How to move on and stay young

Thoughts of a Happy Almost 30 year old Lady with no plans of Dying in Vain

Just got back to Manila from a weekend of praise and worship with CFC-Youth for Christ.  Nope, I am not a YFC alumni, neither am I a part of a dynamic team of couple coordinator duo; neither an overstaying YFC.

I am a Singles for Christ who happens to be with a partner who loves his CFC Community so much. He grew in the community from YFC and moved on to SFC.  Now he aspires to be a CFC Couple Coordinator for YFC when the time comes for us to move to CFC.

The YFC experience is awesome. I felt God's loving presence there. I saw how much joy the Couple Coordinators have in sharing, loving, and taking care of the teenage and no longer teenage YFCs. I thought, I would like to be sharing the same love to YFCs when and if we will be called to serve there. I observed, there are people who are having a hard time moving on to SFC because they fell deeply in love with their YFC family.  For my YFC brothers and sisters and to those who, at one point, had a hard time moving on with life, here are my 5 points on how to move on and stay young.

1.  Be happy where you are
It sounds simple. But it is not. It takes acceptance of one's fate, and the outcome of the decisions made in the past to make peace with everything that has happened and is happening in one's life.  Being happy where you are does not mean that you remain in one place where you felt loved and happy, it means that as you go along the path of life, you get to be happy as you move along.

2. Look back but do not stay back
The past may be filled with happy memories and it may look so much better back in the day when all your concerns focus on studies, crushes and your college to do list.  I had an organization in college that I go back to every once in a while.  It feels great to be back and to reminisce the memories, but I will never be that college girl again.  So I look back and help out the organization, but I do not stay back.  We must understand that staying back is somehow an act of selfishness.  We must be able to grow so that we can go and help back, that is selflessness.  We look back while we grow, serve back, but never stay back.

3.  Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself.
It is lovely to serve God and others, but if you do not take care of yourself what can you give to glorify God's Kingdom.  Perhaps getting sick may give a lesson to others and that would amount to service, but isn't it better to serve God and others with a healthy mind, body and soul?  To love oneself is to see yourself beyond what is comfortable.  To love oneself is to make sacrifices so you will grow into a better person. How do you give Glory to God? First you love yourself and become a better person, then share the love you have to other people.  Glorify God with what you have become and with the good works you do.

4.  Learn to accept Love so you can give it.

To love is to give and to let yourself accept Love. As God's children, God loves us everyday, every moment of our lives.  We accept God's love daily even if we are not aware of it.  We will be able to joyfully give love when we acknowledge that we are loved greatly, enough for a God to leave His God nature to become a man and die on the Cross.

5.  Move on to the next level, and never forget you are God's Beloved.
You move on with life, get old, and remain young.  Because you know you are loved by God, you should never be afraid to become old.  Getting older, being able to do more things, meeting new people, and being given the opportunity to love more show that God has been faithful to you. You are loved, and nothing can separate you from the Love of God.

So move on with life, say goodbye and thank you to your past and create new memories as you enjoy the present.  It could be a new job, a new lovelife, move on to the SFC of CFC Community, transferring to another school, whatever moving on means to you, do not forget that you are Loved. And because we know we are loved, all fears of moving on and getting old is driven away by that Love.

Move on na mga kapatid. Tapos na ang YFCICon. Kung 21 years old and up ka na, move on ka na sa SFC naman. Grow in God's love. Happy Lent!

Thoughts on happiness, negatrons, and 30

Life is short. At almost 30, whenever I think of death, I count the years I have left.  Assuming I have until 80 years old, I still have 50.  But if I will be looking at the average life span that ends at 60, I have only 30.

So what will I do with the remaining 30-50 years of my life. My first 30 years are characterized by the continuous need to be appreciated by people around me.  I almost always ask myself whenever faced with a decision "What will my mom/other people/friends say if I do this or that?"  It clouds my judgement specially on things that make me happy. 

Where do I find happiness:

I find happiness in travelling; in serving my clients; in sitting on an ultra comfy sofa while cuddling Iya; or touching a dog's head while I read a good book. Children's laughter. The successes of those I love. Service to my brethren in God's kingdom. Sunrises and sunsets on the beach. Holding hands. Hugs. Love. The bits of happiness in my life. Fleeting bits that I treasure.

