happydays craze. Those who signed up to join the game are required to submit a picture of anything that makes them happy during the day and do it for 100days. Although I like the idea, I decided not to join because I know for a fact that not everyday will be a good day and there will always be bad a day. I also know that happiness is fleeting and identifying the things that make you happy even if you’re not is like denying the reality, so I wasn’t really sold to the idea.
It was only during the second half of the year, when life, in general, had become very difficult for me, when I realized the benefit of doing the 100 happy days challenge. The point of the game is not to encourage people to ignore their feelings but to help them develop a heart of gratitude. Identifying things that make you happy everyday is an exercise that can help a person appreciate the mundane things that we often neglect during ordinary or great days, the things that help us get through bad days. And when we learn to appreciate more of the simple things that make us happy, we begin to feel grateful of the blessings that come from small things.
Though I still did not end up joining the #100happydays challenge, I decided to make counting the small blessings as an exercise and as an added feature to my daily devotional time with God.
I printed the sticker I found online that says ’10 Things I’m Thankful For’ and posted it in my devotional journal to compel me to think of the things that made me happy from the previous day. After almost a week of doing the exercise, I realized that it was really a good way to keep your spirit up throughout each day. I also realized that the things I included in my list are made up of the simple things such as having lunch with my officemates, the random music on my playlist that makes me happy, and glitch-free MRT rides, among others.
Why do we really need to be thankful for the small things? First, because it is God’s will for us to be thankful. He even said in the Bible to ‘give thanks in all circumstances’, and all circumstances include small things that we often fail to notice. Like what our Pastor said during our church’s Thanksgiving Day celebration, God wants us to be thankful not because He needs us to be but because He knows that it is for our own benefit when we learn to be grateful of the things we already have. God knows that the moment we fail to appreciate the things we have and focus our eyes on the things we don’t have, we will begin to complain and grumble, and may eventually cause us to lose sight of His goodness. And when we lose sight of His goodness, we lose hope to continue and live our life to the fullest.
Second, we need to be thankful for the small things because it opens up opportunities for more blessings from above. One of the biblical principles that I’m learning to apply in my life is about becoming faithful to the small things. I’ve realized that God is so wise that He will not give us anything beyond what we can handle. If we can’t handle the small things now, how can we say that we can handle the greater things that He will give us in the future? We need to start being faithful to the smalls things now because God sees it. And part of being faithful to the small things is being thankful for what we have.
Lastly, we need to be thankful of the small things because they are the fuel that drives us to move on with life. When life gets tough, we realize that the small things such as small talks with friends, the sunshine on the window or even the smile of a stranger are the things that help us get by through a rough day.
So, let’s be thankful for the small things and start counting our blessings. As what my favorite line from the song “Count Your Blessings” says:
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Ask Me Anything
Because I can’t think of anything to write right now, I’m giving you, my dear reader/follower (if any, haha!) to ask me anything you want to ask me. It can be a personal question, maybe a topic or belief that you want me to elaborate or you can just simply throw any troll question, and I will try to answer it with all honesty.
So if you’re game for it, you may throw your questions here or email me at carygineisaac@gmail.com. So…go, ask!
Musing Monday: 2014 Reading Goal Completed!
Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
•Describe one of your reading habits.
* Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
So today I’ve completed my reading goal for 2014. Actually, my original target was to read at least 50 books this year. But because I was having difficulty in catching up with my challenge, I lowered my target to 40. Now that my interest for reading is back, I was able to complete my target way ahead of schedule. I would still read more books this year though.
So there, it’s another reason to celebrate!
Book Review: Unlimiting God: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine (Richard Blackaby)
Title: Unlimiting God: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine
Author: Richard Blackaby
Date of Publication: January 2008
My Rating: ★★★★★
Summary:
People have their limits. Some choose to ignore them.
