I wasn’t sure when and how it happened but as far as I can remember, I am already a night person since I was in high school. Studies say that it is for the reason that staying up all night has become one’s routine, thus, your body clock adapted to this and it became a habit; making you become an all-nighters person. Well, as for me, yes it is true. Ever since I was in high school, what keeps me awake all night is the tons of school works plus the people (you closest pals, your all-time crush, and your bf/gf) that you talk to, the movies on HBO and FOX that you just can’t miss, and a good book that I just can’t drop yet cos the story is getting better and better as I turn the pages. There is no Facebook neither Twitter nor Instagram, and even Snapchat, during that time. All I have is a Friendster account and a Yahoo Messenger back then. So, social media isn’t really the reason that I stay up all night. (Otherwise, social media adds up to why I stay up all night these days.)

Coffee; it’s what most people need to keep themselves awake all night for some important papers to rush for the deadline. It’s their only weapon to get rid of sleeping, resisting the temptation from your fluffy bed and pillow. I love coffee. I don’t know what’s in this hot drink that every time I smell its aroma, I just can’t resist but rush to the nearest coffee shop or ready the coffeemaker and have a date with my cup of coffee. It is also my stress reliever (besides smoking). Studies have proven that coffee does make one stay awake. I ain’t sure what chemical it has or maybe it’s just all in the mind. I don’t know. Thus, my addiction to coffee maybe has something to do why I am always hyped up at night.

When I got to college, more school works filled its place among my schedules. Thus, more time on staying up all night was added up; it’s mandatory anyways. I met more friends; I’m legally an adult since I already turned 18, and exploring what’s around me was my form of adventure back then (that includes clubbing and getting wasted on alcohol, sudden road trips with my all-nighters squad) even kindled my sleepless nights. Plus, I’ve been more addicted to coffee that I can’t let a day pass without even having at least 3 cups of coffee (there should a cup of brewed coffee and the rest could be with either sugar or cream or milk).

So, for almost 9 years now, I’ve been a nocturnal freak. There were times that I’ve been missing the feeling of sleeping at night. The feeling that you have to go to bed because you’re already feeling sleepy and not just because you’re drunk or you’ve been too tired the whole day (cos draining myself during the day is what I usually do to assure that I’d be getting some sleep at night). I ain’t insomniac though. Cos insomniac peeps don’t really get some sleep. Like, they can stay awake for 24 hours without even feeling sleepy at all. In my case, I don’t. I still feel sleepy. It’s just that, I get sleepy during the day cos I’m up the whole night. And I don’t stay up all night cos I’m doing some stuff, whether that’s important or not. Most of the times, I stay up all night simply because I just can’t sleep, and I’ve been used to this form of routine and has become my lifestyle. There were some nights that I’d insist myself to go to bed as I close my eyes and relax, hoping that I’ll be feeling drowsy in a while. But, nadah! Nothing happened. That was terrible! If you just knew what it feels like? You might probably agree with me.

What’s more worse about being nocturnal is the late night thoughts that would just suddenly pop out of your mind cos you keep busying yourself on thinking how you would be able to fall asleep and it’s almost an hour already yet you still kept thinking about it but fails to do so anyway. These thoughts about your past mistakes, your tragic experiences from your exes, those ‘almost lovers’ moments with the person you thought was already the one for you, those times that you still regret until now cos you didn’t do the right thing, those things—these things make my night become even more impossible for me to get some sleep. I start contemplating on these matters. I start thinking about the future. The ‘what ifs’—random feelings of remorse and sudden changes of my moods that’ll make me feel like as if I’m on my PMS phase. And the next thing I knew, it’s already 4AM! Boom! It’s another sleepless night on the record.

So, whoever among my readers out there who has the same experiences as I do; please let me know what’s up with you. If you have found out the answer to this syndrome, let me know immediately. Cos I badly want to know what made you survive from this catastrophe.

And to those who are having so much fun staying sleepless at night, follow me on my social media accounts and let’s talk about it. Yes?

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This is a trending topic on Facebook about the mother and the daughter who mistreated a cashier staff in McDonald's Angeles, Pampanga, PH because the staff "cannot" communicate with them "properly" in English.

