Your Daily Dose Of Zarahness-012007-092908

Monday, September 29, 2008 I almost got hit by a car! 12:11 AM 9/23/2008 this morning (9/22) on my way to school/work, i rode in a sidecar as i normally do everyday. i rode with manong tall, thin, moustache man. at the intersection on benavidez-recto, he tried beating the red light. but he didnt see the car roaring toward us. other vehicles were still not moving or were just about to start going, but this car was really speeding towards us. Manong got surprised and thankfully, was able to swerve out of the way. Thank God the other vehicles weren't moving yet so we had room to turn. I saw everything in slow motion; i think that's what normally happens during accidents / bad situations. no i didnt see my life flash before me; it was like i was nonchalant about it all, but deep inside i was shocked. I came close to an accident and God saved me from danger. Praise God. Thank you God for protecting me. May you always cover me with the precious blood of Jesus; keep me away from harm O lord. Also I pray for your constant covering and protection upon my family and upon Lawrence and all my loved ones. Again, thank You God for protecting me. It was a very close call but You did not allow me to be harmed. thank you! Posted by zarahlim at 12:58 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise, work

Allergy-scare 8:41 PM 9/26/2008 We had a party today at school because of the teacher's day celebration. They had Golden Fortune cater the event. I was so hungry so I was looking forward to all the delicious Chinese food that will be served... During the 2nd course, I asked the waiter serving what the soup was. "Sweet corn po." So, being veeerrrry hungry, I dug in... But Yina told me, "Zarah, may crab." "No! Egg yan," I insisted. "Hindi, crab yan.. nalalasahan ko eh." Then the Chinese teacher on left joined the conversation and agreed with Yina. I got so nervous coz I really look sooooo scary when I have an allergic reaction (like Hitch) so I

ran to the nearby Silver Drug and bought Zyrtec, all the time praying "Lord please don't let me have an allergy break out, I still have to tutor the guys later and we have the APAW concert tomorrow, and I wanna go to church on Sunday, and I wanna go to Baguio on Monday. Please Lord, please..." I didn't get any lunch after that because the food they served all had shrimp in it. Hay. But praise God because He heard my prayer - I didn't have an allergic reaction to the "sweetcorn" soup. Hehe! Praise God! Posted by zarahlim at 12:34 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise, work

Thursday, September 25, 2008 Algebra + Biology modules + Cramming = Craziness It's been three days since I started tutoring and though they're all very nice and cooperative (I hope they stay that way until March!), I'm really feeling the pressure. It's been 6 years since I graduated high school (8 since I finished my sophomore year), so you can just imagine how rusty my Algebra skills are right now. During our first meeting, they told me they had a module due by the end of the week PLUS a Long Test on THURSDAY (today) about Variations, Pythagorean Theorem and Parabola. Because I wanted to be the dutiful tutor and be able to explain all that they can't understand about the subject, I got online and practiced answering worksheets. BUT I really forgot about it na. I forgot about the formulas, etc. Tsk. So yesterday, I asked them to answer the exercises in their book. When the time came for me to check their answers, one of them asked me, "Chi, kaya mo ba?" waaah! Now, I've been honest with them right from the start, telling them I forgot about it na, and though I'm starting to get the hang of it, I'm not so sure if I can correct their paper efficiently. So I asked him to explain how he got his answer, telling him, "Alam mo, pag ikaw ang nag-explain, mas maiintindihan mo." Which he did, and so we helped one another. Haha! I understood the lesson, and because he was able to explain it to me, I knew he understood it as well. When we got to the part when we both couldn't explain how we got the answer, we asked one of their classmates to explain it for us. Hay. Embarrassing as it may sound, I felt stupidly incompetent in front of the girl explaining the parabola and direct variation equation. Huhu!! Because I'm not feeling so good with my tutoring skills in Math, I try to make it up to them by helping them out in their Biology module. I'm not a whiz in Science; if you know me at all, you'll know that my worst subject is Science. Hehe. But making modules, writing, and creating teaching materials are my special thing, so since Tuesday night I've been online, chatting with my tutees, extending our tutor hour, helping them do

research and drafting their module (which is due THIS WEEK. waaah!!) Because of this, I haven't been able to take new assignments at Eph, which really bums me out. But I really just couldn't handle it now, what with my evenings spent doing research and reviewing. It crossed my mind that it would make my life easier if I just quit; my evenings would be free for me to do anything I want - watch Alias marathon, surf the net, write articles, read books, etc, etc. But then I know this is not what God wants me to do. If I quit everytime I encounter hardship, I wouldn't be able to make it to the next level of testing. God gave me this opportunity and as He promised in His Word, He will not leave me to do it alone. He will equip me with all the skills I need, along with His grace and favor, so I can endure this task. Praise God for this! Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Posted by zarahlim at 2:17 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, school, teaching, work

Friday, September 19, 2008 God is good... all the time! Yesterday I got the confirmation re: the tutoring gig offered to me last month. I'll be starting next week. What's amazing is the way it came about. The offer just came up, taking me by surprise. And the pay's really good too! I didn't want to name my price coz I didn't know what's a fair rate for a tutoring stint. I also took into consideration the fact that I don't have any formal experience tutoring students. The only ones who have been under my "scary tutor" style was Abby and Xandra. (Abby's a consistent honor student right from the beginning, but I won't take credit for it - she's brilliant even without a tutor.) Anyway, because of my reluctancy to name my price, they settled it for me. It may not sound like much to some, but still, for a part time job, it's really something. I totally wasn't expecting that kind of amount. Now I'll be in a better position to help our family, plus I'll be able to pay in full my laptop. Hehe! God is good! I can't stop reveling in that fact - He is GOOD!!He gave me one blessing after another, even if there are lots of time I don't feel worthy of all this. But that's God's grace for you. He gives you stuff even if sometimes you don't deserve them, just to let you see how much He loves you. Another amazing thing is that I am already asked to handle 11 sophomore students. My mom told me what a blessing it really is because other tutors have a hard time finding even just one student to teach. Indeed, God is good! I always find myself drawn to this classic hymn whenever faced with abundant blessings & favor

from the Lord: "Praise God from whom all blessing flow..." Posted by zarahlim at 10:35 PM 1 comments This week, I was tasked to do a video and collage of this year's batch of Loyalty Awardees for the upcoming Teacher's Day celebration. I finished the collage this afternoon since the assistant principal wanted it done first because she still needs to have it printed and laminated. One of the awardees (for secrecy purposes, let's just refer to her as Ms. LC. I actually remember her other nickname students used to call her back when I was still in high school, but let's just forget about it. Bad un eh..) only had 3 pictures. I don't know if it's because she's really camera shy or because in all her 25 years at Hope, she managed to evade all photo-ops, even the stolen ones). Hay. I reeeeaaaallly had a hard time looking for more of her pictures. Not to mention the big cardboard box smells like it has been in storage in what seems like forever. Anyway, while digging through our school library's picture archives, I found this:

Hehe! That's me, during one of our school's foundation day presentations (I'm the girl in the back row; the one in the middle wearing a muslim costume). I was supposed to represent Region __ (I forgot what region it was; because of my short memory, I really sucked at Civics and Culture). By the way, I was able to find three more pictures of LC. Thank God! I prayed really hard that God will help me find them ASAP since my nose was starting to itch already. I was sniffing every three seconds already. Tsk! Posted by zarahlim at 12:23 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A very inspiring story about a 12 year old who raised funds to build a school for Vietnamese children. Lord, I know you have a plan for me, a mission that You laid out before me even before I was born. Help me fulfill Your purpose for my life. I want to DO MORE for you. Posted by zarahlim at 7:33 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 I'm a 50's girl I don't remember exactly when my fascination with the 50's era started; nevertheless, when I stumbled upon it sometime in my life, I've always considered myself a 1950's girl. Browsing through the blog of another eph writer, I was excited to see a link to a website where you can see what you might have looked like, had you lived in 50s. I gave it a try and this is how I look:

This is me in1950. (I can hear you laugh from here... uuy aminin!) Hahahaha! Here's another pic which is supposed to be me in 1954.

"Kamusta ka hija?" Abby commented that I look like a librarian. wahaha! Cool! Posted by zarahlim at 10:02 PM 2 comments Labels: blab

Saturday, September 13, 2008 Busy Saturday Slept at 4am. Woke up at 9:30 coz my phone's ringing - lawrence's calling me. oops! we're supposed to meet at 9:30! hehe. buti nalang he changed it to 10am. met lawrence; went to sm sta.mesa to trade in one of his guitar effects.

dropped by booksale. found this:

yipee!!! so, so, so very happy with my new books!!! lunch at greenwich. after lunch, we tried to look for a service center to have his phone fixed. no luck finding one. headed off to Tutuban to buy stuff for his fashion design subject. received an amazing favor from God: we stopped to ask a saleslady if she knows where we can find the special costume store in divisoria. instead of pointing us to the right direction, the lady ACCOMPANIED US TO THE STORE. she insisted on going with us since it's very hard to find. imagine that! Lord please bless that kind lady. (lawrence offered to give her a tip for her kindness but the lady refused! She really just wanted to help us out. praise God!) went home to get some stuff. went to church for carecell; dropped by Alben's on the way to church to buy some materials for patrick's surprise. cell group: patrick's treat + patrick's surprise + catching up + announcements + planning for next week

after cell: did the bulletin for tomorrow; waited for aby and lawrence to finish recording aby's original composition. *home* Praise God for a very fruitful and favor-filled day. ♥♥♥ Posted by zarahlim at 8:59 PM 6 comments Labels: blab, cell, praise

it's 4am... ..and i'm just about to sleep. i just finished writing another set of articles, :) *** we had our practice tonight (last night, whatever, bsta friday night). i like the song lineup for sunday. :) Lord, you are GOOD!

*** payday na on Monday. double yipee!! =D ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 4:03 AM 0 comments Labels: writing

Monday, September 08, 2008 Reflections on Breaking Dawn

Up until the first part of Breaking Dawn, Bella made such a big deal of wanting to be a vampire because she wanted to spend FOREVER with Edward. When I got to last part, I realized something: The hope of spending eternity is not an impossibility! When we accept Christ into our hearts, we are gi given ven the gift of eternal life!

I found myself cheering for Bella as she discovered the strength of her gift. I had another realization, now in relation to Ms. Meyer's vampires' cool abilities: Having Christ in your life doesn't leave you empty handed. He will bless you, provide for you, defend you, protect you, equip you, etc, etc. You don't miss out on all the fun, as some people think. In fact, you are

heirs of the Creator of the universe, Maker of heaven and earth. Imagine that! Just because you are a part of His family, you get to experience firsthand the goodness and awesomeness of God. Isn't it great being a Christian? ü P.S. I think I like Breaking Dawn better than the rest of the Twilight series. ;) Posted by zarahlim at 6:03 PM 1 comments Labels: blab

The weekend that was... ...mind-draining ...energy-sapping ...temper-testing finally ended last night with a big bang - bang as in "bang your head with a hammer" headache topped with stomach-churning cramps and nausea. Whew! That's why I'm home right now; I'm not yet fully recovered. But don't get me wrong - I actually had fun this weekend. I thrive in loaded schedules and (almost) simultaneous deadlines. Yun nga lang, my health can't keep up. Tsk! Anyway, as I said, I had fun naman, especially when I knew that what I was doing is actually worth it. Nagkataon lang talaga na nagkasabay-sabay sila(preaching, carecell, praise team); yun iba naman dala ng procrastination. pwede ko naman kasi gawin earlier in the week (like yung written report and yung bulletin) , pero nadistract ako mashado ni mareng stephenie meyer. hehehe.

Posted by zarahlim at 12:15 PM 0 comments

Saturday, September 06, 2008 Should I Stay? Is a relationship worth staying if the person who's supposed to be the closest to you DOESN'T SUPPORT you? Posted by zarahlim at 7:24 PM 2 comments Labels: inis

Thursday, September 04, 2008 kids... ♥ yesterday while my my mom and i were waiting for abby to finish choir, we hung out at the school's waiting area (we had an hour's wait ahead of us). one of our church members, whose kids also study at hope, was also there waiting for her daughter (a choir member too) so mom chatted with her. i was glad with the time i spent talking with antoinette. she's such a bright kid, full of talents, and very sweet as well. she's the kid who always has something for me, an earring, a letter, a jar full of paper stars, etc. i was happy to learn that she's part of the school newspaper as well. she told me she writes stories for the school paper and she's required to hand in a 1000-word count's worth of story. imagine that! i was so excited for her because i can literally see the potential this kid has. *Lord thank you for putting me in this ministry. Help me to be able to do my best in leading these kids to You. and this not for my advancement but for Yours alone. ♥♥ for weeks now, everytime i walk around binondo/ongpin area, two of my sunday school kids never fail to shout "ATE ZARAAAAAHHHH" and run to me. at first i felt very pleased and said to myself, "hey! kids actually like me!" but after some time, i started getting embarrassed with all the attention. in fact, i got so embarrassed that i actually thought of different routes i can take just so i can avoid these kids. BUT God spoke to my heart and mildly rebuked me. these kids are just being honest with their feelings, and this is a GREAT time to work on them, to build relationship with them, to reach out to them, to lead them to Christ - avoiding them won't make me a good model of a Christian (and Sunday School teacher) for them. So now, everytime i hear the loud "ATE ZARAAAAAHHH" along ongpin, i thank God for these kids whom He entrusted to my care, to nurture and to lead into maturity. and another thing, at least they come to me instead of running away from me. that's a good sign right!? I remember some preacher (i forgot the name) said, "If you want to know if you actually bear the fruit of the Spirit, look at the response of children to you - are they afraid of you or do they swarm to you like bees to a flower?" nice thought there right? ü ♥♥♥ I feel God's leading for me towards Children's ministry. I've been having this leading for a couple of years now, but it's increasing its intensity during this season. I feel a big change's coming soon in terms of my ministry. Lord, show me where YOU want me to be. I will follow Your leading... ♥♥♥♥ I found a book about leading a children's ministry at our school's Book Fair yesterday. I believe it was the Lord who led me to find that particular book, considering where it was placed (practically hidden and buried beneath other books). Clearly, another sign from God of where He wants me to go and what He wants me to do. Praise God for His ways of showing us that He is in control of our situation. If we put our trust and dependence on Him, we have nothing to fear, especially of the future, because He already planned it out for us. All we have to do is to stay connected to Him, be sensitive to His leading, and obey.

♥♥♥ Posted by zarahlim at 10:45 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, discipleship, praise

Thursday, August 28, 2008 I had a veeerrryy stressful day at work today. I was doing multi-tasking BIG TIME • •

• •

finishing the video (deadline TODAY); designing tarps (take note: plural form; my not-so-creative-mind-when-it-comes-todesigning is screaming for mercy already. waaaahh...) for next week's event (endorsed TODAY; deadline TODAY); updating the absences and tardies (deadline TODAY - kelangan unahin to para may sweldo! nyahaha...) going from one table to another, answering phone calls and taking messages since Ma'am Tina's (almost always) out

Needless to say, I barely had the appetite for lunch. Nagkanda-ugaga na ang aking sikmura sa sobrang stress. ONE PM: I couldn't stand the "hindi-ako-makahinga-sa-sobrang-stress" feeling anymore so I finally decided to take a break. When I got outside the school campus, I tried to think of a good place to hang-out. I really didn't feel like eating so I decided to just walk around Masangkay and see what food/resto will appeal to me. I finally settled for these:

My stress-busters for the day! ♥♥♥ Posted by zarahlim at 7:43 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Sunday, August 24, 2008 HOT, HOT, HOT! The DVBS curriculum I wrote for our Missions Camp last year made it to Scribd.com's

HOTLIST!!!

It's actually my 2nd time to be in the hotlist. The first one to get in was my preaching on Spiritual Maturity.

Yehey! Can I already be considered a Scribd Hot Babes for this? Hahahahha!! (Nyayks! Parang Viva Hot Babes lang ah!)