God’s power and love have no limits. So why do Christians put limits on their relationship with Him? We could be pursuing greater knowledge, experiencing deeper intimacy, and abiding in freer joy… and yet we routinely settle for mediocrity in our spiritual lives.But if you are ready to explode your self-imposed limits, Dr. Richard Blackaby can guide you through powerful and passionate insights revealed in this new book.
By contrasting mediocrity with the spirituality of the great “heroes of the faith,” Dr. Blackaby shows you that you need not settle for less than God intends for you. God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people like you…but only when you allow Him to enlarge your spiritual capacity and overcome your self-imposed limits.
“I hope this book inspires you to aim for a new level of walking with God. I want you to reach heights in your spiritual life that you never dreamed were possible, to experience God working through your life in a powerful new dimension, to hear words from God that will dramatically change your life and your world. I want to help you blow past any limitations you have set for yourself in your Christian life.” —Dr. Richard Blackaby
My thoughts:
Another timely and relevant book to my life. An inspiration to really increase my faith and stretch myself beyond my limits. It also provides practical tips on how to apply in my life the lesson that God is currently working on my life.
One of the lessons that I believe God is teaching me (and perhaps challenging me) lately is to apply in my life the truth and principles of the parable of the new wine and new wineskins (Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-39). The parable says ‘no one pours an old wine into new wineskins, otherwise the wineskins will burst and be ruined’.
This book has basically articulated the meaning of these passages to my life.
Unlimiting God: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine by Richard Blackaby
Title: Unlimiting God: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine
Author: Richard Blackaby
Date of Publication: January 2008
My Rating: ★★★★★
Summary:
People have their limits. Some choose to ignore them.
God’s power and love have no limits. So why do Christians put limits on their relationship with Him? We could be pursuing greater knowledge, experiencing deeper intimacy, and abiding in freer joy… and yet we routinely settle for mediocrity in our spiritual lives.But if you are ready to explode your self-imposed limits, Dr. Richard Blackaby can guide you through powerful and passionate insights revealed in this new book.
By contrasting mediocrity with the spirituality of the great “heroes of the faith,” Dr. Blackaby shows you that you need not settle for less than God intends for you. God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people like you…but only when you allow Him to enlarge your spiritual capacity and overcome your self-imposed limits.
“I hope this book inspires you to aim for a new level of walking with God. I want you to reach heights in your spiritual life that you never dreamed were possible, to experience God working through your life in a powerful new dimension, to hear words from God that will dramatically change your life and your world. I want to help you blow past any limitations you have set for yourself in your Christian life.” —Dr. Richard Blackaby
My thoughts:
Another timely and relevant book to my life. An inspiration to really increase my faith and stretch myself beyond my limits. It also provides practical tips on how to apply in my life the lesson that God is currently working on my life.
One of the lessons that I believe God is teaching me (and perhaps challenging me) lately is to apply in my life the truth and principles of the parable of the new wine and new wineskins (Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-39). The parable says ‘no one pours an old wine into new wineskins, otherwise the wineskins will burst and be ruined’.
This book has basically articulated the meaning of these passages to my life.
Musing Monday: My Reading Habit
Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week… • Describe one of your reading habits. • Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s). • What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it. • Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us! • Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
It’s been a while since I made a Musing Monday post so I’ll do it today, for a change. Because I can’t think of anything to post, I’ll just share to you my reading habits (or the lack thereof). As someone who was blessed with an adventurous spirit, I can say that I don’t have any unique or consistent reading habit. I do make reading lists from time to time to motivate myself to read more but most of the time, I don’t stick to it because my reading preference changes from time to time, depending on my mood. But maybe, to give you a little background of what kind of reader I am based on this infographic. I took some serious evaluation of my reading practices and this is the result: 
So based from this photo, I have identified myself as a cross-bred reader mutt which means:
- I’m a grown-up who loves to read children’s book
- I love using my highlighter or post-its when reading
- I jump from one book to another when reading 🙂
So there. How about you? What are your reading habits? Have a fun week ahead!
