On a fine Sunday night, as I was listening to a sermon about forgiveness, I was thinking about her again. The Lord is telling me to approach her and tell her that I'm sorry and that I apologize for all the pain I caused her. I was having a battle in my mind, someone from behind patted me on my shoulder and said...

..?: Hey, you shouldn't hesitate in asking for forgiveness. You don't have to be bashful. God didn't hesitated in forgiving you. You should not have any second thoughts, too.

Me: Excuse me, sir? But, do I know you?

Martin Luther King Jr. : I am Martin, Martin King Jr. I was here because I discerned the trouble that is in your heart.

Me: O-oh. Sir King. Hello. I am very honored to talk to you. For someone so great like you--.

Sir King: No one is greater than He who is in us, dear. So, what is the real score between you and your friend?

Me: I honestly don't know, sir.

Sir King: I know you know what happened to me and my fellow African-American people, right? We were discriminated because of our color and our race. I was assassinated during my speech.

Me: I know that,sir. We studied your biography in school.

Sir. King: I made a legacy. And that legacy remained in the heart of every African.

Me: How did you feel when you were shot? Did you feel anger? Hate?

Sir King: Of course I felt the pain because of the bullet. In my mind I was thinking of revenge. But I remembered the grace of God. How he forgave all sinners. So I forgave them. Because nothing will happen if I become angry to them. And it is said in the bible that love you enemies.

Me: It's just that it's hard. And she started the fight, so I think that it will be unfair if I approach her first.

Sir King: Maybe she is just shy. It is also said in the bible that love each other and in that way you will be known as God's children. So you should initiate. It is not for her, it is for you.

Me: Thank you sir for telling me these things. I was blinded by my anger.

Sir King: You're welcome my dear. I must go now. I am done here. Goodbye my dear. Remember to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Me: Yes sir. I will never forget that.

               Doctors? Engineers? Scientists? Architects? Behind all of this people is a person that they can never forget. Behind all successful person is a teacher that tried to shape and mold them into a better person.  A teacher that sleeps late just to finish her lesson plan. A teacher that wakes up early just to open the classroom door and to make sure everything is okay when her students get inside.  A teacher who tries her best just to make sure that every student understands the lesson. A teacher that acts as our second mother. And I thank all the teachers around the world that never gives up in teaching. Thank you for all the effort and sacrifices that you make just to make sure that we understand every lesson. 

     Teachers are very important in our life. They are part of our life. We should acknowledge them whenever we grow up. If we become successful, we must never for get them. Because they were once our mentor in life. and we shouldn't forget every lesson we learned from them. 

          Tree planting is very important. Specially nowadays where our Mother Earth is slowly getting dirty and polluted. Watch this video and support the Tree Planting Advocacy.

PLOT: Saul's Disobedience

INTRODUCTION: Saul was anointed by God to be the king of Israel. He was a good and just king. Until one day, Saul was commanded to take revenge in Amalec.

RISING ACTION: When Samuel, the prophet, told Saul about God's command, Saul eagerly summoned his soldiers and they went to Amalec. He killed all the Amalecitas except the king. He kept the valuable things and all the animals that can be used.

CLIMAX: God was angry at Saul for what he had done. So God told Samuel that Saul was disobedient and he is not worthy to be king of Israel. For God said to kill everyone including the king, but Saul was disobedient.

FALLING ACTION: When Samuel was about to tell Saul that he can no longer be king, he found out that Saul made a statue of himself for what he has done. Samuel told Saul that he become too proud and that the Lord is not happy with it. Saul kept on denying what he has done but later on Saul repented. But he can no longer be king of Israel.

SUMMARY: Saul was anointed by God. For he was humble and kind. He is just and the rightful king of Israel. Until he failed to do the task God has given him. God wanted Saul to kill everyone in Amalec. Saul followed God, but not all of the task. He kept the king and cut off the king's head. God was angry at Saul for what he had done. So God told Samuel that Saul was disobedient and he is not worthy to be king of Israel. For God said to kill everyone including the king, but Saul was disobedient.When Samuel was about to tell Saul that he can no longer be king, he found out that Saul made a statue of himself for what he has done. Samuel told Saul that he become too proud and that the Lord is not happy with it. Saul kept on denying what he has done but later on Saul repented. But he can no longer be king of Israel.

I think continually of those who were truly great.

Who, from the womb, remembered the soul’s history

Through corridors of light, where the hours are suns,

Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition

Was that their lips, still touched with fire,

Should tell of the Spirit, clothed from head to foot in song.

And who hoarded from the Spring branches

The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms.

 

What is precious, is never to forget

The essential delight of the blood drawn from ageless springs

Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth.

Never to deny its pleasure in the morning simple light

Nor its grave evening demand for love.

Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother

With noise and fog, the flowering of the spirit.

 

Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields,

See how these names are fêted by the waving grass

And by the streamers of white cloud

And whispers of wind in the listening sky.

