Dolly de los Reyes

“I see You, Lord in sorrow and in happiness. I see You in the glory of sweet success. I see You, Lord every hour every day. I can see You, Lord whenever I pray.” I first heard this song three years ago, sweetly sung by a student in the school where I am currently working. I fell in love with the song right away and found myself hastily landing on the world of LSS (Last Song Syndrome). Two years after, it became my favorite song for the Lord. It was when I was struggling to breathe, holding on to dear life for the devastation that those unprecedented circumstances had placed me into.   It has been God’s lullaby to me since then. Apparently, it taught me one thing – to see God in every chapter of my life. Gone were the feel good days when I was safely tucked into my mother’s bosom. Living independently means facing things squarely and bearing the breastplate of courage and willpower. A single tear would prove useless if it means giving up. To whom do I cling to? To God, to my Fath...

“My heart begs for consolation. Papa Lord, please take away this nagging feeling of depression in me.” With a downcast aura, I bent down and cried. Our life’s tribulations come and go, and like ripples of waves on water’s surface, how we react to each situation will most likely determine the outcome of such. I never would have known how emotionally immature I was if not for those trials that used to veer me away from my comfort zone. And as always the case, I got to keep in touch with myself. First impression – I would often receive the feedback of me being cheerful . True, I am. But little do they know that I am pretty normal, someone who isn’t exempted from the pangs of negativities surrounding me. How, then, do I handle toxic emotions? EXPERIENCE – I got everything from here. God sent instruments who had played their roles well during the “trial-and-error” stage. It was never easy, but it was worth the pain. Feel your emotion – This was my life string when I was extremely tried. I...

In one of his teachings, Bro. Arun Gogna, the senior Feast builder of Feast Alabang   (Light of Jesus Family founded by Bo Sanchez), defined success as a means of achieving your dreams while “significance” is helping others achieve their dreams. He shared the secret of all teachers through this quote:  The secret of teaching is to appear that you have learned all your life what you have just learned today. So a teacher teaches with enthusiasm and learns with the students at the same time. The example given was their own marriage. He was a concert director and a very good one at that. That was the reason why their marriage that took place several years ago is still being talked about now. It was perfect; every moment was carefully planned, and everybody felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and the solemnity of their marriage. They were both very happy. A few months after their marriage, several would-be couples approached them and asked for help to make their wedding as go...

When the good do nothing, evil prevails. Talk about harmony. It isn’t much of a big word at present. Murder. Suicide. Corruption. Treason. What else do we have here? Poverty. Destruction. Death. At certain points, we each had come to a halt to ponder on the surrounding chaos. We must have felt a strong urge to act on, to partake of, and to care for our doomed nation. But the harsh reality has always sucked us into the dark vacuum of indifference. “What the heart has conceived, the mind gives birth.” Does this also apply to our supposed active involvement in propagating the change that our country desperately needs? Yes, and it is only in doing so that true change will finally kick in. When the good do small things in every possible way, big results are on their way; the Law of Compounding will surely take effect. We need not belong to the authorities to effect change. We can start right now, regardless of our race, age, gender preference, and status in life. No act is too small if it ...

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.