the point!!!

well, i'm back after some long long time. a lot of memorable, significant and worthwhile events occured to my life during the past days. well it was a mixture of fun and 'blessedness'. anyways last week was terribly great and very heart warming. here it goes...

october 23, 2006

monday was great! i actually applied for a grant in aid scholarship offered by ADDU. the problem was the OSA director. actually he is not the problem, but the circumstance posed a big problem. i did not have a complete listing of my grades yet, so he would NEVER ever sign that recommendation form. shucks... what the... well, i was really hopeless then, really hopeless... but my mother thought of something.... we decided to drop by the guidance office to ask for help from my very own guidance counselor, Mrs. Paulita Sorongon... well, i think it really pays to pray =D. anyways, we asked for help from her and without much a do, she made a recommendation form and forwarded me to the OSA director. Praise God for sending such a good and accomodating instrument.

then of course, i went to sir ricky and there he readily signed my recommendation form upon hearing the name of my guidance counselor. PRAISE GOD. another burden was removed from my heart. finally, i9t pumped normally as it ought to be... unlike before. =D. and obviously, my day ended with a big BIG smile... Thanks be to God!!!

October 24, 2006

this was the day that the Lord has made (and actually everyday is made by God). i was actually able to finally organize my requirements for the scholarship and prepare it for submission on thursday (one day before the deadline). ok, but i was more concerned about the batch party today. i actually bought a new polo shirt. it was nice... really nice... and of course, i went home and had my sleep earlier than usual... =D

October 25, 2006

this is it!!! party time. the rest of the day was fine and really amazing, but i would focus more on the events during the batch party. ok... i actually prepared myself at 6 pm. well, i took a bath and freshened up. afterwards i dressed up (obviously=D) and waited for a ride. i waited for almost an hour and all the taxis which were passing by were all occupied. i worried a lot... but my mother was patient and helped me out to find one. (thanks ma!=D). after that i told the driver that i would go to kanto damosa, because that was our meeting place. the ride probably took fifteen minites and there i was standing without knowing where i should go... incidentally, Kay Bo. called me and i joined their group with janry, genesis and cj. well, we chatted for a while as we waited for davie. and we did not wait the whole night, but we decided to go. i was excited...REALLY EXCITED to see my batchmates... and there it was after some minites of walking we arrived at Jason's house and we went to the basement of their home and there they were... happy happy happy=D. i don't know how to contain my joy because it really flourished as i saw my batchmates. then we eated and eated and eated. the food was great... (thanks to the conanan family =D). then we ended up back to the basement and chatted all night long... then my friend fiona came. i never expected that she would not come, because she texted me that she would not, but fortunately she arrived. she actually gave me brownies which she personally prepared... they were delicious. and of course the night should end and i'm very thankful that dr. conanan offered a ride... with that i arrived home safe, sound and free of charge from the ride... we'll that's how God care for his beloved Michael. thanks Father.=D...

october 26, 2006.

oh, this was the day of pure business... well, today i was able to get most of my grades and finally passed the scholarship requirements and i scheduled my interview tomorrow at 1:45-2:45 pm... God bless to me...=D... and to everyone of course...

october 27, 2006.

enrollment day. i am supposed to enroll myself today, but of course there were some delinquent teachers who did not submit our grades on time so, i have to wait and wait and wait. not to mention my interview... well, i decided to prioritize my interview... and there... after one hour of essay writin, finally... it's my turn. after that, we talked and talked and talked with the admissions director and i just blabbered and blabbered and blabbered about my ideologies, principles, outlooks and etc... well, i think i impressed her (feeling=D)... because she smiled a lot... and my day ended with some sort of assurance from those smiles and the result would be releared next week... exciting and at the same time terrifying... well, that's life...=D

that was my last week i think i'll stop here because i'm already tired. till next time... bye... =D

priceless

i felt that life is becoming sweeter the more you experience bitterness... maybe these bitter events that we call are actually the ones which adds to the beautiful sense of our living. let me point out that we need not enjoy during our bitter moments, but we ought to find things from them whigh would help us grow better. an old adage perhaps, but actually insightful.

actually, these bitter events are the more priceless things in life. they are more valuable than those nice moments. but i am not saying that we don't treasure these great events. i am just saying that facing our bitter moments brings out in us the best that is lying dormant within the deepest recesses of our souls... this aspect makes it very valuable...

so friends... till next blog marathon... God bless you all...



ad majorem dei gloriam

michael casas =D

looking back....

