Continuous Learning to Improve

This year, I wanted to improve on my singing. This is the talent that God has given me (not to brag but I do love singing!)

So, I started enrolling in a music school.

For the first half of the year, I enrolled for voice lessons. I wanted to see if there is a chance for me to be a singer someday.

At first, I wasn’t that good.

I admit. I haave a long way to go before I can be good.

Fortunately, my teachers pushed me hard to learn and improve more.

As they say, “Practice makes perfect.”

I also tried to audition for the school’s elite group of singers. It was my very first time to audition for voice. I auditioned several times for PBB (Pinoy Bg Brother) but that’s a different story.

I was a mess after I sang my piece. But still, I continued to enroll and learn more on what are needed for me to improve vocally.

At the same time, I was also learning how to write songs. It was hard at first, though. But learning from the mentor and the classmates from the workshop, I felt that I can do it that I can also write songs.

So I began writing songs. I even submitted my first ever Visayan song in VisPop competition, a Visayan songwriting competition in the Cebu.

It’s a joy to write one. Even though, it didn’t win but the fact that my song was enlisted as of the entries which passed the first round makes me pleased already.

By the way, my very first composition was for Mama Mary’s birthday celebration last year. It won as one of the finalist. That’s why I ventured out on songwriting as well. At the same time, it’s fun writing one. I have a lot of ideas in my mind that I can convert them to possible songs. So watch out for more!

When I joined the Gig on the first half of the year, preferably called as a concert instead, I struggled with stage-fright and I wasn’t that confident back then.

But when the concert started, I never thought that it was so fun! It brought me back my confidence and at the same time, there wasn’t any bit of stage-fright I felt back then. It molded and transformed me when I’m on stage.

So, on the second half of the year, I continued my lessons on the voice. To improve more on my listening skills, I also enrolled for keyboard. It’s one of my dreams to play keyboard as well.

I felt my improvement both in singing and in playing an instrument.

Then I joined the concert again if there are any improvements on my vocals and playing the instrument.

And I did improve! I was now confident singing on stage. No more stage fright. And it was fun! 

Although, there are still rooms for improvement on my vocals but still having my presence on stage was fun! I was having fun!

For the last classes of this year, I enrolled once more. I can’t help but learn more and was thinking that there are still a lot of work for me to improve on vocally and playing the instruments.

This time, I auditioned for the second time. After I sang my piece, Tita Anna was on standing ovation! I never felt proud that I have improved a lot! I never thought that my genre would be more on ballad and soul. And also, it just confirmed that I have a possibility to become an emotional balladeer someday!

That was big!

What’s more is that I have made new songs – the new original compositions that need polishing with my collaborator. I can’t wait to have it be included in iTunes or Spotify someday.

Then, the last concert of the year has come. In this concert, I had a solo performance. I never in my life had sung solo in front of a crowd, except for band gigs.

When the concert started and my turn to sing has come, I felt a bit nervous. But when the song has started, I feel singing it out wholeheartedly.

Several applause were heard from my performance! I never thought I can connect to the crowd with my song!

It was a dream came true! My teachers and Tita Anna were so proud of my performance. One of my teacher said that I should audition for the elite group once more!

What a blessing!

As the year ends, I have improved a lot vocally! I also had improved a bit on playing the keyboard.

But these don’t stop me to continue learning. I will still continue to enroll in the music school, learn and improve.

I am so excited for the next year to come! I will continue to learn and improve and eventually be the artist I really wanted to be.

In this life, we shouldn’t stop learning. We can still learn on how to improve our talent, our work, our career, our relationships and even our spirituality.

There are so many things that we can do in life that we need to focus on what matters most. And once we find that focal point of learning, improve and improve and improve until we get what we really wanted in life.

Never stop learning as long as we live here on earth. And continue to believe that all you’re big dreams back in childhood will be fulfilled when you continued to pursue and learn from it.

Continue to learn so that you can continue to improve.

Investing on Experiences rather than Things

I have learned this quote from Jayson Lo’s book entitled, “Debtermined.”

He stated that it’s more important to invest on experiences than the material stuff here on earth, which is so true.

Anna Fegi-Brown of the Brown Academy of Music implied that, “No matter whether you passed or failed the audition, the important thing is that you have gained experience out of it. So keep trying and learn from your experience.” This is also so true. I can learn a lot from my experiences in the auditions to help me improve more.

