It is I, Joan
Born on 1986. Proud Filipina. Impulsive Shopper. Fashion Victim. Rockstar in the shower. Prisoner of hope. Humorous and Drama Queen at the same time. Friend. Sister. Daughter.

I'm His Beloved! yes, Im a Christian. I'm one of those awesome people who have an intimate relationship with Jesus. This blog is all about loving Him and Him loving me.

DON'T Hate rather "RELATE".

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." - Ps. 18:2

  1.  

    Dreary

    It’s saturday. Weekend. At home. In front of the computer. Dangling my feet. Listening to my bg music. Thinking………. 

    Being honest, I feel so messed up again. I have to keep reminding myself that God’s grace is sufficient. I think sometimes I’m too hard on myself. I’m not going to be able to please everybody and I keep reminding myself of that fact. over and over and over forever again. urgh!

    i’ll be a total hypocrite to say that my relationship with God is in constant well-placed. Truth is, i always on the edges - It is like a pendulum that swings between an anesthetized complacency and a frantic chasing. I get busy and place Him on the back burner, then I overcompensate by hastily trying to put everything back together. But i just couldn’t.

    More often i forget God is in total control over things.

    …. Father i need you more than anything. i know You’re just here and im the one pushing You away. Forgive me that i broke Your heart many times. You know eeeeevvverything that’s concerns me. I want to pursue You with patience and perseverance. I dont want to push my self toooo hard to be the one others want me to be. it always bring insecurities and self-condemnation. You are my Father that accepts me and never get tired of loving me. salamat po… “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Amen! ♥

  2.  

    Wild Wadi Experience ‘12

    i had a great time with my girl friends @aizlandic & @khatmich at dubai’s wild wadi (waterpark) oh yes, we can be a hot chicks sometimes.. haha.. tons of photos actually but rather keep it discrete. :P

    so yeah, it was a blast. ^_^

  3.  

    The After-Church-Meal

    at “la maison du cafe”

  4.   Good stuffs i had as of April 14, 2012 | Saturday #regaloSaSarili

    Good stuffs i had as of April 14, 2012 | Saturday #regaloSaSarili

  5.  

    Guess what?

    I cooked for lunch. HAHA #ngbabagongBuhay

  6.  

    Easter

    I used to have a Lebanese Catholic boss.. she asked me if I have the same religion as her’s. I told her, I used to… but now I’m a believer of Jesus Christ~born again Christian. She arched a brow and sarcastically asked me: What is that?! I answered: “hmmm.. unlike Catholics we don’t idolize any saints or statues.” Looking to me really serious she asked: “It’s a holy week, will you celebrate Easter? I said: Holy week?~not actually but we can commemorate.

    Arching her eyebrow as much as she could, she shouts: So why do you call yourself a Christian if you don’t?! Easter is a very important celebration for us!!! It is a time to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I simply replied to her: “We don’t have Easter because it is non biblical celebration.” (it is an old tradition by the church that pass through up to now). “Everyday is a thanksgiving and worship for Jesus Christ not just in holy week”. She got mad.. really mad. She said a lot of unlikely words about me and my beliefs. Don’t want to share it though.

    Honestly, i got angry and sad at the same time. I went online and good thing one Pastor from our Church is online. I told him everything. He gave a lot of advices that somehow cease the bad feeling over my boss.

    I realized that:

    a) i should not argue about the differences of such. (i didn’t actually, i just answered her question. Paliwanag?)

    b) respect others opinion (various religion all over the world now)

    c) i’m blessed to be aware of what really lies behind the Word (i am now free)

    To be honest, I felt almost guilty for wanting to share more about Christ with my boss (well actually the voice in my head was more abrupt and asked me why I wanted to “convert her”). I felt like I was stealing something from her.

    There are many traditions around the world, have a lot of religion woven deeply in their cultural and traditional practices, e.g. a) what does the Easter Bunny got something to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ? ; b)why do people also hang them selves on a cross and hurt them selves just to ask for God’s forgiveness?. However, as Christians, we are called to a radical separation from the world - even our cultures and traditions ~in order to join the work of the Kingdom of God. We are ambassadors to share about the truth.

    I pray that they may be freed from all these un-godly practices. We have to understand that Jesus died in the cross for us to experience the fullness of God’s richness while on earth. God loves us immensely! He had forgiven the present and future sins. Thanksgiving and worship is what pleases Him.

    So i think i said what i had to say. HAHA.

    P.S. We had our typical lunch during that day.

    God Bless you all! :)

  7.  

    Get-away adventure

    You may or may not know I have a slight obsession with nature and traveling.

    So, let me start and take you back 2 weeks from now.

    When music ministry peeps pulled it off from the morning service and decided to meet around 13:30hr (which never really happens!) we knew exactly that we will be late to what we planned. (which always happens) lol

    Finally at 15:00-ish the engine turned on and bee-lined to Dukhan with a goofy smirks for a little date with my loves (sun and ocean) . 10 cars convoy to beach. good music on.

    we came at 16:00-ish. I was literally shouting at the passenger seat when i saw the very peaceful ocean. Makes it prettier as the sun reflects to it.

    There was something urgent in the way i felt during that quick drive. I told to my self “i needed this”. The second I hit the sand, i ran for the water.

    Gentle waves tickled my feet. The warm ocean breeze tried to tell me that summer is approaching. ~there’s something about being outdoors with nature that soothes the soul. It felt oh-so-good to be outside in the fresh air, away from the city. Unexplainable but absolutely satisfying.

