This blog post was supposedly for the end of the year where I write everything about what I am thankful for in 2021 but apparently, the Lord has different plans. Haha, #TyphoonOdette happened and there was a provincial blackout and zero signal all over Cebu for a few weeks.  Now I'm back in the city, and thankfully the power, water supply, and internet are back on this side of the island. Praise God!

The past year made a chaotic exit but I know that the Lord, who orchestrates everything according to His wisdom, has everything under His control. It was an ugly end for most of us here but to me, the year has also brought so many beautiful things that molded and taught me to be better.

One of the "items" on my #2021GratitudeList is my roommate Kiking aka Frances aka Avegail. :D 

I remembered it was January last year when we officially became roommates. It was only the two of us back then. I had no expectations but I was praying that we would at least get along. Expectedly, there were many adjustments and probably also silent complaints from both of us HAHAHA but I was perfectly content with our set-up and wouldn't want it another way.

It has been a year and I have already said my thank yous to Kiking during our last discipleship time but I feel like she deserves to be honored publicly. I wish I could put everything my heart would want to in this post but obviously, I can't, so I'm gonna put it on a bullet list instead.  

  • I am thankful that Kiking was there in my first year of trying to be independent and I had somebody to discuss bills and budgeting. Lol.
  • I have a handful of trusted friends but I am thankful that I have somebody I can talk to any time of the day at home. I can't count how many times we've cried-laugh-cried over random things haha
  • I have a tendency to be so comfortable at my table with my face on my laptop the entire time and I would just take a break to eat/sleep - this would be my routine every day but I am thankful that from the very beginning, Kiking would stop by the room, sit on the floor and talk to me just about anything. 
  • In connection to the previous one, I am thankful that my roommate likes to cook and invent snacks. A lot of times she would bring me random food/drinks while I work. I have captured some of them below:








  • Lastly, I am thankful that the Lord has put it in our hearts to intentionally sit down week by week to talk and catch up. We may be together 24/7 (were blessed to be allowed to work from home) but it really is different when we both set apart a time away from work and phone to share about our week and study the Bible together. By God's grace, we were able to finish Colossians this year and I'll be putting some of our takeaways from each session. It's going to be a long list. Are you ready?




Colossians taught us...
  • To pray for each other and pray for our church
  • That because we are saved, it should compel us to pray more
  • That apart from the Spirit of God, it is impossible for us to understand the message of the cross
  • That Christ is the Lord of Creation. He is the Maker and the Upholder of all things in the universe
  • That because everything is made by Him, the goal of creation is to worship and bring glory to His Name.
  • That because Jesus is above all things, we should place the things that we care/worry about in Him - family, future, etc.
  • That God sustains all His creations and nothing can take them away from Him
  • That Jesus does not only bear God's glory but everything that God is, dwells in Him. He is fully God so the power, wisdom, Spirit, and everything else about God are in Jesus.
  • That God has saved us from darkness and so we are to live our lives in the light of the Gospel
  • That we are redeemed and so we are to walk as redeemed people (in obedience to God's Word)
  • That there are a lot of false teachers during Paul's time (and even up to our time) and so he warns about them. Some were claiming to have access to the mysteries of God's truth but Paul insists God's mystery is Christ and all understanding can only be found in Him.
  • That we should be careful about who we listen to - may it be preachers/ teachers, etc
  • That the false teachers were telling a heresy that in order to grow and have a deeper relationship with God, you have to observe some religious practices. However, Paul made it clear that it is only by "holding fast to the Head, who is Christ," that we are able to grow with a growth that comes from God.
  • That strategies and fun activities are not evil but if we want to see growth, we have to preach Christ. 
  • That anything and anyone that takes away our devotion to Christ is an idol and idolatry is a sin against God. 
  • That whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
  • That wives are called to submit to their husbands as fitting in the Lord while the husbands are called to love their wives and not be harsh with them. Children are also to honor their parents. 
  • To walk in wisdom especially towards outsiders/unbelievers 
  • To let our speech be always gracious 

So these are some of the learnings that I can put here.  I'd like to keep the rest for the both of us because some were too personal. Hihi

My gratitude list is quite long but this especially deserves a space here. I am excited to start a new book with Kiking this year and I hope she is too haha. We are currently apart since the typhoon but once she gets back, we are gonna plan for our next discipleship session. 

That's it for now. Thanks for reading up until here. :) 
Posting these photos of us from each week hehe 
 







ps: we try to have drinks each time to keep us from being sleepy lol sometimes Kiking makes them but if nakaluwag-luwag, mag-order. Tip: Dapat i-timing after sweldo ang meeting. char no char Hahaha




See you around. - N