Theology 101

"Will you agree with me that God is calling you everyday?"

- Sir Felix Hacbang

@ St. Michael's Retreat House

At last, I'm home!

I had an overnight stay at Saint Michael's for the seniors' retreat.

I won't make this too vulgar because the speaker said so.

The retreat house is big, clean and peaceful. I was one of the students to be assigned at the clergy room.
No gadgets were allowed so I didn't bring my phone.

We started yesterday at 10 in the morning. Our sessions and other activities were fun. We talked a lot about our parents, family and God. Few about choosing the right friends. I was very emotional inside that session room. I had two handkerchiefs, both soaked in wet. I can't help but to cry. Tears kept falling. They were not tears of sadness, but of happiness. I know for so long that I am very lucky in life. I tried to stop the tears but didn't worked out, i'm just really such a crybaby.

We ended our activity last  night around 10:30. My roommates and I didn't sleep as soon as we entered the clergy room. We had our midnight snack, talked more, and I took a bath even I'm shivering in cold. I was only able to sleep for 4 hours or less.

By 6:15 in the morning, today, the mass had started and i am blessed to be chosen as the 2nd reader and felt more better because I was able to give service this Sunday even if  I'm not with my family together at the church.

We've shared so many stories, listened to their problems, prayed for each other and so much more. I just have to leave them there.

For the second time of my life, after 4 years, I have revived my spiritual and mental health. My heart has recovered from all the pain in the past and was healed by God. I feel so refreshing, accomplished, complete and thankful!

I got home safe and sound around 11:30 in the morning bringing the joy from the retreat house to my own home.

God is so good! :)

Full of Inspiration and Motivation

Good evening to you my friend.

I am just done with my Valedictory speech that I am talking about earlier @ LJ where you can read here.
And before I go to bed, let me tell you more about this very hour.

These past days, many people are making me feel great and fulfilling. Must be the way how I emit my feelings to others. And I am thankful to those people, and to God of course, He is always included in all the gratitudes that I am giving.

As I checked my twitter account, I was full of accomplishments for the compliments that I have read from people who follow me and at the same time I follow them back too.

Here's why: (Click the photo to enlarge)

(There are things that are easy to explain by showing than by saying)

.. and I never thought that not only few enjoy reading my blog, but there are many. And because of those people I just have a new strength to do more greater things in life.

I know that you know who you people are touching my life filling it with glory, love and happiness.

Thank you :)

The Priest’s Sermon

Last night, my family and I attended a funeral mass, a funeral for a very young child God sent to heaven in an early time.

I met the mother’s teary eyes, but she tried smiling in front of us, and the other guests, to acknowledge that we were welcomed. I can sense the acceptance in her face, yet those cries were for how she’s going to miss her son.

The priest appeared soon as we entered the chapel. We were just in time. The room became silent and started the mass.

There was something about me that I have discovered recently. I am starting to love hearing sermons, singing praise songs and doing church service every Sunday. I wasn’t like this before when I was younger. I hate attending mass because it was so boring, I feel sleepy and I don’t understand what the Priest was talking about.
And now, I am admitting that being inside the church is cool, especially the part when the priest is giving sermons, examples and insights. That’s the part when I am really so alive. Why? because it is really interesting.

I remembered last time when the priest had said something about the WISH.

“Wish is like a gravity, you cannot see it, but you can feel it.
It’s like a nuclear power, you cannot see it but you can see the effect of it.
It’s like love that can also attract … “

Then he said more ..

“Do you wish in your wish with the name of Jesus?”

and lastly…

“These wishes will give to you in due time.”

That’s the time when I told myself that I will be forever in God’s side, that he has a lot of good stories to tell that I should always listen to …. and that God is also COOL!

Going back to the funeral mass, the priest had said something that made me more interested in listening.

Just like the wish, this one’s about DEATH.

One day, the priest approached the man crying before the coffin and asked, “Why are you crying?” , “Because he’s not coming back!”, the man’s only reply. The priest frowned and said, “You should be happy. Your tears are supposed to be tears of joy, not tears of sadness. We should all know that this is going to happen, losing the one we love. The only thing that you have to do when that person was still alive was to treasure everything, cared about him and made him feel that you loved him. At least when he was still alive both of you have to do something about it. You won’t be regretful.” Then he ended his story that way.

The lesson the priest wants us to learn is to value life, treasure the moments being with the one you love, and do good things while we are alive.

He also mentioned that let’s not use “dead” to the people who are literally dead because it will sound more sorrowful. instead, use words or phrases like “in peace”, “in heaven”, “in harmony”, where you will feel that it’s alright for that person to leave this earth.

Lastly, the priest had said a lot of good words, too good for the soul, lifting up the spirit of people listening that mass.
Amen

A note to those of you hurt- Hold on

Just hold on.

Everything will be OK.

Although in our journey here in mortal life, will encounter forks and turnings in the road from time to time- some more serious and painful than others, but we all have trials that will come.

My heart is so heavy right now, I feel such a sorrow in my heart.

I just feel for those that hurt at such a hopeful time. Hang on.

This time of year you should feel ever grater love from our Savior

and you should feel the peace that comes when we place everything into his hands.

Hold on. 

I know in your heart you will have the peace and determination to do this.

I have felt that all is lost, that my life is useless and that I am good for nothing. I have learned as I have healed body and mind that, it is simply not true- and so with you.

I am all for feeling sorrow and loss, but only for a while, soon it will eat away at your soul and hurt relationships.