♥♥♥ To God be the glory! :) Posted by zarahlim at 10:40 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Are you suffering? Take comfort in the promises of the Lord. Be like the psalmist who, during times of hardship, said:

"My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." (Psalm 119:50) God's promises are true and guaranteed to come to pass. Search for the promise you need right now by reading God's Word. ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 7:51 PM 0 comments Labels: preaching thoughts

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Ang Sabaw...Bow! Ang utak ko'y sabaw na ngayon. un lang. can't even finish a simple poem. hay. but i had fun researching my 2nd writing gig. hehe! i just submitted it a few minutes ago. i loooove this job! ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 2:29 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work, writing

Friday, August 22, 2008 approved! yes! my first assignment just got approved. no editing / revisions needed. PRAISE GOD! on to my next assignment.. (feel na feel ko ang aking bagong estado.. hehehe) Posted by zarahlim at 4:43 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work, writing

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 impulse buying i just ordered P800 worth of lipgloss. talk about impulse buying! I was just browsing through the multiply site of the new contact i had. she had this album full of flavored lipglosses and i just went crazy! grabe!!! ang sasarap tignan. hehehe. actually i already saw some online stores selling the same stuff, but mura kse bigay nitong isa, and since it's sort of within my budget (emphasis on sort of), i ordered. it didn't help that kim placed an order as well. nainggit ako and all that. hay..

i guess i just have to make up for this crazy (but totally unregretted) act and take more writing assignments. ü Posted by zarahlim at 10:43 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, August 18, 2008 happy bday lawrence beybe! :)

you're 22 na! weeh! had fun at our "outing" sa trinoma! hehehe. thanks ha? enjoy din ako nun pauwi na. sarap mgcommute. kht mausok at creepy ang mga tao sa paligid, at least i feel safe coz im with you:) mwah! ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 1:39 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, August 18, 2008 yahoo!!

i just found out that i'm officially IN as a freelance writer! weeehh!! thank you Lord! (wla pang Monday, blessing na kagad ü) i submitted my final requirements yesterday. I wasn't expecting an answer this soon! grabe talga! Praise God, pag will nia talaga ang isang bagay, lahat smooth sailing. ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 12:16 AM 2 comments Labels: blab, work

Saturday, August 16, 2008 what i'm lovin' these days (part 3) ♥ twilight series (i was able to download all 4 books this afternoon! greedy, greedy me. tsktsk) ♥ new laptop (a big help for my new writing gig) ♥ freelancing and other sidelines ♥ clinique blush-on ♥ sophie kinsella books Posted by zarahlim at 3:52 PM 1 comments Labels: blab

Thursday, August 14, 2008 blessings i always keep a notebook in my bag to write down anything interesting that happens to me. after a while, i realized that every monday, i get so many blessings so i started a series called MONDAY MORNING BLESSINGS. of course, i still get blessings on other days of the week, but it's always nice to get blessings at the START of the week, just to get things going. it's like God's way of telling me that He's already there providing for me, even at the start of the week. so watch out for this series. i'll post my notes next time since i'm tired na from my (mis)adventure tonight. gotta sleep now! g'nyt! :D (oh! dont worry. what i'll be writing will stil be "fresh" from my blessing bliss because i write them down immediately, just so i can somehow capture the emotion of the moment. so expect lots of emotional gushes in it.♥) Posted by zarahlim at 1:01 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

misadventures of lawrenzara

lawrence and i went to megamall this afternoon to watch planetshakers' album launching. after a lot of mishaps (some of them my fault - i got us to get off at the wrong stop wahaha!!), we got there at around 715pm. but i think we really weren't meant to watch them play live, coz when we got there, they were already signing cds.. huhuhu!! we missed their show!!! all our difficulties in getting there - sayang!! lawrence was so disappointed. ako, not really, coz i got to buy eclipse. hahaha!! and of course, i got to spend time with lawrence. heehee. ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 12:55 AM 2 comments Labels: blab

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Just another day at work...

Posted by zarahlim at 6:28 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Saturday, August 09, 2008 sidetracked from doing the bulletin As I was searching for a memory verse to put in this week's bulletin, I came across Ps.92 (part of next week's reading plan). I especially liked what the psalmist said in vv. 12-15: 12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,

15 proclaiming, "The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." Thank you Lord for this promise of blessing for the righteous. I pray that no matter what trials I face, I will still stay connected to You. Don't let go of me Lord, especially at times when I'm not thinking straight and may want to just let go of everything. Continue to uphold me, God. Keep me strong in my faith in You. ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 12:56 PM 0 comments

Friday, August 08, 2008 DEVOTIO?AL THOUGHTS august 5, 2008 psalm 73 this psalm talks of how the psalmist envied the "wicked" for their prosperity. last week, i was in the very same situation. v. 13 "Surely in vain have i kept my heart pure; in vain have i washed my hands in innocence. but thank God because he did not give up on my foolishness. he did not strike me immediately after thinking those thoughts. instead, he was patient with me and merciful towards me. now, i know full well that God is indeed a good god. he is my everything - my provider, my comforter, my best friend. i have nothing to fear in this life because God is on my side. vv.23-28 Yet i am always with you; you hold me by your right hand. you guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. whom have i in heaven but you? and earth has nothing i desire besides you. my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. BUT AS FOR ME, IT IS GOOD TO BE NEAR GOD. i have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; i will tell of all your deeds.

Posted by zarahlim at 7:42 PM 0 comments Labels: praise

Tuesday, August 05, 2008 mine at last! =D

yeyeyey! thank you God! :) Posted by zarahlim at 6:32 PM 4 comments Labels: blab, praise

Monday, August 04, 2008 i've been through an emotional rollercoaster during the past week. i want to share it all but i just couldn't find the right words. even now, as im typing, i keep on deleting

sentences i've just typed. see, i'm being redundant. tautological. so let me just sum up all the exciting and not-so-exciting events of the past week in bullet form. ü • • • • •

• • • •

•

frustrated with myself for lack of control in spending, thus causing my finances to drop at an alarmingly fast pace. lack of funds moved me to sell some of my book collection just to generate additional income zero customers. therefore decreasing energy for work then i came upon this verse during my devotion: o "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited....sorrowful, yet always rejoicing..." 2 Corinthians 6:3, 10 o i thought, "oops, i shouldn't be like this, letting my emotions get the best of me, thus making me a bad testimony at work." o "lord, sorry." o sent text (apology) message to supervisor. saturday: had a great time with church mates during cellgroup and fellowship after. sunday lunch: suhiyum with lawrence (weeeh!) sunday 5pm: arrived at Manila Faith for class. sunday 7pm: heavy downpour o inspite of the strong wind and heavy downpour, i had fun commuting back home especially when we reached tutuban/divisoria. o people were actually having fun in the rain. it was like a big streetparty! o i found myself smiling just listening to the people around me screaming (aaaayyyy!!) and laughing, trying to protect themselves, their stuff and their umbrellas from getting blown away by the wind. monday morning blessings o while i was having a budget crisis the past week, it turns out that God was already brewing something for me. o i learned that i was to get a gift. hehehe. (i'm not sure if i can elaborate about it or if it's supposed to be a secret. but let's just say that God answered my prayers before i even asked for it! praise God!!!) o the laptop arrived. weeh! it's my first biggest investment ever! praise God for this wonderful, wonderful blessing!

o o

soon!!! ü

God truly is a faithful God! ♥ It is good to be near God. ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 9:59 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, inis, praise, work

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 This is just an update regarding the "noisy neighbor" situation: We're now into our two weeks of peaceful bliss. My dad discovered the culprit (it turns out it was one of the workers at the construction site beside our building). He went there and asked the guard to tell the workers to please turn down the volume especially during wee hours of the morning. Buti nadaan sila sa magandang paki-usap, kung hindi.... kawawa naman kami. Haha!ü Posted by zarahlim at 7:35 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, July 21, 2008

Posted by zarahlim at 6:54 PM 2 comments Labels: blab, work

Friday, July 18, 2008 Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella

nakakaengross! i found it hard to stop once i started reading. what i liked about this book: ♥ light but enjoyable read ♥ some relatable experiences between emma's career struggles and mine ♥ vividly expressed emotions • the excitement of being given a big responsibility • the growing panic you feel when realization of failure evolves right before your eyes • the "please-let-the-earth-open-up-and-swallow-me-alive" type of embarassment • the "am-i-dreaming?" type of kilig moments ♥ clearly written plot ♥ growth of the character •from quiet, insecure and "nothing-special" to confident and "special-in-my-ownway" ♥ lessons to be learned from real and modern issues •(i.e. Trust as a strong foundation for all types of relationship.) Posted by zarahlim at 1:39 PM 3 comments Labels: blab

Friday, July 11, 2008

especially for ♥ APOL ♥ EDS ♥CAMILLE ♥ and ♥ FRA?K: blog entry about you guys while going over my old stuff, i found my diary(ies) and some of my notebooks in college. it was fun going over my notes (not class notes, but notes to myself-diary parin in a way...). then i found this: March 4 2006 Saturday 9:11pm Today is our last day of class. We had to pass our broadjourn requirements (radio news and interview), submit our final thesis requirements (CD of our final thesis, thesis consultation card, and consent/approval letter from the adviser and the panelists), present our finals for PR (advocacy: CONNECT), and take our final exam in Taxation before we can leave the university on our last day. Everyone was in a senti mode since it’s our very last day as students. Some of my classmates even had their blouses signed by everyone (a tradition among graduating students except me and others who plans to go home with clean clothes). I realized that today’s my last day that I’m gonna wear my school uniform – my skirt which I had since I was in first year; my school shoes since I was in 2nd year (or 3rd year??); my blouse since I was in third yearL also, today’s the last day that I’m gonna be with my friends everyday (weekdays at least) for 10 months each year. Now, a here’s little tribute to my true and closest friends in college.

Althea Katrina C. Butas (“Apol”) - my oldest friend in college. We were friends ever since the first day of class. She approached me while I was waiting outside room 107 of St. Raymund’s Bldg (AB Building) for our first class. She asked me if we were classmates (or something like that), making me the first person she ever talked to / became friends with (according to her) in college. We’ve been together for four years

and I must say that she’s one heck of a girl! There’s no one else like her. She’s smart, pretty, talented and creative. She’s sweet and loving, caring, thoughtful and generous. I’m not mentioning just random adjectives that I could think of, ok? All these traits are true of Apol. Her print ads are the best! We won Best in Print Ad during our Junior AdQuest because of her concepts. I just hope that this is not the end of the road for us. Camille Claudine Bollozos (“Cams”) – my closest friend when I was in first year. We were seatmates then. We always ate at the different fastfood chains along Dapitan after our class, together with Michelle (my highschool friend) and her Commerce friends, or with Apol, Madz and Chiko. Camille has the cutest voice. And she’s super duper sweet!!!! She knew that I love Elmo (back then) so she gave me Elmo bedroom slippers. She gave me gifts when it’s my birthday, or if it’s Christmas, etc. We were PE mates, too. We always had our PE together (except for 1st year 1st sem because I didn’t know her back when it was still summer enrollment). We had our PE in Basketball, Handball, and Volleyball together. (cams I super miss you!!!!!!) We also shared the same dream – to be a dean’s lister (I don’t know about her, but for me, that dream never came to passL L) When our class got reshuffled, we still got together after our respective classes. We still ate lunch/merienda together, we even shared the same locker. But when things started to get hectic, and our schedules were in conflict, we drifted apart. But we remained friends. When we would see each other along Asturias, or at the pav, or anywhere, she never fails to approach me and give me a kiss. That’s how sweet she is. I miss her sooooooooo much!!! Ednalyn Reyes (“Eds”) – we became classmates when we were in 2nd year but we became close only during our 3rd year. we discovered that we live near each other – ongpin/tomas mapua for her and Alvarado/binondo for me. I know her personality is phlegmatic-sanguine (I’m not a hundred percent sure about the sanguine type) but when we’re together, she’s dominantly phlegmatic, at least for the first part of our friendship. Now, she’s starting to tease me a lotL which, I guess, means that she’s starting to be comfortable around me. She’s one great friend, that’s for sure! She’s always my partner whenever there’s a project that requires a pairing. She’s my partner in photography, in media law term paper, broadjourn finals, my groupmate in thesis, documentaries, tv prod, etc. and she’s also my OJT-mate. I don’t know if she really wanted to take up her OJT at Pageshop or if she only did it because she felt that I’ll get mad if she took up her training someplace else, or if she only did it so that I’ll have someone to have my OJT with.. whatever her reasons were, I’m glad I had her with me, coz it would’ve been SOOO boring at Pageshop without her there. She’s very considerate of my feelings. She’s a very giving and selfless person. She always lets me decide first and she always asks me what I want before we make decisions. I’m really gonna miss her! Oh, aside from being my partner in almost every project that needs pairing, she’s also my uwian-buddy! We always go home together (if Lawrence’s not there to fetch me or if she doesn’t have any work to do at TOMCAT). When we started to have night classes that lasts until 9pm, we agreed to take a cab once a week, KKB (kanya-kanyang bayad) of course J. I know that they’re planning to move to a new house, location still unknown. I just wish that when the time comes for them to move, we’ll still be townmates, so that at least we could visit each other.

Frank Lloyd Mamaril (“Frank”) – Mr. Editor, Mr. Pinoy Pop Superstar, Mr. Canada, Mr. M (Johnny Manahan), etc. These are some of the names that he’s known for. A great singer, a talented editor, a TV Prod person, a promising director.. man, he just oozes with talent. The greatest thing about him, also his weakness, is that he’s so kind that he tends to get abused and taken for granted because of it. He never gets angry! As in! I never saw him get angry. Even when he’s so tired and fed up, he’s still all smiles and very polite. I’m a moody person and I admit, most of the time, I vent my anger and bad-mood bitchiness on him. But he never got angry with me, ever. Even if I’m (habitually) late, he never got angry with me. I just want to say this: sorry if I took your kindness for granted. Thanks for being such a nice friend! ü

♥♥♥ Posted by zarahlim at 9:14 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, school

GLEE= Happiness 11 am ♥woke up ♥checked email ♥chat with ira & lawrence 12pm ♥made brewed coffee ♥lunch 1pm ♥started the Sunday School lesson. 4pm ♥finished the Sunday School lesson. ♥upload lesson @ pdfcoke acct.•oops! we don't have bond paper na! got to buy some at Merriam's!• ♥took a bath ♥went to carjaval st. ♥after merriam, dropped by the jamaican patty stall over at quintin paredes ♥went back to carvajal st. and found manong "native mais vendor"...•manong, pabili po, dalawa.• ♥home

ah! the simple joys of life...ü Posted by zarahlim at 5:24 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Monday, July 07, 2008 prayer really WORKS! we prayed as a family and asked God to touch the heart of our good neighbor. now, it's so peaceful and quiet here that i just wanna SHOUT for joy. haha! praise God! Thank you Lord ☺ Posted by zarahlim at 10:57 PM 2 comments Labels: blab, praise

Sunday, July 06, 2008 our neighbor's at it again.. the radio's on full blast, and it's now 11:33 PM. it's been like this since this morning (when kim & abby got home from church). no amount of pleading ("paki hinaan naman yung radio") makes them turn it down a notch... hay.. the agony of living amongst people with no breeding. Lord i know you can do something about this in an instant, if you want to. I know you can do something to that radio, like maybe make it sef-destruct (how i wish!), I know you can do something to our neighbor, like maybe touch him and make him be a little more considerate (please Lord!), But with the mere fact that you're allowing this to happen, I know You're teaching me something. So i pray that I will be able to pass this test and learn the lesson You're teaching me.

Amen. Posted by zarahlim at 11:11 PM 0 comments

Friday, July 04, 2008

Posted by zarahlim at 12:09 PM 4 comments Labels: blab

Wednesday, July 02, 2008 i didnt go to work today coz i wasnt feeling well last night. i txted mam tina and told her i wont be able to go to the offce today. when i woke up this morning, i was feeling better than last night but still suffering from a slight shortness of breath. weird ang pkramdam ko this past few days. kgbe, just when i was about to fall asleep, nagising ako bigla kase bigla akong nasusuka. as in i heard myself go "bwleigwl" (naduduwal and super super super sikip ng dibdib).. i got frightened, thinking mamamatay na ko. but thank God it passed after about 30 seconds. hay.. i think i'm getting stressed out again. lately i noticed i couldnt breathe just when i learn of the assignments they have for me at work. i dont want to rant and complain anymore because i've been through this before and i know that it's easier to just submit to God's will. pero pansin ko kasi tlagang parami ng parami ang pinapagawang designs skn. eh kaya nga ko nagresign dati kasi... hay..... medjo nabburden lang tlga ako kse aside from my HR assignments, dagdag ng dagdag un PAKI nila to make a tarp, poster, brochure, rollertarp, flier, video... okay lang sana eh but minsan i couldnt help but think: ► may care ba sila sa feelings ko?

they know na hirap na ko kc i voiced out my concerns already. but still walang nangyare sa request ko. oo they tell me okay un gawa ko, maganda naman "daw" pero i couldnt help but think "sinasabi nio lang ba yan so i'll continue doing your designs for you?" ► when do you draw the line? when should i start saying No? im confused: i know i should do everything with a servant heart, with the verse Col.3:23 in mind, but when does being abused come in? i'm not working for money, i'm willing to be paid for a minimum price if i really think it's worth it. but if it's already causing me a lot of stress... hay... i know it's just a matter of mind/willpower, but.... ► i just wish my body will cooperate with my mind knows. i know all the right answers, hirap lang tlga sumunod ng ktawan ko, sadyang nagrerebelde. ayaw nia ata tlgang gumawa ng tarpaulin. (haha!)

oh well, so much for that.... right now, my fingers are so stiff, i'm not sure if it's caused by stress or by too much coffee or both.

♦♦♦

i was able to download an ebook of GONE WITH THE WIND and i'm sooo loving it right now! i was able to watch it in dvd years ago but for me, i've always preferred reading the book than watching it. it gives me more insight to the characters, i can read and reread it at my own pace, and there's just more background information. bsta. i guess im just a sucker for the written piece. ü Posted by zarahlim at 6:30 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Monday, June 30, 2008

the past few days has been tiring but fun.Ü i feel so blessed that when someone asked me, "kmusta?", i answered "mabuting mabuti!" Ü ♥i thank God for my family & friends. ♥ Posted by zarahlim at 7:28 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Imagine yourself grasping a knife, its sharp edge digging into your palm causing you to bleed. You're in so much pain. You know the only solution is to let go of the knife to start the healing process. . . ... the same's true emotionally.

