Kerygma Cebu Grand Feast Culminated My Long Weekend

with Bro. Migz Ramirez

Once again, my long weekend is truly blessed as it was culminated with my attendance at the Kerygma's Cebu Grand Feast! The event's main speaker was of course, the man who started the Light of Jesus and Kerygma's Feast all over the world as well as the Philippines' top Catholic Preacher, Bro. Bo Sanchez!

Mama's office mates

It has been months since I last showed up at the Feast due to my new work schedule. In fact, I never expected to grace the event tonight but I believed God intervened when our company announced that today will be a non-working day in exchange of tomorrow's Labor Day holiday. At the time of our employer's announcement about the holiday, I got distracted for a plan to go to Bohol for the Tagbilaran Fiesta and to bond more with cousins too. As I checked the schedule, it seemed impossible since I have to be back on May 1st right away. My mom reminded me and announced with delight that I can attend the Cebu Grand Feast! I felt like someone or something poked my head saying, "Hey, you'd love to go to the Feast, right? This is your chance". So, I set aside the trip (anyway, I went there already the other week) and pushed through with the Feast!

The place was already jam-packed with a few seats left at the back when we arrived. Still, everyone didn't mind and raised hands as they cry out to God in worship and praise. Two things I've learned about Bo's talk on undergoing a detour in our life: 

1) Remain faithful -despite whatever we are going through right now, the most important thing is to remain faithful in our goals and dreams as well as remain faithful in God. We should bloom where we are planted and who knows, it would pave the way to reach our goal.

2) Remain Open - in lieu with blooming where we are planted, we should be open to possibilities. As the saying   goes, "When a door closes, another door or window (of opportunity) opens."

What's most important is we bounce back and just declare "All is Well.." because God is at our side and something better is coming along!

YFC campus-based friends

Indeed, my weekend was well-capped with blessings! The Cebu Kerygma Grand Feast defined my long weekend.! Check out more pictures here!

Easter Celebration 2012

The Lady of Manaoag Rosary Center

The giant image of the Child Jesus just outside the chapel 

A taste of lechon to celebrate Easter!

Ice cream and cake for Easter!

It was finally Easter Sunday yesterday and as usual, most roads lead to the beaches or pools. But our family did the not-so-usual that day. No, we did not just stay home or go to the mall, we went to visit a shrine instead. It's the Our Lady of Manaoag Rosary Center located in Carmen, Cebu up north. It's actually the same image as of the Lady of Manaoag in Luzon. The plan was to go to the beach after but passing through coastlines along the road not one beach side was not full or crowded. So, we decided to stick with just visiting the shrine alone. There were three of us who visited the shrine for the first time and the rest of the family had been there before. We did the usual thing though and that was of course pray and wrote our petitions on a paper and drop it off together with an offering. After praying the Holy Rosary, we were all starving and had lunch on one of the sheds on the parking lot. Each one of us were carried an extra clothing just in case we'll make it to the beach but it was still okay even if it didn't push through. I believe, we celebrated in a more meaningful way through that visit and what's more important was we celebrated it as a family!

Happy Easter! :-)


Photo credits goes to Mark Jimuel Castillo

My Holy Week Plans

Today, while the whole world is enjoying April Fool's Day, the Catholic Church commemorates the Palm Sunday which marks Jesus' proclamation as King of the Jews despite the negative reaction of authorities. This also starts the Holy Week where we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross. In the Philippines, it signals the main summer vacation where everyone goes somewhere to relax or perhaps just have fun and enjoy the long vacation! As for me, I am quite disappointed because I thought our vacation starts on Monday or Thursday is still understandable but we were told last week that the only day we won't have to work will be on Friday and the rest of the weekend. On a second thought, at least it'd still be three days with no work. So, what's the fuzz about it? I plan to really plot my a long-term plan for my life. Yeah, I haven't written one yet. Maybe I had one but it was vague or it was all just in the mind ( I still have to check my stuff!). Aside from that, I wanted to pray more. Yup, pray more and do the usual stuff we've done with family for the past years. I guess I have to plan carefully what to do for the week since time is still limited.

That's all for now! Enjoy the Holy Week! 

Cheers! :-)

Just a Few Words on What's Up Last Saturday

Congratulations to all the graduates this month! It has been a long time that I have not updated my blog. Anyway, I also attended my cousin's graduation last Saturday morning and after that, I was supposed to catch up an activity in Dumanjug, Cebu but was unable to because I don't think I could catch up with the program anymore since it will start at 1pm and my cousin's commencement exercises ended past 12 and the place I'm going to would be a 2 or 3 hour commute.

