A piece of thought from me to you…

You should, most of the time, expect that looks and character don’t go together in this world.

Not saying that generally all of them are bad, but some of the good-looking people I know have a not-so-good-looking character.

Superficial beauty is always of uttermost importance and one’s character is always of least importance. For a change, why don’t we try to put a lot of effort and time doing an extreme make-over of our character before we upgrade our outside looks.

The truth of it all is (believe it or not), everything on the inside is what truly matters in life. Your looks are temporary, it will inevitably fade away in time. A noble character and good attitude will not wither as time passes but it will bear more fruit in one’s life.

And  to end this note, here’s one of my favorite youtube singer, GABE!

Get into his thoughts at gabebondoc.tumblr.com.

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For J.A.: A special thank you to you for showing what real beauty is…

Life Lessons Learned in 24 Days

*Note From Mizepifany: This post was long overdue. It was supposed to be published 2 weeks after the month of October started, and I am very sorry for publishing it late. But it has always been one of my life principles that it’s better late than never. Okay, I think I need to change that principle of mine. Hope this post could somehow enlighten your perspectives and benefit from learning it as much as it had mine.

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Before writing this post, I decided to listen to some soothing and relaxing music of Switchfoot.

A quick note on Switchfoot: A Christian Contemporary Rock band based in San Diego, California that has been in the music scene since 1996.  What I admire most about this band has got to be their songs coupled with awesome tunes and melodies. Their genre of music is very diverse, and they have evolved album after album producing more intricate sounds and introspective lyrics on everything about living, its issues, its pains, its arguments, and the hope beyond this over-rated controversy we call, “life”.

Back to the topic, I chose to listen to their mellow creation, “24″, one of my favorite songs from Switchfoot. And the lyrics go…

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago

Still I’m singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I’m not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I’m singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I’m wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I’m not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You’re raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You’re raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true

I’m singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You’re raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You’re raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I’m singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You’re raising the dead in me
Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I’m not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.

Have you noticed the high-lighted line from the song, that one simple line, is my inspiration for this post. My 24-day Journey of Learning and Unlearning, started on Sept. 21, 2009 and ended on Oct. 15, 2009.

1. Advice on friendship: Learn to distinguish who are for long-terms, because they deserve much more value and time, rather than the short-term ones, because when you need someone, the long-terms are the only available ones you can count on.

2. Say goodbye to selfishness and embrace selflessness. It will take you a long way in life, and always remember being selfless is of a wise man’s attributes, and not a fool’s.

3. When everything you see inside is everything you hate, stop looking, and just look at the only hope for change, God. Because unless you set your eyes on a better hope of what you can be, rather than the disappointing figure of the present,  it’ll be much easier to accept your weaknesses and turn it into strengths. What you are now is much less important than what you can be in the future.

4. Having a strong hold on anger may cause you to be blind and numb to the love of others. Therefore, a perception of being unwanted and rejected is developed. It’s not that you’re unloved, maybe you’re just rejecting love.

5. Asking for forgiveness, even if you’re not at fault, is one of the most rewarding acts of humility and a stepping stone towards change of a prideful heart.

6. Being stubborn produces serious consequences.

7. When chaos surrounds you and you are at an utter loss, always remember that God is an ever-present help in time of need.

God bless you all.

One more thing, if you’re a graphic designing enthusiast or looking for talented art graphic designers, you might want to check this site out (It’s my friend’s) dejavu-1.deviantart.com. I believe my friend’s very talented and gifted in his craft, all he needs is his art to be discovered  by the people. So I really hope, you check him out.