... dont go on hurting yourself by dwelling on anger, bitrness & self pity. FORGIVE; LET GO of your emotional baggage and LET GOD heal u. the healing process wont start unles you surrender it to God. *******

"Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you." 1 Pet. 5:7 Posted by zarahlim at 7:19 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Sunday, June 22, 2008 ngayon lang ako nakaencounter ng ganitong situation: nang dahil kay typhoon frank, postponed ang sunday service. huhuhu! =( nun una nagiguilty ako kse naicp ko kagad yung commandment no.4 and yung word na c-o-mm-i-t-m-e-n-t. but narealize ko din na ginawa yung decision na yun ng leaders and pastors in consideration sa mga taong nasa malayo pa nakatira and also for safety reasons... maaga naman naiannounce sa members and nun nagpunta naman si papa sa church (just in case may ndi nakatanggap ng announcement), wla daw kuryente.. kaya ayun.. dahil hindi nga ako sanay ng andto sa bahay ng sunday morning (nanyayare lang yun kapag hinihika or inallergy ako eh. hehehe.), napa-aga ang devotion ko (usually sa gabi ako eh).... kakaiba tlga tong si typhoon frank... di malilimutan.... Posted by zarahlim at 12:01 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 birthday blessings & surprises

• • • • •

advance bday celeb with some bethel friends mini cake from firebrands youth a text message from my former sunday school teacher who's now based in singapore. Ü lawrence's visit @ home on my actual birthday sushiyum lunch / kikay gifts from church & officemates

thank you for being with me, guiding me for the past 23 years. thank you Lord for another year that you have blessed me with. thank you for blessing me with people who love and care for me (akalain mo yon! marami din naman palang nagmamahal saken kahit papano! hehehe!) thank you Lord for being in my life. Ü more pics here Posted by zarahlim at 9:32 PM 4 comments Labels: blab, praise, work

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Dear Popsie: Happy Father's Day Ü

We're alike in so many ways: our humor, our temper, our speaking volume, our allergies... I got your genes, after all. Ü I'm just like you, too, when it comes to our ministry calling. I'm proud to have someone like you to follow: - a man of faith: loves God above all and makes Him his highest priority - a man of integrity: practices what he is preaching - a man who is responsible: we never have to worry about anything because we know we're in good hands with him as the head of our family (next to God, of course!)

i'll never forget our family devotion times when i was still a young child. you led the family in singing and discussing bible stories and in prayer. because of your (and mom's) example of a strong Christian faith, we came to love God with all our hearts - that's the best gift you ever gave to me. i'll forever be grateful for all your sacrifices for the family. i always thank God for giving you and mom as my parents. such a blessing! i just pray that when it's time for me to start a family, i'll be able to set an example to my children just like the example you've shown us. thanks popsie! i love you! happy father's day!Ü Posted by zarahlim at 4:54 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

ang strong nun impact ng natutunan ko this week sa nabasa ko sa bible (we're reading 2 chronicles and luke this week). and this morning, sa sunday service, yung message ng pastor was EXACTLY the same as what i had in my devotions. grabe talaga si Lord, nakaktuwa na may reinforcement ang mga natututunan natin in our quiet time with Him. so anyway, i just want to share this with you, dear readers, and i pray that just as God spoke strongly to my heart with this insight, He will speak to yours as well. Ü The Example of King Asa (2 Chronicles 15-16): King Asa started strongly in his walk with God. During the first 35 years of his reign, he was fully committed to God. But when he reached his 36th year, he got sidetracked and stopped asking God for help. Even when he got really sick, he did not seek help from the Lord, only his physicians (16:12).

what i learned: It's not how we start, but how we finish that matters. It doesn't matter how long you've been serving God. What matters is that TODAY, you're still committed to serve and obey Him. This is true lalo na sa mga matagal nang nagchchurch, yung tipong lumaki na sa church. We think that just because we've been going to church all our lives, okay na tayo ni Lord forever. Pero hindi eh. Kasi there will be a time when our faith will be tested, our devotion to him will be tested. And hindi basehan ang tagal ng pagkakilala natin sa kanya, kundi ang pagkastrong ng faith natin. And committing to Him is a DAILY thing. Hindi ibig sabhin okay ka sa walk mo with the Lord ngayon, bukas ganun padin. Sabi nga sa Luke 9:23 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me." Prayer: Lord, I decide to be fully committed to you all the days of my life. Help me act on this decision. And whenever I'm in a low point in my life, help me to still be committed to you. Amen. Ü Posted by zarahlim at 4:48 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, discipleship, praise, preaching thoughts

Sunday, June 08, 2008 one last fun for summer '08

last saturday our youth had an outing @ Kawayan Cove, Nasugbu, Batangas. it was so much fun because aside from the bonding and the awesome nature all around us, we had a space in the island all to ourselves, so feeling private beach ang pinuntahan namin. =D thank you God for allowing me to join the outing. thanks for providing for me so i can join the group and get to relax and swim (i haven't gone swimming this summer except for this!).

click here for more pictures. Posted by zarahlim at 6:24 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, cell, praise

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 get out of my head minsan mas okay pang magkacrush sa artista. atleast alam mong one in a million ang chance nio magkita at magkakilala. kesa sa kilala mo nga, may common friends kau, etc, but kayo mismo wlang communication, tuwing event lang.

ang hirap ng ganito. tsk.

Posted by zarahlim at 10:00 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, inis

Monday, May 26, 2008 ang saya ng APAW kahapon! :D it's always great to get together with youth from other churches and worship God simultaneously. pero shempre kasama narin dun ang saya ng pagba-bonding with them. naks! socialite kuno! haha. dati kasi umiikot lang ang mundo ko sa binondo. masangkay. benavidez. dapitan. españa. then back to binondo........ so it's a blessing to be involved in events like these so i can get to know other people and also get to go places na malayo naman sa binondo. paminsan-minsan naisip ko... • • •

ang saya magcommute mag-isa. ang saya din umuwi from caloocan to binondo with lawrence. kakatawa. hehe. masaya kumain sa malayong branch ng kfc, jollibee, dunkin donuts (kakasawa nga kase sa binondo, masangkay, etc.)

kaya lang ang pinaka-ayaw ko pag may event eh yung feeling AFTER; yun tipong gusto mo pang makipag practice, gusto mo pang magcommute ng malayo, gusto mo pang may nilu-look forward ka na event... eh kaso ang tagal pa ata ng next event, AND di mo rin sure kung makakasali ka duon or magcoconflict ba ito sa work, etc... :( hay... buti nalang may pictures. atleast masarap balik-balikan ang nakaraan. hehe..

bittersweet nga. ang sarap tlga ng feeling na yun! Posted by zarahlim at 7:29 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, inis, praise

Thursday, May 22, 2008

he won!

◄---yipeeee!!!! ÜÜÜ Posted by zarahlim at 9:31 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, May 19, 2008 yesterday was my 4th time to speak in our sunday service. medjo kakaiba ang preparation ko dito coz during the 3 previous ones, i was ready long before sunday. but this time, it was already friday when i took the time to really sit down and write my sermon manuscript (though i already had the points and the verses) .

katam (katamaran) and procsy (procrastination) was over me. it's not that i'm losing the passion NO! it's just one of those days when what you know really havent been processed as well you would like it to be because of busyness at work. (very poor excuse, i know.) anyway, by God's grace, i was able to finish everything and deliver the message well. praise God! after the service, some people came up to me and said very encouraging words. God bless them! i wouldn't have been able to do it without God's anointing. i was too tired the whole week, i spent my whole friday writing the manuscript, saturday (or sunday early am) i slept late because i had to finish my powerpoint pa, then sunday i woke up early coz i couldnt get back to sleep - all these happened to show me that it is not by our strength that we do things. it is by God's power and grace alone.

i'd like to share these excerpts from the message:

5 Investments for a Healthy [Family*] Relationship: *adapted from Ptr. Doug Fields (Saddleback Church) and modified to suit BFGFC congregation's needs.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 (4IV) Investment of FAITH I’m blessed to have been placed by God in a Christian family and what I’m really grateful for is the investment of faith my parents invested in our family. I grew up with the understanding that God is our provider; He holds our family in His hands, etc. Now Kim & I had a College Assurance Plan (CAP) and it has been a great help to my dad, as well as to the whole family. But when I reached my senior year in college, CAP went bankrupt. I remember the many times Mom, Dad and I went to the CAP office for news and hopefully, the deduction amount. But they really had nothing to give us. So my dad now had

to pay for my tuition on his own. Thoughts of having to stop studying for a while did enter my mind, but only for a second. It doesn’t mean I didn’t care about my education or my dad, but I knew that God will make all things well-He is in control. And He did provide! I’m afraid to think what our family might be now if my parents did not invest in faith. It’s a good thing they did not just invest in CAP for our future, but they also invested in faith in God who never goes bankrupt! Ü So you see... •

Investing in faith allows us to have security in life that only God can give.

Investment of EXPERIENCE




You don’t have to go out of town to spend quality timewith your family. Find things to do together. Share some laughter. You just might be surprised to see a whole new side to your parents / children.

° When I was about to go to my first job interview, I had the privilege of having my mom go with me. Though we were both unfamiliar with the Makati area, armed with my Dad’s reliable map, we ventured together. I had a great time getting lost and finding our way to the right building, all because I had her with me. Yes it would also have been nice to have a friend go with me, but I wouldn’t trade the job interview experiences I had with my mom. Now when I think of Accenture and Convergys and Phil. Daily Inquirer and job interviews at Makati, I think of the moments I have spent there the first time with my mom. °

I also had my bonding moments with my dad. When I was still a little girl, I used to go with him on out of town trips. I loved going to Baguio and Angeles with him! Feel na feel ko ang pagiging Daddy’s Girl ko! Ü I remember one time when we stayed in a hotel with a swimming pool and I didn’t have a suit with me so he bought me a new one; I remember getting dizzy on the long trip and throwing up but he cleaned me up as best as he could; I remember the nice distinct smell of the bank (RCBC??) I used to go with him, waiting for him to finish his transactions.

Posted by zarahlim at 1:34 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, preaching thoughts

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

I

LOVE

David Cook!! hope he wins!

ÜÜÜ Posted by zarahlim at 7:30 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

saya (x10)!! :D the best thing about it:

i got a tan! yey!! (at least summer look ako, even if i got the tan just by walking around binondo and intramuros. di kasi ako nakapagswimming pa this summer. .) *nyaks ang babaw. haha!!*

Posted by zarahlim at 10:51 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, May 12, 2008 happy mom's day

to my mom: thank you for everything caring for me, making me hilot even when your hands are aching, sacrificing your wants for my needs, listening to my rants about the many things that stresses me, standing by me, assuring me that i am secured and loved, encouraging me to be a better person, motivating me to do my best and be the best that i can be even when i dont feel like it, affirming my strengths and accepting my weaknesses being a model mom -you're such a blessing to me... i'm glad God made you as my mom. * i love you! * Posted by zarahlim at 5:59 AM 0 comments Labels: praise

Wednesday, May 07, 2008 *ring* (10x) zarah: (slightly irritated from being interrupted with work) HELLO? Sir Jason: hello ma'am, may naghahanap po sa inyo dito, si Farica daw. zarah: (mood immediately turns to HAPPY, SURPRISED, A4D CO4FUSED mode) ah ganun ba? o sige sandali lalabas ako. **** **** ****

i got a surprise visit from farica and brznf at work this afternoon. she personally delivered her pasalubong from baguio. awww.. how sweet!!! :D and to think that i almost did not answer the phone! that visit really made me feel blessed to have such thoughtful friends. hehe. (extremes no? just a few posts ago, i talked of how friend-less i felt; now, i'm talking about how great my friends are. i realized iba tlaga ang may Christian set of friends. with them, i know that even if we dont get to see each other often, there will always be a bond between us brought about by being family in God's kingdom) thank you God for my friends :) Posted by zarahlim at 8:57 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, discipleship, praise, work

Monday, May 05, 2008

to ate zarah from antonette may 3, 2008 piano lessons with antonette always leaves me with a feeling of joy because her eagerness to

learn and her ability to learn really fast is very, very encouraging. we're on the topic of chords now and she can play 3 chords already. konting practice pa, makakatugtog na rin sha ng song. one thing i also love about her is her thoughtfulness. from time to time, inaabutan nia ako ng mga crafts na ginawa nia at home - bead bracelets, a glass jar full of paper stars, etc. nkakatuwa because to receive a gift from a child is a precious thing. i'm glad i have these experiences to treasure. i pray that with our lessons together, i'll be able to impart not only my knowledge but to also to be a good influence to her. nakakatakot but at the same time nakakaexcite to know that in the future, maaalala nia ako based on what i've shown her while learning with me. malaking impact sakin kung pano ako nainfluence ng teachers ko in sunday school and in school and so now that i have kids in my care, i really really hope and pray that i'll be able to set a good example for them.

the best talaga ang teaching ministry! very fulfilling and rewarding. thank you Lord for placing me in this ministry. i know it's you who placed this desire in me, this passion in me to teach, and i thank you because i wouldn't want to be anywhere else but only to where you've placed me. i realize how blessed i am to have this opportunity to be with kids and have an impact on their lives. please help me to do a good job in teaching the kids about life, about you. ***** i'm so happy! may stock na ulit ng pretty when pinched* na liquid form!! everytime madaan ako sa bench stores, yun ang hinahanap ko, and for 2 years na ata na hindi ko sha mahanap. palaging gel form ang stock nila. eh ayoko nun kasi mas sulit un liquid, mas mtagal maubos and hindi sha sticky pag nilagay, even if abutin pa ng 2years (haha!).

Posted by zarahlim at 11:08 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, discipleship, praise, teaching

Thursday, May 01, 2008 yeyeyey!! our pc's working again! my dad had it checked (second opinion) by jake, the technician who always takes good care of our pc. it turns out may loose connection (???) lang ata.. unlike nun first time na pinacheck ng dad ko sbi sakanya kelangan na daw palitan LAHAT. duh.. kurakot? tsktsk... anyway... once again, we were able to save thousands, praise God tlga for this blessing!! :D Posted by zarahlim at 1:55 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 sira nanaman ang aming magaling na computer... :( nakikigamit lang tului ako now... oh well... sabi ng Bible:

"in everything give thanks..." circumstances..."

and "give

thanks in all

so... • •

•

• • •

i'm thankful that i still have a job. i can still earn money so i can help my dad sa pagbayad ng pag-ayos (or kung bibili ng bago, whatever..) i'm thankful wla namang rush jobs na nasa pc na kelangan ko gawin... if ever i'm still studying and may big assignment ako, like thesis or term paper, and our computer gave out, patay talaga! but wla naman so thank God! (in connection to the previous item) i'm sure abby's thankful it's summer dahil hindi nman nia super kelangan ng computer dahil wala naman shang assignment. kung may assignment man sila sa workshop nila, ndi naman kasing urgent kagaya ng pag school grade ang habol. i'm thankful i have lots of notebook to write on. hehehe!!! i'm thankful for the use of this laptop. hehe. nakisingit talaga ako coz i really want to blog and get this out. hehe. speaking of laptop, i'm planning on buying my own.. hopefully.. great motivation ito for me, lalo na when it comes to my attendance sa work. :D

thank you lord... Posted by zarahlim at 12:03 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Thursday, April 24, 2008 thank you Lord for: •

•

•

the Snickers Bar that i won in today's seminar. :) the other teachers "volunteered" me when the speaker asked for volunteers. at first i didn't want to go to the front coz i was shy and i didn't have my notes with me. but i didn't want to be KJ so i went to the front and thank God i was able to answer the question. a totally unexpected hug from this boy who lives in our building. i don't know his name but i see him every now and then (he's one of the the mischievous kids in our building who keeps on ringing our doorbell then running to hide). i dont have an idea why he did that but i couldn't help but smile just thinking about it. i was going down the stairs and when i got to the 2nd floor, there he was, playing with his friends. then he just came up to me smiling, tugged on my arm and hugged it and made this "hhhmmmm" sound. nice kind of weird. hehe... the surprising thing is that i could expect this from someone younger, but a boy his age(he's about 8-10 yrs old), i dont think so! (unless that boy's really sweet or he's feeling sick or whatever)

ma'am grace liking the new video i made about the school's building construction. i have yet to finish the video tomorrow (complete with audio, etc.) but she already liked it as it was. and she was very encouraging about it.

Posted by zarahlim at 2:17 PM 1 comments Labels: blab, praise, work

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 On Faith and Asking Questions 11:50 PM 4/22/2008

(Desperate Housewives Season 4 Episode 11) Lynette had just been through two miracles (surviving cancer and a tornado) and these prompted her to ask Bree if she can go to her church because she wanted to thank God for all the blessings she received lately. She sought Bree out among all of her friends because she saw her as the one who seemed to have an actual relationship with God. When she got to the church (Presbyterian), she enjoyed the minister's sermon and because she was listening so attentively, she even had questions about it which she asked right then and there. Bree confronted her about this and told her that they dont do the asking during the service, they just wait for their questions to be answered. Their disagreement led Lynette to seek out other churches that will entertain her questions freely. When Bree got to church the next Sunday, she found out that she got it all wrong and that the minister actually found Lynette's direct questioning tactics refreshing. So she went to the Catholic church across the street to get Lynette. After trying so hard to convince her to come back with her to the Presbyterian church, Lynette just bared her soul and told her that she just wanted to understand why God spared her life while so many others didn't make it through crisis. Bree asked her why she just didnt say so in the first place and so Lynette frankly told her, "You didn't ask." .............. This episode's theme is about Faith and I liked this particular episode of DH because of the subtle spiritual treatment they did. It's not everyday that you see a popular TV show talking about God and religion. And their treatment of the spiritual side weren't aggressive or offending, tamang-tama lang. Also because I was able to relate with both Lynette and Bree - Lynette's "why am i so blessed while others aren't?" and Bree's hesitancy to "just ask" the questions that will prompt the other to share her deepest feelings. That's really my problem - asking the right questions. I tend to just shut up when i find the issue bordering on the delicate side, not being sensitive to the person if she's just waiting for me to ask her so she can open up. I know there are times when I really need to just shut up and mind my own business but I also know that there are times when I need to Just Ask. Maybe this tendency to just ignore the need is the attitude of apathy, not wanting to be bothered by someone else's burden. For example, there was a time when my sister told me she wont be able to go to carecell because of a really big problem and to please just pray for her

because she really needs it. Because i didn't want to be bothered and i was afraid to know what her problem is (i honestly dont know why i was afraid, but fear was definitely the emotion i felt then), i didnt ask her about it. i haven't even asked her what that was all about even until now, and that was like months ago. I REALLY need to work on my listening and asking skills big time. This is the 2nd time i've watched DH and was moved to write (on the spot) an entry about it. In fact, nakapause ngayon ang player, just waiting for me to finish spilling my sentiments by writing it all out! =D

anyway, gotta go back to watching the show now! heehee. Posted by zarahlim at 3:40 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

i won a copy of this book in today's seminar at school. the speaker gave us a matching type quiz wherein we had to match the scripture verses in column A with the correct descriptions in column B. the first 3 people who get to finish first and answer each item correctly will be rewarded with the book. yey! perfect score aku! heehee!! :D Thank you Lord. this will be a fine addition to our children's ministry resource library. .................. *part 2 of the seminar tomorrow. **can't wait for thursday's seminar: Grooming (???-forgot the exact title) with Mary Kay representatives. yey. kikay mode!:D Posted by zarahlim at 10:42 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise, work

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 It's been two weeks since the school admin organized devotion and discipleship sessions for the faculty and staff every lunch hour. during our 1st time to meet, our group leader told me that she's gonna be on leave for 2 weeks coz she'll be going to the province for vacation, so she asked me to lead while she's away. tomorrow's gonna be my 3rd time to facilitate our group discussion and i feel so blessed for being given this opportunity to do what i love (teaching and preparing lessons) but at the same time i can't help but feel a little intimidated because i'll be leading a group with professional teachers in it. not to mention i'm the youngest in the group. nevertheless, i know God was the one who placed me in this position and i have nothing to fear because He will equip me to do what He has called me to do.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 Posted by zarahlim at 11:30 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, discipleship, praise, school, work

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

What About You?

