I'm Trading My Sorrows

It's human to feel miserable when you think you hit the rock bottom. But don't forget that you are not alone in your journey, God is with you all throughout. He gives obstacles in life to make you a better person. When you feel down, think of Christ.

The following song is a wonderful song that could uplift you. Trade your sorrows for the joy of the Lord! :)

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I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
And we're singing

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
And we're singing

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

I am pressed but not crushed,
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy is gonna be my strength
Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes in the morning

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
And we're singing

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

And we're singing
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

Yes Lord, Amen
Yes Lord, Amen!

A christmass-y affair (2)

These pics were taken at Suntec City.

Dec 24th in SG

Time check - it's 9:55pm in Singapore. Am spending christmas eve not at work this time but in a friend's place in Serangoon Central. Well, Christmas is not really a big deal for me. I can be anywhere in the world because I know what the real meaning of Christmas is. It's Christmas for me daily. I thank God daily for His grace and steadfast love.

No country I guess can beat Philippines when it comes to celebrating Christmas. The atmosphere everywhere is Christmas, be it in office, home or malls.

Here in Singapore, people can only feel the christmassy atmosphere in the malls. You can also barely hear christmas carols in the street.

How are we going to spend the eve? We are doing a movie marathon tonight and feast on food prepared by Myla and Divine. Chow time na! :)

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I missed the street party in Orchard Road. I prefer to go out and observe how Singaporeans celebrate the event rather than watching movies. Maybe I can do it on new year's eve.

Christmas Wishlist

Everyone is putting up their own wishlist. I would like to join the bandwagon and make my own list this year. My wishlist isn't directed to Santa Claus to fulfill it. I don't believe in Santa. My grandma never brought gave me the illusion Santa exists. My wishlist is for the Lord to fulfill it. :) I know He is real and does exist.

1. You already know this Lord, I have been praying for more than a year now.
2. Hmmn, Lord you also know this. I have prayed for this so many years
3. and so is item number 3.
4. I want to own an iphone 4s in white color
5. I will be happy to capture the festive mood using a Canon 6D Dslr
6. My laptop already brokedown, I would love to have a new laptop (mac or dell)
7. I would like to go on a backpacking trip to BKK via train.


That's all for this month. I got more next year. :)

weekend at Coasta Sands

I spent the weekend at Coasta Sands Downtown East in Pasir Ris. My pastor celebrated his 62nd birthday at the resort. We had pork barbecue and grilled seafoods.








We had fun also swimming at Wild Wild Wet. My dear brother documented the event thru video and photos.

Meet Up in SG

Trip Up in SH happened today. I woke up not feeling well and wanted to cancel the event but there were 11 people who signed up and don't want to disappoint them. While on my way to the meeting place, I was silently wishing that only 10-12 people will show up because I might not be a gracious host if it will be more than that.

The heavens might have heard me because it rained in the afternoon and only one showed up. A Singaporean teenager decided to show up. He is a triptrotter member and have traveled to so many countries already. A nice guy who keep up with my boring chatter. :) I asked him if I was boring him and he said no. Hahahaha..

Although only one showed up, I'm happy it was not just me and myself. The young guy discussed to me what is a real Singaporean is and what is Buddhism. Well, he is a typical person who would like to go out of the small lion city. He wants to study in the US and hopes that his father will send him there.

After dinner, we went to the biggest bookstore in SG. I learn some new things thru this young guy.

Meet up is fun and I hope to get know more people the next time.

Trip Up in SG

Am looking forward to this event am organizing here in SG.

I Lift My Hands

I lift my hands, you are my refuge and you are my strength O Lord. Let faith arise, O Lord.

Flash Mob - NY

I love this scene in the movie Friends with Benefits. Would love to see one in SG. :)

Jason Mraz

Listen to these songs of Jason Mraz. He's such a talented songwriter and singer.

I was thinking of something to do to while staying here in Singapore aside from blogging and FB. I thought of organizing meetups with other netizens in SG. I already sent my proposals to Tumblr and Triptrotter and am waiting for their approval.

