Recap on Easter Weekend:

So we'll move backwards:

April 12th, 2009

Easter Sunday. I went to work this morning but found myself extremely anxious to get home and straight to church. Something about the few days before just made it all the more sweeter to be around God-centered people. I was very imporessed with the choir and their presentation. I think Uncle Tony, Chloe, and Kuya Rommel do so much that goes so unnoticed sometimes, but today it made a statement about our sound and projection crew.

They are fantastic.

After service I sadly could not stay and hang out though i made a point to say goodbye to everyone and encourage some new comers that I had met on Friday to keep coming back. There is a family element at CFBC that I would never trade in the world, but even still my own family called.

The Alura side is one that I don't see very often but it's always amazing to be around them when I get the chance. My Aunts are always interested in what's been going on and I'm more than willing to tell them. Their enthusiasm is real and genuine which makes it easy to open up. I praise God for giving me a church family and a real family that I can really relate to and that keep me feeling blessed and loved. I know that there are so many who barely have a biological family...and look at me. I have both. God is so good.

April 11th, 2009

Work and then straight to the funeral. I don't like funerals...they stir up feelings that get you really stressed out and they end up staying with you the whole day, but being with my family was nice. Seeing everyone and hearing about Papa through Ate Lyn. I just wished I wasn't so stressed out by rehearsal. At first I was kinda anxious because I knew a lot of people weren't going to be there and that we had a lot to discuss but I think we did a lot. My only concern is that...not everyone is happy. And I hate it...but you can't change that. Not everyone is going to be happy. I just pray that we continue to focus on God's will.

To move on in the day, I got to talk to Ian which was nice, it was a chance to pick at his brain which is always fun, but it was also an insight. Then went to Kuya Mike's party and enjoyed myself. I love my youth group. It's hard when you live so far away to relate to a youth group, especially when you don't know a lot of them but I feel the gap slowly being bridged. Thank God for cars. haha But even still I learned that there were a lot of things that took place between the tenth and the eleventh. Some amazingly good....some...incredibly disappointing but if I've learned anything from the past few months it's that God is in control and that brings me to the beginning of my weekend. The incredibly large bright spot in my weekend. The premiere of Fall into The Arms of Love.

April 10th, 2009

I was nervous. I'm not gonna lie. There were so many things that were running through my mind that I could barely think straight but....God pulled me through.

He pulled us all through.

I never had any doubt of how amazing the performance would be or how proud I was of each and every one who took part in it, but...I was nervous about if I had done enough. If I had been enough.

And that's when I realized, in watching and listening to the words that Joanna, Eric, EJ, Derek, Kristine, and Lydia were saying that it wasn't up to me. Moreover, it wasn't about me. It was all about God and the important thing to remember is that God is enough. He is more than enough, especially to sustain through everything, including this musical.

To be honest I was too close to the whole performance to judge it from any kind of critical point of view but I was proud and I felt God's presence the whole time. That's all I needed to know and that's all I cared about. Even if it wasn't openly declared by the entire audience that God was working in their lives at that very moment I knew He was working in mine and I could see that He was working in each person part of the cast and crew. I saw it in Kristine's conviction and Joanna's sincerity. I saw in EJ's eyes and Lydia's honesty and commitment to her character, I even saw in Derek and Eric's improvisation. It was there and I truly believed every word they said even though I had heard it ten billion times.

Joanna said it best I think when she said "Hearing the Gospel never gets old." And it's true because the Gospel is never old. It is forever renewed and never fades away with time. It is the one honest truth in this world and I had never felt so blessed. I HAVE never felt so blessed.

I sometimes think I was crazy to have pushed so hard for this musical...but how can I continue with such a thought when these were the results? God has the will and perfect timing for everything and I will never ever doubt that.

Till next time
-penman scribe