Kalyehera

The Call You Should Never Miss

Have u ever thought you are better than most people? Has it ever occurred to you that you deserve more in life? It must have. It should have. You should have at least a pinch of self-love that you want to have enough money, enjoy life, and be adored by family and friends.
We love ourselves. As humans, we tend to attend to our own well-being first before that of others. We tend to rescue our own first before we attempt to help other people that might also be in danger. We want to benefit from our own efforts before others do. We love ourselves.
I�ve recently realized that I am not better than most people. I am good, only because I should be good. Considering the facts that I have a degree, my parents made every effort to give all my needs and wants, and the very overwhelming fact that I am blessed. With all these, I should be good. The world deserves a good me. I am not better than most people.
There are people who are better than me. Perhaps, I am better than a few people in some areas. We live in a world that advertises competition. Human beings have been subject to continuous urge to belong and be accepted, even admired. Some people even thirst for power to gain more acceptance from people and more admiration. Still, they are not better than most people.
And because most people think that they are beyond the bar of goodness or in better, more appropriately technical term, righteous, they think they deserve more goodness, as well. I admit, that has also crossed my mind. I know in my heart that I am good so in return, I shall only get good things from the world.
I consider myself a good and very loving daughter, an acceptable sister, a law-abiding citizen, a remarkably loyal girlfriend, an unfailing friend, and an outstandingly diligent worker. I know I am a good person. I do things well. I think well. I don�t intentionally do something that would cause harm to people around me without probable cause. I am a good person, thus I deserved to get good things in this world. I deserved to enjoy life better than others. I thought I didn�t deserve to get bad experiences, heartaches, problems, trials, pain.
What I realized is that I didn�t deserve to get anything. I am nothing. The money I am working for is not my money. It is God�s money. I do not deserve to be privileged. Everything that I have now is out of God�s grace and mercy. Everything, including the fresh air that I breathe that keeps me alive and the roof under my head is more than what I deserve. Everything that I enjoy in this life is more than a miracle.
If only I could take the memory stick out of my brain and copy the imagination, belief and emotion that I have stored in mine, I would. God, in His awesome magnificence and powerful wisdom, knows you by name. If you�re reading this right now, He�s calling you by name. Are you going to let yourself miss the call even when all you need to do is respond?
The question that bothers everyone is, �What would you do if you have 24 hours left to live?� but here comes one that may, and I sincerely hope it does, keep you awake all night:
What would you do if you knew that Jesus Christ is coming soon�really soon?
You don�t have to answer me. Ask yourself and make sure you don�t leave yourself hanging. You could probably start by admitting that you�re not better than anyone, because at one point of another, we all have shortcomings. Next step would be to find the courage to admit that you don�t deserve all the good in the world. We all live simply by the grace and mercy of God.

There really is something pleasant about nostalgia.

Blessed Beyond Belief! ThankYouLord

My Reality in 7 Years

It’s the summer of 2020. We’re at our family’s favourite spot in one of the islands of the Caribbean and my kids, Caleb and Sarayu are having fun building their unbelievably witty “sandcastles.” Well, Caleb, is. Honey is preparing a sumptuous “surprise” lunch and I’m at our porch, proof-reading my fourth bestselling inspirational book.We’ve been married for seven years and it didn’t seem so long at all. We still feel like a young couple, like we felt 10 years ago. In fact, everything is still so vivid in my memory—from the day Glen and I tied the much-awaited knot, everything changed.

The year before we got married, we were both so anxious. We’ve been together for ten long years and it seemed that at our age, everyone was getting married and having babies and happily living as parents—normal. We both worked hard to save up for it. Everyone knew we’re supposed to be getting married, all including both our parents. It wasn’t a surprise when he proposed but it was still one of the best days of my life. He really did make it extra special.

