Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Experience Phase - the thick of it
1986-2000
1986. With business down and reeling from national economic crisis, the nation had a people power revolution the previous year and installed the first woman president to unite the nation. Her cabinet was better since they came from the educated middle class. They did their best to stir back the nation's economy in the midst of chaos. The first commodity futures exchange was put up in the main business center by foreign companies taking advantage of the situation promising jobs for the people. I was one of those professionals hired to be market analyst and sales and marketing agent for this new exchange. It must be because of my former job as college instructor. Since it is a very new kind of industry, we had to undergo two months of rigid training. There were, however, players already in the market who were trading directly with agents in Hongkong. Our bosses were Chinese nationals from Malaysia, Hongkong, and Singapore. They taught us the job and how it should be done. It is similar to stock market trading. It is the highest form of sales and marketing job combined with analytic skills of market trends. We were high on our toes everyday as we were always facing high risk of our clients losing their money in just a split second. Clients enter the market through agents like us - they somewhat depend on our decisions though they also monitor the market on line. Our office is open twenty four hours six days a week for trading in the Hongkong and Chicago markets. We normally go home only when the markets close. We have to be reachable anytime during trading by our clients thus cellphones and pagers were indispensable. At the time, these were just being introduced into the country alongside with the computers.
Here I was exposed to high profile sales and marketing and trading involving well known names in the business world and politics that I never ever imagined of having meetings with. I have met some CEOs of big companies who were trading, and did some trading with them. It was also hard work for us, stressful, demanding, and we must study the business to keep abreast. To unwind, we would go to the hotel bars and other popular bars in the business center. Our bosses sometimes go with us and would bring us home after a race at the main highway. My second relationship developed during my stint here, with my trader partner. We were assigned to move in pairs for security reasons and he was my partner in the field. This was the height of my training and exposure in the field of sales and marketing. Power dressing and brain power combined in order to survive.
Many others joined us in this field because turn over of staff is very fast. Many could not endure the job pressures and left. Also, because of need for money, other agents enticed clients to enter with their hard earned money that they easily lost in the market. They started to complain to the government for opening such kind of business in the country so that the next duly elected president had to close the exchange eventually. I had already gone back to teaching in a business school when the exchange was formally closed after just over two years of operation.
1986. With business down and reeling from national economic crisis, the nation had a people power revolution the previous year and installed the first woman president to unite the nation. Her cabinet was better since they came from the educated middle class. They did their best to stir back the nation's economy in the midst of chaos. The first commodity futures exchange was put up in the main business center by foreign companies taking advantage of the situation promising jobs for the people. I was one of those professionals hired to be market analyst and sales and marketing agent for this new exchange. It must be because of my former job as college instructor. Since it is a very new kind of industry, we had to undergo two months of rigid training. There were, however, players already in the market who were trading directly with agents in Hongkong. Our bosses were Chinese nationals from Malaysia, Hongkong, and Singapore. They taught us the job and how it should be done. It is similar to stock market trading. It is the highest form of sales and marketing job combined with analytic skills of market trends. We were high on our toes everyday as we were always facing high risk of our clients losing their money in just a split second. Clients enter the market through agents like us - they somewhat depend on our decisions though they also monitor the market on line. Our office is open twenty four hours six days a week for trading in the Hongkong and Chicago markets. We normally go home only when the markets close. We have to be reachable anytime during trading by our clients thus cellphones and pagers were indispensable. At the time, these were just being introduced into the country alongside with the computers.
Here I was exposed to high profile sales and marketing and trading involving well known names in the business world and politics that I never ever imagined of having meetings with. I have met some CEOs of big companies who were trading, and did some trading with them. It was also hard work for us, stressful, demanding, and we must study the business to keep abreast. To unwind, we would go to the hotel bars and other popular bars in the business center. Our bosses sometimes go with us and would bring us home after a race at the main highway. My second relationship developed during my stint here, with my trader partner. We were assigned to move in pairs for security reasons and he was my partner in the field. This was the height of my training and exposure in the field of sales and marketing. Power dressing and brain power combined in order to survive.
Many others joined us in this field because turn over of staff is very fast. Many could not endure the job pressures and left. Also, because of need for money, other agents enticed clients to enter with their hard earned money that they easily lost in the market. They started to complain to the government for opening such kind of business in the country so that the next duly elected president had to close the exchange eventually. I had already gone back to teaching in a business school when the exchange was formally closed after just over two years of operation.
