He is risen! Jesus is alive!

He is risen! Jesus is alive!

Dear younger self,

First and foremost …

You are beautifully and wonderfully made. People will call you names – pitot (petite), balbon (hairy like a monkey) and other names that may hurt you somehow. BUT always remember and believe in your heart that you are God’s beautiful creation (Psalm 139). Your flaws are not going to define you.

You are strong. You are going to face a lot of challenges growing up – at home, at school and even at church. You will be judged by people close to you but someday they will appreciate you. 

You are loved. Your family loves you. You are not going to hear that often from them, but they do. Your friends do, too. But God loves you more.

Family is love. Hug your grandparents a little tighter. Spend as much time with them because one day they could be gone. You don’t want to regret that. Your Nanay and Tatay love you so much despite what they may have yelled you about. They’re strict and they’ll discipline you because they love you just as the Heavenly Father does to His children. Thank them for everything they do for you – waking up early to cook food, praying with and for you day and night and their sacrifices to send you to school. I’m telling you, you can’t fully repay them for all that they do for you. Be grateful to them always.

Despite all your petty fights, your sister isn’t your worst enemy. People may compare the two of you and at some point she will become a competition, but someday she is going to be your greatest cheerleader. You will hate your brother for breaking girls’ hearts but he is also going to defend your own heart from being broken. He will fail at that. 

You will fall in love and when you do, you will fall hard. You’ll have your heart broken. You’ll shed tears. But that’s okay. You’ll be able to pull through all that. One day you will thank yourself for letting go of what you have to let go of. One day, it will all make sense  Eventually, you will come out stronger than ever.

Life will be full of surprises. You’re going to do things that you never imagined doing. You are going to enjoy spontaneous adventures with strangers. You’re going to meet people from all walks of life. Some of them will become your good friends for life. Others will just be passersby. You will learn later on that ‘Friends come and go’ and that’s the reality.

 Someday, you are going to travel by yourself to a country you know nothing much of and live there, away from your family. Don’t be scared. You are going to be surrounded with great people who will help you along the way. They will become your family, too.

You are very competitive and you hate failures. But one day, you’ll learn that it’s okay to fail. It’s okay to mess up. It’s okay to cry. You will get up. Fix your mess. Move on. Move forward. You’ll become stronger. An overcomer.  

Someday you will look back and reflect on the things you have been through and the things you have overcome.When that happens, you will be proud of yourself, too.

A global pandemic will happen and you’re going to be in lockdown for months. Global economy will decline. People will lost their jobs. Shopping malls will be closed. Schools will be closed and lessons will be done online. People are wearing mask (and even face shield) wherever they go.Visiting friends will not be allowed. Gatherings and parties will be virtual. Shopping for groceries will be done online as well. You are not going to be able to see your family face to face for at least 2 years  Hospitals will be full with patients. Many friends will contract the virus. Many people are going to die. The world will be in chaos. But don’t be afraid. The Lord will be with you wherever you go. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Just have faith in Him and trust in His sovereignty.

If I could leave you with some advice, I’d say just be your best self always look on the brighter side, and hold on to God. Life is hard but it’s going to be easier in time. You’re going to be okay. With God’s grace, you will be.

Finding inner peace and true serenity

In this chaotic and uncertain world, we all need moments of total peace and serenity. Serenity sometimes can be found when you take a leisurely walk in a lush garden or go for a hike in the woods or even when you’re just sitting at home, drinking coffee. All these, though, will just give you temporary serenity. When reality hits again, you will find yourself drowning in fear and worries.

There is good news, however!The inner peace and total serenity you really need comes only from having a personal relationship with JESUS CHRIST and surrendering your life fully to HIM.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7