While media organizations are geared towards presenting the top stories for 2011, I want to share 11 life lessons I learned this year. A roller coaster ride this year ended me up in a victorious destination that I have desired to achieve as part of my annual resolution.
Here are my top 11 golden nuggets:
#11 Give back to the community
Aside from my daily work at the US Navy, I volunteer extra hours in community services. Whenever we visit places, I make sure to participate in an environmental project or cleanliness campaign. Though I only give four hours of my time for a certain cause, I know that the quality time has already impacted the community.
In Cairns, we visited two homes for the aged. There I met some old folks who are at the twilight years of their lifetime. Someday, I will be like them that's why at my young age I want to share more of my life to the communities.
By the way, one of the reasons why I joined the Navy is that I want to serve communities in foreign land, and so I am committed to fulfill my purpose.
#10 Be on time
I have no record of tardiness as I have always appeared earlier during quarters. In the Navy, a saying goes like this: "When you are on time, you're late. When you are early, you're on time."
This year, I have mastered managing my time. According to my evaluation, I am always on time and I manage to perform my work and qualifications ahead of time. Something I want to keep on doing is to be on time. Also, be on time with my date with my wife Tefanee.
#9 Widening perspective
Since 2009, I have been traveling to different places. This year, I'm happy to visit Australia, Hong Kong, and Philippines. Immersing into a culture (that I am not accustomed to) is an important lesson from traveling. The more I understand how human beings behave, the more I widen my perspective about their culture and upbringing.
When I visited Osaka, I witnessed how Japanese pay respect to their little gods. This has burdened me to share more about Christ to the lost souls. Visiting DMZ, the borderline between South and North Korea, I am reminded of the cold war existing between the two countries.
My vlog about Brisbane:
My vlog about DMZ:
This 2012, hope to visit more countries!
#8 Good steward
To budget wisely and monitor my spending is something that I am learning now. One important lesson I learned in Budget 101 is to prepare a list on how to keep track on spending my money. For example, pay the bills first and allocate something in savings, so those something extra will land to daily allowance and groceries.
Though I am still struggling a little bit in terms of managing my finance, I hope to adjust my spending habit and limit some activities that are unnecessary. Specially that I am entering into "familyhood", budgeting and saving should be my top priority.
#7 Overcome trials
Everyday, we face trials of many kinds. When my wife and I had a civil wedding ceremony last September, there are relatives and friends who focused their critical eyes on us. With comments like "it is too early for me to get married", we still continued the ceremony and tied the knot. Though we know we cannot please everyone, we will be committed to praying for those who disagree with our decision.
While we are en route to Australia, my mom was rushed to the hospital twice. I would want to go back to Philippines to take care of my mom, but thank God, she recovered well. Good thing, my mom enrolled in an aerobics class - something that has actively improved her health. With positive mind, I prayed for my mom's good health.
It is still a great trial for me to work in the US Navy. For the third time after taking the test, I made it and advanced as petty officer third class.
Furthermore, trial is connected to failing forward. As I emphasized in my previous blogs, better experience failure at a young age so we know how to respond or avoid it later.
Indeed, there is pure joy when you overcome a trial than when you receive an instant blessing.
#6 Pray more
Prayer is very powerful tool. It is our way of connecting and talking to God. Whether it is a formal or informal conversation with God, I have shared my frustrations and supplications to Him.
What I learned this year: God answers a prayer at the right time when we are ready to receive our blessing or learned a lesson from a certain trial.
But I need to improve my quiet time to God as I have been distracted by a lot of activities. Though I am busy with the ministry, I focus my attention on the minister. I need to focus on the King than the kingdom.
#5 Wait for the perfect time
Waiting maybe a boring moment if you just stop and don't do anything. But waiting becomes purposeful if you prepare and train yourself for it. Right after I married Tefanee, I got advanced as third class petty officer. I waited to attain this position for a year. As I advance, I can bring her now to Japan.
Last year, my Macbook pro was stolen at the base galley. This year, God paid me back by giving me another gadget: I won a Nikon D5100 camera during our command Christmas party. Maybe, He wants me to practice photography this time.
All things work together for good, the Bible says.
#4 Fact of life
There are things in life that we cannot control such as calamities and disasters. When the northern part of Japan was hit by tsunami, our ship was immediately recalled and we have to stay in the waters of Japan for a month just to keep ourselves away from the radiation leak.
Families are voluntarily evacuated in Japan. In our church, there are a number of family members who evacuated to US. For two months, our church stopped a Sunday service. But with a strong prayer chain and faith, the family members returned with joy to reunite with their relatives and continue life in Japan.
All I can do by that time: accept the fact of life and pray that God will fix things for the families.
#3 Love my wife
As I enter into marital life, I learn how to love my wife more. The difference spells between you love your girl friend and spouse. Now that my responsibility will focus on fatherhood, I need to step up and be more mature. I am excited to be with my wife this January 2012. Love you!
#2 Work-in progress
My life is a work-in progress. This year proved to be a defining moment for me to improve skills in technical knowledge of my rate (my job), my communications skills, managerial tasks, and leadership.
I am a work-in progress.
#1 Intimate relationship with Christ
Every year, it is my desire to know more Christ and deepen my relationship with Him. This year, all the challenges sum up to how I value my relationship with Christ. As what Apostle Paul said, "I consider everything rubbish." For me, everything is rubbish if they are not purposely connected to Christ.
I have no other wish but to know my Savior Christ Jesus. He is the reason why I exist. As He laid my life for me in the cross, I am willing to lay my life for Him and share the Gospel to those who long for it.