Experiences can be more costly than material things. But the effect on a person will be memorable. It will not be taken away.

Let me share you some of my story on this one.

On the financial side, I wanted to learn about stocks and mutual funds. That includes insurances as well.

So, what I did, I self-studied. Learn from the books I read, search for stock brokers or fund managers and attend seminars about financial literacy and on how money works.

I have undergone a lot. I have learned a lot. I even endured losses a lot.

In terms of financial losses, I got bankrupt. I got scammed and continued this one for one whole year.

Yes. You’re surprised, right?

I played along with the scam and tried to see how long it will take me there. Unfortunately, my fuse blew up after a year and discontinued it. Making a lot of money loss including my entire savings and stuff.

But you know what, I’m glad I’ve experienced it.

Why? Because now I know the feeling of being bankrupt and how it impacts my life.

Same goes for insurances. I have applied several insurances and top it all off, I wasn’t able to continue a single one of them. This is due to my bankruptcy experience.  I even got scammed on insurances.

Those experiences led me to think more carefully on what insurances will I apply and how will I benefit from it.

I became more careful in terms of my finances. I became more aware of the pros and cons on stocks, mutual funds and insurances. I became wiser and picky in terms of getting money to grow better.

That’s what experiences taught me. 

Material things on the other hand, are forgettable. I am a bit obsessed with shoes, just a little bit. I like to buy casual shoes but I tried to limit the shoes I buy.

Whenever I buy one, I get happy and excited but just for a short-term. It won’t last forever.

Experiences are long-term memories while material stuffs are short-term memories.

In terms of travel, this is the best experience I will cherish forever.

Jayson Lo stated in his book “Debtermined,” that we should travel once a year. He said that travelling can give us new discoveries, new places to visit to and to learn from. He also stated that it can give us a new environment apart from the places we’ve been through every single day. 

Travel can give us a glimpse of nature and traditions we never experienced.

In other words, travel makes us experience other places, traditions and people we can apply when we go back home. And it can give us piece of mind to relax and enjoy the beauty of the places.

That’s why I LOVE travelling.

I’ve been travelling around the Philippines many times already. It’s fun and I enjoyed the experiences I have been through.

I’ve met new people. I’ve been to new places. I’ve eaten new delicacies and new cuisines. I’ve learned new traditions and cultures and a lot more.

Travelling is the best experience ever. It is costly but memorable.

Another experience I am currently investing on is my talents.

I love music and I love to sing. That’s why I enrolled to Brown Academy of Music to learn how to sing and even play instruments.

I just started my enrollment with the school January of this year. I continued until this very month.

First experience was very struggling. I struggle with my schedules and with my investment (I never made this one as an expense since I’ll be learning to enhance my talents) on the school.

Then, I continued until the very end of my lessons up to the Gig or concert. First try was nerve-wracking. But when I continued, it was fun! I enjoyed doing it.

I tried auditions in the school, but to no avail. My last audition was the best so far. Even though, I failed to be enlisted, I improved a lot! Tita Anna even applauded me for my improvements. My teacher even said to me that I should continue doing auditions. And I will do that next year.

This year was fun because of my experiences in the music school. The lessons are a bit expensive but worth it. 

What I have learned from the school is to garner more experience as I become an artist. I even got my songwriting talent from the workshops spearheaded by the school.

I have written several songs now and I will continue learning until I exceeding my expectations on my music career.

Those experiences alone are worth investing. It can never be replaced.

Now, experiences can also be from our failures.

The moment we failed, we tried to get better from it and learn.

Oftentimes, when we experience failures, we get doomed. We gave up. We surrender and move on to the next.

But some will try and try again until they succeed.

Experiencing failures can be a waste of money and time. But learning from those experiences can be worth it.

No matter how costly the seminars, the travel expenses and the learning are, these experiences will be worth it. It will be cherished forever.

So, whenever I planned to travel or learn new skill or continue to build up my talent, I will continue to invest on these even though they can be costly. But the experiences on these investments are worth it.

There will come a time that I might find difficulty in financing my investments. I know God will provide me with enough money to continue with those investments and build more experience.   

The 4-day Conference Experience

This is the continuation of my travel trips from Singapore.

