Through You Nothing is Impossible: Show Me Your Glory

Friday, August 11, 2023

As far as I can remember, July 21, 2023 was the date of the very first concert I went to, and I was glad it was Planetshakers 2023 Concert in Manila.

It was never planned. I was sad and feeling down and just stayed at home for three (3) or four (4) days straight. I was like hibernating and contemplating at the same time about the future when my sister in Christ, Mitch, sent me a message thru Messenger. She had extra ticket for the concert, since her companion was not available due to emergency situation so she needed someone to take her place, and I immediately said yes. It was timely and purposive. God's timing is purposeful.

Watching a concert of Planetshakers has been on my list of things to do since 2018, I think. Yay that it finally materialized this year.

More than the fun and excitement throughout the concert, it was a blessing. For Christians, it might be a cliché to say that I felt blessed during and after experiencing the worship concert. My unexpected attendance in the concert was like a push or a pat on my back I badly needed at that time. Thank God I had extra budget. I was feeling uncertain of the big decision I just made in my life, that decision was a leap of faith. Until now, I am still waiting for the result of that decision and there are times I am worried and anxious even though I already have surrendered the result to the Lord, still I cannot help but be anxious sometimes.

Do I lack in faith when I worry?

I pray that God will give me faith that I need to overcome this season of my life. I pray to completely surrender everything to Him. I pray to holistically entrust to Him every aspect of my life. I pray and I pray. Sometimes, it does not make sense. I feel stuck and cannot move on. Still, I hold on to His promises, the deliverance and that this too shall pass because through Him nothing is impossible. His glory will prevail and be shown for all the earth to see. Nothing is impossible.

Speech, Adlibs, and Glory to God

Monday, July 24, 2023

hehe

K to 12 Graduates: Molded through a Resilient Educational Foundation

(Gradweyt ng K to 12: Hinubog ng matatag na Edukasyon)

A pleasant and blessed afternoon to all.

I want to take this opportunity to honor each one of you who have gathered for this special event, to our:

School Division Office Representatives,

Principal,

Teachers,

Canteen/Utility/Security Guard Personnel,

Parents and guardians, and

Students, the Completers of this Moving Up Ceremony.

This memorable day is possible because of the small and big contributions of everyone, and I am so glad to be part of this unforgettable event in the lives of our children--your children.

Just to give you a bit of an addition to my introduction and why I am here.

I am Arlene Cahanap Manocot, an alumna of Applied Academics for Excellence Annex I Aplaya National High School. I am a second child. My father is a welder, "vulcanizer", and tricycle driver. My mother is a vendor and was a street sweeper. I come from a humble background.

I was a shy and timid student back when I was in high school. My shyness was worse during my first and second years, I was a novice in recitation and reporting in front of the class. It was a huge dilemma for me back then, but I guess even now.

I can still remember some of the things I did because of this ‘shyness’.

· Pretended to sleep because I did not want to participate in the recitation and to report in front of the class – 1^st yr.

· Monologue incident – 2^nd yr.

I must say that high school life is one of the unforgettable times of our lives, and I know that most people here would agree, right?

I was in 3^rd and 4^th year when I made the decision that I need to improve, I must overcome my fear of recitation and reporting. I was barely coping back then, but now that I realized it I am pretty satisfied with the progress I had made during those last two years in my high school days. I was able to stand in front and report to the class while my hands were shaking and feeling numb at the same time, my voice also cracked. I clearly remember embarrassing and small victories in my life as a high school student, such nostalgia. Indeed, high school life is a thrilling rollercoaster ride.

And after 17 years… who would have thought?

That the timid and shy student back then would be a teacher, writer, and business owner.

This Moving Up Ceremony with the theme K to 12 Graduates: Molded through a Resilient Educational Foundation (Gradweyt ng K to 12: Hinubog ng Matatag na Edukasyon) signifies the hardships and success of all the people gathered around here. This is victory!

Resilient, Education, and Foundation are the keywords that we can identify in the theme of this year’s Moving Up Ceremony.