[Jesus] “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Mark 8:29

Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He is known by many people in different ways – Teacher, Prophet, Son of God, Savior, Redeemer, Friend, Lover, Bridegroom, etc. But have you ever thought of who Jesus really is for you? Who do you say Jesus is? Disregard what you’ve heard others tell you

who Jesus is. Have you really experienced Jesus in your life, you being the one who’s really in contact with Him? Or are you just riding along who you’ve heard Jesus is?

Lord I wanna experience you more in my life. like my prayer in tonight’s prayer meeting, help me to have more close encounters with you, just like I’m having right now!

Jesus, to me you are my BEST FRIEND.

For the past few weeks (months? years?) I’ve thought so much of how few my friends are. no one really knows me. yeah, I talk to my mom about my hurts. and I talk to Lawrence about everything else. but I don’t tell them everything. Only Jesus, my best friend, knows me. He listens to me 24/7. Pag asar sa office, sha ang sumbungan ko. Pag natutuwa ako, sha rin ang pinagpapasalamatan ko.

writing this entry, I’m realizing (once again) how blessed I am to have you, Jesus, as my best friend.

Thank you because you loved me even before I knew you. Thank you because you chose me to be one of the blessed ones called to your kingdom. Thank you because I got to know you early on in my life. Blessing talaga, Lord!!

I love you Jesus, my Savior, my Friend.

=)

“Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.” Mark 8:30

After Peter’s confession of Jesus being Christ, He told them not to tell anyone about him (yet). Imagine! Knowing that you’re with a “big-time personality” and you have to keep it a secret because it’s not yet time for him to be revealed!

How blessed are we right now because the secret’s out. In fact, we are tasked to tell everyone about Jesus being The Christ. What a privilege!

Help me do my part Lord. Help me to be a megaphone for you. Forgive me for my ineffectiveness as your witness. From now on Lord, with all these insights you’ve revealed to me, I will speak about your greatness “bessie” Jesus! =)

Posted by zarahlim at 1:54 PM 1 comments Labels: blab, praise, preaching thoughts

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 happy 26th wedding anniversary momsie & pops!

my favorites in one special dinner. yey! (obviously, ako ang nagsuggest ng food na o-orderin. hehehe!!) my huge thanks to God for the 26 years of marriage he has blessed my parents with. shempre it's such a blessing for us kids to see our parents' marriage going strong especially during these times where separation and divorce and single parenthood are becoming the norm)

to mama & papa: thank you for staying strong in your love for God and for each other. through your example, we (your children, especially me!) were able to come to know God personally. praise God for 26 happy years. praying for more years to celebrate with you. :) Posted by zarahlim at 3:08 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Saturday, April 05, 2008 to my so-called friends kaibigan ko ba talaga kayo? ang lamig niong kausap. mabuti pang kausap ang balon at least may sumasagot kayo, na naturingang kaibigan, ni maaninag ay wala. gumagawa naman ako ng way to reach you, but i get no response. did i do something wrong? *paranoia slowly creeps in* you might chalk it up to busy-ness. is it because you're all there and im (just) here? pero bakit kayo-kayo lang? how can i reach you if you won't let me?

*this entry might not make sense but it's just me during my super down days*

Posted by zarahlim at 10:20 AM 1 comments Labels: blab, inis

Friday, April 04, 2008

waaahhh!!!! i miss our house in alvarado. i miss our neighbors (even the noisy ones @ 401) i miss my piano! i miss my dad's mini garden at the roof deck. i miss watering the numerous plants up there. i even miss assembling the hose (which goes from the roof deck down to the vents and on to our kitchen window, courtesy of my dad's resourcefulness) i miss the swing (another one of my dad's "inventions"). i miss being able to buy Coke @ our neighbor's (dati sa 305, tpos naging sa 204) i miss our red gate.

i even miss Chloe, the dog at 303 who never fails to bark at me and bites me everytime she gets the chance. i miss having ninang & ninong & jerald as our neighbor (ninang's huge pocketbook collection, her company during primetime tv hour, her endless kwentos; teasing jerald; ninong's skill in electronics - he fixed our microwave!! heeehee!!) *sigh* i really miss our old house. Posted by zarahlim at 1:24 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Wednesday, April 02, 2008 ang sarap balikan ng mga old testimonials sa frendster... wla lang... :) Posted by zarahlim at 9:57 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Thursday, March 27, 2008 b.l.e.s.s.e.d. blessings are running after me. :) 1. our PC's working again! without having anyone to look at it. one day it just broke down and refused to open so we let it rest for a few days. then my dad decided to take a look at it just now and then it's working perfectly like nothing happened. a favor from the Lord! free of charge.:) 2. pasalubong from ma'am joy. :) 3. (God's) grace under (intense) pressure - today's been a reaaaalllly trying day for me. mam tina's in a seminar the whole day; yina's absent due to a sprained ankle - i'm left all alone. huhuhu... and this is the busiest time of the month - GRADUATION!!! and the programme's not yet printed, and coz yina's absent, i'm tasked to take over. oh no!! and i still had to do the things mam tina asked me regarding level 3 accreditation plus the video for mam magdalena.... not to mention the numerous phone calls i have to answer, the visitors i have to entertain, the revisions i have to make, the questions i have to answer even if i dont know the answer.... hay!!! every three minutes i'm asking God to help me and i'm just so glad that at the end of the day, i was able to go home happy and fulfilled coz i know i did my job well. thank God for His grace that abounds. 4. token of appreciation from mam lolita, the preschool librarian, for helping her with the certificates & the bulletin boards.:)

5. very encouraging comment from someone who attended the seminar at mlafaith last march8. it really made my day, knowing that at least one person really liked my presentation (all glory goes to God) and even took the time to post a comment. thanks for that, whoever you are.:) 6. lawrence's visit last monday - even if all we did was walk around tutuban, i had fun. it was such a treat to be visited by him after a super hard day at work.

thank you lord for making me feel loved and appreciated at times when i dont really feel good. Posted by zarahlim at 11:18 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise, work

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 what i'm lovin' these days (part2)* in no particular order: - makeup: liquid blush & eyeshadow (= - nail polish in bold colors - reader's digest condensed books (c/o achi christine - thanksverymuch!!!) :D - brewed coffee (meron palang benta sa quiapo! yey! we dont have to wait for someone to go to baguio to have fresh coffee at home :) - johnson's bedtime oil after shower - buttered mushrooms - my 2 new pairs of aldo shoes (c/o auntie michelle - so thoughtful! thnxthnxthnx!!) - bangs - 168/meisic/tutuban shopping sprees: 6 pairs of earrings for 40 pesos. weeh!! - suhiyum!! (the usual california maki, kani tempura, miso soup and of course the salmon sashimi, ordered during special days) :) - digging through the Bible during devotions for the "gold nuggets" from God :) - clear skin (less breakouts even when stressed. i'm finally over with my pimple-prone adolescent days, not that i was too pimply before, only the occasional zits here and there. hehe! - carecell sessions with my group - we're starting to bond! :)

- new-found friends from other churches - speaking engagements - salonpas (the roll-on type) - a quick fix for my aching shoulders - starbucks planner -helps me remind of things i have to do; also serves as a journal - i inserted some notebook fillers at the back for my journals and lecture/sermon/meeting notes - keeps my written stuff organized and in one place since i use LOTS of notebooks - vanilla perfume oil from body shop - helps me sleep well coz i smell sweet and delicate, like a marshmallow (accdg. to chynna :) - my victoria's secret stuff *read part1 Posted by zarahlim at 6:11 AM 1 comments Labels: blab

Thursday, March 13, 2008 i distinctly remember one of the speakers during our career seminar @ ust say that when we apply for work, we must see to it that our email address is professional-sounding. now that i'm working in the HR office, i find that so true! as i encode the resumes submitted, i dont know if i'll laugh or cry or grimace everytime i encounter email addresses such as the ff:

[email protected]. prettyprincess@_ soulsiren@_ carebearsprism@_ bhumbee@_ sweetypie.baby4ever@_ bboy_bgurl@_ i mean, it's okay for personal use, but for work... im sorry but it just doesnt work! it looks very unprofessional. not to mention the awkward stage you'll reach when you encounter this kind of phone conversation:

*ring* A: hello?

B: hi! this is B from *company*. i need your company logo for the tarp we'll be designing. can you send it to me through email? A: certainly! what's your email ad? B: it's "[email protected]" A: um, could you spell honeybunch for me? is the honey in honeybunch spelled regularly or with U? *** get the point? ;) no offense ah... just sharing my thoughts here. :D ~~~ meanwhile, i got to help conduct an entrance exam (personality and IQ tests) for an applicant today. wheeh!!! :D Posted by zarahlim at 1:13 PM 1 comments Labels: blab, work

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 pinoy copywriting 101

outside CKSC...

at least kht papano, i got amused while waiting for lawrnce... heeheehee :D Posted by zarahlim at 11:32 AM 3 comments Labels: blab, school

Sunday, March 09, 2008 hwattadey! (that's Zaralish for English's "what a day!")

cOr?eEEEeeee!!!! nyahaha! sori, i get really corny and dorky when i'm happy. and today, i'm happy coz it's been a day full of exciting events. let me write it down for posterity :)

1. First Time - to give a seminar. i was invited to be a resource speaker for manila faith AG's Teaching Seminar, in line with their DVBS on April. as written in my previous post, it's a dream come true for me coz i've always wanted to speak and give lectures but i didnt know how that can happen as i'm shy and with little experience and with only a few contacts. it turns out my "weaknesses" were enough for the Lord to work on. i'm shy but he gave me the boldness to speak so that the glory will go to Him, not to me (psalm 115:1 "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the glory."). i'm with little experience but he let me experience the best things so that little they may be, it's worth sharing to others (as the song goes: "little becomes a lot, when it's in God's hands...)

i only had very few contacts from other churches but God gave me the contacts that will help me as i develop my teaching skills. as i've shared in the seminar this afternoon, God equips those He has called. Just like when God called Bezalel and Oholiab to work as the chief craftsmen for the building of the temple (exodus 31), God called each of us to a certain ministry. And just as God filled them with the Spirit and gave them the skills they needed to do the work, God will give us what we need to be able to do the task He has called us to do. thank God coz hindi sha nang-iiwan sa ere. He wont expect you to do it alone; he doesnt tell us "bahala ka dumiskarte, basta gawin mo ang utos ko."

2. recruited by one of the best web designer/graphic artist to be part of his design team. thanks kuya patrick! :) your encouraging words, affirming my designs, really made my day. *i really feel like jonah. last year i ran from the Lord's will (work at hope). now that i accepted it, panibagong hamon nanaman. sabi ko ayoko ng pagdedesign. but i noticed that kahit anong takbo ang gawin ko, kahit anong iwas, dumadating parin palagi ang projects. like sa school. i already informed mam tina na give up na ko sa pagdesign ng tarps and posters. video nalang. ok sakanya. but wala parin kaming magawa because people still go to me for help everytime they need some designs done. so maybe it's time to accept (once again) that God gave me these skills and maybe may plan nga sha why nia ko tinutulak in this particular field. i think he's saying "zarah, i equipped you with artistic abilities not only through writing and speaking but also in designs. make good (and full) use of it!" and as still may doubts parin na pumapasok sa isip ko everytime i think of me being capable of designing, i must make a conscious effort to remember the points i shared above (no.1).

3. carecell was fun even if all we did was life-sharing. no lesson prepared, we just shared what we were going through right now and just encouraged and reminded one another that God is in control. it's not about us but about God. what we are going through right now, we were planted there by God because he has a purpose. and only if we learn to accept that purpose will we truly be happy. happiness and success does not always come from perfect circumstances; true

happiness and success comes only by doing the will of God in your life. 4. (vanity) was able to buy 2 eyeshadows at a bargain!!! yey! :) Posted by zarahlim at 2:54 PM 2 comments Labels: blab, cell, praise, teaching, work

Thursday, March 06, 2008 i found these photos of myself when i was a kid and couldn't help but be amused. bata palang maarte na!

kamusta naman ang mga posing diba? :D i remember owning my first pair of high heels (ladies' shoes tlga, but in size 5) when i was just about 7 yrs old. (of course kids today start wearing kikay clothes and shoes at a very young age, what with all the fashionable designs made available for kids. sometimes naaaliw akong tumingin sa kids dept sa mall kasi ang ku-cute ng mga damit nila. makes me wanna go back and wear those clothes. of course, pwede naman now, kaso iba pag bata ka and you're wearing "grown-up" style of clothes ;) Posted by zarahlim at 2:23 PM 1 comments Labels: blab

Tuesday, March 04, 2008 yesterday was section 2's joint fellowship @ caloocan bethel. though i've been attending for quite a while now, first time kong naenjoy ang youth fellowship, all because may new friends na ko (hehe loner kase ko dati). thanks sa camp, i was able to get to know other people aside from the youth from our church. tama nga si lawrnce, dpat i-broaden ang horizon when it comes to friendships, wag lang nakaclose sa church youth group. buti nlang anjan sha! heehee... (medjo senti ako ngaun, msama kse tlga loob ko kanna pang umga, nasigwan kse ako ng d*d ko. hay. had something to do with work and ministry)........ anyway, masaya akong nag-attend ako kahapon. no regrets. enjoy ako sobra, kaht pagod, kht masakt ang ulo ko, go parin.

*** im preparing the handouts (break time pa, kaya nakakapagblog ako hehehe!!!) na isesend ko kay ate che later para sa seminar on saturday sa manilafaith. i was invited to be one of their speakers para sa isang teaching seminar (in line with their vbs). i'm super honored to be asked to speak there. thank you tlga sobra for the opportunity. dream come true ito! hehe. pinapangarap ko lang dati na maging tulad ng mga speakers everytime may seminar na inaatendan ako sa school, and now, eto na. blessing tlga from the lord ito. *** halfday ako today kse nga masakt ang ulo ko knna and medjo kumikirot ang lower back ko. tsk. pagdating ko sa office, i was surprised to see na lumipat na pala kami ng office. yey!! bagong workstation, bagong office -- im loving it! another reason for me to enjoy my work. :)

Posted by zarahlim at 1:30 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, inis, work

Monday, February 25, 2008 still standing BY THE GRACE OF GOD i'm loving this new song by lakewood church: STILL STA?DI?G. it says perfectly what i feel about my awesome walk with God. (v1) you gave me courage to believe that all your goodness i would see and if it had not been for you standing on my side where would i be (chorus) if not for your goodness if not for your grace i dont know where i would be today

if not for your kindness i never could say, "im still standing" if not for your mercy if not for your love i most likely would have given up if not for your favor i never could say, "im still standing" BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD!!! (v2) to you i lift my offering and set my heart on higher things for if it had not been for you standing on my side where would i be (br) on Christ the solid rock i stand all other ground is sinking sand ****** truly if not by the grace of God, i am nothing. like rev. tham wan's message this morning, REJOICE because the King of Kings has called me to be a part of His ministry. He doesnt need me, but He wants me to be a part of His work and it's such an honor to be of service to the King. what really struck me was that we are not to complain when we have to minister every week (in carecell, in sunday service, etc.) because we are called in His service 24/7! im not a "3rd sunday minister" only or an "every-other-month carecell leader" or whatever -- im a christian and being so i must always be ready for service in God's ministry. ******

shades of love was a success! ganda!!! hehe! all glory be to God Almighty! truly, we wouldn't be able to do it without Him. though time-pressured (we only had a month to finish everything, from the shooting to the editing, and we only met during saturdays and sundays), we were able to finish everything in time for the viewing. another good thing that needs to be credited to God is the smooth-going technicals yesterday. hindi nag-brownout! hindi nagstop in the middle of the movie or anything, hindi nagloko ang projector and hindi din nagloko ang sound system. PRAISE GOD!

