Best Birthday Yet

photo (c) of Teacher Syl, my Cooperating Teacher or CT. :)

Thank You Lord for blessing me with such a great birthday. Thank You for blessing me with a family that loves, friends who are willing to make the extra effort to celebrate my birthday with me and make it memorable. And finally God, I thank You for my students and the staff at LEAP. Thank You that I felt Your love through them - that though I’ve only been there for a little less than a month, they’ve done so much for me today. Ibang klase ka talaga magmahal, God. I love you, dear God. I lift all of these things in Your son’s precious name, Amen.

During Meeting Time

Teacher: Friends, when teacher is saying something you listen. If you want to say something, wait until teacher has finished talking, ok?
Everyone: Ok
Student 1: If we want to say something we say excuse me.
Teacher: That's right, we can do that too. (Talks about something)
Student 2: Excuse me!
Teacher: Yes darling?
Student 2: Chasminawadin. (Jasmine, Aladdin). :)

This was legit ok? :)) They are the most adorable kids in the world. :)

A Father's Influence

(Contains Legend of Korra spoilers. You have been warned.)

So I watched and then rewatched the season finale of Legend of Korra. While there were a lot of great scenes (Mike and Bryan both did a really great job with the finale), I feel as though the Tarrlok and Noatok’s story arc affected me the most.

I used to dislike Tarrlok a lot, especially since his ambition got the best of him. But that story of him and his brother and the tremendous influence that their dad had on them was his redemption. Of course, it doesn’t excuse his actions and what he did to Korra but it explains a lot.

“Fathers do not exasperate your children. Instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” — Ephesians 6:4

Okay, I realize I’m probably taking this a little too seriously (especially since it is just a cartoon). But I can’t help but dwell on how big an influence a father has on his kids. If a dad does a really poor job and even merits the title of being the worst dad in the world, it really messes a person up. Young dads (if you are reading this), if you think that whatever you do won’t have any bearing on the lives of your children, think again. God gave you the role of not only a father in the family but a leader as well. So whatever you do, your kids do as well. And whatever screwed up thing you do, it will hurt, wound, and scar your children. 

Your actions WILL leave a mark.

Yakone had the opportunity to start over, to do well as a father. But his pride and his desire for vengeance stood in the way of that. He raised wounded soldiers instead of sons. Of course, this is not to excuse what Tarrlok and Amon proceeded to do with their lives when they grew up. You always have a choice to do what’s right. While your circumstances and your childhood may have a bearing, they should not make you who you are.

You may have no control over the family life that you’ve had - if it was truly horrible - but we can take control of our actions. We CAN choose doing what is right over doing what is wrong.

Besides, our relationship with God is reflective of our relationship with our own dads. In the same way that how we see our own dads can become a hindrance in our relationship with God and our perception of Him.

That’s right dads, you have a huge responsibility resting on your shoulders.

And that concludes what I wanted to say about Korra. Heh.

Ate Alyssa

I'm gonna have to start getting used to being called that by the younger kids. Ha. Today marks my first day as a ygroup leader. I have to say, it is one of the best things that God has allowed me to do.

I hope I wasn't the only one that felt anxious and scared when asked to lead a group of adolescent girls (boys for others) starting this year. So I was, but after this morning, the excitement overpowered the fear. 4 ygroup leaders, 19 incoming HS freshmen: 12 boys, 7 girls - my 7 girls. Of course, I'm still going to think that at some point I'm going to say something wrong and inevitably ruin a child's life. But, I'm learning to just leave that part up to God. I pray that I would be a clear enough tool to convey His message. 

Hee. I just can't believe that God has blessed me so much; and I'm just so thankful. I'm thankful to the One who saved me - in more ways that just the cross. Knowing and remembering everything that He's done and have continued to do in my life, I can do nothing but give Him all the praise.

