*lyrics* you first believed by hoku

how many times did i pray
you'd find me
how many wishes on a star

gazing off into the dark
dreaming i'd see your face
safe at home unafraid
captured in your embrace

so many times
when my heart was broken
visions of you
would keep me strong
you were with me all along
guiding my every step
you are all that i am
and i'll never forget

it was you who first believed
in all that i was made to be
it was you looking in my eyes
you held my hand
and showed me life
and i've never been the same
since you first believed

there were times
when i'd thought i'd lost you
fearing forever was a dream
but it wasn't what it seemed
placing your hand in mine
you could see in the dark
you were guiding my heart

it was you who first believed
in all that i was made to be
it was you looking in my eyes
you held my hand
and you showed me life
and i've never been the same
since you first believed

how many times did i pray
you'd find me
how many wishes on a star

photographer mode: sunrise

i can't help but share...
this is, if not the BEST, one of the best sunrise i ever seen and shoot. well, i just used my iphone when i took this picture.

i am really amazed at the colors of the sky. too wonderful. btw, no edit at all to this picture.

and once again, i appreciate the greatness of God when i saw this. *speechless*

simply MAGNIFICENT!
Jesus is the painter of the sky and this is no doubt one of His amazing work of art :D


xoxo

photographer mode: Pontius

this is my second nephew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo

pre - Father's Day

Still reading The Way of the Shepherd and wanna share this part of the book that truly touched my heart.

"One Sunday afternoon after I got my driver's license, I took his car without permission and nearly demolished it. When I got home, Dad was waiting for me. I thought the sky would fall. The first thing he did, however, was grab me and hug me close. I was totally shocked. He had tears in his eyes. Then, of course, about the time I thought I was going to live, I thought he was going to kill me. I never forgot that he hugged me first, though. I had to work the entire summer to pay the car-repair bill, but I always knew it wasn't the car that he cared about. It was me."

xoxo

what faction are you?

all done with Divergent and Insurgent but still can't move on with it. :) i'm pretty sure most if not all who read this books asked themselves what faction they can belong.

here are the 5 factions:
Candor - the faction that value honesty
Dauntless - the faction who tests their bravery by attempting death defying feats
Erudite - the faction who live their lives in the pursuit of knowledge
Amity - the faction who values peace above all else
Abnegation - the faction that values selflessness in the service of others

so, where do you belong? me? honestly? let's see...

just like Tris said in the book, "i cannot be a Candor. i lie to easily." and so am i. i mean, Candor is willing to reveal everything as in every secrets they have in front of everybody just to prove honesty. and i don't think i can do and maintain that.

i can't be Dauntless. i'm not as brave as they are. terrified in heights and i'm too weak to hurt other people. i want to quote what Veronica Roth said in one of her interviews. she said, "Like in the zip line scene -- even if you paid me billions of dollars, i would never do what Tris does in that scene. I don't think i'm a coward, but i don't like to take unnecessary risks." and i agree with her wholeheartedly.

Erudite. nope. i am not the type of person that's so curious in almost anything and everything. i love to read books. fiction books not mind-blowing books like encyclopedias, history, math, physics books.

Amity. i am peaceful. who loves arguments? isn't it peace is a great thing? i can fit here. what i don't like though in this faction is, they sound so pathetic. always neutral. doesn't want to involve themselves just to maintain peace.

ok, i think i can fit in Abnegation. but can i really? always thinking about other people's welfare to the point of ignoring your own. but with that kind of initiation, yeah, i think i can survive this one.

but then, i am thankful that we are living in a world where we can be members of this 5 factions in any given time and situation. no initiation. no need to prove yourself.

xoxo

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

this is the second part of the Divergent series.

i suggest, you read this book more attentively. personally speaking, i feel like i'm reading a war documentary like Saving Private Ryan (i know it is a movie. so turn that into a book). and i am not a fan of war stories. that's why i like Insurgent less than Divergent. but still, i am itching for the 3rd book.

if you read the Divergent, you know there's a war started by Erudite with the help of Dauntless leaders, controlling the entire Dauntless population to kill mercilessly all Abnegation.

the reason?

Abnegation leaders is having a top secret they kept for years to every factions. and they are now decided to reveal that secret. Erudite leader stole that information to them and do desperate act to stop that plan of Abnegation through killing their leaders and members.

Abnegation (selfless) - from the start they're helping the factionless through giving them foods and other stuffs they need. one, becacuse they are selfless thinking the welfare of others and that includes the factionless. but what's the other reason?

Erudite (intelligent) - they want a new government, one that is not mostly run by Abnegation leaders. using their intelligence to manipulate the entire population. if they succeed, they will have the power to rulte, making everyone under them to obey everything they want. did they succeed in creating a new government?

Dauntless (brave) - this group also wants a new government but unlike the Erudite, they don't want to eliminate the entire Abnegation. and this caused this group to be divided. others take side to Erudite, considered traitors while others wants to stop whatever Erudite leader is planning to do. since the latter half is underman, they asked help with factionless. why? what factionless have that other factions doesn't have?