Friday, December 10, 2010
1981-1985
Summer of '81, I started to take my masters course in biology back at SLU in preparation for instructor position at the college of human sciences the next semester. I liked teaching and looked up to my teachers in the elementary and high school even my instructors in college. I was teaching natural sciences and we discuss evolution with our students just like a fact, not just a theory...
I thought this will be my lifetime career so I agreed to marry my college boyfriend, who belongs to a family of Filipino - Japanese, whose mother is also a member of our high land community. He did not grow up in our community though as his parents were teaching further in the north then went to his father's roots in the lowlands for his high school. There, he started his alcoholic drinking habit. I was attracted with his voice and his being a musician. He played the lead guitar and was the lead singer in their band. He would bring me to their band practices on weekends and also to their basketball games. We were with our local church choir too. Though he was like under the influence of alcohol almost every day in college, he was bright enough to finish his electrical engineering course and passed the board without even taking a review course. He first shifted to mathematics, graduated while I was teaching in high school, then taught at the national high school in our community.
I was instructor 3 and he was teacher 2 when he proposed marriage which I accepted. My family accepted him to end years of animosity among our elders. His aunt was my uncle's (mother side)sweetheart during their years, he helped her finish her studies. But on their wedding day, her elder brothers did not allow her to marry my uncle and prevented her to come to their wedding feast. My grandfather had to choose another woman in the community to be my uncle's wife during that three days wedding feast. In my father's side, my grandfather gave his other uncle parcel of land because he was their foster son. Their clan extended far beyond what was given to them and took it for themselves and their children. Because our parents were living on what their parents left for them, they did not think of the importance of land titles and documents. Their law is their word. But they cannot guard a wide land area, people came to squat and grab then paid only what they can to our parent's generation. Our generation was left with only enough to build our houses in the end.
I didn't expect his drinking habits would become worse after our wedding. He was worse when he was in high school, I found out, and became better when he was my boyfriend. Promising to kick the habit, I agreed to marry him. I thought it would be his way to full recovery but I was very wrong. He relapsed and became worst, I could not handle the situation while we were both teaching. The situation affected my work and our Dean would always call my attention to his fetching me from school under the influence of liquor. I decided to leave my job thinking that he was my husband and must choose him over other things. He too decided to leave his teaching job as his situation is not fitted for it. I was already four months pregnant then with my first son. We concentrated on my boutique and marketing that I opened when I started at SLU. But that year, our country underwent the worst financial crisis of all time - brought about by unstable national political situation. The strong man leader is being defeated by people power and triggered by the death of the head of the people power movement, economic crisis was nationwide. Many businesses closed and we were greatly affected.
I decided to apply for work again when my son was one year and a half but had to move with my husband to the metro where hiring was open leaving my son with my mom at home. Seeing that my husband was not keen on his promise to kick the habit, I decided to ask for separation from him. I fell out of love. He went back home and his brother overseas supported him back to college where he finished his engineering course. He and his parents took my son from my mom after they retired taking the responsibility of rearing him up as they were capable of.
Alone now in the metro, I remembered my mom telling me to read the Bible when I was leaving my son with her. I bought one and started reading at nights after work. All my questions about our life style and customs and traditions were answered in the first books and I just kept on reading whilst receiving answers and revelations for several months. Realizing things every time I received enlightenment, I always cried and repented even my marriage and having a son that I could not be with. But I came to know in the Bible that even God regretted having created humans at one point. His love for us prevailed however that He gave His son to save us.
I thought this will be my lifetime career so I agreed to marry my college boyfriend, who belongs to a family of Filipino - Japanese, whose mother is also a member of our high land community. He did not grow up in our community though as his parents were teaching further in the north then went to his father's roots in the lowlands for his high school. There, he started his alcoholic drinking habit. I was attracted with his voice and his being a musician. He played the lead guitar and was the lead singer in their band. He would bring me to their band practices on weekends and also to their basketball games. We were with our local church choir too. Though he was like under the influence of alcohol almost every day in college, he was bright enough to finish his electrical engineering course and passed the board without even taking a review course. He first shifted to mathematics, graduated while I was teaching in high school, then taught at the national high school in our community.
