CREDENDA from "The Gift of Acabar" by Og Mandino

Malou's Note:
For the past days, I was not really at my best. I went through life's blues that can be packaged in two words: Quarterlife Crisis. I have to deactivate my accounts from various social networking sites to have some peace and quite time alone. It proved helpful indeed.

Last November 25, before going back to Bacolod, I happen to drop by a bookstore in the Airport. I then looked for a book to read while waiting for my flight. I excitedly asked for Mandino's book, glad they have. :) I have read a couple of his books when I was in high school, but it is just now that I own a book of him.

His words might be very cliche to you. In fact, I have heard these so many times too but now, more than ever, the thoughts he conveyed in Credenda have so much impact in me. The book came right on time, just when I needed it the most.

Please spare some time to read. I hope this will be of great help to you to live life to the fullest and be the best gift you can ever be to the world! :) God Bless!
~~~~~~~

Turn away from the crowd and its fruitless pursuit of fame and gold. Never look back as you close your door to the sorry tumult of greed and ambition. Wipe away your tears of failure and misfortune. Lay aside your heavy load and rest until your heart is still. Be at peace. Already it is later than you think, for your earthly life, at best, is only the blink of an eye between two eternities.

Be unafraid. Nothing here can harm you except yourself. Do that which you dread and cherish those victories with pride. Concentrate your energy. To be everywhere is to be nowhere. Be jealous of your time, since it is your greatest treasure.

Reconsider your goals. Before you set your heart too much on anything, examine how happy they are who already possess what you desire. Love your family and count your blessings. Reflect on how eagerly they would be sought if you did not have them.

Put aside your impossible dreams and complete the task at hand no matter how distasteful. All great achievements come from working and waiting. Be patient. God’s delays are never God’s denials. Hold on. Hold fast. Know that your paymaster is always near. What you sow, good or evil that you will reap. What you are is through your choice alone. Learn to live with honest poverty, if you must, and turn to more important matters than transporting gold to your grave.

Never meet trouble halfway. Anxiety is the rust of life; when you add tomorrow’s burdens to today’s their weight becomes unbreakable. Avoid the mourner’s bench and give thanks, instead, for your defeats. You would not receive them if you did not need them. Always learn from others. He who teaches himself has a fool for a master. Be careful. Do not overload your conscience.

Conduct your life as if it were spent in an arena filled with tattlers. Avoid boasting. If you see anything in you that puffs you with pride, look close and you will find more than enough to make you humble.

Be wise. Realize that all men are not created equal, for there is no equality in nature, yet no man was ever born whose work was not born with him. Work every day as if it were your first, yet tenderly treat the lives you touch as if they will all end at midnight. Love everyone, even those who deny you, for hate is a luxury you cannot afford. Seek out those in need. Learn that he who delivers with one hand will always gather with two. Be of good cheer.



Above all, remember that very little is needed to make a happy life. Look up. Reach out. Cling simply to God and journey quietly on your pathway to forever with charity and a smile. When you depart, it will be said by all that your legacy was a better world than the one you found.
~ o ~

Credenda...Latin word for matters of faith or doctrines to be believed. It's from the verb "credere", which means to trust or believe.

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A Pact for a Lifetime

Today I gathered enough courage to get back on track.
From now on, I vow to face any challenge head on.
I will never turn away nor find sweet escape from adversities.
I will embrace crossroads as an opportunity to pause and get in touch with myself.
I will discern.
I will listen to where my passion leads me more than
the many rationalizations I and the others can come up with.
I promise to never resort to self-pity as there is a bunch of reasons to be optimistic about life.
I will never run out of reasons to love life and live it to the highest extent possible.
I will revel and celebrate my giftedness and other people’s gift of persons to my life.

Each day, I will welcome the invitation to be a better me.
I will overcome the bitterness within and turn it to be a better energy.
Every waking up, I will remind myself how blessed I am.
I will not let a day pass without exhorting God for all His wonderful deeds.
Today, I submit myself to what is best for me.
I will listen; listen intently to the voice within.
Even how loud the crowd is, I will not mind them for they do not matter as much as what my passion tells me.

