Come, Come Ye Saints

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are going to renovate our chapel this December so I snapped a few remembrances before we see another one erected on the same spot. It would be the third time since it was first built 15 years ago. 

So far this design is what I like most. The lawn, the basketball court and the parking area make it more enticing and they add reverence to the building as a whole.

I admit, I believe the whole bunch of teachings of my church but like me, members aren't perfect. And like any other church denominations, no one can claim that they have the perfect congregation. Although I must say that if members live the teachings of the church they belong to, I think this place called Earth is a better place to live in. Each of us can contribute to a betterment of our common home.

But that makes our world so interesting. We are given options. We have to choose. However perfect our religion seem to be, it's still up to us.  So you see, whatever it is that we do, 'there is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world upon which all blessings are predicated'. And if we choose the right, there is a blessing that goes with it. When we choose otherwise, there entails a consequence. In fact, our deeds mirrored the religion we belong to. Society tells us that. It may sound absurd but I agree. If you 'let your light so shine before men...they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven'. Sometimes it is unfair to blame it on our religion when we do things not in accordance to what our doctrine dictates or when our actions contradict the norm.  But then again, we will be judged individually not as a group so we work on our own salvation.

My personal stand is that we should do look out for each other. That is if the love we feel is genuine. After all, we are our brothers' keeper.We shouldn't sell our brothers and sisters, should we? And on personal note again, we shouldn't stop attending church services because a pastor, a priest, a nun, an evangelist, a bishop, or a member had wronged us or one way or the other, offended us. We are there to worship our Savior. We are doing it for Him, not for anyone else.

from left to right: Bishop's whitey, Kapitan Cortado's adventure, My service, and Inang's taxikel :)

 a  lot of parties and wedding receptions took place here. The last was my sister Raziel's wedding  in March 2010.

driveway

ah the infamous basketball court. It's not an LDS church without one.

The Single Adult picnics, Relief Society activities, Youth Food trips, Elder's Quorum bonding and Primary Games. This spot witnessed them all.

And this is my spot. I long to have my picture taken here soon before  we transfer.

i hope this mango tree stays....

Mother and I together with Gabriel, my nephew.

I Am Miss Conception

cousin Afe followed me and took this pictures because she thought I hung clothes with style :)

I am 33 and I just took notice that there are a lot of misconceptions about me. Not that I care much about how people think of me but the fact that  it took me this long to notice only means that I am not living my life for other people. Sure I’ve had fair shares of my bad choices but I am tough enough to deal with the consequences that entail them. That is how I grow. That is how I deal with life.

Early in life I learned that life is what you make it. So I vowed not to care so much about what others think of me. Character is what matters most because that sums up the “me” in myself rather than minding about my reputation because that is merely the opinion of others about me.

Top 10 misconceptions

1.      JUST WITTY.  My father forced me to join a beauty pageant a long time ago and I got the crown. But I don’t like the idea of wearing that crown every day of my life so to speak. That did not change the fact that I like wearing what I  like to wear or I need a little make over. So I had a reputation of not a beauty queen but more of articulate.

2.      JUST BEAUTIFUL.  This teacher thought of me as a young girl who has got the looks. It doesn’t matter if I don’t have gray matter. Before the semester ends he told me how his first impression of me did not last that long. I would like to quote him saying: “You were just fine sitting there and glowing because you happen to have a pretty face but the moment you opened your mouth, I was on guard because that pretty lady is listening intently whether I talked with sense or just gibberish.”

3.      IRREVERENT. I hope children nowadays are taught how to differentiate the word irreverent from being cheerful so when they grow old they won’t teach the same mistakes. Laughing to your heart’s content doesn’t mean you are one loud person.

4.      PROUD. When sore trials came upon us, and were brought down very low, exercise humility. But that won’t strip us our dignity of standing once again, with head held up high. That is not being proud. You just don’t want to stay low for long and be trampled upon. That is what we call Moving On with dignity.

5.      PERFECT. I think those people who called me a perfect person in their sweetest smiles is their sarcastic way of saying that we are waiting for your bad move. Duh! I have so many bad moves, ya’ll. That is why I don’t play chess lately J. Why don’t they try to get a life of their own and start living it. Are their lives that boring and mine is so interesting?

6.      RICH. Now this one is very funny.  I am NOT rich, my goodness! I just have taste and style. And sometimes I dress carelessly. How could that be rich?

7.      POOR. In mortality, I guess they are right. But do they know that I am building my kingdom in heaven? LOL! Now that I said it, I hope I can fulfill it and endure these misconceptions throughout my entire mortal life.

8.      OLD MAID FOREVER. Funniest thing ever. Although the church I belong to do not encourage single blessedness, I do not want to be married to a person that I will regret marrying for all eternity. Impatient neighbours, impatient gossipers, impatient parents J  Remember that patience is a virtue.

9.      IMPOLITE. Weeeh. Lol! Snob yes. Those are two different things.  I snob people I don’t know, people I do not like and those who doesn’t like me but never to people that matters.

10.   TERROR.  I don’t want to explain this J

Maybe a little of these misconceptions are true. I have the tendencies to be exactly the  same person they pictured me to be. But all of these are unimportant when you have your family and real friends by your side. That’s what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you  even if you are not so lovable. Then you can truly say, “I am lucky!”. So let me be the judge of myself. True what Antoine de Saint – Exupery said, ‘It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself, it’s because you are truly a wise man.”