My eyes literally well up with tears (ugh, I've been such a crybaby lately) when I saw Trisha's blog about the recently concluded Hillsong Conference in Sydney the other day. For the nth time, I got sentimental over the "dream" again, having realized that it's almost 3 years already since I first started praying to go to Hills for their annual Praise and Worship conference.

Around this time last year, I held my own quiet time of worship in my room with my guitar, thinking that somewhere oceans away and Down Under, thousands of people were worshipping the same time I was.

Friday night, I did it again. (But not with the guitar this time coz I just had my nails done and I didn't want to ruin my French tips haha anuba segway). I put my Hillsong United playlist on, and as I sang my heart, God once again reinforced this simple truth that whether I am singing inside the Superdome with thousands of Christians from all over the world, or in the confines of my room by myself, He is right there, listening and taking pleasure in my worship just the same.

Two Sundays ago, we were at Balic Balic, an urban poor community along the rails. Some representatives from our church's Praise and Worship team went there to hold a P&W workshop among the youth leaders in the area, and we had some real quality time of praise and worship with them until late in the evening.

It was overwhelming. Singing without the usual microphones and amplifiers we've grown accustomed to at church, our voices joined with everyone else's--amidst the heat of the afternoon sun, and on top of the occasional passing of trains that shake the whole place up like mini-earthquakes. College and highschool students, some English-speaking missionaries from California (who, I'm sure, didn't understand most of the songs because they were in Tagalog), and young people from the poorest of the poor--everyone raising their hands, dancing and singing with so much joy for Jesus. Haay. It was a lovely, lovely sight. I'll never forget that Sunday afternoon. It's mindblowing how God doesn't care where we are, what language we're using, whatever voice we have--He simply looks into our hearts and finds pleasure there.

So yes, I wasn't able to go to the Hillsong Conference this year. Once again, God has a better plan in mind. And whatever His plan may be, it's becoming sweeter and lovelier with each year that passes. c",)

I know, I know, this blog is super outdated. You see, for the past days, I decided to do myself a favor and get in touch with the normal way of journaling for a change. On the second thought, isn't blogging the normal way of journaling now? Hehe. Oh well. What I meant was, I went manual--I decided to give my Starbucks journal some creative lovin' after months of collecting dusts on my bedside table. One time I even brought her (I meant the journal) to Gloria Jean's and spent the whole afternoon writing.

I feel disloyal. Like there's something wrong with bringing a
Starbucks journal to Gloria Jeans. Heh. Oh well.

Kuya Ric says my blog is teenybopper. Pfft. Wait til he sees my journal. Hehe. It's a juvenile blend of colors and stickers and pictures and messy scribbles and sentimental garbage in the form of table napkins and receipts and movie tickets and candy wrappers. But so what, I kind of like it this way.

c",)

Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm loving my new (er, it ain't so new anymore hehe) mobile phone? I do, I do. Now I get to camwhore all day everyday to my heart's content. Ahh, simple joys. :P

Edit. And because my journal has found itself an audience, I uploaded more ARTwork here. ;)

So hey, it's graveyard shift again for me tonight. I decided to handle this whole graveyard thing maturely from now on and not say a single thing that's remotely similar to a whine. Hehe. I'm gona enjoy this week. Actually, I'm kindof excited, really. And I'm not just psych-ing myself up. :)

Have you noticed how days and weeks pass by so fast? The week has just started and before we all know it, it's payday again (yayness!) and it's happyhappysunday again for all of us. Maybe that's what happens when you make it a daily habit to take off your loadful of worries and anxiety and simply enjoy life as they come. See. I'm learning. c",)