On the Pursuit of Excellence

On the road of pursuing excellence, there will be some point in time that we will encounter bumps in along the way for a specific reason.

I always wanted to make a difference and pursue excellence. But sometimes, God will allow events to happen that would make you pause and stop, to step back and look into a bigger picture of what is currently happening in your life, and to evaluate the situation.

There were events that happened for the past days that made me realize and to rethink of my priorities and the things that always makes me stay hungry for more.

²³Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Sometimes, God will use people and some little events that will help you realize what is wrong in you, and on the current situation or season you are in right now. Take time to examine yourself and the things you always do. Take down notes if possible and reflect on it. The process may take some of your time, but I do know that everything will be worth it.

What happened to me is that I encountered a bump in the road while pursuing that I know would help me to achieve excellence. Reflecting on what happened, I realize that there is something wrong, personal gratification. Yes, I got hurt of what happened, because I am doing the things I love for myself only, not for God, who is the One who provided me with these abilities.

Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It's a journey of discovery - there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.

-Rick Warren

There are things that really take time to develop, and if you rush in achieving it, it will just be a half-baked project. Slow down and think. Trust that God is teaching and doing something in you. Let your heart be open for correction. The road to excellence will not be easy. I hope and do pray that whatever happens to your life in the current season you are in right now, always seek God and ask for His guidance.

Begin with the End in Mind

When I was about to enter college, I have an ambition of graduating with honors, because I wanted to get a good job after graduation.

I got save when I was a sophomore student in college, when someone approached me during a meeting in the organization I joined, asking me if he could share the Gospel to me. It took me a few months before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Having Christ as my Lord and Savior radically changed my life. From having a selfish motivation, I want to graduate with flying colors to honor my parents, especially my dad who did not finished college. Having that new found motivation, I was able to finish gracefully, ending it with joy in my heart.

I worked  in the Philippines for 2 ½ years before I decided to move here in Abu Dhabi last 2014, to try building a career in the hospitality industry. I thought everything will be fine.

I was not connected to the church (ENAD) for more than a year. I felt empty, yearning for that feeling I felt 8 years ago at Victory Ubelt. It was only November 2015, when I got a chance to be invited to attend to a prayer meeting. I felt like I started all over again with my walk with God. I feel so refreshed at that time. But it was early 2016 when someone contacted me, followed-up, and eventually plugged in to a CORE group.

2016 has been a tough year for me. I’ve been struggling at work, that prompted me to pass a resignation letter by the middle of the year. I came to a point asking God for a new job. To ease the stress, I filed for a vacation for the 3^rd quarter. Few weeks before the vacation, I decided to make this trip a purpose-driven one. This time,  I prayed to God for guidance.

The night before my flight, I decided to publicly declare my faith, through water baptism. On the morning of my flight, I attended the worship service, then went straight home, to check everything before heading to Dubai for my flight.

In James 2:17, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” So to make this trip a purpose-driven one, I see to it that during my vacation, I will meet the leaders and mentors who influenced me, to update them and ask for guidance and prayers.

By the end of my vacation, God did not answer my prayer. He did not gave me a new job. Instead, He gave me a new heart. A heart of renewed faith and a heart full of joy. The last quarter of 2016 was a period full of revelations and answered prayers, which made me to look forward for the year ahead.

2017 started pretty great for me. Blessings and more answered prayers, joined and committed in a ministry and registered to this current batch of Training for Victory.

A 10-week journey of faith-building lessons and spirit-strengthening testimonies, Training for Victory provided me with great avenues to have a deeper understanding of who God is, who am I, and what is my purpose where I am today. The lessons helped me to evaluate myself and be prepared to do great things for God’s glory.

                There was a time somewhere between the course of the training that I said to myself, “What am I really doing here? Am I just attending this training for compliance? Or there must be something greater than that?”

Here are some points that I learned throughout the period of 10 weeks:

§  Be prepared: We may be in different seasons right now. We, as leaders and ambassadors of Christ here on earth, must be prepared to fulfill God’s calling in our lives. We must persevere while waiting for God’s perfect timing on His promises.

§  Disciplined to be a disciple: I learned a lot of things throughout this training, that will help me to prepare and catapult to wherever God wants me to go.

§  Legacy: Whatever things we do today, always bear in mind what would be the impact to the person we are interacting with. We always have to think with the end result in mind.

As I end, I want to leave with this:

This journey isn’t that easy. But everything comes with a purpose. A purpose that would you make you not to give up, but a purpose for you to persevere and to stand strong, a purpose to help your faith in Him to be stronger when everything else seems not going your way, and learn to trust everything to Him. It was His hands who have been working in my life since the day I started knowing Him. 

For Good

This is my 2017 birthday blog.

