Things The World Never Taught Us

It doesn’t really have to end with just one mistake.

mikevalencia — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:25:04 +0800

It doesn’t really have to end with just one mistake.

A Long Day That Was 2011

mikevalencia — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:03:29 +0800

I’m having a hard time finding the words to write down my well wishes, my thank yous, my farewells, my hellos. I can’t find the rhyme or reason, I just can’t lay my fingers on the keyboard and type something. But I feel the need to so here goes.

2011 didn’t feel like a year, it felt more like one long day. It was really long yet wasn’t enough to fit in the things that I wanted to do - things that I needed to do. Frustrations were all around, failure from everywhere, struggle for everything. Nothing went well for me. As I type this out I still can’t figure where one problem ends and the other begins. They just kept coming right at me; one after the other, stacking and piling up. And at some point they managed to put me down… broken, bruised, beaten, pounded. And at some point I brokedown. I have to deal with them alone. 2011 wasn’t the year for me, it wasn’t my day - it was my rock bottom.

But if there’s one thing that I’m thankful for, it is the gift of faith. I found God once again, renewed my faith in Him. I found my heart and see what it is capable of. When I brokedown I had no one else but my little boy who wouldn’t really understand. So I turned to God. And each time I fell, he lifted me up. Each time I stumbled, he made me stronger without anyone even knowing. Then this heart, instead of turning cold, it found the reason to love. It never stopped even when I tried to. And everytime it got broken it comes back beating even harder letting everyone in the world know how much more it can give. I have no idea how much more it can really give, but with faith in Jesus, I know there’s more than enough.

2011 wasn’t the easiest. 2011 was something I will look back at to remember what I’ve learned. I may not be where I wanted to be but I am glad that I am not where I was before.

Guide to Pursuit of Happiness

mikevalencia — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:57:00 +0800

We will forever be in pursuit of happiness. Happiness is something that we aim for because it’s what we want but not necessarily what we need. When we get to the point where we achieve what we think should bring true happiness, we end up wanting more and thus, pursue a little further. To us, satisfaction may be the most difficult short term goal ever to be achieved.

Along with this pursuit, we have become experts that we’ve written down some guide to achieve true happiness. And one of the most popular ones is “The less you care, the happier you will be.” True. To some degree. But it should have been more specific or at least the receiver of the message would look deeper into what it really wants to convey. The less you care about what others think, the happier you will be. That would have been spot on. But to follow and accept the phrase “The less you care” at face value will lead you into a much deeper trouble. Possibly lead you to a lonelier place than where you are right now.

Does caring less for how other people around you feel really make you happy? Are you happy knowing that you’re laughing because you’ve hurt someone? If you answered yes to any of the two questions then there’s no point in reading this article any further. Because at this point you’ve mastered the easiest way to live in misery.

Thought is one thing, feeling is another. It’s different when you don’t care what your mom thinks about your choice of words when you talk to her and it’s different when you don’t care how your mom feels when you use those words to talk to her. Today if you say you are happy. I believe you. Because you are in that state where you know and feel that you are happy. But have you actually looked back without any fear, discomfort, regret, guilt? If you do, then congratulations and enjoy this moment.

If you’re still caught with the idea that happiness is inversely proportional to how much you care, it’s time you learn that happiness grows exponentially when you actually do care. Your happiness quickly adds up with every person you genuinely make happy but is easily divided by every single person you hurt along the way. Before saying, “I want my happiness” think about the people in your life who are affected. You do not necessarily have to listen to what they think but at least be a little sensitive to how they really feel. True happiness is easier to achieve when we know how to lead our hearts to seek out what’s best for you, what’s best for your family… for the rest of your lives.

I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you...

mikevalencia — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:07:48 +0800

I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now

Every opportunity I get, every thought I have… I always...

mikevalencia — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:44:02 +0800

Every opportunity I get, every thought I have… I always pray for you.

He's One and The Same

mikevalencia — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:15:30 +0800

I remember this song I learned back when I was in kindergarten. It goes:

With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm

Smile at the storm, smile at the storm

With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm

Until He takes me home…

(Image from Here)

Ahhhh… life was a lot less complicated then, a whole lot easier. It made me feel confident that I actually had someone to make me smile at the storm and laugh at the waves. I was free from worries and reservations. I was a child who had faith.

Sadly, things changed with time. Priorities changed, perceptions came from a different point of view. I lost sight of who I really was and why I was here. And then the storm laughed at me in my face, mocking me for my weakness. Because I forgot, I gave up. I stopped believing that I had Christ with me.

But now that I think deeply about it, He was the same Christ I had back in the days, the same Christ I have today, and the same Christ I will have tomorrow. Because He said He is who I want and need Him to be, that’s reason enough for me to keep smiling at the storm until He takes me home.

Everyday

mikevalencia — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:35:56 +0800

Apparently I’m quite good at hurting people especially the ones I love. And sorry doesn’t seem to take that pain away from them. But everyday I try, everyday I fall. Everyday I try, everyday I stumble. I keep getting up and keep trying again and again. Everyday I give the best of me only to find out it’s not enough.

But I will still love. The only way I know how, the only way I can, the only way He taught me. Everyday.