Carry on- move forward, hold your head high.

This too shall pass. And it does. And sometimes we will carry scars on the outside, some of us on the inside, and some both, but you are never alone.

Never.

Merry Christmas to you, and to your loved ones.

that feeling.

It's like butterflies in your heart. It's not out of nervousness or anxiety. It's just a gentle fluttering. It's that moment in time when you feel loved. It's that spot where you feel content. It's that point where all feels right with the world and you don't even care if you die. It's also a feeling of timelessness. I really don't know how else to describe it, but it's just this feeling deep in my marrow. It's like feeling the past, present, and future all at the same time and it's pure bliss.

I'm not sure how often it happens, but I know that it doesn't happen so often that it becomes ordinary. This is everything but ordinary.

T-SHIRT MAKING

Yesterday was T-shirt Making Day. The theme was LOVE & FRIENDSHIP. My group mates were Dela Vega and Solano, we made a great group, we had fun and enjoyed the moment. I'm not sure if we'll be able to win. Anyway, win or not, It's ok cuz we did our best.

Here are some photos of the t-shirt we made:

Jamie draw the design and I transferred it using carbon

Almost done

to catch a butterfly.

happiness is like a butterfly:

the more you chase it, the more it will elude you,

but if you turn your attention to other things it will come

and sit softly on your shoulder....

- thoreau

says the status at my twitter. a direct message, from my dearest friend. Thanks for the encouragement. the words typed in there, they didn't seem long to me anymore. it was heartfelt.

inside me, there was a subtle, silent confidence. but even more to it, there was self doubt; as contradictive as it sounds. right now, instead of pushing hard to change who i am, i decided to take a slight step back. to absorb all that is around me. just by opening my mind, i was able to experience the difference.
now, i am preparing to open my heart, to believe that i can. even more sincerely this time. now, are you with me?

A change, for a start

yes. i finally changed the blogskin. this time, i'm satisfied. for now, anyway. let's just say that it's a new beginning to a mediocre ending..... :)

will pen down more soon.
till then :)

Persons are Gifts

Persons are Gifts of God to me that come all wrapped so differently

Some so loosely, others so tightly

But wrappings are not the Gifts.

I am a Gift of God to me

Do I accept the Gift I see?

I am a person and for the reason

A wonderful Gift of Love

I am a Gift to others too

That must be giv'n to you and you

We are all persons, we are all Gifts

So let's have a grand exchange of Gifts

Define 'Happines'

I am going through some of the hardest days in my life. Days that I didn't see come. Days I didn't plan for. Days I haven't thought of alternatives or ways to overcome them. They say that something good must come after a lot of bad, and I await passionately and anxiously and also willingly with a smile to see what is next.


I am excited about what is next.

I know what is happiness.

I know where is happiness.

I have found happiness.

Have you?

What Would You Say?

Just for fun ...


"I told you you were mom's favorite."


"Weeeee! Can we go higher?!!!"


"What do you wanna do?"
"I don't know ... what do you wanna do?"


"You can't see me; I am a master of camouflage."

Nature and its best

We went to Cavite this morning, my aunt's home place.

Earlier before we reach my aunt's house we had a problem with the air condition of our car, so we decided to open the window.

Luckily, there's no traffic at the highway, or else, We'll intake smoke vehicles.

I enjoyed the blow of the wind in my face, how my hairs fly away, and how fast mom is driving at the long way.

I feel free, I feel alive, I feel like a kid, and I feel God.

I missed the old times enjoying nature. The parks, the gardens, the flowers, the birds that are singing and the giggles of the children running around.

So, I asked mom to have picnic together with my cousins at the park. And we did.

there's something hilarious happened too.

My sister's registered name is "Patricia". She decided to have a horseback riding with my younger cousins. They went to the pen and picked the horse they wanted to ride. coincidentally, the horse was named the same as my sister. The color of the horse is white and it is fat. While my sister has a dark complexion, and also fat. Here's what happened.

Patricia (my sister): "Ate Jerin, Why don't you ride at the pad of the horse, it my get hurt because you are heavy when you sit there."

Guide: "Don't worry about that, Patricia is fat!"

Jerin: hahahaha.. !



nice laughtrip with the whole family

Amen!

i'm just sayin'

So - i was on the infamous facebook today, you know - that terribly addictive force that seems to have a physical binding pressure in people's lives. No one sends out paper invitations with R.S.V.P's anymore - (an RSV-WHAT!?) no, no...it's all on facebook "Events" and "groups." Fine. I can deal with that.

What i wonder about are the status updates. You've got people who really wear their emotions on their sleeve and every 10 minutes or so, So-and-so is feeling low, so-and-so is so glad whatever just happened, so-and-so really needs a hug, so-and-so wants to scream. But for the most part, people don't like so-and-so's all too frequent and honest status updates. Most people try to put something witty, something fresh, something fun.


But what if we all really put our "stati" as they really are. What if it actually said "Ericaritish Bermudez is wondering if that boy in the library will stop humming because if he doesn't, she may just go MAD!" or "Ericaritish Bermudez thinks So-And-So needs to grow a backbone, stop complaining and get over their bad-selves" or "Ericaritish Bermudez thinks people need to learn how to communicate properly and learn the age-old art of compliments and flattery when in the game of wooing."
If people put their REAL status' on facebook, i think there just might be a valid forecast of world peace in the near future.

I'm just sayin....