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

As we grow older, we will meet people from all walks of life, may it be in our workplace or local area/ city where we are living at.

Bringing something we must learn

Relationships will be built in the process as people are coming into our lives. There will be a lot of times that you will enjoy the company of each other. But there are some instances that you and that someone will encounter misunderstandings. Dealing with this misunderstanding depends upon us. Some may deal with it very personal, but for some, and I pray that this would be their response, they would weigh in, looking on both sides of the coin, and choose to get the (good) lesson on what happened. These lessons and the experiences from the people around you will help you to be a better person.

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you...

These lessons will help your relationship with a friend to grow and to gain a deeper understanding of each other. Thus, making these relationships one of the things I will definitely treasure forever. And as we look forward for this 2017, I’m looking forward to build and nurture more. I am privileged to be part of someone else’s journey, and same goes to mine, I am thankful for them.

As for my previous birthday blogs, I always look back and give thanks for the people who have been part of my life and my growth as a person.

As I look forward for 2017, I’m praying to build more relationships that will help me to grow, develop and be a man after God’s own heart. I believe it was not accident that I met some of these great people I know who helped me to be the person I am now.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17

For the past year, I was blessed to know some people whom I called my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m beyond grateful to God for giving me those people whom I shared time and stories with. Some went beyond their comfort zones to reach out, spend time with me even in the wee hours of the night, walk for a few kilometers and generously enough in all aspects of life. Being with these people, I wish time would freeze when I am with them. I have learned a lot of them.

As I end, let me share to you another couple of lines from For Goof:

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

When you are with the people you wanted to be with, seize every opportunity when you are with them. Be a sponge, absorb everything their sharing to you. Love them as God loves you (John 15:12). Be patient and bear with each other if you have any misunderstandings and forgive them. Above all, love them because this binds you and your friends together. (Colossians 3:13-14)

They will leave a mark in your lives that will surely be with you for the rest of your life.

Thrive

I like what the definition of thrive in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It means to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.

Why thrive?

2016 has been a year where I came to know myself better as a person and as a young professional. This year was also a year of answered prayers. Having said that, with God’s guidance, I felt that I need to stay longer in Abu Dhabi for a purpose. The purpose is not that clear at the moment, but as I look forward for 2017, I pray that God will be the one who will make all things clear.

In spite of some bumps along the road, I was able to pick up the pieces, and bounce back where I am right now, with the help of God and some people I’ll always be grateful for,

What have I learned from this year?

Let go, and Let God.

There are few moment during this 2016 wherein I have to make necessary decisions in my career. I was on the verge of giving up and asking my manager to really sign another resignation letter. Yes! I attempted once before and tried it again this year. Then when I had a vacation this August, I decided to make it a purpose-driven trip (see my other blog post entitled “A Purpose Driven Trip”.) I was able to visit where my desire to glorify and honor God with the talents He gave me and met a couple of people who was with me on the first few years of my journey of faith with Christ.

What I am grateful for this year?

There are many things that I am grateful for. One of which was the people whom God placed in my life when I started to be connected to the church here in Abu Dhabi. They encouraged me when moments turned out the way I wanted me and when there are times that I am not my usual self. They also challenged me to be my best when serving, honoring and glorifying the Author of my life.

The efforts of these people, whether small or big, helped me to be the person who I am now. I believe it is not an accident that our paths crossed each other and I know that God placed you in my life for a reason, for a specific purpose.

With these people, the picture of what my purpose is becoming clearer.

What I am looking forward to 2017?

I am looking forward on how God’s plan for me and through me will unfold this year. I believe, by faith that these plans will unfold in His perfect time.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 | NIV

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

Proverbs 19:21 | NIV

As we look forward to the coming year, let me share to you one thing that makes me excited for 2017. Throughout 2016, many things happened, both good and bad. I took all the lessons learned from these experiences and will use it to be a better person, to be a better man after God’s own heart.

Circumstances will always be there and cannot be avoided. My prayer for whoever is reading this blog will be excited as I am for 2017 in spite of what lies ahead, that we will thrive and welcome the year with full of hope and confidence with the power of God. Always stay humble no matter what, and blessings will follow. 

A Purpose-driven Trip

Being an OFW was not easy thing to do.

You have to brave every obstacle that comes into your life, battling it alone, since you are far away from your family. You have to really manage what you have in order to send money home and fill in those balikbayan boxes.

Vacation… It’s another annual leave! Yehey! This could be the days that an OFW, like me, looks forward to, because they can see their love ones again and spend time with them. But there’s a catch! We have only a limited time.

But what are my plans?

For me, I am blessed to be given this chance to go home for a vacation, even though it was just 8 months since I had my first vacation.

