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it's your birthday jc pictures

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Something interesting happened to me today.

I was supposed to buy gifts for the upcoming Christmas party when I saw Gail and Denise at Vega. Protocols: greet, konting chika, etcetera. Then from nowhere, Les and Bullet came. I don’t even know if they were with each other when we saw them. Les said that he was set to buy gifts as well, and I jokingly told him that we go together, as I was also set to do the same. He agreed to that, but Gail said he wanted to eat. So we told him that we would go with him and eat if he would go with us shopping.

The result: ultimate bonding experience with Gail, Les and Bullet.

It was uber fun for me, as I am not used to spontaneity, especially when it comes to spending time with people. I am friends with only a handful of people in church, so walking along Lopez Avenue with three men who are not my “close” friends was something new to me. I was able to find a couple of gifts, while the guys had fun tailing on me and playing/talking (Les was able to buy gifts as well).

I felt how different I am now from how I was before when I was still a student.  They are carefree, bright and fun to be with. I am not. Our dinner conversation that lasted for around two hours taught me much more than what a preaching could do. It would be too long if I would enumerate everything I’ve learned from dressing up (yes, from guys) to academics to discipleship.

I am thankful that I did not manhandle God’s plan for me that day. On to the next day! :)

Currently Reading In the Meantime: The Practice of Proactive Waiting By Rob Brendle see related

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For six years, our barkada has been going to orphanages, homes for the aged and less fortunate families every Christmas. This started in 2002, when during our idle time in our tambayan McDo, one of us (can’t remember who) suggested doing our barkada Christmas party differently. The idea materialized, and the result was: It’s Your Birthday JC! (the name we got from a birthday tarp in McDo which says “it’s your birthday at mc donald’s, so thumbs up for (name of celebrant)…” I forgot the rest of the song.

Anyway, I’m sure everyone would agree when I say that I can’t believe that it’s already our 6^th year. It’s always a new experience every year, there are always new realizations, and the pictures say a lot about how we change as individuals and as a barkada. My best friend Tin said to me, “ang gaan ng its your birthday ngayon no…” And I thought, “Ya it is.”

That made me think about how we have been doing this activity. In our first year, we cooked rice, chicken, soup, gravy, mashed potato. We bought gifts from the market. We went to two orphanages in one day. We finished beat but happy. This year, we spent Saturday in Canlubang, after which we went to ATC, then on Sunday, we spent time with the kids in the orphanage which we also visited last year. And then we went for mushroom burger, coffee, and a movie.

“Are we not doing our best in this?” I thought. We were so used to greeting and leaving the kids in the orphanage already. We want to be touched and we want to feel God’s love more in the next years. We could certainly do more, give more. We are planning to take this activity to another level (Uno and Eyna are yet to call for a meeting) because we are able to. It’s all about the love that God continues to give us that it becomes innate and but normal to work for such a cause. It’s the least that we can do to share the love. Change happens through this.

Sama ka. :)

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