Huwag assuming.
It ruins potential friendships. Also, who are we to judge other people’s intentions?
To single women: Hanggang walang sinasabi ang guy na mahal ka niya huwag mag-assume. Malay ba natin kung talagang mabait lang siya or talagang weird lang.
To single men: Uh . . . Di ko kasi alam kung uso sa inyo ang mag-assume. Pero ito lang masasabi ko, nakakaturn-off ang feeling gwapo.
Current mood: Unexplained . . . (neks)
I’m back! Patawad kung medyo matagal-tagal akong hindi nakasulat. Naging busy lang sa trabaho at wala akong panahon magmuni-muni. Sa mga mangbabasa kong na windang sa aking previous English posts huwag mag-alala balik na tayo sa ating Filipino-English/Taglish/Colloquial blogging style (nagbabasa kasi ako ng CS Lewis nung mga panahon na yun kaya napa-english ako).
Anyway moving on.
Tinanong ako ng aking officemate kanina lang (as in, mainit-init pa) kung nagagandahan ba ako sa aking mga nagawang design? At ito ang aking sagot sa kanyang tanong . . .
Dapat. Kasi kung hindi ko maappreciate ang sarili kong gawa sino pang makakagusto nun?
Pero hindi ako satisfied sa aking sagot at pinagmuni-munihan ko ang tanong na iyon. Thus this blog post.
Actually na realize ko rin na hindi sa lahat ng panahon satisfied ako sa work ko. May mga panahon na meh ayoko ata ito ipakita sa boss ko. At nararamdaman ko yun kapag ginawa ko ang mga sumusunod . . .
1) I didn’t give my best. Sa dami ng trabaho minsan basta may ipasa lang ibibigay ko na kahit hilaw pa. I end up disliking my work kasi alam kong may ibibigay pa ako.
2) Ginawa ko nang lahat pero parang kulang. May mga times na meron na akong nakikita sa utak ko na output pero yung nagawa ko wala pa sa kalahati ng na imagine ko. Ibig sabihin kulang sa techniques. Frustrating but it pushes me to study more about my craft.
3) I compare myself with other people. Kapag nagsimula na akong magcompare ng gawa ng iba sa gawa ko nalulungkot na ako at nakikita kong basura ang gawa ko. So I stopped doing this [comparing] and instead I steal from them. Mwahahahaha!
Well, not really steal from them but save their designs and be inspired by their works. I call them pegs. No, not the bacon type.
Lastly, I have to remember that God has entrusted me with this talent. I should make this grow and practice more to be better. I do not want to be the wicked lazy servant who gives excuses and tells God “well this is what you gave me Lord, it’s not that much so I’ll just do nothing about it.”
Also pray and ask God to give you satisfaction in what you do, remember that to be satisfied in all your toil is actually a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 3:13 emphasis added)
Current mood: Tulog-tulog kapag may time. kthanksbye!
I like watching CSI or any crime scene shows; I can stay up late at night just watching those stuff. I don’t know why but there is something about investigating and seeking clues for answers that I like so much.
I forgot who told me and inspired me to do this (maybe it was my dad) but I was given a challenge to look for Jesus in the Old Testament. Sure, It’s easy to look for Jesus in some of the books because “The Messiah” was prophesied in many of the Old Testament writings, but to look for Jesus in Esther? God was not even mentioned in that book! Hmmm . . .
Challenge accepted!
But it wasn’t long enough until I found traces of God in her story. It was as if God intentionally left His fingerprints, and even though He was not mentioned pieces of evidence still point to Him.
Then I found Jesus, paralleled to the life of Esther:
• Listening and following
Esther. She listens and follows instruction from the people whom she knew would take care of her. First one is Mordecai, her cousin . . .
Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. (Esther 2:10)
. . . and the other one was Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem.
When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. (Esther 2:15)
Jesus. He listens and follows His Father’s voice.
I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. (John 14:31)
• Mission
Esther. By listening to Mordecai, Esther took the risk of being killed by approaching king Xerxes (for nobody approaches the king unless summoned). The queen accepted her fate and said, “If I perish, I perish.” And the king granted her favor; the Jews were spared from the genocide and Esther lived and reigned as queen.
13“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13,14)
Jesus. By listening to His Father He knew that He was going to die. Unlike Esther, Jesus has no ifs—He is going to be led to the cross for the sins He did not commit. But this time not just to save the, Jews but all mankind. Although He asked His Father to take it away, yet He obeyed and accepted His fate.
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
• Prayer and fasting
Esther. All the Jews in Susa prayed and fasted for Esther.
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. . . .” (Esther 4:16)
Jesus. No one prayed for Him, but He Himself prayed to His Father.
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” (Matthew 26:36)
• Royalty
Esther. She was an ordinary girl, a commoner, who was crowned into royalty to fulfill her purpose.
Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. (Esther 2:17)
Jesus. A Royalty who came down from His throne and became like one of us to fulfill His purpose.
2The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. (John 19:2,3)
Reading and studying the book of Esther made me realize two things:
1) You can find Jesus in any book of the Bible (and yes that includes Esther and Song of Songs)
2) Even if God was not mentioned doesn’t mean He’s not there.
How about you? Do people know that you are a follower of Jesus even if we don’t always mention His name? Do our lives reflect Him?
Note: If you want to study more about Esther, read pastor Steve Murrell’s blog 5 Leadership Lessons from an Orphan Girl Who Saved a Nation.
Current mood: Tetelestai! Lord thank you!
Esther, one of the books in the Bible named after a woman (the other one is Ruth, and no, Ezra is not a woman). This is the book where God was not mentioned (not even once). So we ask, where is God? And why is this book even included in the Bible?
I’ve been studying Esther’s story lately and there are some things that struck me; some of them are new to me, even though I’ve been reading (re-reading) this book so many times. The story of queen Esther, if you would take some time reading her story in the Bible, is actually a great material for a mini series—full of intrigue, hatred, politics, and lust for power. But we will not fully grasp her story if we will not talk about the villain. So even though I’ve entitled this post after the queen we will actually talk about Haman the Agagite. But don’t worry we will discuss about her in part 2.
Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the mere name itself sounds so villainish. And if you will tell your parents that you’re hanging out with this guy, let alone date him, they would not approve of it. I did not know this, but Haman was not supposed to be born. His existence was not originally in God’s plan. What am I saying? Let me take you few years back before Haman was born.
In 1 Samuel 15:2,3 God’s command to king Saul:
2This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish Amalekites for what they did to Israel . . . 3Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
And this is what king Saul did in verse 9:
But Saul in the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroy.
Even though Saul eventually killed Agag after Samuel confronted him, still some were spared. Total annihilation was God’s perfect plan, but Saul has plans of his own. Because of his insecurities he wants to please his army, his people—neglecting God’s plan.
Years pass and Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, was born. Insecure, hungry for power, loathing the Jews; he too wants God people to be totally annihilated and his perfect plan is genocide.
Where is God? He was there. He raised up this woman, we now call queen Esther, to clean up Saul’s disobedience—destroying the remnants of king Agag. Many times we think God has neglected us, but all along it was us who neglected Him.
When was the last time we heard God speak to us? In His still small voice, almost like a whisper, tell us something that we should do. But because of our own fear, insecurities, and pride, wants to shut Him up. And when trouble comes we ask . . .
“Where is God?”
current mood: summer heat, think happeh thoughts
May kinuwento sa akin ang aking kapatid na balitang nabasa niya. Meron daw isang babae na nakitang patay sa kakahuyan, Hinala ng mga pulis na pinatay ang babae ng kanyang asawa, dahil sa mga natamo nitong sugat; parang sinagasaan daw ng lawn mower ang babae dahil sobrang lalim ng mga sugat nito halos mapuputol na ang kanyang mga kamay. Pero lumabas ang imbestigasyon na hindi pala asawa niya ang pumatay sa kanya kundi isang elk.
Ang mga elks, in nature, ay mild manner creatures. Kapag meron silang na sense na tao tatakbo kagad ito papalayo; hindi raw karaniwan sa kanila na mangsuwag at pumatay. Pinag-aralan nila ng mabuti kung ano ang nangyari at nagkaganun ang isang mahinahon na elk. Ayun sa pagsusuri, Ang pangunahin na kinakain ng elk doon sa lugar nila ay apples, at kapag winter season ang nakakain nila ay, syempre walang iba kundi, frozen apples. Napagalaman nila na kapag na freeze ang mga apples nagkakaroon ito ng chemical reaction at tumataas ang alcohol content nito. So ang mga mild mannered elks sa winter ay mga drunken elks. (News source BBC: Sweden woman’s ‘murder’ committed by elk not husband)
“Excuse me maam, but do you mind, I’m doing my business here” said the mild mannered elk.
Nahalintulad ko lang ang sarili ko sa elk na yun; hindi dahil amoy gubat ako at apples lang ang kinakain ko. Kundi dahil minsan meron din akong nagawa na sana pwede kong gawin dahilan ay “Hindi ako aware sa mga kinikilos ko nung panahon na iyon. I was drunk. Sorry.” Pero siyempre, hindi ko yun pwedeng sabihin.
Nakakahiyang man ikwento, may natarayan akong katrabaho sa opisina. Wala siyang kasalanan pero sa kanya ko na buhos ang aking inis. Sana hindi niya ito binabasa, pero kung oo, sorry talaga bro. I was arrogant and hindi ko dapat ginawa yun sayo. 
Para sa aking mga mambabasa, don’t worry nag-apologize na ako sa kanya personally.
