Do you trust me?

It’s been a long while since I’ve written anything on this! There goes my plan on trying to be a regular Blogger. Anyways straight to the point! Something on my mind was within the issue of trust and having faith in people. Honestly for me I have a somewhat hard time to trust people. I feel like in the end I would in some way get hurt because of others being breaking my trust I have towards them. It has happen before and it’s not a good feeling at all. Even though I myself want people to trust me and I know deep inside I would try to keep that trust in fract it’s not fair. I believe that trust is a 2 way thing. In order to trust others you yourself must be able to have people trust you. Give and take ya?

Posted below I’m about to post a story that I have heard during a sermon when I was a child. I am honestly surprised because as a child I would never ever listen to any sermons but I guess this one stuck to me. Luckily I found a great one online.

The Desert Pump
(A Story of Faith in Each Other)
A man was lost in the desert, just dying for a drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack – a ram-shackled, windowless, roofless, weather-beaten old shack. He looked about this place and found a little shade from the heat of the desert sun. As he glanced around he saw a pump about fifteen feet away – an old rusty water pump. He stumbled over to it, grabbed the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing came out.
Disappointed, he staggered back. He noticed off to the side and old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read a message that said, “You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug, my friend. P.S. Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave.”
He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, there was water. It was almost full of water! Suddenly, he was faced with a decision. If he drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the water in the old rusty pump, maybe it could yield fresh, cool water from down deep in the well, all the water he wanted. He studied the possibility of both options. What should he do, pour it into the old pump and take a chance on fresh, cool water or drink what was in the old jug and ignore its message? Should he waste all the water on the hopes of those flimsy instructions written, no telling how long ago?
Reluctantly he poured the all the water into the pump. Then he grabbed the handle and began to pump… squeak, squeak, squeak. Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed! To his relief fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump.
Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again drank its refreshing contents. Then he filled the jug for the next traveller. He filled it to the top, the cork back on, and added this little note: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back.”
People who risk living like that really understand how God maximizes life!
Author Unknown

You could get so much from this story but my main focus is on trust and faith in people. Sometimes as humans we refuse to trust or have faith in people or even God. With this man he contemplated on drinking that water. But then he took his chances on priming that pump and blessings flowed! Sometimes God wants us to take that giant leap for him and also other things in your life. you just gotta have faith in others and in yourself and most specially in God.

-Jason

Keep it real, Keep it fresh, That’s Whats up!

Showers of Blessings! Happy New Year!

May my Soul look up with a stead-fast hope and my will be lost in thine. These were the lines of the Hymn the congregation in Philippine International Church was singing on New Year Eve on Vespers.  These words really stuck to me. Looking back at the past year. I need to be lost…not lost aimlessly in this world but loss in God. Right at this moment as I write this I’m currently talking to one of my Good friend. one thing that struck me was when she said. “God is not going to give all the blessings to us at the same time all the time, right?” and thats when it struck me. God has blessed me beyond measure this past 2010, something simple as the air we breath, the sun that hits our skin, the water we drink are in its self blessings. Also God throws in a little bit more blessings along the way to make life a little bit sweeter…its just sometimes we take them for granted. So my old New Year saying was “This is the year!” but now I’ll change it to “This is the year to be lost…Lost in God” =)

This is my short post, for sure I will Keep this updated with Random stuff I find, and Random Blessings I have received through out the year of 2011….Happy New Year everyone!

Keep it real, Keep it Fresh, That’s whats up!

-Jason

Solo Leader

The sad thing about leadership is that it can be lonely Job. If you get voted in as a leader you stand for the people, but sometimes the people don’t stand for you. You do your best to serve these people as a leader, make them happy, and tend to their request, but sometimes just sometimes in the end when you need the help. It doesn’t get returned back to you. There are times where when you delegate different jobs to people it ends up being your job in the end to do it. Really who can you rely on? Excuses are being thrown here and there for the ones you delegate your work to. But when it comes to you as a leader there is no excuse…basically your team mates under you don’t do their job it’s your job to do it…and if you don’t do your job, you get hated on.

Actually straight to the point this is how I am feeling right about now. but why do I accept being a leader…I don’t know why, Honestly. One thing I know is I’m stressed out of my mind and the only person I can rely on is God, and God alone.

-Jason

What do you guys see?

Simply look at this picture below. What do you see? When I saw it the first thing that came to mind was a rabbit. Since I’ve mentioned it you can see it right? Well what if I told you it can also be a duck?

