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| After my surgeries, I thought to myself, "I need to serve God."
Now, I don't necessarily think this is a BAD thing to think, but it can lead to dangerous events and can be especially dangerous for my spiritual health.
"Serve." Like Martha in the bible leads to bad things.
Luke 10:38-42
At the Home of Martha and Mary 38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
See, when I make serving an Idol, I lose sight of
Jesus.
I forget that He's even in the room. It's also almost an insult to God as if He can't make the angels come down and do the preparations. Here's the thing that Jesus says that really stands out to me: ONE THING is needed.
What is that ONE THING?
Martha is DISTRACTED by everything going on around her and it even leads to ANGER and I would say, jealousy towards her sister, Mary.
What is that ONE THING?
Personally for me, God is teaching me how to receive Love. Freely receive in order to freely give. You can't give until you've received.
Receiving Love by sitting down at His feet, listening, praying, worship... and just Be.
Just Be Carla being intimate with Jesus by spending quality time and letting Him care and love you. Be Carla who is honest with Him and able to say anything to God.
What is that one thing?
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| A story about race.By Carla A.
Inspired by Kellie H.
In the playground it was an unspoken rule, but I knew what he meant when he asked me, "Are you Filipino?"
I said, "Yes," and they took me in, but even then, I was in a different category. Filipino to him meant Tagalog, and I'm not Tagalog, I'm Visaya. But because I used to live in Manila, I spoke his tongue and they let me in.
In the playground, I wanted to dance with the black kids and I wanted to learn how to move my hips. So I asked and they taught me. I learned how to move my shoulders and when I showed the Filipino group, they grew jealous, they grew mad, and I was placed in a different box.
They tried to put me in a box because I was Filipino, but not quite Filipino. I started to forget how to speak Visaya and Taglog in order to survive. My mother said, "Practice. Just speak English."
My teachers kept asking, "Do you understand?" And I did, but sometimes I didn't, and I didn't know who or what I was supposed to be. I don't know, hindit ko alum.
I was American, but not quite American so my teachers tried to place me in a box. The teacher asked me, "How are you, Carla?" and I said nothing. I said nothing because I was shy, but I also didn't want to answer a stupid question because she wouldn't understand what I meant by feeling misunderstood. She pretended she cared, but I heard her whisper to another, "I don't think she speaks English. She should repeat her grade."
Then she sent me back to second grade.
I was happy because I liked second grade and they took me to English as a Second Language (ESL), and fed me ice cream. They saw I was smart so they told me I couldn't go back to ESL, but I wanted ice cream, so I pretended I couldn't speak English and they let me take the class one more time. Finally they saw, I was too smart and I knew how to speak their tongue - English.
Then I saw I could be friends with people that didn't have to be Filipino and I liked it better that way. I hated being in a box of Filipinos so I stepped out of the box that they placed me in, and learned about another skin and another skin. When we moved to new school, I was surrounded by white lilies who asked me, "Are you Chinese or Japanese?" And I said, "I'm Filipino." And they didn't like my answer.
They wanted something they could understand.
I never felt beautiful because everyone had white skin, but me. We moved again and I didn't feel beautiful in New Mexico either. In New Mexico, they wanted my skin to be white too in order to be friends. So I had one friend, her name was Elena, and she made me feel like a person. We shared secrets. In New Mexico, my mom remarried a white American man and I didn't understand who he was and if he would love a Filipino child.
In Japan, I was fourteen and I wore a long jean skirt and everyone starred at me. I tried to speak to three girls during lunch, but they turned their backs. So I went to the bathroom and
wept.
I met Amber during picture day and I boldly asked her a question, "How should I smile?" Amber was beautiful with her beautiful white skin and she said, "I don't know."
One day, before lunch, she waited by my locker. My heart jumped. She wanted to be my friend. A beautiful white lily wanted to be my friend. She didn't care that I was Filipino.
She walked me to her table of friends, girls of different colors. I sat at the table and no one asked me the question, "What are you?"
Instead, I was just Carla. Carla, eating lunch with new friends.
In high school, I was in AP English and I got A's and the teacher said, "You speak English very well." In my mind I heard, "I would never expect you to speak and write English because you're Chinese, Japanese... whatever you are."
Those little boxes that limit who I am in standardized testing, White American, African American, Asian, Pacific Islander... boxes. I don't know, I forget, hindit ko alum. But now, I've finally found a place where I am not judged by my skin, my culture, my English... in Jesus, I am loved. Simply as I am. He is healing me.
No box, no questions, just Jesus accepting me as I am no matter what.
And I'm not going to end this story. Because it doesn't have an end. It's still a journey for me, finding out the meaning of beauty, who I am, and where I belong. But at least I've found the only One who matters and the One that always accepts me as I am. | | |
| The proposal.A lot of my classmates are getting married and I feel like I am watching a movie of marriages. I was talking to my big sister, Jamie, and I was thinking about proposals and what I would do if I was a man and I had to propose.
Here's what I would do. (If a man is reading this, maybe you can use it for your future wife?)
I would choose a cute bookstore or an intimate coffee shop with books or a nice library. I would pick her favorite book or your favorite book. I would tie the ring with a pretty ribbon and make it like a bookmark. Then put the "ring bookmark" inside a meaningful page in the book. Then I would tell her something along the lines of, "Let's go on an adventure to find this book. We need to find this book, etc."
It should be an amazing page, perhaps a poem like, "i carry your heart," by ee cummings or a novel with romantic lines... or maybe a letter written by you inside a page of her/your favorite book.