thank you for Your hand that was at work during the whole time the movie was being shown. our weaknesses and all other things that seem daunting and/or impossible are all perfect

opportunities for a mighty God like You to show us what You are able to do. we would not have been able to do anything without You Lord. thank you for another faith-enriching experience. :D Posted by zarahlim at 7:43 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Sunday, February 17, 2008 baby shower & answered prayers

this afternoon at carecell, we threw a baby shower party for jenilyn. though only a few attended, it was a good party, with everyone showing genuine care for jenilyn and her family. being a mom at a very young age will be tough but we reminded her to cling to God, put God at the center of her family, and introduce her child to the lord early on in his/her life. i thank God for zarah grace because she really helped me to plan & prepare the party details. it was supposed to be a care event for my cellgroup only but since jen's a part of the youth, the whole firebrands might as well join the party (the more the merrier! :D) also, i really felt the hand of God in everything i did today, from the buying of gifts to the party preparations. early this morning, i woke up with a sore throat. with this sunday's bulletin still left to layout & photocopy, and me not yet able to buy gifts for the baby, i really didnt think i can make it on time for the 1pm meeting (and the party details yet to prepare). so i prayed to the lord to help me. i started working on the bulletin at around 10am; finished at around 11, took a bath and left for divisoria at 11:30. not having an idea of where tabora market is (coz my mom told me there are lots of baby stuff sold there), i prayed for god to lead me to the right place to buy and to open my eyes to find stores selling baby stuff. so i walked by meisic mall, and true enough, god led me to this store where they sold face towels and hankys... i went in and asked the saleslady if they sold stuff for babys and she said YES! praise God!!! it was just my first stop and i was able to buy everything i needed. hehehe!!

thinking it was still too early to go to church (it was just 12pm), i decided to walk around 168 mall. and (not so) amazingly, i stumbled upon this store where they sold baby pajamas 3 for 100. i remembered lawrence didnt have anything yet for the baby so i bought it for him to give to jen (he paid me later on). very pleased with my purchases and with God's leading, i decided to go to the foodcourt and treat myself with some sushi. while going up the escalator, i saw this babystore (again!!!) selling cool stuff like strollers and imported bottles so i thought i should take a look (i did ask God to open my eyes!)... and so i was able to buy a rubber mat for the baby! yehey!!! what's so great about this experience is that i was able to finish baby-shopping in under 1 hour and yet was able to buy stuff for 5 people (candy, lawrence, kim, abby and me). AND to think that lawrence and i also went to 168 just last sunday to search for a gift to give jen's baby and we didnt find any. what happened? did 168 / meisic take up new tenants that exclusively sold baby things this week? no. it was God who opened my eyes, answering my prayer this morning. praise God for he hears and answers our prayers!! Posted by zarahlim at 1:25 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, cell, praise

Thursday, February 07, 2008 BFGFC's1st ever Feature Film

In celebration of BFGFC's 23rd Anniversary and the love month

Shades of Love

February 23, 2008 (Saturday) 3pm & 6pm 107 Tytana Plaza, Veronica St. Binondo, Manila Tickets @ P50.00 for more info, visit www.firebrandsyouth.multiply.com Posted by zarahlim at 3:06 PM 1 comments Labels: blab, cell

Sunday, January 27, 2008 halo-halong post

i was supposed to post these entries earlier but we've been having problems in (i'm not sure which of these) our pc / our internet connection / blogger. 1.14.08 "yeah i sprinkled her ashes but it would've been nice to do something before she was ashes." -Lynette Scavo on Ida G., Desperate Housewives Season 4 Ep 10

01.23.08 office treat (written during my lunch break) it's ma'am tina's bday today so i bought her 2 orders of california maki from sushiyum as my bday gift to her. and as a treat to myself, i ordered cal maki and kani tempura. yeyeyey!!! nothing beats an office treat to help shorten an otherwise long and dragging day at work. thank you lord for providing the finances so that i could treat myself and mam tina (and her friends-they're having lunch together at the high school clinic. she'll share her treat with them.) as well. :)

Kani Tempura California Maki ~~~ a shocking and disturbing news about heath ledger's untimely death. he was found dead in his apartment, with a bottle of sleeping pills near him... tsktsk.. they're still not clear if it's suicide or something else. well, whatever the reason, i think it's a shame. though i'm not exactly a fan, i like him (he's cute, no he's hot and a great actor - he's been nominated after all, so what can i say?). hay... and him still so young... life's really unpredictable. you dont know what will happen next so better watch out, better be sure where you're going after you die. and make sure the life you're living will not be a waste when weighed during judgment day. 1 Corinthians 3:10 "But each one should be careful how he builds... (13) his work will be shown for what it is... and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. (14) if what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. (15) if it is burned up, he will suffer loss...

1/22/2008 7:19 PM ... i know you love me i know you love me at the cross i bow my knee where your blood was shed for me there's no greater love than this You have overcome the grave your glory fills the highest place what can separate me now you tore the veil you made a way

when you said that it is done ... so inlove with you Lord. thank you! ~~~ 2nd time to preach last sunday (jan 20) title: Buhay KPB? about staying alive spiritually and keeping the fire burning for the Lord. the general response: comedy daw (akala daw ni mama matatakot sha) other comments: patrick: "good job" candy: "keeping to the 30-minute rule ha!" kevin: "nice preaching... tinamaan ako sa carecell part" relieved to have finished fairly well. to God be the glory!

01.25.08

LUNCH!!! yummy! :D

01.26.08

sa luneta, while waiting for the "actors" to get ready for the shoot. :D Posted by zarahlim at 1:34 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise, preaching thoughts, work

Thursday, January 17, 2008 my poor, over-worked hand

Posted by zarahlim at 3:13 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Tuesday, January 01, 2008 2007 has been a good year for me - i (1) learned a lot about life, about myself, about God (2) experienced God's hand upon my life (3) was able to do lots of things for the first time (4) made new friends. here are some of the highlights: JA?UARY -first time to ice skate at MOA. -first time to be without my mom for almost three months (coz she went abroad)

FEBRUARY -valentine's with lawrence -farica and i finished our new beginnings discipleship session - a great accomplishment because it speaks of both of our commitment to stay close to God no matter how busy both of us are.

MARCH -resigned from my job at HCHS. APRIL -baguio trip with my family. -got to eat at 50's diner - THE BEST! MAY -missions camp @ valenzuela -first time to complete a curriculum for our DVBS (The King and I)

JU?E -returned to work @ HCHS. Finally accepted God's will for me (turned out to be the best decision I ever made in terms of career - follow His will and everything will be okay.) -celebrated my 22nd birthday.

-was able to lead eds to the lord - what i've been praying for ever since. -took up Diploma in Christian Ministries at AGSOM (extension school @ Manila Faith AG)

JULY -first time to be part of a band scheduled to lead worship at an All Out Praise & Worship by Section 2 Youth Dept. AUGUST -first time @ trinoma SEPTEMBER -??? OCTOBER -y-speaker @ youth fellowship. topic: STRESS and A4GER Management -yna's debut -first time to make my special "mushmash" (mushrooms & mashed potato). yum! -first time to speak to 3rd year high school students during their Career Week ?OVEMBER -first time to preach @ our church's Sunday service (4ov.25, 2007). topic: Have You Forgotten? - about thanksgiving & missions DECEMBER -first time to be a part of the pastoral staff meeting @ BFGFC (Dec1) -first time to attend a youth camp organized by Section 2 Youth (as counselor)

* more camp pictures here -got to be with lawrence during Dec 24 and Dec 31 (a first for us!) -finally finished reading the whole Bible (yehey!!!) ***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~*** as the song goes, "so blessed, i can't contain it..."

Thank you, Lord for Your goodness and faithfulness to me this whole year! Can't wait for 2008. :D Posted by zarahlim at 12:52 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, praise

Wednesday, December 12, 2007 "this is the day that the Lord has made. I WILL REJOICE and BE GLAD in it." this past few days have been full of "temper-check" situations for me. i'm ashamed of myself because i failed at almost all of it. grabe... i'm not gonna blame it on stress or anything coz it's all my fault. i should learn to rise above my emotions. ito talaga ang weakness ko. i flare up so easily everytime. i'm praying that God will help me. i just thank God that He's patient with me. i'm trying my best to change. but i can't do it on my own. hay... today started disastrously. ang aga-aga palang nagalit na ko agad. all because the guard reported me to my superor because i didnt put on my ID when i entered the school. naaasar ako kase: 1. i ALWAYS put on my id before i enter the school premises. but talagang nakalimutan ko lang, mashado kasi akong nagdwell sa naiwan kong coffee sa bahay, which was supposedly my baon. hay. ang babaw. kaya nga ako naiiinis sa sarili ko. dahil lang sa napakaliit na bagay, nagagalit na ko. grrr!!!! 2. i was offended kasi the way they told me was like i did it habitually. 3. the guard even said "good morning" to me but didn't say anything about me not wearing my id. tapos malalaman ko nalang na nireport nia ako. grrr... parang going behind my back kasi ang dating. sige ireport mo ako, okay lang. pero sana sinabihan mo rin ako when i got in. you could've said "ma'am yung id nio po pakisuot" or something. at least let me know na i'm doing something wrong na. 4. there was a memo pala but i didn't know about it, i haven't signed anything yet so i wasn't informed. tapos report kagad. aba aba aba! wlang warning! bottomline: nareport ako sa isang bagay na hindi ko alam na existing policy pala and in the first place nakalimutan ko lang talaga. hay. it's just one of those days when everything goes wrong. maybe tomorrow, marami pang situations that will test my attitude. but even though pangit ang mga pangyayari, i will choose to be happy. mahirap. but i'm praying for help. besides,

"(this is) the day that the Lord has made. I WILL REJOICE and BE GLAD in it." no matter what happens. Posted by zarahlim at 1:14 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, inis, work

Thursday, ?ovember 29, 2007 i survived my first preaching experience! a week before, i still wasn't feeling nervous. i figured i'll feel it as THE DAY approaches. true enough, by wednesday, it's all i could think of. and everytime i think of it, my tummy hurts, my hands shake, and i feel cold and nauseous. when i woke up sunday morning, i wanted to cry because of nervousness. i doubted if i could really do it. but those thoughts occupied my mind for only a minute. excitement replaced all my fears (thank God!) and so i started getting ready. i even wore my "killer" shoes (literally! killer sa pain. killer sa tulis. haha! it's the shoes i wore during my graduation). when i arrived at church, i was really excited at medjo hindi mapakali. all this time i was praying to God and telling Him that i'm just an empty vessel for him to fill and use. it's not me that's gonna speak but Him speaking through me. when it was time for me to speak, (not) surprisingly, i felt natural, as if i was just about to speak at our youth fellowship. here's when i realize that God has been preparing me all along. when you knew me back when i was a kid, you wouldn't imagine me speaking in front of the congregation. i was just too shy. truly, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that will give us the boldness to speak and do the work God has called us to do. that, together with my experiences in speaking during youth fellowship, carecells, and sunday school really helped a lot. anyway, back to my story. :) i talked about the importance of thanksgiving - not forgetting to thank God for the blessings we received and remembering to tell people about what God has done for us.

here are some praise reports: i praise God for helping me all throughout the process. i couldn't have done it without the Lord's help. truly God qualifies the called. :) (* thanks to richard for sharing this maxim). the encouragements from the people around me also helped a lot. praise God for a strong support group of family and friends who never failed to give me words of encouragement everytime i share to them my fears and nervousness with regard to this new experience. a simple "you can do it" really went a long way. :D having ptr. johnson and sis. karen there was also a great encouragement to me. their support really means a lot - they even sat right in front of me and took pictures during the sermon. hehe. they played a great part in this milestone in my life because of their constant support to the church and to my family. i praise God for this couple. Lord bless them! *** as they said, this is just the beginning. i pray for God's continuous blessing and anointing as i continue to obey His call in my life. truly it's such a great privilege to be used by the King of Kings. (pictures to follow)

Posted by zarahlim at 10:30 AM 0 comments

Labels: blab, preaching thoughts

Tuesday, ?ovember 20, 2007 this sunday, it's my turn to preach at our church service. it's such an honor to be called by God the King to share His Word to the people. "sino ba ako? i'm too young..." these questions have entered my mind, but praise God for reminding me, through Ptr. Calusay's message last Saturday, that God uses the foolish things of this world to bring glory to Him. and it doesnt matter who i am, what age i am, or what my educational attainment is; what's impt is that i obey Him and His calling for me. i'm just so grateful for this privilege and i'm praying that i would be able to do well the task He has called me to do. Posted by zarahlim at 1:43 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, preaching thoughts

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You're the glue that holds everyone together. What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

You Should Be a Poet

You have a way with words... and a talent for drawing the pure emotions out of experiences. Your poetry has the potential to make people laugh and cry at the same time. You just need to write it! What Sort of Artist Should You Be?

You Should Be an Artist

You are incredibly creative, spontaneous, and unique. No one can guess what you're going to do next, but it's usually something amazing. You can't deal with routine, rules, or structure. You're easily bored. As long as you are able to innovate and break the rules, you are extremely successful. You do best when you: - Can work by yourself - Can express your personality in your work You would also be a good journalist or actor. What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

You Communicate With Your Body

This isn't as bad as it sounds, it just means that you're a "touchy-feely" person. You need a lot of affection in your life. And for you, this means both giving and receiving little touches. Warm hearted, you bond with people easily. In fact, you often feel a little sad when you're not in the company of others. A little moody, you tend to be controlled by your emotions. But a bit hug always comforts you! How Do You Communicate? Posted by zarahlim at 10:29 AM 0 comments Labels: quizzes

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 top 3 things to praise God for in the past 3 days FRIDAY October 19, 2007 i praise God that i was able to attend my Christian Education class. the whole week i've been thinking whether i'll attend my class or the culmination of the seminar given by the Singaporeans (from Trinity Christian Center) at our church... it turned out to be a wise decision to attend my class instead because aside from the submission of a paper assigned 2 weeks before, i learned a lot from the night's topic: Effective Curriculum. if i didnt attend, i would've missed so much. i didnt have a churchmate with me in class so i'm all alone. and i learn more if i listen and take notes myself, rather than borrowing a classmate's notes. SATURDAY October 20, 2007 i praise God for giving me the opportunity to attend Hope's Personnel Retreat. i was really looking forward to it, especially when i learned that one of the speakers will be Mr. Francis Kong. waking up at 5am was a sacrifice i gladly made, just for me to attend that seminar. i super enjoyed it, i learned a lot and though tired from the week-long late nights, i was refreshed emotionally and spiritually. i also enjoyed the commute back home after the seminar. there was an option for me to ride the bus but i opted to ride a jeep instead, just to be familiar with the QC area. i'll learn more if i commute, rather than have someone drive me around. during the ride, i reminisced my college days and i got thinking how i missed my travel time alone going to ust. the thrill of getting somewhere far enough from our place by myself, without "manong sidecarboy" to get me there. independent ang dating! haha. anyway, going back to the retreat, another thing to be thankful for is the generosity of Hope for organizing these kinds of "spiritual assistance" events to all her personnel. they require us to attend, at their own expense. kami na ang natuto, kami pa ang pinakain! i'm really starting to like it here! :D SUNDAY October 21, 2007 i praise God because i was able to experience the joy of leading one of my sunday school students to Him. this girl, Antoinette, is also my student in Keyboard lessons, and i see in her the bibo-ness (!?!) that's so encouraging for every teacher to witness. she's very determined to learn about something she's set her mind to, and you can see the sincerity in her. also she's such a thoughtful kid; twice she gave me handmade bracelets for no special reason. i'm really glad she accepted Jesus in her heart, and i told her so. ~~~ on a totally different note, i discovered my new easy-to-prepare favorite meal: MUSHMASHED

a combination of mashed potatoes and mushroomssauteed in butter. (i'm a sucker for potatoes and mushrooms! grabe!)

