Happy New Year, my dearest readers! As 2019 has officially started, let me welcome this new year with this post. I know that I have just started to blog again this year – although not ‘that’ consistent – I still consider this as one of the greatest blessings given to me.
I woke up today in a different bed, no, in a different house. Actually, I am in a different place. It is my first time to spend the New Year away from my mom, my family, and my comfort zone. Surprisingly, my mom allowed me to be in this trip and I never thought I would actually ‘be’at this moment. I am spending my New Year here in Ifugao, my boyfriend’s hometown, together with his sisters and their own families. The signal reception is not that reliable and stable yet I am thankful for the offline times.
Honestly, I was having a difficulty finding the right photo to summarize my 2018. Lol. I was browsing through my photos for the year and I realized that my 2018 has not been easy yet a lot to be thankful for.
God. All the other things I will mention below will never be possible if it wasn’t for your greatness, your love, and your grace. You are relentless, unchanging, and omnipotent. May I continue to serve you in ways I could glorify you more. May you continue to use me more for your glory and may you never get tired of saving and loving me. I am not a consistent follower but I praise You for always reminding me to be back at my path. You Alone is my hope in this life and my tomorrow will solely depend on your grace. You never fail and you never fall short – I always fall short and I have limits but you don’t. I am blessed to be called one of your daughters and I am thankful for all everything you have been doing in my life. The successes, failures, disappointments, employment, provisions, and all other decisions, it is all about You. Thank You.
My family. I am always thankful for the trials given because if it wasn’t for it, my family won’t be as ‘alpha’ as it could possibly be. Tough times made us tough and through it all, there is still love. My dad passed away last August 2018 but God retained joy in my heart and reconnected me to my half brothers and half sisters. It is truly, a rollercoaster ride as I experience grief and comfort all at the same time.
My mom and tita. God has been providing for their health all through the year and they have never stopped taking care of me. I am thankful for the love, support, and all the food in my belly! Lol. Kidding aside, they have been taking care of me ever since and they are also taking care of John whenever he is around. I am more than grateful for the unconditional love.
John’s family (Sisters and their families). Despite the freezing coldness here in Ifugao, you never made me feel different and I am thankful for the warm welcome, accommodation, and coffees! I just hope to learn Ilocano the soonest way possible. Lol. Anyway, It was lovely to meet everyone and my post-Christmas and New Year has a brand new experience because of all you. Thank you!
Chronicle Team and Singles Ministry. I will never be qualified as everyone in the team yet by God’s grace, you all made my 2018 as a year where I flourish as a volunteer for Christ. Writing for the Chronicle has been an aspiration and I hope you have forgiven me for the late submissions. Really, sharing Jesus’ love to a lot of people through writing truly glorifies the Lord and I cannot and will stop sharing all the greatness He has brought and He will bring in to my life. Unceasingly praying that there is one or two souls reading my blog that I can directly point to Jesus. Serving in the Singles Ministry has been a great joy as well. Sharing through writing and facilitating definitely tops my year! As a B1GFriday Facilitator, each woman who sat on my table taught me how to become the facilitator that I am today. Allowing me to facilitate not just in the B1GFridays but also in the B1G True Life Retreat 2018 will always be an experience for growth. Bumping heads with the B1G14 Catch Content Team made me realize how new I am in mastering the Bible and that this competent team works relentlessly for all the participants who are now, Jesus’ catchers of men. If God would allow me to volunteer yet again, for B1G15 Go, I would definitely join Content Team once again! Growing with BILIB-IT Cluster has been the most real! You all became an inspiration to continue serving and made my 2018 really short because of all the good times we had facilitating. To everyone I have been working with as a volunteer for Christ, thank you! To my BILIB-IT parents, Faci Heads, and volunteer leaders, You all never made me feel short of my talent and you all never stopped the support. Praise God for all your servant hearts!
DGroup Upline. Czar, you know how much I love you. Praise God for your relentless heart of teaching us and serving with us. I am one stubborn disciple yet your stubbornness as our DGroup leader wins over me – every time. Lol. Thank you for always there to check up on me and for loving my DGroup downline as much as your own. Thank you for always taking us in your journey – wherever it is, and live as a living testimony of God’s faithfulness in obedience. To my DGroup Sisters, you all have been awesome! Thank you for your patience and love. Thank you for the support as we all walk with the Holy Spirit. For all the corrections, the love, support, push, nudge, and advise, thank you. My journey in Christ will never have these roots if it wasn’t for each and every one of you. God knows the desires of our hearts and I am praying that He won’t stop blessing our group with more sisters and future disciples.
DGroup Downline. I know we have just started this year and even though we have not been 100% complete every DGroup meetings, I trust God that He has better plans for all of us. Thank you for choosing me as your leader and thank you for the unending trust and support. Only through God’s grace and love that I am able to share and study with everyone. May God continue to reveal Himself to each and every one of us and May He continues to bless our group with the provision and more fruits.
HR Mentoring Mentors and Colleagues. 2018 is a year of growth and this has been evident with all the opportunities for expanding my playground in Learning and Development. I know God has greater things ahead of us and I praise Him for this organization’s advocacy to #PayItForward. I thank everyone for the encouragements and the unending learning of HR as a whole. Thank you for the corrections and the best practices. Thank you for the budding relationship as a family and may God continue to bless the organization’s advocacy. May there be more HR professionals would get to know us not by name but by the works we reach out to others – ensuring that the “human” in Human Resources will never be passé.
FEU-IAS Dance Company. I am always at my peak whenever I dance with you guys. Definitely one of the blessings that God gave me is the talent that I am sharing with each and every one. You all are talented and I am humbled to be part of the group. 2018 was colorful because of the dances we had and praying that I could dance more with you this 2019. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to dance with you again and may God still allow me to dance with you more.
Friends turned to Family, Thank you.
Friends who turned their backs at me just because I was trying to make them realize what is right, Thank you.
Officemates who turned to Friends, Thank you.
People who gave their efforts to pull me down, Thank you.
People who never stopped encouraging and pulling me up, Thank you.
People who love me enough to correct me, Thank you.
I know there will be a lot of social media posts about “New Year, New Me!” but I beg to differ. Jesus Renews Me! I am excited for all the things God has planned for me. Please pray for me as I continue to seek and obey His Will in my life.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
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