I was instructor 3 and he was teacher 2 when he proposed marriage which I accepted. My family accepted him to end years of animosity among our elders. His aunt was my uncle's (mother side)sweetheart during their years, he helped her finish her studies. But on their wedding day, her elder brothers did not allow her to marry my uncle and prevented her to come to their wedding feast. My grandfather had to choose another woman in the community to be my uncle's wife during that three days wedding feast. In my father's side, my grandfather gave his other uncle parcel of land because he was their foster son. Their clan extended far beyond what was given to them and took it for themselves and their children. Because our parents were living on what their parents left for them, they did not think of the importance of land titles and documents. Their law is their word. But they cannot guard a wide land area, people came to squat and grab then paid only what they can to our parent's generation. Our generation was left with only enough to build our houses in the end.
I didn't expect his drinking habits would become worse after our wedding. He was worse when he was in high school, I found out, and became better when he was my boyfriend. Promising to kick the habit, I agreed to marry him. I thought it would be his way to full recovery but I was very wrong. He relapsed and became worst, I could not handle the situation while we were both teaching. The situation affected my work and our Dean would always call my attention to his fetching me from school under the influence of liquor. I decided to leave my job thinking that he was my husband and must choose him over other things. He too decided to leave his teaching job as his situation is not fitted for it. I was already four months pregnant then with my first son. We concentrated on my boutique and marketing that I opened when I started at SLU. But that year, our country underwent the worst financial crisis of all time - brought about by unstable national political situation. The strong man leader is being defeated by people power and triggered by the death of the head of the people power movement, economic crisis was nationwide. Many businesses closed and we were greatly affected.
I decided to apply for work again when my son was one year and a half but had to move with my husband to the metro where hiring was open leaving my son with my mom at home. Seeing that my husband was not keen on his promise to kick the habit, I decided to ask for separation from him. I fell out of love. He went back home and his brother overseas supported him back to college where he finished his engineering course. He and his parents took my son from my mom after they retired taking the responsibility of rearing him up as they were capable of.
Alone now in the metro, I remembered my mom telling me to read the Bible when I was leaving my son with her. I bought one and started reading at nights after work. All my questions about our life style and customs and traditions were answered in the first books and I just kept on reading whilst receiving answers and revelations for several months. Realizing things every time I received enlightenment, I always cried and repented even my marriage and having a son that I could not be with. But I came to know in the Bible that even God regretted having created humans at one point. His love for us prevailed however that He gave His son to save us.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
1980-2000
1980 - 1981
After graduating from college, I went to teach at a catholic high school in the biggest province in the next region. I chose to be transferred to another town instead of the city in order to have lesser preparation since it is my first time to teach. We stayed at a staff house provided by our school for out of town teachers. It was a different environment and culture. It was a Catholic kind of life. My transition period from paganism to Catholicism has started. Though during my education phase, paganism and Catholic life were practiced by our family at the same time and side by side. Here, the complete transition in me has begun. However, idolatry is still strongly practiced in the area. It was during my stay here that I experienced a worst nightmare - a strong yellow light coming from my open window directly hitting my left upper back just below my shoulder and I couldn't move at all. I was mentally awake and fought it by forcing my toes and fingers to move.
I left the place at the end of the school year for masters course back at the university during that summer in preparation for instructor position at the college of human sciences.
My teaching experience there was great since teachers are regarded highly and we were in uniform everyday. My co teachers were very friendly and we traveled the region and nearby regions too. It was my happiest in my teaching life since it was work and fun at the same time.
When I came to study the Bible nineteen years after the nightmare incident, I came to know that nightmares belong to a non believer state.
After graduating from college, I went to teach at a catholic high school in the biggest province in the next region. I chose to be transferred to another town instead of the city in order to have lesser preparation since it is my first time to teach. We stayed at a staff house provided by our school for out of town teachers. It was a different environment and culture. It was a Catholic kind of life. My transition period from paganism to Catholicism has started. Though during my education phase, paganism and Catholic life were practiced by our family at the same time and side by side. Here, the complete transition in me has begun. However, idolatry is still strongly practiced in the area. It was during my stay here that I experienced a worst nightmare - a strong yellow light coming from my open window directly hitting my left upper back just below my shoulder and I couldn't move at all. I was mentally awake and fought it by forcing my toes and fingers to move.
I left the place at the end of the school year for masters course back at the university during that summer in preparation for instructor position at the college of human sciences.
My teaching experience there was great since teachers are regarded highly and we were in uniform everyday. My co teachers were very friendly and we traveled the region and nearby regions too. It was my happiest in my teaching life since it was work and fun at the same time.
