Thursday are exciting because of these great women who are willing to know God more in their lives. These ladies might not be perfect in their own ways but they have the heart to get to know Jesus. I feel so blessed to see them grow every day as I also learn from them. 

This Thursday, we just ended our Live To Tell series. From the word of God and from the experience of these single ladies, I've realized so many things. 

First of all, we are called to share the gospel with others. We share because it is valuable and it has a significant effect on our lives. We share because we want others to experience the same and we do not want them to miss it out. 

Second, we should not be ashamed of sharing our testimony despite our imperfections. Let us remember that God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to speak the right words while we share. We should not be afraid of rejection because it is not us who are rejected, but it is the One who sent us.

Third, our goal is not to lead other people to heaven. Our purpose is to lead them having a relationship with Jesus. Heaven will not be heaven for the people who don't have any connection with Jesus Christ. Let us remember that eternal life starts in following Jesus. It is what the famous John 3:16 says. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

And lastly, God called us to be salt and light here on earth. May the light that we shine is not for us. Instead, it is for Jesus to shine in our lives.

I believe that these ladies are the living testimony of how great and how awesome is He. 

ID Number 10041, Signing Off

It was really hard for me to leave SOCOTECO-I. 

For the past eight years, it has been a home to me. I enjoyed working in the cooperative because it made me grow as a person. The people I've worked with are considered my family. Because of this, I intended to stay for good and for the rest of my life. 

But now, I am walking away from the work I love and from the institution which I considered as my own. For those who  are asking why did I decide to go out, I will leave 
my answer in Proverbs 19:21:

 "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

As I am signing off in this institution, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people who have helped me become the person I am today. I want to thank my former bosses: Ma'am Bing, Ma'am Ellen, Sir Bebot, Ma'am Ann, and Sir Edsel for helping me grow in my career. Your words of wisdom and the way you lead me have made me go this far. I also thank the people who were there supporting me behind my back especially Sir Mike, Aning, Sir Ian, and Sir Willy. Thank you for rescuing me during stressful discussions and meetings. I also thank those who have me cry in one way or another as it helped me grow up as a person. I thank all of my friends for supporting and 
for making me laugh on this journey. To all of my staff and has been my staff for the past few years, thank you for trying to understand me for the unpopular decisions and thank 
you for the support you've given me despite our differences.

To the organization itself, I will continue to support you because I believe in your advocacies. May you continue to fight for rural electrification while doing your best to 
provide excellent service to all the member consumer-owners. I was there and I've seen how you've remain standing despite and in spite of everything.

While I am writing this, I cannot stop my tears flowing from my eyes. Leaving behind the people I've considered my family is never easy. But life is always full of choices. And I opted for this. I do not know what the future will hold me, but I trust the One who is above me. I know that God has better plans for me,  plans that would give me hope and future.

To SOCOTECO-I, Madamo guid nga salamat! 

My Mother

We all have mothers but not all of us are mothers. 

Every one of us is born in this world through our mothers but not every one of us has a beautiful memory of their mother. And since today is a mothers day, I want to write how I remember my mother when I was a child.  

My mother is a hardworking mom. She works to help my father in our daily needs. She has three children to take care of after work. My father is always away since he works overseas, and thus we are left behind her care. We were left with Yaya in daytime and she took care of us at night. 

Since she was working, I always asked her to bring me pasalubong when she got home. It is the only thing I requested of her every time she goes home from work. She never failed me on this because it is the only way that she can express her motherhood to me. Since she has little time left to take care of me, she said that I learned the alphabets from my aunt and not her. 

When we were growing and I already have other siblings, I began to question her love for me. I envied all my siblings because it seems that she loves them more than she loves me. I saw how she treats them well with their needs while I am alone crying in my room and just being a jealous kid. Today that I've grown up, I saw how she struggles to be fair and equal to the three of us. 

She is not the typical nanay who will cook deliciously for us nor the caring type nanay who will express her feelings through her actions and words. I barely hear her say, "I love you anak". I tried to ask myself why she is not the typical mother. It is when I became a Christian that I realized that her idea of motherhood is not the same with mine. I know that deep inside her heart, she loves the three of us. 

I only have a little memory of her when I was a child. Now that I've grown up, I have so many beautiful memories with her. She is my mentor, my coach, and my shoulder to lean on. I love her so much that I could say I am happy to be her daughter. 

Now that I am a mother myself, I can understand how hard it is to be one. She gave up so much for us. She tried to juggle her work and her attention to the three of us while maintaining her poise and beauty.  I really appreciate her especially on how she tried to be the best mother to the three of us.

Not all of us will become a mother, I hope that we can understand our mothers despite our little memories of them when we were a child. Surely, they love us so much despite the differences we have from them.

Let us appreciate them today. Happy mother's day to all our mothers.

Crossing the Jordan River, Again

God is telling me to cross the Jordan river again and it scares me. As I read the story of Joshua again, it reminds me of all the things He said to me last year. When I cried for an answer while I was riding my car going back home last year. I kept on thinking whether I will quit my job or not and He kept telling me not to worry about the future for He is with me.

I know I’ve decided to follow Him but when I got pregnant and I am not physically ok, I rested in the house and I don’t like myself sleeping and laying down in bed all the time. I go back to work and tried to enjoy it and decided to stay in my work. But today, as I read the life of Joshua, it reminded me that I should not be afraid in crossing the Jordan river because it is the only way that I can go to my promise land. I am very much comfortable right now being the head of my department and doing so many things for the office. As I read the messages from the following:

Never try to explain to God until you’ve obeyed Him. The only part of God we understand is the part we have obeyed. -Oswald Chambers

Of course I cannot understand what He wanted me to do unless I obey Him. And right now while I am writing this, I feel like a fool of not obeying Him to quit my job and focus on my family.

God is looking for people whom He can do the impossible- what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves. -AW Tozer

I know that I am trying to say because it is comfortable for me and it doesn’t make sense if I quit my high paying job just to stay at home. 

I hope like Joshua, I will be ready to take the challenge and to really do what He wanted me to do. In His time, as I continue to be faithful, He will give me the courage to do it.

The Great Faith of Caleb

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. - 1 John 5:4

Today, I am reminded of this verse and of the story of the great faith of Caleb.

Caleb is a man of faith that no matter how big and terrifying the obstacles that are coming along the way, he still believes that he can take possession of the land of milk and honey. Despite the negative words he hears from his fellow men, he is still confident to say: "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." You may read more of his story in Numbers 13-14.

Just like Caleb, every day, we face obstacles as we journey towards our promise land. Some days, we face great ones, some days we face little ones. No matter how small or big the barrier towards our goal is, we need to be bold in our faith and remember that He who promised is faithful and whatever good work He started on us, he will put it in completion. Just believe in His promises.

Let us declare God's promises today even when we face great obstacles along the way.

Have a great faith everyday!