THE 2015 JOREINA YEAR

AS SOON AS ANOTHER YEAR COMES, I MAKE IT A POINT TO CLAIM IT AS

"JOREINA YEAR". BUT 2015 IS NOT JUST ANOTHER "JOREINA YEAR",

BUT 2015 IS A "BLESSED JOREINA YEAR".

           2015 has been an awesome ride for me. I may have had stopovers, but the most thrilling part is that the journey still continues. This year has been so fruitful for me- I'm now on my last leg of college life, leveled up in becoming a leader and a volunteer, proved myself as a journalist in the national contest, accepted the opportunities lined up infront of me, and so much more. There are times I want to take control of the driver's seat but it's not something I'm best at. In reality, I have no knowledge about driving (but soon, right?) and definitely, not a careful driver (yet). So, all throughout the travel, I'm in the passenger's seat while watching the Great Driver take the wheel. Apart from sightseeing the mighty wonders He created, I could see my life in a pass.

 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 

Isaiah 41:10

          In the course of the destination, some roads are bumpy, rough, and dark. And that's when fear arises.

         There are days in my life that I need to face things alone. Things that may be life-changing ones or little decisions that make a great impact, I'm sometimes afraid that I will have to go through this alone- that I have to embrace my solitary, decide for my own, and take the blame and mess. But I have learned to keep a huge thing- TRUST. Whenever I feel overwhelmed with the situation I'm in, whether dealing with the stress of producing my thesis paper or sharing the Good News to some people, He always mentally reminds me, "So do not fear for I am with you....."

        For people who personally know me, they would know that I pursue excellence all the time. Just a slight fold of a paper maddens me, a plan that didn't go well upsets me, a typo error in a text message or Word document frustrates me. All my life, I've been asking myself these questions, "is this already my best?"and "is this what you want others to see from you?" And my goal is not to disappoint the excellent Father that I am serving. But because I'm a heavy overthinker, I tend to overdo things, leaving me awful and worried. He said, "do not be dismayed for I am your God......" If we worry, it's God that will ease our concerns. God doesn't have high expectations of us because we are not near perfection. All He wants from us is our faithfulness in the things that we do for Him.

        "I will strengthen you and help you....." I remember the day when I have to juggle my acads and Student Council business. I felt so helpless knowing I have to shoulder the responsibility of being the OIC. It also meant carrying the problems of the organization, bring solution to it, and take all the complaints since you are the head. And I tell you, my life was stuck in a pressure cooker that hasn't been turned off yet. But God always has answers. If we rely too much on our strength, we easily feel weak but God's immense strength enables us to do ordinary things to extraordinary. It's his strength and definitely not our own.

        And when God said, "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand....", we are given assurance that our life is secured and safe in God's mighty hand. We will never have fear, dismay, and helplessness if we remember God and we trust in His promises. 

WE HAVE A GOD WHOSE GOODNESS, STEADFAST LOVE, AND FAITHFULNESS ENDURE FOREVER! 2016 WILL BE ANOTHER AMAZING WALK WITH THE LORD!