Seriously, countries imposing death penalties for drug related cases and crimes should also provide an investigation team that could really bring out real evidences and expose the truth on each case..and not carelessly convict innocent individuals..their system should be competent enough!! They should find out the root cause and not simply kill helpless victims of human trafficking!! Indonesia, provide a good investigative team, for goodness' sake!!! You should hire detectives as good as Sherlock Holmes. And for your information, even Jesus never condemned anybody for sinning, esp the ones who repented of their sins!!

Sign the petition now!

https://www.change.org/p/indonesian-pres-joko-widodo-jokowi-do2-save-the-life-of-human-trafficking-victim-mary-jane-veloso?recruiter=27174194&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_page&utm_term=des-lg-share_petition-custom_msg&fb_ref=Default

Imagine you've only got 3 days to live...
Perhaps one should not face death by counting the days left, he/she should instead cherish each moment given him/her..

Let this be an eye-opener for all of us.. each day is a miracle.. and if there is anyway we could help our fellowmen, we should do so.. and if we could not ever help them, we should at least not harm or hurt them.. (Dalai Lama)

pic from this Tumblr page

it is never too late.. pray for Mary Jane

i was feeling so down this Saturday night... I feel so unfulfilled.. i feel sad.. i feel depressed...

i grabbed a cute bottle containing encouraging and enlightening Bible verses. My fingers were going through the papers inside, choosing from among a hundred of those verses, while i silently encouraged myself thinking "the joy of the Lord is your strength".. And out came my fingers holding the verse i've chosen.. Can you guess what verse i've picked?

These past days i have been confused, disoriented. How can an ordinary person be fully at awe of and enjoy and contemplate every beauty God has put into creation when bad things are happening in the world? It's like how can you rejoice for the birth of your firstborn child when you know your wife died after labor.. Because if i were to choose, i'd rather dwell on subjects and thoughts and happenings that bring me joy and inspiration... But i was thinking of babies dying, girls raped, Christians executed, distorted beliefs. Yet i cannnot deny that i am also very amazed with the way God watches over me and tells me He loves me as much as He loves all of us.. i was aware that this amazement was not pure amazement because at the back of my mind, i was worried about whatever evil was going on in the world.. And yet for the nth time, God reminds me that He is God... He can handle that stuff and everything else not only under the sun, but also everything surrounding the sun.. He can handle that! i cannot fix everything yet i have myself..i have my faith..and He says that i can never go wrong pleasing Him..because He is the source of all goodness..

So lemme tell you too, somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly.. And they are happy and joyful blue birds because they know they are pleasing God by becoming the kind of birds God wants them to be.. So when in doubt, just remember, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

For Tom Thornton's Angel

Can you believe it? :)

MoriLee designers made a gown that's a little bit the same as the one i've envisioned for Jamie. :)
They actually made it come to life! ..although i haven't really pictured it to be as sexy as this one..

i just don't like it being a mermaid gown.. i'd rather have it made in A-line cut..

this drawing is my interpretation of how Nicholas described Jamie in the dress.. she must look ethereal, like an angel. :)

thanks to MoriLee by Madeline Gardner

To me it was not a reality...

Prologue..
i received a text message about a blood letting program on March 2. i just had to inform my friends (i'm talking about all the people in my phone book) that there would be a mass blood donation on the said date at the University of the Immaculate Conception, Bonifacio St.. i'd always wanted to donate blood, but i knew i wasn't heavy enough to reach 50 kgs. So the least i could do was to inform as many people as i could. i was texted by a friend, Donna, studying Medical Laboratory Science at UIC and she was asking me if i could be a blood donor under her name (this was a requirement for 3rd yr MLS students in UIC).. so i told her that i am not sure whether i am heavy enough for blood donation.. but then again i told her that i'd still come and if i'd reach 50 kgs, i'd donate...

