God keeps His promises

I dipped my hand in the basket and closed my eyes, "Please speak to me, Lord." 

I let my fingers run against the mound of scrolls then groped for one. I pulled it out and unrolled it.

"I don't get it, Lord."

We were at the Feast, and it was 2014. I was working as a freelance writer part-time and medical transcriptionist full-time. I wasn't so happy with my job.

"I think this is for you, Ate Nikki," I told my sister as we exchanged papers. She was a teacher.

March 2016, I saw the same paper scrolled up in a piece of straw on my desk. I unrolled it and read aloud, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

I was a preschool teacher. The school year was about to end, and I had 2 lengthy videos to create, portfolios to plan and write, narratives and checklists to accomplish, and a couple more of school works to finish for the next few weeks of class. My calendar was nothing but a throng of post-its. I was so stressed, I wanted a bit of inspiration. The verse gave me that. It reminded me of my purpose as a teacher. Then suddenly, everything made sense.

I realized that that piece of paper carried God's promise to me. On that day of 2014, He indeed spoke to me through that paper. He was actually asking me to have faith in Him. He was telling me to trust that, indeed, the best is yet to come! And He was assuring me that what didn't make sense that time will surely make sense soon.

Why doubt now? Truly, God keeps His promises.

What Makes You Happy?

Today, I went home from work feeling empty. I wasn't happy. I wasn't sad either. I doubt I was even somewhere in between. I just felt nothing.

I decided not to end my day that way, though. I really wanted to make the day great but I only had the night left for me, so I just wished I'd have a great night. Immediately, I ran to my diary and wrote, "What makes me happy?"

Then I remembered what makes me happy. 

1. Hobbits. I thank Tolkien for inventing hobbits. They're really amazing middle earth creatures. Often, I would imagine myself walking along Shire with huge hairy foot. I would think of how simple life is in there, waking up in a nice sunny morning and freely running with woods, water and sweet smelling grass around. Usually, I'd sit at my desk, get my pen and think I'm Bilbo Baggins writing my tales. 

2. "It's a good life, Hazel Grace." The first time I read this line from John Green's The Fault in our Stars, I wondered if Augustus was right. What is it that he saw in life that makes him say it's actually good? I sought for answers until I realized that John Green meant nothing deep about it. Everything is simply beautiful. And that it's a privilege to merely step onto this world and experience everything it offers - good food, good shelter, good family and friends, good weather, good books, good sleep and more. There are challenges, of course, but they are only to put some flavor. Often, all we have to do is to look around and be thankful.

3. My God up there has already laid His great plans on my timeline. All I have to do is to keep moving until I walk through all of them. I can't wait for God's surprises. Bo Sanchez, in his Take Charge Give All, said that each day is a seed. It's either you plant the seed or throw it. I may not have planted all my seeds but I'm confident I'll grow those that I did. I know God made sure they were laid in the best soil possible. Oh, I just can't wait to see my seeds full-grown and bearing fruits!

Just thinking about these things, I could say that it's been a great night! Indeed, all I needed was a good mindset. Now, I could look up my list every now and then. How about you, what makes you happy?

The Books Told me What Passion is

The first thing I did after I took the licensure exam was indulge myself in reading. I really did miss the chimerical world of literature; moreover, I missed reading books of my own choice. I even created a Goodreads account, just so to see new releases, reviews and prospect books I may soon read.

Fussy reader as I was, I felt that the novels I've read rendered profound effects in me. One remarkable abstraction which I think I've imbibed from books was passion - starting from Ayn Rand's Howard Roark (The Fountainhead) and Hank Rearden (Atlas Shrugged) to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes. I realized that there was a resounding implication of passion that was personified in these brilliant fictional characters. I was moved by how they fought for, come hell or high water, and lived with what they love doing. They found joy in honing their skills. They found a reason for existence. In the end, these characters turned out to be, not only the experts in their field, but also the happiest men who ever lived. What would the world be if filled with passionate men? 

And so, I tried searching for that wonderful thing in me. They say, it's innate. People only have to find it in them.

The very first thing I did was ask myself, "What sort of person do I want to become someday?" I wrote down my answers to my journal notebook then reflected on them. Initially, I felt hopeless for I found my answers to be bum and indecisive. I, then thought of Google. I opened my laptop and made some research. Halloa! I found these:

• How to Know if Your Dreams are God's Dreams by Bo Sanchez. (This is an eBook. Grab here a copy for free!)
• Passion test and advice from the Attwood couple.
• 11 Incredibly Simple Ways to Find Passion, Right Now by Henri Juntilla.

I obeyed the instructions indicated in the reading materials. I internalized everything it said. I tried to take Attwood's passion advice by heart. Plus, I talked to my sisters and cousin about this. I, as well, asked for God's help.

Aaaaand, alas! I found my passion.