I am happy and sad at the same time to be back in my own lair here in Manila. Happy, to be back in my own room (that clingy with my own bed, I guess?) and spend time with my family and pets. Sad, to leave the province which took years for me to come visit again. I had so much fun that the immediate plans of going back to Manila doesn't seem true to me not until I am sitting in that bus seat by the window.

Yes, I will post my escapades here, soon. Just let me take the time for now, to rest and contemplate further about the Lord's sacrifice at the cross. Pretty excited with Easter Sunday, tomorrow, too!

And by the way, taking anti-histamines hours before your night travel works wonders (if you are the type who doesn't want to get bothered by stop-overs or the fast driving, etc. and just into having a good sleep while on the road). I tried it for the first time after another allergy attack. Or course, it does not apply to those who will drive the vehicle used for the travel!

There are days when you feel like, just writing continuously until you start to feel lighter (or empty). And I believe that this day is one of them.

On my way home from a meeting, I had the opportunity to think about things and realize some. It feels awkward and weird. I realized in this particular day in my life that there are some things that I am starting to forget:

• That feeling of dealing with a great group in brainstorming. I know, I am also considering the fact that I really have no background with the event and yes I know, that it is not an acceptable reason. Note to self: do your homework. Remember to research in advance.
• Exercising the creative side. Huhu, it's starting to gain a lot of weight, the veins getting clogged and it's starting to have the difficulty of walking/running/doing activities. I'm such a bad parent. Huhu.
• Talking to people.
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

I'm surprisingly still up until this wee hours of the early morning and it's 5:22 am to be exact. I just had that one hour sleep from 2-3am which has never returned yet. And as I listen to the keys being tapped by my fingertips, I am currently wondering if the race has finally started. Sighs.

I've been too giddy last night as me and my sister took our way home. I am all set to join the fun run and hopefully, cross an item on my bucket list (start and finish a run. No cheating!). 

Oh, but here comes the surprise! I never thought that my immune system would react to the extra chocolate shot on that hot fudge I had with TK and Mariela last night. Yes, ze once in a century food reaction/allergy attacked, hence the one hour sleep and the series of unfortunate scratching (at least no blowing up/ballooning body parts, redness). And since I got really ticked off by the feeling and I really can't get back sleep, I decided to take antihistamines at 3 am and decided to sadly cancel pushing through with the run. I guess I just have to wait for another chance. I wouldn't want to feel really sleepy while running, of course. Or feel that zombie-like feeling I experienced when I got early morning attacks last time (took the meds, hopped to the event in the morning, helped setting up at the church by afternoon equals me being super sleepy on my way home and eventually passing out the moment I felt my bed under my palms) later on our seminar plus general assembly at the church.

I guess I am just finding an outlet for these sudden happenings. And now I am waiting for the glorious sleep to come while wondering if the race has officially started. I hope my parents would do great (Go Mom and Dad! Wooooh!).

And I'm craving for Ramen.

It's been a long time since I last written a blog entry and I felt like once again, depriving my own self of my long time channel of ideas which is writing to be exact. And with the weeks of not writing, a lot of things has happened and I say, I am overwhelmed with everything. I could clearly see God's love with all the things that happened, I just find myself there high above the clouds, so amazed with His love for me and the wonders He could do. I am way beyond thankful, I have no other words to say but "Thank You" and "I love you!".

And so, let's start enumerating them.

1. Doughnut's finally home, clear from Parvovirus and other infections. He stayed at the hospital for  only three days (from the calculated five), all hyper and happy. He's now finished with all his serum shots and we're just returning to the vet for the follow-up shots and check up. He's growing this fondness with my house slippers, he carries it away from me every time. He'd grown this trauma with needles just like me and is now sleeping peacefully beside me.
   
   

   Here's Doughnut with his manly eyebrows

2. My skin's starting to improve!
3. I've been attending the youth service at Victory Malate for consecutive weeks now and their Instalove series has helped me remember the things I've learned about love from the past experience that I had. Also, the Will You series and Date Talk helped tons, too, learning, unlearning things in love, courtship, and marriage.
4. New friends, new acquaintance.
5. Joined a new ministry (hello, Production Design people!) and became an apprentice in the Scribes group. Big leap indeed.                  

Production Design with Ptr. Rodel Buban

6. Our tito from mom's side came home and found the comfort with me and my sister, he started to open up with us about how his heart is currently broken. I was touched by this gesture that we of course, lifted up his situation to God and we prayed for him. You see, it's been a long time since we've seen each other since he's working overseas. He's helped us especially me with my College (Happy's the best 18th birthday gift! Wouldn't survive editings, papers, etc. if not with him). Such a wonderful opportunity to share God and his love with your family. The three of us were so overwhelmed that the prayer ended with wet eyes and much sniffing with my Tito feeling better.
7. I was given another opportunity to be part of the Superbook team. I was blessed to be part of the face painting team once more and I just couldn't fully express the joy I felt from seeing those little children, attending the re-introduction of your childhood favorite show, seating in front of you with their cheeks and tiny hands ready for you to paint on. It's amazing that these children will have that opportunity to know God more the way I learned about Him and the characters in the Bible before. It's also touching to see these children run to their parents/guardians, happily showing the characters/critters/Superbook characters that's painted to them, wondering if they could come back again later for another set of painting. I also heard from my mom after a couple of days that some children still has face paint on them the next day (the event happened on a Saturday and the children went to church the next day). I love Superbook and I would gladly do some more face painting, given another opportunity. This is my third time, yey!
   
   

   "Would you like to have the old Gizmo or the new one?" Last time, I was the Lorax.. Now, I painted a bunny.

And there's so much more to add but I believe that it will take more posts for that to be fully narrated. I know that these are just small things to others but it really means a lot to me. I believe that I'm in the season of reconstruction right now and these things that has happened really showed me that indeed, I still have a lot of rooms in my life to rebuild and more to improve. That truly without God, I'll be lost and will stay clueless on how to approach things when it comes to us. And with overflowing joy, I share this post to you in hopes that it will help in some points. You might feel lost and neglected right now but if you truly let God do his wonders and plans in your life, you'll never know, maybe you'll experience more than what I've enumerated here.