I was tagged by a close friend of mine to do this challenge over at facebook. For day 1, I chose this specific verse because it is very special to me. During my first year as a graduate student, I had so many things on my mind. I was very confused as to whether I should really be pursuing my master's degree or a different degree at that. Then I took time to read a devotional, and so I came across this verse. That moment (and so many moments prior and after) marked one of the many simple encounters I had with God. It may have been three years since I started by graduate degree, but I believe that God has been keeping me company throughout. So now, despite the constant trials and hardships that life throws in my way (academically related or not), I just tell myself, "God's got my back. Kapit lang!"
These are my fondest Easter memories: during the Easter dawn mass, there would be a procession of the statues of Jesus and Mary (the time when Jesus was resurrected and showed himself to his mother) culminating with kids (4-11 years old, I guess) dressed up as angels and singing praises to mother Mary and Jesus onstage. I was part of the singing angels for three years (two consecutive year, then I stopped, then another year). Pics or it didn't happen? Well, too bad, the digicam wasn't yet accessible during those times, and during pictorials, I wouldn't be there because I didn't want to crowd with other kids (there are about 60 or so) onstage. Anyway, in my second year, I almost got the part of the soloist -- who would've thought, huh? -- angel, who also got to remove the black veil from Mary and replace it with a white one while singing Ang Puso Ko'y Nagpupuri (so, yes, I can still remember the lyrics of this song by heart). I got disappointed when I didn't (or maybe relieved, I dunno, my qualification in the first place came as a shock to me, too). And on my last year, I became part of the girls who danced during Gloria during the Easter vigil and the Easter dawn mass (I think nowadays, there's a separate group of dancers and angel-singers).
I guess that time wasn't the time for my solo yet. Maybe because I wanted it for my own popularity that time (popular with whom? I don't really know, either). Well, I got my solo, more or less, a decade later, and it wasn't for my own popularity, but for God's glory. I have mustered up my courage for that solo (yes, the thick skin of childhood apparently peeled off during adolescence or something) and with God's help, we pushed through -- but that's for another post. Anyway, Happy Easter!
This is the foundation of our faith: that Christ died to save us from our sins, and on the third day, He rose from the dead, and thus declared our salvation.