this day seems to be a "blog marathon day" for me... this might just be the product of boredom, nothing else. i miss neutron... illumina... and everyone...

till we meet again everyone... (hay nako... nagsenti si casas)

ad majorem dei gloriam

michael casas =D

how i wish...

we teenagers always wanted to change something about the things around us, the circumstances and even ourselves. honestly, i also wanted to change something in my life... i wanted to become a child once again.

come to think of it when we were once a child, we never bothered to study or work, all we thought of is to play and play and play... not to mention the cuddles of our parents which would make us feel safe and really comforted. perhaps i am just becoming sentimental bacause i am having lesser time for myself. that's what you get when you actually grow old. you need to "manage" yourself, your time, your money, your mind etc...

isn't that word hated by any person... oh come on... i don't really hate it but i don't want to be bothered about it...

back to reality... that is very impossible... i would never become a child again, because life is moving forward and not backwards... come on michael... wake up...

i don't have any choice but to face the reality the that indeed i am getting older each day and as i grow older, my responsibilites are "logarithmically" increasing... but i still have one option... i could still feel young since i could never become young again. feel young in a sense that i would take problems lightly and take the opportunites and chances seriously... that sounds playing a child's game, doesn't it? well let's face it as we mature, our territories are getting bigger so we should face it and take that responsibility even though we hate it... think POSITIVE michael...=D

ad majorem dei gloriam

michael casas =D

wearing an armor

everyday we are in a battle. right? maybe we would emerge as a victor or sometimes a victim depending on our fight...

isn't it helpful to wear some kind of an armor? let me share to you all the things that i've read from Ephesians 6:10-13 ... it actually talks about the full armor of God...

it consists of...

the shield of faith
helmet of salvation
breastplate of righteousness
belt of truth
battle shoes
sword of the spirit

this armor is incredibly the strongest of all. i've started to "ask" them from God... and now i'm into testings. honestly, when you wear the armor you are somewhat like placed inside the den of lions... it's up to you on how you overcome the temptation, the battle or perhaps the invitations of sin.

let me share to you ny realizations about each piece of the armor.
i've read that verse in ehisisans and i keep on coming back to it until somehow i was enlightened. i hope that this would somehow influence someone to draw nearer to God as what i'm trying to do with my life. to bring as much people closer to God by living the examples of Jesus...

anyways, the shield of faith is the very armor that we have. it quenches the firey darts of the enemy. it is the very foundation of the armor. FAITH. a five-letter word that seems to capture the essence of life. faith is the very ingredient of our existence. try living in doubt and see how miserable life would be. faith becomes our very foundation. this helps us become firm in God and it would aid us in truly believing in his word.

the helmet of salvation is putting on the right mindset which is the mindset of Christ. if we emulate Jesus, we would surely be spared from temptation's lies. like Jesus we should learn to quote the scripture as we encounter testings...

breastplate of righteousness is the our strongest anchor to goodness. in proverbs, king solomon repeatedly compared the wicked from the righteous and in this respect, we as the Children of God should act as prescribed in the law. let us not allow goodness to leave our very souls...

the belt of truth is our "liberator". notice that when you wear your belts, you don't worry that your skirt or maybe pants would fall becausde thay are all secured in place. analogous to that, our faith and goodness is secured in place when we knoe the truth. remember that the truth will set us all free.

the battleshoes empowers us to be swif, prompt and ready to be obedient in the Lord. compare the two situations:
a warrior went to battle without shoes, his enemy was there fully geared wearing the best battleshoes in town. who do you think would win? obviously the warrior with the shoes would last longer in battle. similarly, we as the warriors of the Lord should be obedient in following the LAW OF LOVE stated by Jesus in the book of Matthew.

the sword of the spirit is the word of God. we knowe that evil offers every lie to entice us. however, if we have a great knowledge of God's truth, then surely we will win the battle.

these are actually very ideal, yet they are really hard to acquire. with our human nature of pride, insecurity and sinfulness, surely it would be hard. BUT, remember Jesus said, "nothing is impossible for a man who bleieves" and i hold on to these words. surely little by little, we would be in full acquaintance and mastery with these pieces in the armor, for as long as we ask for enlightenment and guidance from God...

ad majorem dei gloriam

michael casas =D

W.A.H.A.S.

i really enjoy idle moments. actually, i'm making this entry out of boredom... as of now i'm listening to whitney huston sing "one moment in time"... well she's a goos singer and her songs seem to soothe my soul. Ehem... there seems to be something bothering my gray matter at this very point. it might be the lyrics of the song which i am listening now. oh come on... ok i'm down loading it and here it is...