Every day is a venue of proving all what I have expressed here.
This is a test that I have to pass for always.
This is meant to make me better and never to shun me from what is essential to life.

Yes! Today, my life REALLY begins.
I will consciouly live my claim that I love life.

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Overflowing

I may have my way on things,
I may have planned my life for the next years,
I may have my own desires and will,
I may have ironed out everything concerning my life..
BUT all those are futile..
When the master planner directs my life where it should heed.
He is all knowing..
I might have wanted the other way but He never ceases to lead me to where the best is in stored for me.
His ways are unfathomable..
He leads me from mourning to rejoicing..
I cannot contend to what He wants for me for all these years He has been consistent,
He has been there through and through..

This world offers endless struggles and challenges;
There are boundless of bliss, possibilities and opportunities..
We should not cease in believing the ideas we envision to realize..
Things happen when we believe and act on it..

Every day, there are miracles around..
Some are too mundane that we do not even bother to notice..
He works His miracles through you, through me..
Acknowledge it and see life beyond what our eyes can see..
Set this world through your heart, through your very being!
Trust His works..
I bet he never knows how to fail us..

Note: I wrote this blog 3-4 years ago and as I browse my files, I came across this. Hmmm, this is a reminder I truly need now. Yes, I JUST HAVE TO TRUST HIM :) Golden Days are coming ahead! :)

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Back to Fuji Maru as an ExPY

I have to take an hour flight to Manila a day before Fuji Maru reaches the bosom of the Philippine port.
On my way to see her, I had mixed of emotions.

I am very happy to see her again after a year and of course very much elated that I will have the opportunity to be with my SSEAYP Batchmates again, only this time we are no longer called PYs butEXPYs. Well I find it rather ironic to be called an EXPY as there is a popular saying amongst PYs that goes: ONCE A PY, ALWAYS A PY. Anyway my radical side was tamed as I come into terms with the tradition; when your journey has ended as a PY, your are automatically an EXPY.

Fuji Maru finally docked. The PYs went out from wherever they were to see the welcome program prepared for them. Down the Ship were the EXPYs, and I am one of them. I waved my hands as I was reliving those sweet memories we have everytime we docked in a Port of Call. Not long, I saw some PPYs whom we have been with in the past months. Seeing them again made me reminisce the times when I was the one on the Ship, one of the JASEAN youths being welcomed.

Few hours more, I and the other EXPYs were enduring the scorching heat of the sun. We were then called to go onboard. Every step on the gangplank was a walk down the memory lane of the flag cheers and all sorts of activities that required passing through it.

After a tight security check, we finally got on board. The door opened. Each of us walked slowly, it's as if we savor every step we take. Funny as it may seem, one common observation was uttered: "Oh, Fuji Maru still smells the same!" Yes, that distinct smell has the capacity to make all those bliss come rushing.

We took the stairs and not the elevator. We want to revisit the places that have been venues for us to forge the kind of bond we all share.

We finally reached a room on the 4th Floor. It feels like it was the first day I got on Fuji Maru. We seemed to have a race on who gets which bed. haha! I chose the upper portion of the double deck as I did not experience sleeping there before.

I heard the bell, a call to meal time. The same tune, the same excitement it brings. What will the menu be?!?

Going around was quite a struggle. It's a deafening silence I must say. Laughter and chats were not heard. The crazy rush in the aisle, the bumping when others are in a hurry, were never a scene. However, empty as it may appear, flashbacks came right on time. At a glance nobody is there, a second after, vivid pictures of noodle parties, SG/DG/Contingent gatherings come at once. Illusions it is. It helped me big time!

I walked some more, this time I went to places I did not pay much attention to before. I regret that I have only seen their beauty now, too late I suppose.

I am very fortunate that I do not have to wait for more than a year to sleep again on board.
I slept for three days in the cabin. The opportunity such as this can be likened to a lotto winning in the perspective of any PY. Yes, everything is almost the same. Had there been any changes, those were too petty to be noticed.

Fastforward:

The Send Off Ceremony is not something new to me. I did not also wonder why I cried for I am a crybaby through and through. However I did not expect that I will cry the hardest this time. A hanky will not suffice; thank you to an EXPY who brought a scarf with him which i used to wipe away my tears.

