April 1 marked the first day of iBlog 7, the 7th Philippine Blogging Summit. I came here for work, because this year’s topics held much promise for my current job as a Web Content Writer.
We’re down to the second half of sessions for the series, and I’m kinda gonna miss it when it’s gone. It’s been a refreshing, entertaining, and informative two days. In some ways the experience didn’t feel like work at all. Continue reading
I work both as a writer and an administrative assistant. Sometimes, one at a time—and sometimes, at the same time.
This is as fun as it sounds, yes.
I’ve always loved writing, but organizing stuff, planning events, coordinating with different people, and running from one venue to another gives me a high. My OC (obsessive-compulsive) tendencies stemmed from growing up with a family that was such, and I never thought I could actually put them to good use until I started volunteering at church, and eventually worked as an assistant last April.
Admittedly, multi-tasking is not one of my greatest strengths. I am used to giving my attention to one thing at a time. This is a daunting challenge, considering that my job description requires this. I often need to stretch my brain in many different directions. While I manage to make a LOT of mistakes while doing so, I find myself being able to adjust and adapt little by little as weeks and months pass.
I am grateful for the learning process this entails. I am not an expert at doing what I’m doing, but I can seriously say that I love what I’m doing. 
And I look forward to every day being able to learn new stuff and apply the things I’ve learned in the past.
I was part of EN2010 held a week ago—a celebration held every three years by the Every Nation family of churches and ministries. Having a special assignment during this time was a long-time prayer of mine. 
Though I wasn’t exactly part of the audience and didn’t get to listen to most of the speakers there, I was still very much able to receive a revelation of how awesome He is. Truly, God cannot be kept in a box—He is bigger, wider, and more vast than our puny imaginations can conjure up.
Here are some of my highlights of the event:
1. Not getting to do what I expected I would do. I was given a different set of tasks totally different from what I initially expected I would do. In my ever-so-curious nature, I asked God why He allowed that to happen. Here’s what He impressed in my heart:
If I let you do that task, you’d no longer rely on me and instead rely on your own strength.
Talk about sobering! I love how God is so honest to us about His plans. I love how He wants us to rely on Him more and more and more and more! Truly, apart from Him, we can do nothing!
We hate going out of our comfort zone, especially when we’re used to doing certain things like clockwork. Yet there is a danger in letting routine take over your life—because there’s that tendency to become self-reliant and self-sufficient. God doesn’t want that—He wants us to cling to Him, hang on to Him, and trust Him for His awesome and amazing plans.
2. Perseverance leads to maturity. Edwin Navarro, one of our supervisors, shared this to us in one of our meetings (though he claims he doesn’t remember saying it haha). Out of all our pow-wow’s, this was the statement that stuck to me the most. I can’t even begin to explain how this little sentence helped me keep on keeping on. Then again, James says the exact same thing when he wrote his letter:
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4)
3. God is God. Period. I saw people from restricted nations, ones where publicly worshiping God equals capital punishment, stand on their chairs and praise God boldly, without fear of getting caught and killed. It was AWESOME.
God is God even in the darkest, most dangerous places. And I have faith that one day, someday, His light will shine there—and in all the world.
I can’t help but be emotional as I write about these things. Again, I may not have been part of the audience nor did I get to hear every preaching, but God still reveals Himself to us in every possible way imaginable.
I am still in sheer awe of who He is. May I never stop being such.
(Photos taken from EN2010.com. Used with permission)
Today was an amazing day.
1. I met up with my dad for our pre-Father’s Day lunch. It’s awesome how my dad and I are spending much more time together. He permanently lives in Baguio now, but is currently staying here in Manila for business. In 2009 we saw each other for a grand total of *two* times. Now we see each other almost twice a month. It’s really awesome having to see him so often.
Daddy and me
2. Victory Group. It’s always a good thing. It’s always one of the highlights of my week. I love learning more about God and spending time with people who want the same, too.
3. Spending time with friends. . . especially with the younger generation. I love how they are so eager to learn about things and are so hungry for the things of God. I am honored to be walking amongst these young men and women who are so passionate and on fire for God.
4. My own domain. Thank you, Sarah, for this awesome birthday gift!
after more than a year’s hiatus i decided to take a more active role in our church’s youth ministry again, and last night i felt like i was re-initiated into the ministry scene. i was asked to write a script for a skit that would be acted out at tonight’s youth service.
truth be told, i was skittish about doing the whole thing. various thoughts filled my mind. i knew that i could write, but a part of me didn’t want to, because i felt that scripts, conceptualizing, and all that stuff weren’t my thing (which was a crazy thing to say considering that i did a major chunk of this in college!). i was just on the verge of backing off from doing the whole thing when a good friend talked sense into me and told me to stick to my commitment. which i did. 
prior to last night’s writing process, i prayed. hard. not because i didn’t want to do it, but because i wanted to want to do it–to set all my fears and emotions aside and simply lean on God.
and whaddaya know. the ideas, words, and thoughts poured in. i had just spent nine hours processing information prior to that moment, and my brain was still cooperating and functioning well. my brain was refreshingly . . . refreshed. lol
i also realized three things about the whole experience:
1. i actually was able to produce output. in the same way, we don’t have to look down on ourselves at all. God already delights in us and loves us. the gifts he gave us are for his glory, and he wants us to use them according to his purposes. after all, he didn’t give us a spirit of fear–only a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 tim 1:7)
2. the script in itself did not have to be perfect. admittedly, i was being hard on myself because i wanted it to be seamless and flawless. after last night’s hoopla i realized that it didn’t have to be perfect–it only had to be excellent. i was reminded that excellence is different–waaaaaaaaaaay different–from perfection. God is the only perfect being there is, and i am not God, duh. what’s more, God, in all his perfection, loves each of us even if we are far from being perfect.
3. being part of the ministry is not about what you can do or what you have–whether you lead a gargantuan small group, sing on the worship team, or create crafts. it’s all about serving God. he gave us all these different talents so we can serve him and bring further glory to his name. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 115:1)
at the end of the day, it is all about him. nothing else compares to that. not even our fears, insecurities, and limitations can separate us from that fact