Plus One

(My 20th Birthday Blog)

20 years of existence…

20 years full of happiness and sorrow, battles and triumphs…

With those years, I’ve encountered a lot from the peaks and valleys of life. I’m glad that during those 20 years, I’ve learned a lot of things.

Now that I’ve come at this stage, I must leave things, things that hinder me from becoming a man that God wants me to be.

            I know that from this day until the rest of the year, things will be much greater, bigger challenges, more intense battle to conquer, and more people to say hello. But one thing is for sure, God is leading me to the way He planned for me.

            We cannot please everybody, that’s one lesson that I’ve learned from the season that came to me recently. I’ve met different kinds of people, to the nicest to the extremes. This made to be intimidated sometimes. I can’t express myself fully. But this happened for a purpose.

PAST teaches us for a better present, and PRESENT prepares us for a great FUTURE.

            The experiences we had from the past can be used to improve ourselves, for the better and for the people who believes in us. I’m very thankful that God has surrounded me with people who are always there, ready to be with me when I needed them most.

MY PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
            They have been my inspiration for striving for the best. They have been with me through tough times, and comfort me when I’m on my worst, making me smile and laugh when suddenly the world is taking over me.

MY MENTORS
            To my professors, leader, pastors at Victory, Ubelt Staffs, and to all leaders who have imparted their knowledge, who had given me such great nuggets of wisdom, who lend their time to listen to the stories I know that God had made, and for everything that we have shared together, whether material or not, a big thanks to you. I’m very thankful that God has lead me to the path I’m walking right now. Maybe, without you by my side, I’ll be going elsewhere.

But amidst of all these things, GOD is still the core.

In choosing God, He will take you to more challenges, to strengthen you up. Challenges are made not for a person to give up, but to persevere and finish the race with faith. He’s not using these challenges to make us farther from Him, He uses it to make us inch by inch closer to Him. After finishing these challenges in our lives, lots of things will come into realization.

This year will be a year of breakthroughs…

What made me to come at this point in my life? It’s GOD. He is my strength. He’s the reason behind of what’s happening in my life. I believe that God has prepared a way for us, and for us to get there? Just trust Him!

Looking forward to another year, a God-filled year!

11.11.11

(A blog I constructed 2 years ago)

This is a special day. Not only because of the unique arrangement, but for a simple reason. I’ll be celebrating my 3^rd month at work. Very simple right? However, literally simple, looking beyond, it means a lot for me.

Let me tell you the reason why I am so grateful for 11.11.11

Working in the Department of Trade and Industry as Administrative Aide in their Human Resources Department may seem so far from what course I have taken up during college. From a Hotel and Restaurant Management student to a young professional working in a filed of Human Resource Management, many have been asking me why did I entered the job that is not related to your course.

My answer?

Though I wasn’t working in a field or establishment that caters to the hospitality industry, I consider this job as a stepping stone for a better career in the future.

There's a deeper reason why did I accepted the job.

Right after graduation, I wanted to work already to help my family to earn a living. Deciding upon my own, I passed to several establishments, here and abroad. I had an interview for a coffeeshop, attended the initial screening, but at the end of the day, I received the verdict. I didn’t make it. It was so sad because I have studied the company and its products. Moving on, I decided to pass my resume at DTI due to my mother’s influence that I should try it.

I was able to have my exams and initial interview at DTI. I was waiting for their call for the next step. During this time of waiting, I was so bored and decided to find more opportunities. One day, a casual dining restaurant called me for an initial screening (interview and exams). I was surprised that during that day, everything was moving. I was already for medical requirements at the restaurant. But behind all this things that happened during that day, the position offered to me was not the position that I’ve applied for.

I have to choose between DTI and the restaurant… Praying hard every night, I decided to go with DTI. It was my parent’s decision. I don’t actually want to work there.

Now that it’s almost 3 months since I started working at DTI, I’m enjoying the work in a manner that cannot be explained with just a couple of words. I don’t exactly what describes what I’m feeling right now, but I’m sure that it was God who’s in the works.

With all those hazy things that surrounded my mind during the transition from being a student going to a young professional, I can say that every obstacle is worth it. I’ve learned a couple of things during this particular journey in my life:

Everything comes with a purpose. It came to you not to make you suffer, but to develop perseverance. After surpassing those tests, you character grows and hope is present. And He will not disappoint you until His promises are fulfilled. (Romans 5:3-5)