Chapter 1 - Revelations of Donna
Then the day came, March 2, 2015 -Monday. i got up to get ready for work when i suddenly felt nervous... "What if i really did reach 50 kgs? Then i'd really have to let a needle into my skin and deep into my vein!" My work sked for that day was not that tight.. in fact, i have not much to do.. that gives me no reason to back out to that crazy donation...

It was almost noon and about a hundred people were in the gymnasium - some were facilitators and some were "aspiring" blood donors like me..Wow!... of course i wanted to donate blood and support the mission of the Red Cross.. but then i was also scared... "How painful would the procedure be?" - this was my main concern.. With Donna accompanying me, she assured me that the pain was just tolerable. Now, what in the world did "tolerable" mean???? This gives me a clue that this is really more painful that an injection, otherwise she would've just said that it'll be just like an ant bite! i became a lot more nervous to learn that she was the one who was going to insert a needle in my veins!! i was not oriented properly, alright! i was thinking that professionals would do that.. but then again, this was a requirement for them... huhuhu.. i was getting crazier by the minute... it actually feels like i am a subject to some kind of medical experiment... huhuhu..

Chapter 2 - Tests
Test 1. The weighing scale. i was half-praying that i'd pass this first test, and i was half-praying that i'd fail.. before me in the line was a small guy.. he weighed in and finding out that he was below 50kgs, the nurse/medical expert just sent him away.. if i'd pass this test, then this really is it - the day the Lord planned for me to donate blood for the first time ever! And so you should know that on that day, i weighed exactly 50 kgs.

There was no backing out. With all my courage lagging behind me, the only things that kept me going was the thought that i'd be able to help an MLS student gain some more experience, and that i'd be able to help that one stranger with a 450-mL blood from me.. and i'm not sure about the latter, by the way..

Test 2. i was tested for normal blood pressure, temperature and heart rate.

i was really nervous.. it was a different kind of nervousness that i felt in comparison to moments when i was preparing for class reports, oral recitations, periodical exams.. this kind of nervousness is about life and death.. i felt like i was going to die.. i thought of Jesus.. honestly, this was nothing compared to His great sacrifice.. maybe this is the least i could do.. i held on to the Lord's courage.

Test 3. Finger Prick. A mini-blood-letting activity. They had to get a drop of blood from me to check if that droplet would sink or float in a standard solution of some chemical/s.. if it floats, then i failed.. Floating would indicate that the blood in my body was just enough for me and that i had no spare blood to donate.. But i was already sure that i'd donate blood today so i knew that i'd pass.. and i really did - my drop of blood sank! Surprise!

Test 3. i had to answer a few questions on my medical history, my past and present illnesses/conditions.. they just had to make sure that i am a qualified donor.

It was already time for lunch and those proceeding to test 4 had to wait about an hour to do so because the physicians assigned to test 4 are having their lunch... i looked around me and i realized that for this activity, boys outnumbered girls. To my estimate, girl to boy ratio is 1:10.. i was definitely amazed because for the many activities i've attended to, boys are losing to girls in number (and in size, jk!). i realized, maybe boys really have some kind of longing inside of them.. some desire to contribute to something noble and important.. Maybe, they just are not able to express this desire for participation as easily as girls do.. or maybe they may not have been able to find any worthy activity yet until this.. but then again, maybe they just want to prove that they really are boys by shedding blood! hehehe..

Test 4. It's easy. The physicians just test our emotional preparedness. Maybe they just had to make sure we are not very nervous to the point that we'd pass out on or after blood letting..

At this point, i was unexpectedly growing excited.. i felt like i was a part of some kind of important historical event! Gosh! So instead of being scared, i found myself encouraging other blood donors.. :)

Chapter 3 - This is IT !!