She opens it, reads it, gets the ring, then you get down on your knees to ask (you have to kneel, it's a must, tradition, and a beautiful symbol of commitment), and you ask her, "[Name insert here,] will you marry me?"
Of course, if it was for me, I would like it to be more detailed than just that one line. Maybe something along the lines of,
"Carla, we've been friends for [insert here.] When I am with you I [etc.]
Carla, I don't have the answers to everything. I can't "fix" your problems or your "life." Only Jesus can, but what I do know is this. I love you. I love you not only with my heart, but a purpose. I want our marriage to serve a purpose, to love each other, but most importantly, for our marriage to love God and others.
Carla, I don't have the answer to everything and there will be days when we drive each other crazy. There will be days when you'll want to leave or I'll want to leave. You can't trust me, but you can trust Jesus inside of me. It is only with His help that our relationship can grow and stay together.
I want our relationship to serve a purpose, for God, for others, not just ourselves. I won't be your knight in shining armor, but I will be your friend. I will pray with you. I'll run the race with you. We will run together, towards God's heart. We will help each other get closer to God, and help each other get to Heaven.
Carla, I don't know what the future will hold, but I do know this. We need God in our relationship. I don't know everything, but I do know this, I want to be where you are.
I can't heal you. Only Jesus can do that. But I can love you as best as I can with His help. I won't love you just with words, but with action. To be patient and to be kind. I want to choose every single day to say yes to God and to choose every single day to say yes to you as my wife.
I can't fix you, but I want to be where you are. I want to wake up next to you as your friend and as your husband. First, we are God's. And second, we are His gift to each other.
Marry me, Carla, and it will be our adventure. Together." | | |
| Lyrics.The World
Artist: Brad Paisley
To the teller down at the bank
You're just another checking account
To the plumber that came today
You're just another house
At the airport ticket counter
You're just another fare
At the beauty shop at the mall
Well you're just another head of hair
Well that's alright, that's ok
If you don't feel important, honey
All I've got to say is
[Chorus]
To the world
You may be just another girl
But to me
Baby, you are the world
To the waiter at the restaurant
You're just another tip
To the guy at the ice cream shop
You're just another dip
When you can't get reservations
'Cause you don't have the clout
Or you didn't get an invitation
'Cause somebody left you out
That's alright, that's ok
When you don't feel important honey
All I've got to say is
[Repeat chorus]
You think you're one of millions but you're one in a million to me
When you wonder if you matter, baby look into my eyes
And tell me, can't you see you're everything to me.
- God.
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| Cairo Trip. I NEED YOUR HELP! Help Carla and people in need at the same time. Send Carla to Africa! I am planning on going to Cairo this summer to love Cairo, the largest city in Africa and the Arab World.
Please pray, support, and give financially.
I am responsible for raising $3700 by May 15th to cover the expenses of my trip. Prayerfully consider giving $50, $100 or more, depending on your own budget and God’s leading. I am very aware that many of you are college students, and that you are all affected by the economic situation here. However, please consider that the people we will be working with struggle everyday just to pay for food, water and medical services. Every little bit counts, even if it is just $10, that money will go a long way.
An estimated 500,000 Sudan refugees have come to Cairo seeking asylum. They come fleeing the decades-long civil war in their homeland, hoping to be relocated in the United States, Britain, or Australia. Along with facing harassment and persecution, their time in Cairo is often marked by a lack of access to necessary resources such as health care and education.
The team and I will serve Sudanese refugees. During the mornings, we will volunteer at Sudanese summer schools, aiding the teachers in their classrooms. We will also give food and clothing to refugees that have just entered the country. In the evenings we will teach English to the adults. I will be leaving on June and it's coming up fast! I need your help to get there.
Please make your Check payable to: I.V.C.F. Put my name in the memo section and send it to
Carla Alo-Cabalquinto
824 W. A St.
Moscow, Id, 83843
Some of you have asked this and there is a way to donate online by May 15!
I'll take your through the process...
First go to www.intervarsity.org/donate
then click on Credit Card,
next type my name: Carla Alo-Cabalquinto
The rest is self explanatory! :)
Thank you so much for your gift which will bless so many Sudanesse while I am in Cairo!!
I will keep you updated.
Love,
Carla
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." ~ Mother Teresa
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.” - Margaret Mead | | |
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I recent published a poetry book called Words Have Flavors, (Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, etc). After my brain surgeries, I decided that life is too short, why not follow your biggest dream?
I am in love with Jesus. I am in a relationship with Him. It's not about religion and [a box full of rules], but loving and being loved by Jesus. When you're in a relationship, you talk to each other, you spend time together, you get mad at each other, He sees you when you're ugly, but He still loves you anyways. Jesus hang out with the outcast, the prostitutes, the "sinners," and I have finally accepted His gift on that cross. Jesus died for my sins because He loves me. He laid down His life with His own freewill for His children. He had the power to lay down His life and the POWER to take it back up again! He rose from the dead! His love is unfailing, constant, and pure and there is no one on earth like Him.
I love how one minute can change your life... Check out: One Minute.
I am learning how to play the guitar. Song I am currently learning: Falling Slowly
You can tell a lot about a person with what they like to read. I recently finished: Jesus With Dirty Feet by Don Everts and it was AMAZING!
I believe Singlehood is a GIFT. It's a time to become closer to God, learn more about your purpose in life, and to give and serve others with your time.
Favorites: Sushi anytime anywhere, converse shoes while wearing a dress, and taking nice long naps on a Friday.
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