When I came to study the Bible nineteen years after the nightmare incident, I came to know that nightmares belong to a non believer state.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
A Boyfriend that Never Was
"Thank you so much for the great memories after all those years. You are a very beautiful person. I pray that we remain good friends. Missed you..." - fred
The above is a text message sent to me today by a former high school classmate who was supposed to be my boyfriend during that time, though I never knew - funny! This they told me when we met again on thanksgiving day 2010, after thirty four years, when he came to visit together with another classmate who works overseas.
He is based in the US and had come to visit only for the third time since. The emotions were spontaneous at that moment. Hugs and laughter and recalls of memories...those years when we were doing all things in our innocence...that is why we want to go back to them, because it is those years that we were pure, no colors, no ideologies, young...just like the meristematic cells of plants - not yet developed, still to undergo transformation to become specialized to do certain functions. It is like we were all the same meristem cells - fresh from childhood but about to absorb more training in college and in work to become what we were programmed to be in our genes.
Though we graduated from the same university, we were both surprised that we never encountered each other during my four years and his five years there. I was in the College of Natural Sciences while he was at the College of Engineering. At the time, the university has a population of about twenty thousand students.
I knew he was a US Navy since I have seen their photos when they had a mini class reunion hosted by a good friend and classmate who is also based in the US. He is still working now - not sure though if still the same - as his two kids are still young. He married rather late. He had traveled the world, enjoyed his life, and was not able to get a wife earlier.
He thinks he may even know my estranged husband since they went to the same college at the same time but my ex husband shifted and graduated BS Mathematics with them then went back to finish his BSEE course after.
Two hours is all we could stay at their thanksgiving party since we had work the next day. He insisted to bring me home, "What is thirty minutes?" - he argued.
I also knew he had surrendered his life to the Lord even during their college years with another classmate who is now a pastor and a principal in a high school in Manila. We have a website where we communicate and keep abreast. I know he has entered God's arch many years ago.
In that thirty minutes ride home, he asked if my two sons had the same father. Smiling, I gave him a brief overview of my life's second phase.
Being inside the arch makes one acquire wisdom. He was so happy to know that I have surrendered too, had entered the arch, and now am found and healed.
I knew the joy that he felt for me that moment as he hugged me at my driveway saying, "...My sister in Christ!..."
And so the text message above...he must be at the airport back to the US...
The photos below were taken during the said thanksgiving party. The first one was when he was telling me he was my boyfriend that I never knew about... and the second one is with our classmates after the revelations...
...It's another enjoyment phase thread connected to education phase...new life!
The above is a text message sent to me today by a former high school classmate who was supposed to be my boyfriend during that time, though I never knew - funny! This they told me when we met again on thanksgiving day 2010, after thirty four years, when he came to visit together with another classmate who works overseas.
He is based in the US and had come to visit only for the third time since. The emotions were spontaneous at that moment. Hugs and laughter and recalls of memories...those years when we were doing all things in our innocence...that is why we want to go back to them, because it is those years that we were pure, no colors, no ideologies, young...just like the meristematic cells of plants - not yet developed, still to undergo transformation to become specialized to do certain functions. It is like we were all the same meristem cells - fresh from childhood but about to absorb more training in college and in work to become what we were programmed to be in our genes.
Though we graduated from the same university, we were both surprised that we never encountered each other during my four years and his five years there. I was in the College of Natural Sciences while he was at the College of Engineering. At the time, the university has a population of about twenty thousand students.
I knew he was a US Navy since I have seen their photos when they had a mini class reunion hosted by a good friend and classmate who is also based in the US. He is still working now - not sure though if still the same - as his two kids are still young. He married rather late. He had traveled the world, enjoyed his life, and was not able to get a wife earlier.
He thinks he may even know my estranged husband since they went to the same college at the same time but my ex husband shifted and graduated BS Mathematics with them then went back to finish his BSEE course after.
Two hours is all we could stay at their thanksgiving party since we had work the next day. He insisted to bring me home, "What is thirty minutes?" - he argued.
I also knew he had surrendered his life to the Lord even during their college years with another classmate who is now a pastor and a principal in a high school in Manila. We have a website where we communicate and keep abreast. I know he has entered God's arch many years ago.
In that thirty minutes ride home, he asked if my two sons had the same father. Smiling, I gave him a brief overview of my life's second phase.
Being inside the arch makes one acquire wisdom. He was so happy to know that I have surrendered too, had entered the arch, and now am found and healed.
