 | "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" | Feb 24, 2007 |
Hey everyone! I'm Kirstin! But everyone calls me Teng! I am currently a college student majoring in Psychology. I am also a servant of God through Youth for Christ. In every way, in every day, in every moment, I KNOW I am blessed. :)
BTW, I am also into photography and I have another multiply account just for it. You might want to check it out sometime! I enjoy constructive comments. clickirstin.multiply.com
And if you have more time, visit www.upbatibot.com too! :D BTW, no matter how many social networking and blogging accounts I have, I always prefer to write in this Multiply account. It's where I wrote most of my stuff. And although a lot of people gave me journals for my birthday last month, I still prefer to type rather than write. Sorry friends. hehe. ;)
Had been quite busy these past few weeks. The disadvantages of joining a lot of organizations has set its toll on me. If the schedules aren't colliding, they're happening one after the other. There's the preparations needed for the YFC High School High party, FC practices and Batibot meetings. Plus, Cook Out is coming up and I'm part of the rampahan segment and Batibot is also covering it and looking ways to advertise the site. Of course, schoolwork is never out of the stress equation. HAHA!
Times like these where you just want to take a breather from it all. Good thing today was a holiday so I got the break that I needed. Watched Orange Days for the whole time I was at home while doing the laundry. It's a really funny and sweet japanese series about a deaf and witty girl named Sae who falls in love with Kai. Spent around 4 hours watching that since I woke up really late.
Later went to the movies with Phil. I practically forced him to treat me to watching "Inception" since he still owed me a birthday gift. [I know. I can be really demanding sometimes. haha!] He quickly got the whole movie [since he's used to complicated things like that. Him always playing video games and all. :P] while I'm still incubating it as we speak. HAHA! It was one of the best birthday gifts since I have always wanted to watch Inception. :))
Praise God for holidays and friends who treat you to movies! :D Whatta week! I was swamped with meetings, long exams, an awit to memorize and parties galore! I guess it all comes down to how you manage your time and how you see it not as a burden but as an experience. Here was a breakdown of my experiences this week.
Monday- Met up with my partner, Jeff to go to Tita Joy and Tito Edmund's place. It was my first time going there and it was so fun on the way. A side of Lacion I have never seen before. Plus Tito and Tita's workshop/home is so cool! Lots of interesting things. :D
Tuesday- It was my birthday! Practice for Lit 1 at around 12nn-1pm then went straight to Ayala after Fil. Psych because I had to meet up with Phil for photography and art lessons. Because he forced me to. haha! But then I also forced him to treat me to dinner at KFC. >:) After that when I went home, I was met with lots of blue paper flowers leading to my room then locked up inside by my own sister! When she opened the door again, there appeared my bestfriends and close friends with candles, balloons and messages! And I love them for that! I later found out that Phil was part of the plan too. HAHA! What a way to spend my 18th birthday!
Wednesday- Practice for Lit 1 again in the afternoon then meeting with Batibot later on. Went to Figaro then KFC. Thank you always to Daddy Ruffy for taking care of the food! It was embarrassing when they sang me a birthday song in KFC. HAHA! Crazy people. :P
Thursday- The dreaded long exam in Personality. It took me a while to finish it because I was caught up in one item, about the Sigmund Freud thing. GAH! Nvm about that. :)) Then it was off to practicing Lit 1 (again. and again. and again.)
