His Presence and Not Answers

In the light of the tragedy that had happened, there are no words to describe the depth of how terrible, shocking, and heart-breaking the Aurora Colorado massacre was.  I refuse to act oblivious to it on this blog because it's been on my mind, and needless to say, constantly on the news.  One can't help but feel the reality of the sorrow for those who have passed and for their loved ones, and "to weep with those who weep."

Sometimes, we come to ask, "If God was real, why do bad things happen to good people?"  Despite of the beauty that we love to behold that I believe profess the reality and majesty of the Lord, we are also well aware that there are very horrible and twisted things in this world that cause us strife and suffering.  I know that terrible things are made or suggested by the devil, but as to why God allows them to happen, I don't always know the reason or have an explanation.  Similarly, why did God allow suffering in the life of his faithful servant Job or the ugly death of His Son Jesus?  Sometimes, although it is somewhat truthful to say that "all things happen for a reason," it is quite insensitive to even mention this in the freshness of the wounds.

Dr. Robert Peterson writes:

"When we encounter suffering, something inside us often cries out: "This is wrong! The world should not be like this! Children should not be abused, senior adults should not get Alzheimer's, missionaries should not be tortured!" Or on a more personal level, we might protest: "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?" Such instincts are valid because they recognize that this world is not the way it is supposed to be. We know this when we consider sin; we know to hate rape, murder, bigotry, and child abuse. We oppose sin and refuse to be at ease with it. In the same way, we are not to be comfortable with the reality of suffering (although we are to be at peace with God in the midst of it) and should do our best to alleviate it. Like sin, suffering is an intruder and cannot be welcomed as natural. The horror of suffering's intrusion points to the horror of sin, its fundamental source."

But although I, or anyone else, attempt at giving an answer to these questions, I don't think that the answers will suffice to comfort aching hearts.  Even God did not answer Job's questions.  In the end of their whirlwind discussion, Job came to the realization that it's only God's presence that would suffice to bring peace to his troubled heart and mind, not the answers.  "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes" (Job 42:5).

Even in the midst of suffering, I really see the reality and the presence of God.  I see Him in the nation that has come together to sympathize and support those who mourn, in communities that build each other up in love, and in the individual who comes to the understanding that hope remains and he can face tomorrow because God will be with him through it.

Text:

Scripture taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) from biblegateway.com. 

Images:

Stormy sea

Dandelion

Rainy Days and Clothes

We could afford to be silly, so my sister and I decided to hold a little fashion photo op.  Nothing fancy, but definitely warm/rainy weather wear and still cute.

...Well, at least to me!  :P

Blouse from Landmark Department Store (Philippines).

So, yeah, I am slouching.  But my shoes are cute.

What I like about this graphic tee is the red color
selection against the black and white.  Shirt from
Everblue, Skinny Jeans from Landmark Department
Store (Philippines), and Shoes from Nine West.

Real Life Sunday, ed. 12

Ok, you got to get yourselves ready because I'm about to flood you with food photos!  (Well, 3 photos- not really a flood... Heh!) :D  Let's hope you already ate so you don't end up licking your screen.

18 side dishes, I tell ya!  18!  O.o

You must see the view!

We got our burgers on.  My favorite is the Umami burger with its "sauce is
boss" (top right).

My partner in crime and I dared to go sans-make-up.  

The following are miscellaneous things:

Received my package in the mail.  Shoppingholics got one of my orders
wrong...  Received Brown EOS Adult Brown, rather than Grey.  I'm not
going to throw a hissyfit about it, especially since they treat me so well and
I pretty much love them to pieces.

Ominous, yet so beautiful, storm clouds rapidly coming in the horizon.  Gotta
love Guam's vast skies.  Thank You, God, I live here!

Red lips make girls feel so pretty.

Yellow

My blog is SO that right now!  And I love it!

Now, for your listening pleasures: "Yellow" by Coldplay- one of my faves and rave-about bands.