Taking you back on my first trip back home, it was during the most festive and happiest season for the entire year, Christmas and New Year! Not only I am able to spend the holidays with my family and relatives, I was able to spend some time with some friends whom I was not able to see for a year and a half.

So why a purpose-driven trip?

Towards the day of my 2^nd trip back home, the usual pre-trip jitters arrive like preparing your hand over at work, which is not easy at all though you have prepared everything. Also, there are some last minute shopping and activities.

Before I leave work, someone said something to me, and it’s about the happiness I feel at work. Yes, I must admit that I am not happy anymore at work because of a plenty of reasons. With that thought on my mind, I decided to make this trip a purpose-driven one.

While the day of my flight comes near, there’s one question that swims on my mind, “WHY?” I felt like I am looking for something, not someone, but something that would make me feel I’m fine. So I decided to have a purpose-driven trip to answer my WHY.

It was a 28-day vacation. Thinking the number of days I have, I can’t help but to ask for extension, as what most OFWs are asking for, so that they could more days with their families.

I’m trying to squeeze in my schedule to meet some friends from church and former colleagues. To think that I’m party responsible for organizing a birthday party of my niece, I really need to carefully budget my time, without sacrificing my time for my family. So I have prepared beforehand a calendar as well as a list of people I wanted to visit.

Gladly, I was able to meet most of them, though there are still other people from that list whom I was not able to see. I feel so blessed meeting my mentors, former colleagues in Makati, and some very close friends from church, in spite of our their busy schedules and my limited time for the vacation.

From those small talks, I was able to partly answer my WHY, why I am here on my present situation/ season. I was refreshed by the words and the time they shared. It’s nice to see their faces and smiles.

To answer my WHY before starting this trip, here’s a rundown of my take home from this vacation.

• Seize every moment as much as possible.

I had a very limited time back home for this 2^nd vacation. But within those 28 days, I was able to meet some close friends, mentors and former colleagues and I was reminded what I am fighting for, on why I am running this race, and why I am in this particular season. I wish I had to spend more time with them.

•  Be specific in your prayers

I had a chance to talk to the man who helped me to be closer to God. We haven’t met each other for almost two years. But this time, I made sure that I could meet him. It’s so refreshing. We were able to catch up. As we part ways, one thought stayed on my mind and that I be specific with your prayers.

I definitely miss those moments I had with my parents, siblings as well as those closest friends whom I really treasure.

As I am thinking of a take home from this blog, as I said on the early parts of this blog that I was reminded why I am running this race that God has given me, including the moment when I first encountered God on that 7PM youth service at Victory Ubelt.

I was reminded of the four words I used, or should I say the four things that help me to win the battles I had: perseverance, faith, hope and excellence.

• ·         Persevering not ceasing

In this part of my life, there are times that I really want to end everything and give up because I feel that it’s a dead end. Despite if the challenges I had face, responsibilities to fulfill and those seemingly hard tasks, I chose to continue and persevere, instead of quitting.

• ·         Faith not Doubt; Hope not despair

I was this type of guy who easily gives up when things are not going the way I wanted

to. I wanted to quickest way out of the current situation. I have faith in God, and trust

Him that He is working in my life.  

 Excellence comes when you have the three (perseverance, faith and hope.)

This season, where I am now, isn’t that easy. But everything comes with a purpose, a purpose that would make you not to give up, but a purpose for you to persevere and to stand strong, a purpose to build your faith and learn to trust everything to Him. It was His hands who have been working in my life since the day I started knowing Him.

