ICON Day 2, Friday, February 14 – Opening of the ICON

I would no longer start writing what I did in the morning because the narrative of the ICON opening night is already long on its own. Just like previous ICONs, it was opened by a Holy Mass. The original schedule of the mass was 4 PM but when 3:30 PM, there were still a few people in the venue. While waiting for the delegates to come, the rosary for the safe arrival of the delegates was started.

It was past 4 PM when the rosary ended. By this time, the number of delegates have increased and the booth kept reminding the delegates to settle down because the mass was about to start in a few minutes. When the bell was rung, the ICON 21 which has the theme Journey Beyond has officially started. The theme is based on the verse John 19:26-27.

The mass ended at about 5:30 PM and people started having their early dinner. The start of the ICON also falls on the Heart’s Day so while people were eating, they were serenaded with beautiful love songs from CDO band. Some of the popular love songs were played while the hosts of the segment asked the delegates to fill-up some love coupons in their journals. The coupons were given to a brother or sister that the delegates knew or to a complete stranger.

The next segment was a surprise to all delegates. To see your couple coordinator singing and dancing is not a common sight so when it happened, you can expect the cheers and the encouragements from the SFCs. Everything happened during the Couple Coordinators Got Talent segment wherein the couple coordinators danced, sang and serenaded the crowd with their God-given talents. It was an affirmation that when God’s people is showered with talents and abilities that one can use to make God’s work known and make other people happy.

Of course, the opening night would not be complete without the welcome remarks of some dignitaries. The delegates were personally welcomed by the governor, the provincial Couples for Christ coordinator, the ICON event head and of course the SFC council together with the International and Philippine missions head. You can really see the anticipation and the excitement from the SFC faces during the welcome ceremonies. Everyone was excited about what was in-store for them during this beautiful night.

The band started playing old yet very familiar songs. Everyone thought this was already the worship. But then it was actually like a journey and history of the SFC flashed before your eyes using old SFC songs. There are many songs that are still used but most can be heard only during the CLP. Some of the songs include Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, Trading, Home, We Will Fight, Sure Foundation, I Will Walk on Water Lord, Send Me. It was a journey through songs that really got the crowd pumped up for the opening worship.

The opening song was Grateful and everyone was really worshiping God with all their hearts. One of the highlights of every SFC conference is the intensity of all the worship and you can see the intimacy and connection to the Lord. The next praise song was With His Love and everyone was really jumping and raising their hands for the Lord. The worship song was where I gave in. They played the song Have Your Way and it seemed like every lyric on the song was my own prayer to the Lord. I’m sure in one way or another; every worship session leaves a mark on every SFC.

After the worship the first session followed. Session 1 was entitled The Journey of a Lifetime. It was a talk-sharing-talk-sharing-talk-sharing-talk-sharing-talk format so even if it was getting cold and late in the evening, the format ensured that the delegates were attentive to the talk. I won’t cover the entire session here. I will make a separate article for the sessions. The conclusion was that the journey of a lifetime is actually a journey towards the Cross, while carrying our own with Christ journeying with us.

After the session, we were asked to reflect and to take out the crosses from our kit. Earlier I wondered why the cross shape was different. It was explained in this segment that what we had was actually a holding cross. Its shape was so because it perfectly fits our palm for a perfect hold. The lights for the venue were turned off with only a bright cross reflected on the screen.

After the reflection, the closing praisefest immediately followed. The first day of the ICON and my second day on CDO has finally come to a close. It was a wonderful and blessed way of starting the conference and every delegate is looking forward for the messages that God has prepared for them in the conference.

ICON – First Day, Thursday, February 13

Yesterday was the first day of the ICON for me although technically the first day of the ICON is still on the 14th. I consider this the first day because it was my first day in CDO which was the venue of the ICON for this year.

I am happy and I feel blessed to join this ICON because I almost decided not to come. I was a little tight in terms of finances at this early part of the year but I still managed to make it through. It could have been easier to decide not to go to the ICON but I thought it over and this must God's way of reminding me that I would not appreciate the things that I have not worked hard for. I have no problem attending the past ICONs but I admit I can’t say the same about this ICON.

On the first day, I decided not to go with some friends to Dahilayan because I wanted this ICON to be more reflective and contemplative at the same time. When the guys left me in the pension house, I decided to take a nap and checked on the emails. I was assigned to check on my chapter’s backup accommodation and I decided to do it in the afternoon. I also decided to try to look for a church where I could have a confession and I settled for the Nazareno Church beside Gaisano.