Parents/Guardians. You are the Foundation.

Family is the basic unit of the society. It is where it all began. Learning starts at home. It is the core foundation of every person. The collective atmosphere of a community is directly related to the condition at home. Parents play an essential role in molding the future of our students.

One of the hardest jobs on earth is being a parent, a job that does not even pay you. It is the most demanding job a human being could ever sign up for. It is not monetary compensated, but you do it any and every way you can.

And you remain to be a strong ‘foundation’ for your children, the future of the next generation. I could only hope and pray that you as parents and guardians train up your children in the way they should go; even when they are old they will not depart from it.

School. You deliver free and affordable quality Education.

Education is a great equalizer, no doubt about that. For a person like me, who come from a not well-off family, I am grateful to the Department of Education and PUP Santa Rosa Campus and Santa Mesa Campus for delivering free and affordable quality education, and to my parents for sending me to school even though I did not want to.

But the school has to be reminded that the learning process is not limited to the four corners of a classroom. These students can also learn from others not only from their teachers. There is a vast of unlimited knowledge, skills, and abilities to learn out there. Be more open to possibilities that they have to engage in an independent and collaborative learning process where they can be themselves, free from unnecessary restrictions unless it is for their safety.

I could only hope and pray that in the near future, the Philippine educational system will cater to the ultimate essential learning needs of our Filipino students.

Students. You be Resilient.

Resilient, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. But most of the time it is not easy. It is hard, difficult, and sometimes even impossible.

In real life, pain is inevitable. Failure is waiting for you. Rejection is just there waiting beside Failure smiling at you. That is part of life and we have to learn to accept that.

So, students, our dear completers, do not be afraid to:

Make friends, surround yourself with wise and good people.

Make mistakes but make sure to own up to your mistakes.

Take risks but be ready for the consequences.

Dream big but handle rejections well.

Forgive or forget, then move on.

Embrace the process. Be patient. Enjoy the season of waiting.

Celebrate little and grand victories.

Heal from your past and traumas.

Keep moving forward.

Be humble. Honor your father and mother.

Life is not easy, again. But I welcome you to the next chapter of your life.

Congratulations to all the completers! May you never give up on your dreams!

Live life with a purpose!

For He Knows That I Have Come To Know

Saturday, May 20, 2023

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13 ESV

For He knows

God already wrote His plans and purpose in our hearts and souls. In our mother's womb, He already knew us. He imprinted a blue print of His plans and purpose in our lives. He meticulously engraved every detail in our DNA. Long before we even realize it, we abide in Him as He abides in us, and it is such a liberating moment to finally carry the burdens willingly or on most occassions surrender them all to the Lord and let His amazing awesomeness be magnified and glorified.

Sometimes His plans and purpose in our lives are difficult to accept or even to comprehend. It is humane not to submit since we want control over things that relate to us. We freak out if things get out of control, and again it is humane. Surrendering is connotated as a weak word and most of us do not want to be seen as weak as if it is a taboo. We prefer to portray a strong, brave, and iridescent character. Who does not want a strong, brave, and iridescent character?

I believe that the true esscense of strength, courage, and iridescence comes from Him. The wisdom we get whenever we pray, read, and meditate His words gives us the access to genuine and gentlest form of strength, courage, and iridescence. Therefore, it is a must that we seek wisdom from Him.

Look what I found on the website of Acronym Finder, HOLY BIBLE stands for He Only Left You Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, which really makes sense since a lot of self-help books that contain instructions on how to deal with life occupy spaces of physical and online bookstore. There is high demand on self-help books as if everyone is so clueless on how to go on with life and I cannot deny the truth in the idea that we are really, most of the time clueless if we do seek true wisdom.

That I have come to know

Along with this journey called life, sometimes or most of the time we all get to have our own dreams and plans crafted from or motivated by the fallen world we all live in. We own them like we were the source of the creation. We own them disregarding the real Creator. But the Lord always has the final say. If they are aligned to His plan and purpose there is a big chance, a miracle even, that He will redirect and repurpose our "own" plans. He has his ways, greater than ours.

