From the monthly archives: May 2008
June 11, 2005. I was at Araneta Coliseum with a bunch of friends, for one of our first experiences of Hillsong — a seminar and worship led by Reuben Morgan. It was also my first time to be a part of the street team thanks to Jomar who recruited me, so I was particularly excited for it because of all the hard work for selling tickets. It was also one of the most memorable moments of my life. I was so amazed at how the people at Araneta worshipped — Catholics, non-Catholic Christians, all worshipping the same God. Amazing.
November 21, 2006. I was at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, for the first Hillsong United in Manila worship. Needless to say, I was awed that night; in that small venue, beyond my hunger and exhaustion, I definitely felt God’s grace and mercy pour into my life, and that night opened up big dreams for me (namely this).
May 26, 2008. Around one and a half years later, I found my way back to Araneta, this time even more overwhelmed at how God has been good to me, to all my new friends in the Street Team and how He has been so faithful in fulfilling my dreams, especially the ones I forgot about already. Amazing.
I’ve had a really, really long week. Stayed late at work almost all week, had meetings, rejoiced over David Cook winning American Idol, had a terribly embarrassing moment, had really painful realizations, and had a despedida dinner for someone at work. If it weren’t for the daily mass, I’d probably be crazy right now. And it’s not over because of some big things happening this weekend, which I want to be excited for, but for some reason, I am not. This is weird, yes, but I’m guessing this is just an oppression…so….
Anyway. Long week it was. Lots of changes, things happening at work and my life that sometimes I just want to ask God to pause all of it for a while, and let me breathe. You know the feeling? This is definitely one of the moments I want a remote control where I could pause life for a while when it’s getting too suffocating with everything that’s happening, ala Click. Or, have a pensieve (sp?) like Albus Dumbledore where I could just dump my thoughts and memories there and go back to them when I’m ready.
I was telling Alvin and Grace earlier while the three of us hung out at Starbucks: if this were a TV show, this is the moment where the flashbacks come in. You know, the episode where everyone recalls what happened to them in the past? That one. We had Grace‘s despedida dinner earlier at work, and it hit me more today that Grace is really leaving. I’m happy for her, really, that her dream to go to Japan is now coming true…but there’s the sad feeling of her leaving the company. I know it’s a fact of life, that people come and go into your life, especially at work. It just feels sad that one my closest friends at work is leaving. :( I know we’ll still be friends, but it’s just…different. We didn’t even get to wear funny t-shirts together. Awww.
So earlier, we were talking about our first days in the company and how much fun we used to have as a team…we still have fun, yes, but a lot of things have changed now. I can’t go into detail, but it is very different. A few days ago, I was listening to one of the songs I kept on playing when I was first in the night shift and I remembered how simple everything seemed then. How easy it is to love my job, how easy it is to love my team. I still love my job and my team, but…like I said, things are changing and it’s not really comfortable.
Truth be told, I miss the old days. I miss how it was before.
But…we’ve got to face the music. I’ve got to adjust.
Hay.
So…if you could spare some time for me, friends, please pray for me. The next few days are bound to be physically and emotionally taxing, I’m going to need all the prayers I can get.
In the meantime…enjoy your weekend friends. To those going to the Hillsong United worship on Monday, see you! :) And pray for us too. :D
Such sad, sad news. :(
Steven Curtis Chapman’s Daughter Killed in Accident
5-year-old daughter Maria Sue struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle at home.
posted 05/22/08Maria Sue Chapman, Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest daughter, died Wednesday evening from injuries sustained when a sports utility vehicle hit her in the driveway of the family’s home near Franklin, Tennessee. She was 5.
The girl was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by one of her teenage brothers around 5:30 p.m., authorities said. The teen’s identity was not released.
Laura McPherson, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Highway Patrol, told The Tennessean that the girl was airlifted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, where she was pronounced dead.
“It appears to be a terrible accident,” McPherson said, adding that no charges are expected.
According to the Associated Press, several family members witnessed the accident, but the Tennessean report said only two children saw what happened. McPherson said the entire family was home at the time.
“I’m confident I can speak for everyone in the community to say we will do everything we can to support this family, as we would do at any time, but especially at a time like this,” Gospel Music Association President John W. Styll told The Tennessean.
Maria was Steven and wife Mary Beth Chapman’s third adopted daughter and sixth child overall, behind siblings Will Franklin, Caleb, Emily, Shaohannah, and Stevey Joy.
[source]
We were at a Hillsong United meeting yesterday when Erik gave Pastor Ogie the news, and then eventually us. We were all struck, not wanting to believe it, until I called Grace and asked her to look for the news. And it’s true. :(
I had the opportunity to help organize one of Steven Curtis Chapman‘s visits to Manila and to meet the family (at least the boys) during their second visit. I admire their family life and one can definitely feel the love that they all share. I can’t even imagine the pain that they are feeling right now.
