What will I do this morning?

This is one question that bugs me the moment I finish the morning prayer. From badminton, to reading, to planning things that can't seem to find the starting point of action, etc. Hay... life.... It's an effort to live it. I miss those days when I don't even have the time to think of the next thing to do hehe.

Oh well, I guess I'd just have to keep on tryin' again...

Good night everyone. =)

It was in a doctor's clinic when I saw the poster. Funny how the devil seems to have gone really creative these days. If one can commend an effective advertising style, that would be of the devil. Truly, Luci can give a totally brighter image to something foul. In this prose, he tells you that hell can be a wonderful party celebration with your friends. So why worry going to hell?

Why Worry?

(author: unknown)

When you're sick,

You either live or you die.

When you live, then there's nothing to worry about.

When you die,

You either go to heaven or to hell

When you go to heaven, then there's nothing to worry about.

When you go to hell,

You'll probably be laughing and drinking with your friends.

Then there's nothing to worry about.

No badminton today so I got the rest of the morning feeling oh-so-poetic wahahahaha! Sometimes it's good to practise rhyming once in a while. It reminds me of literature class way back in high school. This time, my inspiration stemmed out from Bo Sanchez' line, "He won't leave you until you get healed." It was written in his book entitled Your Past Does Not Define Your Future.

      Here goes...

My Will is Your Gain

No one sees the struggle inside

No one feels the storm within

But to you it's all too real

In your woundedness, you can't win.

During my college days, I had this habit of writing down the things that I needed to accomplish for the day. Whether it was a paper whose deadline is driving me nuts, a grocery task, a group meeting to attend to, or even the littlest details like going over my favorite internet cafe. Practically, that's how I lived out college. Of course there'd be unexpected gimmik parties at night but most of the time, when it's out of sched, I'd push it aside. Karen (my-room-mate-turned office-mate), recalls how I frantically filled up my cork board with lots and lots of post-its... Oh I wasn't even using post-its then. I managed with small memo pads and my ever reliable scotch tape! Namamahalan daw kase ako sa post-it hehe. Kuripot talaga.

For some it may be called as a scheduler or organizer but I prefer to call it as my "worry list". That's the term for my list of daily goals.

Now, college is over. I have established my feet on the soil of the corporate world. At first I thought I could make do without my worry list. But just now that I discovered the advantage of utilizing this jurassic tool of mine (I still don't use post-it. I just write it down in my handy-dandy-notebook!). Web people are labeled as the "paperless community" but for me, pen and paper are still the best ways of putting some order in my day... in my life.

In this age when all can't live without the keyboard under their fingers,  whether it's of the pc or the cp, I believe having things written on paper makes it more personal. And what a relief when you find yourself accomplishing your checklist for the day. An electronic nature of things tend to create an aura of pressure and professionalism. But with that simple pen and paper, it's more of a friendly reminder... a result of your own planning and strategy as you face the day ahead. I feel the decrease in pressure and the anticipation of a more organized, personal, and peaceful day. 

That makes it more rewarding for me in the end.

So now I am back in the habit of crafting a worry list, only that it doesn't pose worry to me anymore. It creates order and yes, peace.

Love. It's the thing that makes the world go round. Last Saturday, April 20, this blogger experienced one of the most moving “love” events in her selfish young professional life. I gave my heart to the sagip kids of Gawad Kalinga at Sun Valley, Parañaque – a volunteer project of Singles For Christ in Villamor.

Gawad Kalinga, or GK as commonly known to volunteers is a home-building service for the marginalized parts of the country. Only last week that I discovered that it's more than just helping out in the construction of those brightly colored pastel GK houses. One is also set to contribute to the real community building endeavor – nurturing their youth.

The moment I held information that I were to deal with kids, I immediately gave my yes to join the gang. I just love kids. I love being around with them. There is enjoyment in sharing stories with children or teaching them stuffs like praise songs, artworks, or reading, etc. I must say that my natural affection for kids stems from the fact that I've got 2 kid sisters in the house. So whenever I encounter the less fortunate youngs, it gives me a tinge of sadness. It's sad to realize that these little ones do not enjoy the same opportunities and comfort that my siblings do.... and that they can only be kids once.

But God has a way of leading people to their lives so that His angels can experience a little side of heaven on earth.

We arrived around 3pm at the site. One would expect to be welcomed by the rude and wild children of a squatter's area. It obviously surprised me that the moment they saw our team, each kid happened to grab my hand to bless. Ain't that sweet? These kids got some values, really. Finally, we assembled them in the Gawad Kalinga classroom. As a starter, a team mate and I narrated our own version of the wooden boy who got his nose longer because of telling lies - Pinnocchio! A story that no one of them has ever heard yet. We just saw the marvel in their faces as they listened intently to the magic the blue fairy. Can you just imagine how far off Walt Disney is to them? Afterwards, we taught a praise song with matching actions and choreography. Haha!

Because of the short attention span of children, we decided to gather them for their meal. I gladly took the task of assembling the youngest tykes we call “sibol” (those under 5 years of age), to form a line. Together, we held hands as we walked going to their lawn where the snack were served. Just cute, I'd say hehe. Did I feed them? Oh yes! It's fun feeding them as they share their naughty toddler stories to me. I especially gone fond of feeding this tiny chubby girl named Ela. With spaghetti and bread, she ate heartily and cheerfully with her playmates. Who cares if it seemed like spaghetti sauce was splashed all over her face hahaha!

I can almost feel the reciprocal flow of love between me and the kids. In their eyes, you will find their deep longing for nurturing and attention coupled with their priceless appreciation for your kind deed. One child asked me, “Ate, biyaya ba ito ng Diyos?” Who can say no to that? It is fulfilling to demonstrate God's grace and love being showered abundatly for them. And that's a certain kind of high.

After a week of can't-i-take-a-pee-for-a-while kind of busyness, juggling a work schedule of 6am to 3pm, to extensive play rehearsals, song and dance numbers, to endless text brigades that last till 12 in the evening, I CAN FINALLY BREATHE NOW.... whew!!! That's a big one.

Finally the big Saturday thing came around. It was a very very (and I mean very) long day! We celebrated the SFC graduation and the Lord's Day coupled of course, with a mass. I got home around 2 in the morning. Blessed as we were, everything turned out to be a success. I especially like to mention that cooperative little dove that held on to its life so it can fly freely at the end of the interpretative dance. It was amazing! Glory back to God.