YUM! :D Posted by zarahlim at 2:19 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, school

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 God's will vs. Personal Will i shared my testimony to the 3rd year students at Hope for their career week. i was asked to share about my experience on following God's will. i'm gonna post it here for everyone to read (hope you'll be encouraged just like i did) and for future reference. :) -----a few months ago i learned a lesson about the importance of following God's will and the benefits that come with it. after i graduated from college, i prayed for a job that would be in a Christian environment and most importantly will not be a hindrance to my church ministries. the Lord answered my prayer and gave me a job at Hope. it was such a blessing to me because everything was running smoothly - my boss was so nice to me, the work was enjoyable and not as hectic as others', the pay was sufficient for my needs and even some of my wants, and the people around me were all very nice to me. but even with all these blessings, i eventually got tired and wanted something else. i have this attitude of wanting something so much but after a while i get tired of it and focus on something else. after a few months, i started thinking of continuing my studies. the desire to leave was so

strong that just thinking of going to work every morning made me ache all over. then if that wasn't enough, i began hearing selectively. every message i hear at church, every article i read, seemed to be telling me to leave if my heart wasn't on it anymore. so thinking it was God's will for me to leave, i resigned. i spent the whole summer enjoying my freedom from hope. i even gained some weight, with the stress taken away from my system. but this resting period had to end. i had to find another job, because i wouldnt be able to study if didnt have money to pay for it. at just the right time, i got a call from philippine daily inquirer inviting me to go for an interview. i was able to reach the final interview stage until they stopped calling. i was in denial. i told myself, "hindi baka talagang matagal lang sila tumawag ulit." but after one month of waiting, i realized no call was ever gonna be made. i got angry with the lord. i said, "bakit mo pa ako pin-aabot sa final interview kung hindi rin lang ako tatanggapin. pinaasa mo lang ako." i said it out loud and my mom heard it. i was instantly rebuked. then i was given a "gentle sermon." and so i realized that it was all the will of God. he was trying to show me that i think i can do it on my own but without him i am nothing. not being under his protection is putting myself in misery. i realized i was like Jonah; i was running away from God's will. i also realized that i couldnt run away from God. He placed me at Hope and unless i've fulfilled His purpose for me there, i'm not going anywhere. proverbs 21:30 says, "there is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." so i went back to hope, after accepting an offer for a substitute position. and it was only after i fully surrendered to the Lord, did i experience peace - inner peace knowing that i'm on the right path, and peacefulness with the knowledge that i'm walking with the hand of the Lord upon my life. add to that, blessing really poured. they agreed to fit my schedule around my studies and church activities. and i was even given a raise in my salary!! imagine that! i got everything i wanted in the first place, all because i obeyed God. Praise God! an illustration came to my mind while meditating on this goodness that God has shown me - the pen tool in Photoshop, where it's hard to draw a straight line using only your free hand and the mouse - it's like us making our own way in the path of life. we cant walk a straight line on our own. to be able to walk a straight line, let God control you; submit to His will (you'll only be able to draw a straight line with the use of the shift / control key).

truly God is a good and faithful God. He always provides and He gives second chances. Praise God for that! Posted by zarahlim at 3:39 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Thursday, October 11, 2007 today i attended our group's 1st Bible study meeting at work. all hope personnel were formed into small groups and we're to meet an hour every week. the Lord is good because He knows i really need this time of being ministered to. it's good to be able to rest from responsibility once in a while. leading a group myself, together with other ministries i am in, the lord knows i'm really in need of a "feed me" time. i know leading and stepping up into ministry is a part of maturity but still, it's nice to be "just a member of the group" again. also, it's a great time to meet and get to know other hope workers. before i resigned, one of my complaints was the lack of contact with other personnel. i used to be stuck inside the office making all the banners and the videos. my friends consisted of my computer, the telephone, and my phone pals (kenny, the tarp printer! hahaha!). now, i'm still stuck in the office but at least i get a "reprieve" an hour every week. hehehe. truly the Lord knows my needs. and i'm just so grateful for this unexpected blessing. he's making me love working at hope more and more! :D Posted by zarahlim at 12:26 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, cell, work

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 That Bittersweet Feeling Just finished reading Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. A few pages into the ending, I started having this bittersweet feeling - that "sad but happy" feeling you encounter everytime you have to let go of something (or someone) with the anticipation that something better's on its way to you. The book talks of the magic that love brings, how it can change a person for the better. It's a good read; though bordering on the typical-lovestory, it comes with a lesson to be (re)discovered. -after reading, i went in our room and found my sister listening to some music. amazing how some days coincidentally turn into a "something" day - it may be a "swerte" day coz you find yourself showered with favors and blessings the whole day; it might be a "color of the day" day (redundant!!! :D) coz you find just about everyone wearing the same color as you have on. well today i realized it's a "bittersweet feeling" day for me, coz the music she's been listening to brought back bittersweet memories - memories you want to forget and cherish at the same time. hay... senti ako ngayon...

anyways, what is it with music? just hearing a certain song makes you go back in time and remember a certain stage in your life (or a certain someone). take spice girls' Too Much song. just thinking about it makes me remember my elementary days (grade 5 to be exact). and i can still remember standing in line during our chinese class, waiting for my turn to say my memorized line (biak diam) at the teachers' table. i even remember our line was standing right by the window which looks out on the building's fire exit. i also remember very well my crush that time (who is absolutely NOT my crush anymore). amazing, right? (Lawrence and i have talked about this topic many times and pareho kaming may memories sa Too Much song ng spice girls. hehehe) it's the same with scents. perfumes always remind me of something. i remember in our experimental psychology class, we also talked about this. certain smells can trigger a memory but you cannot remember a scent from memory. gets? for example: when you smell this particular perfume, it reminds you of someone. but you will not be able to remember the smell of a perfume just by thinking of someone. just thinking of all these makes me think of the greatness of God. ang galing ni Lord gumawa. Posted by zarahlim at 12:02 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Thursday, October 04, 2007 just got home from discipleship wd eds. each time after a d-group session, i feel so encouraged. praise God! i can really feel His presence as He guides me in leading my friends to Him. earlier, when eds asked a question, i was stumped for the answer. i prayed that God will help me answer it. so i just waited and tried to turn the conversation into a "catching-up" mode. after dinner, i felt the holy spirit leading me to answer eds' question and true enough, as i was speaking, i could feel him leading me to the right words to say. truly when we pray and ask for help, He never fails to come to our rescue! God is good!!

i thank you lord for giving me this opportunity to be a witness for you. truly i am blessed for having you in my life. being a part of your family is such a wonderful blessing that my heart rejoices everytime i think of your love and goodness and faithfulness towards me. thank you that you never change, that we can hold on to your promises and know that what you say will come to pass. i love you Jesus!! :D "How Can I Keep From Singing" Chris Tomlin There is an endless song Echoes in my soul I hear the music ring And though the storms may come I am holding on To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise How can I ever say enough How amazing is Your love How can I keep from shouting Your name I know I am loved by the King And it makes my heart want to sing I will lift my eyes In the darkest night For I know my Savior lives And I will walk with You Knowing You'll see me through And sing the songs You give I can sing in the troubled times Sing when I win I can sing when I lose my step And fall down again I can sing 'cause You pick me up Sing 'cause You're there I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord When I call to You in prayer I can sing with my last breath Sing for I know That I'll sing with the angels And the saints around the throne

Posted by zarahlim at 12:23 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, discipleship

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 GI invasion because our bedroom has been victimized by the smoking-monsters club (our GI "genuine intsik" neighbors), kim and i have been sleeping in the sala for a week now. we can't take the smoke anymore. kahit anong buga ng electric fan ang gawin namin, wa-epek. tsk. sabi nga sa email, may bagong version na yung saying na "when there's smoke, there's fire"

new tagalog version: "pag may usok, kawawa ang may hika" -- very applicable saken. hehehe!!! (our) new version: "when there's smoke, there's GI"

Posted by zarahlim at 2:33 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, September 17, 2007 I survived!! Tonight we had our sermon delivery practicum in our Homiletics class. Praise God for a wonderful outcome. I’ve had sleepless nights just because of this. I also prayed as earnest as I could just so that I could deliver well. Ok naman mga comments ng teacher and ng class. We had to preach for 10 minutes then after that, they’ll rate us according to how we delivered our sermon (i.e. confidence, voice modulation, earnestness, etc.). 5 of us were scheduled for tonight. Kala ko ang order of presentation ay based on the order the prof called last week. But nagpalabunutan kami... and malakas na ang kutob ko na mauuna kame. At tama nga ako. Hay! Si Lord talaga.  Ok lang coz I didn’t want the extra pressure of seeing others do better than me. I might get intimidated or something. So ako ung unang-unang nagpresent. Okay naman... Now I can feel the stress na naipon from the past few days of nervousness. Frst sem’s almost over. Last meeting na next Sunday, then 2nd sem starts. I’ll take up the Christian Education and Hermeneutics courses. Can't wait!!! Posted by zarahlim at 1:26 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, school

Tuesday, August 28, 2007 what i'm lovin' these days: * studying the bible * bible school * discipleship sessions * work (HR duties) * salary increase * Get Laud! plain colored t-shirts * burberry perfume from kimmie * johnson's "bedtime" powder * maybeline glittered lipgloss * revlon shimmer blush * banana peel flipflops * mccormick sauce mix (carbonara, pesto, etc.) * gma 7's remake of marimar (!!) * marian rivera!!! (ehem! ;p) * tuesdays with morrie * waking up on a cold morning * max lucado *experiencing the heart of jesus* * ready-to-eat seaweeds & bamboo shoots (for only P12.00 @ Shoppers' Mart) * voice harmonization

Posted by zarahlim at 7:32 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, August 27, 2007 whatanE?GLISH!

sa office... nagising ako nang mabasa ko to... (di na kinailangang magkape. hehehe...) talaga nga naman. Posted by zarahlim at 1:36 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Friday, August 10, 2007

i had fun answering our take home exam for our Friday class. aside from the reading being a Max Lucado article, the questions reminded me of how blessed i am because i have Jesus in me.

Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." I AM WHOLE God created me completely, without any physical defect, so that every part of my body may be used for His glory. More specifically, God blessed me with an exceptional pair of hands, so I can use them to write about His great and marvelous works, to play beautiful music in worship to Him, to care for the sick and weak, to give a comforting touch to those who are sad, to give an appreciative pat in the back who needs affirmation, and to help those who are in need. I AM HEALTHY AND STRONG Physically I can serve God with energy and enthusiasm. I can help others who are weak. I can do more for God.

Spiritually I can endure all the challenges that life may bring. I can help lead others in their walk with God. I can win more for God. 2. Personal Life Mission Statement

To exalt God in everything I do, to serve Him by leading people to God, and to inform them about His truths. Posted by zarahlim at 6:07 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, school

Wednesday, August 08, 2007 i found a pakalat-kalat na book at our house today. while browsing through it, i couldn't help but smile. tamang-tama!! coz it's entitled HAVE A HAPPY DAY by Nathanael Olson. Here are a couple of thoughts that made an impact: If you ever met someone who refuses to be your friend, someone who seems to resent you but you don't know why, read and reread this old bit of verse: I do not love thee, Dr. Fell. The reason why I cannot tell, But this alone I know full well, I do not love thee, Dr. Fell. Some people's dislike is as illogical as the thinking in this poem. So don't let them bother you. If you meet people like this today, be pleasant but keep moving on. Don't let their dislike contaminate you. [after reading this, i couldn't help but think of that certain someone who has really been a "thorn in my flesh" ever since i started working. i'm trying REALLY hard not to be irritated... with the way (s)he looks (pormal na pormal), talks (walang buhay, walang gana), acts (same as the way she talks)... oo, may problema sa akin... but the feeling is mutual, the way i see it... the way (s)he acts towards me... hay... very UN-Christlike attitude... sorry... I'm really praying that God would help me change this attitude of immediate dislike

whenever i see that person.... {teka, mukhang para sa akin ang poem na un ah. hehhehe...} ] oh well, so much for that... here's another one... DO FLOWERS HAVE PERSONALITIES? They nearly seem to when filmed by a time-lapse camera. According to one authority, "Azaleas burst open impetuously. Fuchsias grow as if they had hiccups. Cyclamens curtsy gracefully as they open. Begonias will not stay still enough for a picture. Hibiscus blossoms seem to have a sense of the dramatic, for they unfurl their petals with a swirling flourish, followed by a final coquettish twirl of the central column." If a flower dares to be itself, why shouldn't you? Don't lose your personal identity today. Bloom the way you were meant to bloom. [this made me think of me wanting to be someone else every time i see the models in fashion magazines, on the runway, in America's Next Top Model, and also the girls i see who all look the same - with the same hairstyle as everyone's, the same outfit as everyone's, the same shoes, the same brand of makeup, the same perfume, etc...] We are all UNIQUELY made by God. Find your TRUE self. Better yet, aim for CHRIST-LIKENESS. When others see Christ in your life, people will see your TRUE beauty. Sabi nga nila, "Real beauty comes from within." Posted by zarahlim at 2:22 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Thursday, August 02, 2007

can't seem to write anything in here lately, though lots of things are happening in my life... it's because i'm not into one of my "exagg" moods... i've written things in my diary, but it's too personal (?!?!??!) haha... anyway.. im not in a bad mood naman.. and i'm not dreading work, so i guess i'm on the right track. having my daily devotions really helps a lot in keeping my cool (kht na tlgang di maaalis sa paligid ang "inis-triggers".. oh well.. you just have to live with it - it's what makes life exciting). so what keeps me busy these days? • •

•

work (mondays-thursdays) church ministries (praise team practices, discipleship groups, carecell, sunday school...) school (fridays-sundays)

JULY has been a hectic month for me. aside from it being my scheduled month as sunday school teacher, we had to prepare for the All-Out Praise and Worship (A.P.A.W.) of Section 2 scheduled at the end of the month. so commute to the max from binondo to caloocan for about 3 weeks (??)... and my nap-time on sundays, nawala (!) coz we had to practice... so imagine pagud na ko kse non-stop ang activities ko that day, from 9 in the morning-10 in the evening (service, prax, class)... but it was all good. masaya!! first time ko maging participant ng apaw... dati pa-attend attend lang... and i got to meet other people from different churches, kasi nga participant ka.. so no choice, you have to interact with the others. *mental blackout* *writer's block* *ala na ko masabi :D*

Posted by zarahlim at 2:43 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Tuesday, July 03, 2007 BACK TO SCHOOL im back at hope... i dont know what God's preparing me for, but i see that He really wants me to stay there. nagresign na ko, pero pilit na tinutulak ako ni god dun... they asked me (many times) to stay, so i did. it's also a good thing coz i started studying again last friday (june 29). i really needed a job with a boss that would be lenient enough to allow me to make my own schedule. so i get to come to work mondays-thursdays and have my weekends free for studying and other church commitments. praise God! Posted by zarahlim at 11:29 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, school, work

PRISO? BREAK

grabe kaka-addict!!!

shempre one of the reasons i got hooked (aside from the plot) is because of wentworth miller!!! yeah!! cutie!!!! :D haayy...!!!! Posted by zarahlim at 11:13 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Friday, June 15, 2007 WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY (inspired by Lucy Torres Gomez's article in Philippine Star dated June 3 and 10, 2007)

* finding an unexpected (and obviously long-forgotten) stash of money - just when i'm almost broke - just when i'm already broke

- just when i'm craving for some sushi (hello sushiyum!) / pizza (hello yellowcab!)/ coffee (hello starbucks!)

* receiving a home-made bracelet from Antonette (one of my students in sunday school) for no reason at all. * abruptly waking up in the morning, thinking i'm already late for something then realizing i dont have to go anywhere that day. * the feel of menthol seeping into my pores and onto my aching muscles (thanks to omega painkiller, efficascent oil, and salonpas) * reading the notes my friends and i passed around during our high school chinese class (a result of chinese class boredom and cluelessness) * eating cold salmon sashimi with freshly squeezed calamansi (yum anytime!!) * enjoying a whole bowlful of home made, hot, milky, and buttery mashed potatoes by myself! * buying notebooks and post-its even when i have tons of unused ones at home * hanging out at BookSale * finding bargain books for as low as P10.00

(sumasakit pa ang aking tiyan dahil sa excitement of seeing so many good stuff all at once! this happens everytime i'm in a bookstore! :D) * writing my thoughts down - be it good or bad (never fails to make me feel good!) * eating inihaw na pusit at carriedo with lawrence on the way home from Raon * eating isaw ("manong yung tostado ha?") - near UECP * gorging on my favorite chips with iced cold soda / juice * cheese popcorn * making / preparing lessons for sunday school and carecell discussions * out of the blue text messages from people in my past * uncrowded LRTS * eating cheese sandwich and mushroom soup while reading a really engrossing novel

* the "right" feel of music on my fingertips * listening to joel houston's husky voice * watching videos of joel houston playing the guitar while leading worship * jokes and jests @ church with childhood friends (hello lawrence and angliongto siblings!) as well as with my newfound ones (hello brznf and farica! :D)

* getting that callback i've been expecting (from a company that you really, really want to be a part of - PDI!!!!!!!!!) - i got 3 happy callbacks from them (one for an exam and the two for interviews). unfortunately, the one i'm expecting the most (the call for a job offer) has not yet happened. will it ever happen?! it's been four weeks since my panel interview!!! it took them 4 weeks to call me back after i submitted my application online. am i supposed to wait that long again?? oh no.... anyway.... * checking my balance at the nearest ATM branch and finding out that the amount is more than what i expected to get (hello bonuses!!!)

* putting on my CoverGirl Outlast Double Shine Lipgloss - makes me feel sosy kaht hinde, all because of my super-shimmery lips. hahaha!!! * freshly-brewed coffee * pomegranate-scent in our house, thanks to BodyShop * cold glass of milk with *oreos*chocolate-chip cookies*brownies*donuts * watching Desperate Housewives (or any of my "current-favorite" TV series) while snacking on my favorite chips and soda * baby talk :D * sidney sheldon books * max lucado books * finding a great item at the mall and having the money to buy it with * Elizabeth Arden Green Tea * Elizabeth Arden 5th Ave. * HerBench Pretty When Pinched (the liquid one in a bottle) - great bargain! tagal maubos!!

* Great Taste Ready to Drink Mocha Java * potatoes fried - potatoes boiled * pizza * being Domino's Pizza's "customer of the day" and getting a discount on their yummy pizzas! * pasta * invitations to parties and get-togethers (makes me feel wanted :D) * waking up with a "good hair - clear skin" day * reading Lucy Torres Gomez's column in PhilStar * AVON!! ------

mababaw lang talaga ang kaligayahan ko. but dont get me wrong. dont equate my happiness with my joy. coz i am joyful even when i'm sad. Posted by zarahlim at 11:49 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, May 14, 2007 i had a great time at our missions camp held last week at valenzuela. we saw God's hands at work in that whole event. truly God is powerful. praise God for the success of this camp.

praise reports: DAILY VACATIO? BIBLE SCHOOL 82 kids signed up for dvbs. we had an average attendance of 70 kids everyday. it's great to see all these kids so eager to hear about God. 7 teachers were assigned to handle the kids, and i praise God for giving each of us the strength to do it. imagine being surrounded by 70 kids ages 4-12 years old in a small room. you can just imagine the noise we had to take and the heat. oh men! the heat!! tagaktak talaga ang pawis. but it's all good. we had a wonderful time singing our hearts out to God and learning stories and memory verses. many received Jesus in their hearts as their Lord and Savior.

one kid sent me a text message thanking me (us) for the things we taught them. it's really encouraging because it means that they appreciate the effort we put out in teaching them. i just pray that they will continue to grow in the lord. so far, the kids were the most active during praise and worship, even if they just hear the songs playing during break time, they will sing along with it.

another thing that's really touching is that they're so excited to get to church that even if we're scheduled to start by 9:30, most of them are already there by 8:30.

