What Moves the Earth?

Early this morning, as I made my routine visit to our vegetable garden, a little prayer kept running in my mind: 

"Please, Lord, help the seeds to sprout. I have no life to give them but You are the Source of all life."

I knelt low and checked the radish and pechay seedbed, and lo and behold, some seeds have already begun to sprout. One here and a couple there. Amazed and grateful, I drew even closer and saw the teeny tiny crack in the teeny tiny seed, where a white-yellowish stem had come through and struck root in the soil. And then the thought:

“But I buried that seed!” Not very deep, of course, but deep enough to cover it entirely. Now the seed has emerged to the surface, having pushed away the soil above it.

I look around at all the vegetables and flowers and the big trees. They all started this way and have continued this way - moving the earth by simply reaching higher and wider and deeper.

So what moves the earth, really?

In the garden today I realized: growth.

The development of all our powers is the first duty we owe to God and to our fellow men. No one who is not growing daily in capability and usefulness is fulfilling the purpose of life. In making a profession of faith in Christ we pledge ourselves to become all that it is possible for us to be as workers for the Master, and we should cultivate every faculty to the highest degree of perfection, that we may do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable. Christ’s Object Lessons, 329.2

How to Make a "Teambuilding" Activity Super Fun

A rundown of tips to have a fun (ehem!) teambuilding activity with the youth, like we had yesterday at the beach:

1. If someone suggests that you hold a recreation/get-together/teambuilding activity somewhere special, agree with all your heart. Our getaway plan was Elleyse's idea, and we love it.

2. Set a date. For best results, set the date to tomorrow.

3. Plan, but not too much. Just agree on two things: (1) assembly time, and (2) to text one another.

4. Invite people. If they don't come, see Tip #10.

5. On the agreed date, meet up and head to your fun destination. If the said destination doesn't turn out to be as nice as you thought...

6. Go somewhere else. More fun if you don't know exactly where that "somewhere else" is so you have the opportunity to take "lost" photos of yourselves. Important: Don't forget to update late participants about your current and still-changing locations.

7. While lost, keep your eyes out for potential venues. For example, an old, rusty gate, with a view of the beach and a sign that says "Inquire." 

8. Set up food and drinks. These are things that you didn't actually plan on bringing (because Tip #3), but you're hoping at least one of you thought about it. :D

9. Play charades. Especially about the people who were supposed to be there but aren't. (haha. don't worry guys, we were nice... mostly.)

10. Take lots of pictures. For documentation and to make people from Tip #4 jealous so that next time they'll know better and join you.

11. Play games that make you look silly. No photo example of this in action. We were too busy holding our tummies in painful laughter. :D

and final tip...

12. On your way home, laugh a lot and excitedly talk about next week's "teambuilding" activity. And this time, do better than Tip #3.

Highland Getaway: Epol Spring Resort

You know how sometimes you have to get yourself really tired just so you could relax? That was exactly what happened to us when we decided to take a break from work and drive up to the mountainside to enjoy nature.

Epol Spring Resort is about an hour and a half drive away from our suburban home in Davao City. On the way we decided to pick our friend Sam up from his home. And we found him high up on a tree, pruning its leaves!

Many minutes later, we arrived at the entrance excited and found out that the spring and waterfall was still a 300-meter hike down the hillside. We paid the entrance fee of Php 7.00 per person, plus Php 30.00 for the cottage, and a parking fee of Php 10.00 for the motorcycle and Php 20.00 for the car.

The hike was muddy and steep, and for a moment there, all we could think of was the hike back up. 
 
Now it turns out that it’s actually free to enjoy the spring and waterfall, and the seven-peso fee was for the use of the path which cut across private property. About halfway through the hike, the path crossed another person’s property, so we had to pay another Php 7.00. That makes a total of Php 14.00 per person.

There was also a safe-to-drink, flowing, all natural water spout right by the path.


And then, finally, a view of the waterfall, which was gorgeous and very very inviting.


We had a quick lunch and dove into the ice-cold water. And by “dove in,” I mean literally “dove in." 

I hurt the soles of my feet the first time I jumped into the water. But the experience was so worth it I jumped in twice more.

I also wrapped my phone in plastic to bring under the waterfall so I could take pictures and show everyone at home what it looked like.


And the view from above the falls…

Jade almost didn't get these photos right. Her hands were shaking from the cold.

Nature is always beautiful. Now, to hike back up. haha


On the way home, we stopped by Golden Gate Adventure Resort, which offers mountain treks, a zipline, and a hanging bridge experience.


We weren't budget-prepared for the zipline though, which costs Php 300 for a ride to the other end and back, so we’re skipping it for (much) later.

I arrived home tired and happy, reviewed the photos, went to bed, and slept till morning.
My feet still hurt as of writing this post, but I am rested and prepared for this week’s work, which is a lot.

Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.  Psalms 40:5