Candor (honest) - they served as shelter to the surviving Abnegation and Dauntless. to pursue complete honesty, what are the personal secrets they forced the main characters to reveal to everyone?

Amity (peaceful) - this is the group that do not participate in any problem or issues that is happening to their surroundings just to maintain peace. they don't have leaders so decisions are made through votes of every member. will they continue their uninvolvement and maintain neutral?

you'll get the answers to all these questions if you read the book. so go! :)

quotable quotes:

"like a wild animal, the truth is too powerful to remain caged." - from the Candor manifesto

"sometimes, people just want to be happy, even if it's not real" - Four

"grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you" - Tris

"i can't imagine living the way he does -- always keeping track of who gave me what and what i should give them in return, incapable of love or loyalty or forgiveness, a one-eyed man with a knife in hand, looking for someone else's eye to poke out. that isn't life. it's some paler version of life." - Tris

"do not call attention to yourself. it is not courteous to the people around you." - mr. Prior

"we share a common enemy, but does that makes us friends?" - Tris

"people, i have discovered, are layers and layers of secrets. you believe you know them, that you understand them, but their motives are always hidden from you, buried in their own hearts. you will never know them, but sometimes you decide to trust them." - Tris

xoxo

photowalk manila - day one: UST

University of Santo Tomas (UST) is the oldest existing university in Asia stablished 1611. Last year, 2011 they celebrated their 400 years anniversary. quadricentennial. pretty old and historic right? :)

i am blessed that i live a few steps away from this university that's why i decided to start my photowalk here. btw, this is not my alma mater but my mom and sister-in-law. also, my sister is currently studying here, starting her college life :)

this is the UST church. one of the oldest church in the Philippines.

the main entrance welcoming you with what they call "Arch of the Centuries"









gardens/pathways












this is the main building. yep, the main building, not the church. don't be confused. :) i believe this is the most famous landmark here in UST.

their stage, their 400 years symbol, school bus, etc.

fountains...

of course... what is a university without... students! :)







xoxo

Divergent by Veronica Roth

this is the only book (aside from Bible) that i read again right after i finished it. simply because it is really good. what's so amazing is, even as i read it the second time around, i am not bored. i still like it that much.

characters are divided into 5 groups according to what really they are:

Candor - the honest
Abnegation - the selfless
Dauntless - the brave
Amity - the peaceful
Erudite - the intelligent

every 16 year olds will face a difficult decision to choose what group/faction they will go and give their loyalty. choosing other faction means leaving their families behind. 16 years olds -- sounds like Hunger Games? kinda. but here, they'll just choose and give a very tough decision, not to kill just to survive.

so from the 5 groups listed, where is the "Divergent" comes from? that's what you need to know as you read on.

action packed. friendship. family. decisions. loyalty. love.

i love the romance between... oppss... i don't want to give any spoilers.

one note. there's a part of the book that is very similar to Naruto (not the character but the series). the initiation process in this book is pretty much the same as the Chunin Exam in Naruto. if you're also a fan of the anime, you'll get the picture.

and of course, since this is a series book, there are lots of questions in your mind after you finished this. you'll definitely crave for the next book which is the Insurgent.


quotable quotes:


"it must require bravery to be honest all the time" - Beatrice

"extravagance is considered self-indulgetn and unnecessary" - Beatrice

"we believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear" - Four

"mom used to say that politeness is deception in pretty packaging" - Christina

"a brave man acknowledges the strength of others" - Four

"but becoming fearless isn't the point. that's impossible. it's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it, THAT'S the point" - Four

"human reason can excuse any evil; that is why it's so important that we don't rely on it." - mr. prior

"the goal of my life isn't just... to be happy" - Tris


"a calm mind is a clear mind" - Erudite faction manifesto



xoxo

dot com team goes to Binondo

late post. this was last May 30, 2012


yummmm.....


i love tea :)








...isang daang taon ng saya...










my dot com team




some binondo goodies





xoxo

one choice

i am reading again the book Divergent. such a good book. entertaining indeed. (review/comment in few days).

at the back cover of the book, it says:
ONE CHOICE.
one choice decides your friends.
one choice defines your beliefs.
one choice determines your loyalties - forever.
one choice can transform you.

as i continue to read the book, a thought suddenly pops up to my mind.
one of Ptr. Ryan Tan's new year preaching (forgot what year), he said something like "every decision you make will define what year you will have." so true.
single decisions can turn your life upside down.

a make or break decisions.
now tell me, who wants to make a mistake in times like this?
though we don't have "choosing ceremony" as the characters in book Divergent have, i believe we can all relate on making tough decisions.

in crucial times as this, how are we going to respond? how to choose the right decision?

WISDOM.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." - James 1:5 NIV

'nuff said. pray and stay in faith.

xoxo