The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
If only I was wiser, but wisdom came a bit late. Or maybe this is all part of God’s plans, too. But at least I got all the answers that I needed – there’s clarity and so, there’s closure. *big sigh of relief*
My heart is still Yours, Lord. ♥️ And I know Your love for me will never change because You’re the only One who remained faithful in every season. 🙏
P.S. Hay Lord, bakit kasi binigyan Mo pa ako ng pusong mamon. Sana ‘yung kasing tigas na lang ng turo-talinga. 😆
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” – 2 Corinthians 6:14
When it comes to self-control, there’s only one person that comes to my mind who makes me wish that every guy in this world is like him – my Dad. If only his soul can be cloned and injected in every male fetus now, the whole world will be a better place to live in. 😃
And no, when Dad was young, he used to have all the vices that a few men weren’t able to escape from – gambling, chain smoking, and excessive drinking. But by the grace of God and because of love, he changed.
Our Dad In Our Eyes
When my brother graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 2005, his article about Dad entitled “The Unsung Hero,” was one of the articles recited and featured during the graduation ceremony. We all broke down to tears after hearing it. Oh, brother dear, must you also have the flair for the dramatic like me. lol My blog, on the one hand, intends to make our Dad “The Celebrated Hero.” 😃
My Dad is not perfect. He juggled farming on weekends and office work during weekdays and yet still finds the time to pick coconuts so my siblings and I can enjoy fresh coconut meat and coconut juice during summer. He still does that now with our other fruits in the garden at the age of 83, but now complains of sore muscles afterward. And he would still do it again even if we tell him that he doesn’t have to. 😅
I can list down a whole lot more of other childhood experiences with Dad that are now precious memories that I can happily recall every time nostalgia hits. That’s why I wish to celebrate all the Dads out there who are like my Dad though it is not Father’s Day.
Praise God For Godly Men And Fathers
I hope after reading this, it will bring joy to your hearts knowing that your children will remember you not for the material gifts you have given them, but the memories and sacrifices you have made with and for them. Fly kites with your kids, watch the stars together, go fishing and camping, hike the mountains together, ride that bike around the neighborhood – these are the joys of a kid that stay with them until they are old. Sadly, I do not have the opportunity to do these things.
That’s why for those who do, don’t let the chance pass by because you can never get it back once your children grows old or when you grow old. This is the kind of love that our Great Father has for us, His children, that’s why a sacrifice has been made through His one and only Son on our behalf. And this is also the reason why we are celebrating the holiday season.
Love You, Dad
Yes, my Dad isn’t perfect, but he tried his very best to be the perfect Dad to us and a perfect husband to my Mom – even when Mom was at her worst, and we were at our naughtiest. And I mean, naughtiest. He gets angry, but it’s always controlled anger – that kind of anger that disciplines, but teaches children about honor and respect. He is a man of few words, thus, showed his love through his actions and his (oftentimes corny 😅✌️) sense of humor.
I love my Dad so much, and I wish this blog can do more than just memorialize his life so his memory lives on and on even when he is gone. Because I believe his kind is getting rarer as each generation passes by. This is a sad reality, but it is the truth.
What Is Self-Control
Self-control in a Christian’s life is very important. For me, it is an all-encompassing word wherein all other moral values (fruits of the Holy Spirit) such as patience, peace, discipline, gentleness, kindness, humility, love, faithfulness, and goodness will fall under.
Self-control is the only thing that will help a born-again Christian to not fall into temptation and go back to who he/she was before being saved. This is why the Bible is intentional when it comes to fasting. Fasting teaches believers to take control of the mind, body, and emotions and not the other way around.
Fasting And Self-Control
This is why I prefer to have my own pre-holiday/birthday fasting so I can control my mind, body, and emotions and not be tempted during this holiday season by excessive drinking, overeating, careless partying, splurging on gifts, irritability due to the holiday rush, etc. Without self control, we are prone to making mistakes, to being tempted, and eventually to sinning.
The lack of self-control destroys boundaries, dishonors people you love, and breaks trust that takes years to build. And no, an apology from an unchanged heart is only made of empty words that do not have meaning and only speak of broken promises and chances that are wasted again and again and again.
Until the time comes that God says, “ENOUGH.” If promises get broken, then plans can change, too.
A Lesson That Is Hard To Forget
I thank God for giving me the courage to do what He is asking me to do – let go of things that I have been trying to hold onto because I am afraid of a lot of things. Because I used to have this limited perception of my purpose in this world.
But God showed me that in order for me to pursue a higher calling, I have to let go of some things, especially if they will hinder the tasks that He will ask me to do. God has bigger plans, and all I need is to trust Him that He is leading me towards them. That will be my next article because I now have lots of time to write though I still have articles to do at work.
Yes, thank God indeed for this talent that He has bestowed upon me so I can share my testimony of His saving grace in every season and help others who might be going through the same thing. 🙏🙂
P.S. By the way, it is my lack of self control that got me into this messiest mess I’m in right now because of the poor choices I made when I was young. I am living the repercussions and consequences now. And yet I am wholeheartedly accepting God’s discipline and I promised Him that I will show Him my loyalty and faithfulness by obeying even if it means enduring this season of painful discipline my entire life. I will endure and even if I ask God to take this suffering away now, like what Jesus said, “not my will but let God’s will be done.” 🙏
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
I’ve been playing Flicka, my guitar, since 2006 and all I could ever remember was the countless of times I had to replace the D string. And if I am not mistaken, it is the only string that I’ve been replacing for the past how many years.
