PAPPEZ!!!

Here are some photos of our 2-week-old puppies, the "Power Pup Girls"

.My Life.

I'm inspired by my Maker to create something for Him. All to You, Lord God.

The Warrior, the Child

Inspired by "Warrior is a Child" (Gary Valenciano)

Ang Bayan Ko, Ang Bayan Natin

Sa di mabilang na mga pagsubok ng ating bansa sa kasalukuyan, maaaring marami sa atin ang nakakalimot sa kakayanan ng Diyos na gumalaw, magligtas, at magpagaling. Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami na punong-puno ng pagsubok ang daan patungo sa kaginghawaan. Bilang mga ilaw at asin sa mundong ito, hindi rin natin maiiwasang isipin na sa ating paghinga, paggalaw, paglilingkod, at mga panalangin, ay may mga pagbabagong nagaganap sa bansang ipinagkaloob sa atin ng Panginoon.

Hanggang dito na lang ba ang ating pagtitiwala at pananampalataya? Hindi ba natin ipaglalaban ang ating paniniwala na may pag-asa pa sa kabila ng lubos na paghihirap; sa kabila ng kasamaan at kadiliman na bumabalot sa ating tahanan? Ang bansang ito ay isang pagpapala at ito rin ay pinagpala dahil sa habag at awa ng Panginoon. Sa mga araw, linggo, buwan, at taon na lumipas, nakita natin ang kabutihan at kapangyarihan ng ating Diyos Ama. Ni minsan ay di Niya tayo pinabayaan dahil ang mahalin tayo ay Kanya ring kalooban.

Hindi Niya kayang tumigil na mahalin ang Kanya. Hindi Niya kayang iwanan ang mga taong nangangailangan ng Kanyang kalinga. Ang gobyerno man natin ay nagkulang (at nagkukulang), ngunit may mga hakbang naman na nakikita upang makamit ang hustisya at kapayapaan. Ang pang-matagalan na paglago ng ating bansa ay unti-unti na nating nakikita dahil ang katiwalian at pandaraya ay naisisiwalat sa pagtutulungan ng taong bayan.

Ito ang ating bansa, ang ating tahanan, ang ating responsibilidad. Sa bawat unos, ating napagtanto na kaya nating malampasan ang bagyo, lindol, pang-aabuso, at pagnanakaw kung tayo'y magtutulungan at magtitiwala sa Diyos. Sa ating mga panalangin, ating masusumpungan ang hinahanap na kabuuan ng ating pagkatao. Kaya't ang pagsuko ay di dapat isipin maliban na lang kung ang pagsukong ito ay ang pagsuko sa Panginoon. Ito ang aking paniniwala: may pag-asa at may panahon pa upang magkaroon ng katuwiran ang ating minamahal na bayan.

16 Things About Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

A Letter to the Brokenhearted

Hello there,

I may not know who you are and what you're going through, but I can somehow relate to the pain. It doesn't really matter what type of pain people are feeling, because it's essentially the same. Across borders, races, social classes, and ages, pain is pain. Whether you've just lost a friend, failed a subject, found out you're terminally ill, or discovered you're being cheated on, it's just painful--probably too painful for words. Saying it's "unpleasant" would only be an under-statement, actually.

I know. I know how it feels to live in pain, to be disappointed daily because of your shortcomings. No one has a monopoly on suffering, really. We're all trying to navigate the seas of sorrow and most of us are apparent amateurs. Everyone gets hurt, but this fact doesn't mean you shouldn't be sad. It's okay to be sad, you know. We have emotions and sometimes, we have no other choice but to feel. Sometimes, we can only shed tears over a broken dream, a ruined purpose, or a seemingly hopeless existence. Sometimes, we can just curl up and let it all out.

Retrieved from livealittlelovealotblog.blogspot.com

I'm writing this letter not to remind you of the inevitability of pain, though. Rather, as someone who has been hurt countless times, I hope to impart something that grew out of tears, trials, and tribulations. I wish to relay a message of hope. In the midst of the fray, there's a sliver of peace that slowly widens as you continue to look at it. In those times I couldn't love myself or anyone, Someone was actually loving me... unconditionally.

It's hard to grasp, I know, but I do believe it's true. We're brokenhearted for a reason: to be touched and healed by the Perfect Lover. When we've hit rock bottom, the only way is up, and guess Who's waiting there? You see, although pain flourishes in this world, love is still--and always will be--more abundant. We're not in pain because no one loves us, but because it's in such a moment where we can fully experience the Love that overcame every kind of pain.

The One Who spoke galaxies into being can hear a heart that's breaking. Even before it breaks, He's there. He's there to remind us that fighting and persevering are still viable options. We always have a choice. To me, pain, relief, sadness, joy, and every other feeling and experience are just instruments that lead us closer to the only One Who can and will help us: God.

Through the laughter and tears, to whom do you turn to?

The Young and the Undone

I am undone. I realized this a couple of days ago.

Well, it's obvious I'm young. However, like so many youth today, I'm "blissfully" unaware that I'm not prepared for something as challenging as romance. I've been telling myself for many years that I'm not ready for this, but my mind and heart were just not into such a notion.

Some people say that I'm of age; that I can actually start thinking about being with someone. There's one problem, though: I'm not a 100% willing to consider it. I don't want to be that guy who's quite dependent on a woman's love. Rather, I want and need to be fully dependent on the love that has always been there for me: the Lord's.

Image retrieved from www.flickr.com

It may seem cheesy or cliché-ish for some, but it's what I need. For numerous reasons, actually, it's what we all need. We have to realize that it's unfair to offer our "love" and "devotion" to someone when we're only fueled or driven by emotions or by the idea that having someone "to have and to hold" can just solve our longings. It's like giving someone a bike, but the wheels are missing.

I know it's so easy to hope for someone to love us, especially since we long to find "God's will" as soon as possible. However, I personally think it's more rational to hope for a better relationship with God. If we have God in our lives, we wouldn't be too concerned about having a date this coming Friday (February 14). Possibly, we wouldn't even think about it at all.

Not being in a romantic relationship right now isn't necessarily a crutch. It's an opportunity. We have the chance to continue the process of self-discovery and be made complete while serving God as singles. It may be a bit cliché, but it's true. Just think about this for a sec:

If we're not satisfied yet with our relationship with the Perfect Lover, how can we ever be satisfied with any other relationship?