Dear God,

Thank You for being a wise, loving, and generous God. Thank You because all things work through You. Lord, I just can't help but remember what You told us - ask and we shall receive. If it was Your will - if it was compatible with Your will - You wouldn't deny us the desire of our hearts. So I asked Lord, and You gave it to me in Your perfect time. I am just grateful, and so filled by the desire to serve You. Thank You God for the 7 girls that compose my ygroup. I've only gotten to know most of them today, but God I am excited to know each of them more. With Your guidance, I pray that I would be able to minister to them well.

Father, I am ecstatic about this new part in my life and I just pray God that I refrain from anything that would mess it all up. Lord, I just thank You for the opportunity as well as the privilege that You've given for me to serve You. I pray God that as I become this leader that You want me to be, that my relationship with You will only grow stronger. I pray for each one of my girls, I ask that they will all learn to enjoy spending time with You - something that You still continue to teach me. I pray for their relationship with You, and I pray that You would just provide them with the desire to obey You, follow the same path as You did and be righteous alongside You.

You have blessed me so much through this Lord, and I just can't thank You enough. 

I love You, God.

In Christ's name I pray, Amen.

Apology to my parents

Because I've already given them the handwritten version of this letter, I think that it is safe to post the soft copy of it here. It is my prayer that whoever reads this - someone who maybe going through what I did - will reflect on his/her actions and come clean to his/her parents. I pray that my letter will be able to minister to you.

To Ma and Pa

Hi. 

I know it must be weird that I'm writing to you when there's no special holiday or celebration, but I do have a reason for this. There are two things that I want you to know through this letter. This is the first one.

Mama, do you remember the time from almost 15 months ago that you caught me crying? Pa, it was the same day that you asked me about my eyes, if I slept or not. I wasn't completely honest with the both of you at that time. I was crying and I couldn't sleep well that night because of one thing: that was when Strong and I broke up. He wasn't just a suitor, we were together as a couple for three months even when you told me that neither of you approved of it. I want you to know that it wasn't an act of rebellion or that I did it out of anger towards you. My pride led me to believe that sooner or later, your perception of him would change. I now realize how wrong I was, and that Ma, you were right all along. 

From the very beginning, a lot of people from the Youth - people who knew me and who knew him - have already warned me against him. And I know that you told me to not even consider him as a prospect anymore after briefly meeting him for the first time. I'm sorry too, that I thought you were being judgmental, that you couldn't even give him a chance back then, but I realize how right you both were. 

I'm so sorry for entering a relationship with him even when you both told me not to, when people from the Youth told me to be careful, when God told me to obey the both of you. It was hard to resist, especially when we spent a lot of time together back then. And that was what we did, we spent a lot of time together na kami lang. I'm still a virgin, but I'm not as pure as I was before. I'm so sorry. The reason why we broke up was, at least on my part, I couldn't handle lying and disobeying the both of you and God anymore. So while I was hurting the next several months after that, I knew that I did the right thing.

I've moved on now, and I've been more vigilant in protecting my heart - especially since I committed on working with my relationship with God this year. So bawal ang guys ngayon.

This year's camp has been a good reminder of what I've been through, of the mistakes that I've committed, and it also convicted me to be honest with you about everything. Camp and another thing pushed me to be honest with you, and it's the second thing that I want you both to know.

By God's grace, I have been asked to lead a ygroup starting on June 10. While it's something that I wanted to do to be able to serve God more, I didn't think that I would do it this year. So I talked to God about it, and He just told me not to worry, that He's got everything under control. It just seemed like this is God's way of blessing me for obeying Him and granting the desire of my heart to serve Him. I accepted the offer, and starting on the 10th, I'll be a ygroup leader. Ma, Pa, this is a great opportunity that God blessed me with, and I really hope that I have both of your support. This means that I'll have to go to church earlier so I can attend the 8:30 service and then teach at 10:30. I don't want to bother either of you, so during Sundays, I'll commute going to Ortigas na lang.

So in part of wanting to be honest and the conviction that I had after camp, I wanted to tell you about this because I want to be a good example to the girls that I will be teaching and mentoring. I want to be a good witness and live a good testimony for God. I really hope that you both understand the foolishness that I did last year, and I'm really sorry for going behind your backs and disobeying you both.

I love you both.

Alyssa.