sweet pearls

Made tapioca balls for the third time this month... though the ingredients and process is easy enough, making the dough into round balls is time consuming thus others would just go buy the ready made kind... at first I was just curious and wanted to prove that I can make it... but after the first attempt it became something of a soothing activity... I would usually make it on a friday, after cooking breakfast while waiting for my brother to get up so we could have brunch... 

... the activity gives me the chance to be away from the computer and gadgets... it allows me to think and reflect... whispering my prayers while my hands automatically make those round pearls... 

… fruition of life goals are like making these pearls - first you have to believe you can do it, arm yourselves of the necessary skills and patience and do the work. It may take time, you may want to give up at some point - thinking there are easier alternatives but pressing on gives you a much deeper sense of satisfaction with much sweeter rewards...

sometimes the answer is no

... today while busy in the kitchen, my mind wandered back to the fact that a previous big opportunity that seemed to be a sure thing slipped my grasp...

… I bagan to doubt my self: maybe I didn't want it enough? Maybe I didn't pray for it enough? Was  I being selfish to want it?...

... insecurity began creeping in... then I saw a testimonial video about a recovered covid 19 patient talking about how pesonal God is, how He knows the desires of our heart...

... often times when our prayers are not answered we forget that... may we always be sensitive to God's leading and direction...

... in time may I understand why things happened the way they have...

love in the time of Covid

"when you feel the urge to help - do it, it is God calling you to be the answer to someone's prayer"

credit to https://lovindubai.com/

this was one affirmation that I had when I went on a mission trip to Africa a few years back... and I have always looked back upon it every time I am given an opportunity to volunteer and donate monetarily or otherwise...

In our fight against the corona virus, another opportunity presented itself thru Ultra Athlete and a race with a purpose advocate

Mr. Romeo Puncia. He initiated the Covid 19VS19 project wherein he will be completing 19kms of running for 19 days on an indoor treadmill (Total of 361km) and cycling 19km x 19km (total of 361km) to make up a total combined distance of 722km. The proceeds and donations of which with be used to source and provide masks, face shields, PPEs and scanners to help frontliners here in the UAE and the Philippines. Grocery packs will also be donated to displaced OFW's and labour camp employees.

In these difficult times, a little help goes a long way - may we always be reminded to open our hearts even more to the call of being a blessing to others.

hope springs eternal

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest.
The soul, uneasy, and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.”
― Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

... as the filipino adage goes "habang may buhay, may pag asa" (there is always hope aslong as we are living)...

... each day may we remember to trust and never loose hope... to not be selfish and self centered - to remember that we are blessed in so many ways... to not focus on what we've lost but on what we have and be truly grateful for it...

stars of hope

*ctto

... when I was a kid, every time we would go out at night to play, I would always look up at the stars and try to identify the constellations...

Orion, the big dipper and little dipper were the easiest to find. The little dipper to us, back then was a 'rosary' and every time I would find it in the sky - I feel in awe...

... the world seemed grand, majestic and me only a tiny part of it - still there I was under the stars... whispering my hopes and dreams...

... tonight as I was on my back were doing cross fit exercises at the park, my gaze locked upon a familiar cluster of stars - it was the 'rosary', perhaps reminding me to lift up all my worries to God and watch Him work wonders...

a tiny speck

... today was emotionally exhausting... I felt like I was pushed on the verge of hopelessness... I seriously asked God 

why He forgot about me... why He let certain circumstances to happen that made me question the power of prayers... but then again maybe my prayers were not sincere, maybe what I want is not what is meant for me...

… I felt drained... I was wallowing in sadness as I walked home... then He gave me a glimmer of hope... I pray for everything to fall into place...

... thank you Lord that I still have it in my heart to pray - even though I question and doubt you... please listen to the tears in my eye, the heaviness of every sigh, the forced laughter and smile... and may that tiny speck of hope push through all the doubts and fears...

Year 2020

wow, looks like a skipped a whole year without posting anything... the half part of 2018 and the whole of 2019 was kind of a busy period for me, juggling work and my new found passion - dragon boat racing...

Yes I joined a dragon boat team and my previously free time was now taken up by trainings and races...

I am never the sporty type but I do love trying out things if only just for the experience of it and what started out as something to satisfy my curiosity has ignited a passion for sports I did not know I have, it gave me an opportunity to test my physical strength and feed my competitive spirit.

It really is something I have come to love.

Here's hoping that 2020 will give me more opportunities to learn more of the sport, give more to the team I am in and be a better dragon boat paddler.

paddles up!