I walked to San Bridgette’s Home from Divisoria and I was happy I did it because I was able to observe closely the ordinary day activities in the city. I was happy because I was able to locate the pension house but unfortunately our reservation was given to another group which could not be accommodated on one room. I was worried though because we might not be accommodated in the original pension house and will have no backup accommodation.

From St. Bridgette’s Home, I again walked to Gaisano. I was happy to see so many developments along the way which was not around the last time I was in CDO. Gaisano was pretty much the same but I saw a big building across which was Robinson’s. The Nazareno Church is not hard to find because it is just beside Gaisano. I found out that the confession was already going on so I decided to join the line. I was happy that I was able to have the confession in Nazareno Church but at the same time worried that not many people line up to confess. In Cebu, people have to wait long lines just to get to confession in different churches.

I walked to where I was staying and waited for the guys to come back from Dahilayan. They texted me in time for dinner in Barbeque’s Best which was filled with other SFCs from all over the Philippines. You could tell that they were also from their different adventures. Everyone was taking pictures and talking about the things that they did for the day. The meal was great and sharing it with the C1A SFCs made it even better.

We went back to our different accommodations after the dinner. That wraps up the first day in ICON. The most vivid picture that I could remember on this day was the street names that I have to read on every street corner. It was a simple day yet I enjoyed every bit of it. It’s now time for the gospel reading. Signing off for now. 

Happy birthday Bob Marley

Here I am sitting alone in my room, sitting in front of my laptop and lazily browsing through some of Facebook News Feeds while listening to the beat of Fruitful Days by Big Mountain. Then I came across a post that it was Bob’s birthday yesterday. Oh my, how can I forget the birth of one of my biggest musical influences? Musical influences talaga, as if naman musician. Hahaha.

I am not a die-hard Rastafarian but I admit my heart skips a bit every time I hear reggae music play. I admit too that wearing dreadlocks came across my mind but cousin kept saying that my hair is too short for the dreadlock extensions. I recall back in college, I used to sing my heart out to Bob’s tracks while lampaso-ing the floor. Forget the lampaso term. Anyway, I forgot. This post was supposedly for Bob and his birthday yesterday.

Thank you for giving a part of yourself to us and to the world Bob. You may have gone ahead of us but your beautiful music and your powerful messages remain true to our hearts. You are a legend and you have showed us what we can do to contribute even in our own little ways. Wherever you are, hope you have a happy birthday celebration. Jah bless!

P.S. Here’s a picture of what I would look like in dreads. :)

Outdoor Enthusiast’s View - Reasons Why Cebu City Is the Perfect Place for Your Next Adventure

To many people, Cebu City is the perfect place to be in because it has all the opportunities, entertainment destinations and business establishments next to Manila. You can also experience in Cebu City the busy and fast-paced life, traffic and other issues in Manila although in a much smaller scale. For outdoor enthusiasts, Cebu is blessed with outdoor destinations where you can do outdoor adventures on the weekend or even on daily basis. Here are the reasons why Cebu will remain close to the hearts of many outdoor enthusiasts.

Resting along Budlaan-Kang-irag trail

Hiking
 
You can find a lot of beautiful and challenging hiking destinations in Cebu City. Although the province of Cebu is not blessed with very high mountains, mountain enthusiasts are blessed with many hiking destinations where they can do their “practice climbs” before conquering high altitude mountains outside of Cebu. Aside from making you gasp for air, you don’t have to spend over a hundred pesos just to get to these hiking sites. Starters often try the Napo-Babag Trail that offers breathtaking view of Metro Cebu. You can also try the Budlaan-Kang-irag that offers a river trekking and the Budlaan Falls option. There’s a trail starts in Toong and ends in Jaclupan. There is a road/ trail in Buhisan that ends up in Guadalupe. Of course, I would only mention the trails that I have tried but I know there are still many trails all over the city that has its own charm and challenges. If you want to go for high altitude mountain that goes over 1000 masl, you can go for Osmena Peak where you can opt to traverse to the famous Kawasan Falls. You can also try to conquer the Mt. Manunggal Peak, where President Magsaysay’s plane crashed.

Caving

There are many people that don’t know this but Cebu City actually has cave systems that are still not very popular. When I hiked in Mt. Manunggal a few years back, I was able to talk to a resident and he mentioned cave systems that he said were used during the Japanese invasion. Sudlon cave system was mentioned in our conversation. The only cave that I got in was in Jaclupan. There’s also a White Cave that they say is accessible through Manipis road. I’m sure that there are still caves out there that have yet to become weekend destinations.

