Thank you, Life...

It's been more than a year now since i left the Philippines to find better luck and greater opportunity here in Denmark. I may had ups and downs, glories and struggles, but one thing's for sure: i had a wonderful time wandering and living here. My life was rejuvenated from the first day i stepped into this beautiful land. My life, somehow, took a turn from everything-else-failed mentality to there's-always-another-chance mindset. I'm close to giving up fixing my terrible past life (except the love life, 'cause the past was very good, i just blew it.), having a hard time squeezing everything to make up for the time lost. Each passing days, it feels like that i wanted to give up, and i did grew tired, eventually --- the past ME. The selfish, prideful Me. Leaving my mother country for a foreign land was a complete gamble for me. But, this is something that can be seen as the "stroke that broke the camel's back". What i mean is, in just one snap, my life suddenly had the greatest turnaround that i ever experienced, from the day i set foot here. Little do i know that there's already something happening that started the inevitable: Finding myself back in the arms of God. He guided me to go back to the life i once had. My day of redemption came.

Things did not really went the way i planned it. It also has been a rocky-road adventure. But, the thing is, it made me more mature and looked at life in a different perspective. I cannot say it was very spectacular, but i know, it's something worthwhile and gave a lot of lessons in life. I gained God's glory once again, gained new friends and learned new things. I'm praying to continue and maintain my relationship with God --- this time, for good. No turning back, always looking forward.

To be given a chance to live in a foreign soil, can already be called a privilege. So, for me, it is a great privilege for me stay here, even though it's on a limited basis. Denmark played a very big role in altering my life. I quite had a major reconstruction of myself. I've adjusted very well to the lifestyle and culture that they have here. I'm also surrounded by my new found friends, friends that was given to me by God. They've been there all the time, good times and in bad. I just feel sad that i'm leaving them behind, but, emotionally and spiritually, we will forever be attached to one another. I never shared the same bonding to anyone before, like what we had here. What makes it more unique is, that we have different nationalities, so we have different things to offer. We learned each others traits, cultures and knowledges. I'll forever cherish the time i spent with them. We may or may not see each other again physically, but, by faith, our lives will always be together through the eyes of God.

Thanks for the wonderful and amazing adventure with you, guys.

It's now time for me to take another step to a very long chapter of my life. I know that someday, the things that happened to me here in Denmark will play a vital role on what i will become in the future. To all my relatives, friends, and to everyone that shared their life, thank you very much, 'cause that means a lot to me. I would also like to give thanks to the church i'd been a part of. They were a bunch of nice people who had become a family to me. I was welcomed with open arms from the first day, and i know, when one day i come back, they're still the loving people that i knew from the very start. More power to Copenhagen Community Church. And thanks to God, he lead me once again to follow the path of righteousness. Thanks to the life that i had here, even for a short, but a memorable, special time.

May God bless you all..

Amen.

"If Life gives you a thousand reasons to cry, show Life that you have a million reasons to smile"

That's what Friends are for...

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be."

How do you define friendship? Is it measured by how many times he/she stands by your side? Can they be, next to God and Family, your alternative resource of comfort and guidance? For you, how do you define friendship? Sometimes, words are not enough to explain what friendship can be. Nowadays, it's hard to recognize who your real friends from the masked ones. What i mean by "masked" is, someone pretends to be your friend, but when you turn your back on them, they're much worse than Lucifer (aahhh, maybe it's too harsh to be much worse than the fallen angel.. Maybe Judas is enough.. hehehe..)

In my 23 years on planet earth (turning 24, 36 days from now), i've learned a valuable lesson about friendship. I don't think my case is as bad as everyone around the world, but, sometimes, you feel deserted or disregarded with the "friends" that you call. They're not the person you expected them to be. Sometimes, you're having thoughts about your friends, that he/she is like these or like that, but one good thing i've learned, is to let them show their true colors, without making any effort to make them show it. Friends are tested mostly on hard times, the times that you need a shoulder to lean on to. Someone that won't stab you on the back and let you fall from grace. There was a time that i felt i'm on my own, in good times and bad. Then, suddenly, there are voices that rang to my ears and offered their backbone for help. Those are the true friends that i really can count on to. These days, friends like that seems so impossible to have. But, fortunately, i've proven myself wrong, as i found real friends, in good times and in bad, will be there to lend a hand.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."

