Somewhere Over the Rainbow

What's your all-time favorite song? This probably is one hard question to answer because we humans naturally love music and we gain favorites as time passes by. But only a little of them stays as your favorite even when the charts and the FM playlists don't contain them anymore.

This for me is the best song ever... not because of its grand musicality like my other favorite songs, but its simplicity combines reality and idealism. 

Somewhere over the rainbow has been rendered by many artists but this version by a little girl, for me, tops versions of Kylie, Ella Fitzgerard, The Ramones, Tori Amos, and even the original by Judy Garland (Wizard of Oz).

Just the intro makes me close my eyes and be transported into my own sweet picture of a paradise, the beach, the sun in the blue skies, palm trees, flowers and grass, and the mountainous landscape. In short, this song is my excape :)

It also reminds me about the goodness of life despite the trials... That behind every hardship comes a reward if you don't let go of the promises that The One above has given you :)

This version's medley with Rod Stewart's "What a Wonderful World" makes it even sweeter and uplifting, reminding me that indeed, this world is wonderful... so let's explore!

PS. This Ukulele version of this song is my 2nd favorite rendition :) Let me know if Somewhere Over the Rainbow uplifts your soul, too!

Pre-Medan Diaries - Raising Funds part 1

I love how God is using this season to reunite me with friends and acquaintances both from the past and the not so recent past. I've shortly mentioned in one of my previous posts that I'm scheduled to go to Medan (by faith!) for 10-days of full time effort to support the newly planted church there in hope to introduce more people into the knowledge of Christ our savior. And I'm so happy that I have this opportunity to really GO and make disciples of ALL nations, in response to the Great Commission Jesus commanded in Matthew 28. 

I have to raise my funds though until end of July so my qualification to join the team flying this September to Medan can be completed. And I'm just enjoying how I'm becoming more bold to approach people, not to ask for money but to really catch up in faithful hope for an opportunity to share what God is doing in  my life.

Prior to actually raising my support, I used to think, in pride, that I don't have to actually ask people for help. And God totally changed that making me realize that sharing my vision to others is not merely asking for money or support... But rather, giving other people an oppprtunity to be blessed by being a part of what God is doing in other nations... Because not everyone can go, but everyone can give and pray. That has always been my stand since 1st year college. Even as a student, I would spare even Php 50 to support missionaries. I dont know where that amount took our missionaries, maybe a meal for one of them, but definitely I believe that God saw that commitment as seed :)

So going back to catching up... The not-so-conversation-starter me actually started conversations. :) It's a joy to catch up with high school, college, review, and even old church friends. And even if I get NO for an answer to the opportunity-to-be-blessed that I'm offering them, there's still joy knowing that I have shared the goodness of Christ in my own little way. :)

All the more that I am blessed with those who pledges an amount, mainly because that meant that God spoke to their hearts to be generous through my testimony :) and I'm blessed to be used as an instrument to stir faith in the hearts of those committing.

Thank you Lord for I know that You have so much more in store for me this season!

Hundred Islands 2014

Summer will never ever be summer without a sweet escape to the beach!

The Wake Up Call

I've been wanting to update this blog for so long now! But every time I find something I wanna write about, the inconvenience of stress and weariness stops me from having the discipline to sit down, not think of work and just write... and I go to the common alternative which is to sleep :)

But there's one wake up call which I really don't wanna miss to record so even though it's a Friday night tonight, while almost everybody is somewhere else but home, I'm in front of my laptop not to work, but to write :)

The Wake Up Call

Disclaimer: I'm not ranting about my work. I find it really challenging every single day and I love being molded into a more mature lady as I encounter different circumstances and people. There's just some things that need fixing :)

Have you tried staying at the office at extended number of hours (even though not paid) and as you reach your destination, probably your house or some chill-time place, you open up your mobile device and still check your work email? That's me recently! From the course of my 10 months at my new work environment, I've met way too many people and one of those with great marks are my principals from Citrix. Principal means the root company (or employees thereof) of the solution we are offering, and for Citrix's case, they're not Filipino locals. I'm a lot of times interacting with people who are Singapore-based but mixed Nationalities---SG natives, Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, Australian, Korean and New Zealand(er?). That's one of the things I enjoy a lot---the experience of meeting someone "new" as in not a Filipino. Since they don't currently have local presence in Ph, they would schedule trips to Manila monthly (sometimes semimonthly) to meet my clients and partners... of course to chase deals. And so when they're here, I would join them in the meetings and even in transit to and fro.

You should know I'm not a good conversation-starter unless I'm very passionate about what I'm going to talk about. But since I'm a businesswoman now, in other terms Sales, I have to practice speaking!!! So opposite of who I am! But anyway, one time one of my principals who was Korean broke the silence and asked me what I do during the weekends and it was a struggle to answer it enthusiastically because while his answer to the same question is sports and leisure, my take was... I can't even remember what I made up! :D Maybe I said "working out" and of course, church on Sundays. But the reality is that I was a bit not proud to say "I still work on Saturdays... either doing something pending or preparing for the week ahead, or studying (which is rare now). That part of our conversation didn't bother me a lot until I was asked again of the same question by another principal, this time Australian.. and I said, "Well I used to go to the gym... and then church on Sundays." Of course I started to feel that my life is boring until I made sure it is when I got asked a third time by a third principal and I wasn't so happy with my answer anymore, although I added "travel" which is rare for my weekends because usually, I'm in a coffee/milktea shop blogging, working or FBing (the worst in the list).

So the lighting struck the 3rd time and I believe I can have something more than just to work! I don't wanna get myself overreacting because I enjoy writing and working and churching, and RESTING most especially... but if my weeks is just about that, maybe one day I would run out of reasons to write and reasons to work.

Now I'm thinking of something else I can do over the weekend. Go back to teaching a couple of units every Saturday? Start a new sports? Consume the rest of my 1-year gym membership? Although I still prefer that I can be free on Saturdays without any obligation so it can be my Spontaneous day. Or am I just wanting to tweak my weekend routine because I want it to become more appealing to others? I don't know. Tweak or not, I'm sure I will enjoy whatever I'd do. :)