Friday- Practice Lit 1 again in the afternoon break and then decided not to go to PE class today because I might be late for my own party. Good thing we didn't have classes for PE that day, as I found out from Debbie later on. Then it was my debut party! There were a few problems but all in all, I'd say it was a very wonderful experience. I've always wanted to have a debut. Not because I wanted the fancy-shmancy stuff but because I wanted the people I love to be gathered in one place and that's exactly what happened that night. I felt so blessed to have been able to be the person that I am because of these people. Plus, I received a lot of presents. HAHA! >:))
That was definitely not your average, typical ordinary week. Praise God for exams, speech choirs, meetings and 18 years of life! :D I think it's been forever since I regularly wrote something here. I used to love doing it back in high school but right now, in college I just never really got the time and was probably too lazy to write a post. But right now, I have a lot of free time in my hands. Or maybe I don't. I have a Literature 1 test tomorrow! Anyway, I just thought I'd take the time to go back to what I love doing best, and that is just writing what I feel and think. I find it's a good way to de-stress myself (if there is such a word). :)
So now, I'm a sophomore in college and the majors are just piling up. It makes me feel like a true psych major now. HAHA! I thought Psych 110 (Statistics) would be daunting and scary but it turns out, it isn't! Ms. G is very funny and smart and she has a lot of interesting stories to tell and who cannot love the 1 hour spent solving for mean, median, mode, SD, variance, coefficient of variance, skewness, etc.? We just love it. HAHA! Actually, I kinda do. No joke. Psych 150 (Personality) is also very interesting but we haven't discussed a lot of things yet. But it kinda gives us a better perspective of why people are the way they are and that in turn yields tolerance and understanding. Psych 108 (Filipino Psych) is an eye-opener; making us appreciate the true Filipino experience. Plus with Sir Mike as your teacher, who wouldn't enjoy that class?
This year I also tried my hand in Football for PE and later joined the UPFC (UP Football Club). Why my friends and I joined FC was kind of an accident since we were just planning to practice for our PE but then the team held auditions that day. Everyone in the team is cool and fun to be with. I wonder where we'll have our acquaintance party (although we kind of know each other already).
Aside from busying myself with football, I also joined another organization (at least I think it's an org. It's not officially recognized by the student council. :D) and it's called UP Batibot. Batibot is actually a "tambayan" in our school whose name we used to refer to an online community that shows the "fun side of UP Cebu" in the words of Kuya Paolo. Why I joined it? Well, my friend Clang2 told me that the group needed a photographer, lo and behold! she referred me to the group. I also agreed with no expectations in mind since I thought Gabriel needed to go out for sunlight once in a while. After just a few weeks of Friday meetings, I immediately became close to some of them (some of them referring to the people I always see during Friday meetings). They're a cool bunch of people in a way I never thought of. Looking forward to more fun with them. =D
And of course, I'm still very active in my YFC duties. I have a new mission partner now and high school based is slowly coming back from the dead. That means meetings and assemblies here and there. Hurrah for new beginnings and renewed programs!
That is basically my college life right now in a nutshell. I kind of like being occupied with a lot of things. Maybe that's just me. ;)
Oh and I just turned 18 this week! How's that to end this post? HAHA! XD  | Soulmate | May 16, '10 12:39 AM
for everyone |
My future soulmate would HAVE to be, first and foremost, someone who loves God more then he loves me.
He would have to be someone who loves his family and is super great with kids.
He would have to have a decent set of friends, friends who do not influence him and others to do bad things. We all know the popular saying, "tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are."
He'd have to be responsible in all his duties as a Christian, as a son, as a citizen, etc.
If he knows he's done something wrong, he would not be afraid to apologize and if he knows he is right, he would not be afraid to say that he is.
He would be humble in his achievements.
He would have to be passionate about something, a form of art, a musical instrument, a certain sport. Anything in particular so as long as he knows at the end of the day what is truly important.
He would have to be very creative with dates and he would be romantic without being cliche'.
He does not have to have a great singing voice but I would appreciate it if he sang something for me. Even if it was off-key.
He does not have to be very smart but he would have to be hardworking in his academics.
Of course, he would have to have a sense of humour.
He has to be outgoing but would know when to be quiet when the ocassion calls for it.
And when he is quiet, it would not be akward. We would be comfortable with each other's silence.
But we would also be able to talk for hours on end about anything and everything in particular. I would not be afraid to tell him anything for I know he would not judge me right away.
If he knows I have done something wrong, he would not be afraid to tell me what it is.
He would be honest with his feelings and with every other thing. And would not be afraid to speak his mind.
He would have to be someone who loves to read books that are substantial.
He would have to be someone who has a BIG appetite. To complement my small apetite. :)
He would be sensitive to the needs of others.
He would be the right amount of cheezy. :P
He and I would have to look at the future together.
He would not force me to do something I would not want to do.