I can still remember the smell of new furniture that blended with pesto when he guided me into to our newly bought home (a surprise gift he paid for) in Mandaluyong —blindfolded. He made this funny speech that made me laugh and cry. Now I’m not sure if I answered his marriage proposal with a “yes” or “what took you so long?” It was all a blur after realizing that the entire family from both our sides plus closest common friends were all there—watching with cameras up their sleeves, faces filled with tears.

When the glorious day came, it felt dreamy. It was far beyond what I—or probably any bride—would have imagined my wedding would be! It was “magical” to quote my wedding coordinator Cha.She said she was almost not needed. I still cry every time I see the wedding pictures. You should see them. It’ll pass for a complete tear-jerking happily-ever-after love-story movie—except we didn’t get video coverage.

After almost three months of honeymoon, travelling across the globe, visiting places I’ve always dreamed of like Amsterdam, Paris, Italy, Cairo, Pattaya, Tokyo, Jingzhou, Rio, Bali, and Namburg to name a few, we had the first sign of life. Honey was in happy tears when I woke him up that mistyFebruary morning in Manhattan. I wrapped the pregnancy test back in its box. I sensed he already knew what it was. I have it all on video.

Everyone knew our love story, including our first born Caleb. He loves hearing it before bed time and when Sarayu was born after four years, he’d tell her the complete narrative. Because of that, they knew they were loved.

I never thought I’d be a fulltime housewife. Ok, I admit. I did think of it once before but I never thought it would be this…completely fulfilling. I still have income even if I don’t work because of the residual income from my retirement plus some income from the sales of the books. And all that went to the kids’ college and trust funds. Hon’s income goes to our expenses—including our annual trips with the kids. I know he still stashes a few bucks because of the out-of-the-blue gifts he sends me or the meet-me-at-Tiffany’s moments he thinks of.
Still, I’m glad he finds time after all the ministry work, charity work, and network he does. When he was on a business trip the night I was due to give birth to Sarayu, he took an emergency 45-minute flight back home despite the storm in Hong Kong. Thank God Manila was dry when he landed. He reached the Makati Med just in time of my delivery with Malaysian mums in his hand.

We want our children to be as normal as we were when we were kids so when Sarayu turns six in four years, she’ll be entering our elementary school in the province, just like her older brother Caleb.Caleb will be graduating from elementary then. Time does fly fast. I still distinctly recall Caleb’s first day in school. He was so excited that he skipped from our house all to way to school! He said he didn’t want to be taken by his Uncle Ben—our loyal driver—because his classmates might make fun of him. He did have a point. Our village was just a few blocks away from that school and I did walk all the way when I was his age, particularly on the first day of school. Besides, he also needed the work out.
Sarayu’s close-up baby picture caught my attention. You won’t believe it was taken by her, then four-year-old brother, Caleb! He has the most incredibly amazing eye-hand coordination. The first time he saw a camera at two years old, he fell in love with it—even if it was a toy camera. When he turned four and we knew he was going to be a “kuya,” we started treating him like a big boy and gave him his first point-and-shoot.

So even if it’s easier to post his shots on Facebook, we turned one of our guest rooms into our own computer-slash-printing room so that we could print all of them. We had a custom-made frame in different sizes so that we could post them all on his wall. After two years, he knew how to do it all by himself and filled our library room—which is seven times bigger than our master bedroom, which he also filled with pictures of his Dad and I.

Now, at two, Sarayu isn’t much far from being discovered. She’s almost impossible to handle! She runs in funny circles right beside our pool, climbs the stairs and back, and disappears all of a sudden! She fell from her grandma’s chair one time and I went frantic! But she learned her lesson. She knows what “ouch” means and when she’d hear me say “hurt” with my finger pointed at her with eyes glaring with anger over fear, she’d turn back, slow down, put down the bread knife carefully, or smile at me and say “OK, mommy!” and then she runs to me and hugs me.

