happy weekend

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The first weekend of the year has been extremely productive, especially in my faith.  Although last Thursday, I finally had a day to myself with one of my good friends in faith, Tarra.  I brought her to the Brooklyn Bridge and we enjoyed walking towards Manhattan.  We walked and talked until the sun went down.  And we got to learn so much about each other.  New friendships are so important.  They’re fresh, they’re exciting.

Tarra and I also got to reunite with Arfel over the weekend at a special church event!  Where has that girl been?  It’s such a great feeling to be together again with people because of church.

a proper hello

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I wasn’t able to really welcome the new year, so

hello, 2017.

How are you already here?  I’m not upset that you’ve arrived, but I also can’t believe that you made it.

I just wanted to let you know that you will be a great one, and I really hope to you allow me to get in touch with the absolute best parts of me.  You will help me in my endeavor to grow, and to always remind me that tomorrow will be a better day for the both of us.

I will grow, and grow, and grow.  I will allow my hair to grow longer again, in its healthiest, most natural state.  I will allow my faith to grow taller, to never doubt anything for God will help me and continue to lift me up.  I will allow the love in my heart to grow wider, so that I may be able to show how strong I can love my loved ones and never allow them to think otherwise.

“Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.”
– Philippians 3:13 

It’s a brand new year, and I still cannot believe it.  Last year was filled with so much.  But now that we closed that chapter of that book, we’re all free to choose the life we want to live, but always remember to make sure we live it correctly.  There are amazing things on our way.  We have to believe that.

So hello again, 2017.  I’m excited for you.

much love,
joy

a current update

I’m terribly sorry for not keeping you updated. It’s been a little bit more than two weeks, but don’t worry, I did think about my failure to update my blog, but sometimes you just get caught up in the whirlwind of life and end up enjoying the moments.
December 15, 2016: It was a really cold day, and I had turned 20.  My mom was actually off in the morning and she insisted on going out for breakfast.  We enjoyed cranberry pancakes and smoked salmon eggs benedict.  It was really sweet because she had a final the next day and brought her studying materials to the restaurant.

December 16, 2016: To celebrate my birthday, I wanted to go around the town that my church was located in and share my faith to the people who lived and worked in it.  We gave out free hot chocolate and introduced our faces to the community.  One of the most memorable birthday experiences I’m sure I will ever have.

December 17, 2016: We had a special service for the children at church.  Here is picture of me and other fellow members of the older youth group (KADIWA) after the socializing post special service.

December 18, 2016: This day was the adults’ turn to have a special service to thank God for the many blessings He had blessed us with throughout the year.  It was such a spiritual service, and God was so good.

December 23, 2016: I had travelled to Philly to hang out with friends in faith.  It was a day trip that was filled with so much laughter and so much food.

December 26, 2016: A handful of friends and I successfully carried out a surprise going away party for my cousin.  He was very surprised, and the theme was Korean BBQ so everybody was super happy.  It was a great time to spend time with one another’s presence.  I appreciated it, and it wasn’t even my party.

December 31, 2016:  Jaden and I got to spend time with the birthday boy and his party!  We were put in charge of the candy/toy bar and we organized and set up the display so nicely.  We became sleep deprived but the tiredness paid off for it being the last day of the year.

January 1, 2017: Since the new year fell on a Sunday, of course I was going to be at church!  This year I was in bed when the clock struck midnight and I ended the year 2016 with a personal prayer.  It was a blessed Sunday, nonetheless.

going the distance

“Dad, where do you want me to drive to?”
“Just keep driving.”

I have never driven so far.  I spent two hours on the road, until I had no more highway to drive.  It gave me a different sense of perspective; you really get to notice when one suburb ends and a whole different kind of country begins.  I fell in love with the green trees that stood tall in the cold season, even if today was a warmer day than usual.

entitled

Because I am entitled to have my off days.
The days that just feel weird and wrong.
Where it seems like a bad day
after nothing bad really actually happens.

It’s okay to feel this way,
because I hope and trust that the next day will be better.
And it will be.

And I already thank God for tomorrow.
Always look ahead.

much love,
joy

reflections, part two

Happy Sunday!  This morning I went to church and we were able to watch a service that took place recently in one of the newest chapels in the Philippines.  This service was a dedication service for God, to of course, thank Him for blessing the brethren in that part of the world with a house of worship.  This was led by our spiritual leader, our beloved Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, who works SO hard to keep us strong in our faith.  Although this service was in Tagalog, it was translated into English for us, there is no doubt that God’s blessings were present during that service.  His love can be translated in all languages.