After the connecting flight going to Manila, I will be attending the 4-day conference to be held in SMX Convention Center and MOA Arena.

The whole conference experience was a blast!

Let me share my experiences on a per day basis because each day have lessons that I would like to impart to all of you.

DAY 1

I am so excited to attend the first day of the conference. It’s like the First Day Hi when entering college. I have never been to SMX Convention Center. This will be the first.

As I entered SMX together with my Cebu friends, we’re greeted with so many warmth people to assist us with our registration to the conference.

A simple scanning of the QR code and we’re good to go. Got our kits and proceeded to the hall for the first session.

Amazingly, I’ve bumped to one of my ex-Accenture colleague, Clark, who is documenting the entire event! I never thought I’m gonna see him in the conference and we did a selfie!

At the start of the day, we had worship songs sang and the songs are originally composed by the servants in the conference. The songs were amazing! Harmony of the singers is astounding and not even a single flat or sharp have I heard from them. Simply amazing!

Right after was the talk by Jon Escoto on Think Forward. Its main message is think double, meaning our thoughts will be the basis of our actions. The talk was great! And I learned a lot from it.

Then, the next parts of the entire day is the most exciting of all – the breakout classes. These are classes that I wanted to learn more about.

The first class I attended was the class of Ilsa Reyes on Inside Out (not the movie though). The class is all about inner healing. Learning on how we can resolve the issues within us with the use of the sacrament of confession. It’s great to know on how I can start healing myself from within based from this talk.

The second class was in the afternoon session. It was the class of Herald Cruz on Family Communication. It’s amazing that the first class can be related to this one. The first class was all about healing on my own self while this class was all about healing within the family. I have learned that as much as possible the family should be open to one another and be honest and truthful so that relationships within can be strengthen more.

The last class of the day was the class of Joen de las Penas and Noel Arandilla on How Money works. It’s basically on how I can start making money work for me. It can be either investing or business. There are tons of ways to make money work for itself without doing much effort.

The day was ended with more worship songs and they sang them beautifully. All the songs I’ve heard that day made me LSS (Last Song Syndrome).

After the worship songs, the last talk of the day was Faith Forward by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers. 

He’s an amazing speaker! I have never heard a speaker like him before whom he would stress words to emphasize them clearly to the audience. Amazing! His talk is all about finding true happiness through joy.

That ended my first day of attending the conference. It was a grace-filled day for me because I have learned about healing for my own self, healing for my family, healing on my finances and about think and faith forward. The songs were also amazing!

And there’s more! My friends who attended the Laughing Yoga class gave us some exercises on how laughter can heal us physically and spiritually. The exercises are funny but amazingly enjoyable. And it releases negative energy as well. That was fun!

I can’t wait for the next day on what lessons I’ll be learning next!

DAY 2

The next day, the venue was still on the SMX Convention Center. We’re greeted by the new set of warmth people to assist us on our registration for the 2^nd day by scanning our QR code.

The morning was filled by new original compositions sang by no other than the youth! The young people in the house were amazing! They’re in sync and their voices blended with harmony. They are far better than yesterday.

After the worship songs played, the youth shared experiences of their past and how they ended up serving the Lord. It’s amazing how the youth of today can be more open with their sharing and how they can impact other youth as well. I applaud them for that!

The breakout classes are resumed after the sharing of the youth.

My first class that I attended was about Healing the Whole Being by Dr. Didoy Lubaton. I can never forget what he taught us back then. He said, “Stress is the number one disease in the entire world.” He even shared to us how to treat the root cause not the symptoms by using the WHY formula. He even ended the class with the words, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” That is so true! Because tomorrow will worry for itself.

The second class in the afternoon sessions was on the Spiritual Freedom on Addictions by Fr. Bob McConagahy. He said that addictions are distractions from our misery and interpersonal relationships. There are even excuses we made to not let people know of our addictions. Addictions are treated as emotions over intellect. Sometimes we need to accept the fact that we needed help on this one.

The last class of the day was on What the Single Person needs to Move Forward by Pastor Dennis Sy. It was a fun talk. The big message of this talk is finding purpose as a single. It doesn’t mean to change status of relationship and to find a partner. That’s a bonus. But what’s most important of all is to find my purpose here on earth. Should I be for celibacy, marriage or single blessedness? That’s the purpose I need to find out.

