A Prayerful 2015

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“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12

In every crusade, the knights engage in periods of time preparing for a victorious battle. In driving, you buckle up for safety. In school, you study so you will graduate. In almost every action, there is always a plan. But in life, how do you prepare?

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21

I bet this verse will remind us that not even us have the capability to completely prepare ourselves for what the future holds. As I enter this year, I realized I have so many in my hands right now that sometimes I feel as if I am drowning in a sea of opportunities, things to do and decisions. A swirling sea that seems endless with no beginning and yet no ending.

Decisions. Life can never be “life” without them. Each and every single day we decide, we choose. We choose what we will eat today, what we will wear tomorrow, what to ride today, etc. And yes, oftentimes we worry, we fret. Forgetting that God told us this:

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?…“- Matthew 6:25-26

Ah yes, Father. I am a worrier, full of doubts. Would any of you be right then if you assumed that I have no trust at all? Could be. But by God’s Grace I am still here worshiping, because His love never fails. For all throughout the changing seasons, He was there to guide me and usher me towards where I should be heading. Slowly learning to surrender and build the trust bit by bit, letting go of the world and slowly embracing more of Him each and every single day.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing. Conflicts, rage, heartaches, headaches, pain, sorrow, regret…have I made the wrong decisions?

And yet I was pacified with this:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

And also this:

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:6

I believe I can no longer give in to the shadow of doubts and affliction but believe in the power of prayers and surrendering to His mighty will. Yes, God’s will and His plans prevail. They always do. And that is the Good News. To hope is to trust. I guess that’s what it is to have faith. 🙂

Thus, I pray:

Oh Mighty Father, if we have acted upon our own free will in the past and failed, may You continue to guide us and make things right as we surrender to Your plans instead of ours. We pray that as plans shift, may You continue to touch and guard the hearts of those who will be affected. May You cover all the pain, remove all the hurt and bless us with forgiveness, acceptance, peace and love. And above it all, we will continue to hold on to the beautiful promises that You have for us until Your work in us is complete. Teach us to be patient, teach us to be calm. Considering that in all that we do and in all that we say, we will claim victory in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Siya Lamang

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SIYA LAMANG

Bakit nga ba kapag nasanay ka nung ikaw ay nagiisa na ang kapiling mo ay Siya,

May dumating man na iba, babalik at babalik ka pa din sa Kanya? 

(This is a short poem/feature that I wrote in the vernacular inspired by the scripture below.)

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” – Psalm 18:1-2

The Spirit Lives

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Today is Friday, the end of the work week to most and the last day for the Prayer and Fasting 2015. This post is also my first entry for this year. Looks like what I have to write here will be something memorable. I hope. 😉

It’s been awhile since I wrote my last entry about my faith, if a few months back can be regarded as such. But I was prompted. Not just by anyone but by the One who lives in each and everyone of us who have been saved – the Spirit.

Thus, I begin my post.

I normally do not wake up at 5am. But I have been waking up at that time for how many consecutive days already. The tossing, turning and failed attempts to get back on hibernation mode can, I must say, add to the plentiful running thoughts in your head. I checked Instagram because I remembered I need to edit my profile. I saw something I did not like on the Newsfeed, I was tempted to judge – the mind can form in an instant the weapons of destruction. Not to them being criticized but to yourself who criticize, for a complete negative thought is nothing but already a crime.

BUT before negativity overcame me, I suddenly remembered a verse. My thoughts shifted – what book was it, what chapter, what verse, who said it, etc. I took my phone, typed the words I could remember from that verse on Google search and found myself reading verses upon verses until I stumbled upon this:

1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

The verse was more of an answer to my beleaguered thoughts the past days than it is to the IG post I saw and my reaction to it. It just struck me how God can use simple things and simple ways as His means to provide you the answer you have been needing thus giving you the peace that you deserve.

And this was not the first time that happened. For every time I ask questions, every time I am unsure of something, every time I crave for an explanation, I was always reverted back to the Scriptures. And what I read are the only things that pacified me. I was supposed to write there ‘satisfied’ than ‘pacified’ but to me, satisfaction can be achieved without the feeling of being pacified. Satisfaction is for the time being while to be pacified is for the long run. Satisfaction is for that immediate craving while being pacified is for that deep longing.

Sure, some writings satisfy but their ideas never last. Maybe because if they are human wisdom, they change. What the Scriptures offer is Godly wisdom written in consistency through the changing times. And something grounded is more believable than something unstable, right?

1 Corinthians 1:19 NIV

[For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”]

Indeed, there is so much a changed life can do. You thought for a moment you have it all from wisdom to riches, love in its worldly definition and power. Until came the time that you were stripped bare – you have nothing. Except now, the only thing you see is your Creator. And the only thing you have and you can be proud of is the Cross. Then you can only be happier, for you have been stripped FREE. The Spirit lives. 🙂

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( Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/wildbill666/for-me/)

Loving LOCAL LOVE Philippines

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Tin Ginete

(cup with stirrer and saucer made from anahaw wood and coconut hull from Sorsogon City)

 

Well, it is all about love. Not the typical kind of love. But an extraordinary love. That kind of love you have for your country and your countrymen – patronizing local products.