As New Year's Even ticks the clock and 2012 comes, I hope to carry these lessons to the New Year and continuously improve myself.
Happy New Year!
Here are my top 11 golden nuggets:
#11 Give back to the community
Aside from my daily work at the US Navy, I volunteer extra hours in community services. Whenever we visit places, I make sure to participate in an environmental project or cleanliness campaign. Though I only give four hours of my time for a certain cause, I know that the quality time has already impacted the community.
In Cairns, we visited two homes for the aged. There I met some old folks who are at the twilight years of their lifetime. Someday, I will be like them that's why at my young age I want to share more of my life to the communities.
By the way, one of the reasons why I joined the Navy is that I want to serve communities in foreign land, and so I am committed to fulfill my purpose.
#10 Be on time
I have no record of tardiness as I have always appeared earlier during quarters. In the Navy, a saying goes like this: "When you are on time, you're late. When you are early, you're on time."
This year, I have mastered managing my time. According to my evaluation, I am always on time and I manage to perform my work and qualifications ahead of time. Something I want to keep on doing is to be on time. Also, be on time with my date with my wife Tefanee.
#9 Widening perspective
Since 2009, I have been traveling to different places. This year, I'm happy to visit Australia, Hong Kong, and Philippines. Immersing into a culture (that I am not accustomed to) is an important lesson from traveling. The more I understand how human beings behave, the more I widen my perspective about their culture and upbringing.
When I visited Osaka, I witnessed how Japanese pay respect to their little gods. This has burdened me to share more about Christ to the lost souls. Visiting DMZ, the borderline between South and North Korea, I am reminded of the cold war existing between the two countries.
My vlog about Brisbane:
My vlog about DMZ:
This 2012, hope to visit more countries!
#8 Good steward
To budget wisely and monitor my spending is something that I am learning now. One important lesson I learned in Budget 101 is to prepare a list on how to keep track on spending my money. For example, pay the bills first and allocate something in savings, so those something extra will land to daily allowance and groceries.
Though I am still struggling a little bit in terms of managing my finance, I hope to adjust my spending habit and limit some activities that are unnecessary. Specially that I am entering into "familyhood", budgeting and saving should be my top priority.
#7 Overcome trials
Everyday, we face trials of many kinds. When my wife and I had a civil wedding ceremony last September, there are relatives and friends who focused their critical eyes on us. With comments like "it is too early for me to get married", we still continued the ceremony and tied the knot. Though we know we cannot please everyone, we will be committed to praying for those who disagree with our decision.
While we are en route to Australia, my mom was rushed to the hospital twice. I would want to go back to Philippines to take care of my mom, but thank God, she recovered well. Good thing, my mom enrolled in an aerobics class - something that has actively improved her health. With positive mind, I prayed for my mom's good health.
It is still a great trial for me to work in the US Navy. For the third time after taking the test, I made it and advanced as petty officer third class.
Furthermore, trial is connected to failing forward. As I emphasized in my previous blogs, better experience failure at a young age so we know how to respond or avoid it later.
Indeed, there is pure joy when you overcome a trial than when you receive an instant blessing.
#6 Pray more
Prayer is very powerful tool. It is our way of connecting and talking to God. Whether it is a formal or informal conversation with God, I have shared my frustrations and supplications to Him.
What I learned this year: God answers a prayer at the right time when we are ready to receive our blessing or learned a lesson from a certain trial.
But I need to improve my quiet time to God as I have been distracted by a lot of activities. Though I am busy with the ministry, I focus my attention on the minister. I need to focus on the King than the kingdom.
#5 Wait for the perfect time
Waiting maybe a boring moment if you just stop and don't do anything. But waiting becomes purposeful if you prepare and train yourself for it. Right after I married Tefanee, I got advanced as third class petty officer. I waited to attain this position for a year. As I advance, I can bring her now to Japan.
Last year, my Macbook pro was stolen at the base galley. This year, God paid me back by giving me another gadget: I won a Nikon D5100 camera during our command Christmas party. Maybe, He wants me to practice photography this time.
All things work together for good, the Bible says.
#4 Fact of life
There are things in life that we cannot control such as calamities and disasters. When the northern part of Japan was hit by tsunami, our ship was immediately recalled and we have to stay in the waters of Japan for a month just to keep ourselves away from the radiation leak.
Families are voluntarily evacuated in Japan. In our church, there are a number of family members who evacuated to US. For two months, our church stopped a Sunday service. But with a strong prayer chain and faith, the family members returned with joy to reunite with their relatives and continue life in Japan.
All I can do by that time: accept the fact of life and pray that God will fix things for the families.
#3 Love my wife
As I enter into marital life, I learn how to love my wife more. The difference spells between you love your girl friend and spouse. Now that my responsibility will focus on fatherhood, I need to step up and be more mature. I am excited to be with my wife this January 2012. Love you!
#2 Work-in progress
My life is a work-in progress. This year proved to be a defining moment for me to improve skills in technical knowledge of my rate (my job), my communications skills, managerial tasks, and leadership.
I am a work-in progress.
#1 Intimate relationship with Christ
Every year, it is my desire to know more Christ and deepen my relationship with Him. This year, all the challenges sum up to how I value my relationship with Christ. As what Apostle Paul said, "I consider everything rubbish." For me, everything is rubbish if they are not purposely connected to Christ.
I have no other wish but to know my Savior Christ Jesus. He is the reason why I exist. As He laid my life for me in the cross, I am willing to lay my life for Him and share the Gospel to those who long for it.
As New Year's Even ticks the clock and 2012 comes, I hope to carry these lessons to the New Year and continuously improve myself.
Happy New Year!
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