The day ended with more worship songs originally composed by the servants in the conference. And still the youth sang those songs masterfully.

Then, Daddy O talked about Move Forward. He said, “Life is a struggle. Struggle is life. Yet move forward.” In everything we wanted to do, when we add the word “YET,” it means that there something we can expect from it and it will come eventually. I got teary-eyed as Daddy O continued to share about this talk. It’s a touching talk for me.

Then Bo Sanchez awarded the youth for the contests winners on Bible Quiz and on Camp Calye designs. What’s more amazing is that the 15 year old Bible Quiz winner was awarded a Holy Land trip next year! How cool was that? it was jaw-dropping and shocking at the same time!

The 2^nd day was grace-filled as well. Me and my friends discussed on how we can apply everything when we go back home. It was a fun day because the youth are leading the worship and they even shared their past experiences as well. That amazes me.

I’m looking forward for the next day on what’s in store for me.

DAY 3

This will be the last day of having breakout classes. I’m gonna miss the talks.

The venue is still on SMX Convention Center where we are greeted with a new batch of warmth people who assisted us on our registration for the 3^rd day. They’ve scanned the QR code and we’re good to go.

But this day is special. Today is the Youth Conference. It’s a whole day event especially for the youth. I don’t know what to expect from their conference even though I wasn’t included in that conference.

The day began with more worship songs originally composed by the servants in the conference. The worship was led by George Gabriel. It was so powerful and amazing. Singers are almost in sync in harmony.

After the worship, Bo Sanchez shared that,” We’re pregnant with a mission. ” He even shared about how we can start our mission by a simple Feast video. The Feast video is just a video presentation with 10 – 12 members of the household watching a certain topic and share experiences based from the video.

What struck me most and got me teary-eyed is when a maid and a person with cerebral palsy shared their experiences on starting the Feast Video. On that point, I cried tears of joy for them because I never thought that someone like them can start it. I wanna do it as well because they touched me deeply.

Afterwards, on to the first class of the day. It was about standing in the gap by Anthony Pangilinan. It was an interactive talk. We even got chances to choose choices from the screen using the audience response gadget. That’s a first for me.

And also, I got to meet someone who seated just next right to me. A half-breed, half-Filipino and half-foreign (no idea where she’s from exactly) but surely, she’s pretty. On the instance, I blushed and got stiffed without even asking her name or number. I got totally shy on that moment. Anyways, the talk was all about making solutions between gaps. It’s all about engagement. Embracing the chaotic world, anger management, competency, an eye on details, anticipates the wrong, getting real and exposing others to stand in the gap. That was a blast of wisdom from the speaker. I learned a lot, really.

The second class in the afternoon session was about rediscovering God’s gift by Dra. Susan Balingit. It her talk, she shared the benefits of nature to our health. How nature can help us grow naturally without the needs of complicated medicines and other stuff.

The last class of the day was the most amazing of all classes I’ve been through. It’s all about the 4 personality types by Jayson Lo. There I learned about the Dominant Eagle, Influential Rooster, Steady Carabao and Corrective Tarsier. I never thought that I myself am a Steady Carabao. Not in a hurry, lazy and takes time to decide. Well, that’s me for sure. And also, that was the time, I bought a book for the whole duration of the conference. I learned a lot from this talk.

We closed the day with more songs of worship. It’s amazing that I got drowned in the songs they’re singing and I loved it!

We even got a chance to hear from Tintin and Julius Babao on their experiences as a family. It’s really amazing. That was the first time I saw a news anchor in person.

At the same time, we got free books! Courtesy of Bo Sanchez! He gave us his new book entitled, “How Good People like you can become Rich.” I can’t wait to read it!

At the end of the day, we got pictures from the speakers and other guests.

By the way, during the classes, the whole floor was in earthquake mode. It’s because of the youth conference! It was so amazing how they praise and glorify God in their worship and we were shocked on the impact they gave us.

That ended the conference proper for 3 straight days. It was amazing and fun-filled. And I even got to meet her. I just hope we can see each other again (fingers crossed!) it was a blast!

I can’t wait on the very last day of the conference! Looking so forward to it!

DAY 4, Final Day

This marks the finale of the conference I attended.