Filipino Friday (4): Let’s Talk About Diverse Books
9w
Do you think we have enough diversity in the books that we read? Are our choices enough to satisfy our different tastes? Are our writers able to present the variety of people, culture, lifestyle, interests and so on? How diverse are your reading interests, and are you able to find enough books to satisfy your reading needs? Do you think we need more diverse books?
Before I answer this question, allow me to shoutout, friends!!
I can’t believe I was finally able to reach this far in this weekly meme! So, yay! #achievementUnlocked!
*Okay, let me now answer the question/s.*
Do you think we have enough diversity in the books that we read?
Diversity? In terms of reader’s access to a number of selections of books here in our country, I believe yes. This is very evident in the growing number of bookstores here in our country. However, most of these selections are foreign books so in terms of diversity in the local scene, I don’t think that we have enough selections to satisfy all the Filipino reader’s taste. Or maybe, if there’s enough, it’s not widely promoted.
As to my reading preference, I have a very diverse taste when it comes to my reading preference and I’m glad that our local bookstores are still able to meet my reading needs. 😀
Blog Tour: Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano (Review + Giveaway)
Hello everyone! I’m Cary and welcome to my stop in the Book Tour of Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano.
Book Information:
Title: Fall Like Rain
Author: Ana Tejano
Date of Publication: September 29, 2014
Book Links:
Goodreads
Smashwords
Amazon
Paperback order form
Summary:
Rain De Castro has been in love with her best friend, Mark Velasco, for almost the entire time she has known him, but she’s clearly in the friend zone because he’s happily in a relationship. Or so she thought, until the news of his break-up reaches her. Now that Mark’s single again, she decides that it’s time to get out of the zone. But when her cousin Lissa comes into the picture and sets her eyes on Mark, Rain feels troubled when he gets a little too friendly with her. Rain is determined to fight for what she feels this time, but is it worth the effort if it’s a losing battle from the start? Will she back off to give way for her best friend’s happiness, even if it means losing him to someone else again?
My Review:
As one of the privileged people who got to read this book in its unedited glory last year, I’m really, really happy that this final version has improved a lot and turned out to be a fantastic read for me.
The story of Rain and Mark is the kind of love story that I’ve always been dreaming. I believe that great love stories always starts with great friendship as the foundation. So falling in love with your guy best friend, like in the case of Rain, is not anymore surprising. I love this book because this is the kind of love story I and maybe most girls, can easily relate to . The struggle of Rain is real, especially for the conservative type who still believe that guys should always do the first move. I’m also a sucker for nice and decent guys so Mark’s character suits me (plus, I like his name, hihi! :D). But just what the author pointed out in the story, “the problem with nice and friendly guys is that it’s hard to tell if they liked you or not without their saying it outright”. So I understand Rain’s dilemma but I like how the author ended the story.
I think I have to stop here because I know I can’t rave about this book without giving too much spoilers. If you want some refreshing story of friendship and love, I believe this book is for you. 😀
P.S. Because I can’t get over with the book, I made my own playlist. It’s more of a friendzone playlist, actually. You may want to listen to them while reading to give you more *feels*, haha!
Here it is:
- Friend of Mine by Odette Quesada
- You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift
- Migraine by Moonstar 88
- Why Can’t It Be by Nina
- Friendster by Moonstar 88
- The Art of Letting Go by Mikaila
My Rating: ★★★★
Author Bio:
Ana Tejano has been in love with words and writing ever since she met Elizabeth Wakefield when she was in Grade 3. She has contributed several non-fiction pieces in print and online publications, and has been blogging for years. When she’s not writing, she works as a marketing lead for a multinational company by day, manages a book club, and serves in her church community in every other time that she doesn’t spend reading or sleeping. She lives in Metro Manila and is also known by another name in her other circles (but it’s not a secret identity, really).
Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Wattpad
Want a copy of her book? Click the link below to get a chance to win a copy!!!
No Ordinary Day 