I was engaged in a conversation this evening. It was pretty deep but one of the topics that same across was mindset and how we can alter an outcome just by changing it. The mind is a powerful thing; it can totally run how we perceive things. An example I’ve learned earlier while on duty was the Phantom limb sensation. This where when a person who has had their leg, arm or even an organ amputated or taken out. The person would think and feel that his or her limb is still there. I’ve seen it first hand while I was at duty on the last 2 weeks of November. After hearing about this Phantom limb sensation, I tried to tap the area where my patient’s arm used to be. He smiled and said he could still feel me tapping his phantom arm. Another patient said to me that when he would wake up in the morning he could feel an itch where his foot used to be and he was so frustrated that he wanted to scratch it but couldn’t cause it wasn’t there.

The little story I shared just shows how powerful the mind is. Even though the limb was not there, the mind tells otherwise. We can also link this to how our mind perceives thoughts and situations in our life. We have the choice to have our mindset to a negative or positive. One event that happened to me was my first year and a half here in college. I used to hate college and all its rules that I seen as useless at the time. It came to a point where I planned to cause Havoc around my dorm and around campus. (Thinking about it now it’s pretty stupid. LOL) but back then my mindset was about negative things and how I can change or bend the rules to my liking. Later I found it useless to even start making a change cause first of all my plans were ridiculous. I later changed my mind about a lot of things and tried to make the best of what I had. 2 years later the rules that college had never really changed. But my mindset changed and I’m pretty much enjoying what was set before me, I made the best of it and now things aren’t so bad. So for those people out there who are in the same boat as I was, or if anyone sees their situation as a complete failure, why not see the other side of the story? You might like that version better.

-Jason

Keep it real, Keep it fresh, That’s Whats up!

I forgot something…found it again!

At 5:15am I was sitting in the front passenger seat as the AUP Van drove through the streets of manila towards my place of hospital duty. I thought to myself that there were a lot of people out walking and roaming the semi lit streets, either going to work, school or just wandering the streets aimlessly. I had no idea who these people were but then the sudden thought came to mind. God loves and died for all these people. He was the only one in this world who knows these people inside and out. Right then and there I remembered something that I have forgotten for a while now. These people are in some way my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

When I first realized this great feeling a year ago, I treated everyone with so much respect, love, I had empathy and was willing to spend some time just to talk to them, to greet them, to love them as a brother or sister. But I lost that for a while.

As the AUP van reached the Philippine Orthopaedic Centre I stepped out of the van. I then felt this revitalizing feeling I haven’t felt in ages, it felt as if I have regained something precious that I’ve lost. My morning at POC started with doing AM care for the ladies at the traction ward. My patient was a elderly woman, she was admitted with a fracture on the left arm. She was also placed in a overhead traction. I started by introducing myself in the best Tagalog I could (I sounded like a Filipino preschooler with my very basic Tagalog), she smiled and agreed to my service. As I was washing the hair of this elderly woman her daughter walked in. She realized that I was from Canada and we talked for a bit. she asked me why I chose the philippines, why I chose nursing and other things. The last few moments of my service to her mother the topic of religion came up. She and her mother were Roman Catholic. Surprisingly she asked me a lot of questions, like if the Da Vinci Code was real and some other things that we as Seventh-Day Adventist believe in.  I shared my knowledge about my faith and she was surprised with the info I gave her. She then told me that she would have to research the things I have told her for herself. (Which I told her in the first place to if she didn’t believe me.) she agreed to what I had to say. I then left her and her mother with a simple prayer.

As I was about to leave another woman from across the room called me over to her bed side. The first words that came out of her mouth was “I’m so happy!” I smiled but was confused. I replied “Why is that nay?” and she responded “I seen you Pray, and because I pray every day, and you are my brother. I am Baptist….but we are bothers and sisters.” I smiled from ear to ear, I then Looked at her bed side and saw a pamphlet about prayer and a bible open on top of a sky flakes box. It was nice to see someone with a bible open instead of a rosary wrapped around their bed. This woman I knew loved the Lord. Before I left she asked me to pray for her. Even though she was not my patient she wanted a simple prayer for her. My heart was filled with joy. I then held her hand and we both prayed. After that moment I felt so blessed. I knew from that moment I have regained something precious that I once lost.

 

Keep it real, Keep it it fresh, That’s whats up!

-Jason

Shaken up just a bit…

It was a cloudy Monday morning, as I lifted the pillow from my head I hear the sound of the dean calling out our names for the Dormitory event that was to happen that very day. I get up and try to get myself awake. I then shifted to my desk where my laptop and do the morning ritual of Facebook to check my notes, wall post and other things that you could do on Facebook. And that’s when I saw something that I felt that I shouldn’t of known….you see sometimes Facebook does that to you…or even other things on the internet. You learn or see things that you rather not know. And it becomes unexpected.

