I Don't Know His Name...Only His Choice

" ⁴¹ "I don't need praise from people. ⁴² But I know you—I know that you don't have God's love in you.⁴³ I have come from my Father and speak for him, but you don't accept me. But when another person comes, speaking only for himself, you will accept him.⁴⁴ You try to get praise from each other, but you do not try to get the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe?" ~ John 5:41-44 (NCV)



Scanning the list of items I needed to get yesterday from Trader Joe’s, I grabbed a couple of cartons of eggs and as I turned saw a familiar stance. I still didn’t know his name but I thought of beating him first in saying “Hello.”

Crouched on the floor as he stocked some more dairy items, I tapped his right shoulder.

“Hi! Happy New Year to you!”

A little surprised at first, he finally showed his warm smile and greeted me back with enthusiasm.

When our short exchange of communication ended, I waved and left him still stocking all those items on the bottom shelf.

“Have a nice day!” I hollered. Without mentioning his name.

It all started this way.

I love shopping at Trader Joe’s. Oftentimes, I make my list every week and try to get the items that I just need for our family’s weekly meals. Until one time, I heard…

“Hi Angie! How are you today?” he greeted as I was taking some bananas. He had a smile the whole time.

I looked around me. The other shoppers were a little too far from where I was and where he was glancing.

I smiled back at him. He stopped smiling and the expression was replaced with a kind that seemed to wonder. Wonder why I never said “Hello” back but just a smile.

With the following trip early one morning, I was examining some frozen fishes from the freezer when I heard the familiar voice yelling, “Hi Angie! How are you?”

I looked up to see it was “him” again. I smiled back. Then he got quiet again.

On the third trip, with my cart filled with all the grocery items I needed from my list that day, I happened to spot an empty line for a cash register.

“Hi Angie! Did you get everything you need today?”

Photo Credit

It was “him” ringing the shoppers’ items.

I started laughing softly much to his surprise.

“I’m so sorry.” I started apologizing as I continued to laugh.

“You always say “Hi” to me and I always just smiled at you because I wasn’t sure who you were referring to every time. I’m not “Angie”. My name is “R.”

He joined my laughter with his.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I thought you were Angie. From now on, I won’t say a name. I’ll just say ‘Hello’.”

“That’s okay. You know one thing?”

“The most important thing is that you never fail to say “Hi” not only to me but to anyone who enter the doors. Thank you.” I uttered as he handed me the long receipt of what I just paid for.

I don’t know his name even today as I type this story. But I know the choice he makes when it comes to shoppers at that Trader Joe’s. He chooses to always give them a warm smile as he greets each and every one and he always asks if we need anything else.

As we closed the door to 2011 and welcome the very first day of another year, it is the choices we have to make each day in 2012 that will determine the outcome by the end of this year. One can be wise in making the right choices and be infants for those evil things. That is...if he or she chooses to...What's on your list for 2012?

Re-tracing My Steps

As another year starts peeking through the windows of the changing seasons, my heart is settled with the thought of not looking forward and hoping for what is to come for another round of 365 days. My pen remained at rest in the drawer and perhaps, will stay that way and not write the goals I want to achieve that either are short-lived or forgotten by the middle part of the year.

As it has been almost a year now that I was being given a hard time at my workplace when it comes to my position as a Correctional Nurse, there is no new road except for me to learn more patience each day and remain focused on just One Road...Jesus'... I know that the process of defending myself is long. But I opted from day one to challenge the decisions made by those who held higher positions and expose the unfair treatments and practices that have been going on and unknown by oblivious eyes who don't work there.

As 2012 comes, I choose to instead look back and re-trace my steps I had taken in my life journey. Where wounds were given, I choose to forgive and heal. Where injustices seemed to have been done, I choose to remain patient and let God does His intervention. Where lies were hurled, I choose to bring them into His truth. Where I had fallen, I choose to see His never failing commitment to always stick by my side and His quick actions of always reaching out to help me get up again and again(I know already that I won’t be able to count those times).

The prison is a very dark place and so is this world. One thing that stands out as I start to re-discover and take some steps back, it is God’s love that has always been my place of refuge and safety with this darkness that surrounds me. I know it’s not only me who has gone through so many trials. I know some of you have gone through the most difficult treks that are hard to endure. But I invite you to re-trace your steps as 2012 comes and I pray that you will discover deep in your hearts that He is truly there for each of us, strengthening us, comforting us, healing us, and saving us. I pray that as we discover His goodness, then we will emerge even stronger, braver, and with renewed strength as we face whatever comes our way this 2012.