Nag-iisip ako kung anung dahilan kung bakit ako nagkaganon. Lack of communication sa part nila? Well yes, pero napaka petty na dahilan nun at hindi sila ganun parati. In an ordinary day I can easily brush that off. Hormones ko ba? At lagi nalang hormones ang nagiging excuse ng mga kababaihan, “Sorry ganun ako kasi meron ata ako this week.” Actually no, hormones have little to do with that kind of attitude. And then na realize ko hindi pala maayos quiet time ko nung araw na yun. Gumising ako that day, kinuha yung Bible, nagbasa, walang nainitindihan sa binasa dahil sa sobrang antok at natulog uli. Pagkagising ko wala akong naalala sa quiet time ko. Flesh vs. Spirit guess who won?
Lesson learned: Focus on God’s Word, don’t just read it meditate on it. Don’t make excuses and shift blames, humble yourself before God and His people. And if you have done something wrong immediately forgive and ask for forgiveness. Learn from your mistakes and move forward.
I hope we can all learn from this. And as for that poor elk, I think he’s serving life in prison. Kidding.
Current mood: Hoooosah!
Tinanong ko ito sa sarili ko nung isang araw (habang nasa shower). Oo nga naman, bakit ba ako nagbubuhos ng energy, time, at effort sa pagsusulat eh hindi naman ako kumikita ng pera sa pagbblog ko? San ba ito nagsimula? Bakit nga ba ako nagsusulat?
Ang aking mga magulang. Magaling ang nanay ko words; magaling magtahi ng mga salita, at mahilig siya sa crossword puzzles. Kaya niyang humuli ng mga salita na hindi nagagamit sa tamang kahulugan nito. Kaya kung hindi mo alam ang ibig sabihin ng mga salitang ginagamit mo, English man o Filipino, huwag mo nalang sabihin. Sa kanya ko nakuha magsulat ng maayos.
Ang tatay ko naman ay magaling sa rin words. Nung bata pa kami magkkwento siya ng mga stories bago kami matulog; hindi niya kami binabasahan ng stories, gumagawa siya. Mahilig rin siyang gumawa ng liham para sa amin ni ate tuwing birthdays, valentine’s day, Christmas, etc. He is fluent in both English and Filipino. Sa kanya ko naman nakuha ang pagiging malikhain ko sa words.
Growing up. Bihira ako mag-bore nung bata ako. Kaya kong masurvive ang holy week kahit walang cartoons (wala pa kasing cable TV nung panahon namin). Ang paglalaro namin ng Barbies ng ate ko ay hindi tulad ng laro ng aming mga ka-contemporary na mga bata. Habang ok na sa kanila ang pagsuklay at pagpalit ng damit ng mga Barbies nila sa amin nila ate ay iba—meron kaming story. May plot ang aming paglalaro, may episodes, may title, at may character development. Hindi ko makakalimutan nung pinatay ni ate yung pet goldfish ni Barbie (THE PAIN!!!). Dito nahasa ang aking imagination at paghugot ng emosyon sa storya.
Naging highschool na kami ni ate at huminto na rin ang paglalaro namin, pero hindi dito huminto ang paggawa ko ng mga storya. Dahil mahilig akong magdrawing naisipan kong gumawa ng graphic novel. Every break time sa school o di kaya kapag summer, kaharap ang notebook at ballpen, magddrawing ako at gagawa ng story; tulad ni daddy nung bata pa kami, meron din akong mga storya na nilikha gamit ang imahinasyon. Sayang dalawa nalang yung naligtas kong notebooks, at yung isa ay hindi pa tapos.
Naging busy na ako nung college at wala na akong panahon gumawa ng personal projects dahil, sa kursong fine arts, ginto kung makatulog ka ng walong oras. Pero hindi dito huminto ang aking pagsusulat; nakakita ako ng panibagong platform para magtapon ng mga ideas—ang blog.
2006 akong nagsimula magblog at pinagpatuloy ko na ito. Dito ko na binubuhos ang aking creativity at minsang brain farts. Meron akong personal blog, at meron akong art blog.
Sa hinaba-haba ng kinuwento ko hindi ko pa rin nasabi kung bakit nga ba akong nagsusulat? Probably for these reasons:
1) Na realize ko na masmainam sa akin magsulat nalang kesa magsalita. I can express myself more in written words.
2) Masaya ako kapag may napapatawa akong mga tao sa mga nasulat ko.
3) Gusto ko kapag wala na ako sa mundo ang buhay ko ay hindi makakalimutan. Patuloy pa rin ako magpapatawa at magpapa-inspire ng mga tao sa mga nasulat ko.
Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ako magsusulat pero hanggang kaya ko pa sulat lang ng sulat. 
Current mood: enjoying my rest day
. . . lalaki man o babae meron nito.
Kaya para sa inyo lahat ang web card na ito.
Tamang swabe lang
Current mood: Yehessss! May QR code na!