When ticker tapes were thrown down, tears were gushing non-stop. I might have cried before as a PY but those instances were easily offset by the life on board. However, the story now has a significant twist. There is no life on board to get back to after the hard cry. What's more difficult is - you send them off, look up to the direction where PYs line up in a row to throw those ribbons down; that instance, an EXPY realizes that the journey is over. This time, I am not the one who leaves others behind the port. Now, I am the one left behind in the port. I do not have any idea how it feels like until I experienced it firsthand today.

The Ship sets sail to another country. Fuji Maru gets smaller and smaller. How hard the cry was, that's immaterial. What matters is, how does one get the courage to accept that some things too great do not last forever; surprisingly though - a 53-day journey can change a person for a lifetime :"(


Fuji Maru sets sail to Brunei Darussalam :"(

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An EX-PY's Fears :)

When I learned that the 28 finalists for the 38th SSEAYP have been chosen, my initial response was that I am very excited. Yes, I look forward to meeting all of them!

As the news sink in, I have reckoned that it is not excitement that dominates my system, it was more of my fears. During the training last year, our group promised to be the best senior batch we could ever be to the next PYs, I hope we can live up to our pact :)

What are my fears?
I am afraid that I might share what are just significant to me and not what interest them nor what they ought to know.

I am afraid that I am "too" overwhelmed with our experiences, thereby unconsciously putting at the side what is at present, the current realities or circumstance of the next PYs.

I am afraid that I might spill everything, leaving nothing much for the PYs to discover things on their own.

I am afraid that I might pre-empt the next PYs much of the “SSEAYP experience”, defeating the fact that the next PYs will go through similar experience anyway, only that this time IT IS THEIR OWN SSEAYP JOURNEY.

I am afraid that I might exaggerate or “over” sensationalize my stories, thereby making expectations of the next batch to build up even greater, which could be out of consonance to reality.

I am afraid to convey my expectations and frustrations when I was a PY, as rules for them to strictly follow. And should they raise queries, I might misinterpret it as a question of authority.

I am afraid that I am doing all these because I only love the program, and that I really do not care so much on what the next batch feels, so long as they follow what we have set and told them.



In as much as I want to share my SSEAYP experiences to the next batch, I want to be mindful that I HAD my SSEAYP story, and yes, the next batch will have theirs.

Though we could not afford to have a trial and error approach on everything as some have standard procedures, it is my fervent hope that I may not deprive the new PYs of the beauty that comes out of surprises.

Thus, I pray that I may be sensitive enough to speak when needed, to hold back on things that shouldn't be told, to set aside what did not work, and to share what worked. Most importantly, to explain why I am doing all these – simply because I LOVE THE NEXT PYs AS PERSONS, THE KIND OF WAY I LOVE SSEAYP AS A PROGRAM :)

*i wrote this last June, and i hope i do not act as a "stage Ex-PY" to the new batch now. hehe*

Gambatte!

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Memories with Belguim

with the Ambassador of Belgium to the Philippines -H.E. Mr. Christian MEERSCHMAN and Francoise Orban, Author of the book - Participatory Geographical Information Systems (PGIS) and Land Planning: Life Experiences for People Empowerment and Community Transformation :) *memories in the land of waffles and chocolates were sweetly reminisced again* lovelovelove :))

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To A Gawad Kalinga Village

a picture taken today at GK Lopue Village in Dulao, Bago City. Yipee!!! We're done painting one house in less than 2 hours :) We will soon finish painting the other three houses in no time.. *hopefully it will not rain* :))

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I LOVE YOU

i was told recently that there was a man who was fighting for his life, while he had his last gasps, he uttered to do's to his officemate who was around with him when he had an attack, saying: please say "i love you" to... mom, please say "i love you" to... my nieces and nephews, and so on and forth. he started his sentences with nothing else but - please say "i love you" to..