My heart is just close to anything native. Why? Because I grew up in a small town from the province of Sorsogon called Bulan. I am just glad and proud of my local roots and folk culture. Because that is my identity, that is who I am and that is who I will be. 🙂

Do check out the article to find out what the Philippine products have to offer. And have that Filipino pride as well, Filipino or not. 😉

“Local Love Philippines: Go Loco with True Filipino Pride”

Cooler Than Cool @ Abdul The Cool

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Ever heard of ox brain dish or moutabal? If not, check out the article to find out more. All I can say is that you are off to a cool food adventure. 😉

“Abdul The Cool: Not Your Ordinary Shawarmas, Kebabs and Wraps”

How To Kill The Worldly

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Even the tree bleeds.

Do not count the blessings of others, make it a habit to count your own. Do not focus on how others have improved, focus on how you can improve yourself. Do not search for what you’re lacking, use wisely what you have. Do not judge others, for God did not judge and compare you to His other creations. He made you and loved you as unique and as imperfect as you are and blessed you EQUALLY.

People who lived happy lives focused not on the people around them but on how they can maximize the blessings that God gave them, big and small, and be a blessing to others as well. God gave us a free will. Use it to have a renewed self by choosing God to lead and purify the intentions of your heart, of your words and your actions. Then you will know what life is without those seven deadly sins (envy, wrath, greed, laziness, pride, lust, and gluttony) creeping on every bone, every tissue of your individuality killing you deep inside.

Choose to be free of them by having God as the center of your life and be able to enjoy what God has in store for you. It is not about you or them. It is about Him. 🙂

Ode On Morality

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Tin Ginete

Beauty amid the blackness.

In every society, morality is that one thing that makes civilization intact by bringing public order. These are the moral dictates and code of ethics that I, too, was subjected for strict compliance not because I am a teacher but because I am a citizen of a civilized society.

If we are to look closely on all the generations, past and present, and the standard of morality today, can we actually say and claim that it has declined? Or is it all just a matter of generational gaps, adaptability and acceptance of the changing times?

Laws are the social constructs that preserve any community. As a Christian, I only got to know this one fact when I got saved – we are all governed by one law and that is His Word through the bible.

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” – Psalm 119: 105

“Your Word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.” – Psalm 119: 89-93

Would it be safe then to assume that we actually have no use for our current justice system? What about the laws we are obeying now? They are laws which could be as faulty and imperfect as the one who made them – man. They were made by the leaders of the generations before and the generation now.

Such are the questions that I asked and I was given the answers:

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” – Romans 13: 1

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” – Hebrews 13: 7

I used to be a critic of reality to the point that I dare question what is existing or preexisted. But the Truth was given and I stopped asking questions. And I, myself, can clearly attest to this:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The standards of morality may change over time and yet there is this one law that stays true, valid and trustworthy for decades and centuries:

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1: 8

Bible reading and an attitude of prayer will get you that far in life. Because that is what the Law says. Not mine, not yours, but His. 🙂

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy.” – James 4: 12

2nd Year Anniversary Special: Going Classic on Meat via a VINTAGE Meat Grinder

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I am no sweetie pie. 

I may look like one but definitely not like one. In fact I am a “beautiful monster” as Rihanna would put it. lol Kidding of course. 😉 I am just not your ordinary sweet girl for I am very strong willed to the point of being stubborn and hard headed and someone who is always on the go. But by God’s grace, I am now learning slowly but surely how to listen, how to wait, how to be gentle and how to submit. I am a good follower especially if you are a good leader. 🙂

This post is not about me per se but about something that I was so interested to try ever since I was kid but only had the opportunity to do it now that I am in my late 20s – grinding pork’s meat in our vintage meat grinder.

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Universal Vintage Meat Grinder

3 questions:

1. Why the need to try it?

2. Why now?

3. What’s the correlation between a meat grinder and a sweetie pie? (I know this one sounds funny.) 😉

First, ever since I was a kid, I got fascinated by how it works every time Daddy would ask me to help him scrape the ground pork off the opening of the grinder where it goes out. I would usually watch how the process goes from putting the raw pork cubes inside the feeder, the one with the big opening, as you slowly turn the handle clockwise then to the slicing, cutting and grinding part when it reaches the disk until the last part where the ground meat comes out . As you continue to turn the handle, pork cubes will slowly be sucked underneath and you’ll hear a gritting sound. A sound that I find interestingly amusing. And I don’t know why. 🙂

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Universal Vintage Meat Grinder

I love anything vintage not because it’s classical but because of the story behind each of them. Mom told me that one of our great grandpas used to own it before handing it over to them. I also did my research and found out that the meat grinder is one of the inventions of German Baron Karl Drais during the mid 1880s who also invented the Laufmaschine or what we commonly now know as the bicycle (encyclopedia.com). Isn’t it amazing to still use stuff that is way, way older than you. I feel like calling it “grandpa meat grinder.”   😉

Seriously, the mechanism of the meat grinder is very simple. And neither it is that complicated to operate. All you need is a wooden plank where you can rest it on and there is a screw underneath to tighten and secure it in place. It is easy to clean as well and very portable as it can fit even on a shoe box. Except that it is a bit heavy, around 8.5 pounds since it is made of cast iron.

