Cheesy Movies

I'm on sick leave today. But I won't talk about that.

I just finished watching "P.S. I Love You". No, not the Sharon-Gabby movie. (Although I've seen that one also.) This is the one with Hillary Swank. I got interested when Daphne blogged about it.

Last Friday night naman I had a date with Eugene and we saw "Nights in Rodanthe". Yeah it has been a cheesy week. Haha!

I liked both movies. The two movies were very romantic and funny in a witty way although both stories revolved on death of someone you're romantically involved with. For someone getting married in a few months, it scares me a lot. It's not that I'm backing out or something. It just made me think if it's all worth it. You'll be spending most of your life with this person. You'll build memories that will not be perfect if built with someone else. But eventually it's inevitable that you will lose him.

So is it worth it?

I'm sure it is. I'm positive that it will be. =)

I'm not good at making movie reviews so I'll just post some lines from both movies. 'Hope it will convince you to see it.

P.S. I Love You

Dear Holly, I don't have much time. I don't mean literally, I mean you're out buying ice cream and you'll be home soon. But I have a feeling this is the last letter, because there is only one thing left to tell you. It isn't to go down memory lane or make you buy a lamp, you can take care of yourself without any help from me. It's to tell you how much you move me, how you changed me. You made me a man, by loving me Holly. And for that, I am eternally grateful... literally. If you can promise me anything, promise me that whenever you're sad, or unsure, or you lose complete faith, that you'll try to see yourself through my eyes. Thank you for the honor of being my wife. I'm a man with no regrets. How lucky am I. You made my life, Holly. But I'm just one chapter in yours. There'll be more. I promise. So here it comes, the big one. Don't be afraid to fall in love again. Watch out for that signal, when life as you know it ends. P.S. I will always love you -- Gerry Kennedy

You know the worst thing for a parent... second after losing a child? Watching your child head for the same life you had. You can't stop it. It's a terrible, helpless feeling. Makes you angry all the time. And I've been angry. For a very long time. I'm exhausted. -- Patricia

We're so arrogant, aren't we? So afraid of age, we do everything we can to prevent it. We don't realize what a privilege it is to grow old with someone. Someone who doesn't drive you to commit murder or doesn't humiliate you beyond repair. -- Daniel Connelly

Holly Kennedy: I don't want to make any mistakes.

Gerry Kennedy: Then you're in the wrong species, love. Be a duck.

Daniel Connelly: What do women want?

Holly Kennedy: [whispering] We have no idea what we want.

Nights in Rodanthe

Saying good-bye to you today is the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do, and when I get back, I can honestly swear that I’ll never do it again. I love you now for what we’ve already shared and I love now in anticipation for all that’s to come. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I miss you already, but I’m sure in my heart that you’ll be with me always. In the past few days I spent with you, you became my dream.

When I sleep, I dream of you and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.

High School Chronicles I

Everything started in Facebook when Shalah thought of uploading our grade school and high school pictures in Theresians 98 group. Riot sobra! The others started uploading pictures also. The older it is, the better! Ang kulit sobra! Blackmail material ang pictures.

Anyway, then Frankie posted a blog here in Multiply about her own high school and college experiences. I got inspired to the same so here it is. :)

Our high school barkada was made up of 15 people! Dami no? I remember being called for one on one counseling and when the guidance counselor asked me sino ang friends ko I started mentioning their names. Ang nasabi lang niya was... "Oh you belong to that big group." HAHA! Ok.

I don't think we were really notorious, makulit lang talaga. I cannot remember doing anything significant na would cause, you know, cancellation of classes or things like that. As I've said talagang makulit lang.

Chuck would always laugh at my high school stories. One classic story....

I was in second year high school (II-4) and my Speech class was boring me to the max. I decided to write on a piece of paper the following... may pera sa ilaw. I passed that note to my seatmate and then she looked up. Sobrang tawa ako ng tawa. I know!!! So babaw diba? Anyway so we passed that note slowly to everyone in the class until half of the class from the back were waiting na on who would look up next. The teached finally caught us when these 3 girls, I think si Ina, Camille and Tata ata yun looked up ng sabay sabay. Half of the class laughed. And ayun basta super mad yung teacher and nahanap niya the note came from me. Bwahahaha! And ito pa... when she found the note and read it... she looked up also! Super natawa yung buong class. Sabi lang niya... "Ang babaw niyo!" HAHAHAHA!

Oh man! More of my high school chronicles next time. Here are some of our blackmail worthy pictures muna.

We were in fourth year in this picture. (IV-1)

If Life is Hard...

“One day we will meet beside the river and our Lord will dry every tear. For now, we must live in the joy of that promise and recall that for every generation life is hard, but God is faithful.”

Bodie Thoene

The Tale of Two Sisters

Oops! Nope this is not about me and Nicole. Hehe! It's about two sisters that became really close to my heart from the gospel of John and Luke.

Question... have you ever tried to do it all?

I know I have. Just two weeks ago I've been telling myself and some people around me how tired I was. Tired in every sense of the word ha. Tired from work, personal life (wedding stuff) and church. Yes, even church! One day sa small group session namin sa office I just caught myself crying really hard in front of people na were not that even close to me. Nagulat ako and I didn't realize na I was that tired that just sharing about it and pouring my heart out to this people can make me cry like that eh ang question lang naman was "How are you?"

