Red and Black.

Some snippets of "Red and Black" that totally capture my thoughts:

"The time is near, so near it's stirring the blood in (my) veins."

"A ghost you say, a ghost maybe
(He) was just like a ghost to me.
One minute there, and (he) was gone."

"Red, a world about to dawn.
Black, the night that ends at last."

"Had you seen (him) today, you might know how it feels
To be struck to the bone in a moment of breathless delight.
Had you been there, you might also have known
How the world may be changed in just one burst of light,
And what was right seems wrong, and what was wrong seems right."

"Red, I feel my soul on fire.
Black, my world if (he)'s not there.
Red, the color of desire.
Black, the color of despair."

"But now there is a higher call. Who cares about (my) lonely soul?
We strive towards a greater goal.
Our little lives don't count at all."

A mirror.

"People think a soulmate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soulmate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person that brings you to your attention so you can change your life. A true soulmate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. A soulmate's purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so out of control that you have to transform your life."

-- Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Eloquently said, and true in so many levels.

An outpour of blessings.

Sometimes, we become blessings to people even without our knowledge.

A few days ago, I was told by someone that I am a blessing. Wow. Big words. That made my day big time. However, I could not possibly fathom how I became a blessing, given that I am as wretched and empty myself.

This is a big deal for me, for being somebody's blessing is a blessing in itself! This is how the grace of God works -- it blesses the giver as well as the receiver. God's love so radiates in His people that this blessing multiplies a hundredfold, and multiplies some more...

For God's goodness illuminates all heaven and earth; it is impossible to shun this light. Therefore, we carry in us a ray of this light, no matter how little and unworthy we think of ourselves.

Thus, being a blessing to someone humbles me to the core. I go to work and do my daily activities, with nothing so extraordinary, and yet, within this ordinariness, God is able to draw out the extraordinary. He is able to touch people by my presence, but I am not to be credited for that at all. This is all God's work! All inspiration comes from Him. And I am merely the instrument.

Truly, when we open our eyes to all God's blessings, we realize that it literally everywhere. When we open our eyes to seek God's face, we will find Him so abundantly, even in the most unexpected people in our lives.

___________________

PS. Little does he know that he is the blessing to me. He thinks I have blessed him,  but there is another side of the coin he doesn't see -- that I am the one who is blessed a hundredfold by him. :)

Where we land.

Tell me your secrets,
give me a friend.
Let all the good times flood in.
Do I love you?
Do I hate you?
I can’t make up my mind.
So let’s freefall
and see where we land. 

(Ed Sheeran, Where We Land)

Predation in the valley.

In the vast world, there is a valley which one must avoid. The moment one gets drawn into this valley, or rather, dragged hard into this abyss, the first thing he ought to so do is to get out of it immediately.

This valley is home to both the predators and preys of the world. The predators, with their resounding pride and prowess, roam around the valley like it is theirs. They know the valley's beaten paths as well as its smooth roads; they know every inch of its vastness, probably due to their lengthy, overdue stay. With one look, they can discern the preys from their fellow predators. They are the knowledgeable ones, the experts, the sagacious players.

Then there are the preys, the newcomers in the valley. They have come from places of different sorts, and, seeing the greenest pastures in this mysterious valley, wished to have a glimpse of what's inside. They eagerly found their way in, for the road is easy and very enticing. But alas! In their arrival, they begin to get lost. They wonder: Why is the inside quite different from what they expected? How did their high hopes about the valley lead to disappointments? They are prey to the predators' sharp canine.

Both the predator and prey roam around the valley, though they walk in different paces -- the predators swift and sharp, the preys careful and shaky. Soon the predators would cross paths with the preys, and thus marks the beginning of a harrowing journey these poor preys have to go through.

This valley bears witness to a vicious cycle of predation in this land. There is continous bloodshed, with the preys bleeding to death for the predators' sake. The preys are sacrificial lambs, nourishment to the predators as well as to the unmerciful soil.

This is the reality about life in this valley -- it corrupts the innocent in order to satisfy the masters. And yet, almost magically, the preys choose to remain. What is with this valley, that the preys altruistically stay, even at the expense of themselves? I wonder.

And I wonder hard about this because hard as it is to admit, I think I might be the mentioned prey.

Sun and moon.

As the sun continually chases the moon,
so do I continually chase after you.

And as the moon continually flees from the sun,
so do you continually flee from me.

On sunrise and happy mornings.

I am not a morning person. Most days, I consider getting out of bed one of the toughtest things to do.

But in the province, I had no choice but to wake up early, since everyone gets up early too. And then I thought to myself, how I wish I were a morning person. Because the sunrise is... simply amazing.

Mornings are beautiful. It's as if in the cool breeze mixed by the sun's heat, God's voice resounds.

Top: Sunrise by lola's bedroom (Agkawayan, Occidental Mindoro)
Bottom: Sunrise by the boat (Calatagan, Batangas)

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the Lord be praised. Psalm 113:3