Prayers may not get answered in an instant. Instant...

mikevalencia — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:40:33 +0800

Prayers may not get answered in an instant. Instant gratification isn’t always the best form of happiness. So just keep believing.

Chasing Nothing

mikevalencia — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:32:04 +0800

In this world, we all have dreams, we all have ambitions. Some are simple, others are really elaborate. And often times we would do everything to go after our dreams.

There’s nothing wrong in chasing our dreams. After all, they push us to strive hard each day to become better and better. But when we lose sight of reality, that’s when our world starts to crumble. We become so engrossed with what’s ahead that we forget about the present. We focus too much on the goal that we forget about the reason why we’re aiming for it and who we’re doing it for. We commit too much in achieving the goal that we neglect the basics of life.

In this life, it’s not all about titles, achievements, or riches. It’s about how we live life. It’s about how we learn from life. Whatever our goals may be let us not lose sight of our present, our families, our health, ourselves, our faith. All these help us form our dreams. Without them, reaching our goals mean nothing.

For You

mikevalencia — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:51:17 +0800

God favors us both, you and I. That’s why He made us find each other. That’s why He bound us together. We have flaws but together we fill one another’s faults. Because He made you my strength as I am yours. All we have to do is keep believing in His ways.

Prayers don’t get answered in an instant, they get answered in His time. Later, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. It doesn’t matter, it will come. And all we need to do is remain faithful as one.

He doesn’t favor me more than He favors you because we are one. He doesn’t give me blessings more than what He gives you because we are one. Because we are one, whatever He does for me He’s done for you. Because we are one, your pain is my pain, your sadness is my sadness, your failure is my failure. In the same way that your pleasure is my pleasure, your happiness is my happiness, your triumph is my triumph… because WE are one. We both need Him to overcome all these hardships. We both need to accept the favors He’s giving.

I still believe.

Nothing crumbles in a day. Dreams don’t crumble in a day....

mikevalencia — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:11:11 +0800

Nothing crumbles in a day. Dreams don’t crumble in a day. Hope doesn’t crumble in a day. Lives don’t crumble in a day. People don’t crumble in a day. Families don’t crumble in a day. They fade out slowly… and then fast.

I’m not alright but I am alright.

mikevalencia — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:52:45 +0800

I’m not alright but I am alright.

On my own, I’m not enough. But with You, I’m...

mikevalencia — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:28:38 +0800

On my own, I’m not enough. But with You, I’m everything they need and more. Lead me…

Choosing to Remain Righteous

mikevalencia — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:14:00 +0800

The modern world will always teach something out of the norm. Some say it’s revolution, some say freedom of expression, some say just basic rights. But in the end, it’s about choosing to remain righteous and going against what has become the “norm”.

Today in church I was struck by what the pastor shared about a wife who was egged on by her friends to have extra marital relationship. Her friends tried to convince her and make her feel it was OK and it was acceptable in the modern world. The wife chose to remain righteous and rebutted, “If I do that, I can easily become like you but let me tell you something: you can never become like me because I won’t do that.”

For the past few weeks I’ve been battling with myself: should I continue with this dare or should I give up? Should I choose to be angry or should I remain loving? Should I exact revenge or should I choose to forgive? Should I go after the person who’s causing my pains or should I stay away and avoid hurting a human soul?

After much debate with myself, the things that I’ve learned in this short journey has controlled me and made me choose to keep following the path of righteousness. Martyrdom to some but it really is just loving in its truest sense, like God teaches us how. Unconditional.

They may spit on my face, call me names, hurt me, take away everything away from me… but I will continue fighting for what I know is right. I will continue fighting for my family wherever this may take me. I am not afraid because I have Jesus as my teacher and savior. His light and way will keep me focused: to remain in the goodness of His heart. Continue to love despite rejection, shame, pain, infidelity, treachery, and everything else in between. Because love never fails, love conquers all.

Reality: The Heart

mikevalencia — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:12:00 +0800

Should you follow your heart?

(Photo from here)

In Jeremiah 17:9 it says, “the heart is more deceitful than all else”. It points out to the reality that the heart will always go after that which feels right at the moment. Physiologically acceptable as the heart was never really made to give thought on anything it does.

The world says, “follow your heart”, but the world never told you that if you don’t lead it, then someone or something else is leading it. Worst, the heart is being lured into a painful ending. This is why the heart should be lead; lead toward that which is best in the long run.

Oftentimes we let our hearts decide for us and forget the reason why God put our heads above all other parts of our body. And oftentimes we make the wrong choices without leading our hearts to where it should be. If unlead, our hearts will chase instant gratification instead of lifetime fulfillment; it seeks satisfaction for its cravings without regard of what it really needs. It is for this reason that we need to lead our hearts, because they choose where we go for the rest of our lives.

When tempted, we lead our hurts to choose faithfulness over lust. When challenged, we lead our hurts to choose righteousness over pride. When abandoned, we lead our hurts to choose strength over loneliness. When provoked, we lead our hurts to choose peace over violence. When wronged, we lead our hurts to choose forgiveness over revenge. When love is unreciprocated, we lead our hurts to choose to be unconditional over being demanding. We lead hearts to choose to love, the kind of love that is true.

The truth is, love is a decision and not just a feeling.