Another thing I stumbled on to while looking for a place to gather is the Singapore Parks. Did you know that this city-state Singapore has 300 parks? The government has started this Passport Parks campaign encouraging people to explore these parks. Well, you can do walking trails, jog, exercise or play in the parks. My flat is overlooking Bishan Park and it is so wonderful to just walk or jog in the park because there are lots of trees and it's not hot there.

Here are some more photos I have taken at Bishan Park.




In Toa Payoh Town Park you can even find butterfly circle.

I will start exploring other parks of Singapore next week.

My New Eyeglasses

Am excited to wear my new "cat eyes" glasses! Myla and I found this pair of eyeglasses at Alexandra Road near Ikea.


This is my new look with eyeglasses on.

It's December!

November is over and christmass-y air has officially started. I say officially started because some people wait for December to put up decors. Wow, in just few days we will say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012.

We had fun time last time in Orchard road taking pictures at giant christmas trees.

Transformation in times of trouble

Something has changed in me and it is a positive thing. I am surprised how I look at my challenges in my life now. I can feel there is so much faith and patience in me. There is also happiness radiating from within.

The changed in me happened last week after sharing with my Pastor's wife my troubles in life. God has changed how I look at things. He has made me more positive.

I believe there is a time for everything as the Bible says. God has not answered all of my prayer requests yet but I can say all is well.

A Time for Everything
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
10 ¶ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-16

When I looked back at the past 12 months of my life, I can't regret my actions. God allowed everything to happen to strengthen me as a Christian. I thank the Lord for my journey. It wasn't a smooth ride but I reached the destination. I cried buckets and conversed a lot with God. I drew closer to Him while going through the journey. I made sure I attend church service regularly, read the Bible daily and attend prayer meetings.

Oftentimes, I felt that I was alone in the journey. Have no family nor friends to count on but I know inside my heart that even if God does not answer my prayers right away, He is with me all the time. I am grateful for the roadblocks on my journey. However, human weakness made me cry and complain a lot even though I know the purpose of the rough ride. I never forget though to thank Him for putting me in this journey. My journey has made me a better Christian. Now I can tell a personal experience as a testimony.

All is well and everything works together for good to them that love the Lord God and do His will.

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Pastor preached on the subject Transformation In Times of Trouble. Not all trials or challenges we go through is a chastise from God. He wanted to see something from us on how we react at life's difficulties. It is His way of making us a better person. He wants to see the character. So when faced with troubles, don't give up but look up or get down on your knees! Keep the faith and smile all the time. :)

JB Adventure

It was the first time am spending birthday on a foreign land. I made a quick trip to a neighboring country which is accessible by bus.

Johor Bahru or simply "JB" is the capital city of Johor southern Malaysia. JB is easily reached from Singapore. There are so many options to get there. You can travel via car, SBS bus or coaches. I opted for the cheaper one, I took the SBS bus and used my EZ link card to pay.

I rode bus 950 in Woodlands bus interchange. All passengers got off from the bus in a checkpoint area for immigration purposes on the side of Singapore. From there, I took the bus 170 which brought us all to JB Immigration dept. I had my passport stamped and surrendered my embarkation card. I didn't ride the bus again after that, I just went straight to JB sentral and nearby malls. Took a walk in Jalan

My palate wanted to try Malaysian cuisine but it seems all spicy so I settled with something familiar. :) I just ordered noodles which seemed it tasted good in the picture. Well, the picture fooled me as it tasted bland.

There was a group of high school girls in the food court and I asked them for some directions how to get to the places of interest in JB.

Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malay has similar words to Filipino Language. Though most of the road signs and boards are written in their language, I didn't feel completely lost because of its similarities to Tagalog. Here are some words that mean same thing to Filipino language.

Bus - bas - bus (in Tagalog)
Taxi - teksi - taksi
Rice - Nasi - kanin (in tagalog), nasi (in pampango)
Door - Pintu - Pinto (in tagalog)

In my short trip to JB I learned few Bahasa Malay words.

Terimah kasi - Thank you
Keluart - Exit
Selamat Datang - Welcome
Masuk - Entry
Sotong - Squid
Ikan - Rice

I am glad that most Malays can understand and speak English. In Indonesia, I had difficulty going around because taxi drivers can't speak little English. I took a taxi going to Istana Besar but unfortunately it was closed.