But I know she’s a daddy’s girl. Whenever Honey came home with a bag, I knew somewhere in that bag is bar of chocolate or a pouch of marshmallows or stacks of jelly aces. Once, I caught him handing a bag of gummy bears to Sarayu, I pretended to get angry and hid it in the fridge for days. Again, she learned her lesson. She is a fast learner and taller than most girls her age.

Today, we’re celebrating Sarayu’s second birthday and her uncles are coming over. Miraculously, Uncle Jeb found time to spend with us from his missionary work in Nepal and Uncle Jasper asked for a leave from his church in Salt Lake. His assistant pastor is taking charge for a month, so his first stop is with us, then Philippines. Uncle Jir, who is expanding business in Saudi Arabia, will be a two and a half hours late because his flight left London a bit late. They’re all coming with their gorgeous wives too!

This is our favourite family vacation spot because this side of the Caribbean island is owned by mom and dad, who are right now, obviously, looking and feeling young playing with my kids by the shore.
Imagine the smell of “paksiw” and “adobo” mixed with the fresh summer breeze of the Caribbean. I have a sense that Honey will be calling everyone in soon. I better lend a hand before the big boys and girls arrive.

This feeling of happiness calls for another cam-cording or a few candid shots that will bring the nostalgic feeling back. And I’m certain that the next seven years, and the next seven after that, will be filled with happiness. I could probably wish the world to stop so I can treasure this one worthy moment, but life—i know00 will be filled with more of it.

When Beauty Speaks

Normal is treated according to a certain location’s culture. But there is, understandably, only one particular normal thing in all universes and all dimensions in parallel universes: that is your level of beauty. Thus, there is also one considerable truth: that you would—no, wait, scratch that—should act according to your beauty.

As a member of the human race of the planet earth, you would automatically rebut “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” And I completely agree. So when more beholders tell you you’re beautiful, you don’t really need to ask for your mom’s opinion. However, when your mother is your only beholder, be forewarned not to ask the opinion of people around you. That of course, goes to say for people who you do not really know, if you do not wish to be slapped at least twice with judgemental stares of fire and hate.

Yes, dumb-dumb, BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder, but the entire world of media sets the standards. So there may be 0.1% of every country who would have a different set of benchmark for gorgeousness, but the rest of humankind’s domain would have a general, conventional yardstick to measure beauty.

At the beginning of ANTM (stop reading if you don’t know, don’t ask me if you don’t, ok just continue if you want to find out, if you don’t forget about it), executive producer Tyra Lyn Banks, wanted to create a new array of top models that would change how the entire planet judges modelesque beauty. She planned, initially to show the world that beauty, for the lack of another word for it, is, again, in the eye of, no other than the, beholder.

I give her the petite and the full figured but she failed, to tell you frankly. She failed in her mission miserably. She failed to get the message across to her target audience. She was, according to her season one , setting an atypical assortment of models. She was feeding the Venus side of the Earth, what is already accepted asconventional model. Thus, the world agrees with her.

So now that we have a worldwide accepted standard for beauty, how do we judge it, as a beholder? Here in the Philippines, we judge according to character. Ok, most of the time.

How many times have you heard the remark “akala mo naman maganda siya” or “akala mo kagandahan” when you’re being judgemental and gossiping with your friend about an officemate, classmate, neighbour, competitor, that girl joining the pageant, or a boss in the other department? A lot more than once, I’m most certain. You cannot tell me otherwise. Laugh all you want but I know that you are also guilty of saying it, a lot more than once, as well!

There is one rule that we should all include in the guidelines or rulebook for beauty: that is to act according only to your level of beauty. So look—no, scratch that, STARE, at your reflection in a six feet mirror. Ask yourself, truthfully, honestly, without pity or hatred or additional unnecessary pinch of pride. “Gaano ba ako kaganda?”

See how unjudgemental I was right there? I didn’t say “Maganda ba ako?” I said, ”Gaano ba ako kaganda?”