JAM-KABATAA? young people of all ages attended the youth fellowship scheduled in the afternoon. i realized that you really shouldn't judge people by their appearance because there are some who attended whom you wouldn't even think of being consistent in joining the events. they were even the ones who were responsive and cooperative, during group discussions. also some of the older kids from dvbs attended the event scheduled for the teens. film showing:GOD-MA? here, i realized that God was already at work even before the missions camp. the lessons, illustrations, and bible stories i prepared for dvbs were exactly the same in the movie. and to think that i haven't watched God-Man before. i didn't even know what that was until it was shown last thursday. anyway, many attended the film showing. at the end, people also committed their lives to Jesus. EVA?GELISTIC CO?CERT praise God for helping us out all throughout the concert. we had a super short time for practice, especially the band and the singers. we had less than an hour for practice, but it was all good. even the absence of a drum set did not affect the concert (good thing God provided us with a beat box for the concert - thanks uncle ed, and may God bless you for your responding to God's prompting. :D). more pics here. Posted by zarahlim at 2:03 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Saturday, April 14, 2007 A Taste of the 50s

Driving around Baguio City, you’d find a lot of restaurants with various specialties – from Filipino foods, ihaw-ihaw, to Korean and Japanese cuisines. But if you’re looking for a place to eat where you can get your money’s worth, try driving along Leonard Wood and Brent Road and you’ll find this hole-in-the-wall diner offering authentic American food. Being a 50’s fan myself, I got really excited when I saw this diner. I begged my mom and dad to try the place, and tonight, I got my wish. And boy was it ever worth it! Upon entering the diner, I thought I’d cry from sheer happiness (I’m not exaggerating!!!). The black-and-white tile floor, the jukebox at the corner, the movie posters from the 50s, and the portraits of the actors from that era all made me feel as if I’ve been transported to the 1950s. Remember the movie Pleasantville? Kinda like that. The place has that “family-hangout” feel – wholesome and pleasant – somewhere you can bring your whole family along. The background music are the 50s hits so you wont be bombarded by the recorded music of recent singing-contest winners singing the restaurant’s theme song again and again. The staff’s sailor-costume uniforms are also appropriate with the diner’s over-all theme. By the time we were seated, I was already intrigued so I asked one of the staff to introduce me to

the owner. And to my (pleasant) surprise, it was the man who was chatting with my dad at that moment! It turns out that he was once a character actor in the local entertainment industry. Mr. Tony Candelaria a.k.a. Tsing Tong Tsai once starred in local action movies back in the 70s and 80s. Here’s a brief interview with Mr. Candelaria, owner of the 50s diner:

Zarah: Bakit po napili nio ang 1950s as your concept for your diner? Mr. Candelaria.: Meron na kasi akong mga gamit na galing sa 1950s, so sayang naman pag hindi nagamit… at uso din kasi ang diners. Z: Kailan po nagstart itong diner ninyo? Mr. C: 4ung 1994 pa ito… Z: Ano po ang usual na sineserve ninyo? At sino po ang usual customers niyo? Mr. C.: Ang specialty namin ay ang burgers at milkshakes. Meron ding steaks… Ang madalas pumunta dito ay yung mga bata at mga family. Kasi pag kumain dito ang mommy at daddy, shempre dadalihin nila yung mga anak nila. Open kami from 7 am – 1 am. Kaya family-friendly kami, ayaw namin ng inuman dito kasi magulo. At this point, our orders were served so our interview was cut short. But he was very willing to help us out, even offering to have their specialty brought out for a photo shoot. But it turns out Kim and Abby ordered burgers so I just took a photo of their food instead.

50s Burger – P68.00 I sampled Mom’s order – “She” – and it was good!! For P165.00, you’d get a pork chop, chicken drumstick, steak, hotdog, fish fillet, fries, veggies, and sundae for dessert.

I also sampled Dad’s food – Filet Mignon – and for P198.00, you’d get the steak with a side order of soup, salad, fries, bread and iced tea and dessert.

For myself, I ordered Fish and Chips. Yummy! By the time I was into my 7th french fry and my 2nd fish fillet, I was already full! But it was so good. The fish was fresh without the malansa taste and smell.

Fish and Chips - P105.00 Each order’s serving is just right for the price. It’s really worth a try! You’ll get your money’s worth. Oh, and milkshakes are P55.00 each. We were very satisfied with the service there. The staff embodied the term “service with a smile.” Every time we’d call one of them, they will approach us with a (genuine) smile on their face. They were very friendly and efficient, you’d want to give them a huge tip. All in all, I’d give the place two thumbs-up! I hope they’d open a branch in Manila. :D ***

More pictures…

The staff’s sailor-costumes match the diner’s theme. Bising-busy!

The neon lights, posters and portraits give an authentic 50s feel to the place.

Enjoying our yummy food. :D

With Mr. Candelaria

************* Posted by zarahlim at 1:41 PM 0 comments Labels: blab im here in baguio coz we're celebrating my parents' silver wedding anniversary. it's the first time in many years since we had a vacation as a family again, just the five of us. i think the last time was when i was still in 2nd year high school, when we went to subic.... tagal na! :D

Posted by zarahlim at 3:00 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, April 02, 2007 april first -- first sunday of the month -- first day of my unemployed status -- first time after three months' break from sunday school once again, God has proven Himself real to me. on the way to church, i asked for His help and anointing as i teach the kids in sunday school. i really needed His help coz i only had 4 hours of sleep (slept at 4 am - i stayed up late because i wasnt finished with the lesson preparation and the crafts).

(not) surprisingly, i was super hyped up when i reached church. truly, God gives me strength to do all things. :D and i could feel His presence during sunday school coz everything went smoothly - with the kids being cooperative and attentive, which was a surprise coz they're usually restless. and the impromptu idea of playing a bible-familiarization game with them was a good one coz they learned how to open their bibles to the right passage. after church, some of the youth practiced their human video presentation for next week's inauguration at valenzuela. after 2 hours of waiting (i'm not part of the presentation - i cant act!!), i had another discipleship session with yna. despite being tired and sleepy, we regained our strength just having fellowship with God and with each other. it's really nice to have someone you can really talk to. this is what i really want to do - no matter how tired i am, when i'm serving and being busy doing God's work, the exhaustion is replaced with strength and enthusiasm. nothing compares to having the presence of God in one's life. :D all in all it has been a great day today at church. exciting things are starting to happen. :D Posted by zarahlim at 8:00 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Sunday, April 01, 2007 March 31, 2007 10:22 pm

“Ganyan talaga ang buhay – merong hello, merong goodbye.” – pops

Today’s my last day at HCHS. Nothing unusual happened, except for an almost teary goodbye. Before leaving, I went in search of Ma’am Tina para magpaalam. I found her at the Preschool Gym. When she saw me, she came up to me and hugged me (awww!!!). I’m gonna miss her, really! She’s one of the people who made my stay at HCHS bearable. Without her, I would’ve been bored to death. And she’s just so genuinely nice and caring and willing to extend any help that she can – I really learned a lot from her. After my hugging episode with her, she led me to Mr. Young (the principal). He was my immediate boss (unlike the clerical staff who are under the Admin and the HR and the Academic Dept.) so I had to say goodbye to him too. He shook my hand, gave me a side hug and thanked me. I thanked them too for giving me the opportunity to develop my skills and to gain experience. It was a joy working with him coz he never failed to appreciate my work. He really knows the importance of affirmation and I’m grateful for that. The other bosses also came up to me and thanked me and wished me luck. I really appreciated it. I mean, boss sila and yet they’re thanking me?!? How cool is that? :D So, my first job is over. I’m really glad that I left there being appreciated by them, knowing that

all my hard work were not wasted. On to the next job… hopefully it’ll be a career na. I don’t want to jump from one job to another. Here’s a quote my mom texted me:

All the waters in the ocean could never sink a ship unless it gets inside; likewise, all the pressures of life can never hurt you unless you let it in. Nice noh? I’ll have to remember that when I land my next job. Oh btw, I got a call from Phil. Daily Inquirer this afternoon informing me that I have an exam at their office on Monday, 1pm. :D Ambilis noh?? God is doing great things in my life! I can just feel it! Once again he’s making himself real to me, letting me experience his love and faithfulness, making me realize that He is in control. I’m soooo glad I have HIM in my life! I don’t know what I’ll do if I haven’t met Him. Lord you’re so good! Thank you for this peace in my heart knowing that I can count on You to lead me and guide me in the path where you want me to take. Thank you for this joy that I have that comes from knowing you and experiencing you in my life. (to you who’s reading this and is in a middle of a crisis, whatever that may be, get to know God. He has the answer! If you don’t know how to start, just contact me… *wink*) Posted by zarahlim at 4:08 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Saturday, March 31, 2007 top 5 inis-triggers #5: "ang cute ng ina mo" jingle "...cute cute... cute ng ina mo-o-oh!! (repeat 10000 +++ x)" - hanep sa LSS factor

#4: johnson's pure essentials tv ad (honor student on a job hunt) - my first impression when i saw the ad: "ah, so i just have to use that particular soap and voila! instant job!!" duh! - with my current state of (near) unemployment, i can relate with the girl soooo much!!! wanting to have a good job and all that... i just wish they presented the concept realistically. i mean, can a soap really land you a job?? anu un may gayuma? what about all the hard work you needed to exert while you were studying? does it count? what about the girl's honor status? does it have anything to do with the success of her interview? coz the way they presented the ad was really very vague about the girl's intelligence - what? just mention that she's an honor grad at the beginning of the commercial and that's that?

- hay! if only finding a job is that easy!! #3: manny pacquiao running for congress - just heard it from the news a few minutes ago. his attorney filed manny's candidacy this morning. - where's manny (close kami??haha!)? he's in the US for a boxing match. - i mean, seriously, if he REALLY wants to serve, couldnt he atleast be there to PERSONALLY file HIS OWN candidacy? can you please make up your mind? what's it gonna be - congressman or boxer? (can you actually be a part time congressman? ) - manny was interviewed and asked if he's gonna leave boxing when he gets elected. manny answered, "hindi ko iiwan ang boxing. boxing ang bumubuhay sa pamilya ko. ito ang trabaho ko." - so what's it really gonna be? yeah, you're running so you could get the government to help your district. whatever.

#2: "butchering" of the english language - wrong grammar please!! it's my major pet peeve. people educated in good schools, people who were able to reach their SENIOR year in high school, and yet their English are worse than the elementary kids!!! honestly! i'm not exaggerating!! i've seen it with my own eyes!!!! hay nako!! - and it's not just the grammar ha! it's EVERYTHING - the spelling, punctuation, as in EVERYTHING!!! EXAMPLE:

embest nope. there's no such word as "embest." used in a sentence, this guy meant "instead." he thought that the phrase "imbis na" in tagalog is an actual English word. hay nako talaga.

#1: this quote i received a few months ago which i've been meaning to post here but forgot due to my stress-induced sickness "LOVE IS WHE? YOU'RE SITTI?G I? CLASS A?D YOU HAVE ?O I?TE?TIO? OF LISTE?I?G 'COZ YOU'RE TOO BUSY WRITI?G HER ?AME WITH YOUR LAST ?AME." - makes me wanna sing "STUPID! LOVE...."HAHA nyak ang corneeee!!!! - but all joking aside, that's NOT love!!! that's stupidity!! if you REALLY love a girl (or a guy as the case may be), you'd study REAL hard and do your best because you want to be able to PROVIDE for your future family.

*** may no. 6 pa eh (i can't help it!)

#6: outrageous text-spellings examples:

"diba" to conserve time and effort, you would normally spell this into a maximum of three letters - DBA others, whom i consider as the text-masters, could even shorten it into two letters - DB what i dont understand is why some people spell this simple 4-letter-word loooonngggerrrr.. "divah??" instead of the usual 4 letters, or the shortened 2 or 3 letters - it's been transformed into 5letters!!! yeah, it’s petty! still, di ko magets ang logic.

super duper kitikitext ba talaga sila, super text addict, kaya gusto nilang mas matagal silang magtype sa keypad nila??? or is it an ego-trip? the longer they use their cellphone (through texting), the longer they can make payabang of their latest-model-cellphone. Ironically, this same group of people who change the normal spelling of short words into longer ones also does it vice versa. EXAMPLE:

“kasi” we spell it as “kasi” or “kc” they spell it as “xe” when I first encountered this word, I thought, “WHAT? WHAT DOES SHE MEA? BY XE??” I had to read the message over again just to get it.

ano ba tlaga? Pacute-an ba ng text spelling ang uso ngayon? Coz I can actually see these people talking even if I’m just reading their text message. Pa-sosi. Hay…. another example:

“ako” = “aq”

Then there’s the H-mania…. “po” In “normal” texting, you spell this as is. But there’s this certain group of people (the outrageoustexters group, which includes the group in the previous categories) who just love to put an H ihn ehvery whord!!! Therefore, they spehll “po” as “poh” or “pho.” **** In conclusion… hmmm.. what can I say? I’m sorry? Yeah.. I’m sorry.. bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan ay huwag magagalit. I’m just stating my opinion. But I can already hear my friends telling me:

“Kanya-kanyang style lang yan, janey, wag mashadong high-blood.” Posted by zarahlim at 12:58 PM 0 comments Labels: inis

sidney sheldon mania yipee!! im going to be 'busog sa libro' this summer coz i have sixteen sidney sheldon books!!! thanks lawrence!!! :D ***favorite sidney sheldon book: tell me your dreams*** Posted by zarahlim at 5:58 AM 0 comments Labels: blab an interesting thought just came to mind:

what makes a person who he is? can you be called a 'writer' without actually being employed as one? can you be called a 'teacher' without actually being employed as one? you see, the problem is, we tend to define ourselves with our job titles. because of this, the tendency to think "that's not my job - that's not who i am" lingers...

how about being a leader? to be a leader, you must have a follower.

true.

so i can actually be a writer (without being employed by the most prestigious publishing company in the country) as long as i have something to say, something to write about. and i can be a teacher, though not by profession, as long as i have students to teach. *** tomorrow's my last day at hchs!! and i have a summer job -- summer music clinic. yey! baguio mini-vacation on apr.11-14 (in celebration of my parents' silver wedding anniversary) job hunt will officially start on apr.16 Posted by zarahlim at 5:10 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 yesterday, i learned that my dad wants me to be a stewardess. nye. hehe.. i told my family i'll try... Posted by zarahlim at 11:05 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 i finally did it! i submitted my resignation letter last monday and i felt so much better after that. a HUGE load's been lifted off my shoulders. hay. though some people were dismayed by my decision, i refused to be deterred. it's not them that's suffering. i know i did the right thing coz i'm at peace with my decision. no second thoughts, no worries. it's really time for me to move on. but i still have to stick around until the end of the month. oh well... atleast i'll be paid until the end of the month. :D one nice thing about what's happened is that i learned that at least i did something right while working there. i was able to affect their lives (in a positive way) even if i was just the quiet girl in the HR office. it's very heart-warming knowing i'll leave the school with them missing me (do i sound arrogant? they TOLD me so). and i came to realize that my work has been appreciated the whole time i was there.

so maybe you're thinking, why leave at all??.. well, there are some things that you really have to get away from. and some things matter more than just being appreciated. i did some soul-searching and realized i really didnt want to do this full time. i recognize my skills in this field and i'm grateful to God for blessing me with this gift, but i know i can do better than this. i have other skills waiting to be developed (skills that i REALLY want to use and KNOW that i really can do well in - like writing and teaching) and i dont want them to just rot away while being contented with something that's not really ME. it's not as if i'm disposing of this skill i have. no. i'm still going to use it (part time)... i'm hoping for a career where i can use ALL the skills i have. Posted by zarahlim at 1:07 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Thursday, March 08, 2007

lawrence, kim & i will be teaching basic music lessons this summer. for those interested, contact me at the number posted in the flier. :D Posted by zarahlim at 1:17 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Friday, March 02, 2007

I cancelled our scheduled carecell at Valenzuela today coz I’m having a slight asthma attack. I tried walking around Binondo to see if I can take it, but I can’t. I really had a hard time just reaching Shopper’s Mart, which is about three blocks from our house. But Kim, Richard, Lawrence and I still went out for coffee. It’s getting boring just being at home, resting. I thought this asthma attack I have now is different coz I'm still able to walk around, though very slowly and carefully. But I realized when I got home, I really have to take it easy coz I was already starting to wheeze about two blocks before we got to our house. Hay... so absent ulit tomorrow. Monday nalang. I really have to rest. Anyway, we’re really excited about our plan for this summer. I’ll write more about it when it’s finalized. :D Regarding my dilemma about my job, I’m starting to see that it’s really time for me to move on. Everywhere I look, it’s leading me to that direction. And doors are starting to open (financial doorways)… this is another thing that was pointed out to me last Saturday – before you decide that you’re moving on, ask yourself: do you have a back up plan? Do you have the means to support your personal needs financially? Now, I’m able to say YES to that. And I’ll be doing what I know I’m born to do – TEACH. So yeah, I really believe that God is telling me to move on. Thank God for this recent progress in my life… I really cant take it na kasi. Posted by zarahlim at 5:21 PM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 sick.. again.. absent.. again.. last sunday, i woke up with an itching throat. it got worse throughout the day. monday, i had a sore throat already. went to buy calamansi for a mega dose of vitamin c. today, i woke up with a sore throat, a headache, and a voice that belongs to somebody. so i called the office and informed them i'll be absent (again). i thank God that mam tina's very understanding. whew. so i slept through the day. when i woke up 5pm, my throat's better BUT i already have a cold, cough, and mega headache. ugh!! then later in the evening, my whole body felt mahapdi - this happens everytime im coming down with a fever. hay. nevertheless, i took a picture of my pathetic self out of boredom and irritation.

eew.. i look pathetic. hahaha.