i was struck by the story. i cannot imagine how hard it is to face death when you are at the prime of your life; all the more it is difficult to embrace death when you wanted to say a lot of things to the loved ones you will be leaving behind. i am pretty confident that the one who passed away could have died happier if he had that chance to tell the "i love you's" to his loved ones personally. he might have wanted to ask even for an hour to bid them a loving goodbye.

"i love you", a cliche-sounding phrase, we usually hear around but not often uttered by us.
i for one am not so used to say this to my immediate family.
my fear now is - i might die without saying this to them, i hope my actions suffice what i feel for them.
but i believe that saying "i love you" is not enough nor mere acts of love without affirmation through words are also not enough.
love is powerful when it is expressed through words coupled with actions.
we live to love; it is through love that we live.
i hope we will not wait for death to have the courage to express our "i love you's"
i pray that we will be more loving to everyone around, especially to those who are difficult to love.
may our love for ourselves and for others inspire us to live fully.
i love you, yes, i love you!

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Dear SSEAYP

Dear SSEAYP,

i should not be wondering anymore why is it that i cannot stop smiling whenever people ask me of you, or whenever i share to others about you. you have brought so much bliss to my life. you have been instrumental in molding me to become a lot better citizen of this world. you have given me venues to be friends with youths of Japan and ASEAN countries.

as i recall my journey in realizing my SSEAYP dream, i feel that i deserve a tap on the shoulder. i cannot imagine how rigorous the process was. everything related to you has its own beauty to reveal. the journey was never a walk in the park for there were times that i felt pain, i got frustrated and i even had thoughts on giving up. i have to thank the people who have pushed me to where i really want to be; i am aware that not everyone is as fortunate as i am to have the strongest support system there could be.

we always have to be tougher than our dreams and though you are tough to reach, i equipped myself to be a little tougher that you! you might have felt how hard i tried, true enough, you gave in and conspire with the whole universe to enable me to embrace you.

SSEAYP, you were a dream come true! when i came across

you, you were so distant then. i am very happy to note that i had you and i will forever have you! the friends and families you introduced to me were amazing! even if we speak in different languages, we can surprisingly understand and relate to each other. we have developed a special bond that will bind us for a lifetime. i am deeply overwhelmed by the love and warmth we share, it has crushed any differences we have. it also proved that bonds need not be formed in years for just in days, i have felt that our lives have been intertwined :)

SSEAYP, even if i try to put millions of words together, i cannot capture what i truly feel for you.

some people think i am crazy to talk about you over and over again, but i usually tell them that they will never understand and they will never have any clue why i act this way until they experience YOU! :)

some others tell me to move on, but that is just so silly. how can i move on from an experience that will forever be part of me? should i decide to move on, it is a step forward to greater feats, and it is definitely with you- my dear SSEAYP, in my heart:)

i am a PY, and forever i will be a PY! :))

PPY malou

P-56

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How far can your faith push you?

I cannot remember when I learned to pray, all I can remember is – it was my parents who taught me how.
I can remember though that once I doubted God and why I did such.

When I was still a child, my parents would bring us all together in their room for a family prayer. We also said the rosary every night. On the days when papa cannot come home or when he will arrive late, mama leads it. My family seems to be perfect, but like any other family there is – we are not.

A couple of times I and my siblings engaged into a fistfight or I even experienced being bitten by my younger brother and kicked by my older brother – yes, we beat and bit. We also say really bad things to each other. There was even a point when I wished I am just the only child. Of course, when my parents knew about the crazy things we do while they were out for work, they will reprimand us or hit us out of dismay.

We are a simple family. We may not be rich then but my parents took time to bring us out for lunch to Jollibee or McDonalds every Sunday. I thought it was an effort on their part to bring their five children out every week. Years passed, we went to school, had more needs to meet and had a lot of preoccupations to attend to. We may not have forgotten the usual family activities we used to do – the family prayer and the Sunday lunch, but we hardly had time for it.

Things changed. We still have misunderstandings but never translated to violent actions. Well, I must admit that the exchange of words against each other are more piercing and have more lasting impact. Now, I wish those exchanges were turned into fistfights. We still pray and attend mass, but this time – on our own.