Of course, do not set the standards to the skyscrapers. That would be suicide and murder at the same impossible time. Be reasonable! Because no matter how ugly you might seem to yourself, there will be at least one thing that is beautiful about you. It only starts to become attractive when you see it yourself and when you appreciate it yourself.

When you’ve determined what range of beauty platform you belong, then it’s time to settle the way you should act—that is based on your level of beauty. Here are some pointers:

Beauty Intensity #1: Below-The-Bar
It’s substantial to be shy or introvert but you are most probably the person with the highest IQ in class or your clique of friends. It’s probably a plus point that you graduated a magna cum laude. You consider yourself a nerd because you notice every grammar mistake your friends make and try your best not to show them you notice every single one. You walk at the back of your group of chums because you’re probably busy immersing yourself in your own thoughts or daydreams or books.

Beauty Intensity #2: The Average
You have enough confidence inside you that 50% of the people you know consider you pretty. You have a better sense of fashion, you walk and talk and smile with your eyes. You realize that even if you lack some inches to your head, you carry yourself well with attitude because you have a good-enough head on your shoulders, so you don’t have to slouch and hide yourself at the blurry background of your faction.

Beauty Intensity #3: The Vampiresque Splendour
You walk and men stop, stare, double take, three-sixty their heads. You’re used to it and sometimes, you wish you weren’t that pretty but you should accept it. Although, I’m not saying you should flaunt it. Be humble. Yes, we know you’re already pretty; you don’t have to hang it in our faces. Be more subtle and know that you don’t need to wear a lot of jewellery or make-up. The “less is more” rule applies best to you, except for clothes. It’s best that you don’t talk too much or attract attention because you will seem dumb to people if you do.

These just but a few guidelines for better and happier living. Imagine, if we all act according to our level of beauty, the world will be a less hateful place. When you’ve followed these zero-fail parameters, witness how less people will hate, gossip, talk, and stab you with paper cuts behind your back. You might say, “Wala akong pakialam,” actually means you do. You just want to act over and beyond your capacity of beauty, thus creating adespicably piteous, revoltingly tragic, wretchedly dreadful little bubble-wrapped parallel universe around you.

THE BIG IDEA: Umayon lamang nang ayon sa ganda.

PSALM 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Life After The WangWang

Every time I get to visit EDSA, I never fail to stare at the streets. I love how vast the arrays of car models run along this long and winding road. It’s like a shopping mall for me—so believe me if I say, I never get bored during traffic.

Visiting Makati during the Holy Week has made me realize relentless metro things – factors of life’s difficulty for the unfortunate people of EDSA since the beginning of the era when the “wangwang” was banned from its meandering lengths. The reason why it was restricted has been a ginormous public statement by the president but what developments has it brought to the country, really? Yes, it represents equality but if you observe the sidewalks of EDSA, reality will slap you right back in the face that in this world of balance, equality is still far from reality; especially along EDSA.

Realization #1: EDSA = traffic
Ask anyone who passes along any part of it “to spell EDSA?” And probably 8 out of 10 will say TRAFFIC! Life in the metro is not really metro-like without experiencing slow movement of vehicles along a road that would seem like a gigantic airport parking lot. For me it looks better when it’s traffic. However, there may be no “wangwang” to show that the elite is privileged, their BMW’s and Subaru’s still run the highways with convenience while our madlang people are on those death buses that seem to be in an Need For Speed bus division competition. And in that game, nobody wins, especially when there are lives at stake.

Realization #2: EDSA = crowded
You won’t see Sharon Cuneta getting off a Malanday bus, or Derek Ramsay crossing one of those life-threatening overpasses, or Manny Pacquiao picking trash along Boni Ave. That would be absurd and people would think they’d gone insane—or probably just shooting a film. The corners of EDSA are filled with the masses, jologs, jejemons, and the bakyas. They probably need more than the “wangwang” to be taken off the societal bounds. They need government officials to actually do what the people pays them for, not just sit behind their bulky-mahogany-well-varnished-tables and facebook all day. It will take more than a “wangwang” to change these people’s lives.