While growing up there have been many unexpected points in my life. I never thought in a million years that it would happen to me. Examples are staying in High school for an extra year, going to a different country just to go to University, or EVEN being a Nursing Student….These are the few things that I would never expect but happen.

In the end all these things led me to this point and by far I am happy where God has placed me. I have learned so much through my trials that he has sent me through. Through the tears, worrisome nights and days. I believe that I have become a better Man than I was in the past. I could honestly say I could bring the knowledge that I have gained to continue to make me a stronger man.

But So far there has recently been some unexpected events in my life to shake me up just a little bit…just enough to make me realize that I need HIM in my life again and always. I thought that I was completely following what God wanted. So where could I go wrong? I only found out that I fully didn’t leave everything to God…and that’s where I am weak.

Sometimes in life we tend to feel that we are doing the right thing. We feel confident that we are on the right track, we always look forward but never stop to realize that we are going in a wrong path. A direction that God doesn’t want us to go down.

Over all what I learned is that we need to just stop and slow down and realize where we are. Are we truly following what God wants for each and every one of us? Or do we think we are?

A bible text that has helped me right now with my recent trial….it is found in Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I am so glad that God sends me these little reminders that he is there even though i was just Shaken up just a bit… =)

Keep it real, Keep it Fresh, That’s What’s Up!

-Jason

Solo Flight

I have been to a Canada’s Wonderland alone where I rode roller coasters all by myself, Walked around the theme park alone for hours and it felt Kinda odd…(duh! Cause its just not as fun as going with people)….I also Travelled alone too and from the Philippines and had the fear of getting lost in China. But when it goes to going to the Mall and watching a movie at the theatres all alone…for some reason in my mind that seems far worse than being alone at Wonderland…but It wasn’t. After Texting up friends and all no one was free (oh and to the people who are reading this and feel bad…don’t worry about it is all good yo ^___^!!!!!) I ended up going to Festival Supermall alone. I had to buy my Nursing Things for my Nursing bag so I had to go.

Anyways after buying the needed things I decided to watch a movie…ALONE!…The choices were Due Date, Paranormal Activity 2, Megamind, Life as we know it, Let me in, Easy A, and a bunch of Filipino Movies. In the end I choose Easy A staring Emma Stone and Amanda Bynes…hahaha If you are thinking “What a HOMO choice Jason!” then whatever its all good. I can say comfortably I enjoyed it. Plus the movies that Emma Stone were in are pretty funny an example is Super Bad that is a Epic Movie. In this movie she’s actually has the lead role, usually in her other movies she like a side character. Anyways if anyone decides to watch it, I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars..if you are cheap on money like I am…just wait till I download it and I’ll give it to ya but if you want to go watch it in theaters go for it!

So after all my whole experience was pretty good, I got what I needed in record time of 1 hour, Walked around, Ate at Wendy’s, Watched Easy A and then walked around somemore, Then took the FX Van all the way back to my Apartment. Lesson is I going to the Mall alone isn’t so bad. You get to get what you want in without having to wait on girls looking at shoes or clothes, and Watching Movies at the theatres alone is not so bad as I expected….although there were only 4 people in that theatre number 5…I didn’t feel crazy laughing out loud all by myself.

Keep it real, Keep it fresh, That’s what’s up

-Jason

I Notice Girls

Listening to: Mad – NeYo
Mood: Lazy! 

Okay so today I was doing the daily Facebook routine, Playing restaurant city, checking my notes, and pictures, then I logged onto MSN Messenger while doing that something caught my eye. The words ”The 6 things guys notice 6 seconds after you meet” is not that I want a guy to notice me and all but it caught my attention because I wonder if the 6 things that I notice about a girl is the same as the ones in this list anyways here we go.

1. Your Smile
Does it seem sweet and genuine? Does it seem awkward and forced? Does it seem like you ate a sesame-seed and parsley salad for lunch based on what’s lodged between every single one of your teeth?
2. Your Hair
Guys have no idea what split ends are, and if you mention roots, they just think of the band. But they do look to see if your hair looks 1. soft and 2. as though it would smell good. So don’t request “The Gosselin” at the salon, and wash it every so often. That’s all guys ask.
3. Your Cleavage
Newsflash: Dudes like to look at your chest. Now, that’s not to say they think all women should unbutton their shirts to their bellybuttons at funerals. (Though really, who are guys to judge?) But they will notice how you’re showing off what you’ve got.
4. Your Makeup
If you’re wearing so much makeup that it looks like you’ve painted an entirely new face on top of your actual face, guys will wonder if you’re trying to cover up some bizarre deformation — or if you’re Gotham City’s most dangerous criminal mastermind.
5. Your Skin
You know that blemish you’ve been obsessing over all day because it’s so huge ? Chances are guys won’t even notice. What will they notice? If you look like a jaundiced Oompa-Loompa because of overenthusiastic tanning.
6. Your Bag
Are all women who haul around big purses — in other words, cavernous rucksacks stuffed full of old receipts, emergency sweaters, and half-used bottles of hand sanitizer — high maintenance? Maybe not. But guys will go ahead and assume they are anyway.