I knew the joy that he felt for me that moment as he hugged me at my driveway saying, "...My sister in Christ!..."
And so the text message above...he must be at the airport back to the US...
The photos below were taken during the said thanksgiving party. The first one was when he was telling me he was my boyfriend that I never knew about... and the second one is with our classmates after the revelations...
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
My Senpai
I would like to dedicate this portion to my Senpai.
Thirty four years ago, it was my last year in high school, when we had to undergo citizen's army training as requirement to graduate. I didn't have any idea about this except that my elder brother was one of the officers years before us. We didn't have choice when our section decided to join a special group within because we always moved together. All of us had to undergo the training. We supported and encouraged each other that we may all be together in it especially us girls. He was one of those who trained us with a couple of officers. Though my cousin was also one of them, he did not have time to come back for us. I was one of the cutest and petite in my class and I didn't know what we would have to do to pass this training. But I was not alone and all of us were there so I just had to go along. During our trainings that normally took place after academic hours, he was always there with the top officers to handle us. He was tall and good looking and had a peculiar smile - I would miss him when he was not there during those trainings. I don't exactly remember when and how it started but he would walk us from school after we dismiss. At the time, our class adviser would always counsel us every morning about having boyfriends - it was not the norm as we were to proceed to college. I was always with my best friend who was older than me so I felt safe and secure even though he was there. Should our teacher know about it, it was always with my bestie and me. He was charming too and it cannot be helped that other girls would have crush on him as I did. It was just that. We were all growing up and it was all part of our development stage.
But those years - innocent years - are the most memorable parts of the educational phase of our lives. As we reach the third stage, the enjoyment phase, we tend to go back to it and and we search to find out about those people there whom we have shared a bit of our high school years. No wonder it is commonly known that high school life are the happiest - because those are the years we want to go back to. The years when we were pure and not tainted with any color.
We had a few brief moments in college but we were so young and so innocent then. We lost contact soon enough and never crossed paths again. I never forgot him though and his image would brush my mind till I graduated from college.
My second phase - experience phase - was tough and adventurous as my son puts it. I was totally engrossed. I never thought I would see him again after twenty four years when I was tagged along to attend a bonfire at our alma mater as part of our grand alumni homecoming. It slipped my mind that they were the host that year. I was just beginning to gather myself again that time having just emerged from a broken relationship and child custody battle. I have just come home after my twenty years experiencing phase. I wished I didn't attend that bonfire so that he could not have seen me in that stage. But then, it was quite dark and I just hoped it didn't show. I wanted to see him again in another time so I prayed and wished deeply in my heart that he too will come to meet Jesus in his life as I just did. That way, we may connect again in the future in God's love. This I sincerely did after knowing that he had been an overseas worker all his experience phase.
Ten years after, year 2010, as I was browsing my social networking site, I saw a post by my cousin of a video of a little girl singing a song so effortlessly. It was a song I remembered from my high school years because the title was his name. Something in me was telling me to search his name in the same social networking site. I realized yes he was an overseas worker and must have a site to connect to family and friends. When I saw his profile photo, I recognized him right away. On the side, he has become a photo hobbyist. We got connected again, thank you to the world wide web. And I was so happy upon seeing his profile - somehow my wish and prayer was answered! He has entered the arch as I did six years earlier. That moment, I had known why heaven rejoices when just one soul turns to the Father through the Son. He had begun his life journey four years ago.
It was now easy for us to witness and to share because we have received the power when the Holy spirit came upon our lives separately.
Now, I just realized that God our Father's timing of events in our lives is perfect! There were things He did not allow us in the past because it was not the right time and we were not prepared for it. He had to prepare us for things that will have to happen in our lives but He can only do it when we enter the arch - His arch - because inside, we are protected by His love. Things that have happened in our lives before we entered the arch, He allowed too for us to draw ourselves to Him and learn from it.
Knowing each others' experience phase, is the most amazing experience I have had. Somehow, I have this feeling of connecting my present enjoyment phase to my educational phase that was broken by my experience phase. The latter however, makes us humble ourselves and bow down to God our Father when we can no longer do more but keep still and know that He is God in our lives.
With this, I pray that we will stay in God's arch bounded by His love together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, forever.
Meantime, let us all have a blessed day - always!...
I love these photos and the rest that I requested him to take for me because I wanted to see him happy through it all...what good photography and surely more than this in the future...thank you, Senpai!
