From a country with thousands of islands (7,107 to be exact). Stranger and pilgrim on Earth.
Bibliophile. Big believer of metaphorical resonances.
UPLB. NF. BSDC
So I stayed up til 1 AM today to start and finish Switched, the first book of best-selling author Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Series.
I am still withholding any judgment since I still haven’t read the entire trilogy, but so far, I judge this is a really good book since it kept me up all night. This book was published like WAY before 2010 and I have no idea why it took me a while to finally read this.
Finn is such a…er.. hot character really, but when I read a teaser where Loki’s in it, I’m falling for Loki too. LOL. I’m really expecting the disappointment when I reach the end of the trilogy since I already know who’ll Wendy end up with. And it bummed me.
I just love all the characters in the book. They’re ruining my life and my fictional crushes list is getting longer.
I need someone to let out my Trylle feels, my hair is disheveled right now which makes me more convinced like I’m a Trylle royalty. LOL. But I feel like I want to be more of a tracker, adventures and all. (My faction is Dauntless after all. And why am I involving Veronica Roth’s Divergent triloy here?)
Why am I so random?
Another part I loved about the book is when they mentioned THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY for like TWO TIMES. I spazzed. A random ringer spazzing over a book that mentioned LOTR. I was thinking of LOTR on the first parts of the book, coz there are like of terms I don’t understand so it felt a lot like LOTR. I was even wondering if Hocking will release a dictionary for some terms used in her book.like Tolkien. Hahaha
I am so excited to read “Torn” and “Ascend” and I think I will. Like, right now.
(Sorry medyo jeje yung pic. LOL)
As I was typing this, Parachute Band’s “Living Rain” rang in my head a couple of times. The lyrics“Come back, back to your first love, back to your first love… Back to the cross.”
(So to all the people who checked this post thinking that this post is about crushes or whatever.. sorry for “crushing” your expectation. hahaha)
This post is something more relevant than those kinds of stuff.
I’ve got to admit that recently, I’ve been out of focus. I ‘fangirled’…. a lot which I also have to admit that almost got me on the verge of idolatry. I got so focused on other stuff… Kpop… Jrock… Jpop… idols.. all those stuff that I lost my focus on the most important part of a person’s life.
At first, I was in deep denial of the separation I’m having. I always tell myself “No! God is still the focus of my life.” or “Jpop or Kpop is just a means of entertainment. I’m not idolizing them or anything.” and the fandoms and craziness just went on.
I was kinda hurt when an ‘ex-fangirl’ friend of mine told me, “You know what, you remind me so much when I was a fangirl… yung parang idolatry na.“
yung parang idolatry na… yung parang idolatry na… yung parang idolatry na…
I thought I STILL HAD EVERYTHING UNDER MY CONTROL.
BUT of course I was wrong. My spiritual life just went to the drain. I did not read my Bible anymore. I did not have time to pray anymore. I did not have my own, regular quiet time with my Savior. My life just completely changed.
BUT THERE’S ANOTHER THING THAT I AM COMPLETELY SURE OF. His love never changes. He loves me so much and He wants to have me back. (Ang galing talaga ni Lord) He continued to use people. His follow up never ceased. He proved me AGAIN for the nth time how He loves me soooo much.
April 20, 2013, I became a part of Youth Factor 6. I was one of those young people whom God touched. Anyways, one of the sessions was “Restoring your First love” (Pastor Clem Guillermo was the speaker) and I was….GRABEEEEEEE sobrang natamaan. Haha. The lecture just penetrated my heart too much that I came to this realization: I’m surrendering everything and going back to my First Love, Jesus.
I came to this realization of the things I did. I woke up to reality.
I came to the thought: I raise my hands every Sunday, I sing and use my voice during praise and worship, I teach on Bible studies… I was active on my ministry… but ALL of that was nothing. I was a mere representation of someone living behind a mask. I realized I just kept on doing those kinds of things just because I thought it was my responsibility. My passion turned cold because of the wrong choices I took.
Actually, just last year, I already told myself I’m quitting all my fandoms. I thought, “Ito na talaga.” But I was wrong. I just decided to quit because of a friend of mine who decided to quit that time. I did not have an encounter. I just had this tiny spark or let’s say “guilt” of what I was doing. That was not enough.
But that’s the GREAT thing about Jesus. HE WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU. When you fail Him, left Him… He will be standing in the very same place where you left Him and He will be there to accept you with open arms.
I cried my heart out… I just want to give my everything to Him. I’m not giving Him just a mere percentage of my life. I will give Him my 1000%. I was just so touched. I MISSED MY LORD SOOOOO MUCH that even after the conference already ended, I was crying by myself on the bus.
I told my Kpop and Jpop friends I was quitting and some of them told me to don’t quit. (Eh sino niloko ko nun? Haha). I stood firm on my decision.
I also noticed that A LOT of my Kpop friends grew cold on me already (Haha) but that’s the thing when you are in Jesus, He makes all the difference and lets me grow, move on and find new friends that I know will make me grow as a Christian. I’m grateful to all the people He uses, the people He introduces to me. They are my true companions.