Maria is one of Steven’s adopted daughters from China, and they have been an advocate of adoption ever since they accepted Shaohannah, their first adopted daughter. He had always mentioned it in his concerts, and they put up a foundation that supports the cause. It’s hard to fathom why this kind of tragedy could happen to such a loving family…but
I know they probably wouldn’t be able to read this, and I know I’m not as close to them as my other friends who actually got to be with them for a longer time..but my prayers and thoughts are with the family. Even I can’t understand why this happen, and I know I probably wouldn’t until I finally meet God, but I know He’s got everything under His control, and I take comfort in that.
If you want to send gifts to the Chapman family, they are accepting it through Maria’s Miracle Fund via Shaohannah’s Hope, or you may leave a message in the blog in memory of Maria.
Rest in peace, Maria Sue.
It’s Friday!
And I’m still at work! ACK!
I’ve been spending long hours at work lately because of all the…er, work, I have to do. For some reason, things have been piling up, both the real work and the extra curricular stuff. It feels like school all over again, with all the projects and extra curricular stuff that I used to be involved in. Couple that with the rainy season we seem to be experiencing lately, and I feel like Eastwood is my new Taft campus. Did that make sense?
In one of my meetings this past week, I was definitely feeling the stress (but that’s also because there was some kind of issue with the team before then, hence the more stress), but while I was at the meeting, I was feeling a bit…calm. My project teammates told me I look and act even more hyper when I have so much stuff to do. Eh, really? I didn’t notice.
But…maybe they’re right. Looking back, it’s not that I like having so many things to do, but my energy level doesn’t seem to die down, even if I was up to my ears with things to do. I’d like to believe I’m more focused than before and I finish everything on time, but that’s quite ambitious of me. :P I have learned, however, not to complain about the things I’ve committed to do. It’s pointless, see, when you accept some kind of responsibility and then end up complaining while you’re doing it. If the responsibility was forced on me, maybe I would complain, but I still had the choice to accept it or not. And once I’ve accepted a task, I always tell myself to follow through and to not utter any complaint when it gets hard…because it’s part of it. It’s like…buying prescription weight loss pills and then drinking them and then complaining of the possible side effects when it’s clearly written outside. Somekindalikethat. ;) Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, right? :)
Of course, I know I still complain every now and then…but I try as much as possible not to. So maybe that’s where my positive and hyper attitude is coming from despite of all the stress.
But…now it’s the weekend! Yes, and I think I’m done with all the things I need to do today. Which means, I can go home! FINALLY! And as of this writing, all my teammates have left. The night shift people aren’t in yet…so it’s only me in the team left in our area.
To all those on a trip this weekend, have a safe one and enjoy! To all those staying home (like me…sort of), enjoy your weekend too! :D
Like I said, I’m not much of an American Idol fan, and after David Cook’s Always Be My Baby, I hardly listened to any of the other songs anymore (I’m selective that way). But then I read from LandofBrokenHearts.org that David would be singing Dare You to Move…well, I just fell in love with him even more:
And of course, there’s the AMAZING I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing, which almost made me hyperventilate while listening:
Now, I’m no music know-it-all, and I am not saying he’s the best among the two other contestants (haven’t heard any song from the other two yet), but I love love love him. I love his rocker voice. And I love that he sang a Switchfoot song. ♥
Imagine this: David Cook and Switchfoot singing Dare You to Move together. Ahhh! Can I faint now?
David Cook FTW? I want to! But even if he doesn’t become American Idol, I’m sure he has a bright career ahead. :)
Because everyone’s blogging about it (sort of), let me join the bandwagon. Here’s the official news from the Globe Corporate website:
Globe, SingTel, Bharti Airtel and Optus to bring iPhone to the region
Manila, 12 May 2008 – Globe, SingTel, Bharti Airtel and Optus today announced that they have signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Australia later this year.More information will be released at a later date.
And all the while I thought it was Smart who’s going to carry the much sought-after iPhone. I can’t remember where I heard it, but turns out it’s not true anyway.
Interestingly, a friend and I had a discussion about how the iPhone totally changed how telecommunications companies get the handsets they package with their plans. Being an ex-employee of a mobile telecommunications company made me agree with what my friend told me. Usually, the handset providers (Nokia, Ericsson, etc) give their handsets to the company, and the company chooses which handsets they’d be including in their plans. But when it comes to the iPhone, Apple was suddenly the one who’d be choosing among the mobile providers. Talk about 180-degree turn, yes?
And now they’ve chosen.
Not that it really matters…for me, anyway. Even if I really love being a MacBook user, and I love my iPod, I’m not much of a fan of the iPhone. I know I’m a techie and all, but for some reason, I really don’t like extravagant phones. Maybe I was psychologically brainwashed witha ll the cellphone thefts I’ve seen and heard all my life, which is why I prefer nice yet not so eye-candy phone so I can text outside in peace. I’d be more concerned with my fancy cellphone than my luggage if that’s the case. See why I love Captain Tal (my Nokia 6233) so much?