He would love like he's loved no one before and I would do the same to him.
But most of all, we would love our God together as a couple. Never, even for an instant, would we be selfish enough to think about ourselves but rather our relationhsip should glorify God.
I remember that moment a few years back, I was a fresh graduate from the youth camp, full of energy and enthusiasm. It was the time when I decided that I wanted to become a full-time missionary worker for YFC. It was because I was so inspired by the full-time workers that I have met in my short time as a YFC member. They seem so fulfilled and happy. I said to myself, "I can definitely see myself doing this for the longest time." How naive I was to think that it was as easy as that.
Flash forward a few years later. I was a leader in the community, serving Science High YFC. Here, the trials of being a leader first tested me. But by the grace of God, everything worked out well. Even though I had shortcomings as a leader, I knew that God has touched the lives of these young people. I was affirmed by this thought when they finally organized their own youth camp a year later.
Then recently, I was able to take part in the Cebu Missionaries' Training. It was, after all, a stepping stone into becoming a full-time worker later on. I was so excited, my dreams of becoming a FTW were becoming more tangible. But reality hit me and I knew that being a missionary isn't all about the glitz and the glamour. It was about persevering and pushing through serving God despite the many hardships and disappointments that may come along. There will be heartache, there will be pain, there will be suffering. A missionary needs to have a strong heart, a strong spirit and a strong body to be able to run the race for the Lord. I knew these things I have yet to have and I knew I had a long way to go. It was a good thing that as young as I was now, I have decided to dedicate my life to God, but enthusiasm could only go so far. I know that once the euphoria feeling of serving has passed, it would not be as easy to always say "Yes" to His call. But by His grace, I know His will will be done in my life.
Right now, I'm still praying for my decision to be a full-time worker. Hopefully, it would be what God wants me to do in life rather than what I think I would want to do in life.
For all these, may God be praised! :D |  | Grab away! Forgive the unrotated pics. :) |
So this saturday was also a blessing in so many ways. First and foremost was the blessing of food! Praise God that today, there was never a moment that I was hungry. I have the organizers of the Women's One Stop Shop to thank for that. We were helping them out giving medical, dental, legal, psychological and many more types of help to women and children. Truth be told, I didn't expect the activity to be so fun! I met new friends who were my "karamay" in getting free food, Ate Marivic and Diane! HAHA! It was a pleasure giving information when needed. Later, I went for awhile to McDo Escario with Barbette, Macky and Hayley only to find out that I had to go to another McDo branch (Mandaue) to meet up with Mommy Mishy. So I went from one McDo to another. HAHA! After that we went to the North Area recollection, caught up with old friends from the North Area. Although Mommy and I didn't get to finish the talk because of curfew, we did get the gist of what Tito was saying. Plus a few plans here and there for Highschool. Highschool is on the move! Watch out! :)
Today was a day full of blessings and because of that I have decided to write them down. As far as I can remember. Note: Pictures are only from the internet. But I wanted you to get an idea. HAHA!
First was the blessing of food:
1. Onion and Chives flavor Sky Flakes for Breakfast
2. Chocolate Soya Milk (Freebies from the NSTP activity we attended c/o being dragged by Ate Marivic)
3. Virgina Meat Loaf (Free Samples! HAHA!)
4. Colette's Buko Pie (YUUUUUM! When I ate it, it was still fresh and warm! ^___^)
5. Pancit and Pork Curry for Lunch. Busoooog!
6. Egg Bread c/o John getting for me even if we didn't know if it really was for us. HAHA!
7. Green Apple Sprite Float
8. Chicken Fillet with Coke
9. Pastels from Camiguin c/o Mommy
10. Toblerone c/o Mommy again! HAHA!
11. Lastly, munchkin/brownies from Happy Haus Donuts c/o Jeff. I thought they were Mr. Donuts! Only to find out that they weren't when I checked the plastic. HAHA!