The venue was held in MOA Arena. It’s also my first time to be in this place. A lot of firsts for me!

 Then we entered the arena starting with a long pile of lining going inside. It’s like I’m auditioning for PBB! (I did audition for it several times now.)

When we got inside, we got a spectacular spot in the Lower Box section. We can see people below and above us. What an amazing place to be!

The program started with a mass concelebrated by Fr. Dave Concepcion. Even his homily was touching and wonderful that I can apply those I’ve learned from it. The communion was also organized.

After the mass, a production number from the K5 was performed. It was so amusing to watch them crack jokes and having fun singing a song.

Then, Bo Sanchez shared about the theme of the conference, Forward. The big message of his talk was “You are different now.” No matter how long we get to go back and forth and back and forth, we managed to become different along the way.

After the talk was some sharing from people who were saved by their continuous perseverance and always moving forward.

The closing worship, or shall I say the closing concert, was jam-packed. Glowing lights brightened the whole arena while singing worship songs. It was an amazing sight to behold. The atmosphere was grace-filled and was covered with drowning love while singing the songs of worship.

That was the best worship concert I attended so far.

That 4-day conference was worth it. It was a blessing and a healing for me at the same time.

I was even looking forward for it next year! Til the next conference!  

A Solo Backpacker Experience

Just this month, I had my first ever international flights as a solo backpacker.

Yes.

Mind you it would be great to have company when going to another country. It would be fun and exciting especially there’s someone to talk and share experiences to.

But being alone in venturing and exploring new countries is much more fun and exciting than being a pair.

Why? I‘ll share you my story.

On the first half of this year, I got an amazing reward.

It’s a gift certificate of 3 days and 2 nights stay in a hotel on any places listed, either international or domestic.  By the way, this gift certificate is good for two and I took the liberty to be alone in this trip instead. (You will know why.)

And they are free of charge! What a reward!

My first glance was not on the domestic routes but on the international ones instead. So I took the Malaysian route, Kuala Lumpur.

I planned my trips ahead and even made a quick stop in Singapore for a day before going to Kuala Lumpur. Then I made a detour in Manila to attend a four-day conference.

As I planned my plane tickets, pocket money and all, I made sure that everything’s well prepared and nothing is forgotten.

My Singaporean Experience

Since this is my first time to go out of the country, I was so nervous when I checked in for the international flight going first to Singapore. And to top it all, I was alone. So my nervousness heightens. But that doesn’t stop me to explore a whole new horizon even if I’m a solo backpacker.

When I arrived in Singapore early morning, there are NO phone signals. So I got a bit worried since I don’t know how to communicate with Chuck, a community friend, who will be my tour guide/guardian for the day.

After passing through the Immigration, Chuck is already outside waiting for me.

Thank goodness! What a relief!

If it wasn’t for him, I dunno if I can tour the country all by myself and it would be much MORE expensive than what I have planned for the trip.

When we went to Chuck’s home, we got to ride an Uber car. It was my first time to ride it and the driver seat is on the right side. How cool is that?

And so, we toured around places after settling my things. Bought some chocolates and key chains with promo rates as souvenirs.  We ate different cuisines, toured around Marina Bay areas and even walked around the underground tunnels to explore other places. We even went to Suntec City to attend a prayer gathering and met new people there. It was fun!

What’s more amazing is that there Wi-Fi connection is so fast that I can download or stream movies in minutes unlike in the Philippines. There are NO squatter areas and NO traffic! The places are clean and orderly. The people are much disciplined as well.

My expenses for the Singaporean day trip were much lesser than the budget I have prepared for! If I had a travel buddy joining me in this trip, chances are expenses would be bigger than planned. So it’s just right to have taken this trip solo and probably the two of us wouldn’t be accommodated in Chuck’s house since it’s a bit small.

On my whole day trip, I was so eager to ride a double-decker bus. I was so looking forward to it that all the buses we’ve taken are just the normal ones. By the way, buses and trains use cards as tickets for the rides. Meaning, fares are cashless. Even for Grab and Uber as well.

Before going to the bus terminal which I will be taking my Malaysian trip there, I was so excited when I got to have a chance to ride a double-decker bus before leaving Singapore! It was a dream come true!