My childhood influenced me much. Our upbringing shaped my actions and perspective in life. Of all the things that our parents have provided and imparted to us, I believe that it is their faith in God that has the most impact to me. In times when life gets tougher, it is my faith that pushes me to live life to its fullest with much optimism for brighter days, not having to worry because I know that no problem is greater than my God.

Just recently, problems came rushing, truly overwhelming. It brought much tears to my parents. My father who rarely cries did cry like a little boy. My mother breaks down into tears if you just utter few words that would touch the problems at hand. For someone who has a meager income and is still finding her niche, it is difficult to give words of assurance and comfort by telling them that I will pay the debts and take care of the property foreclosures.

In times like this, it is only my firm faith that I can concretely share to give them solace with what we are facing. I shared to my father that the best days are yet to come. I reminded him of what they taught us - to just pray, may it be during ups or downs. And I have emphasized to him that when they pray, they should not at all doubt that God will listen to their pleas. We surely cannot underestimate what God can do.

I have been through a lot and I have surpassed those, not because of my human prowess but all because of God’s graciousness. Everyday, the Father gives us miracles; we just have to allow our eyes to see it and our hearts to embrace it. Some miracles are too great yet some can be mundane.

One time, a non-believer asked me if there is really God and with strong conviction I told him that there is. I have felt God’s presence in my life - which is too difficult for me to describe; I will be too naïve to doubt about His existence. I have never doubted and He has always delivered.

How I wish I can put the right words together to fully express what I feel. I am blessed to have a family that helped me find this kind of faith and I am very happy to have circles that help me nurture it. My faith inspires me to seek the beauty of every encounter, to appreciate the littlest of things and to give premium to my relationships with others.

Difficulties make the present and future vague and difficult to bear, but we always have to be reminded that God will help us pull things through. If it is not as soon as today, it can be later, but never late to the time we really need it. We have to believe and we have to let go of our grip of other things; we have to empty our hands to keep hold of what He will pour on us.

Yes, there is so much to look forward to for the bounty blessings will soon come!:)

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Lessons from my father

happy father's day to all the fathers out there, especially to my brother - toto mark and of course papa bert :)

sharing with you the blog i wrote almost three years ago, culling it out and post it here as i give honor to my papa on the ocassion of Father's day! :)

Lessons from my father

October 1st, 2008 by maloueudela

Although I can say that this year has brought us so much bliss in the family,
still in the light of my personal experiences, I have regarded this year as such a crucial and crises-ridden one
There had been so much plans that were not realized under my timetable
Those were not easy for me to accept
I have gotten myself to some acute frustration attacks, mostly known and kept just within me
There were times that future seems so vague, so blurry

I even reached the point where I do not exactly know where to pick up myself and what is worse is, if ever I already have the courage to successfully put the broken pieces back, I sincerely do not know to which direction of life will I bring myself to.
I am dumbfounded with the turn of events
I cannot just stay at the side, try to console myself with the thought that,
“malou, everything happens for a reason.”

Or

“malou, worry not, jinx won’t last because everything will come to pass”
At some point, I must admit that those statements do have certain reassuring and lifting emotional impacts, however if it is a fact that everything will come to pass, its effects to my emotional senses too do last.
I cannot just sustain myself with those
Whether I like it or not, I have to bring myself up to face the certain predicament I am into
I am so baffled.
Not in my wildest dreams have I thought that I will be at this crossroad where no single option is ever clear to me.
I cannot then help but to seek those old days when I get to share with my father the simplest and mundane things I do .
I believe that he has always that wisdom that has the capacity to shed light to the seemingly dim place I am in.



After hearing me out, he has shared valuable points that have urged me to develop a different perspective.
He shared that it is but normal for me to go through tough times in reaching my aspirations for there is sure no short-cut way to reach a dream. I have to at least start from scratches and work my way wherever that dream is.

He then pointed out my issue of having this some sort of bruised ego for still asking money from him sometimes. His explanation towards it was: “do you think I would be glad if you are not asking any amount from me anymore? Do you think I will be happy knowing that you can handle it all, letting me feel that you are in total control of your life? Of course I am not at all happy. I am your father and it is always a pleasure on my part to be of help to you.”

When I heard that, I was truly overwhelmed.