My Response

Now that the giveaway is done, I wanted to take some time to answer my own question.

THAT'S RIGHT, BABY!

My favorite character in The Hunger Games is Peeta Mellark ^___^  (And it's not only because of Josh Hutcherson, ok?)  As I've said to some of you, I do like Katniss, definitely- being the protagonist and a butt-kicking huntress at that, but reading the book, a special place has been left in my heart for Peeta Mellark for a great many number of reasons.  Here are the top five:

1. He is kind, honest, and pure at heart.  While Katniss baffles herself about what is the right thing to do, Peeta has always had a radar for simply doing the right thing.
2. He will always champion for Katniss.  (SPOILER ALERT!) That's why I cried myself to sleep when the Capitol twisted his mind.  Durn you, Capitol!
3. He is an artist.
4. And a buff and handsome blonde at that! :P
5. Finally, it never, ever, ever hurts that this boy can bake bread! 

And oh!  He also has some of the best weak-in-the-knees, butterflies-in-my-stomach lines in the book (and movie):

And the Pièce de résistance ! 

That's it!  I won't overkill it.  Actually, it's getting plenty cheesy even for me.  Heehee!  Now you know what a geek I am: getting so emotionally invested in a book and its characters.  Haha!  ^^;;

Anyway, I really did enjoy holding the giveaway and having the chance to communicate with some of my readers.  Thanks for that opportunity!  

As for now, good night! ^_______^

Image:

"Real Men Don't..."

"I'm more than..."

"If I win..."

Madness and My First Giveaway ^0^ WINNER!

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Congratulations to miarsi n. for winning my first giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please check your email!

Thank you all for taking the time to join!  And please stay tuned for my upcoming giveaways!  I hope you all the best of luck!

Real Life Sundays, ed. 11

Hmmmm...  I think I want to write a product review... someday!  Harharhar! :D  But I do have a few on my mental list: K-Palette One Day Tattoo (eyeliner), Danahan Ecopure BB Cream, Danahan Ecopure Cleansing Foam...

But want to know what I want to do for a while?  Chill~~~~  Hang out with good friends, do fun things, live what I love!

Anyway, I'm preparing for something great, great, GREAT!  But really busy!  I'll tell you all about it when I've done it.  I'm pretty excited!  わかわか！\(^0^)/

Moving on...  Some photos that I've collected over the weekend.  I've got myself some really awesome apps that I've been experimenting with.  TT^TT  I'm so happy with their coolness, I'm crying!  :P

Youth Rally with so many other churches on the island coming
together- it's energizing!

Mustache and glitters?  I think YES!

Attempted a top knot/bun (?)  not succeeding completely but
giant chiyo flower makes everything better.

I thought that this app was too cool!  ^_^
Nope, this is not my home-home, by the way.

Deconden is expensive. T_T The local craft store finally had
a shipment of rhinestones.  Now I just gotta find the time.

Who doesn't love the movie?  ^-^
So, I thought I gotta read the book.

A bigger one of this, because I'm cute
here.  XD Ha!  Oh, vanity... (-.-)

I read this quote quite a while back.  I made this layout but the
photo is not mine.  Audrey Hepburn is so beautiful and she says
wise things. ^____^

That's all for now!  Thanks for staying up with me in these wee hours of the night and keeping up with my oddness.  ^^;;  You guys are way cooler than the apps.  Hehehe!  :D

Oh!  And please don't forget to enter my giveaway!  Only 4 days left!

Good night!  

In the Darkness, In the Valley

I've had a difficult time writing these days...  But a thought has been simmering in my mind and heart for the past couple of weeks now.  As much as I'd like to have something decent to write about, let me just begin at where it started...

♥♥♥

A couple of weeks ago, only a day after my birthday and celebrating upcoming years of my life, I came so close to the presence of death- a presence which I haven't been with for quite awhile.

