Be Conquered by Him

She woke up at 4:30 a.m. and thought she may read the Bible first, take a bath,then prepare for church but decided it was too early so she slept again and got up at 7 o'clock. Her cellphone rang every minute for every message that asked for information about the mass. She was delighted at how her invited friends were so eager to attend. So she took a bath, dressed, yada yada. And she was off to the meeting place with her sister who finally agreed to go with her to the church. They also had to hurry and run with time, since they were getting late. Meeting time: 8:40 a.m. -- the same time they were able to ride the jeepney. When they arrived, they were lucky that they weren't the last, they still had to wait for two more friends. One of the friends soon came and surprisingly gave her a brown paper bag with a sketch book inside! She was so thankful and hugged her friend from the back.

And that's how her extraordinarily blessed day started--with the not-getting-up-right-away, the race with time, and the unexpected gift. It was followed by praise and worship at the church which was truly rewarding to her and her friends, of course, as ever it has been. One of her friends talked about going out after the mass for a lunch which was to be followed by a movie marathon. And everything happened as everyone wished it would have. She came home with a smile on her face and a feeling of deep gratitide and joy in her heart.

But that's not where the day ends. When she arrived home, she decided to take the time to confess to her dad her feelings and thoughts through e-mail. So she did, and her dad was amazingly able to send a long reply immediately. She read the mail, read the mail, read the mail, read the mail... As she read it over and over again, her dad's words sank deeper and deeper into her heart which made her realize that she actually misses him. Things between her and him were then settled, and she never felt so free and relieved.

We can do something to make life not be a roller coaster ride where sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down,sometimes we're turned upside down, sometimes we're stuck, sometimes it just gets a little too faster, sometimes we just want to scream and run away...

Life can be made simple by living life with His light. As the wife of a pastor once said, "God did not say that life would be a roller coaster ride but an abundant one. Obstacles shall come and go, but we'll remain strong and guided if we let our hearts be conquered by Him.

The Air We Breathe

They say that finding a true friend is like looking for a needle in the middle of the sea--too tough and complicated. It's really hard, because we're not supposed to look for a true friend. The best way to have true friends in our grasps is to be true friends ourselves. But how do we become as such then? What exactly is a friend?

The use of the word friend has been too common and popular that someone you met yesterday and got a 'Hi' or 'Hello' from today or someone you regularly talk to is already a friend. People have given it a shallow meaning that the word true has to be placed on the left of the word 'friend' to clarify meaning and give emphasis.

With all the things that can be compared to a real friend, the air fits best. It doesn't take visibility for us to know that it's there. We feel it's presence anywhere because it never truly leaves our sides. It's there for us from sunrise to sunset, rain or shine. At times, it stays quiet, but during the hardest trials, it is always ready to blow a cool breeze that refreshes our minds, kisses our face and our hearts--drying the tears of sadness and healing the scars of hardships. When our friendship is tested and doomed, whatever impediment it is that separates us, it always finds its way back to us.

A friend--a true one--is truly precious and rare that we can spend a lifetime unceasingly thanking them. A friend is the air we breathe and without it, we just can't live.