zyllahminogue:

January 10, 2012
11:10PM

Noemi Lagman UPDATE:

Noemi Lagman has been found and she is now safe. Our deepest gratitude to all of you who helped us.

For the final time regarding this issue, I hope you can click once more your likes, comments, and share buttons. Everyone deserves to…

Joy in the midst of Life’s Challenges (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

This was the title of the sermon in church last Sunday, just in time for the new year, it encouraged a joyful not just a positive outlook. Let me just share the keypoints of the sermon:

V2 - consider it as PURE JOY when you encounter various trials
1. This joy is necessary  because trials are inevitable.
      We are sure to face trials. It is not a question of “if” but “when”.
2. Joy is to be a mindset and an outlook in life. 
      When faced with trials, we are to consider them pure joy
      Joy in relation that these things, these trials, will eventually pass.
      Consider trials, etc. as opportunity to be purely joyful.
      It is not dependent on what the world can give us
      It is not rooted in what we can give or what we can get
      YOU HAVE THE POWER INCUMBENT UPON YOU TO CHOOSE TO BE JOYFUL.

3.  A joyful outlook in life is beneficial.
          When you’re mindset is joyful, when trials come it will still remain. 

4. This joyful outlook and mindset is forward looking.

         Challenges will come, trials will be on our way, but it is up to us to have a mindset of joy.

I was really blessed with the message, it goes in tune with me and my friends’ goal for the year w/c is positivity. However, since the real challenge begins after you step out of the church and into your everyday life, my challenge began the day after and I had to endure it for the whole week at work: 3 cases almost everyday, getting pulled-out to other rooms, very “accommodating” circulating nurses (sarcastically speaking), an upset stomach, faced and assisted a big case for the first time alone, which means figuring things out by myself while trying to keep my surgeon calm, etc!

Aaminin ko na, toxic ako this week! LOL I used to deny it, kahit pinipilit ako ng mga kasamahan ko na aminin na na toxic ako. The reason? I didn’t see it negatively, I chose to remain positive, to “consider it as pure joy”. And it made a difference, by the end of the day, as I reflect on what went through, napapangiti pa rin ako, happy that I was able to withstand the day’s challenge. Even on the last duty day of the week, na sa tingin ko, mukhang yun yung pinakachallenge of the week’s challenge (kumbaga sa game e boss battle..hehehe), oo, napaiyak ako pero after that, I still found a reason to smile (may kasama pang sparkle sa eyes..hahaha) Sabi nga ng kanta, I drop my sword and cry for just a while. After the tears, my God replaced it with a smile, with joy! The tears, the frown were temporary but my joy is everlasting.

The message concluded with this: Be joyful first, by being joyful, you can endure, you can persevere and face anything. They too shall pass, the joy that i have will help me persevere. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Tomorrow is the start of another work week, this morning’s sermon was still about joy. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow and the days after, but what I know for sure is that I choose to be joyful in the midst of life’s challenges :)

Its a Saturday, and I’m preparing to go to work. Since its a weekend, I decided to take a break from the usual flat shoes I wear almost every work day and opt to wear my favorite pair of wedges. I used to walk easily and comfortably in those wedges but last Saturday was horror!!! I was already “running” late but ironically, I really couldn’t run because my feet were crying for mercy. By the end of the day, while I was examining the damage my feet suffered from my favorite wedges (5 paltos lang naman), I think my shoes just gave me some practical lessons on love:

1. Don’t believe everything that others say, you know better. - I’ve received compliments before on those wedges or should I say those wedges have earned compliments before. In fact, just last Saturday, a senior colleague of mine said it really looks good on my feet. She just didn’t know how my feet were feeling at that moment. On the perspective of love, we sometimes receive comments such as “bagay kayo”, and the like but hey, we should know better. Being gullible is not anoption when it comes to this matter.

2. Adjust if you must, but learn your limits. - Before I leave the locker room to go home, I adjusted the straps hoping it will fit me better this time but this was to no avail. In relationships, (naks, parang may relationship ako, LOL) sometimes compromises are inevitable, after all, you and you’re partner are still two individuals with different personalities, but learn your limits.

3. Know when you have to let go. - i still remember the day I bought those wedges. It was last year, December 2010. I just received my bonus and went to the mall to do some Christmas shopping for gifts for family and friends, but I ended up buying a gift for myself. I just couldn’t resist its temptation, its like it was calling me from the rack and tempting me to try it on. And when I gave in, I couldn’t let go of it anymore that I ended up buying it on the spot. Our relationship lasted for a year. However, in connection to #2, I think I reached my limit. At the time I reached home, I was really reaching for my slippers and felt sorry to see 5 sores on my feet. To think that I just wore it in maybe a total of less than 2 hours that day. As I said, these wedges are really one of my favorite so it hurts to think that I won’t be wearing it anymore. (Unless of course if my feet get bigger or fatter. In denial pa rin hehe)  In love’s view point, hmmm, do I need to elaborate really?

4. Give yourself time to heal.

5. Choose to be thankful than regretful. - We’ve heard it over and over, “Don’t cry because it ended, smile because it happened”. Although, I’ll surely miss wearing those wedges, I choose to be thankful that it lasted me a year. I’ve worn it to some events, get-togethers and gala and looking back, its worth every centavo. In love’s perspective, well, I’m no expert but I think no matter how good or bad a relationship is, when it ends, it surely should makes us a better person.

There! See? My wedge shoes taught me lessons on love. Maybe when my feet are ready, when the sores heal, I’ll shop for a new pair. Talking about love, well, as far as I know, my heart is in great condition so…. =D