QOTD

Anyhow I’m fine. I mean, not that I’m over it, but little by little it’s getting easier to pretend it’s easier, which means easier might be right around the corner. ~ Gilmore Girls

SOTD: Sam Isaac - Bears

There's something about this song that gets to me. Maybe it's that feeling that something clicks but I can't even begin to explain why. I do tend to gravitate towards those kinds of things. And frankly, a lot of times, it is much easier to stop decoding and just let things be.

(heard in Chuck, 3.04)

Prayer is a Time to Reconnect

I love reading the "Lighthouse of Prayer Reflection" leaflets that are left for churchgoers to get alongside the Sunday service programs. Today though, I find the message particularly meaningful especially since this week has become a time of reconnecting with a lot of important people and things.

So here's me thanking God and the universe for making it possible for me to reconnect with:

-dear friends who I haven't seen for a while
-the church community after a few Sundays of missing services
-and more importantly, of reconnecting with relatives who I haven't seen for some time now.

Here's to more days of reconnecting in faith, prayer, and love.

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lifted from the Lighthouse of Prayer Reflection, UCCP (July 4-10, 2010)

This is what we usually do: "When we isolate, everything becomes magnified. Minor setbacks become major catastrophes. We may even think that people who don't go out of their way to become our friends are actually plotting against us. What's the answer? Connecting! By connecting, we are able to see that our monsters are only knee-high, and most of our fears are just product of our imagination." No wonder God said, "It is not good for...man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Every human needs to reconnect to his/her Creator and to fellow being.

If you suffer from an overdose of self-sufficiency, consider this thought-provoking poem by Charles H. Towne. "Around the corner I have a friend, in this great city that had no end. Yet days go by and weeks rush on, and before I know it, a year is gone. And I never see my old friend's face, for life is a swift and terrible race. He knows I like him just as well, as in the days when I rang his bell. And he rang mine - we were younger then; but now we are tired, busy men. Tired of playing a foolish game, tired of trying to make a name. 'Tomorrow', I say, 'I'll call on Jim, and let him know that I'm thinking of him.' But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, and the distance between us grows and grows. Around the corner, yet miles away, then comes the news... Jim died today! And that's what we get, and deserve in the end, around the corner - a vanished friend!"

It's time to reconnect with people in your life who really matter! It's time to reconnect to God in prayer!

Ultimate Dreams

I rarely dream in my sleep, which is probably why I find it unsettling to have recurring ones. When something plays in my head it's hard not to deconstruct. But the thing is, some things are beyond deconstructing. I'm thinking maybe sometimes, there are things that I'm not meant to understand.

I used to wonder about chasing pavements. Now, a part of me seems to be chasing dreams that I dare not overanalyze. As my brod said, no use thinking about what's not there especially if it's something that would just make me long for what I couldn't have.

I Could Do With A Little Insensitivity

I could do with a little insensitivity. It's not just because I'm a sensitive person by nature but rather, I do get tired of taking bullets for caring too much. I remember my last one-on-one with a boss who I greatly admire. I think it was a testament to her people skills that she got me sticking around far longer than I intended to. She told me that I always, always, take the bullet for others. And then she asked if I ever did think about if the same people would do the same for me. She said something that really stuck in my mind. She told me that perhaps it is time I should think about myself.

It's been a year and I'm still mulling about what she said. I think that the moment she uttered those words to me something shifted. I don't know if it led me to an epiphany or if it made an impact enough to change me. All I know is, the message stuck in my head and resurfaces from time to time. And it makes me think that maybe, just maybe, it's some sort of a catalyst that's changing me right at this very moment.

I'm not sure about many things in this life. And that's probably the reason why I love living it. The uncertainty is like a big adventure that brings me both the good and the bad that never fail to stretch me. If there's something I can be proud of is that I get by whatever life throws at me. I accept things as they are because my faith sustains me.

I have faith. I have passion. I believe. The three things I live by never failed to cushion every fall and strengthened me to get back up every single time. But I think what makes me overcome life's curveballs is the conviction that I'm sincere in whatever I choose to do. And I don't believe in putting others down just to get ahead.

I never did please many people because it's not just the way I'm wired. I've never been good in sugarcoating truths and insults. I'm brutally honest and I can be very straightforward with the truth. To the uninformed and the misinformed, I can be all the things the people who hate me say about me. And I'd be dishonest to say that I don't care because I do.