Donna was ready to bled me in my right arm. i was scared again, but i had to tell her that i trusted her, because i also actually did, and it would also lessen her fear of hurting me.. :) More than anything, what i've learned that moment was that my friend was actually more scared than i was.. and i really appreciated her more for that.. it was painful - the insertion, but i was able to bear the pain.. i just was not expecting it to still hurt when they were already done inserting the needle.. so i asked all of them looking after me why does it still hurt after the needle was already placed in.. they did not answer enough to satisfy me.. they just moved and adjusted the needle inside my vein.. it felt weird.. Suddenly they told me that blood was not flowing into the blood bag anymore because my vein collapsed.. So they'd either have to bled me on my left arm or they'd have to reject the blood inside the bag. Of course,  i don't want to waste the blood and all of our efforts so i had no choice but to give them the permission to insert the same needle in my left arm.. i was all ready to cry.. "Lord, i just wanted to help.. why does it have to be this risky, scary, painful..." i felt so helpless.. i felt all my fears coming back to me.. this time it was Aiven's (also a 3rd yr MLS student) turn to insert the needle in my arm..

Epilogue
i was relieved.. it was all over.. we reached the needed 450 mL of blood. :) Honestly i wanted to donate regularly after that.. Of course, i felt a little traumatized with what i've experienced, but it was really an honor to be part of that event for a good cause.. also, i was very much honored that for my first blood donation, 2 CYAers inserted the needle into my arms. :) Perfect! God is the perfect planner ever! :D

i hope more people would find and be given the courage to donate blood. But then again, when you ask for courage, God will not give you courage but opportunities to be courageous. We just have to decide to take the first step, and God will give us the grace to do the task..

Let us support Red Cross!!! founded by Jean-Henri Dunant 

P.S. i was also inspired by kuya Paolo.. he has donated a lot of times already.. if not for him, this may be posted later than now. :)

Seeing this in our dining area, i am much more inspired to eat...

below is also drawn by my brother... he was so inspired by my bagtak (calf- leg part) that he wanted to capture the whole moment..

that PS part is about him teasing my sister.. telling her that we will not miss her now that she will be away for a training.. :)

...they're all in this girl's repertoire....

How to Shake Hands???

Before i let you go.. :) stories found in stamps

Haha #1

i was about to share this on Fb because the Russian was so witty and very funny when i realized i no longer eat eggs.. hahaha! ok...

Sticker album.. Bye...

some paintings at the Sangguniang Panglungsod ng Dabaw

by Ben Bañez, Jr. - 1996

by Jun Pamisa, 8|12|1996

About Modesty

"..modesty isn't about covering our bodies because they're bad;
modesty isn't about hiding ourselves
- it's about revealing our dignity..
We were made beautiful in His image and likeness"
~ Jessica Rey 🍓



Read this article about the video His Precious Daughter

Bits of sunshine and faith :)

Love at first strike

(there is a love stronger than death; passion deeper than this life)

Watching the movie the Passion of the Christ, i was disappointed to know that we would be starting in the middle of the movie. The retreat facilitators decided for it to be so, so that there would still be time for those who would want to go to confession.

So Jesus was to be scourged. i was shocked! i wasn't prepared for the intensity of the first scene before us. The movie was unique in the way it highlighted the pain Jesus went through before He died. i just can't help it.. the way He was tortured - it was so inhumane.. the sight of blood coming out from His body, the sight of His flesh being torn apart.. the thought of Jesus contracting some kind of tetanus-ic disease because of those unclean metals sinking into His skin.. it was all too morbid for me to see.. but more than that, it was too painful for Him to bear.. It broke Mama Mary's heart to see His son suffer and be humiliated that much.. i was touched when a good distance away from Jesus, she silently asked, "My Son... when, where, how... will You choose to be delivered of this?" Yes, she understood Jesus' mission even before she gave birth to Him.. but now that she is actually witnessing how it all should be done, a mother could never really help but question why can't this be over already.. but then again, God's timing is perfect and He knows when the work is done.