After that small group the Lord reminded me of Mary and Martha. One day Jesus visited the house of these two sisters. While Martha was busy preparing the house and the food for the guests, Mary decided to sit at the feet of Jesus. So Martha got annoyed because instead of helping her sa kitchen she was there just sitting. So when she couldn't take it any longer, she told Jesus to ask Mary to help her instead of just sitting there staring and listening. And then Jesus told her these words...

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

I found myself relating to Martha and replying to that with, huwaaaattt?! But wait! There's more!

In the book of John naman Mary and Martha was mentioned again this time when Jesus brought Lazarus, their brother, back to life after being dead for four days. If you will notice in this story (read John 11) on the fourth day of Lazarus' death Jesus arrived and when Martha saw this she immediately run to Jesus' side. She told Him that if only He was there earlier their brother would have not died. Jesus replied and assured her that he'll live again. After that, Jesus called Mary and asked her to come to Him. As soon as she heard this she stood up and came to Jesus quickly. She asked the same question Martha asked and Jesus replied the same. And then Jesus brought Lazarus back to life.

Notice how Martha came running to Jesus while Mary patiently waited for His instructions? In the midst of trials Mary chose to patiently wait for the Lord's instructions and quickly obey as soon as she heard it. That was the result of her spending time at the feet of Jesus. By spending time with Him, she got to know Him better. She knows how He works, how He loves and how He sovereign He is. She knows that the Lord is still in control amidst the chaos around her so she just waited for Him to call her.

So simple lang ang naging message sa akin ni Lord at that time. Everything that I was busy with at that time are all blessings pala. Work is a blessing. Wedding is a blessing. Church work is a blessing. So bakit ako nagrereklamo na I am tired diba?

This is just like having a best friend. I'm sure you know your best friend very well. You know who their crush is. You know their favorite food. You know how they say or do things. You can even finish each other's sentences most of the time. You know how they're feeling. And most especially you know what is in their heart.

Natutuwa ako na He revealed to me what is in His heart. He made me appreciate the things that I was doing at that time were all there to give glory to Him. Pero ang greatest learning is if only I take time to spend some time at His feet I would know what is in His heart right away. I could have not noticed that I was tired if I knew in my heart and be always reminded that God is doing something in me every single moment of my life.

I pray I'll have Mary's heart inspite of this Martha world that we live in. Super busy! But I'm sure I don't need to let go of the Martha in me. I would always want to serve God wherever I am. But I pray for a heart that would choose what is better. I want a heart that is always longing to just sit at the feet of Jesus and get to know Him more through His word.

Uultin ko lang ang sabi ni Kuya Martin sa DEV-O 1 natin...

Sa mundong maingay,

maupo,

tumahimik,

makinig.

NOTE: This is my first DEV-O contribution. Feel free to visit http://wccwildfire.multiply.com !

Blessed with a Burden

I was watching the movie "The Freedom Writers" the other night on HBO. The movie is based on the writings of the students from Woodrow Wilson High School in LA. Most of these students are members of local gangs "destined" to be a menace society and just die unnoticed. They were all in the English class of young Ms. Gruwell, a first year teacher filled with dreams of being the best teacher and produce students she can be proud of. What she found was one uphill battle after another, but that did not stop her. This is her dream and she will make it happen.

There is this one line in the movie that really hit me. At one point Ms. Gruwell is talking with her father. She is crying and wondering if all that she has done really matters when all she does is fight battles that never seem to end. Her father looks at her and says, "You have been blessed with a burden, my daughter."

I've been very tired the past few weeks and somewhat relating to Ms. Gruwell. The line made me imagine God saying this to me. Whenever I go to the lavatory at work as I cry out to Him all my frustrations He'll say, "You have been blessed with a burden, my daughter."

"Blessed by a burden? Lord, sure ka? It's very unusual for those two words to be in the same sentence you know. I mean, some days I try so hard to find even one blessing amidst all the burdens, and now, Lord, you want me to see the burdens AS blessings? I'm not sure I know how to do that."

I never imagined a dream can become a burden. Dreams should be something I love doing. It should be something that I will be really passionate about. I didn't realize being burdened will be part of a dream. But, if my dream is something that God has put in my heart then He must be obeyed. To surrender to His perfect will I must obey... with joy.

I'm not discouraging you to dream. Having a dream is good lalo na if it is from God. But remember that in achieving that dream it is inevitable to have trials on our way. People will try to discourage us and they might even be correct. But if you believe this is really something that God wants you to do, if it is something that He has put in your heart, do not let go of it. Take that burden as a blessing... as a call from God. And of you surrender under His perfect will, the results will be amazing. It may seem impossible for the people around you, but for God it's not. Just look at what happened to Ms. Gruwell's class.

Remember, if it is from God...

...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

So, what burden have you been blessed with? :)

Note: I've been writing for Wildfire's weekly online devotional DEV-O and this is my second post there. Feel free to visit http://wccwildfire.multiply.com if you want to read more.