The Designs

The Advocacy

I did not imagine something like this can and may happen. What i thought to be just a "simple" participation in Spiritual Direction with Fr. Frank Savadera, SJ that started last January 2010 brought out the "fruit" of an advocacy called JOYFULLY HOPEFUL... which he himself coined from the life experiences i initially shared in the earlier part of the encounter.

Sharing my life here would be a long - long story. i would rather state the fact that from the dirt, scratch, loses, pains, etc. i learned to rise... Fr. Frank (i believe) inspired by the Spirit, suddenly stated in one of the sessions we had, "i feel hopeful for you...joyfully hopeful".

And, that's it, i picked up the line in one of my prayer times and attached it to the "accidental talent" that i engaged in during my period of "career inactivity" hahahahha in short...walang trabahao. walang magawa sa buhay kundi mag browse ng internet - t shirt designing with the sayings that have become instrumental (in part) for me to "pick up" again from life.

And so the advocacy called JOYFULLY HOPEFUL was born on March 2010. A prayer was also composed to highlight the said advocacy. With the effort to introduce it to the public, it has slowly gained its momentum through the t shirts that were first released the recent Holy Week (2010)at the Divine Mercy Shrine and Malasag, Cagayan de Oro city. Some were also sold to particular individuals who have appreciated the messages plus the prayer uniquely attached to the shirts. Those who bought including Fr. Frank (actually his idea to attach the prayer) himself, commented that they never found such a style in a shirt.

The recent effort of a medical doctor named Dr. Catherine Verendia (provincial hospital, cdo) who believed in such advocacy brought out a "miracle" through several doctors who have purchased the shirt with the message "DOING GOD'S BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE". She said that the message itself was a challenge to their practice at the hospital. Moreover, it surprised us to receive orders from 2 Muslim doctors who expressed their interest to wear the shirt bearing the same message.

And so the story of the advocacy continues to unfold from the sharing of different individuals whose lives have been touched - from the seller of the shirt last holy week that stated "if not for the shirt, i would have not joined a healing session at the Divine Mercy Shrine"....to a friend that stated "thank you for bringing your spirituality to our family".

Recently, Fr. Frank included the advocacy in his homily at the Carmelite Monastery in CDO, that led to another breakthrough (charing...grabe talaga na partnership....amen!!!)of shirts being sold by bulk through the nuns. And from these the production team (another char char...hahahhah...nang Vangie, ging2, reynante, jr, my sister gina and my honey mike are into an innovative work of creating more new products by contacting suppliers for key chain, mugs, tumblers, and nang vangie doing the bags and a lot, lot more...kahit ano daw pwede pasukan for the apostolate. Amazingly, the team has so much fun creating the products despite some difficulties encountered. The same team serves as the advocacy's prayer "warriors"...amen (para battle ano? hahahhaha)

i thought then, this can't be an accident, right. Well i was presented with an idea from Fr. Frank himself, that there is no such thing as accident in life. There can be reasons for why things happen. And i believe, it just can't be anyone else's reason...but God's...


...and i can't just end this with the last statement above. i feel i can't thank Him enough for my SD Fr. Frank that have patiently guided me towards finding Him that i miss so much all these years. And of course.. i thank Fr. Norlan Julia, SJ that started such assistance last year ...for his warmth and confidence sa akin and who initiated and introduced me to another spiritual director :-) ...

Salamat sa inyo duha ka mga SDs nako heheh...talawan kaayo ko sa una to engage in spiritual direction. Ang galing galing ng Panginoon to send you both to me...my guardian angels dito sa lupa hehehheheh ...Amen.