Our life is symbolized by the small dash in between our date of birth and date of death on our tombstone.  It is short, plain, and straight. In reality it is not, for us it is not. It is marked with happiness and tears, triumph and disappointments, heartbreaks and forgiveness.  It is one great journey with lots of friends and events.  But at the end of the day, all of it will end.


Life, like death, cannot be postponed. So while we still have time, enjoy Life. Do what makes you happy in accordance to God's plan. Love and serve the Lord. And cherish the life you have.

So for all the negatrons in life who keep themselves busy criticizing and poring over other people's happy lives, GO GET YOURSELF A LIFE.  Start by acknowledging that you cannot be happy without God. Have faith that the way to fulfillment will be shown to you.


For me, I will just keep away from those who try to snatch my happiness with their negatron effects.

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Get to know Jesus Christ who Loves you so much in the these Christian Life Programs for Singles for Christ WestB5C (Loreto Parish and St Jude)

Schedule:

Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Legarda-Bustillos Manila, every Fridays, 7pm to 10pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

Contact
Ace: 09497117065
Eliza: 09178717724

The National Shrine of St Jude Thaddeus, Malacanang Complex, Manila, every Saturdays, 7pm to 10pm

Contact:
Berl:  09983023403
Laarni:  09165237275

SFCMMC 2013 Reflection

It's been more than a week now since we left for Subic for the SFC Metro Manila Conference 2013.  I have several realizations and random thoughts while I sustained a prayerful and loving mood for 3 days in Subic, Zambales.

It really helped that we were billeted in a hotel that provided peace and comfort during our 3-day pilgrimage to our souls.  We were blessed to be loved and see the manifestations of that love as we praise and worship God.

(The hotel did a fantastic job in taking care of us. See more of that hotel here)

I learned how to float on the swimming pool of RK Hotel.  On the last night of our stay, when everyone in my group started to travel back to Manila and while the boyfriend is busy with his own concerns with the Hotel staff, I am at the pool, praying, talking to my God, reflecting on the words I heard, the stories shared, the love proclaimed.

I thought, I am so blessed.  Here I am, a self-employed, law student, real estate broker who have been broken in spirit, poor in finances, lacking in self-respect and wisdom, imperfect and here is God.  The God who loves me; An all powerful, ever-living, generously loving Father who made Himself one of us through Jesus Christ.

Here He is, with me, listening to me while I talk to Him at the RK Hotel Pool.  I asked questions, He answers.

The message I heard:

My Child, see how you learned to float on this pool I made you experience.  When you were starting, you were afraid, you didn't how how to properly breathe, water get into your nose, you felt drowning.  You were told to trust the water and it will take you but you cannot.  You cannot trust the water because you are filled with confidence in yourself.  You think you know what you need and have to do. You have your plans.  Yet you still drown.

Delight in Me. Trust in Me. Trust in my Love for you.  Let yourself go in my Love. Pursue the Wisdom I generously give to My children.  Do not be afraid. Trust Me.

When you trust the water to hold you, when you started to properly more your body so you will flow with the water, that's when you float. That's when you will be able to enjoy the experience of floating on water. There are times you feel afraid and you start to drown, never be afraid for I am with You.  I am the Living water that carries you.

When you trust Me, when you fully bask in my Love for you, that's when you will be able to enjoy the embrace of my Wisdom.  I have carried you in My heart since before you were conceived. I have made My plans for you. I am carrying you to the place I have prepared for you.  All I need from you is to Trust Me. I love you. I love you. I love all the things about you. And I will never cease to love you til Eternity.  I am Eternity. I am Life. I am the Law. I am your destination.

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I heard all of this while I was talking to Him while i float and enjoyed the pool.  In the silence of the night, underneath the night sky, He talked to me and I listened.  I told Him, You are my God. You are my everything.  Let it be unto me. Your will be done.  I believe You have planned everything in my life.  I trust You Father. I trust your Love.

I felt blessed and loved in the silence of the RK Hotel swimming Pool.

For all of these and more, may God be Praised.


(P.S.  I asked God if I still need to put up the website.  I already have this for my personal blogs and a property blog which has reached 21K+ hits.  He said I should go on.  I asked for a title, He said Manila101.  He said life is meant to be lived one hundred and one percent.  So the next week I started writing over my own domain at http://manilasun101.com.  A gift I have for the One who Loves me. A property and travel blog that will contain all God's goodness in those areas of my life as a real estate broker and an aspiring travelling lawyer. )