Next was the blessing of friends old and new. I don't have pictures of all of them but I just wanted them to be recognized. :) 1. Ate Marivic and Diane my Information Corner buddies and karamay for getting free food. HAHA! 2. Crazy Psych friends esp. Macky, Barbette and Hayley for the short McDo break 3. Mommy Mishy for the continuous dinner/snack/lunch/whatever dates. :) 4. North Area peeps esp. North 1 and North 2 friends (na masaag panagsa sa North 1. :P) 5. My partner, Magdowg, for attending the activity ganina. Parts! HAHA! :)) 6. Wendi, the new HSPV for CIC Mandaue. Glad to have you on board, kiddo. =)
One blessing that does not belong to the category is: Finished reading "Life of Pi". It was an enjoyable book full of lessons about love, fear, and God, amongst others. Can't wait to read "Time Traveler's Wife"!
Now, I want to watch a movie too! "Last Song", "Alice in Wonderland", "Dear John".
Life is beautiful. It always is. All you have to do is appreciate it. :D
AMDG! ^^, ALMOST summer time! HAHA!
The summer heat is here but it doesn't officially start until late March. BOO!
Not that I soooo want to end my first year as a Psychology student, I just want to be able to sit around, read a book, and maybe get a summer job as well. :)
So far, I'm actually enjoying college life and I guess, this time being almost the end of the school year, I could say that my first year was a success. I've been a College Scholar, I've met crazy college friends, and I've learned a lot! I know it sounds cliche' but it's true. I knew I was right when back in high school I said that college would be way more interesting than high school, in terms of lessons (because we all know that nothing beats the high school experience). I enjoy listening to my Psychology 101 teacher (because that's the only major we have so far). I guess Psychology really is the course for me! I can't wait to take up Personality next semester!
I'm also glad that despite the fact that we all go to different schools now, my friends and I still get together every once in a while. It's like we never left high school. Almost. :)
So back to being excited for summer. Here are a few things that I'm looking forward to for Summer 2010: - ILC Baguio. Woohooo! Can't wait to feel the coldness of Baguio! :D
- Going to Bohol with my best friends. I've never been there. I know I'm such a loser. HAHA!
- Summer job at a coffee shop. What's the use of all those days of no classes if you won't have the money to splurge? Plus, if I had to work, then it might as well be around something I love. :))
- Reading a lot of books I've been meaning to read.
- Watching a lot of movies and TV shows that I've been meaning to watch (Percy Jackson, Alice in Wonderland, Dear John, Gossip Girl, Glee, How I met your Mother, House, etc.)
- Summer YFC Activities. Think Youth Camps, Kasanggas, Discovery Camps and Conferences.
- Work on North 1 High School. I've been meaning to ever since I became the program head. Now, no more excuses. For God's glory.
- Writing. I don't know what about but I guess I'll know when it happens.
- Holy Week at Argao. Hopefully get to stay at the house my Lola built. :)
- Photography Opportunities. With all the places I'm going to go, I know I'll have chances to polish my photographic skills.
- Fun times with family and friends. Nothing beats that. Wherever, whenever, as long as it's with them.
- This includes overnights and beach outings. HAHA!
- Summer love. Summer love? HAHA! Not really. Just an option. :P
Summer, summer! Make haste! I've been waiting for you for ages! =O
| 030510 | Mar 5, '10 10:01 AM
for everyone |
It's been forever since I regularly blogged. And since I'm free right now, I decided to blog again. :)
Well, my life recently has been... well... a roller coaster, if I may say so myself.
In a nutshell, you could say I have fallen in love again, and well, like the many times, this one wasn't a very happy love story.
What frustrates me the most about this story is that just when I decided to be happy about the fact that I had no love life yet, this guy comes along. Well, when it first started I really just thought we were friends, and we were, in fact, friends to begin with. And then, my woman instincts got the best of me, I overlooked everything he did as something romantic or sweet. After that, we all know where this is going. I ended up being disappointed and hurt. Cried my heart out and well, I guess I came to a point where I decided that enough was enough. If he didn't like me, that was his loss. I started to become bitter and angry at first but then I realized that this was not the way to go. I still wanted to be his friend because he did see me as one and I guess it wouldn't hurt if I saw him as a friend too.