If only I have the answers as to why it’s the D string that always gets broken. Because I believe I am not the only one seeking for answers. 😉
When I bought the new set of guitar strings yesterday, another guy approached the music store salesman and I heard him inquired if a new stock of D string is already out. The salesman informed him that new stocks for the D string are not yet available.
There has been a shortage in supplies of the D string in all music stores here in Manila and I’ve been waiting for a restock but to no avail. What they do suggest though is that for you to be able to replace your broken D string, you have to buy the whole set of guitar strings which could be a big waste of money. I, for one, already have like 3 sets of nylon guitar strings still complete except for the D strings.
So yes, I am planning to give them away to anyone who has a broken nylon string other than the D string. This, I guess, is the story of the ODD string.
But then again, why does it always have to be the 4th string? 🙂
It happened a few hours before New Year. New Year’s Eve it is, a few hours before the clock struck 12 signifying the start of a new year – 2013. I never thought that it would happen. The camera has been with me for two years.
Yes, Nigel is my dslr camera. I have always loved photography and it was only recently that I have decided to start taking photos and make it as a full time hobby. Full time hobby would mean using the camera as often as I could at any given time. It served as an avenue for me to recover from a painful past.
Came our family outing wherein I was excited enough to capture the moments. It was a swimming event and everybody was busy carrying a lot of picnic stuff.
Then the unexpected happened.
We were on our way home, I was seated at the back beside my niece and I unintentionally placed the camera on top of the bags without tying the sling to the head rest of the back seat.
I didn’t hear nor feel “danger signals” at that moment and it was already too late to realize it when before I could go out of the car, “blag!” There goes my camera falling and rolling onto the pavement. My brother and Dad were both aghast when they picked up the camera. And yes, I am to blame. I was too confident that nothing will happen to my camera as I was always too cautious making sure that it is on the safe spot where it won’t get wet, where it won’t fall, etc. But you can never let your guard down, as they say.
So yes, that was the first “strike” on my camera. The LCD was broken. And I feared the worst – the camera will not be able to withstand the fall it won’t turn on anymore. But I was thankful though because the camera is inside the case and it cushioned the fall. It was the corner of the guard for the camera strap placed on top of the LCD that caused it to crack. It did turn on. And that was something I am so grateful for.
A week before I went home to Bicol, I bought an LCD cover for the camera. For almost 2 years I haven’t thought about purchasing one just until last year. Little did I know that this gut feeling/inner voice that urged me to do so is actually God trying to tell me in preparation for something big that’s going to happen.
Then a week after that, a relationship with someone very dear to me was severed. Emotional ties were tested up to the limit. It got broken too. That was a week after the incident with my camera happened. So now I was dealing with two things: an intangible and tangible one. And there’s one thing that they both have in common – both are broken. My next question then was, “why?” What is the significance of the two events? Most especially, what was God’s purpose why He made them happen?
Then it came to me that yes, both were meant to be broken. Why? I grew up to be complacent, taking things as they are, letting things stay as they are, unaware and unsuspecting of any danger. I was taken off guard, so to speak. I wasn’t able to fix both before leaving Bicol. Then there came the annual Prayer Fasting in our church. It started exactly the day when I arrived from Bicol carrying with me the “broken” stuff. The Prayer and Fasting placed me in that moment of thinking things through, asking for forgiveness, and talking to God regarding these matters.
Yes, both incidents were meant to happen upon my leaving Bicol. God reminded me what are the things needed to be “fixed” which I have started to be complacent about and start praying for it during the Prayer and Fasting. Yes, that is how amazing our God is. He leads us to the path where we should rightfully head. He sees the “strains” and the “burden” that we will carry if we do not take action and just let things dwindle along.
I went through all the hassle of having my camera checked up and was thankful when I found out that I don’t have to pay thousands and thousands of pesos to have it fixed. It was only the external LCD that was broken. Whew! Thanks to the LCD protector that I bought a week before my camera fell. It was the one thing that prevented the shock from penetrating to the interiors of the camera. It also prevented the LCD glass from shattering and falling into pieces. It was the one thing that basically held everything together.
The same thing happened to the relationship. I prayed for healing during the Prayer and Fasting. I asked for forgiveness and have sworn to let go of my pride, accept my mistakes and apologize. Yes, I may not be able to fix the relationship totally but because of God, He prevented the relationship from shattering completely into pieces. Because when that happens, it would be beyond repair.
The camera was fixed; the relationship was also fixed.
I am more than grateful to God for giving me the guidance and the discernment to follow what He wants me to do. Moreover, I am more than glad I have made the move to obey and trust Him. God is the one thing that held everything together even until now. He made it all possible so that things would be at the right track, almost perfect, and I may be at peace. More or less. 🙂
The Journeyman's Moments 