I do care about what people say about me especially if they're those I care about in my own quiet way. Looking back, the people who hurt me most were the same ones I've quietly moved my own little mountains for. Maybe that's why sensitivity rears its ugly head. I'm only human to feel that I deserve better.

Lately, I'm thinking how the past year showed me who my real friends are. And the experience further made me realize that judging people by their personality does not make one a better person. It's how one discovers the character that hides behind diverse trappings that defines the kind of person he or she is.

I could do with a little, no... more I think, insensitivity. Insensitivity to care less and to refrain from throwing myself out to a hail of bullets for those who least deserve it.

(photo from somewhere on the Internet)

Ang munti ko ring pangarap

"Minsan (o sige na nga, madalas), ang naiisip ko lang: Kahit anong klase ng buhay ang meron at magkakaroon ako, isa lang naman talaga ang gusto kong constant: ang magbasa ng magagandang libro/magazines at the end of each day. Masaya na ako dun, pramis. Kung ‘di pa ‘yan ang tinatawag na payak na pangarap, ewan ko na lang." ~ Mayee Corpin

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

A glimpse beyond the big B’s of Philippine sports

It is ironic that many athletes still manage to shine even when a more unified and well-supported sports for all program remains to be a dream. Amateur and professional sports produced the likes of Paeng Nepomuceno, Efren “Bata” Reyes, and Manny Pacquiao to name a few. However, away from the spotlight of more popular sports there are individuals and groups that breathe life to a severely malnourished sports framework.

Sports in the Filipino mindset are usually focused on the Big B’s such as basketball, billiards, boxing, and badminton. The popularity gained by these sports give them the distinct advantage in generating more resources for promotion and development. Consequently, the continuous increase in support opens doors to an extensive list of expertise like coaching, technical training, and sports medicine. It is not surprising then that these are the sports that either put the country into the global sports map or attract more members at the grassroots level.

There are, however, other sports that increasingly appeal to people from all walks of life. Running keeps on gaining more prominence. Runners and running clubs are growing in numbers. In fact, it is hard to miss individuals and groups out for their daily morning or evening runs.

The continuous growth of running for fitness or competition is a positive turn in promoting sports for all in the country. The fact that thousands of people pursue it for leisure or competition signifies that Filipinos are eager to embrace sports to achieve a healthier lifestyle. And if the weekly fun runs, road races, and marathons are to be used as gauge then running is undoubtedly successful in reaching out to people from diverse backgrounds and age groups.

Another sport with a thriving community of active members is dragon boat. Since the sport was introduced in Manila during the late 1980’s its membership increased exponentially. It also managed to make its mark in the global dragon boat scene by producing world champions courtesy of its national athletes.

Like running, the grassroots activities of dragon boat are self-sustained. Imagine then what a solid and financially-backed grassroots program can accomplish if a meager government budget allocation produce champions locally and internationally. Having a wide base of potential recruits can make talent identification for the national pool of athletes easier.

The other side of Philippine sports relies not only on financial support but also in the environment. Sport and the environment is a program that needs to be promoted. Promoting the sport of rowing in its base is a case in point. Over the years, the Pasig River is home to various rowing club teams. But the dismal state of the river is not exactly the most ideal venue for training. However, student and corporate athletes commit to training regularly because of their passion for the sport. The sport even managed to qualify two of its national athletes in the Olympics.

Running, dragon boat, and rowing are just some of the many sports being promoted in the country. Perhaps it is an under-appreciated fact that each national sports association work towards elevating the status of their respective sports both in the elite and grassroots level.

A lot of things are said to point out the many shortcomings of sports leaders and institutions tasked to advocate, develop, and promote sports in the country. Over the years, sports development in its entirety can be described as inadequate or sluggish at best. Maybe it is because it just did not enjoy the kind of unified support from different sectors.

To compare overall performance with powerhouse countries in the region is highly unfair for those who are passionate and committed to working for the betterment of Philippine sports. There is only so much that a meager budget can do to sustain an ailing sports framework.

The best contribution Filipinos can make to support the country’s sports program is to find opportunities to participate or encourage others to do so. There are more to Philippine sports than what we frequently read or hear about and watch on television. Beyond the fame and popularity of certain sports there are different disciplines that aim to bring more pride to our country.