Watching Jesus almost prostrated to the ground, His wrists secured by metals to a pole, blood running out of His body, all my sins and shortcomings kept running through my mind. "How could i have let Jesus down? How could i have been turning down His love for the longest time?"  There were times, i remember, that i would sing praises to Him and shout of His might with all glee... but then there were also times when i carelessly hurt others, there were times when i thought of them badly, there were countless time i haven't been faithful to my prayer time, there were times i thought of my crushes more frequently than i thought of Jesus... i was so ashamed of myself looking at Him there so hurt, physically and emotionally... if i were in His place, with lots of people cursing and humiliating me, i would have had cursed back all the pain, i would have had called my deal with the Father all over... but watching Jesus at the pillar, in His eyes were not the slightest anger. Yes pain was drawn all over His face, but shining in His beautiful eyes were only pure love.

i kept crying the entire time (and i know all the girls in the room cried buckets too)... i just felt that Somebody loves me so much.. the least that i could have done was to thank Him - which, basing from how i've lived my life, i have not really sincerely done..

i thought of Jesus 'til i got to sleep.. i wanted to hug Him.. embrace Him.. He was for me, my true Love, the Lover of my soul, my Savior... He was my Knight in shining armor, my Prince Charming.. ok. i was letting my feelings overtake me again.. i just wanted to hug Him.. all my life i have met people who made me happy and who loved me, but then they also disappointed me sometimes.. but here is Jesus, He.. He has never let me down. He never let anyone down, for that matter. i just wanted to embrace Him for that.. Just let Him appear before me and i'll really hug Him so tight!! :D But then again, that's how it has to be done. i had to hug Him through others. i have to find Him even in the face of people who have hurt me. i had to tell the world of His love. that's the challenge of His love for us, we had to pay it forward..  Because how can i love God whom i do not see, if i do not love my neighbors who i could see, hear, touch?.. 

i wanted to grieve for His sufferings.. i felt so bad, i was thinking it was too late to grieve for Him.. Actually i felt bad about Jesus rising so fast.. i thought, "okay, You may have had risen after i finished grieving for You.."  Because it did not seem so appropriate for me to cry on Friday and then be happy again on Sunday.. in my heart, right now, i still want to be sad.. i don't know, it just felt like i haven't been sad for Jesus that much and that long.. But then again, the devil would be happy for so long had it been more than three days before His resurrection.. ;)

Jesus loved us even before He suffered at the pillar. He loved us even when the Roman soldier struck Him the first time. And He loved us even at the second strike.. the third, the fourth.. He loved us still when people jeered at Him.. He loved us even when He was hanging there, nailed to the cross.. He loved us to His death.. So is it not ironic that some of us choose to love Him not on the first strike, not on the last, but only after His death? to listen to Him after He has gone? And yet for many of us, we still have not decided to love Him.. And so for all of us who have decided to love Him genuinely, and for those who will love Him later or even tomorrow or in the days to come, let us be grateful because He is dead no more. He has risen! Hallelujah!

So kinilig ba ako sa pagmamahal ni Lord para sa akin? Actually, hindi... much more than kilig, i was deeply moved and overwhelmed by His unconditional, unmarred, perfect love for me. His act of love has been done more or less 2000 years ago, but it reaches and finds not only me but each one of us. His love is just so deep and so wide that it covers all of us. That's how God loves.

Can a Hallelujah be cold and broken? by Francis D. Alvarez, S.J.

“Maybe there’s a God above
But all I ever learned from love
Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
It’s not a cry that you hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.”
~ Jeff Buckley

read the full article here Can a Hallelujah be cold and broken?

Leonard Cohen version of lyrics in here
Jeff Buckley version of lyrics in here - Jeff made a cover of the song as he was inspired by John Cale's cover 
(Leonard was the original composer of the song.. i just don't know where the original and full version could be found)

P.S. A good read for Good Friday

!!!featuring 2 lovers:

recently made CYA posters

this last one is not out yet because we only have few stuffs to sell

..i just made a poster in advance.. :)

and by the way, i'm falling in love with this last one..

i was just experimenting and trying out some new techniques

and surprisingly, they turned out good enough (at least for my taste).. hehehe

indeed, God works in mysteriously lovely ways.. ;)

i got the vintage frame here

P.S. i'm still learning some tricks... pls be patient.. hehehehe..

"..All the paths of the Lord are faithful love.." Ps 25:10

Some other designs.. but these are also inspired differently..