When the first day of 2012 comes, I don’t know what will happen but He does. So, Who better to trust but Jesus Who knows it all: past, present and future! Then, I know…in Him there is security…

“²¹ Remember, God is the One who makes you and us strong in Christ. God made us his chosen people.²² He put his mark on us to show that we are his, and he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised.” – 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 (NCV)

May God’s richest blessings be upon you all and Happy New Year to all of you friends!!! Thank you for your love, prayers and friendship...

We Were Not Just Co-Workers

"Come with me Rcubes," invited the supervisor who had to leave early and upon my workmates and my insistence for her to leave after receiving a frightful phone call.She needed to go straight to the hospital where her father had been in for many months now and not doing well.

"Would you please give this to Nurse E. and Nurse H. and oh!" as she grabbed a small package filled with goodies I could tell she made, "This is for you..."

"Oh...Nurse C., you don't have to do that but thank you."

"Yes, I do...You always bring stuff."

"Drive safely C. and please, let us know if we can help you with anything. Be strong."

She took a few steps closer to me and with the freezing atmospheric breaths blowing upon us, she initiated a hug.

Careful not to be taken as a special favor when I first walked into the Clinic, I gave her the same chocolate candies I had ready for everyone working with me last night. As I had been going through a tough battle against many people in higher positions, I was careful not to treat her as if I wanted a favor from her, being one of our supervisors.

"Merry Christmas!" as she got up and gave me the first hug inside the Infirmary.

She had been calling in sick a lot. When I first heard about her father being very sick in the hospital, it brought many mem'ries of my own as my father was longing to go Home after being diagnosed with Colon Cancer. I could imagine the physical and mental toll this illness had not only on her father but on herself. She was one of our supervisors. Tired of those supervisors who backstabbed their own crew, she was careful not to do that. I remembered she would talk about her oldest son and how he would pray whenever something went wrong. There were nights when we were not too busy and she spoke about the Bible and God and spiritual enemies.

I let my cautious walls around me fell apart as she approached me with open arms after instructing me about her gifts.

"Merry Christmas again and I pray that you will remain strong," I uttered as I enveloped my arms around her.

And in that short flash of moment, I knew we both had let our differences disappear.

Yes, we differed in so many ways and sometimes even clashed with our attitudes. But one thing remained true, we were both in need of strength, hope, peace and joy in our hearts despite the many trials we encounter. The kind that only would come from God. The gifts from the Father we both knew and loved and Who found us both when we were walking astray at one point in our lives. She knew my battle. I knew hers.

There we were in the well-lit staff parking, as if time froze on us and I knew our hearts both felt the comfort and strength and sincere love that only would come from being a part of God's family. It might be just a "simple hug" but we knew that it became a source of strength and comfort knowing we were not alone in our battles.  Suddenly, I didn't see her as a supervisor anymore as she said "Bye." And with the tone of her voice, I knew she didn't treat me as just a "co-worker below her."

I just knew...our bond was more evident. The bond of unity that only would come from God's merciful hands. We were not just co-workers. We were sisters in Christ's family.

May You Be Distracted By A Child

My oven stayed cool, the door unopened and without any fallen flour dusts. I haven’t baked anything sweet this season. Some loved ones and friends already received the gifts we had given them. Gifts that were not rushed in forms of gift cards and good pastries bought from a nearby-bakery shop. Except for a few fishes my husband and I made with labor. I cleaned the fishes as he chopped the veggies and mix everything and cooked everything, only to be stuffed back into the fish. With the back side sewn, then pan fried with just a dab of oil. Some friends liked it that we opted to give them these as gifts from our kitchen.

As we remember the coming of our Lord Jesus, I pray that many who don’t know Him would be distracted by the “birth of the child”, instead of the distractions of this world. From our home to yours, Merry Christmas friends and may God bless you all richly!


"18 This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.19 Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.20 While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.21 She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet,23
A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel (which means,
God is with us).

24 So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to.25 But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus." - Matthew 1:18-25 (GNT)