So if you intend on using one at home, you have to prepare your arms for some muscle workout when you turn the lever because you’ll have to pull a little harder when it gets to that part of the pork meat that’s a bit tough. Just a tip though, cover the feeder with your left hand because oftentimes pork cubes tend to fall out as they go up and down during the grinding.

Second, I got to try it just now as it requires extreme muscle strength to be able to finish the process altogether. Daddy won’t still allow me if I didn’t insist. He thought I am far too weak to finish the task. But I was up for the challenge anyway, so there went adrenaline rush. *game face on*

The handle of our meat grinder is supposed to be covered with wood but I guess it got broken a long time ago. So there’s the tendency for your grip to slip off from the handle at the middle of the grinding process as more grease are coming out from the ground meat.

And lastly, what’s between a sweetie pie and a meat grinder? 🙂

Well, it is a kitchen equipment best used by Dads or any male. I am no sexist but if you are frail, trying this out might be a bad idea. You’ve got to toughen up for you to finish an entire bowl of pork cubes. It was my passion for learning and experiencing new things that urged me to try grinding the meat myself with the help of my sister (she scrapes the ground pork for me). And another thing, we have a scarcity of males in the household. lol My Dad and my brother are the only men at home they wouldn’t be able to do all the tasks that require great strength all by themselves, thus, this is where my sisters and I come to the rescue.

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My sister (left) and I (right) doing our arm muscle workout. 😉

This was one simple experience that I have pretty much enjoyed I just can’t wait to go home and try it again. Besides, it is a fun way of working out too. So no, I don’t just sit pretty and be a sweetie pie. 😉

This article may seem a bit odd from topic to beginning to plot and ending but this is actually a tribute to something classic in celebration of my 2nd anniversary here on WordPress as a blogger. Thank you so much to all my followers and readers who have shared their wonderful adventures, ideas and experiences as well making my 2-year experience in the WordPress community worthwhile.

And definitely last but not the least, thank you to you my Father God for the gift of sharing. 🙂

Tin Ginete

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Tin Ginete

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

 

 

Cheers to more blogging experiences with you my fellow WordPress writers!

Lots of love,

Tin 🙂

An Approach Towards A Simple Life

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Tin Ginete

Traversing the muddy path with prickly seeds from the wild grass.

In this life, you have to learn how to strike the right balance of denying good food every now and then for the sake of avoiding gluttony; of minimizing dressing up and the use of cosmetics for the sake of not being vain; of knowing which possessions to acquire and which not to for the sake of not ending up materialistic; of knowing which dreams and ambitions to pursue for the sake of not being caught up in the rat race and be discontented with what you already have; and in choosing the right experiences to enjoy for the sake of living the righteous life.

The same thing goes when knowing the limits in preparing for the future so that you don’t forget to enjoy the present.

After a period of hyperactivity, it feels good to be back in the cave, do my research and be my mediocre self. 😉

I am grateful though for the experience points gained and now looking forward to leveling up on learning – the right kind of wisdom. That is, in an attempt to live in this world but not be of this world. 🙂

“B” for Bonding with Bloggers and Businesses: BLOGAPALOOZA 2014

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This is the first Blogapalooza event that I have attended and though I am sad I arrived late (4pm to be exact) as I have a previous engagement that I could not cancel, it still was a very exciting experience. Meeting all kinds of people is exciting. Especially fellow bloggers who have the same interest as you do – write about the things we like. 🙂

Tin Ginete

BLOGAPALOOZA 2014

Blogapalooza 2014 is a networking event sponsored by When In Manila.com along with Awesome Planet and other media partners as well as over 50 participating brands and exhibitors.

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blogapalooza.wheininmanila.com

I must say I am a bit exhausted already when I got to the event place at SM Aura in Taguig but I could not help lifting up a smile when I saw people buzzing here and there carrying loot bags and conversing with the exhibitors. Some are having fun playing the games including me. I was able to pop 2 pink balloons from Flawless and got two loot bags containing beauty products. More details of their products on my next articles. 🙂

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Chef’s Noodles Booth

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Max’s

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Blue Water Day Spa

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Bloggers and Businesses

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Bloggers and Businesses

Unfortunately, some of the booths ran out of product giveaways already as it is already late but bloggers are still pouring in and signing up even later than I did. But there are still other booths that are giving away free stuff to try so the fun continues on. What I particularly loved about the event is that there are presentations happening simultaneously while bloggers go on with their stuff. Sometimes I stop for a bit when I hear something interesting from a speaker and check who’s presenting.

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WhenInManila.com Founder Mr. Vince Golangco with a guest speaker.

I was there to have a feel of the event and I must say I had a lot of fun and I definitely will be signing up for the next Blogapalooza event tagging along blogger friends. 😉

Tin Ginete

Loot bags and freebies.