Wholly Week Special: Free-day

Friday of Holy Week has been traditionally called Good Friday or Holy Friday. On this day, the church commemorates Jesus’ arrest, his trial, crucifixion and suffering, death, and burial. This is said to be the day that Jesus died and left us in this physical world. Some devotees even believed that physical activities that may put one’s safety at risk such as driving or even allowing the kids to play outside are not allowed today for Christ is not there to guide us.

Given these beliefs, we could say that man on this day is left alone, with his master away there’s nobody to watch upon him; in short man can be said to be free.

This is the type of freedom that we’ll be talking about today in relation to our “Free”day special. Continue reading

Wholly Week Special: ‘Tears’-day

This Thursday, we’ll be reflecting on one of the most striking emotions that we humans possess – our ability to cry.

Had there ever been a time in your life when you get the feeling of being overwhelmed? That even when life is good, the stresses and strains of every day ups and downs take its toll on you? But then you are not doing anything about it, but just to suck it up and carry on, as if nothing’s wrong?

Have you ever felt that your load is too heavy yet there ain’t nothing you can do to lighten it up? Or somebody to help you carry it through? Ever felt that nobody cares for you? That you’re all alone in this?

More often than we realized, these realities happened at one or more point in our lives. And the best solution to all of these shits? Yes – it is crying. Continue reading

Wholly Week Special: Weeds-day

Now that we’ve already established the beginning of man and reflected what it means to have our God given freedom, we’ll now delve into how we exercise this freedom in relation to how we judge others around us. We’ll be reflecting on our lives here on earth amidst the weeds that surrounds us, the weeds that could be your enemy, your friend, your lover, or you, yourself.

We’ll begin by reflecting on one of the most popular parables of today, the Parable of the Weeds.

The Parable of the Weeds

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Wholly Week Special: Choose-day

Yesterday we’ve begun our ‘Wholly’ Week Special with a post entitled ‘Man’day, just in time for starting our Holy Monday right.

Here, we’ve talked about the beginning of man (where the blog title ‘Man’day originated) and discussed how our characteristics are a reflection of God’s image as we are created like Him. All that we have, our talents and abilities, our senses and faculties, our strengths and weaknesses comes from Him, and it is just but proper to use these gifts for His greater glory.

Now that we’ve set the stage of the beginning of man, it is now time to proceed with the next element that man is in possession of, something that could either make or break our relationship with our Creator – our freedom. Continue reading

Wholly Week Special: ‘Man’day

Yesterday’s Passion Sunday, more popularly known as Palm Sunday, commemorated the beginning of week-long Filipino tradition of celebrating the Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross.

To live out our Lent fruitfully, I’ve created this Wholly Week Special series of posts. Why ‘wholly’? Because the daily posts that you’ll be reading starting today have an end goal of making you ‘whole’ once again by the end of the week.

Since it’s a Monday, and April has just started, I find it a perfect time to introduce to you my latest blog page – Pray. This post will mark the beginning of another category of my adventures. This is a new challenge for me as I’m new to writing spiritual posts, from my usual travel write-ups. But hopefully you’ll be with me, as He with us, and together we’ll trek this new path of adventure.

Continue reading

The Liebster Blog Award: Adventuroj’s First Blog Award

Adventuroj Wons the Liebster Blog Award!

My ‘Sun’day turned into a ‘sun’nier one when I got the news – my blog got nominated for a blog award!

Adventuroj Wons the Liebster Blog Award!

I just started blogging this year out of my whimsical desire to share my adventures to my friends, family, and adventurers alike. I’d like to share to them my travels, my destinations, and my dream to visit all provinces of the Philippines and of course, the world.

I have no intent to blog to brag. For me blogging is my way of giving back to the blessings that I’ve received over the years. Blogging provides me an opportunity to promote the happiness of others.

It’s already rewarding enough for me to get a page view, a like, a comment, or perhaps a word or two from an acquaintance thanking me for inspiring them. But a blog award? I say, it’s one of the best gifts a blogger could receive!

So today I’d like to share to you my first ever blog award – the Liebster Blog Award! Continue reading

Letting Go: Don’t Look Back in Anger

There comes a time, in every relationship and journey where all the work is doing, all the trying is done, all the effort has been made – and they only choice we have is to let go.

It’s been said before: we are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. And the more I step outside my little bubble of the TDL writing room and meet people, and see people, and feel people and hear people, the more I see that there is a collective story that if we can just get it right, that we will be enough, and when we are enough, we will FINALLY get the love, significance and joy that we want so much.

But that just ain’t how it is. Continue reading

Nightfall at Paseo del Mar and the Musical Fountain

Paseo del Mar and Fort Pilar at Night

Facing the scenic Basilan strait, Paseo del Mar is a seafront park located near Fort Pilar.

City Sundown

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Get Wet in Pink: Sta Cruz Island (aka The Pink Island), Zamboanga City

On our second day, we went on a morning trip to the famous pink sand beach of the Santa Cruz islands. To think that this parcel of Paradise is just 10 minutes away from the city proper … who wouldn’t dare visit it?

Since there were only the four of us and one boat (which could hold a maximum of 12 pax) costs 1,000php, we decided to join with another group. Beforehand you also need to list yourselves at the Tourism office for the trip as they will be providing a military escort to your group. I think this is because of the abductions and kidnappings many years back in the island (it was also because of this event that the Pink Island’s popularity waned). Continue reading

Looking Back: A Visit at Fort Pilar and the National Museum of Zamboanga City

Just before sunset, we’ve decided to complete our historical visit at Zamboanga City by taking a peek at the Fort Pilar and the National Museum.

Fort Pilar

Founded in 1635 as a garrison during the Spanish period, Fort Pilar serves as a present day open-air shrine. Originally named as La Fuerza Real de San Jose, the fort is named after and dedicated to Our Lady of the Pilar, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga. Continue reading