Thirty four years ago, it was my last year in high school, when we had to undergo citizen's army training as requirement to graduate. I didn't have any idea about this except that my elder brother was one of the officers years before us. We didn't have choice when our section decided to join a special group within because we always moved together. All of us had to undergo the training. We supported and encouraged each other that we may all be together in it especially us girls. He was one of those who trained us with a couple of officers. Though my cousin was also one of them, he did not have time to come back for us. I was one of the cutest and petite in my class and I didn't know what we would have to do to pass this training. But I was not alone and all of us were there so I just had to go along. During our trainings that normally took place after academic hours, he was always there with the top officers to handle us. He was tall and good looking and had a peculiar smile - I would miss him when he was not there during those trainings. I don't exactly remember when and how it started but he would walk us from school after we dismiss. At the time, our class adviser would always counsel us every morning about having boyfriends - it was not the norm as we were to proceed to college. I was always with my best friend who was older than me so I felt safe and secure even though he was there. Should our teacher know about it, it was always with my bestie and me. He was charming too and it cannot be helped that other girls would have crush on him as I did. It was just that. We were all growing up and it was all part of our development stage.
But those years - innocent years - are the most memorable parts of the educational phase of our lives. As we reach the third stage, the enjoyment phase, we tend to go back to it and and we search to find out about those people there whom we have shared a bit of our high school years. No wonder it is commonly known that high school life are the happiest - because those are the years we want to go back to. The years when we were pure and not tainted with any color.
We had a few brief moments in college but we were so young and so innocent then. We lost contact soon enough and never crossed paths again. I never forgot him though and his image would brush my mind till I graduated from college.
My second phase - experience phase - was tough and adventurous as my son puts it. I was totally engrossed. I never thought I would see him again after twenty four years when I was tagged along to attend a bonfire at our alma mater as part of our grand alumni homecoming. It slipped my mind that they were the host that year. I was just beginning to gather myself again that time having just emerged from a broken relationship and child custody battle. I have just come home after my twenty years experiencing phase. I wished I didn't attend that bonfire so that he could not have seen me in that stage. But then, it was quite dark and I just hoped it didn't show. I wanted to see him again in another time so I prayed and wished deeply in my heart that he too will come to meet Jesus in his life as I just did. That way, we may connect again in the future in God's love. This I sincerely did after knowing that he had been an overseas worker all his experience phase.
Ten years after, year 2010, as I was browsing my social networking site, I saw a post by my cousin of a video of a little girl singing a song so effortlessly. It was a song I remembered from my high school years because the title was his name. Something in me was telling me to search his name in the same social networking site. I realized yes he was an overseas worker and must have a site to connect to family and friends. When I saw his profile photo, I recognized him right away. On the side, he has become a photo hobbyist. We got connected again, thank you to the world wide web. And I was so happy upon seeing his profile - somehow my wish and prayer was answered! He has entered the arch as I did six years earlier. That moment, I had known why heaven rejoices when just one soul turns to the Father through the Son. He had begun his life journey four years ago.
It was now easy for us to witness and to share because we have received the power when the Holy spirit came upon our lives separately.
Now, I just realized that God our Father's timing of events in our lives is perfect! There were things He did not allow us in the past because it was not the right time and we were not prepared for it. He had to prepare us for things that will have to happen in our lives but He can only do it when we enter the arch - His arch - because inside, we are protected by His love. Things that have happened in our lives before we entered the arch, He allowed too for us to draw ourselves to Him and learn from it.
Knowing each others' experience phase, is the most amazing experience I have had. Somehow, I have this feeling of connecting my present enjoyment phase to my educational phase that was broken by my experience phase. The latter however, makes us humble ourselves and bow down to God our Father when we can no longer do more but keep still and know that He is God in our lives.
With this, I pray that we will stay in God's arch bounded by His love together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, forever.
Meantime, let us all have a blessed day - always!...
I love these photos and the rest that I requested him to take for me because I wanted to see him happy through it all...what good photography and surely more than this in the future...thank you, Senpai!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
1959-1980
"Those born on September 3 have many talents and a visionary quality about their work. Their ideas maybe ahead of their time, which can make them misunderstood by others. They tend to be socially astute and morally sound." This is what is written in my key chain gift from nana in Canada and it is what i am and more.
I was born in a traditional highlander family. Both sides of my parents are landed and with herds of animals. In our highland community, both our grandfathers were wealthy and each had performed the twelve days grand feast once in their lifetime. They were both leaders of their clans and both were mourned for seventeen days and buried traditionally.