No ONE can separate me from this love EVER again. I don’t care if I lose these people (my kpop cherva). But if they don’t believe in me, if they don’t accept me because of this relationship I have, I am willing to let them go. BUT GOSH! How I desire to reach out to them. HOW I WANT THEM TO EXPERIENCE AND FEEL THE WARMTH AND THE LOVE I HAVE.
Your 20% is not enough. Your 50% is not enough. Your 80% is not enough. You can’t say, “I surrender everything” and just continue to live in your previous life. HE WANTS YOUR EVERYTHING. And if you gave Him your all, don’t worry. You will NEVER be the same again.
I am so gladdddddddddddd. SO BLESSED. SO GRATEFUL. BEYOND HAPPY… WORDS ARE JUST INDESCRIBABLE to describe what I feel. I’m just glad I am in Jesus. I miss Him too much and He was still there where I left Him standing and waiting.
I just remembered this scratch. This was like my 6th essay written during my PUP enrollment procedure. (I guess they don’t like writing that much,huh?) I’m not that much of a writer and that was just a mere scratch paper or representation of my shambolic thoughts they want to be transferred to a piece of paper in 5 minutes.
I just remembered the vague, dark, awkward atmosphere that emanated from the room when I pulled-out my documents. The dean was like gawking at me. If looks could kill, I’d be dead.
It was really awkward coz the professor who interviewed me was also there and was staring while I was asking for my name to be removed from the list of freshies. Maybe he remembered I was like (during my interview), “I really want to take this course” or “Even if my heart screams and yearns for journalism, I am up for this challenge.” or “As long as this course involves and improves my love affair with words, I am willing to take it.”
LIES. LIES. LIES. Beguiled by my rosy “determination” for the course? LOLJK.
LOL. I just remembered the awkwardness. la la la I am so random.
What makes me cry is I REALLY want these books to be plastic covered already but my body is already succumbing to decrepitude… or I guess I’m just really lazy hahaha.
I still haven’t covered like 3/4 of these books and what you see in the picture is just a small portion of I hauled from my messy cabinet. There’s more in my parent’s main bookshelf AND most still don’t have plastic covers.
THE SCARCITY IN PLASTIC COVERS! BLOODY HELL!
So I posted a boring post about sticky notes and now, plastic covers? Seriously? Maybe I’ll post pens soon. LOL
Bear with me people. I love you all.
I felt like crying when I saw this. I remembered the days when I felt like I’m taking Him for granted or sometimes hide to my friends (mostly Kpop friends) that I’m a Christian. It’s like when I tell that to them, I’m gonna be left out or something.
But now that I’m back on track and people are sometimes making comments that I take this whole Christianity thing or “religion” seriously, THIS IS NOT RELIGION people. This is a relationship.
Jesus took me seriously and loved me dearly and I will do the same too.
THIS LOVE WILL NEVER FALTER. ♥
photo not mine
+ Absolutely - Starfield (Cover)
Shameless plugging.
Me and my church mate made this cover like AGES ago. Sorry if there are some out of tune stuff. Sorry for the low quality too. We only used my mp3.
We just really love the message of the song and we hope and claim that this love we have and feel to NEVER FALTER.
Me - Guitars and main melody | Church mate - Back-up vocals
Lyrics: (If you didn’t understand our mumbling— rather singing lol)
“Absolutely”
I want to tell you
Only you have all of me
I cannot contain my adoration
I’m in love so desperately
No one is as lovely as you are
There is no one else who has my heart
Jesus you have me completely
Every breath I breathe
I am absolutely in love
Jesus I am yours forever
All of me surrenders
I am absolutely in love with you
Down upon my knees
I’m lost in worship
Humbled by your majesty
What is there to say
But how I love you
Thank you for forgiving me
Reading Invisibility’s reviews. I recently heard that David Levithan, author of Everyday collaborated with NIghtshade’s author, Andrea Cremer. I wish I could find a pdf download for this. (So much for pledging to read the printed word? lol joke)
My gosh (MAGTATAGALOG NA AKO!) ANG MAHAL NIYA AH! HAHAHA I’ll be waiting for a paperback copy na lang hahaha. Hardbound’s available in Fully Booked for P760.00. Ermergherd. I want to buy the book but I already reserved my money to buy Marissa Meyer’s “Cinder” and “Scarlet” (Lunar Chronicles)
I’m not a big fan Cremer and I’ve only read Levithan’s Everyday + a handful of his other novels and short stories,but Invisibility perked my ears up. I was curious of the story and the romance. Unlike Everyday, I’m DEAD-RECKONING that there’ll be a background story on Stephen’s invisibility compared to A’s enigmatic character.
I realllllllllllllllllly want to read the book. Like, RIGHT THIS INSTANT. I can’t edit or put my words into rosy statements because my thoughts feel shambolic right now. This is how I feel when I’m paranoid to read something.
Read Goodreads’ plot:
Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth
———-
A magical romance between a boy cursed with invisibility and the one girl who can see him, by New York Times bestselling authors Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.
Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.
Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.
Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death