So right now, we're friends. I'm trying to move past this episode in my life and be ready to be excited again for the plans that God has for me. Maybe he is the guy, maybe he's not. We'll never know. My heart still hurts especially when he talks about the girl he likes, but I'm trying to get by, day by day.
I guess there is a lesson in all of this. I do not understand it yet, as of the moment but I know God always has His ways of making us see things in a different light.
Although my heart is torn, I will praise God in this storm. :) So a few hours ago I gave a talk at a Love Forum organized by the YFC CDU campus-based people.
My talk was about being a Princess of the King of Kings and what being a Princess implies.
Talking about that reminded me of what I learned a few years back at the Femme Conference.
I believe God called me to give that particular talk not only to the YFC of CDU but to myself as well. I needed the reminder that I am God's beloved, I am part of a great adventure and I am beautiful because God made me beautiful.
While giving that talk I felt loved and I knew that I was.
To top it off, my friend Sharlene tagged me in a photo that said, "If you think Mona Lisa is stunning, take a look at my masterpiece... in the mirror." -God
Praises to the King of Kings whose plans are always for the best of His beloved Princesses. :)
Forever loved, forever part of a great adventure, forever beautiful in His eyes. | | Sorry the pics took too long to post. hehe. Multiply nlang judd nako gibutang. :) |
| | Lotsa cute kiddies in suits and dresses. :)
rare sight: seeing ate may and bestfriend lynlyn in dresses. :D |
So last weekend, I went to the 4th YFC Science High Youth Camp. And one thing's for sure, I feel God working in every one of those people that we left behind to continue what we did the year before that and that is to let Saihayistas know more about Christ; to encourage them to be Scholars for Christ. Special mention to Nikki Petralba, Marnon Abudiente, Justein Redoble, Kay Sarcol and the rest of the service team who have spent so much time, effort and prayers into making last weekend's youth camp a success. Because of that, they have been able to bring 48 more Saihayistas to live a life filled with the love of Christ. It was such a humbling experience knowing that even if I had many shortcomings as a leader before, God was still able to work in these people and by His grace they have come to mature spiritually. The legacy of YFC Science High continues. Praise God! :) I have been meaning to blog recently. It's been almost a year since I did on a regular basis. I might be getting back to it. Not sure though. But what really inspired me to blog today was reading Jared's recent blog (you can read it here) and a really inspiring message from "what God wants you to know" it's not really like fortune telling or horoscope or something but I enjoy reading it because it's just what I need sometimes. It said: "Today, you should celebrate what an unbelievable life you have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make you stronger. Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can a life be perfected without trials. Take a time to acknowledge your life and to praise yourself."
And what better way to celebrate then to do what I enjoy doing best? Writing! And yes, blessings have been coming my way a lot; sometimes in the form of hardships but still I am grateful. Here are a few of God's countless blessings to me recently: 1. I have been a college scholar (CS) here in UP (That's almost like being a Dean's Lister in most schools, but UP doesn't have those). I got a GWA of 1.75 and at first I thought it wasn't much until my friend told me that the GWA of a CS is 1.75. Imagine my enthusiasm and joy upon hearing that! The first thing I thought was, "Praise GOD! He really does reward those who are faithful to Him". Everything I am is because of my God. I just hope I could continue this until I graduate. :)  2. I have gotten back to my photography which was put on hold since Gabriel was in a coma. I got to photograph really great scenes in GK Budlaan and in Argao. Photography really makes me appreciate more God's gifts to me. Especially when you get that perfect angle, perfect lighting and you take that shot, well, it's just exhilarating! Everyone should try it sometime. 