TV Series, Milk Tea and Me

It's been a while since I've written any blog intended to a special event in my life. I stopped writing for some unknown reason. My last and posted blog entry? I cannot remember... Anyways, this blog will be my comeback, my first written anecdote of what happened to me this past couple of months. It's been almost a year since I left Philippines to try to venture on a career as a hotelier. And throughout those months, I kept myself busy, at times, with watching my favorite TV series. Milk tea has been and will always be my comfort drink where ever I go. I even tried to make my own concoction but it wouldn't be of the standards of Chatime or even Pappa Roti. I do usually drink one glass before sleeping to help me make relax. Sounds weird right? Despite of the not so busy schedule, I still manage to go out with some friends, but most of the time alone. I just roam around the mall, visit my favorite shops and at times, spend a couple of minutes visiting the bookstore. With all those hype on TV series and mill tea, the question is, where am I? Am I just another face in the crowd of expatriates here in UAE? I am writing this blog to celebrate one glorious gift I receive from our Creator, the gift of another year to continue on the journey of a lifetime and also share some of the things i experienced here in Abu Dhabi. I will be celebrating my 24th birthday. My first birthday away from my loved ones, churchmates, former officemates and friends. It has been a tough year for me. I had to make the toughest decision of my life, and that is to leave my present career to try and pursue the life of a hotelier. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions, expectations, joy, trials, and hope. A ride wherein i was tested to such limits that I was the verge of breaking down several times. But God did nit leave me alone. He gave me the best people who will help me regardless of the distance. 1. Getting out of my comfort zone The shifting of work environment was not that easy. From a government employee to a hotelier, both have its pros and cons. I am used to have regular and fixed schedules when I was in my former job. But now, as a hotelier, we have to be placed in different work schedules to cover up the 24-hour operation of the hotel. The office type environment has been my comfort zone for more than 2 years. It was hard to leave thinking of the experiences, the joy of having such wonderful family there and some of perks I had like traveling for work. Challenging myself to take on the life of a hotelier was the bravest and toughest decision I had. During my first few months as a hotelier, I was still adjusting. In fact, I miss my old workplace, especially that messy table! The transition was tough. But the God did not abandoned me. He gave me the best people whom taught me some of life's lessons, guided me while I was starting my life here and people who encouraged me on my lowest point. 2. Battles and challenges We all have our own battles. Most of them may be tough. But it is our own strategy that will help us to make it through. My strategy? There was no definite plan or tactic. What I had was the faith that helps me I can make it through each hurdle. That faith in God, though have been tested, helped me to win each single battle I faced. 3. What lies ahead I know that God holds our future. There are times that I feel weary because of some invisible circumstance. There are some points that I almost give up. I just let myself breathe and to let go of the burden. Then, I let myself to recover and to turn what happened as something to remind me that it's just temporary and good things will come to those who wait. The journey is just beginning. What happened to me in the past year was just another chapter of the journey that God plans for me. Now, that I am turning a year older, it will be different. I won't be the same person again. I've learned from my mistakes. I want to be the best version of myself. I want to leave you with this: This lines where taken from a dialogue in one of the episodes of Glee's final season: "Have you seen a guy shooting a bow and arrow? The power is created by the bending of the bow. The more the bow bends, the more potential energy is created. Life's challenges are just the bending of the bow. Think about it, the bigger the challenge, the more the bow bends, the more potential you create do something more amazing. All you have to do is just to find a purpose. Find the arrow that you're gonna put in that bow." -Will Scheuster to Rachel Berry Challenges will always be a part of our life. It may be just a tiny challenge or even a tough one. Use every challenge as much as possible to fuel your purpose or passion. Don't let the challenges ruin you. Don't let fear control your future and always remember that God will never leave you. He is with you all the time.

An Expat's Life

February 27, 2014

This is the day I took my first international flight going to Abu Dhabi.

I cannot remember what I felt during that day. It was really mix of excitement, fear, uncertainty and whatever comes in between. My knees are actually shaking when I was going down the car and walking towards the airport. What added to this unexplainable feeling is having your parents with you in that very moment. It was the first time that I will be separated from them.

It is almost 8 months after that day, here I am striving to be the best version of myself. Standing for what I believe is true, holding on to my dream for a better life, doing my best and being grateful of what I have while working along the way to get what I want.

The journey here in the foreign land would not be possible without the people who supported me thru various aspects in life (physical, financial, emotional and spiritual).

I thought that being and working in a foreign land, or an expat, is easy. At first I had a hard time adjusting. But as each month pass by, experience taught me different things that contributed to my growth as a young professional and as a person.

At this point, in the course of writing this blog, I decided to pause and to think what I have learned so far.

1.            Distance and time is not an issue.
   
   
   No matter how far it may seem and the 4-hour time difference, the people who matters in your life are ready to be there.
   Philippines is ahead of 4 hours compared to Abu Dhabi. Thanks to technology, it made me closer to my family and treasured friends even though we are more than 8,000 miles apart. I can still send a message anytime and felt like I am just in a province. But I admit that there are times that I still miss them.

     2.      Sense of importance

All of these things that happened to me here in Abu Dhabi are all firsthand experiences. But I see to it that every decision that I make here is a win-win situation for me and for the people around me. I put others first then myself.

Having set my foot on a foreign land, makes me wonder what is in store for me and for the people who matters to me. There are times that I still cannot believe that I am here, living in a foreign land, enjoying what life has to offer here…

There will be moments in our life that may derail us from achieving God’s plan for us. Yes, I admit that a lot of things happened to me here that made me heading to the wrong path. But I see to it that these experiences will help me and teach me to be a better man, according to God’s will.

It’s still a long road to travel. I might be in a different way than what I planned, but I believe that where I am walking now is a detour where God leads me to something great, something far more than I could ever imagine.

Yes, I still haven’t found what I am looking for. But the constant run towards my dreams fuels my desire to strike whilst the iron is hot and I am excited for what God has planned for me.