Nostalgia + College Pressures + Life = Confusion?, Not Really…

NOSTALGIA

I bet you’re wondering what the title meant? I’ve logged on to my Facebook account a few minutes ago,  and I’ve been browsing through some of my former classmate’s recently uploaded photo album. After a few minutes passed, looking at those familiar beaming faces I used to see in class everyday, I suddenly felt sad. It’s true, you’ll never know what you have when it’s gone. A bit cliche, uhm, yeah, but it’s undeniably a 100%  solid truth. Now, nostalgia sets in. Oh, how I’d wish I could go back in that time. Last year was my first year in college. Finally, it meant a new beginning for me after being home-schooled for almost 3 years. It was a fresh start; new faces means new friends, new environment means another culture  shock I have to deal with, and brand new experiences that someday would all be part of just a memory in the past. Everything has gone well.  I made good and true friends, I had stocked a pile of good memories in my heart, there’s really nothing I could complain about, but after the second trimester ended, I made the same mistake again I did 3 years ago. I did not go to school, and officially decided to not enroll in the last trimester. My decision resulted as a waste of my time, my efforts, and my parents’ resources. The gravity of the consequences of one dreadful choice did not fully manifest itself until the start of  this trimester. I thought time and money was all that I had lost, but it didn’t struck me until I found out recently, I also lost my friends; the people I valued the most were gone. Well, they’re not really gone, I still see them once in a while, I say “Hi!”, and I would get the same responses all over again like a broken record, “Oh? Hello!, We miss you!, It’s sad that we’re no going to be in the same class anymore.” Then they’re off, leaving you hanging there by yourself in the school corridors. Don’t misjudge them, they’re not bad people, nor fake friends, with all those time I also left them hanging, not replying to their text messages of concern, I was responsible for cutting my connection  with them. No wonder, that’s how our friendship came to be.  Forgive me if everything I’ve typed are far too depressing for you to read, but I feel the urge to let go and type what I’m going through because I know there is someone out there in the world, even if that is just one person, would be able to read this and understand what I’m going through.

I have learned if you continue to live in your past, whether it be in a painful memory or a blissful one, you could never fully appreciate the present and the beauty it beholds, leaving you to ignore and neglect the pleasant surprises in store for you.

COLLEGE PRESSURES

Yes, after dealing with the former dilemma, I still cannot escape my alter-ego, “The Student”. Sounds like a superhero, doesn’t it? You might be surprised on how an average person is capable of having too many alter-egos, it’s definitely not exclusive just for superheroes on comic books. Prelims are so out-of-date, now for the latest news, midterms are next in line. I would try to make this pressure as much more enjoyable than it actually is.

Keep in mind that all pressures can be handled well, if you can maintain a good attitude all the time. Then you’ll see, everything will just breeze through like it was nothing.

LIFE

Life can never be too unbearable for us. There has never been a demand for you to carry the weight on your shoulder. There’s Someone up there who’s willing to carry your loads and worries, so that you’ll be able to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. The past may not always be a pleasant memory, we hope it would be; it may be filled with sadness, pain, and heartaches. One truth is far more greater than any advice to a happy life: If you fully surrender your life to God, you’ll be amazed with the wondrous things He can do in it.

Switchfoot – More Than Fine

I’m still alive!

Yay! I finally got the time to write and update my blog. To tell you the truth, I’m not in the mood to write. It feels like I’m all messed up on the inside. Every emotions were mixed and mashed together that I couldn’t pinpoint what I’m exactly feeling as of this moment. I’ve got to get myself together before school starts, I’m not ecstatic of messing up every decision I make again.

Well, it’s obvious that I’m not enthusiastic with everything that’s happening to me lately. And it really irritates me when you’re the only person feeling this way when everybody else is celebrating life. I don’t want to be a pessimist and all, that’s why I tried avoiding people and socializing with them. I’m in refusal to be in contact with anyone. Now, I sound like an emo kid desiring to be alone, but I’m not at all. It’s just that for me, being in a crowd makes me feel more alone than when I’m in solitude. It’s very unlikely for me to feel this way again. I’m definitely not accepting what I’m feeling, I’m not letting my emotions get the best of me. I’m not taking a step backward after all the progress I have made through these years. If anyone with the same situation as me would have the opportunity to read this, I just want to tell you, don’t let your emotions control you and bring you further down. Learn to encourage yourself in the Lord. Out of every encouragement and advices anyone could give you, God is much more able to uplift you from the negativity you’re feeling and experiencing. He has the power to restore the joy and the healthy countenance of your heart. Like what David had experienced and relayed in Psalm 42:11,

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,
who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Hope this post has also been an encouragement to you, and continue to hope and put your trust in the Lord. He has always been mindful of you from the first day you came in this world. He has prepared still the best for you and He cares for your well-being. He will, with all His might, bring you good things things and blessings that you may enjoy life abundantly. God bless you and take care.