However, after lunch,  my time was not wasted after all when I get to watch for the first time ABS-CBN's Showbiz Insider Report which had an informative topic on Social Media issues particularly on Twitter's bashers and haters and how they bully people especially celebrities or famous personalities. It made me ponder on things and here goes perhaps an unsolicited advice:

*For celebrities/media personalities:  Famous as you are, a lot of us look up to most of you as role models. So, watch your words as well. You have the right to fight especially if it's already hitting below the belt. In fact, everyone has. As they say in the show, "there's always the Block button" and "Block is beautiful"... ;-)

*For bashers and haters: Just SIMSIMI- it, okay?! :D

'Need I say more?...Happy Tweeting everyone!

Lesson learned from Three Events

A dropped opportunity, a 6.9 earthquake (with tsunami hoax) and now, the death of another music icon Whitney Houston. So, what does these three events have in common? Uhmm, let me tell you the story:

Just one of the 3-house beach property for sale 

DROPPED OPPORTUNITY- The other week, I got a missed call from my lead real estate broker (I am a part-time real estate sales executive by the way). I, who then just woke up from sleep just did not mind about it thinking he was only reminding me of our monthly meeting in the office. The next day, I got a text message from him and he asked why I did not return his call that day and also inquired about one of my property listings. Still half-awake, I gave him the details but I guess it was not really that enough. Fast forward, haven't heard from him for like two days. After our Sunday mass where we are both part of the music group, I asked what would he do about the details he was asking from me and he just nonchalantly said that a client was looking for a beach property asap that time but he was not satisfied with the details that he dropped it off. The client already purchased another property. My jaw dropped upon hearing it and counting the numbers I could've earned, it was really annoying to think that there's this opportunity that I have passed just because I haven't prepared.

EARTHQUAKE - It was almost 12noon last Monday when my cousin called from her room while I was getting something in my room before going out, "Che, naglinog?" (Che, earthquake?). Before I could even answer, everything around me was shaking and I panicked but only managed to call out my cousin, "'te, te.." (short for Ate which means big sister in the Filipino language). That night, it hit me when one brother in the prayer meeting talked about the earthquake and the after shocks that followed and he shared if he was really prepared for anything especially for calamities like these which made me ask too, "Am I also prepared?"

DEATH OF WHITNEY HOUSTON - This morning was a real shocker for me upon hearing my mom talk about Whitney Houston's death. Despite speculations of a struggling recovery from drug abuse and news of failed concerts due to voice problems, I still can't believe that she passed away. Her songs were the songs I grew up and sang. I believe that those songs contributed to develop my singing prowess. May she rest in peace and will always be remembered through her songs. With this buzz, I asked myself again, would I be prepared if it was me?

Yes, the common thing these events have is on preparedness! On the first event, I was not prepared of the details that lead to a dropped opportunity for me to become a millionaire! The second and third, talks about tragedy which lead to asking if we would be prepared if death happens to us. 

Well, preparation is just one of the lessons learned. I could also say that it should also be coupled with planning. As Bo Sanchez said, Winners are Planners. I want to win in this life and if ever my time will come, I want to be remembered as a winner! Another thing, though my heart still aches a little bit of the happenings, I have to move on and learn from them. Live life still until it is time for me to be given again the opportunity to earn that big in real estate and never let go until I get it. As for the earthquake and death of Houston, let us not think about it in a negative way but pray more and still live to the fullest! Oh, let me not forget that it's almost Valentine's day, let me quote Whitney Houston's song in The Greatest Love of All, "and if by chance that special place lead you to a lonely place, find your strength in love."

Love more and Advanced Happy Valentine's Day!

Cheers! :-)

Photo Courtesy:

Beach House

Earthquake 

Whitney Houston

My Personal 30-Day Challenge

Yesterday, I have started my 30-day challenge of creating a new habit which is to read or watch or listen to a Adobe Photoshop Tutorial each day (I still have to decide or fix a schedule). As a member of Bo Sanchez' Truly Rich Club, I am quite familiar about it already but it takes a lot of urging and discipline for me start. So, as it was launched together with other Feast attendees last Monday, I am encouraged to do so. Hopefully, I will be able to accomplish it and move on to another 30-day habit to change or create!