I couldn’t believe that three hundred and fifty houses of worship were built and dedicated from last January to the first of December.  I had no idea that there were so many other churches in this world closing down because of the lack of people worshipping.  It’s crazy.  I’m blinded by this information because I know for a fact that I’m in the right place.

To be honest, I do have my moments where I’m in complete awe.  That I’m a member of the Church of Christ, and this is because God chose me.  That He is the one who chooses His servants.  That there are amazing things going on within this church that you just can’t witness anywhere else.  With every service and every word I hear taught from the Bible, I become more firm in my faith.  God does not set us up for failure in this life nor the one after this one.

So this special service made me reflect on how thankful I am for my house of worship…  I am grateful for the home God has given me, the place I can run to when my heart is heavy, the house that is meant for prayer, the house where He is always in.  He chose the location of my chapel, there’s a reason why He placed it there, and I am willing to find out…

“Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:15-16

He gives us better than when we wanted, God’s goodness will forever be there.

I remember earlier this year in March when Brother Eduardo V. Manalo made a pastoral visit to lead the dedication service of the newly renovated chapel in Jersey City, New Jersey.  I remember the first and last time I visited that place of worship two years ago.  I remember looking at the drawn out plans for the chapel.  And I remember seeing that chapel that March morning gazing at it as the God’s warm love beamed on His temple and people that chilly morning.

None of these blessings would have ever arrived if it weren’t for the help of prayer.
The root of beautiful events begin and happen in His holy house.
You have to humble yourself and pray.

much love,
joy

take care of yourself

For once, I felt like I actually had a day off.  Even though I was aiming to get up and out of bed by 9:30, I woke up around 11:00.  I saw the blue sky and had to get up.  I decided to make myself a cup of tea, and after having this tea sit around, I finally got to try it.  It was Teavana’s Joy/Joie 2015.  Don’t ask me why I never drank it.  Anyways, I got my steeper ready and what not, and I open the tea, and it turns out that the tea already came in a tea bag.  So that sort of made my day.  That, and the actual tea.  I enjoyed it tremendously.
*I should really invest in a breakfast tray.  I love breakfast in bed a little too much.

I prepped some fruit, and pretty much finished what was left of the oranges in the kitchen.  I have to especially take good care of myself this upcoming week for the special service at my church, the Church of Christ, next weekend.  My vitamin C game has to be up.  I want to be in perfect condition so that I’ll be at my best when next Sunday comes along.

I spent the rest of the day pretty much cleaning and listening to good music on my speakers.  The light came into my room and I was on a roll.  95% of my room is organized and I feel great.  I’ll probably work on it more on Monday.  I’m glad I was productive today.

There was this one beautiful thing that happened this evening, and it was when I was trying to find a ride last minute to the chapel.  I thought my brother was home, but he wasn’t…  So I checked the next bus time and I had to be ready to leave the house in six minutes, the most.  I rushed out the house with a maxi dress, a pair of Superstars on my feet, and my Penny board.  I rushed down the street to get to the bus stop.  I didn’t care at all if anybody was looking at me, or if I looked crazy.  I had to get to the chapel to pray.  As I was walking towards the chapel, I remember passing a lady walking her dog, and looking at the chapel.  It looked different.  It looked so glorious in the nighttime.  And I was able to get there on time.  I actually got there early to sneak in a prayer.

Thank God.  He protected me and guided me to Him.  I knew in my heart that nothing can stop me from continuing my prayers onto Him.  I’d do anything for Him.

Be consistent in your faith.  Consistency is key.

much love,
joy

reflections, part one

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I had no idea I would end up here.  Earlier this year, I thought I knew where I would have been.  Back then, I thought my life at that instance… made sense.

Thank God I’m still not the same person as I was at the beginning of this year.  I look at this picture and cringe at the fact that that girl is me.  Was me.

But God knew that he had something different in store for me.  He carefully placed me in places where I felt most uncomfortable with myself in order to prepare for me being the person, His servant, I am today.  And I’m getting to that point in December where I can just find myself eating soup and getting emotional and feeling bittersweet at how much time has past, and all the changes I’ve been through this year, whether it be physical changes, or even the many ways God changed my heart.

And I’m so thankful.

“rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
– Colossians 2:7 NKJV

At church tonight, we were reminded to give thanksgiving to God much more than ever at this time of year.  He has given us yet another year to be His children.  My goodness, has He been so good to me.  He has guided my through everything.  He has seen my worst and brought the best out of me.  Thank you, God.  I must continue to guard myself and guard my heart for the sake of my faith.

