Set the World on Fire

Photo taken at Punta Cruz, Maribojoc, Bohol. Our hidden paradise. :) Christmas 2012 with the family.

Faith Over Fear

The many things that happened this week with family, friends, and with work reminded me that:

1. Life is too short.
2. Prioritize your relationships. Always make time for your family and friends.
3. Things happen again and again in your life because you still haven't learned the lesson that you have to learn the first time around...even the second or the nth time around.
4. With change and strain comes growth.
5. Worry gets you nowhere. Trust. Pray. Continue. Press on. Be faithful.

Side note: Just warming up my blogging muscles...for the nth time. Hihi. Time to start sharing what's in my heart and in my mind, as long as I don't step on other people's rights and feelings. I am for responsible blogging and sharing. It's going to be a busy, a little bit scary but exciting months ahead for me and the Marketing Team and for the whole of Team GK. But as long as we're all in this together, we can do this. Really grateful for resources and opportunities presented to us for us to excel in our work for God and country. I hate it though when I let worry get hold of me and I end up crying til midnight. God has always been faithful and I have yet to remind myself again and again about that especially with blessing our family especially this year. I can already hear my father telling me that our family is enough testimony that He'll pull us through, every time, whatever we're going through right now. It is important too to be in touch with my heart (so I'm back to blogging or ranting), with the heart of what we do and with God. So this means spending more time with our communities, on ground work, prayer time and need to activate more prayer warriors! Giving my all.

Sharing with you these sayings that is apt for whatever I'm going through right now. Created by Works of Heart! I would want to meet the inspiring people behind these works someday. Hope you'll be inspired too.

Dropped by to say "Hi blog!"

Since my last post,

...two of my siblings graduated from highschool and one from elementary. 

...traveled to Iligan for the Bayani Challenge 2012.

...swam in the breath taking Tinago Falls and had a jump shot photo taken in front of the majestic Maria Chistina falls.

...visited the family for an advance birthday celebration of the June birthday celebrants.

...traveled to Singapore for the Microsoft Innovate4Good. My first out of the country trip. Yipee!

...attended the GK Leaders Conference in Cebu. And wrote my first ever GK1world article.

...grieved for the sudden death of a dear friend.

...mission trips to Dupax del Norte, Pangasinan, Lucena, and Pampanga.

...our baby brother just started school! Happy Ate! :)

...two of the siblings got a college scholarship. Woot!

...fun-est college get together with batchmates here in Manila.

...I turned 24. 

Looking forward to more of God's surprises. Embracing more blessings and more challenges with much faith, hope and love in my heart. Our Giver can never be outdone. Grateful and smiling ear to ear.

Leaving you with Tito Tony's recent quotable quote. A special reminder to each and everyone of us.

Day 23/40: 5th Friend Follower!

Hi Carmel "Twinkle" Bontuyan Opolentisima! Yes Twinks, this is how I welcome my followers. Haha. Welcome to my humble online abode. Naks! :) Twinkle is a highschool batchmate/classmate before she became a college barkada and a partner in crime...crimes involved sleeping and talking and playing Jewel in her Ericsson phone during class, being late in class, skipping classes, copying assignments, eating at Julie's or ngohiong and puso for lunch, tambay in SAL...among others. Haha. But a true friend who's crazy and fun to be with. And Twinks, this is my way of saying, come move with me here in Manilaaaaa! 3 years lang gud. Please. Sunsun and Monmon and Pipoy will be fine. Camown! :P

Now is this welcome warm enough? Next follower please! :)

Day 22/40: A Letter

My sister Lynlyn posted a link that lead to this beautiful article. My most favorite parts below:

A Letter to my Children about Marriage

"To my girls:

Marry a man whose first pursuit is Christ. After that, he is not hard to please. Admire him, cheer him on and show gratitude, and he will fall over himself trying to please you. Smile often, speak well of him always, and do whatever necessary to try and maintain a pleasant mood about you so that it transfers to your home, making it a place where he and your children love to be.

You’ll have bad days of course, crying days even, and that’s when you go to your bedroom, kneel on the floor and beg the Lord to carry you. Then get up, get a fresh perspective (crayons will come off the wall), and try again. Above all else, make a home."

"...Dwell on the strengths, push out thoughts of their weaknesses. Take every thought captive–choose to love."

Very inspiring! Hope you'll take time to read this.

Day 21/40: Fangirl!