Each day I live
I want to be a day to give the best of me
I'm only one,
but not alone
My finest day is yet unknown
I broke my heart for every gain
To taste the sweet,
I faced the pain
I rise and fall,
Yet through it all this much remains
I want one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreamsAre a heart beat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel, I will feel eternity
I've lived to be the very best
I want it all, no time for less
I've laid the plans
Now lay the chance here in my hands
Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams
Are a heart beat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel, I will feel eternity
You're a winner for a lifetime
If you seize that one moment in time
Make it shine
Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams
Are a heart beat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will be, I will be, I will be free,I will be free

there it goes... well this sort of listening to the song seems like becoming a personal reflection... touching the very essence of my soul, diving to the very depths of my heart and listening to the faintest urge of my soul....

i remember the usual acromym coined by my batchmates W.A.H.A.S.. that seems to be very applicable to this very moment when i ought to go beyond the standards of this faint world... no insecurities... no comparisons... no boundaries... this ideal vision is the real essence of freedom... i always wanted to be free and honestly, i'm struggling to be free from all bonds. luckily, i'm slowly breaking the chains of captivity.

WAHAS... with all heart and soul... we become genuine winnwers in our own respect by seizing every moment of our lives by doing things with all heart and soul... i remember high school days... we can become the very best on our respect without bothering to look at the success of others. sometimes, this leads to insecurity and depression. i honestly experienced these things in the past, but i thought of going beyond and thinking outside the context of insecurity... Why? because i never became mature with that kind of mindset. that was really based on experience.

the answers are all up to us. we all hold the key to our lives. whatever you call yourselves, but let me twll you, you are all responsible for whatever happens to you... thast's being proactive. =D

we rise and fall... no matter what happens go on... never give up... never give up... never give up... this is what i tell myself whenever i stumble or even dumped aside. but it doesen't even matter for me later and sometimes, i laugh at my stupidity during those days...

one moment in time... we all have our dreams, our aspirations and even frustrations. but if we make these moments shine or perhaps make ourselves standout, then obviously, we would surely be where we ought to be.

what more can i say but STAND TALL... remain WAHAS in your own respect and be FREE!!!

-ad majorem dei gloriam-

michael casas =D

semestral break

life flies too fast. imagine one semester is over and nine more to come... well well well that sounds great! but with that fact, won't i be idle during those days... i hope not. oh yes i remember, i am supposed to make a research paper, i repeat, research paper on my own... oh my, this would never totally be a break. Shucks... but it's ok since i also miss the rush of doing a research paper. not to mention the emotional torture.

stop complaining michael, you ought to look at the positive side rather than the negative. ok ok... perhaps, i would make the most out of this so that i could learn more and help the persons concerned... well that is bliss... =D

i will make the most out of this semestral break. and yes, the batch party... i'm so excited about it... =D... but as for now, i have nothing else to do but to keep muself busy making the research paper...


ad majorem dei gloriam (",)

-michael casas

angels fly though they don't have wings...

angels do fly though they don't have wings.... this wonderful insight hit my mind as i was reflecting on my life for the past days. well, i think that for these past days, i am becoming like an angel. why? because i am learning to let go of the burdens that life may bring... well, it feels really good when you don't hold on to any grudes or any problems in your heart. in short, take things lightly in a sense that you don't really get too attached to them.

i really appreciate that these things are coming out from me, because i get to realize that indeed i am getting more mature and more prudent (to some extent) as i grow old.

so the realization that i got from this passage is to lift to the Lord whatever you do or any problems that might come to view. because remember angels fly not necessarily because they have wings, but they fly because they don't have any baggages in their lives...

ad majorem dei gloriam (",)

-michael casas

how to have a happy life

we all have been bombarded with life's questions and preoccupations. more than our efforts to have great lives is a question which probably bothered everyone..."how could we evr be happy?"
this question came acroos my very brain... it was timely, because i have been searching for real fulfillment in my life eversince. well, who doesn't want to experience such an ecstatic feeling. well, i get to find some insightful thoughts from my gray matter.

i realized that being happy is being contented. well, life is too short and anyone would never find hapinnes in looking for the things that you don't have.

secondly, happiness is a subjective matter. it is up to the person if he/she chooses to be happy or remain sad.

third, happiness is not always found in the context of achieving and being rich, but mos t of the time, it is found in humility, sacrificing and giving.

fourth, listening helps. when you want to be happy, listen to the people who has gained more experiences than you do. perhaps listern to your parents or mentors.

fifth, happiness is a state of mind. it is up to you if you entertain or reject the thought.

sixth, responsibility over your actions gives you happiness. it is up to you on how you curtail your freedom or how you overuse it for as long us you face the consequences of your actions. being responsible on anything that you do adds less hassle to your life and gives you more freedom.

finally and most importantly, happiness is found from within. HAPPINESS IS INSIDE OUT. when you are happy inside and feel peaceful within you and you think that nothing bothers you then you should be very happy... most of all you should not forget to thank GOD and ask for blessings from HIM, because HE is the fountain of eternal happiness.