My Malaysian Experience

After a 5-6 hour bus ride from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, I finally arrived in Malaysia! The second country I have visited for the very first time.

I arrived in the bus terminal very early in the morning, so I took a cab going to the hotel for my free 3-day and 2-night stay. And note there are still NO phone signals so the only thing I can rely on is the Wi-Fi connections.

As I have arrived in the hotel, it was SO early and I have to wait for 6 straight hours before I can check in at my room.

So what I did is that I walked around the outskirts of the KL Sentral area, which is just near the hotel so that I wouldn’t get lost. As I looked around, the places are more likely the same in the Philippines. There are beggars lying around the streets, some establishments are old and wretched and there are lots of construction sites around specifically near the river going to Chinatown or Central Market.

My plan was to roam around Chinatown or the Central Market when the goods are affordable and where I can buy a nice pair of shoes.

When I looked at the map and walked around, I got lost. I went to places that are not even close to the destinations I will be heading to. And so, I went back to the hotel and waited there for the remainder of the time.

Being lost at that time made me realized that I got to discover new places and explore around them. 

That’s why it’s a good reason to get lost sometimes.

When I finally checked in at my room, I settled everything, took a bath (I haven’t gotten a bath after arriving at the hotel) and relaxed on the bed watching TV.

My brother-in-law toured me around Chinatown and Central Market after his work. We ate Chinese and Arab cuisines. We even bought souvenirs including a pair of shoes, perfume and watch. We even bought chocolates in Central Market which are affordable as well. Even my brother-in-law bought a pair of shoes and shirts that night which he wasn’t planning to buy at all.

On the whole morning till afternoon of the next day, I just stayed in the hotel watched movies and TV series using their fast Wi-Fi connection.

The room that I stayed in was more organized and clean than the other hotels I have stayed in the Philippines. Even the compliments and towels are replaced on the next day and all are arranged accordingly. The room is cozy and relaxed that I stayed there for the whole morning till afternoon.

After my brother-in-law’s work is done, he toured me again. But this time, we went to the Petronas Towers, the so-called Twin Towers of Malaysia. We got to ride different trains to our destinations. The trains there are more spacious and chilly than the MRTs and LRTs of Manila.

When we went got to the Pertronas Towers to have pictures taken, we also got an amazing opportunity to watch the dancing fountain LIVE!

It was so cool and amazing! It was like watching a theatrical musical in water.

On my last day in Malaysia, I readied myself to go to the airport bound for Singapore and have a connecting flight bound to Manila.

My expenses for my Malaysian trip were once again much lesser than the budget I have prepared for! If I had a travel buddy with me, chances are we won’t be lost and won’t be able to discover new places. Expenses would be high on food, souvenirs and tours. And I won’t be having a ME time in the hotel if I had a travel buddy with me.

My realizations of being a solo backpacker

When I have arrived in Changi airport for my connecting flight bound to Manila, I have realized some things.

It’s thrifty when I go solo even on international trips. All the tours I had are all unplanned and even though I haven’t explored all the tourist attractions in the country, I got to have my ME time and chill.

I even got time to meet new friends and get lost to discover new places. I even saved money from my trips abroad. I got to enjoy the places I have visited on my own and had a time to discern and reflect on my next plans. These are just some perks of being a solo backpacker.

Prior to my international trips, I been to places on my own and it’s amazing to be just myself and enjoy.

Sometimes, we need to be on our own to reflect, discern and meditate on the things we need to do when we get back home. Sometimes, being alone in a foreign country can give us a boost of confidence and explore new heights without anyone judging or making comparisons.

So take a time off and go to places on your own. You’ll discover more things than having a companion.

Jun's life on clouds: A Family of Warm Disciples

Jun's life on clouds: A Family of Warm Disciples: A disciple is someone who believes and supports a person. A friend is someone who believes and supports a person as well. Therefore, a ...

A Family of Warm Disciples

A disciple is someone who believes and supports a person.

A friend is someone who believes and supports a person as well.

Therefore, a disciple is a friend.

On the first Saturday of this month, we had an overnight-stay at a resort. It is a Feast-wide gathering and fellowship of all Warmth servants.

When we were about to go to the venue, it was raining hard and all the vehicles are jam-packed with tons of people lining up. So the group decided to get a v-hire for all of us, including some of the production servants (just to drop them off).