Our family is a transition generation from paganism and idolatry to Christianity. Earlier generations may not have known for they have not heard. But my parents' level have heard but have not known till late. They practiced their own religion. Worshiped their own gods. Offered the sacrifice of the pagans. And it influenced us - the next generation's lives. We were to suffer to the third and fourth generation and we are the third in existence. Unless we break the curse in our level, our next four generations will also suffer as we had.
Because of our ancestor's identity, the nonbeliever states exist in us. We were born separated from God, lived in suffering, lost in the midst of sin, controlled by the ruler of the kingdom of the air.
We were spiritually dead. And though our grandparents were wealthy, they lost some of it, their children lived on it, and we consumed the last of it. Understandably, because we were ignorant of God and His ways.
These, I did not realize until I myself lost my share of it.
Before even entering elementary school, I was offered sacrifice to unknown gods due to sickness. I suffered from nightmares and some emotional problems thereafter. We also passed through diseases whereby we were offered again sacrifices to unknown gods. It was the family tradition or religion.
At about age ten or twelve, I had a dream. I saw my parents both dead in their coffins. My sister told me to bite a tree and transfer the curse on it so it won't happen. I did.
Now I know it was Father God telling me my parents were spiritually dead because of our culture, traditions, and idolatry.
As a young child, I cried myself when left at home to stay while my mother brought my sister to work on weekends. And once, at this state, I heard a voice in my brain saying I had another father. I never understood and wondered what it meant.
Now it is clear that was God's Spirit telling me I have Yahweh.
I was trained and developed formally in school. My needs were provided by my family and relatives and even government until I finished university education. We received gifts from our distant uncle, then our town mayor, every occasion in our lives until he died. We were fed from produce of our farmlands and game meat from the mountains and our family's herds. We were not in want as per our basic needs. But we were meant to suffer our lot being the third generation of our family.
I graduated valedictorian in the elementary and top section in high school. I was a government scholar in college. All these were part of my first twenty years - my training and development stage. Otherwise known as education phase of my life.
It was all part of God's plan for me.
The photos here are by my Senpai in high school whose blog inspired me to continue my own...love these photos and all the rest of the album...
I was born in a traditional highlander family. Both sides of my parents are landed and with herds of animals. In our highland community, both our grandfathers were wealthy and each had performed the twelve days grand feast once in their lifetime. They were both leaders of their clans and both were mourned for seventeen days and buried traditionally.
Our family is a transition generation from paganism and idolatry to Christianity. Earlier generations may not have known for they have not heard. But my parents' level have heard but have not known till late. They practiced their own religion. Worshiped their own gods. Offered the sacrifice of the pagans. And it influenced us - the next generation's lives. We were to suffer to the third and fourth generation and we are the third in existence. Unless we break the curse in our level, our next four generations will also suffer as we had.
Because of our ancestor's identity, the nonbeliever states exist in us. We were born separated from God, lived in suffering, lost in the midst of sin, controlled by the ruler of the kingdom of the air.
We were spiritually dead. And though our grandparents were wealthy, they lost some of it, their children lived on it, and we consumed the last of it. Understandably, because we were ignorant of God and His ways.
These, I did not realize until I myself lost my share of it.
Before even entering elementary school, I was offered sacrifice to unknown gods due to sickness. I suffered from nightmares and some emotional problems thereafter. We also passed through diseases whereby we were offered again sacrifices to unknown gods. It was the family tradition or religion.
At about age ten or twelve, I had a dream. I saw my parents both dead in their coffins. My sister told me to bite a tree and transfer the curse on it so it won't happen. I did.
Now I know it was Father God telling me my parents were spiritually dead because of our culture, traditions, and idolatry.
As a young child, I cried myself when left at home to stay while my mother brought my sister to work on weekends. And once, at this state, I heard a voice in my brain saying I had another father. I never understood and wondered what it meant.
Now it is clear that was God's Spirit telling me I have Yahweh.
I was trained and developed formally in school. My needs were provided by my family and relatives and even government until I finished university education. We received gifts from our distant uncle, then our town mayor, every occasion in our lives until he died. We were fed from produce of our farmlands and game meat from the mountains and our family's herds. We were not in want as per our basic needs. But we were meant to suffer our lot being the third generation of our family.