The names of those who in their lives fought for life,

Who wore at their hearts the fire’s centre.

Born of the sun, they travelled a short while toward the sun

And left the vivid air signed with their honour.

Blind and deaf was the new born Helen Keller and it was difficult for her to understand the things around her. She would flinch whenever someone touches her skin. She would throw a fit whenever she touches something new to her. But that didn’t hinder everyone to help little Helen from being isolated to other kids. So they hired a teacher that broke through little Helen’s isolation. Helen’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her in satisfying her curiosity by spelling out the words on Helen’s palm that made little Helen observe and feel that she was and she will never be alone. When she grew up, she didn’t stop from working hard even though she was deaf and blind. She didn't let her disabilities become her weakness in fact she used it as her strength.

                I was inspired by her story that it took me weeks to move on from her story. And after reading her story it made me realize things, there is no hindrance in overcoming a challenge if you have faith and determination.  Challenges may take you down but she said that without them, life is pointless.  She showed me that there are no boundaries to courage and faith.  All of the things she said woke me up from the nightmare I was having. I always thought that I should please people by doing what is right for them but Helen Keller once said, “Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy, and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”

'Don't be afraid, cause the chances are there for the take'

That is a line from Christina Grimmie's song, Advice. The song shows how chances are very important. The lyrics touched my heart as the song expressed how chances are very easy to take. 

'Don't be rushed, cause hurrying causes mistakes ... treasure the choices you make,... '

We are always confused in which path are we going to take. But we don't weigh the pros and cons we can get from taking those chances. So we thought that the choice we make were wrong. But, every choices come with consequences. So we don't have to be afraid. Instead, let's treasure every choices we make.

' You may think you've had it rough. And try to give it up,'

Never ever look down on yourself. You may have a rough time now,or maybe tomorrow, or next week, or the weeks that will come, but never lose hope. You can always get back up when your down.

'Love is all you need'

 I'm very timid when I'm inside the class. When it's time for me to go in front of the class to present my work, I become stiff and I can't say the words that I practiced. I want to be free from this little cage that I built for myself.

I wasn't like this before. I'm very active in recitations. I was always praised for being active in classes. But what happened now?

When I entered this school I already told myself that I should study harder. I did. But I realized that there were more better students than me. That's when I lost my confidence. I always hesitate before raising my hand.

And I regret it now. I hoped I was active in every recitation. Because my stiffness affected my grades.

I want to be the girl before. The girl whose day isn't complete if she didn't participate in a recitation.

Like a lion, I want to be out of my cage. I want to show what I'm capable of.


That's how I want people to remember me.

A Lion Out of it's Cage

Like a little puppy,

I look for my way to my new classroom

Those pairs of eyes piercing and looking at me like I'm a ghost

Thoughts came inside my naïve mind.

Will I survive this year?

Can I reach the expectations of my teachers?

This school year passed by in a blur

And I will be a sophomore next year

Sadly I made my teachers disappointed

Then I said to myself I should,

And I will work hard this year

But temptations are really hard to resist

Once they found their way to your life

And that what made me lose focus 

In studying and also in achieving my goal

I am hoping that this school year

I can fight all of the temptations 

That will come in my way

Here I am. In front of our medium sized mirror. New shoes. New bag. New notebooks. Everything is new that it made me excited to use all of them and finish this school year.


 I had to do my hair several times just for it to look perfect. I even tried to put something that can hide my eye bags because I wasn't able to sleep early last night. I guess I was just over thinking things.


I cannot sleep because memories of our school came inside my head and it made me nervous.  I have so many what ifs inside my head that made me over think. What if I make a mistake that nobody will forget?



I wish that I can extend our vacation for 2 more weeks so that I can prepare everything before the school year starts.  But I know I can't. Nobody can.



The moment I stepped out of our service, I felt the excitement rushing through my veins like a Cadillac.  Is this really it? I tried to slap myself, not because I was sleepy, but because I was trying to check if I'm just dreaming or not. I'm already a Junior student.


It was the first day but I felt everyone's excitement as they talked to their friends and classmates. There are unfamiliar faces to me because I'm not that friendly and I don't know everyone in our school.

As usual, the officers will shout 'FALL IN' to tell us that the flag ceremony will start in a few minutes. And all of us will assemble in the basketball court. Then that flag ceremony, I guess, made my day. All the memories came inside my head. I really missed my school.


When we were asked to get a sheet of one-fourth paper and write our names and our section there, I clumsily wrote 8- Fluorine. I laughed inwardly. How I wish I can be an 8F student again. Because that section made me realize things that made me better. But I know that Mrs. Malimban, alongside with other Grade 9 teachers will make this school year awesome.


Everything seems perfect on our first day of school.


And I'm looking forward to the next months that I will be spending in our schoool, I hope I can spend more time here with them.

| I'M NOT A SOPHOMORE ANYMORE |