I have dreams. Or should I say I had dreams? Some of them, the lesser ones I was able to realize and some of the big ones I decided to forget and not to pursue.

Perhaps for the big dreams that I considered, I did not have the courage to pursue them. Yet. Perhaps, the time was not right. Yet. I was afraid of failure. I did not want to accept that I lacked in many things: finances, talent and skills. Like it was not really for me, yet I forced it instead of actually pursuing it.

The decision to stop pursuing dreams was a bruise on my pride, and it was never an immediate acceptance. It was a long process of struggle whether I stop or put them on hold. And I did stop and put them on hold. I was hurt, pained, and humiliated by my own doings. I felt victimized of my own self-assault. I was hard on myself, unforgiving. Like if I did not get to have or be it, then there was no sense of living. I was on track of proving my worth to the world. The same world that would continue to exist without me in it.

Right now, I am just amazed by how God is putting me back on track of pursuing the old dreams and plans I have, and that I have come to know that my plans and dreams abide to His purpose. Every good thing takes time. I could only pray and seek His wisdom. Everything has its season and when it is time to let go and move on to the next season, I could only pray that I have yet give up because there are countless times that I wanted to give up. It is all thanks to God that I am here.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

This is 33: A Year Older, A Year Wiser

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

A Year Older

Last April I turned a year older. That is a belated happy birthday to me! Yey! I was not able to post anything on my blog last month. Sigh. I tried to, but it was never posted. I started and was not able to finish those supposed to be blogpost on the month of April. A little disappointing but manageable.

So, May started. We are now in the beginning of this year's second quarter. Life is hard and never easy, yet we are able to be living and breathing up to this point. I am happy for you and me. We are alive and trying are best to stay grounded and continue thriving.

I am a year older, but I do not feel old. This must be what 33 is. I feel young, maybe one of the reasons is my daily encounter with my students. They are playful, and sometimes naughty or difficult to deal with, but that is what youngsters do. They are who they are, it is part of growing up. They do what they are supposed to do. It is a phase where adults need to be patient and understanding towards them, to build relationship through communication towards mutual respect.

Now, I feel like getting older from all the things I have said. I never thought I would have that kind of realization. I had this thought that I am selfish and uncaring towards others. As I grow older, I have come to realize that I can also be selfless and caring to others in my own ways, and there maybe times that my act of selflessness and caring will be misinterpreted by some. I have to improve on that I think, but I no longer burden myself with unnecessary worry or doubt.

A Year Wiser

Am I a year wiser? I do wonder, yet I feel like I am and I know that I am. There is an improvement that is for sure. With the decisions I made and I am making, I think I am a year wiser. I wise up in terms of my financial and social skills. My spiritual health is improving. My relationship with God has been better, and trusting Him that it will get even more better as I grow wiser. I have come to love teaching and learning with my students. It has been a long journey, twelve (12) years in teaching, thirty three (33) years of sojourning in this life. All I can say is thank You, Lord, in good times and bad times. I still have a long way to go.

I do not have too much, but I have enough. God is so gracious in providing my needs, my family's, and the people close to me.

I do not feel good all the time, but I know that my future is in His hands. He takes care of me.

I maybe doubting sometimes, but He is my assurance. Life can get hard as it is, yet His grace and provisions are here to stay.

I am expectant and hopeful for the plans He has for my life. I pray to serve my purpose in this life according to His will and I know it is not easy sometimes, and again life can be difficult as it already is.

Life still has its beauty, even though there are more down times, rather than high time.

Life can be enjoyed, despite the trials and tribulations.

Life is not a race, so do not be in a hurry.

A life with Him is a life of joy, peace, love, trials, and tribulations! It is a not a strom free life, but a storm proof life. Storm proof at 33!

P.S. For those who are curious, yes, I am 200% girl, female, from the lineage of Eve, and other names or labels you can think of. I am a queen and a princess.