Lightbulb: Maybe the president should start a network marketing company that will make the lives of the people better. :p

Realization #3: EDSA = busy
The EDSAmites are too busy. Too busy working. They literally breath and wake up to work. They live just to go to work and make their bosses even richer than yesterday. People wonder why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. (loud sarcastic laugh) They complain, and still work for their bosses! When you present them an opportunity to change their lives, they say they’re not capable, they don’t have the means, they’re scared, they can’t think of any more alibi, so they keep working for their boss and keep making them rich and keep their lives busy with that.
So when they said the “wangwang” is banned, you’re not really affected. Nothing in your world changes. Because you never used it in your whole life. Imagine if you live on the other side of the coin. I’m sure you’d be one of those aggravated spoiled brats who take that SUV with lights disco lights at the ceiling of your fully-tinted bullet-proof windows.

I know, I don’t gain money or wisdom from this but maybe YOU will.

When Plan A fails, What�s NEXT?

There really is a secret in life that people refuse to believe. A secret to success, happiness and love. One that will make living these lives less difficult and miserable. It is having an unwavering FAITH in God.

If you have read, seen or heard �The Secret� by Rhonda Byrne, it could be summed up in one word: FAITH. It has changed my life by a big deal. A little more than �The Shack� by William Young that also changed my perspective of God�s love. Now, a new discovery shared by my cousin Golda, �Heaven is for Real� by Todd Burpo, has given me a sneak of God�s Kingdom.

This is a story about a four year old boy who spent three minutes in heaven with God, Jesus, John the Baptist, his Great Grandfather Pop, and his miscarried sister. All these while he was on the operating table, his dad was screaming painstakingly at God, and his mom fearfully praying for him. It�s a book based on a real story and the father of the little boy is the author.

As with all of the books I�ve read and movies I�ve seen, as soon as the tear-jerking part comes, my eyes well up like two faucets, filling up a mile of lined-up pales. I�ve shared it with a couple of people. Everyone knows I am a good endorser and whatever I like, I share. I tell the good news! I want people to experience the amazing, exhilarating encounter that I have gone through.

This one is among the few that, I not only like, but LOVED! I loved the book! It did not only give me a new perspective in life and heaven but a hunger for it! A hunger not just to live life to the fullest but to share more of myself, to serve God and His people, and to share every tiny bit of experience I have to people who need physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

God really works in funny but amazingly miraculous ways. He put me at the bottom of the world last December. (Refer to my previous notes). I was utterly depressed and disheartened � literally down in the dumps � or in my case, pillows. He has taken my job away and immediately led me to one that will enable Him to use me every single day of the remainder of my life. Work that will enable Him to not only affect, have effect and ultimately change the lives of the people around me or have any slight connection to me. Work that will allow me ample time to pray, love and eat � the summary of my current fun-and-adventure-filled existence. Gladly, love includes work. God has been using me through the work that He has given me. Plus! He gave me a deep passion for it! Passion that I used to have in other things that could have made my life meaningful but still eventually lacking.

We all go through that stage, I guess. That painfully depressing stage when we feel like a balloon or a doughnut or anything that describes emptiness inside. There really are arduously gruesome circumstances in our lives. No matter how painfully tragic and difficult, these are God�s ways to lead us to the right path. So if it�s a cliff or pitch-black darkness that�s staring us in the face, all we have to do is ask Him for guidance, decide to follow Him and trust God that he has a big plan for us. Don�t worry or doubt for one second. Know that his plans are what�s best for us. It�s always, always, ALWAYS better than what we want.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,� declares the LORD,
�plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.

Thank God we have knees. Or else every time we fall, our faces hit the dirt first. ?

Celebrating life in all its imperfections. ??

Who wants to sing “What Matter’s Most” by Kenny Rankin on my wedding? ?