the daily difference





This is where I try to spend the first few minutes of my morning every work day (at least, when I'm in the country). That's the office chapel. Tell me, how many companies do you know have their own chapel? With a tabernacle and everything!

Before I become a prisoner of my cube, I try to spend a little time in conversation with God. It could be a quiet conversation or, when I'm certain that no one else is in the room, I actually talk to Him outloud. While I am confident that He always answers, I've never actually heard Him speak.

I have found that those few minutes spent in prayer have a significant impact on how I face the day, and in how I feel about the world. Whatever burden I come into that chapel with always seems a little more light by the time I leave. Once you've laid it down at the foot of a King, the day's problems don't seem so big anymore. Confidence is easy to come by when you know God's got your back.

Each morning on my knees, I pray for a great many things. Admittedly, most of my prayers fall into two categories: things I'd like Him to give me and things I'd like Him to either solve or change. Yes, I can be very selfish in my prayers. To be totally honest, I would have to say that my visits to the chapel have always been directly proportional to my life issues for the season.

Thankfully, God's love for me is constant. He loves me even if, as I pray, my mind starts to drift of to my to-do list.  He loves me even if my prayers sometimes start to sound like formula. He loves me even if I sometimes doubt that He does.

Which just makes me want to be a better daughter. Because, after all, isn't that how you respond to Love?

Unfortunately, when it comes to being a better daughter, I think I've got quite a ways to go...

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long distance friendships

The couple I love... and the couple I will miss terribly.
I promise to see you in Singapore soon and as often as I can!
(Mabuhay ang budget airlines!!! Mabuhay!!!)

I often tell people that friends are God's living love letters to me. I know how much God loves me because He has blessed me with incredibly wonderful friendships. Being somewhat aloof and often mistaken to be cold and masungit, I treasure the people who've broken through my walls and love me inspite of my moody, cranky ways.

That's why I'll miss J&J.

I have known them individually and known them as a couple. While it never occurred to me that they might end up together (come to think of it, I don't think that ever occurred to them, either), seeing them now I wonder how we could have missed it. They're a perfect fit. And no, I don't just mean in size... :P

I told you, perfect fit :)

But the best thing about J&J is that I have a great friendship with both. I met J1 in university, an acquaintance that has stretched into a friendship that I never imagined would last this long. J2 I met in church, where in His Divine Sense of Humor, He put me as her shepherd (well, co-shep, to be technically accurate) even when she is far, far, far ahead of me in that curve.

back in our single, OFW days

on a trip to Boracay

So to lose them both to Singapore was a blow felt twice over. Suddenly, there was a very big hole in my social circle. And again, I don't just mean in size... :P

We had the perfect set-up for Friday nights. J1 worked nights and J2 worked days. So on Fridays I would be J2's date and she would be mine. When J1 got off work, he'd join us, we'd hang out for a while, then I would go home and they have their quality time together. Everybody wins.

Losing them makes me feel like I've lost my Friday nights.

I loved the fact that none of us were fancy people. Our Friday dates were often just take out food enjoyed at their home and maybe an occassional movie. Often our entertainment was watching a few episodes of Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother in between loads of kwento. And if we wanted more fun, J1 brought out the board games. He had so many that I sometimes only got to play a game once. I'd sometimes feel disappointed whenever he'd dip into his board game bag (yes.. he had one) and bring out his latest find for Game Night. But that disappointment always gave way to boardgame fun. Some examples:

Evo: the game where even if you win, you die

Life: the game where entering into a long-distance relationship wins you 10,000 points

Castle: the game that required too much thinking

Who will bring us our board games now?

I know moving to Singapore is a wonderful opportunity for their careers and even their relationship as husband and wife. To want and wish for them to stay here would be incredibly selfish. But it's hard not to be when they've done such a wonderful job of making us love them. Sure J1 could be corny and sure J2 could be an over-achiever. But we loved that about them too.

Thankfully, real friendships can stand the test of time and distance. And what I have with J&J is a real friendship. So for now, I'll have to love them from a plane-distance away, with as much love as though they were still here.

See you soon J&J!

Til we travel together again

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