Dolly de los Reyes

There are a few people who secretly despise me. Why? I really don’t know. They have their own “twisted” reasons, which I am of no interest of digging. Life has been so good to me, not without its trials of course. Let’s just put it this way: A huge boulder of rock comes, but almost after a few moments of struggle, my Father comes to my aid. Then a wave of jubilation comes, and my Father never fails to throw a terrific party. Wow! Totally amazing, isn’t it? The bottom line is pretty simple. Life will always have its crest and trough; how you react to every change is what spells the difference. Would you remain standing tall when the best thing to do is to bow down? Or would you be a wooden canoe that floats along the current of water, but nevertheless serving its purpose? Your life now is yours. Mold it, live it well, but never allow a single day of living it without our Father. Trust that He will give you a heavenly blast.

“Emo ka na naman.” One would jokingly say these words, often inducing laughter that might have not totally reached the eyes. Or so I thought. Day 3, Saturday – I led myself to Function Room 5, which then housed people eager to discover the secrets on how to protect one from emotional hurts. And my, what a crowd! “Too many hurting people, eh?” I told myself. So how does this go, I mean, protecting your being from the pangs of pain? I was led to realize 3 very important secrets, which actually can be the very things that would save us from more pains. 1. Hurt is everywhere. Life is and will always be difficult. That’s plainly simple as it is. But having the courage to go on will spell a big difference. The enemy’s forces will surely be there to knock you out, but God wouldn’t give up fulfilling His agenda for you, because He meant you to: discover your purpose, develop your God-given potentials, and reach your destiny . 2. Hurting to heal. “The only difference between a stepping ...

They’re dead . Who cares? Is it my fault that they be buried in the filthy land of the unfortunate? They’re gone . So what? Do I have to shed a tear to show the world they’re dear? We’ve lost precious lives. But we didn't know them whose lives no one remembers. But they’re our brethren. Oh really? I’ve known no family since I was ten. Lend a hand, reach out. My hands are full. Can’t you see I’m busy? Fool! Show the world you care! Ha, ha! You have the guts. Well, you’re driving me nuts. Step up. Open up! I’ve always been closed So leave and perturb me not. The world needs you. No! Your lies are yours Deceitful, the world’s for sure.

Damn! Why should I even bother? Why not leave me in peace? The hell with this conscience! Leave me to rot and perturb me not anymore… never! The Conscience… The mind… The ailing heart… The cause of deep pain and humiliation, known only to you, to your friend , and to God. You could have done something. You could have answered her call. You could have excused yourself from the party. You could have given, maybe could have given, just a few minutes of your precious time. Oh! Your boyfriend could have waited. You could have left the smoky room and gave her your full attention. She could have at least clung to a thin thread of hope, which she might have seen swinging on your upper limbs. She could have at least felt a surge of peace, even just for a few seconds, and could have eradicated that morbid thought away from her clouded mind. You knew it. You sensed it. But you didn't pay attention, thought she was just exaggerating things, jealous perhaps of the happy life you have, and w...

August 31, 2013 - A day of indescribable joy : that spells a day of visit at Grace to Be Born. We arrived on the place with our usual aura of cheerfulness. This time was a treat from the birthday celebrator, a dear friend, whose noble cause is to celebrate her birthday at Grace to Be Born. I honestly thought of it as another ordinary visit (my 3rd time), but I was wrong. After visiting the angels (the cute babies in the nursery room), we eagerly gathered at the receiving area where mothers armed with beaming smiles awaited for us. What made it extra special was the little sharing that followed. We went there to share whatever blessing we had, but it turned out to be a completely different story. It was these mothers, the surviving and strong mothers, who evangelized us. Basically starting from scratch, they all have one dream – to rise with head up high and eventually succeed to provide the best possible life for their little one. It was the courage, the determination, t...

(A soliloquy written 3 years ago) “You can do it." "No, I can’t!” See? That is how I deal with myself. Confusions, struggles, headaches nag me everyday. I’ve been serving God for 7 years. I started with the Charismatic Renewal Movement community when I was in my 3rd year in college. When I moved to Manila, I was ushered to join the Singles for Christ community. Now, I’m a happy member of the Light of Jesus community, founded and headed by Bro Bo Sanchez himself. The road I am taking is clearly the path that I have chosen. But it doesn’t end there. Am I a happy person? Yes, I am. But it’ll take a long way for me to proudly announce to the world that I am 100% contented with my life now. The root is simple but deadly. SIN. Like a wingless butterfly, I am crippled. My heart has been in anguish for a long time. I don’t know how and why I entered into this state. Deep in my heart, I know that God is the lone answer. But still I cannot bring myself to tota...

It came out quite unexpectedly. A friend of mine invited me for an outreach and I readily said “Yes!” Little did I know that what I was expecting to experience was just a mere part of what’s going to be unfolded that day.   We arrived at Grace to Be Born at 8 AM (June 22, 2013). Full of enthusiasm, we started the day with a brief meeting with the institution’s founder – Tito Rey Ortega. Hearing him passionately talk about his mission of caring for the uncared is enough reason to drive one out of his comfort zone and make one want to serve these people. And we all sat mesmerized with his noble work. What is Grace to Be Born? It is an institution which started from a simple idea of taking the initiative to help the world. In what way? Through making unwed pregnant women shun away from the very idea of abortion. The occurrence of aborted babies has been rising statistically, and this had left an impact in the heart of Rey Ortega – the founder. An ordinary man with a big hea...