I know I'm such a fan girl but I only have the guts to actually ask a celebrity or a personality to have a photo taken with him/her if I look up to him/her beyond his/her celebrity status. And yes, Chris Tiu is on top of my list. Gwapo inside and out! He found time to join us today in the opening of the GK Enchanted Farm Cafe and to listen to today's GK CSI Night. And he always find time to share his blessings and his deep faith keeps him grounded despite being successful, a real role model to young people like me. 

"A Moment of Conversion", a reflection that he wrote in his blog, really inspired me and is definitely a must read! We share the same sentiments on modesty, purity and chastity.  Makes me look up to him more. :) Yes, he's already taken so lucky her. 

Looking forward to seeing him more on our CSI endeavors! Want to know what GK CSI is and how you can be part of it, click here. We'd love to have Chris Tiu on board...and yes, you too! 

Day 20/40: Blogroll

Updated my blog roll and finally found time to share with my readers (hi bestfriend!) blogs that inspire me become an inspiration, both online, in real life and wherever I am in my life right now. Yes, even my friends who blog inspires me too. :) I included a couple of cool blogs that I read under Inspiring Reads. Go check it out.  

I know I haven't been blogging since last Thursday so I'll "habol" two blogs by tomorrow. I just had an exciting and inspiring weekend in Mindanao. Can't wait to share it here. 

Until here for now. 

Day 19/40: Surreal Wednesday!

Still not able to wrap my head around it but I am excited. Thank you Ate Cheryll! Very much!

Today's Microsoft NGO Connection Days was inspiring too! It gave an opportunity for us non profits to see the importance of technology in scaling up, to improve on our ICT systems and to be able to to bring in more people to join them in/us in our fight to uplift the lives of the poor. It is also important that we be reminded that we have to give our best for the least. I hope a lot of NGOs were inspired by Ate Issa's talk. It takes a lot of patience and courage and standing up but it's gonna be worth it. 

Excited to be sent on mission to Mindanao for the weekend. How great it is to be sent by You! :)

I hope and pray that I give God justice in everything I do. AMDG. 

Day 18/40: This Must be Love!

Staying up, up and awake until the wee hours of the morning (trying my best) to finish two powerpoint presentations due tomorrow just so I can attend tomorrow's Microsoft NGO Connection Days for the whole day. Never did I ever stayed up all night during my college or even high school days just to finish a project/assignment or even study. Only for GK and YFC stuff. Haha. And here I am again. And the love? Well it refers to both GK and the job that I do for GK. :)

I am excited and I am nervous. Not for tomorrow but for my first GK digital movement presentation (thus the PPTs) on Thursday here in Metro Manila (for Luzon and MM ACs and AVCs) and on Friday in Mindanao (for VisMin), on my own. I bet Ate Eena's nervous too! Haha. Lord, "talsik" me with Your wisdom and strength and courage and love.  

Bring it on! 

Day 17/40: Exciting!

...but I can't share it with you yet because it hasn't happened yet and it might not happen. But still...I'm praying for it and I want it. But no matter what happens, I am grateful because I am surrounded everyday by people and colleagues who inspire me, I love what I do and I'm doing what I love. Tomorrow is another chance to become better, to pour my heart out, to love more and to give more. For God and country!

Day 16/40: Nuff Said

Photo source: Pinterest

Keyword: Heart

Day 15/40: Who Run The World? Girls!

Better late than never. My International Women's Day post. 

"Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says 'Oh no, she's up!' 

3 years ago, I came up with  People of My Year list as inspired by Bianca Gonzales. So I decided, "Hey, why not make one for International Women's Day to honor the many inspiring women in my life." I just would like to share to the whole world that women with beauty, brains, and heart still exists in today's times! That my father's ideal woman (sinali pa si Papa! Haha) still exist after all but no one will ever beat my mama's place in his heart. Of course. :) So presenting the TOP 10 Women of my Life (currently):

I so love this photo with Mama. She's so kilig! :)

1. Mildred "Neneng" Balatayo. Mama's definitely the first on my list, who else will it be. Patient, loving,  hardworking, generous, genuine, inspiring, beautiful, faithful, caring. She never runs out of energy and time when it comes to us. Sleeping so late and waking up so early just to attend to our needs. It's not easy to run a home of 8 kids + 1 hubby but she manages to make it look...manageable. Vegetable shakes, gardening, recycling, waste management, practical home and kids tips, financial management? She's definitely the superwoman to run to! And our neighbors and friends would agree to that! Writing this post makes me miss her. Aaaawww. Love you Mang!

With the girls in the family during our Bantayan Island trip.