My heart leaps for a matter of seconds but after which, I aired some of my points.
I told him that we are coming from different perspectives. He is a father who wants to show his being father through support in all aspects. A father who takes pride in giving his child financial aid to whatever expenses his child incurs.

And I am a daughter who wants to show my being responsible daughter. And I define “responsible daughter” as somebody who extends some amount to cover finances in the family, somebody who has gotten herself a degree and is already able to realize her dreams thereby making her family proud of her.

And more than that, I am somebody who has the ego not to depend much from others.
Yes, he has never put pressure on me. He has been there through and through. I can sense that he sees a bright future in me only if I know how to take things one step at a time. That is what he used to emphasize to me; in life we have to grasp things at a certain pace and at a specific point of time. Surely, we cannot have everything at the same time.

The next point he really wanted to convey to me was: “work not for compensation but for the happiness and fulfillment that the work can bring you.” I have to thank him for reminding what I have really longed to be doing. Yes, at the age where I am not super pressured by financial dues to be met unlike those with families already, I guess I am in the position to make decisions that will lead me to a work that will give me fulfillment over anything. To be plain honest, that statement I have mentioned sounds ironic to me.

Young? I should find work that earns a lot so that I can address my whims and avoid the possible occurrence of psychological term “fixation” over certain things or stage in my life. I might end up feeling bitter for having let the time passed without having fully enjoyed the great time I ought to spend. I do not have commitments on a romantic note yet, that is why I have to grab the chance to save a lot for my future family and what better way to it is through having a high-paying job regardless of the level of satisfaction I get out of it.

Whatever it is, whether when is the right time to be engaged in the job that gives fulfillment more than any monetary gain, I do not know. What I just believe to be true is, the more one grows in age, his priority changes. What holds true few years back can possibly be altered at present.

He also expressed to me that I just have to stay within my comfort zone for the time being. With that, I still have mixed emotions, I want to explore the world and frankly there is this part of me that doesn’t have the drive to do so. Papa told me that in time, I surely need to step outside my comfort zone but he believes that the best time is not yet now. I am in a way feeling bad about it for just when I thought I am old enough to independently face any hurdles of life, he made me realize that it is not completely true for he has even doubts as to whether I can do it at THIS time.

And of all the lessons I have learned from him, what holds most valuable is the faith he has with God. He keeps on reminding me to trust in God’s ways and always pray for guidance. I cling to what he believes which goes - 'God has better plans for us all. We all have to pray for it and wait for it to pour on us.'

In times like this, nothing can best give me peace other than my father’s faith in God. This may not hold true to others but at least it does with me. And I will always be thankful to my parents especially to my father for imparting such a wonderful gift to me, the gift of faith that I will eternally cherish.

Although faith alone cannot bring me to my personal dreams but when it’s coupled with actions, surely in few years time I will be seeing myself just where I exactly longed it to be.

And believe me when I say… I cannot just simply wait for it to come! (Now, patience here is my issue.)


Papa with the rest in family after a despedida party for me :)

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Lend a Hand

believe that the opportunity to help is always there.
we just have to be keen and sensitive to the needs of others.
we do not need much to help.
most often, we might feel hesistant to help because we have thoughts that we cannot still address all their problems anyway.
true, we extend a hand and there are still a number of pressing problems that need to be addressed.
but, should that fact be a defining point whether to help or not?
should we delimit ourselves to share whatever little we have?

sharing, loving and blessing other people with who we are and what we have know no place nor time;
it however knows the sincerity of the heart and purity of one's intention.
as i immerse myself in the community where i am assigned to do fieldwork, i have realized how blessed i am to be able to eat three times a day or even more.

i reckoned how damn lucky i am to sleep in a house with a comfortable, soft bed, with electricity, with sofa, with a table, with aplliances and much more.
yes, i am blessed to have much as i compare myself with the people i encounter in the area.
but, the challenge is not how quick i am to reflect on these, rather it is more on what i do with the realization that i am blessed.

there were days when my heart is crushed over and over again by the stories people share to me, especially the mothers. mothers crying for they cannot send their children to school because they do not have enough money to buy for uniforms and school supplies. i do not wonder anymore for they are also in short of money to afford three meals a day.