Rock climbing

Rock climbing has slowly gained a steady following these past few years. This has become popular because only few people were able to try it and at the same time it requires a certain level of fitness. If you are not ready for the outdoor setup yet, you can try the indoor wall climb in Metrosports Salinas. For an affordable fee, you can already sweat it out and try to finish the different levels. If you want the real deal, you can go to Cantabaco en route to Toledo through the Naga Uling road. You can try while limestone rock climbing there as a group so you can save on expenses. Just an hour ride from the city, it is a destination for those who want to experience real rock climbing. For the inexpensive version, you can do bouldering. I have tried climbing upriver in Campo Cuatro while navigating large boulders. It is free and is just a few minutes from Tabunok via Manipis road and is a quick option to do on a holiday or on a weekend.

Eco adventure

For those that want to try outdoor adventures within the city, you can try the rope course in Rainforest Park in Panagdait. For zip line addicts, Dose Pares in the Transcentral highway and the Papa Kits in Liloan will surely ring a bell. I heard there is also a zip line in Hidden Paradise in San Fernando. Of course, Danasan Park in Danao is the destination for countless eco adventures. There’s also an adventure park in West 35 going to Balamban and many more. 

Buhisan-Guadalupe bike trail

Mountain biking

Most of the time, if it can be accessed by foot then it can also be accessed by a mountain bike. If you want a steep trail, you can never go wrong in the Busay route where you will have to navigate on the concrete road while trying to evade fast vans going to and fro Balamban. If you like the offroad trail, you can try the Pulangbato-Guba Trail going to the Kang-irag Park. You can proceed to Sirao still from Pulangbato and go out to Ayala heights and go downhill to JY square. If you want another steep killer trail, you can try the Budlaan-Transcentral Highway route. I heard there is also a trail in Transcentral that will go out to Manipis road. If you are a downhill addict, Sibugay Peak is a must-try but only on a sunny weather. It will get too muddy and slippery when it rains. Some posh subdivisions are also biking destinations because of the steep entries but most of the time they can be accessed only by residents. You can also try the Labangon-Buhisan-Guadalupe route that starts from Labangon then go up to Buhisan and proceed to Guadalupe through the offroad/concrete road that connects these two barangays.

View of Talamban area atop Kang-irag Peak

Conclusion

 To those who are looking for opportunities and for a place to start but couldn’t leave their taste for adventure, Cebu City is the good place for you to do it. More and more companies are coming to Cebu and that means more job opportunities. On top of that, your next outdoor adventure is waiting for you. Your outdoor destination is very accessible from the city. You can have a challenging adventure on your own or with your friends within an hour or less.

5 Steps To Help You Make It Through Hard Times

There are points in our life where we feel that we are down and you feel that you can't do anything. Looking at things on its positive side and being positive is easily said than done. I came upon this nice read and I pray that this will help you feel positive despite of what you are going through at this very moment. :)

Life can be difficult. Some people seem to face life’s storms with courage and come out stronger than they went in. They are able to climb even what feels like impossible mountains in their life. Others seem to be unable to recover from difficulties and end up bitter, blaming others or God for their misfortune, or just sinking into depression. The ones who survive and even thrive in spite of challenges are often those who have faith in God, who trust Him to help them through tough times.

Here are 5 steps you can take to gain the ability to trust God when life is hard:

1. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Ask God for help by praying. But remember that God never promised to shield you from difficulties. He only promises to be with you. Being angry and blaming God won’t help you to get through the storm. Asking Him to be with you can help you endure far more than you’d ever be able to do on your own. You may wonder how to pray. Just speak, trusting God will hear you.

2. (Romans 10:17) Read Your Bible. The Bible isn’t just there to read. It’s a book full of all kinds of advice. From relationships to money to how to get along with your parents, it’s all in there. When we become wiser, we make much better decisions, and with good decisions comes many other good things.

3. (Proverbs 3:5) Let go of thinking life should always go your way. Just because it’s good to you, doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Remember that God knows more than you do. Remind yourself that God has your best interests in mind and He loves you. Sometimes unanswered prayers are God’s greatest gifts.

4. (Proverbs 3:13) Read or listen to the stories of others. Sometimes it takes a reality check to make us realize just how good God has been to us. Hearing someone else’s story may help you put things into perspective, especially if their situation is a lot worse than yours. Also, listen to people who have overcame their trials. Hearing from people who have been where you are now can be a testimony of God’s goodness.

5. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Be grateful. Make a list of the things you appreciate about your life, even if it is as basic as a roof over your head or food on your table. Tell God you are thankful for them. The simple act of noticing the good things in your life helps you to have a more positive attitude and helps you to see God’s hand in all the things He has done for you.

Original article:
http://theprayingwoman.com/2014/01/07/5-steps-to-trusting-god-when-life-is-hard/