“There will always be a reason to thank God.”
Remember to live by that each and every day.

much love,
joy

brooklyn, broadcasting, bowling

THE NEXT AND LAST STOP IS ATLANTIC TERMINAL.
As I climbed the stairs up to the main level of the station, the memories of my freshman year in college were breathed in like oxygen and quickly ran through my bloodstream.  Brooklyn welcomed me back for visiting once again.  And for some reason it felt as if living here was just another familiar dream that I will always be able to recall.

I went to snack on foods at places that I always seem to think about.  Habana Outpost was my first stop.  I ordered a steak taco, and I’m pretty sure that was the first time I ordered a legit taco since my time spent on the West Coast last September.  And it cost me $3.75.  Oh my goodness, I forgot how much I missed the tacos from over there.  But this one taco I had was so good.  It took a while for my order to be done, mainly because a really large delivery order was being sent out.  The delivery dude came in and said he saw Zendaya.  Haha, oh just New York things.  Anyways, there’s another reason why my taco took so long to be made… it was because the steak was SO freshly cooked.  It was juicy and tender.  Steak tacos would be my ultimate weakness if I were to go back to becoming a vegetarian, to be honest.  My taco broke through because of the sauce and juices, but at least the tortilla was respectfully toasted.

My next stop definitely had to be Doughnut Plant.  Yes.  I can never say no to doughnuts.  Good doughnuts, to add to that, too.  I treated myself to a Tres Leches cake doughnut a ginger tea that I specifically remember ordering and drinking to worship service at the Brooklyn extension.  The doughnut was of course sweet, but what made it easy for me to accept the amount of sugar in it was ironically the thick condensed milk cream that was found within the cake.  I remember why I loved this doughnut.  It kept the consistency of the cake to be moist and surprised me with every bite.  No ragrets.  I knew I should have ordered coffee, because I was exhausted and I pretty much died on the train back to Hempstead terminal.  I love trains where I don’t have to transfer and I can stay on until the last stop.

The main reason why I was in Brooklyn, and New York City itself was to shoot a some news stories.  By the week, I am starting to get more involved with Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, a news outlet affiliated with my church, the Church of Christ.  I did a couple of reports with Leo being my cam op, and it was fun.  It’s the perfect way to grain experiences like these.  It’s frustrating at times when you forget your lines, but I always remember that God is guiding me and giving my the patience and trust that the outcome will always be a success in His eyes. This picture with Manhattan was my “it’s for my blog” picture.

Thursday night bowling should definitely start becoming a thing for me.  I forgot how fun bowling was.  I also forgot how tiring it was.  Good company is essential to having a good time.  Also, the leggings, flow top, easy-to-remove cardigan is well recommended.  It gets so hot easily when you’re bowling.  There’s something about the bowling alley and the blacklight that turns on when the lights dim… it’s like a sort of high you get from all the neon whites and projected screens.  You get transported somewhere else, and forget all the things you have to do.  It’s an interesting feeling, most definitely.  It was a good idea to go bowling and enjoy simple outings like these.

“Enjoy your youth.”

much love,
joy

[we] worship on wednesdays

So I was able to snap a picture of my outfit tonight, because it was pretty much the first time I sported this skirt, and it looked really nice against my patterned asymmetric cardigan.  And because I didn’t take pictures of anything else that went on in my day.  And also because I felt good.  Not too bad for a thrown together outfit.

Asymmetric cardigan: thrifted
Slitted midi skirt: a cheap shop in Brooklyn
Beige layering top:  thrifted Old Navy that I picked up in Cali
Necklace: Forever21
Black wedges: Payless (a very comfortable wedge height)

Anyways, moving onto the bigger picture…

I love how every day, there’s always something to do for God.  The list never ends.

But tonight I went to worship service at my church, the Church of Christ.  I love midweek services as much as I love Sunday services.  I am able to reflect on the blessings God has sprinkled onto me since the last time I worshipped Him, and I was able to worship and thank Him again tonight.

Tonight I was reminded by this verse from the lovely book of Proverbs:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. Honor the Lord by making him an offering from the best of all that your land produces.”
– Proverbs 3:5-6,9

Since I haven’t been in school for what feels like a while now, I have become very aware to what I do from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep.  And this verse has really guided me in almost all my decisions.  So whatever I do, I always ask myself if this would make God happy, if it would honor Him.  I have to make sure what I do is made using the best parts of me, my heart, and my whole being.

God gives you every single thing that you have.
You have to make sure you give back to him a sincere thanksgiving.

 

Trust and remember Him always.

much love,
joy