When we arrived at the venue, the place is more likely exclusive for us. Then we settled in, freshened up and got ready for the activities.

The activities are simple but a lot of hard work and thinking. It even includes teamwork, cooperation, support and guidance to complete the tasks as a group.

It was so funny and fun at the same time. I made all of them as my friends that day. We cracked jokes, bullied some people (for fun), shared a lot of things to one another and helped out on our food.

As what we usually do at the Feast, we accommodate and bring warmth to each other on that day.

 We shared our impressions to one another. We got to know more and learn a lot from each other. We even got to chit-chat with them.

At the end of the gathering and fellowship, we winded up as very close friends. A family of very close friends.

Then, it struck me. I just realized that we are not just servants, but friends. And as friends, we are disciples as well.

Disciples are not just harvesting fish among the vast sea. They’re not just preaching the Good News to people. They are not just making attendees to servants. They are not just followers to the rules. They are not just aiming for more members in the group. They are not just making people to serve.

Disciples are friends.

Friends are helping and supporting people. Friends will break rules just to help them. Friends care for the welfare of others. Friends listen and understand the good and bad sides of people. Friends wait for people when they are ready to serve.  

Sometimes, we tend to forget what the true essence of discipleship is. Making disciples is making friends. As long as we make a lot of friends, we make a lot of disciples as well.

Personally, I made lots of friends in the light groups I have. But it doesn’t mean that I have to let them serve because I need them to.  I let them serve when they wanted to, no matter how long and how ready they are.

Just like in the Warmth gathering, they are all ready to help, serve and make friends. They even wanted to help me in my service no matter what other people may say. They will do it because they wanted to and they care and support me. That’s an act of true discipleship in my case.  

That’s why I love serving in the Warmth ministry. Because I see them as my family of warm disciples.

False Love Alarm

Love is a beautiful word. It’s so beautiful that it hurts.

Yes. Love hurts.

Sometime in our lives, we tend to fall in love with someone. Daydreaming and thinking about ways to get up close and personal with that special someone. All-day call and text just to get some of that person’s attention.  

Rain check: Not all the time we get what we want especially in Love. We can get to be friends with that person but not as partners in life. We can get to be in a relationship with that person but not as married couples.

Sometimes when we fall in love, we fall down hard and that will hurt a lot. After that, we tend to close ourselves from the world and cry out to the Lord. Blaming Him of not getting what we want.

In other words, it’s a false alarm. Rather, a false Love alarm.

Let me share you a bit of my story.

A year ago, I got a crush on a person. At first, we just talked and talked about our common interests and hobbies in life. After the conversation, I felt like I’m beginning to like her. And that’s the start on my crushing on her.

But I said to myself, “I still need to discern if she is the one for me.”

It took me a whole year of discernment just for that! Apart from it, I continued to build a name for myself in my music and writing careers (I’m getting better on this one!)

On that same year, there are certain circumstances that I felt like God is making His move about my discernment on her. There are already three (3) scenarios to be exact that I should make my OWN move on her. Even my friends would say that I should ask her out. And boom! The famous #AskHerOut tagline was born! Credit to my friend who persistently reminded me to do it.

And so, I give in to their request. I felt that it’s now the right time to court her because every time I saw her, I feel that I’m drawn to her more and more.

And so I did. I started to text her, talked to her and even gave a gift. I felt like I’m making progress.

Then, the unforeseen event came. We talked about “The Us” and she even told me that she’s dating someone else. She just wanted us to be friends. No more, no less.

Boom! A prick of thorn hit me so bad that it hurts. For three (3) straight days, I still feel that pain. I was expecting that she’s still available. But sad to say, someone got her first. False alarm, Jun.

But I just realized something. Even though we’re friends, I can still help her out on her relationship to be happy. Whenever she’s happy, I’m happy as well.

And also, I feel that God is still working on me right now to become a better me. Even though, I’m ready to fall in love, God thinks I still need to prepare myself for battle. I still need to focus on Him and to the dreams He had for me.

Although it’s a false love alarm, God will truly give that true love that He planned for me. While I wait, I’ll do what I have to do – make more friends and eventually find that princess.

So, never give up. It may be a false alarm. But to God, He will give you the True Love you seek for.