List taken from Here

Alright lets go to what I think about these 6 things

Number one yeah I do notice their smile. Since I like to smile, laugh, and love that’s what I look at. Have I ever met a person with a smile that has made me weak at the knees? I can’t recall but I do find some girls smile attractive so far I have not meet a girl who has a ugly smile…if so….I don’t know actually.
Number two yes I notice their hair…and I do notice if they do not have hair also. Actually I had a thing for girls who had short hair…not short as a school boy hair….LOL! But now I guess it doesn’t matter, short or long I guess I’m not critical of hair, I’m just to attracted to shiny hair and hair that smells good, not like adobo smell but flowers? Hahaha! Oh and what I’m not attracted to is girls who have hair as short as a dudes hair. LOL!
Number three Cleavage…hmm..LOL! okay yeah but I do not go for girls who flaunt what they got. I’m sorry girls if you do like doing that where your brest are on the verge of popping out in my mind I’ll label you hoe fo sho
Number four YES I do notice girls if or if they are not wearing make up! I like girls who wear close to no makeup and are naturally beautiful…and LOL at the Joker pun. But if you do wear makeup I don’t hate you….we could be great friends but it’s just I prefer going for girls with the natural look if I were to go for a girl.
Number five LOL! Yes! I don’t have to say much about Number 5…cause its true!
Number six their bag…I don’t really notice but High maintaince girls I do…I could just tell by how they act or even look!

To end this ill just say that when you girls do prepare yourself to leave the house and you fix yourself up…don’t try to look like a street walker and just look proper. If you want to get a proper man you yourself has to look proper. If you look like a street walker you’re most likely going to attract men who are jerks.

Question of the day: for the Men what else do you notice about the girls. for Women what do you notice about us men?

Keep it real, Keep it fresh, That’s whats up!
-Jason

Long long ago and far far away

Listening to: Endless Love – Glee version
Mood: Laid back

I know that this is like close to a month late but I wrote this the day after I came back from the retreat and I really really miss it. Just hanging out with friends and also getting a closer relationship with our God!…

Things that I learned from the AUP Student Ministries Retreat.
(in no specific order)

1. Always cover your feet with a blanket when you are sleeping in a place where mosquitoes can get ya.
2. The name of Rjay’s bear is perper (I never asked him before)
3. The name of Sheldon’s penguin is doodles
4. Bowls are better than plates
5. Drinking water is awesome
6. Stars are amazing and I can look at them forever
7. Loves laying on the ground on a banig
8. When you start singing alone it soon later turns into a singing fest with friends
9. Baby has braces!
10. People Love talking about cameras
11. Was deceived about taal volcano but later learned where it actually was…
12. Couches with padding are comphy
13. Symptom of Down syndrome…yay extra chromosomes!
14. 3 match sticks can support each other
15. Sir Casel is THE man!
16. Never speak English when you are trying to make a deal with Filipino side vendors or boatmen
17. Hide the African girl (no offence but them Filipino side vendors/boatmen will just jack up the price)

I know that there is so much more that I learned and this is just the tip of the ice berg

Question of the day: What did you learn while on this AUP SM retreat?

Keep it real, Keep it fresh, That’s whats up!
-Jason

The Bridge

Listening to: Great is thy faithfulness – Passion
Mood: Loved

This week was the week of prayer at the Adventist University of the Philippines. Today’s speaker was very inspiring. One of the stories he tried to illustrate was about a man and his son. Even though I have heard this story many times it still reminds me of how much God loves me. I have tried to look for different versions online and so far I haven’t found any that spoke about how I heard it this afternoon, except I found a video on Youtube. If anything I recommend you take time out of your facebook/web browsing time and just watch this and really interpret what this clip has to tell you.

Click Here

Just like that man in the video God has sent his one and only son. He without sin, who came to this world to show how much our heavenly father loves us, he who spent his time with those who needed him the most, he who loved but was not loved in return, died for us.

Question of the day: Will you accept him today?

Keep it real, Keep it fresh, That’s whats up!
-Jason