Plus I really don’t like anything touch screen. I’d be OC to the maximum level and I wouldn’t enjoy the gadget if I don’t use it the way it should. :D
As for Apple’s choice…I kind of wish they chose Smart, only because I’m a Smart subscriber, but I don’t really care that much at all. It’s not like I’m going to get the iPhone anyway.
But…who knows. Maybe I’d change my mind. Heh. Let’s see if Apple can make me fall in love with the iPhone just like most of the people I know too. :P
I’ve already heard about this around two to three weeks ago, but I only got to blog about this now (see how self-centered I can be? Ack):
IBM creates its own Peace Corps
By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:34:00 05/03/2008MANILA, Philippines — IBM is sending 600 of its employees to emerging countries over the next three years to do volunteer work involving IT.
IBM said the first 100 employees will be sent this year to six countries — Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, Ghana, Tanzania and the Philippines — to work on projects “that intersect economic development and IT.”
“It’s a corporate version of the Peace Corps,” said James Velasquez, country general manager for IBM Philippines, referring to the tech giant’s Corporate Service Corps initiative.
Thomas Veloso from the local IBM office was selected and will join nine more IBMers from the United States, Japan, China, India and the United Kindom as a team assigned to go to Tanzania in Africa.
More than 5,000 IBM employees worldwide applied for the program but only 100 were selected for this year.
In the Philippines, the IBM team will be based in Cagayan de Oro and Davao City in the South.
The team will create management information systems to track progress of loan and grant beneficiaries from the Philippine Development Assistance Program, according to IBM.
IBM is working with three non-governmental organizations from the US, Canada and Australia. These NGOs identify projects and local organizations the IBM teams can work with.
This is one of the coolest things I’ve heard at work ever. :) I love how the company is getting their people involved in helping. That’s why we were encouraged at work to go and volunteer for corporate social responsibility events, because it really has an effect. Thomas (Tom) Veloso used to be the GK-IBM head, and all his efforts are paying off with this amazing opportunity presented to him. :)
I’d love to have the same opportunity. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’d love if I would be granted one too, plus size clothing and all (um…right. What did I just write?). Maybe someday, I hope? :) Granted, I’d have to work doubly harder to get this, but it’s a good goal, right? :)
Maybe someday. In the meantime, let me finish all my deliverables. Heh.
I now remember another thing that I am reminded of during rainy afternoons, especially in May. Youth camps.
Summers used to be filled with YFC activities. I remember back in summer before fourth year high school, the moment I got back from the International Leader’s Conference in Cebu (ah the memories!), we were already starting to plan for the youth camp for the summer. There were lots of meetings going on, with venues to visit and dates to pick and participants to recruit. I was hardly home during the week because of meetings and fellowships — sometimes it feels like my YFC friends and I live in a single class A motorhome as we were always together. Every. Single. Day.
Fun times.
I remember it so well: it was the day of m first thesis proposal defense. I haven’t been home for a few days and I was so scared and nervous. Then you text me, wishing me luck for the defense. I texted back, telling you to pray because I was scared…and you called me and talked me out of my fears. We failed that afternoon, but when I called you, you gave nothing but loving and assuring words, telling me everything’s going to be alright.
There was a time when I came home from school, and I sensed tension in the air. Turns out you accidentally chanced upon my journal, and saw some of the things I’ve been hiding. I told you everything, and I was afraid you’d get angry…but we ended up bonding. :)
I was having blisters all over my body — my fever was bad and the skin problem I had was getting worse. You brought me to the dermatologist and got me medicine to drink and cream to put all over my blisters. Even if I was in college already and I can manage pretty well, you helped me put the meds just so everything’s covered. :)
I was tired with schoolwork and thesis. You accompanied me as I got our thesis ringbound, and while I was waiting for it, you disappeared into the grocery. A little while later, you were back, carrying a bag of groceries for me to take to the dorm for the week with all the stuff you know I like, and an additional bag of M&M’s chocolate. :)
We weren’t always good to each other — in fact, I think I answered back to you too many times as I was growing up. But I know that despite all that, you were, are and always will be there for me. I know that even if we don’t really like and understand the same things, I’ll always be able to count on you to storm the heavens for me. You’ve taught me to pray, to value my faith and to believe in God’s faithfulness. You don’t have to apologize for not being the perfect mom, because to me, you ARE perfect. :) Flaws and all. :D
Without you, our family wouldn’t have been the same, our home wouldn’t have been the same. I wouldn’t be who I am, I wouldn’t be where I am. Thank you. :)
Happy Mother’s Day, Mama! I love you! ♥
And before I forget…Happy Mother’s Day, Mama Mary. :) Thank you for always praying for us. :)
And finally: Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
Okay, altogether now…SQUEEEE!
Talk about Twilight yumminess. It really helped that when I was reading Twilight, I already knew Robert Pattinson was playing Edward, so it was easier for me to imagine him. He’s hot enough to burn a thick thick mattress! ♥
But you know who really caught my eye here?
Emmett. Suddenly I love him even more. Haha. Kellan Lutz is definitely Emmet. :P
I can’t wait for the movie all of a sudden. I should remember to re-read Twilight before the movie shows in December. =D