Yep, friendship is a million little things scattered everywhere for you to put together into one single piece. I think in my own opinion, the components to build an everlasting relationship are: Trust, Loyalty, Understanding and Faith. Well, it's easier said than done, but, i think those are the words need not to be mentioned, but something to be done. For example, there are instances that a friend seems to bear all the problems in the world, share your smile to them. In those little things you start to make them realize that they're not alone in this world, that there's someone who cares for them.

"Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty."

Real friends will not lie to you, even if it means hurting your feelings. They listen to what you rely to them and then they understand you. Simple as that. There are so-called friends who would lie to you for their own benefit, OR maybe, on the contrary, it might be the best thing to do. But, from my past experiences, i have real friends who offered advices that completely changed the course of my life. Those are the people that you can look up to. That's something you can be as well to your friends. There are times that all i can offer for a friend is a prayer. Well, i do that always, but that's my last resort. The Best last resort. I think that's the nicest way to help them in every aspects in life. Try prayer, it really works.

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."

The real friend. As what i have mentioned earlier, they say the truth even if it hurts you, but they won't let you sink down into oblivion. They'll grab you and pull you away with all their strength to keep your feet on the ground and your head held high. Sometimes, besides from family, friends can be your great motivators. They urged you to do things that you think sounds far fetched. Yeah, there are things that looks and sounds impossible to be done, but with the help of your real friends and God, nothing's impossible. To hell with the masked ones, let them burn in hell, hahaha! I'm just joking. At this instance, friendship can make a very strong bond, especially amidst crises and hardships in life. Whenever you want them, wherever they are, whatever circumstances it could be, however it may be, real friends always gives a shoulder to cry on.

So, what do you think defines friendship? It's for you to know. The world is round. Always hope for the best, but always expect the worse to happen. In times of distress, who you gonna call? Hehehe, not the Ghostbusters. Just real friends. In this world, nothing 's unattainable. Animate your world. Good day.

"The most I can do for my friend is simply be a friend. "

Road to Redemption --- God's Way

I just read an article about a man who was imprisoned for 35 grueling years for a crime that he did not commit. I don't think this is anything new to our ears, but the thing that touched me so much about this guy is that after all these years, he never get mad or angry to the people that prosecuted him. He just said:

"No, i am not angry. Because i've got God."

His name is James Bain. I have no further descriptions about him because, of course, i don't know him, and i just read his story on a search engine. He was arrested and accused of kidnapping a 9-year old boy and raping him in a nearby ground. In 1974, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was just 19 years old then.

Then after almost four decades, the decision was reversed, and ol' James Bain, now 54 years of age, is freed. New technologies and sophisticated DNA testing proved that the man is not guilty at all. Years behind cold bars made him look very old and unpleasant, but, not his faith in God. Never his faith to the almighty one deteriorated. It seems like he lost everything, pitted in dark halls of prison cells. God made him stronger, in the years that he needed him the most. To think about that your life is stolen in one stroke of unfortunate luck, and the rest is history. I admire his resiliency through the years of pain being away to the ones he love, years of suffering for no one can comfort him on his struggles, years of sorrow that decades of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays passed him by. The good thing is, all those agony he felt during those times made him a real man... Because of God. He redeemed his soul by strengthening his relationship with God as a man, as a friend, and as a son. All he wants to do now is to be with his bed-ridden mother, eat good food, and continue his studies. That's what this simple man only wants after all the time lost in an undesirable way. I felt his pain, by just reading the story about him, at the same time, felt humbled and inspired to go on with life whatever the obstacle is. This guy proved that no matter how bad your situation is, you have to keep your faith strong to God, and let him do the rest. Because he'll never, ever let you go down.

He's given another chance to make his life better than before, even though time has already caught on him. He might not be as strong and agile as before, but he doesn't ran out of gas easily, because his inexhaustible source of his energy comes from our mighty father, up there, watching and guiding us. If you need a friend, especially in time of grief and sorrow, call on God. He never fails. He never did.

Good day.