kim's theory is that i got a sore throat because of all the shouting we did at church last saturday night. lawrence, kim, kevin, xandra and i were at church until around 11 pm coz lawrence and the others were waiting for patrick while kim and i were waiting for nina. so while waiting, kim and lawrence had a jamming session, and out of craziness and super dooper boredom, kevin and i joined in with the singing (wala namang tao so itodo na! feeling back up singers hahaha) anyway, all we did was to shout. coz we couldnt sing. but i doubt that that caused my sore throat. because as you might have noticed, the weather's really crazy these days. one minute it's so hot that you want to take off your clothes and just soak in cold water; the next, it's raining. hard. i have a theory though.. i think it's not just the weather. it's also the s-t-r-e-s-s... (okay i'll shut up now) here are a couple of pics from saturday's silliness...

and sunday's as well...

mr. lawrence, the guitar god, made a song for me. awww!! how sweet. :D (listen to the song!! go to his site by clicking the link at the left side of this page labeled LAWRE4CE TA4'S MUSIC.. the title of the song is-- LOVE IS (Zarah song))

Posted by zarahlim at 3:42 PM 0 comments

Sunday, February 25, 2007 i did not go to work for three days. im super stressed and exasperated (times ten!) with my job. an earlier post here talked about my stress being caused by the people and not by the nature of the work. but now, i realized it's caused by both. im not a graphic artist. i dont want to pretend anymore. add to that, there's someone who's involved that really freaks me out. and last tuesday, i was told a secret. he asked the hr if it's possible for me to move in with him in his office. i was really alarmed coz i dont even want to get near him when he's at the office. nothing against him personally; i'm just not comfortable with him. and besides, we were enlightened at church by the rule of three (a man and a woman without any relation should avoid staying in a room alone together to keep away, if not from temptation, then from gossip). this dilemma has caused me sleepless nights, cyring escapades, not to mention a whole lot of stress. i'm still praying if this is where God wants me to be right now. i was told by my groupmates during carecell last saturday that when we are walking in God's plan for our lives, everything will go smoothly and we have peace. obviously, im not feeling very peaceful right now. i dont even feel satisfaction with my work. i dont know if im biased (because i really dont want to work there anymore -- i really dont think that's my call) or if all these feelings i have is part of my pruning process from God... hay... anyway, today's our church anniversary. it went great. the video went okay except for a few technical problems at the beginning. then some of the youth presented a dance number. it was all good. i'm glad that our youth group is starting to collectively use the talents God has given each one of us..

our speaker was Rev. Gerry Cruz, the newly elected STDC District Superintendent.. it was a good preaching. fun and insightful. there was one part where he focused on a servant's RIGHT ATTITUDE. i thought to myself, "here it comes... matatamaan nanaman ako," (coz i also feel guilty about my attitude at work - dreading it and always complaining about it). but instead, he told us to stop putting ourselves in a ministry where we dont belong. excel in the field where God has called us. can you see where im heading? back to the starting point. back to the first part of this entry. AM I WHERE GOD WA?TS ME TO BE???? im going in circles. hilong hilo na ko. i want to know for certain that i am living under God's plan for my life. i'm afraid that im just hearing selectively -- hearing what i want to hear or twisting some idea to suit my desires. sana naman hindi ako ganun.. the hr already agreed to my request for a change of status from full time to part time. good. but now im thinking if i did the right thing. coz i really dont want to work there anymore. i convinced myself that working full time is better than no job at all, but because of the scare i had with my new immediate supervisor, i'm thinking twice about that decision...

in summary (nyak ano to essay? hehehe), these are the questions that i'm asking myself: * if i am walking under God's plan for my life, shouldn't i feel fulfilled? shouldn't i be peaceful? * or am i in a pruning stage? * am i where God wants me to be? * am i hearing selectively?

Posted by zarahlim at 10:28 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, work

Tuesday, February 20, 2007 havent blogged for a while... not in the mood. anyways, i had a full week last week. lots of bonding and fellowship, plus lots of new things learned.

valentines day (wednesday) went to baywalk with lawrence.

feb 15 (thursday) bible study @ fatima. afterwards, went to gloria jean's for a coffee fix.

feb 16 (friday) handed in my "change-status" letter to mam tina. my family convinced me to stay at hchs. since i really cant take it anymore, i compromised and decided to just change my status from full-time to part-time. i'm planning to study anyway, so i'll use my summer (if my request is approved... hopefully) to look for a school.

feb 17 (saturday)

worship ignight. had stiff fingers from playing the keyboard, but it's worth it. (i noticed my fingers are starting to feel stiff most of the time these past few months. hala... i dont know if this is caused by stress or by use-abuse)

feb 18 (sunday) after service, had my first discipleship session with yna

in the afternoon, we had our practice for next week's church anniversary. the youth will present a dance number. no, i'm not gonna be one of the dancers. hehehe.. im a super duper bad dancer. like a tree dancing in the wind, only worse.

while waiting... picture picture muna :D

the dancers....ay TGIS. hahaha:D

also, i interviewed some of our church leaders coz i'm in charge of the video presentation for the anniversary. yipee! feeling editor. hahaha. while waiting for the dancers to finish practicing, lawrence taught me new techniques in photoshop. self-study lang kasi aku. and i really need all the help i can get coz of the nature of my work. (pleaaseee.... just thinking about going to work makes me wanna cry.. and stay in bed all day..................)

feb 19 (today) no work because of chinese new year. rest day ata for those who celebrated the holiday (chinese teachers, students, etc). went to lawrence's house to get the interview video. sis lilia made me eat this delicious carbonara. yum! my favorite! :D

just finished editing the interview part. yey... tomorrow, i'll tackle the whole video. gotta finish it by friday.

Posted by zarahlim at 3:51 PM 2 comments Labels: blab, cell, discipleship

Saturday, February 10, 2007 we were supposed to have our b.s. at fatima yesterday but yna called and asked me to move it to next week coz they have an exam and cant make it. so lawrence, kim, richard, brz, farica and i just went to divisoria mall for some authentic chinese food at FRUIT KING - dimsum and all that. their brewed coffee is freshly brewed, and pair it off with some gabi balls and a plate of matsang.. hay.. yummy! :D (Fruit King is located at Divisoria Mall's foodcourt) mag-plug daw ba sa blog!? hahahaha :D anyway, gonna post the pictures later nalang coz i havent uploaded them yet. moving on to my dilemma about my pending entrance to grad school. after 8 months of having a job, i still havent saved up anything for my tuition fee. p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c. hay... kim and i was having a heart-to-heart talk last night and both found out that we want to have a life after college. we're not content to just be undergrads and practice our profession. we want to learn more and study more and be the best that we can be (naks may pangarap!). but of course we cant expect our parents to pay for our grad school education, right? they already did their part, and now it's time we did ours. but working from monday - sat from 7:30 am-4:30 pm will get me nowhere near my goal to study. the salary's j-u-s-t-r-i-g-h-t for my everyday expenses. if i want to go to gradschool and stay at my current job, then i'll have to wait 10 years before i can save up enough for one sem of tuition. (just kidding! i'm exaggerating.) but still, the bottomline is, i either have to get a part-time job so i can study and work at the same time, OR i can get a job that pays really well (call centers!) and easily save money then go to school full time. i posted some of my thoughts about call centers early last year. i think it went like "i have to eat my words and enter the world of call centers.." i really cant remember right now (coz half of my body is aching right now - headache, shoulder pain, back pain. tsk) but i guess i really have no choice, unless someone will sponsor me. hehehehe.. im blabbing. am i making sense? i WA?T to study ?OW. now the interesting part. i havent mentioned it here yet, but i really enjoyed our media law class. i enjoyed reading the cases, making detailed notes, etc. i know there's more to law school than just sitting in a classroom reading and making notes, but kim is convinced i can be a lawyer. i hope i have the same conviction as she has for me. i want to go to law school, yeah. but can i REALLY make it? is that what God wants for me? or should i go to Bible school? now here, my mom is totally okay with it. i remember when we were in the car on our way home from last year's family reunion, i mentioned it and she immediately said GO FOR IT. knowing my mom, she only says something when she means it.

here, i know i can do it. i said before that maybe i'm called for full time ministry. but i'm still praying for it. what i really need now is direction from God. what's my next step? is it time for me to move on? or should i wait? if it IS time for me to move on, what career path should i take? where should i go? so many questions. i guess i'm growing up. but really i'm a kid at heart. NYAK! hahaha. nonsense. im sick. i feel sick. terrible headache. eye pain. shoulder pain. back pain. all on my left side. i'm going home in a while for a much-needed rest. later tonight i still have to go to church for band practice. then i have to do the bulletin. and think of the storyline for the video i'm making for our church's anniversary. i love this feeling - loaded with things to do. but i need to rest. im full of contradictions. haha. im not crazy. at least not yet. :P

Posted by zarahlim at 1:27 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, cell, school, work

Friday, February 02, 2007 farica & i had our last discipleship session yesterday. we met at church then afterwards, we had a mini-celebration with abby, kim, and lawrence. we had pizza and sushi delivered. yum!! :D

some pics during our discipleship sessions at mcdo.

Posted by zarahlim at 11:17 PM 1 comments Labels: blab, cell, discipleship

Monday, January 29, 2007 outing

fun fun fun!

yesterday's carecell was the BEST! kahapon lang ako nag-enjoy ng ganon sa carecell EVER. although we had a late start, it was all good. we planned to have our discussion first then go ice skating, but when we got to the seaside, we learned that they close at 5, and since it's after 5 already, we went in search of a new place to hold our discussion (we didnt have a "plan B"). our group ended up at a coffee shop (the other group was able to find a cheaper place -- outside the mall, on the floor. buti wlang sumita na guard sakanila.) though it got expensive, we really had a fun and fruitful discussion, with everyone eager to contribute to the discussion and share about their life experiences. i've never seen our group as relaxed and comfortable with each other. i really, really enjoyed the discussion. :D

after that, we went iceskating and it was FUN! i didnt fall... yey!! kim and i had rollerblades when we were kids, so i think it helped us a great deal yesterday.

then we had dinner at mia's restaurant. her family owns this seafood restaurant at roxas boulevard. it was her birthday treat. how nice of her, considering it's her first time (???) to attend our cellgroup. God bless you Mia! :D

at the end of the day, while in bed, i thanked God for giving me this group as my friends (this is the first time i thanked him for friends, so it really showed how much i enjoyed yesterday). i know i can count on them to support me when i have problems, the bond is now getting stronger and i hope that we could continue these kinds of activities -- as long as my budget allows it ;P oh well, god will provide. :D

Posted by zarahlim at 2:45 PM 0 comments Labels: cell

Thursday, January 25, 2007 when i got home yesterday, lawrence and i were stopped at the gate by our new security guard.

GUARD: san kayo? ZARAH: nakatira ako dito. G: anong unit? z: (blood starts to boil) 219 G: anong pangalan? z: (aba aba aba!) ha? kay zaldy lim. G: ilan kayo sa unit? z: (ay talagang loko tong guard na to ah) ha? LIMA. G: pakisulat nalang ng pangalan. pati lahat ng nakatira sa unit. Z: (sees red) *sarcastic* gusto mo pati PERSO4 TO VISIT isulat ko din? G: para po pag may sobre hindi na kami mahirapan kung kanno un. ~~~~ stupid! how rude! how obnoxious! i didnt like the way he talked to me - as if i was a suspect or something. as if he's testing me if i

really know how many people lives in room 219 and if i REALLY LIVE IN THAT BUILDING. (this new "strictness" in our building is because our neighbor had his laptop stolen right inside his house.) MUKHA BA AKODG SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER? okay, i understand he's new and he didnt know the tenants but that's not an excuse for his rude attitude. feeling nia ata police sha na kinequestion ang isang suspek. aba daig pa nia ata mga imbestigador sa pagtanong! alalahanin nia, batuta lang hawak nia, hindi baril. another thing that pisses me off: namimili sha ng haharangin. i asked my sisters if they experienced the same thing - HI4DI DAW. i asked ate mimi if she was stopped by the guard when she entered the building -- HI4DI RI4. aba aba aba! at eto pa - may babaeng nakaupo pa sa table nia pagdating namin. i mean, ano ka ba? nagtatrabaho? o nag-e-entertain ng bisita? at sa TABLE pa nakaupo. ano, close kayo nun babae? (the girl was wearing an office uniform. i dont know if she's waiting for someone or if she's the gf of the rude guard. i dont know and i dont care. pangit lang tignan after his high and mighty attitude towards me.) i relayed this story to my mom and she told me if i were her, she would really call his attention and tell him that he's way out of line. being someone who confronts rude people, i was left speechless with this guard's cocky attitude.

kapal talga. may araw karin. Posted by zarahlim at 5:21 AM 0 comments Labels: inis

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

drinawing ako ni lawrence. ganyan daw ichura ko pag galit. nyahahaha!! :D Posted by zarahlim at 2:49 AM 0 comments Labels: blab

Monday, January 22, 2007 there are 2 sides in every story. i learned a lesson this weekend - listen to both sides before reacting. it might save me a lot of stress. ~~~~ my dad left for Baguio this morning. he'll be gone 5 days. so at home, it's just me, my sisters, and my grandmother. ~~~ Monday - start of another week. hope I'll be able to get through the week without any more super-stress-es coming my way. ~~ i've been reading my blog entries at my multiply site and i cant help but be saddened by the drastic change in me. most of my entries there were positive and happy, even when i was undergoing trials. now, months after i started working, i became critical and judgmental and generally pissed off at just about everything. i can easily blame it to stress but no, i have to own up and say that i've been neglecting my spiritual life. it was not as healthy as before. how sad. but i promise that this "sadness" i'm feeling will drive me into a better person. *sigh* i'll have to do something about my bad attitude and my spiritual condition. ?EW YEAR'S RESOLUTIO? #2: spend MORE TIME with GOD. Posted by zarahlim at 11:45 PM 0 comments Labels: blab

Sunday, January 21, 2007 bored~bored~bored~bored Your Personality Is Like Heroin

You're capable of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Addicted to feeling good, you'll do almost anything

to avoid pain. People seek you out, even though you can be quite moody. They're hooked on you! What Drug Is Your Personality Like? Posted by zarahlim at 1:41 PM 1 comments Labels: quizzes saturday....... ....supposedly we're to report at work for 4 hours every saturday but because of the whole-day make up class, everyone's required to report for a whole 8-hour shift. it's okay coz we're paid for the whole day anyway. only thing is i cant get to our fellowship's band practice on time. chatted with my cousin (who's in the US) a while ago.. i'm happy for her. hope she gets to go to harvard. she'll be the first in our family to go there, if ever. also chatted with my mom. i miss her. but she seems to be enjoying herself so i shouldn't mope around. hehe.. bitter. oh well, i just miss her, really! argh!!! i wish i could get a break.. i'm up by 7am 6 days a week and by 8:30 am on sundays. then everyday's a whole-day affair. rarely do i get the chance to get up late or have a nap in the afternoon. i only get to to do that when i'm absent (which i've been doing a lot these past few months because i'm so stressed out). i had my back checked by the doctor last december. he told me i have scoliosis. ugh! now i have to do these exercises to avoid making my curve worse (omigosh i'm having a spelling blackout! is that supposed to be worst or worse?????? pathetic! this is what stress does to me. hehe..). hmm.. what else.... i got pissed of last night. because of my attitude. it turns out i didnt know what my disciple was going through. she's having this problem and i was the LAST to know about it. tsk. pathetic. i know i should've probed deeper even if she already told me that she's okay... but i just didnt want to be epal and pakialamera. and how the heck am i supposed to know that she's hiding something? she looked okay, she sounded okay.. and we only met O?CE this year and her problem was during the end 2006... so.... i need help... i have to be able to DISCERN if there's something wrong.. help. i guess it's useless to say that i'm undergoing problems of my own.. but i'll still say it -- I AM UNDERGOING PROBLEMS OF MY OWN. so im really sorry if i didnt sense that something's wrong.. (*note* this is 4OT a sarcastic statement) ?EW YEAR'S RESOLUTIO?: listen, really listen, to people when they talk. they might be saying one thing and meaning something else. heck, i'm a COMMU?ICATIO?S grad! i should know these things! i'm so pathetic! lord.... help!! Posted by zarahlim at 7:05 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, cell, inis, work

Saturday, January 20, 2007 mom left for boston the other day. for the first time, we wont be able to see her for one whole month. sad. but happy for her as well coz she really needs to take a break. good thing there's ym and roaming and budget cards! :p i've been reading this blog by a girl from ica. she's very amusing. what grabbed my attention was her grammar. she speaks english very well. i know she's supposed to be coño which is obvious from her stories, but it's just so refreshing to find a high school girl who can speak in perfect english. i've read lots of blogs of coño (or trying to be coño) girls with very poor english. i mean, taglish na nga eh, wrong grammar parin... okay i'll shut up now before i stress myself out. *change topic* yesterday, i went with lawrence to meet yna and her friends at valenzuela for our weekly bible study. we had a good meeting , with yna leading the discussion. they told us that they're happy with this weekly meeting because they want to hear about God during the week. it's sort of a reminder for them as well as an encouragement to live as a Christian should. with all the peer pressure they're facing everyday, they told us it really helps them just to go and hear about God. it's different during weekends, when you're away from the "world".. hearing about God during the week really helps a lot, even for me. im glad we're able to do this b.s. group even if i have to go to valenzuela. the experience is an adventure in itself. i get to learn how to commute, how to be wary of snatchers and holduppers, etc.:) last week, lawrence and i were in this jeep on the way to fatima, then this guy got in. he sat near the driver. after 10 seconds, another guy came in and he wanted to sit near the exit. but since we were there first, we didnt let him. so he sat beside me. as he passed in front of me, we saw that there was this huge bulk tucked behind him. guess what the shape of the bulk was? clue: it was L-shaped and had a handle. call us judmental, call us paranoid, call us whatever you want, but we certainly werent willing to take the risk of being victims of a hold-up so we got out and rode another jeep nalang. we thank God for his protection! :) Posted by zarahlim at 6:56 AM 0 comments Labels: blab, cell