(as i was writing this blog entry, it was like that i am giving a sermon to myself, because actually, i'm still looking for the right definition, the right things and the correct perspective of happiness to dwell on in my living)

restful days....(finally)

after that head breaking examination week, im finally here making another blog entry. at last i could finally rest and make up with the people whom i probably "neglected" because of that hectic exam. finally... but, what's more exciting is the upcoming batch party on October 25. so guys see you there... and let us all enjoy one another. that would be the only time when we would be reunited once more after the graduation day... huhuhu. i don't wnat to remember that tearful day. anyways, everyone enjoy your sem break and make the most out of life...


-ad majorem dei gloriam

living...believing...surviving...and succeeding

oh my goodness... the exam is fast approaching... well it's fine, but really, it is another stressful week. books here and there, they're giving me a headache. but well, what can i do, it's part of every college student's life.

every day, i keep on believing that my efforts would not come to waste. well i think i somehow successful in doing that. believing in whatever you do and believing that you could actually do it are two things which determine the outlook of somone in life.

living and not merely surviving is life's fullfillment. i mean, it feels better if you live in comfort and still acquire the necessary "armor" to face life. it does not always follow that when you give in more, you reap more. you also need to use your head and weigh the consequences of your investment. living for me means making the most of everything that you have. surviving though is groping to live. these are two things that we migh have encountered in one point of our lives. i admit that though i am literally living now, but i'm still struggling to survive from the very hands of uncertainty. i mean, we will all live, but what would happen next? perhaps that's the mystery of life. the power of faith. we live and free ourselves from the bondage of uncertainty with our very faith. as of the moment i am still fortifying my faith in the nurturing environment of ADDU. perhaps, you ought to strengthen your faith too =D.

succeeding is everyman's crown. i attest that every outcome of whatever we do is an evaluation of whatever you have done. but, what really is success? i think it is a word that should be defined individually. we all define success differently, so we all have different perspectives on it.

but behind our every efforts is our GOD!! the hand which guides us everywhere. i testify that once, i was done because of depressions and all, but HE led me to a path which he really palnned for me from the very start. so i tell you let GOD touch you, because HE can do amazing things in your life. take it from me.


-michael casas (",) Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

michael casas: doing things in the tradition of excellence with the LORD

this has been my battlecry since high school, perhaps my life also revolves on this credo. i am thankful and very thankful to God because through the years of my existence, he has been guiding me all along the way. it is so nice that when you put your trust in the LORD, everything goes on smoothly. not to mention my failure in the singapore scholarship interview. it was perhaps 5 months ago. that experience was so painful, i tell you. but, despite the down moments that i've experienced, the "draining" moment was transformed by the LORD as a "crowning" moment. i am now with ateneo de davao. a thing which i was reluctant of accepting, but now, im learning to love and be contented of what i have. GOD is really good all the time, because my dream and strife towards excellence was not successful in that instant. maybe, it was not in the plans of GOD for me. well, indeed im getting more mature...=D. the moral of this passage could be that as we go on with our daily tasks, we ought to be dedicated towards excellence, but we should not expect so much that we forget listening to the voice of GOD who knows best for all of us.

-Michael Casas (",)
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

college life

well, we really have to move on. i don't know but as we move on different levels of life, we experience turbulence which might hamper our growth. that is what its like in college. you have to be busy, even if it seems nonesense, but you have no choice (and i have no choice as well) perhaps all of us. but it does not mean that we have to make ourselves affected. i mean, we have to rise above every situations... get out of that lukewarm water and see the reality in this hot steamy world without losing hope. im actually tired but really, im keeping myself positive (i mean trying to keep myself positive.) that is life, perhaps my story is like your story... but why don't we just pray? nothing is impossible in the LORD remember? oh come on michael, you got to be tough if you wish to be the person whom you wanted to be!

lead me by the hand and make me face the rising sun oh GOD...