on love... #3

    * Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses. You build up a whole armor, for years, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life... You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' or 'how very perceptive' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. Nothing should be able to do that. Especially not love. I hate love.
 
- Rose Walker (The Sandman #65)

lessons from a pop-rock singer-song writer... Reflection # 12, 2008

Thanks to Barry's invitation, I was able to watch  a free concert tonight at UCM. It was Kitchie Nadal singing songs from her new album, Love Letter. When I first heard that Kitchie will be singing at UCM's Station One, I knew already that she is a Christian. I had no idea what her album is all about. I'm not a big fan of her. The only song that I remember liking from her is "Same ground." So when Charly first mentioned it and when Barry invited me to watch, I thought "Oh well, so UCM is kind enough to allow her to promote her album and Kitchie's nice enough to actually sing in public for free."

Amidst the tons of work in the office, I never really looked forward to this concert though I thought it would be nice to see her perform. It was only Monday afternoon that I finally decided that I have to go there and see her sing.

And I am just so glad that I did.

Coney, her friend Bubbles, Charly, Myla, Jheny and I walked from Philamlife Tower to UCM. Mike then followed. It just didn't matter if it was raining nor if some of the few people I invited declined. It just didn't bother us that our slacks are all wet from walking in the rain, nor did it bother me that I'm wearing my not so comfortable sandals. We were just so ready to see Kitchie! :)

So anyway, I just want to share that I was simply astounded to learn that her album, the reason why she calls it "Love Letter" is because it tells of her relationship with our Lord Jesus! So every song in that album is her offering to God. It simply humbled me to see this famous person, unabashedly singing her heart out and telling everyone on how great her Redeemer is...

I've never been a fan of her before but seeing her perform live and more importantly learning that she is on the quest to tell everyone of her relationship with the Lord just made me admire her. Isn't it amazing how God can transform life and see it thru this pop-rock singer? She used to sing secular songs with themes on love, friendship, etc. But now, she has an entire album for the one true God!

She was sharing in between her songs and one of the things she said just struck me...

"Finding that God is already finding you."

That's what she realized when she first came to know the Lord. And I just realized too that it is so true. God is always looking for us, waiting for us to look for Him too. It's just up to us to acknowledge His presence and learn of His greatness.

Kitchie also shared this story on how her father would always tell her how beautiful she is. She said her dad always told her that, always affirmed her... It's always been on her mind that it's impossible for her to believe if other people tell her otherwise. And she relate it on how our God the father believes that as well. In our Father's eyes, we are all beautiful. He made us fearfully and wonderfully made! So if we just held on to that thought and believe it, we shouldn't go on believing lies that we aren't.

You are the highway
Apart from you are roads downhill
You are the highest way
The truth and the life
There’s no other road for me

-from the song, "Highway"