what do i do then? cry? no good.
when they talk, i just sit there at their side, look at their eyes and try hard to convey a message of hope;
assuring them that as long as we live, we have all the reasons to hope and to look forward to brighter days ahead.
i hope it is all that easy. whew!

i am writing this because you may just want to consider buying a notebook for some children who do not have at the moment.
i am writing this because you might have longed to help but you are still waiting for that chance or that best time to extend help. well, this could be now :)

one time, as i walk back to the main road, a little girl asked me, "do you have an extra watch?".
i thought for a moment then said, "i am not sure if it still works", then i asked her,"why are you asking?".
she then answered, "ah, it is my dream to have a watch. my father saw a watch at the road last time and brought it home. he promised to fix it, until now he has not fixed it."

Awww.. just when everyone is so preoccupied in realizing their big dreams, there is this little girl who considers having a watch as her greatest dream to date.

people in the community have a lot of great stories to share.
their everyday triumphs are unimaginable!
much can be said about them and about my encounters in there, but it is different if you experience it yourself.

for now, my plea is - if you are willing to help in anyway to the people, especially to the children in the community, let me know :)
malou

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Hope for Change

there is a bunch of reasons to hope.

last friday, i joined the yellow liberals, the die-hard supporters of noy-mar team and the rest of its LP candidates.
we gave out stickers, leaflets, ballers, fans and sample ballots, which by the way donations from generous supporters of the team.
it felt good that many affirmed my decision to vote for these candidates.
people from all walks of life expressed their desire to vote for NOY-MAR and the rest of LP candidates as they believe in the integrity of these people.
during the one-hour we were there on the streets, i was full of elation.
it did not cross my senses that i will become this involved in this aspect of politics.
never did i think that we will reach the point where we will shell out our own resources to help the candidates we are supporting for. di ba, it's always the candidates who run that covers the expenses?

at the end of that one-hour campaign we initiated, some supporters managed to give out simple snacks for us and then we gathered for a while and had some chat as most of the people i was with are not familiar to me. we asked ourselves why we support NOY-MAR, why we are there. the answers were convincing enough that we agreed to meet the next week to continue what we have started.

i want to share why am i voting for NOYNOY AQUINO:
(anyone is free to react on this but this is my opinion, these rationalizations are founded with my values)

i am for him because he denounces corruption.
he leads a simple lifestyle, simpler than what is supposed to be expected of him.
he's raised with well-founded values.
yes, a big point why am i voting for him goes to the fact that he is the son of NINOY and CORY. you see, Noy was honed by great parents. he has learned his values through the witnessing of his parents. for me, this counts much. it's never the fault of NOY to be born to famous and worth-emulating people. values take time or even a lifetime to be learned while skills, it will just take sometime.

i am more than a thinking filipino. say, i am JUST a thinking filipino, i could have chosen somebody else among the Presidential candidates.

among the 9 who are running, only erap has the experience how is it like to be the president of this country; the other 8 has only the idea. so say any of those 8 will be the president, it is sure their first time and that they are no masters to it. in this case, no amount of experiences can ensure one to be prolific and adept in performing the responsibilities of the chief executive. BUT not all of the 9 presidential candidates have a good upbringing, not all of them witness good values, not all of them are sincere and honest with the change they push. this is where i base my vote, not much of the skills as it can be learned in time but i give due importance to the values.

but let me highlight this,
NO PRESIDENT, NOT EVEN NOY can change this country to become its BEST
UNLESS EVERYONE WILL TAKE HIS PART AND DO HIS SHARE as a RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY. the fate of this country lies in everyone's hands.

MORE THAN A CHANGE OF LEADERS, WE NEED A CHANGE OF HEARTS AS PEOPLE.

i am one hopeful soul.
i am savoring my being idealistic.
i will share my idealism with all gusto.
i am confident that we can effect the change we want to see, the change that begins in all of us.

God Bless Philippines,
God Bless Filipinos.

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lil sths :)

lil sths :)by Malou Rosquillo Eudela on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 9:53pm

I am crazy.
These days, I always ask myself, what if tomorrow will not come?