    Suddenly i looked around and saw my personal pet peeve. HAHA. Ok, so i hated this slimy-looking-dead jelly fish. Why i hated it? Well, it’s family member burned my leg (2 years ago). Crap! i still remember the feeling and of course the 2nd-degree-burn ( i guess?, making it super-superlative. lol) Sakit promise! Thank God it didn’t leave a scar, but the feeling does. (Charot! hahaha.. pati sa jelly fish may hinanaket? HAHA)

    So enough from the hatred confession… hehe

    here are some photos of my other loves:

    My family at church. Good people…..

    meet Elijah a.k.a. “nini” :)

    my co-baks : Maya and Bem

     

    My other co-baks “Raquel Joy” with her hubby kuya Chris

    hot dawwwgs

    Nenok food from other church mates.. the pancit i think was a left-over from morning service at church and the not-so-meaty puto-poa .. hehe..

    the other kiddos.

    the next photos are some of those “me and nature time” ~my love break <3

    Above the ocean that naps serenely is a beautiful sunset of golden sun-ray beams behind from the lil’ sum of clouds ignoring any signs of rain’s approach. I was so astonished at how gracefully that moment reflects the glory of God.

    mother and child…

    and all of a sudden, the gentle waves begun to change..

    violent sandstorm… (lasted for 5 minutes)

    and it rained ….. awww..

    Coz all the food were swept away by a massive sandstorm, ngsign language si  Baks Maya to spread the news ~will finish our afternoon meal at the nearest McDonalds. wagas an tawa ko. HAHA

    so that’s my story about my recent adventure away from Doha.. Even it took only 1 1/2hr only, it still worth spending.

    All things aside, i can’t really be disappointed with the beach, the wind, the sun, the sand, the rain, the food, the laughter, the beautiful people.. ~a very grand blessing from God that day! <3

    Note: All photos are taken by me thru the oldest BB phone. haha.. i will get my self a descent SLR cam soon so pls bare with me for now. :P

  8.  

    The Katinas : One of the Best Groups that i love.

    Jeremy: A godly man that i adore.

    Jeremy and The Katinas?? = Boom! blew me away.. ♥

    Refiner’s Fire 


    Purify my heart
    Let me be as gold and precious silver
    Purify my heart
    Let me be as gold, pure gold

    Refiner’s fire
    My heart’s one desire
    Is to be holy
    Set apart for You, Lord
    I choose to be holy
    Set apart for You, my Master
    Ready to do Your will

    Purify my heart
    Cleanse me from within
    And make me holy
    Purify my heart
    Cleanse me from my sin
    Deep within

  9.  

    @ Eli France Cafe’

  10.   Mom was clearing out some things in her cabinet and saw these. Awww.. these are all the letters and cards that me and my brother sent to her since year 2000. i read them all again. funneeeyyyy..HAHA&#160;: P.S. mommy, pengeng new phone.P.S. mommy, tumaas na ang grades ko sa chemistry, salamat sa seatmate ko. hahahaP.S. mommy, nung sumayaw nga pala kame sa M.T.B. galit na galit si Ana Feliciano kase di kame ngstart agad.P.S. mommy, kasama ko now ung ka-M.U. ko.. Sino kaya un kuya?? :)) ..and the last envelope from Doha bank. 3 years ago, when i got my first salary evuuuurrr. may part-time work pa nun si Mommy, 1:00am na sha nakakauwi, eh im so sleepy na kaya i left lahat ng salary ko sa table and wrote a note. (obvious nmn na antok na ko sa sulat. haha). When she came she woke me up and she cried.. awww.. (natouch daw sha) ehehe..  nafeel kong good daughter ako that time. :P Hays.. I&#8217;m so lucky to have such a wonderful loving Mom. She deserves all the beautiful things in the world. Kya hanggat kaya ko&#8230; I&#8217;ll give her a piece of heaven. Siempre.. all beautiful things in the world are just a &#8220;piece&#8221; of God&#8217;s beauty. piece pa lang un huh.. Only God can give her the whole thing. :) God bless to all the mothers out there. Advance Happy mOma&#8217;s day! ♥

    Mom was clearing out some things in her cabinet and saw these.

    Awww.. these are all the letters and cards that me and my brother sent to her since year 2000. i read them all again. funneeeyyyy..HAHA :

    P.S. mommy, pengeng new phone.
    P.S. mommy, tumaas na ang grades ko sa chemistry, salamat sa seatmate ko. hahaha
    P.S. mommy, nung sumayaw nga pala kame sa M.T.B. galit na galit si Ana Feliciano kase di kame ngstart agad.
    P.S. mommy, kasama ko now ung ka-M.U. ko.. Sino kaya un kuya?? :))

    ..and the last envelope from Doha bank. 3 years ago, when i got my first salary evuuuurrr. may part-time work pa nun si Mommy, 1:00am na sha nakakauwi, eh im so sleepy na kaya i left lahat ng salary ko sa table and wrote a note. (obvious nmn na antok na ko sa sulat. haha). When she came she woke me up and she cried.. awww.. (natouch daw sha) ehehe..  nafeel kong good daughter ako that time. :P

    Hays.. I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful loving Mom. She deserves all the beautiful things in the world. Kya hanggat kaya ko… I’ll give her a piece of heaven. Siempre.. all beautiful things in the world are just a “piece” of God’s beauty. piece pa lang un huh.. Only God can give her the whole thing. :)

    God bless to all the mothers out there. Advance Happy mOma’s day! ♥