Day 1 started with a review of Making Cash In a Flash Seminar that I have attended last 18th of December 2011 and focused on listing the art websites recommended by one of the members of Business Incubators Hanz Florentino. Honestly, I started already watching the 1st tutorial video of Adobe Photoshop Tutorial but a technical glitch happened. Instead of whining, I fixed it and so as not to waste time, just reviewed the seminar I've mentioned above. Anyway, it's still related because it all started from that seminar. I mean I have always wanted to get back the creative juice I once had and that opportunity unlocke it again!

I cannot show you any results yet. Hopefully on the next few days of the challenge!

Cheers! :-)

DEFYING GRAVITY: MY 2012 SONG

It is officially January 2nd in the Philippines but on the other side of the world particularly in the East Coast of America, it is January 1st noon time. I am hoping that this article will not only reach within the Philippines but for the rest of the world as well!

This is officially my first blog entry in 2012. Indeed, this year started in a prosperous way for me since I reunited with an old business program which met my 2012 with heaps of earnings! Other than that, I made myself more productive (after endless surfing on the Net) by trying to write this blog! I finally got a copy of my favorite song since last year (I actually heard this last 2010 in a Glee episode in Season 1). I just want to share this song although it came from a "Wicked" Musicale. I came to internalize more the song the moment my sister-in-law played the entire album of Wicked on our way to Blue Mountains, one of the tourist attractions in Western Sydney and I fell in love with the song. In the musicale, it's about a witch who broke away from the rules of the Wizard of Oz whom she finds a sort of dictator at that time and eventually she became the Wicked Witch of the West. But upon reading the lyrics, I said to myself that I want this to be my song especially in my journey to success! Now, I am publishing the lyrics of the Broadway version as well as their video..Get ready to fall in love with the song!

My 2012 song, DEFYING GRAVITY

 

DEFYING GRAVITY

(Original Broadway)

GLINDA

(spoken) Elphaba - why couldn't you have stayed calm for

once, instead of flying off the handle!

(sung) I hope you're happy!

I hope you're happy now

I hope you're happy how you

Hurt your cause forever

I hope you think you're clever!

ELPHABA

I hope you're happy

I hope you're happy, too

I hope you're proud how you

Would grovel in submission

To feed your own ambition

BOTH

So though I can't imagine how

I hope you're happy right now

GLINDA

(spoken) Elphie, listen to me. Just say you're sorry:

(sung) You can still be with the Wizard

What you've worked and waited for

You can have all you ever wanted:

ELPHABA

(spoken) I know:

(sung) But I don't want it -

No - I can't want it

Anymore:

Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules

Of someone else's game

Too late for second-guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It's time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try

Defying gravity

I think I'll try

Defying gravity

And you can't pull me down!

GLINDA

Can't I make you understand?

You're having delusions of grandeur:

ELPHABA

I'm through accepting limits

''cause someone says they're so

Some things I cannot change

But till I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost

Well, if that's love

It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy

Defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye

I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down:

(spoken) Glinda - come with me. Think of what we could

do: together.

(sung) Unlimited

Together we're unlimited

Together we'll be the greatest team

There's ever been

Glinda -

Dreams, the way we planned 'em

GLINDA

If we work in tandem:

BOTH

There's no fight we cannot win

Just you and I

Defying gravity

With you and I

Defying gravity

ELPHABA

They'll never bring us down!

(spoken) Well? Are you coming?

GLINDA

I hope you're happy

Now that you're choosing this

ELPHABA

(spoken) You too

(sung) I hope it brings you bliss

BOTH

I really hope you get it

And you don't live to regret it

I hope you're happy in the end

I hope you're happy, my friend:

ELPHABA So if you care to find me

Look to the western sky!

As someone told me lately:

"Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly!"

And if I'm flying solo

At least I'm flying free

To those who'd ground me

Take a message back from me

Tell them how I am

Defying gravity

I'm flying high

Defying gravity

And soon I'll match them in renown

And nobody in all of Oz

No Wizard that there is or was

Is ever gonna bring me down!

GLINDA

I hope you're happy!

CITIZENS OF OZ

Look at her, she's wicked!

Get her!

ELPHABA

:Bring me down!

CITIZENS OF OZ

No one mourns the wicked

So we've got to bring her

ELPHABA

Ahhh!

CITIZENS OF OZ

Down!

Oh and Happy New Year! 

Cheers! :-)