If that is the case, I guess I am one of the happiest persons who will die.

With what happened in the yesterdays - the news on wars and demonstrations, quakes, tsunamis; the destructions and losses it brought, it made me ponder... what really matters in life?

The yesterdays compelled me to give premium on what is only at the present. I do not want to work my ass out for a future I am even uncertain of experiencing.

What matters in life is the life we give to it!

laugh our hearts out.
 extend our hands to help people in need.
 go to the beach or walk in the fields or trek the mountains.
 chat with friends, spend time to catch up with them.
 smell the coffee or tea or milk before drinking it.
 eat every meal with gusto.
 listen and groove to the music.
 play an instrument.
 read a great book.
 face our fears.
 make someone happy.
 forgive and live.
 dance and sing without inhibitions.
 argue with sense.
 love deeply.
 acknowledge mistakes and insist only what's upright.
 give premium to relationships.
 enjoy the fruits of sound choices.
 risk without counting the cost.
 spend quality time with family.
 put faith into action.
 reflect and pray.
 a lot of simple acts or encounters that bring true bliss.

Can you remember doing those lately? 

In times when everyone else goes with the hustling-and-bustling-paced of life, to pause or to stop for a moment to take some sweet time, seems to be a mortal sin.

It is too ironic that in our pursuit of life, we sometimes forget how is it to truly live.

The advent of technology enables us to have our high-powered gadgets, but none of its kind is powerful enough to capture what one truly feels, what one truly thinks and desires.
No gadget has the capacity to ever capture the sincerity of one's intentions in doing good acts.

Have you ever noticed that most of the time we fail to savor the beauty of what's around because we are in a hurry with everything? We hastily take pictures without even stopping to thank God for the wonderful things He has created.

Have you ever stopped and look to the skies? When was the last time you appreciated the jewels it bears?

We have been so preoccupied by deadlines to beat, by appointments and meetings to attend to;
We have been so hooked on the various social networking sites; or
We have been just so mindful of our own concerns or only that of our small circles;
or I might be the one thinking of it, I hope I am wrong in thinking that way.
~~

If tomorrow never comes, I am contented of the life I have led.
I may not have the fanciest of things, I may be nothing compared to the world's richest,
but
I know, I did live a great life!
If today is our last day, I am sure ready!
Again, I know I am one of those who will die the happiest :)

For now, I want to believe that God permits me to live because there are a lot of things that I ought to do for Him.
Yes, it's time to really live.
May we always have the heart and the right disposition to see the beauty of everything that we encounter, good or bad may it be.

God Bless everyone! :)

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Love Spills

In my previous status messages, i have shared that i feel so in love these days. i do not exactly know why and i do not know to whom.. i am so inspired with love songs and love stories. i revel about love and how it has been so powerful to shape this world and humanity. pay that love forward. we do not need february 14 to remind us of this precious gift called - Love. this world is enveloped with love, let us exert conscious effort to let that shine through and triumph over war, anger, angst, fury, etc.

Yes, love..love..love..

to the guy i failed to say "I LOVE YOU"

they say it is better to regret over the things you have done than to regret on the things that you failed to do. yes, it is true. i know how much you mean to me, how much bliss you have brought into my life but crazy "me", i did not know or i did not have enough courage to put together those three words. i failed to convey what i really feel. and if only i would be given another chance to say it to you - with much elation, i will mutter my "I LOVE YOU".

to the guy whom i have loved deeply

it took me a long while to get over you. loving you is one of the best decisions i have ever made in this lifetime. you made me believe in love when i doubted. you taught me to love without question and condition. i have to say this all over again, i have fallen for you because of who you are and not for what you have. though our relationship has come to its end, you sure are still one memory i will gladly keep as long as i live :)

to the guy i wanted to get wed with

i have been praying to God for the gift of you in my life. He answers prayers and that is why he gave you to me. God has been so mindful of the desires of my heart when He created you. :) we will be the best couple, the best mom and dad to our children, the best persons we can be for others. we will bring out the strengths of each one and we will embrace our differences, turning it to be our point of growth. i will love you the best way i can :)

malou

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