2. My dear sisters: Annelyn Gem "Lynlyn" Balatayo and Gemelou Jane "Inday" Balatayo. These two are extra special to me. Lynlyn is my cheerleader and energy booster when I needed a push. Inday is a constant reminder that I need to work on my "Ate" duties. How close Lynlyn is to me is how distant Inday is to me. That's why I put an endless effort to keep up and be there for both of them, to Inday most especially despite the distance. I am proud of what both of them have currently achieved. Lynlyn is passionate both in GK and the course that she took up, Environmental Science, and I wish the same thing for Inday as she tries to choose from her top choices of the course that she wants to take next school year. Suitors, well they would definitely need to pass through me (shows muscles!) and I might just be the first "obstacle". Mas scary si Kuya JR. Haha I love them both and I am excited of what the future holds for both of them. 

Nanay with the most "kulit" apo, Matthew.

3. Maura "Odag" Balatayo, Nanay to us. If you are ever "naligaw" in Punta Cruz, Maribojoc, Bohol, ask where this woman lives and you'll always get an answer. She's everyone's Nanay, not only to us, her close family, but to the rest of the barangay. Seriously. She is loved by every person she meets or anyone who visits our home in Bohol. She loves to sing, is loving, loves to speak English (and doesn't like to speak Tagalog. Haha.), remembers all her apos' birthdays very well including the year when we were  born, shares stories about their (hard) life before and how "bahalag saging, basta labing and happy" rings true for the Balatayo family before and yes literally. I especially love when she starts telling us stories of Papa during his childhood days. I would really love her to be present during my wedding day and so my constant prayer for her is to become healthier everyday.

During Team GK's Christmas Party last year.

4. Team GK Marketing: Me, Niki, Ate Jaja R, Ate Jaja O, Tita Lulu, Ate Bobbie, headed by Ate Eena. We have two new kapamilya on board who came in this year, Gia and Kuya Calvin. But sobrang girl power in one team. Girl power who act and do things like men does. Haha. Well, that's how it is when you're in Team GK. But when it's time to doll up, we sure do know how to dress each other up. I am grateful to be part of such passionate, hardworking and inspiring team. Ate Eena knows how to push and inspire and affirm and bring out the best in each of us. We help out each other as best as we can, push each other and be there for one another, work related (which most of the time doesn't feel like work at all) or not. I love it when we go on mission trips together!

Get together last Dec 2010.

5. Bestfriends Michelle "Mishy" Olvido, Felice Suzanne "Chai" Soria, Ricca Zarina "Ryka" Cortes. I love that each of us are set on what we want to do for the rest of our life, well most of it. Mishy wants to be the most and effective teacher, Ryka wants to become the best doctor in her chosen expertise and Chai wants to be the best lawyer all because they want to be an instrument of God's love to those who needs their expertise, brilliance and wisdom the most, the last, the least, and the lost. I am grateful that God brought us together to inspire and look out for each other despite the fact that we get to see each other, at most, thrice to five times a year. I miss our crazy talks about our dreams for the future and our love lives...well, for Mishy and me, more on the crush lives. Haha. And oh, you should head over to Mishy's blog, she's one of my favorite writers, no bias there. You should see... more of like read...it for yourself.

Last dinner with Joyce before she left for Iligan. :( 

6. Roommates May Marie "Ate May" Nogra, Maria Joyce "Bentoa" Bentoy, Melissa "Ate Melai" Llegado. It'll be my second year here in Manila this year and I have found a family in the last 2 years in them, my roommies. Being away from my family in Cebu is easier because I have their company to look forward to at the end of the day. We have been to quite a number of mission trips, adventures, and road trips together and I am truly grateful that we have grown closer despite our differences and own quirks. Bentoa recently moved back to Iligan but we miss her every single day but she promised us that when time and resources permits, she'll be joining us in our future adventures. Singapore na? Haha. I can't wait for us to reunited again in this year's Bayani Challenge in Iligan! Woot!

With the old generation. Joke. Haha. Igsuons with the gorgeous moms and bride to be (at that time) Ate My during her bridal shower.

With the new generation...tapos nakita ko si Tito Benjie...ay, wrong caption. Haha. Focus on the women in this photo na lang para pasok yung (supposedly) "new generation" na caption ko. Haha. Peace Tito Benj! :)

7. Team GK Girls. When you have all these women in one room, the young and young at heart, then you're in for a treat. These women I work with doesn't only have the heart for God and the country but are equally beautiful physically and the smartest too. Get to know them, listen to their stories, learn from from their journey and be blown away by their passion, creativity, genuine hearts and dedication to uplift lives and restore human dignity. Though our work and mission seems heavy and ginormous, we do know how to have fun (look at these photos!) and still fulfill our duties of being a wife, a sister, a mom, a daughter and a friend.

