|
ManuManu
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Name: Mark
Country: United States
State: New Jersey
Birthday: 3/8/1981
Gender: Male
Interests: Video games and core workouts. And for some reason I have a fascination with finding really good hole in the wall asian restaurants in my area
Expertise: Area of expertise.... hmmm, eating. Yeah definitely eating. And ummm. eating again. And sitting and watching T.V. and eating. Oh yeah, I'm smart too.
Occupation: Project Manager
Message: message me
Member Since:
2/11/2003
|
|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
|
|
| It's about 10:45 pm here in Chicago. I'm sitting in my room, having rejected invites to go out to hang out with SFC, go to a bar, and also to play pool. Why you ask? Because I'm getting sick, and I can feel it getting worse. I especially know when its not going to be pleasant when I have no desire to eat... yikes, now that's a bad sign.
So instead of galavanting around town, here I sit, typing away on a xanga page that seems to be ignored more and more. Can I just say... the past two days have been pretty slick. Yesterday was thanksgiving, yes, a wonderful day to eat a lot. But my highlight wasn't the food, my highlight was going to mass. It was one of those masses where God really makes you feel He's truly there for you. Fr. John challenged everyone to remember why we need to be thankful for life. People clapped... I could've stayed in that church forever. After thanksgiving lunch here at the Manalotos, I got a lot of precious me time, which I loved (even though I could already start to feel myself getting sick).
Today was even better. I woke up around seven thirty, but forced myself back to sleep until someone woke me up around nine with a call, whoever you are, I didn't pick up cuz you pissed me off by waking me up! But Praise God for you anyway. I felt like death in the morning, same as yesterday and the day before that... but I still proceeded to shower and slap on some clothes as I ventured out to find a jacket, any jacket, that I would want to purchase. No such luck... lots of traffic in the mall parking lots, but lots of good time at the bookstore. And uh, the weather was GORGEOUS! Got my regular grande white chocolate mocha and a scone to top off my adventure. Wanted to stop by one of the pool halls and sneak in a quick hour game, no such luck... it was closed.
Bottom line? I am thoroughly happy. Despite the headaches and challenges, I look back, I look around, and I realize, damn I'm lucky. Praise God that I can actually say that. Praise God because He gives me the grace to look past my problems and crosses to realize I am loved and blessed no matter what. Let's get it straight, I have problems, and things that drive me crazy. Heck, I deal with them almost every day. So I pray for grace and peace in my heart and mind, and let God take the rest. I am excited for the future, I realized that as well. I am excited for where God will take me, and I'm grateful for being formed the way I'm being formed as I head towards the future. And the Christmas season is coming, wow, I love the Christmas season.
Let's bear in mind I'm typing this with a throbbing headache and a hacking cough, so you know it must've been a good day. My advice to those reading, especially you young ones, let's look forward a lot more huh? Let's look at how we can drive ourselves towards our own personal betterment and the betterment of others, the area around us. The power we have... to influence our lives, change it, mold it, love it, hate it... it's all there. But we need the grace of God to drive ourselves forward. God I pray for grace for myself and for those around me, and for those reading this right now. Grace to be still, not to stress out. Grace to love, and not to look to be loved. Grace to live, and not to feel like we're dying.
God is good, and life is good. Make decisions! Make choices!
Time to pass out. God bless!
| | |
| Praise the Lord, God Almighty! I can strum fast on the guitar!!! After almost half a year of wondering how the heck all you music ministry people do it (i secretly hated you all) I've started to get the hang of it. Now of course, I'm not saying I'm like super good now, but hey, praise God really. Morning worships by myself are so much cooler now cuz I don't strum like I'm sixty years old anymore, ahaha.
In other news, yes everyone kinda late but I did finish the Chicago Marathon, 6 hrs 2 mins. I wanted to finish under six, but both calves, both quads, and a right hamstring all threatening to cramp at the same time is a horrid thing to deal with. So my pride is hurt, it still is... I'm gonna whoop the marathon's butt next year.
I'm a bit more hooked on running now, I've been going back to the weightroom regularly, but every morning starts out with a run... which is good. Then I head into the weightroom. Surpise surprise, the YMCA i go to also had an indoor track this entire time. And here i was worried about having to brave the cold during the winter workouts. Praise God.
I guess I'm just saying hi to the xanga world, since I'm so sporatice with my blogging now. I can't believe I started this when I was in college, haha and it was all cuz I was bored. Anyway, everyone please pray for me! And you know I'll pray for you! leave a comment if u need prayers, hey, i got the time, and if i don't ill make the time.
God bless. Peash.
| | |
| One week to marathon, I started going back to the weightroom, y'know, some really light lifting, get my muscles going again... guess what hits... ASTHMA!!! hahahaha, and every time it hits i'm like a five year old again needing medicine. Sigh... so I'm not a rock, i get it God, i get it.
Conference season is once again over and its the fall months... usually the most quiet in the life of a fulltime worker, especially with the holidays on the horizon. I can't wait. I went on mission with my friends to Cincinnati, and on the way back we stopped to eat at a cracker barrel... and they were selling Christmas stuff!!! Can you believe it?? I get happy whenever I see Christmas stuff. I couldn't tear myself away from all of it.
I go out of state a lot more now, more so to the other areas in my region... which is good, CFC Youth is really starting to pick up in the other states, I'm really proud of all of you and I'm honored to be serving alongside you guys. I've met some really awesome people on these missions too... what a blessing it's been to travel to these places, although I gotta say I'm not much for the driving... then again I never was, I'm just used to it now.
I've gotten a chance to look over what the past two almost three years have been like... and I really can say... I'm hot. Ahahaha, juuuuust kidding. Things have really been blessed, there's really nothing for me to complain about. God is good and I just need to really just be at peace every day. St. Peter's in downtown, man, I wish I could take you all with me some time to hear mass and have confession there. Wut a place. Of course I still love St. Viators, but I'm just saying.
K, so this blog is pretty pointless... as always, but if you want deep stuff you should actually just ask me, right? Right. God bless!
| | |
| i've been neglecting you xanga page, apologies. we'll blog again soon!
| | |
| Happy Birthday to my brother...
1. Coolest thing he ever did for me- got me my very first optimus prime which jumpstarted my obsession with collecting optimus prime toys.
2. Funniest thing he ever said to me- "that's cuz you're top heavy"
3. Funniest moment- my sister and i catching him in the hallway mirror pretending to rap the rap from VR Troopers "rap rap the doggie rap!" hahahahahaha
4. Best food place he's taking me to- that hole in the wall place in Norcal... id be fulltime there just for that... yum!
5. Best memory with him- when i ripped my pants in Christmas of '04 and we aaaaaall laughed... except he was behind the camera laughing his butt off.
Happy birthday kuya rob! I'll call you later! haha. God bless. | | |
|