I graduated valedictorian in the elementary and top section in high school. I was a government scholar in college. All these were part of my first twenty years - my training and development stage. Otherwise known as education phase of my life.
It was all part of God's plan for me.
The photos here are by my Senpai in high school whose blog inspired me to continue my own...love these photos and all the rest of the album...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
My Life Journey
I am inspired by the blog site of a friend way back in my younger years documenting his life as an overseas worker all the years so i am writing my own life journey. Both of our blogs are our ways of witnessing for the Lord from our city, to our country, to our neighboring countries, and to the ends of the earth.
It is also our way to tell our children what we have passed through so that they may learn from it. In this age and generation, we do not have time anymore to tell our stories to our kids. All of us are busy with our own activities. We do not have time beyond providing for our basic needs.
This world has become an overwhelming one since the onset of world wide web. But I have foreseen this stage of my life twenty years ago when the information superhighway reached my country. That time, i already saw myself retiring to my computer after my employment life. And that is now.
God has been so kind to us his creation from the beginning. And He allows things to happen in this world for a reason. The airplanes, the television, and now the world wide web - all for His purpose. To spread His kingdom on earth. It is His work - not ours. We are the instruments to fulfill it. And all these things are our tools. It is His plan that will be fulfilled here on earth as it is in heaven. And all these are part of His plan. We are just walking through that is why our life is a journey. And our homeland is a destination that is worth our life journey.
Indeed, we have received power and we will witness.
And so my life journey...for all of us to learn...
The photo on this page was taken by my friend I mentioned above, who is my model in my blogs writing, he is a photo hobbyist...he took these and many more for me...
It is also our way to tell our children what we have passed through so that they may learn from it. In this age and generation, we do not have time anymore to tell our stories to our kids. All of us are busy with our own activities. We do not have time beyond providing for our basic needs.
This world has become an overwhelming one since the onset of world wide web. But I have foreseen this stage of my life twenty years ago when the information superhighway reached my country. That time, i already saw myself retiring to my computer after my employment life. And that is now.
God has been so kind to us his creation from the beginning. And He allows things to happen in this world for a reason. The airplanes, the television, and now the world wide web - all for His purpose. To spread His kingdom on earth. It is His work - not ours. We are the instruments to fulfill it. And all these things are our tools. It is His plan that will be fulfilled here on earth as it is in heaven. And all these are part of His plan. We are just walking through that is why our life is a journey. And our homeland is a destination that is worth our life journey.
Indeed, we have received power and we will witness.
And so my life journey...for all of us to learn...
Monday, October 25, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Life Begins @ Forty
Life Begins @ Forty is a very popular phrase and it is true! Take a look at this: We start learning and developing from age 0 to 20. As we grow, we learn both formally and informally. We learn many things till we graduate from college though these are only actually basic learning. From the home to the university. From the home to the community. Our parents our teachers. Our family our teachers. Our neighbors our teachers. Our friends our teachers. Our community our teachers. Our government our teachers. Our church our teachers. Our environment our teachers. What they teach us molds us to what we are at age 20.
From 21 to 40, we experience the world around us. We work and learn. We work and fail. We work and cry. We work and blend. We work and travel. We work and meet more people. We work and we love. We work and build family. We work and rear children. We are honed by all these through the years and we meet our Creator and our God.
Only then, at forty, our Life begins! Why? Because we become a new creation. When this happens, the old is gone and we are now a new one. It's just like mutation. New knowledge. New understanding. Wisdom sets in. New Life @ Forty!
Know that: Moses, the Prince of Egypt, learned and studied at the palace from 0 to 20. He left for the mountains and experienced life from 21 to 40 where he met God. Then he was used by God at 40 till death. It is the same way with us in a minute scale. Just like the functioning of a body cell to an entire body.
From 21 to 40, we experience the world around us. We work and learn. We work and fail. We work and cry. We work and blend. We work and travel. We work and meet more people. We work and we love. We work and build family. We work and rear children. We are honed by all these through the years and we meet our Creator and our God.
Only then, at forty, our Life begins! Why? Because we become a new creation. When this happens, the old is gone and we are now a new one. It's just like mutation. New knowledge. New understanding. Wisdom sets in. New Life @ Forty!
Know that: Moses, the Prince of Egypt, learned and studied at the palace from 0 to 20. He left for the mountains and experienced life from 21 to 40 where he met God. Then he was used by God at 40 till death. It is the same way with us in a minute scale. Just like the functioning of a body cell to an entire body.
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