08142012 (a lover named Love)

I am simply thankful that God, being the Love himself (1 John 4:16), does not keep any record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4). And there is this Love who is always mindful of a person like me (Psalm 8:3), who gave up His life for me.

I came across with this verse awhile ago:

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;
according to your love, remember me, for you are good, O Lord.
-Psalm 25:7 (NIV 1984) 

I am a person remembered according to his love, and he remembered my sins no more (Isaiah 43:25). If there is a love who is worthy to be called as the one who conquers it all, this Love is the one. Indeed, he is a love that overcame my iniquities. ♥

#inspiredlang #inlove #paulit-ulitnalove

Summer

This is a not-so-Elo post. :) ...because I'll post the things that happened last summer in a way that the usual bloggers do. I am not the type of blogger who publish blog posts with pictures. Even if this post is too late (and because my real summer vacation started too late), I think these events are still worth posting.

1. The Class Card
   My summer begins with this bad news that turned out well in the end. For more details about this, CLICK HERE.
   

   

   Alaala ng isang masamang pangyayari: Mabuti na lang hindi na ito ang grade na nakalagay sa CRS . :) 

2. On-the-job training
   The main event of my summer. (Lalalaaaa....) I was the only trainee at one of the labs of NSRI. If I were to describe what happened here, I would say that my training as a whole is tiring yet interesting. This OJT consumed most of my time everyday. It feels like I work more than 8 hours, because I have to do my reports at night. Those reports are not just reports; they are scientific reports. (Imagine the workload. Bwahahaha.) On the other hand, my training became interesting because I was able to learn new things, particularly some laboratory techniques that I am just about to study this upcoming school year. The best thing is I was able to experience them hands on, an experience that I might not be able to have for the rest of my undergrad years.

   

   Mouse testis at 4um. Sectioned using cryostat.
   
   

   

   Feels like a real scientist with this agarose gel illuminated with UV light. \m/

3. Training for Victory (T4V)
   This training equipped me to make disciples. Other than the lots of things that I have learned about discipleship, I also enjoyed the company of my T4V batchmates during the 5 weeks of our training. I also experienced (almost) how to fly from Diliman to Morayta because I only have 1 hour and 15 minutes to travel from one end to another.
   
   

   

   T4V Batch 7.  GO FISH!

   

   At dahil graduate na ako. :D
   

   
   
4. Caliraya Leaders Camp 2012
   One of the reasons why I was able to survive my restless summer is this. (At least I had this camp as an event to look forward to.) Although this camp happened during the first three days of June (already), I still consider this camp as one of the events I had last summer. I learned a lot, enjoyed a lot.... at nakapagrelax na rin (SA WAKAS.) :D I will also never ever forget my ever beloved (and always champion para sa akin na) Orange Team. Heehee.
   
   

   

   My roommates. Hindi ko rin sila makakalimutan. :)

   
   
   
   

02132012

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

I just want you to know that those very words came from God (Isaiah 43:4). Believe it or not, there are cheesy lines in the Scriptures. This is one of them, and one of my favorite verses in the Bible.

My God is not a stoic God. In fact, He is a lovesick Father, who has been reaching out for all people in the world and rejoices every time there is someone who comes to back to Him. I know He smiles at me now (and even to the person who reads this). ;)

So whether you are single, in a relationship, engaged, married or "it's complicated", I just want you to know that...

you
are
loved. :)

You are precious and honored in God's sight, even if you there are times you can't feel it to yourself. He loves you so much, that He even gave the life of His Son for you to be drawn back to Him. A different yet real love.

In this season of love, let us first take a look at a great love that exists since the beginning of everything...

Happy hearts day people. >:D<

just to share you a poem... :)

Tonight I Can Write...
Pablo Neruda

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, 'The night is shattered

and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.

I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, and sometimes she loved me too.

How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.

And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.

The night is shattered and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.

My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.

My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.

We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, for certain, but now I loved her.

My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.

Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.

Love is so short, forgetting is so long. [emphasis added]

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms

my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer

and these the last lines that I write for her.

***

I first encountered this poem as a reading in our HumI class. What was posted above is a translated version of a poem written originally in Spanish. This poem sounds a bit emo-ish to others; but for me, this is one of the most wonderful sad poems I have ever read. It is beautifully written, although it expresses a sad emotion of heartbreak. And those italicized words make up my favorite line. A perfect metaphor, indeed. I cannot understand Spanish, and just imagine how much more beautiful the original piece of this poem is (You can Google the Spanish version of the poem, btw. ;D).

Something that makes me smile

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy...

Define love. Vague, isn't it?
I have been suffering from LSS for weeks (or a month perhaps) because of this song. For a person who prefers lyrics than music when singing songs, she will do her best to sing a song that she likes whatever the height or depth the tones have, as long as she sings it with all her heart.

You might probably wonder why am I trying post something here about love. It is not because I feel bitter or brokenhearted or something like I want to slash my wrist. It is not because I am in [or wanted to have] a relationship, engaged, or "it's complicated."
I am in love... and God has changed my perspective about love.
(I can hear some voice from the back of your mind saying "This person is crazy." Well, I really am.)


I love Him because He loved me first unconditionally, no matter how sinful and imperfect I am. He completes me. He loves me stubbornly that He gave His precious Son just to save me. I feel so secured as He surrounds me like a hurricane. He never wanted to let go of me...or much better to say, He never lets me go away from him. And if I'll try to state every reason here I won't be able to end this blog.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me...


I am unworthy of this love. But then why love a very small being like me? Because He loves me, period. No requirements. God's love is not a feeling; it does not cause pain, and never gives up. It is so boundless that we cannot outlove Him and reaches out everyone's life, even yours. Love never fails, and it is so amazing that this love overcame the death and saved me as well as anyone who believes in Him. A great love, indeed.

So heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way...

***

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. 

-Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

And then what is love? Just look at the cross, and you'll definitely know ...how He loves us.