An Unforgettable Ride in a Life-changing Summer Experience

Church Camp ’09, a dance workshop, and then an overnight for our youth fellowship at church, what’s lined up next for me this summer?

Okay, though it may seem like I got a full-packed schedule this summer and don’t have a lot of time in my hands, honestly speaking, I’ve never been more aware of how much time I have, enough to do all this activities and more. Updating this blog has been a tiny bit problem for me since I’m rarely in the mood to write and there are no present motivations (ehem…readers…I need more of them). Maybe if I only had followers here on WordPress, I would forever be grateful to people and would be updating everyday. Let’s put it simply in one phrase, “More Readers, More Writing and Updating.” How would I be motivated to post if there isn’t anybody interested enough to read what I write? If I sound so desperate right now, I am. Just kidding. Okay maybe it was partly true. Next topic.

Our recent church camp was definitely one-of-its kind. Since our church held camps annually, this one is just plain a “Different Experience from the Former”. I’m glad most of the congregation was able to attend this ultimately distinct camp. This year, it was entitled “No Limits”. I’m not here to share my entire and amazing experience there, but just a bit of what I had taken in during that significant moment of my life. There’s one afternoon activity held during the last day which has given me much insight and a personal revelation from God. It was a team-building game where there’s a rope fence hanging in mid-air with a hole in the middle, and each participants of the group must come up with a strategy to get every person to the other side without touching the sides of the hole. Jumping through the hole is a violation. In short, you need others to carry you and push you to the other end. We’ve done this again in our youth fellowship recently.  Here’s a picture if you don’t get what I’m saying.

( that’s my younger sister )

*Sorry for the blurry pics, I’m too lazy to change the size.

What did I exactly learn from this activity? It has a relevance with our dreams in life. Let’s say the other side of the rope fence is the moment our dreams reached its fulfillment, and the rope fence are the goals you have put up in reaching your personal dream. From seeing the pictures, getting to the other side is an arduous task for a single person to do, there’s a bigger probability you wouldn’t be able to get to the other side without touching the boundaries of the hole. If touching the boundaries of the hole is an example of failure, then doing everything alone to reach our dreams would mean we are more prone in experiencing failures, and perhaps a bigger possibility we are not going to reach it. Since the activity required other people to get you to the other side, a difficult job considered by one person can be easily done. It teaches us one thing, we also need others, not just ourselves in making our dreams reality. I’ll give you the 3 Keys for the fulfillment of your dreams:

1.) Believe in yourself. – God did not deprive you of any talents or abilities to get you to the fulfillment of your dreams. Plus, it doesn’t hurt if you believe in yourself and the great things that you are capable of doing. Though it may be hard for some, just remember you are you, made into a unique being unlike others. The famous and great people also started as an unknown, but seeing they can do more with what they have, they made their dreams not just fantasy but reality. More importantly, everything that we have and do can take us farther in life if we know how to dedicate them to the Giver of talents and gifts, and that is God.

2.) Trust others. – Trusting others is essential. Some people may say, “I can do everything alone. I don’t need others to help me.” Then they are entirely wrong. Doing everything by themselves can only take them far, but not that far when you have others. Then who are this other people that could help me? They’re your family, your closest friends, and at one point in time, God will allow other people to connect with you to help you achieve step-by-step all your goals towards your dream.

3.) Believe in God. – Believing and trusting God is the first and crucial step to the fulfillment of our dreams. He is able to fulfill all the things that you are incapable of doing. We also have our limitations, but with God there are no limits. Just remember this, as it is said in the Bible,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Hope you have been inspired to dream again. It’s never too late for your dreams to be fulfilled. Just know that a mighty God is just waiting for you to surrender to Him, and He will bring you to a place of abundance and prosperity. God bless!