My friends asked me to come to the hospital for one of our coworkers who was admitted to the ICU the night prior and was revived twice.  However, when we arrived there, we were informed that visitors were not allowed inside.  My friends decided instead to visit another person who also happened to be in the hospital that day- their former co-reservist.  She had been battling cancer for the third time already.  I am not very eloquent about cancer but this time around, one of my friends told me, that she was losing the battle...

When we entered her room, we asked if we may pray for her, with her family.  And for the first time in a long time, I was next to a person who has become gravely ill, with her own body in desperate and rapid deterioration.  I could not help but cry as we were praying for her and as I touched her foot, feeling nervous for her fragile body.  Although my mind kept on playing stories about Jesus' ministry to the sick in the Bible, I honestly was not sure of what to pray for.  Should I pray for healing?  Or another chance at life on earth?  At the time, all I was really sure of was for God to grant comfort to her family in this time of aching grief and that she may receive the gift of eternal life that continues in heaven...  A couple of days later, she passed away...

♥♥♥

The talk of death can bring silence to a room and fear to the heart.  But if anything is certain, all of us have to "make that journey."  Yet, in this life, we also have to make that decision: to live and die in Christ or to not have lived at all, yet die after all.  

Nothing in this world can offer what Christ had offered on the cross.  We can not call on our wealth nor our achievements when we are at death's door.  Even our own bodies become stark contrasts to the health and vigor of our youth, merely becoming shells that betray us in the end.  

Oh!  But we can call on Jesus!  As Charles Spurgeon writes:

Trouble does not necessarily bring consolation with it to the believer, but the presence of the Son of God in the fiery furnace with him fills his heart with joy.  He is sick and suffering, but Jesus visits him and makes his bed for him.  He is dying, and the cold chilly waters of Jordan are gathering about him up to the neck, but Jesus puts His arms around him, and cries, "Fear not, beloved..."  As the departing saint wades through the stream, and the billows gather around him, and heart and flesh fail him, the same voice sounds in his ears, "Fear not; I am with thee; be not dismayed; I am thy God."  As he nears the borders of the infinite unknown, and is almost affrighted to enter the realm of shade, Jesus says, "Fear not, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom..."  Truly, the presence of Jesus is all the heaven we desire.  He is at once, "The glory of our brightest days; the comfort of our nights."*

God gave us the promise of victory in Christ Jesus.  Death is no longer a fearful thing because through His death, we are promised life- that even our once frail bodies will become new in His Spirit!

"O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Dear Mrs. D.,

I pray that you've found your wholeness and rest in Jesus Christ, and I hope to see you in heaven someday...

Text:

*Spurgeon, Charles.  Morning and Evening Daily Readings.  Logos iPhone app.

Scripture taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) from biblegateway.com. 

Image:

Valley

Sky

My Beauty Faves, ed. 1

Good morning, star shine!  The earth says, "Hello!" 

Haha!  That was cheesy, alright!  But it brings Johnny Depp to mind, so it's all good~

Anyway, how's everyone?  This will be the first edition of "My Beauty Faves," which means hopefully I find more!  With this post, I will feature some items that I have tried and come to love ♥♥♥   It's somewhat like a mini-review.  Think of it how you'd like; I just wanna get it out there so the photos I took will not go to waste.  Haha!  (^.~)v

MAC LipGlass in Pink Poodle
What I love about it?
The color, baby!  It's a lovely and fun magenta hue that adds
brightness to my look.  I also like the delicious vanilla scent.
The formula doesn't feel too sticky on my lips.  About its tenacity...
Gee...  I wouldn't really know since I eat and drink so much that
every lip color I've had simply disappears.  Well, it doesn't hurt to
reapply :)

Demi lashes
What I love about it?
I love how more subtle demi lashes are as compared to full lashes but can still
create a significant impact on my look.  So here I have a couple that I have
chopped from my lovely (not to mention expensive... T^T  huhuhu!) Dolly
Wink No. 4 Feminine Style.  (And I lost them immediately after taking this photo
because as I was cleaning up, I completely forgot about them...  Doubly
T^T huhuhu!)