3. Last Thursday, I just realized that I attended the wrong Soc Sci 2 class fo r a week! I still cannot believe my "tanga"-ness, if ever there is such a word. Well, apparently I went to the wrong room which was suppose to be just across the hall. HAHAHA! Well, it's a long story. Cried quite a few times but I hope it will end well. My real teac her is really good at what she does. She just scares me sometimes. hehe.  4. I was able to be part of the C2 Campus Based Youth Camp last weeke nd and well, all I could say was, being with other people who are blessed by God and who do everything they can to bring God to others is really inspiring. Add a ton of corny jokes to that, well it just makes it so much better. :) It just goes to show that God's blessings can be s een not only in our surroundings but in the people around us. It is through these people that God's Kingdom comes t o the youth. They truly are laborers of the Harvest.  5. Last Sunday, I was also blessed to be photographing the GK Bayani Assembly in USC-Main. And in the words of Kris Aquino, "nakakataba ng puso". It's great to know that there are still people out there who really want to make a difference and are really making a difference in trying to change the mindset of the hopeless Filipino to a hopeful Filipino who does anything he possibly can to bring out the best in our country. We all have that capability to change our country. All we have to do is finish it. 6. Lastly, I still smile when I think of how I thought my dream wa s just far too crazy and wouldn't happen anytime soon. Last RYC, I vowed to myself that someday, I would also be a stage director in one of the YFC activities. I didn't expect it to happen anytime soon, but our God is truly an awesome and loving God that He sometimes fulfills our crazy dreams no matter how impossible or far off we think it might be. It's true when Jesus said, "Ask and you shall receive".  My mind, my soul and my heart still cannot fully comprehend the great blessings that I have received for all the years of my life. Maybe it never will. But I rest in the fact that my God continues to love, continues to bless and continues to be with us, even if we sometimes do not deserve it. You might ask why. I may never know the answer myself. It is something that we can never fully understand. That's why He's God and we're not. :) | | Corny Jokes galore! Met some new friends. Praise God!
Some photos were not taken by me. :) |
| | Posted by Request of Ate May. :)
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| | After going to Lawis beach, it was off to the usual stops we go to in most of our visits in Argao, went to Lolo Dodong's house, walked to Lola Densya's house passing by the St. Michael the Archangel Church. FOOD! and birdwatching at dusk. :) |
| | The title speaks for itself. :D |
| | Ann2, Kim2 and Lee's golden retriever. HAHA! lingaw man kau picturan. :) |
| | Went to Argao for All Soul's Day. Had a picnic with the family. Photoshoot with cousins... and Zero of course [refer to next album. haha]
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 | feel free to leave a comment... :D | |
 | Lyza... sip2x ni God!!! hahahahaha |
 | hehe. :) idol nako si God tungod sa imong talent. choooy. :)) |
 | Ay oops. Haha. Na 'e' man hinuon lols.
Hehe hi sad. Kamusta na imong life? La lng. Kapoy na keo 4th yr life oy. Dghag buhatunon. Tsk tsk. |
| Hi Kirsten. Haha la lng. Decided to leave a comment on your guestbook. For a change ba. Hehe. :) |
 | super welcome! mu adtoh ka ayc sportspraise???kinsa scihi mu adtoh?! |
| happy birthday tenggg! words wont be enough to express how happy i am to have you! i know you'd do great because you greatly trust on one Great God! mwah! keep the fire! ^_^ |
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halej wrote on Jun 25, '09 ako sad bhe2x..hehhe
mzta man imo skul buh?hehe
ako kai bz nmn always oie!!hehhe pero mada ra man ug smyl |
| halu dai... hehehehe... amping pirmi!!!! Godblesss!!!!! |
 | teng, have you read about the breathing space thing, the subject blah, and that every picture has its own story and the so called timing? hehe naka-reasearch sad ko sa net about the website you shared but i haven't read a thing yet. :)) hehehe the terms i told you were the ones i learned before nga wa nagamit. hehe if ever you know about stuff, pwede sad ko nimu chikahan. id be glad to know more about the articles. :)) |
 | daghang salamat! =)
thanks for visiting my site...
hey nice captures! =) |
 | Hehe. Sayang you can't go! Hehe. Okay ra.:D Hehe. |
| Hmm. Sige, I'll go text Ate Euka about it. Makigdungan rako with Ate Maia in going there. :) |
| Yeah. I'm going. Daghan man mi mangadto!:) Hehe. I think. Aha diay ka karun ate Khurst? |
| Hey Ate Khurst!! Ui, when ang monthly worship? Tomorrow? April 30, 2009? Weeee! |
| Whooot. Are you online right now Ate Khurst? |
| Ate Teng!:) Thanks so much. :) |
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