Who's missing? Kaluoy. HAHA. Hi Pearl! I mess you already. :)

8. Sunbeams, my sister Lynlyn with her close highschool friends + Mishy + Pearl. I got to know them  by serving in YFC and GK and from then on our adventures and mission trips together never stopped. These young, energetic and happy bunch sends me all energized and happier and feeling younger whenever I'm with them. I learn a lot from them every time and I am grateful that I have them in my life to constantly keep me grounded and to share life learnings to. I love working with this bunch because I can abuse them in whatever way I want...making birthday decors for my little brothers' birthday, asking them to create cards, or asking them to paint materials for kids in our GK communities and the list just goes on and they never complained, not even once. Secret: just keep them full (Mama's job) and laughing (my job). Haha. But we even hang out with just 50 bucks and we're all good. Haymishu crazies! See you in this year's Bayani Challenge, yes? :)

9. Online Women Inspirations. That I call them. If you've read through most of my blogs, you'll be able to pinpoint why I have this on my list. I have been really, really immersed online because of my work in GK as digital/online marketing person (for almost 2 years now) and I stumbled upon a few women who have made my online job easier, enjoyable, fun and inspiring. The blogs of Heather Mansfield and Beth Kanter are the most helpful in my work, their tips and write-ups help me understand and learn the basics and the complications of being an online marketing person for a non-profit and I gain inspiration from their blogs too! Imagine my fan girl moment when Heather came to Manila last December to give a one-day workshop. I totally flipped! Haha. And I'm still looking forward to the day when I can finally meet Beth Kanter. Another inspiration is Shai Coggins who work at Connecting Up in Australia which provides a venue for non-profits to work and learn from one another. That's a dream that I want to happen here in the Philippines too, a Philippine version of Connecting Up and I hope to get to meet Shai in person too. She's also a content creator in Connecting Up and her personal blog is really helpful too and fun to read! I gained an inspiration from there to start blogging regularly again. The other set of  my online inspirations are these young women who blog about their causes and with that, inspires the young generation to live for a cause too: Anna Oposa, Noreen Bautista and Bianca Gonzalez.

10. The nanays and the Sibol teachers in our GK communities. They never fail to inspire me as always. Life has been very hard and difficult for them and their families but they pressed on, they continue to pray, they continue to hope that they and their children be given a chance at a better life. And when GK came to the picture, they took care of what has been given to them and even sharing despite the little that they have. Whenever I feel stressed out at work, I look back to the memories and experiences I have with the Nanays in the GK communities where I have served and I am back, all inspired to work again. They are an icon of hope, of great joy, of great love and of inspiration. Their smiles and laughter, contagious and their faith, always inspiring. Would want to feel what it is like, visit a GK community now. Contact me. :)

There you have it. The Top 10 Women in my list. This is my way of saying thank you to the women mentioned above for being part of my life, for being my source of joy, beauty and inspiration. What's in your list? Share! :)

Day 14/40: Sound of Music

Photo source here.

What started out as a simple wall post by a highschool batchmate to another highschool batchmate of planning to watch the musical, "Sound of Music" here in Manila turned to a lengthy exchanges and  roll calling and planning to watch it together instead of just the two of them. Haha. I am excited! 50% off pa! Keeping my fingers crossed! Hope we will get to watch the musical together. Musicals never fail to bring back highschool memories. It was those happy times that I learn to love the world of musicals and their music. I remember I almost memorized all the songs and the lines from the musical, Into The Woods. It was our batch play back then and I love that it was a "mash up" of the fairy tale stories. Definitely a must watch!

Hope this will actually push through. I wanna watch a musical LIVE played by experienced stage actors and actresses. Though I never dream of watching one in Broadway, I'd be really, really ecstatic if that would happen. :) Sharing with you one of the songs that my favorite Nanay back in highschool (our musical queen!) loves to sing and which I also love, I Enjoy Being A Girl in The Drum Song Movie. A fitting song for today's International Women's Day. Happy International Women's Day to every beautiful woman, inside and out, who is reading this piece. Who run the world? Girls! 

I would've want to post Lea Salonga's version but I can't find an actual video of the play. I am quite surprised that I still memorize half of the song. My most favorite line, "And my future I hope will be...in the home of a brave and free male...who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me." 