These are my buys from my trip to Japan.  Their drugstore cosmetics are
of amazing quality and I'll feature some here.  I bought these from
Matsumoto KiYoshi- a large drugstore chain in Japan.

(Not my photo)

Rohto Lycee Eye Drops
What I love about it?
CUTE!  Yep, that's pretty much it.  I like my eye drops more intense.
But it's CUTE...  (And it was only about 5 bucks!)

Cezanne Four Color Lame Shadow palette in 01 Brown
What I love about it?
I love how smooth and lasting the color is; texture feels creamy
but finishes as powder.

Photo from Cezanne's official website.

Koji Spring Heart false eyelashes in 06 Elegant Long
What I love about it?
Natural-looking, flexible yet durable band, each lash hair tapers at the end,
and looks nice in photos.

There you go!  The products I'm wearing here (except
for the demi lashes).  Photo from the bunch I took that
one day I didn't feel so unmotivated.  :P

Images:

Matsumoto KiYoshi

Cezanne

Krezy Ket and...

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to share a few things in photos.  Since, I got an iPhone, I've been so psyched with taking photos of even pretty ordinary things, but the apps make 'em look so nice!  ^_____^  Makes me smile wide like a frog.  

The recent downpour has made a breeding ground in the
backyard for the toads.  Now, we've got a bunch of pollywogs!
Heehee!  This rabbit is freaking out but I think they are cute!
^-^  "Ruth, where in the world do you live?"  Where we can
grow substantial thousands of tadpoles. :P  Too bad, they died
now because the water was drained from their pool.  RIP.  You
lived a rich 2 days.

"Grrrrr!  I'll tear yer face off!"
Gen-Gen, be civil to company! Krezy ket!

Super excited for Hillsong on their new album.  Let it be heard!
Loud and proud!  To God be all the glory!
A lot of emphasis on the grace message, which I think we all
really need to hear.  ^_^

Apparently, The Hunger Games is not getting old in the house.
Effie-inspired nails on my sister's hands.  I am so inspired by
this awesomeness.  I will COPY!  \(^0^)/

Last but not least.
So thankful to read this.  I got it from one of my favorite
author's facebook page.  Paulo Coehlo, you teach me much.
*sigh*

On to the weekend!  I hope you have a good one!  Wanna catch The Amazing Spiderman, yes!  How about you?  ^_______^

Image:

The most important...

Real Life Sundays, ed. 10: Happy Birthday.... to Me!

It was my birthday a few days ago ^_^  It's great to celebrate with family and friends!

Another quiet summer morning, but I have to busy up to plan for a special event.  But that's after I post these photos.  Yay!  ^-^

♥♥♥

I really did not intend to gift myself, but I did not have a phone for a month... hehehe!

I finally surrendered to buying an iPhone after years of playing
hard-to-get.  My world opened to super cooooooool photo
apps!

Curly candles and delicious banana split cake.  Yay for frozen bananas!

♥ Paper lanterns.

♫My girls, my girls♫

Stationery junkie ^_________^

From my other Korean unni.  Will write a review someday~

Thanks for being so sweet, friends♡

Found this at the back of the fridge last night.  I forgot all
about it! Langue de chat (Lengua de gato in Spanish), literally
means "Cat's tongue. "Don't worry it's a delicate shortbread.
^_^  This one has custard filling. Ultimate yum! 

I feel happy being another year older as I look forward to the many great things I've yet to do and see and the lives of people I will be involved in.  I thank God for everyone and everything that He has blessed me with.  He is truly so faithful that I see His faithfulness being so tangible and real in every part of my life.

I also want to thank my readers for allowing me to be a part of their lives.  I keep on writing because of you!  ^___^

Just food for thought and a promise that will never fade:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28