I also walked along Jalan Wong Ah Fook hunting for some souvenir items like t-shirt and fridge magnets. I noticed there are lots of indian who sit on the road and selling trinkets or offering i think palm reading. I got almost tempted to have a palm reading session. :) Saw a lot of street food but didn't dare to buy.

Around 4pm I decided to go back to Singapore. Had no problems in Malaysian immigration but I had been questioned a lot at Singapore checkpoint. The immigration officer asked for my plane ticket going back to Philippines. I had none to show. I told the officer it was my birthday and just decided on a spur of moment to visit JB. The immigration officer granted me entry to Singapore but warned me that next time I should bring my ticket. I was saying a prayer during the questioning time that he would allow me to go back to SG as all my things are in my apartment.

Going back to Sg, I took bus 950 again and then from Singapore checkpoint I boarded bus 160 to go back to Woodlands Bus Interchange.

Happy Birthday!

Yey, it's my 36th birthday today. I planned to make a day trip to Johor Baharu, Malaysia. I don't want to spend my whole day here in SG infront of computer or watching TV. Glad that it is a sunny Thursday. :)

I thank the Lord for adding another year in my journey. There were so many low points in my life the previous year but I can't achieve the significantly high points in my life without going through those. As the Bible says, "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord God and do His will." I will continue to walk daily with the Lord.

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I took some pics before going to Malaysia.

Thought-ful (part 2)

I am posting the rest of the quotes pictures I downloaded from FB.

Getting to know Josh

I remember seeing this picture of Josh Duhamel from an Amazon.com associate's email signature. The picture captured my curiosity. I was thinking that the girl was lucky because she has a very hot guy. :)

A few days after seeing that picture I decided to download it and made a presentation. I printed it out and displayed it on my work desk. I thought it could de-stress me. I took home also a copy of Josh picture to inspire me. hahahah. It was after two years when I realized he was a Hollywood actor.

The guy is so sweet and he adores his wife Fergie of Black Eyed Peas. They are a perfect couple. They support each other's career and endeavors. This is very evident in his FB page.

Normal or Not?

"sometimes I pretend to be normal but it gets boring so I go back to being me." This is my YM status all throughout. I'm not claiming this line is originally mine, I saw it in FB. I find it witty and it rings true to me so I copied it.

Am I normal? Yes, I am and my mother would say the same if she were alive. Mother knows her daughter best. :)

But a lot of people would say I am not normal. Even someone I consider a friend thinks am not.

1. Is it not normal to smile or giggle when you are alone and reading a really funny story or something funny caught your attention?

2. Eating alone in a resto or fast food. Not that I am spendthrift and can't treat my girl friends.

3. Traveling abroad alone. Not that I really want to be alone but no one is available to join me in my travels.

4. Drinking red wine at home during weekends when I want to have a sound sleep after working for five grueling days.

5. Talking in English while sleeping (especially when I am in deep thought about something).

6. Wearing skirt with 2-3 inches below the knee hemline

7. Having long hair and not wanting to cut or trim it because I believe in God's words.

8. Crying buckets over ruined friendship.

9. Being single up until now.

10. Blogging and not wanting to show it to the world (only to selected few).

11. Enamored with Indian culture.

12. Scooping soda with the tip of straw instead of sipping it.

13. Removing the seeds of strawberry before eating

14. Draining cellphone's battery before re-charging it for longer lasting battery life


I can go on with my list but who cares with what other people think. Each is a unique individual. I will pursue what makes me happy, don't want to be restricted with other people's standard. I have a different standard, it's the absolute word of God.

Morning Walk at Bishan Park

It was a good weather to walk around Bishan Park this morning. I woke up late and thought it would be fiercely hot to exercise at Bishan Park but the sun is just taking a peek. He didn't show up his full glory.

What a bliss to walk under the canopy of trees. I took some photos while walking around the park. I got some company while walking in the park.

Bishan Park is just opposite the block am staying at.

Thought-ful

Some funny thoughts and meaningful thoughts taken from FB.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?