And oh, the number of comments on the wallpost as of this posting, 33! HAHA. Hope we actually will get to watch this together. Would love to catch up and rekindle old friendships with friends who left me a lot of good and fun memories. 

Day 13/40: Happy Photos

Happy songs...happy food...happy movies. Well I have my own set of current happy photos too! Parang playlist lang. ;) Yung tipong, I had a crazy and a hectic day...I wanna shout...I wanna panic...I wanna book a flight and fly back home...and then when I see my set of happy photos (usually it lasts a month or a quarter of the year), I instantly am back on track, my mind calms down and I'm back in my happy, bubbly self. Like that! Sharing my current set of happy photos with you! Kyooooot! I heart my family and I miss them terribly! Every single day.

How about you? Do you have a set of happy photos that perks you up or inspires you to start your day right? :)

Day 12/40: Crazy March

Crazy start of the March. Full of blessings and challenges and things to do. I can't imagine one without a God to say thank you to for the blessings and a God to run to when the going gets rough.

Ad Majorem dei Gloriam! ♥

P.S. Why this song? Because this will be one of the worship songs tomorrow for our first MusicMin gig. Naks! Excited to worship! ;) And oh, I got to tick 4 things to do from my checklist today. Woot! 

Day 11/40: What Lead Me Back to My 2012 Prayer

This day started as a mess. I set my alarm at 6:30 AM so I can start my day early...but in the end, I woke up at 9:10 AM. Really, Maymay? 3 hours later? I have a gazillion backlogged things to do and at this very minute, it still remained as that...a backlog. Good job! #sarcasm At naghashtag sa blogspot. Haha Well anyways, but this day turned out to be quite different...just like any other day...different and happy. Yay to spontaneity! No sarcasm there. :)

I love that I've been receiving calls and inquiries the whole day through about the Bayani Challenge from our teams preparing on the ground. I can feel the cramming and the pressure and the excitement. More and more prayers are needed! Please be our prayer warrior! :)

So, we left the office despite the many deadlines that I need to meet just so we can catch up our 5:30 PM Zumba class and it was one fun and rowdy class. Enjoyed it. One of the best I attended so far. :) 

Another spontaneous thing today...I've got a deadline tomorrow, the online toolkit for GK's roll out with our AC teams this month! Surprise! HAHA. So here I am, staying up all night to finish that one. And I have the Bayani Challenge registration process to finalize. Oh geez. 35 days to go! Crazeeeeeeee! Lord, keep me sane.

My day doesn't end there. After Zumba class, I accompanied Ate Tine, our chapter head who is now also working in GK (Yay!), to the first ever chapter Music Ministry meeting of the year and tadaaaaa....here I am, a new MusicMin member. Okay, I'll give this one a try...it makes me excited. Something new. Let's see where this will lead me to. It isn't in my list of things to do for the year but not closing my doors on this new opportunity to serve through music. 

My day doesn't end there pa. After the Music Min meeting, we head over to Conti's in Makati (their mango something cake is to die for!) to send off Kuya Carlo as he'll be married soon. So many getting married this year. I love! I get to meet his fiancee who happens to be one of the volunteers that we met (but not meet meet) in Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon 5 years ago. We can't forget her because she took a lot of photos of our kids during the Paraisong Pambata. Na-amazed lang ako how those people in your past suddenly appears from somewhere. Amazing how God leads people back into our lives. Na-amaze lang talaga ako.

So there. This mababaw post is not just for the sake of blogging but to remind myself too that God has His ways of making you feel loved and blessed in the simplest of things and sometimes in the craziest ways...just like the MusicMin story today. So many new and unfamiliar things happening and I claim that there'll be more. Exciting! He sure is starting to answer my prayer this year for myself and for my family that I'd like to share with you: The Prayer of Jabez.

Photo source here.

Together with the prayer above, I pray for strength, courage and wisdom that I may do what is right and pleasing to Him. It's just the first quarter but my commitment and passion and dedication is tested. At may theme song pa yan na kasama, Beyond the Borders by Jamie Rowe. I so love this song, a must listen. My favorite line:

"Lord, I want to be your vessel, and move beyond my fears...As I stand at the edge of my border, as I long to reach past the world I know, Lord enlarge my territory, open my eyes, take my life, beyond the borders!"

Day 10/40: Trust

Been anxious and worried a lot lately. But I am reminded of today's homily to continue to seek God in everything and in your everyday. Lay down and lift up your burden, hurts, pains, frustrations, anxieties, fears, dreams, hopes and expectations. Know that in His own perfect time, everything has its place and has its own purpose. We need to be reminded that His plans are always the best.