I reposted this on my page on Facebook. Some of my friends liked the post while some left a comment about their thoughts on this matter. And one of the comments was this:

"Does education is enough to be called educated? And what does education gotta do with speaking in English?  Why do we always brought up our education when we end up into an argument? I just don't understand why. Not because I didn't go to college but is that already enough to consider myself uneducated? Is there a difference between education, educated, intelligent and knowledgeable? Or are we just egoist that we always come up with a self-defense mechanism that if we let our egos control us, we come up with lame excuses like letting everyone know that you went to college and that makes you educated? Hahaha. Help me out to understand, Gee. I am not sure if my common sense is right.."

This is the exact comment that a friend of mine left on the post that I reposted. It's better not to name that person for confidentiality purposes.

I paused for a while as I read the comment. And when ideas started blurting out from my mind, this is what I wrote as a response to the comment. Here it goes:

*
I've known only a few people who act accordingly with their brains.

Being intelligent wouldn't be defined by education alone. Cos intelligence is innate (that's my point of view according to the researches that I've read) and education only enhaces it. Being knowledgeable is likewise being informative or well-grounded about a certain matter. Those two are defined differently.

Nowadays, we can hardly differentiate educated people from uneducated people. Cos some factors affect it such as attitude (which greatly separates the two).

We can never really distinguish who's educated and who's not. Cos some educated people act like they're uneducated and vice versa. (What's happening to this society?)

Thus, I've notice a few reasons why. And this will surely make a lot of sense. Here they are:

1. Regarding this post, people should stop correlating one's fluency in English to their level of education. Though education is a factor, but not that alone. Cos there are a few peeps out there who are degree holders but can't even properly use "YOUR" and "YOU'RE". (And I sure know a lot of people like this and it is so embarassing for their part like what the hell happened back when they were still in school?)

2. Regarding #1, if you want to be fluent in English, study the language. Reading books help a lot. Being fluent in English isn't even a requirement in our English classes, right? Fluency in that language is actually a skill that can be learned or practiced. Okay?

3. In addition to that, just STOP speaking in English if you know to yourself that you ain't comfy enough to do so. Stop trying so hard only to sound stupid. Check your vocabs. If you ain't comfy but you just can't stop trying to speak in English, then better bring with you a dictionary...always!

4. An educated person should never drag anyone down just because they didn't go to college. Cos educated people, I believe, learnt proper conduct. (They should have!)

5. Fluency in English will never make you become a better person amongst anyone neither would it put you ahead of anybody nor will it ever make you sound cool or elite. Let's just drop that mentality already!

6. Open rebuke is better than hidden love. If you know anyone or if you have been in a situation where you heard someone used the English language improperly, correct them. If you can't get rid of becoming rude cos they ain't just grammar geeks, just atleast let them know why and what made it wrong. Make sure you taught them their lessons; grammar lessons to be exact.

7. The English language has been a useful tool in many different ways especially in this competitive and fast-pacing generation. You might get left behind if you can't barely comprehend a conversation using the language.
***

That is what I posted as a response. But I still have something in my mind now that I want to say:

Education is everyone's right; a privelege to be able to have a degree. BUT, education isn't about becoming intelligent or smart or wise or knowledgeable or whatever shit you want to call it. Education is one of the keys to finding a good job and being able to get along in this competitive world. But most importantly, education is about shaping someone to become a better person despite this world's cruelty. In school, we learn how to become compassionate. We learn how to treat people with kindness despite their status in life (we were taught of that manner since prep-school!) We learn how to respect everyone regardless of their age or gender. We learn how to give back and forgive. We learn how to become a good example for everybody. We learn not only how to find the x, y or z from our Algebra classes nor the history of our country and the different laws and human rights neither the anatomy of the our respiratory system and the fuction of each parts, BUT we also learn how to become a better person of the community.

What I am trying to say is that, if you are bragging your education to everyone, then let these people see what your education brought you: not just the degree that you got but the better person that you should've become as you finish your studies. Right?

Education about LEARNING: being able to learn; knowing how to learn; realizing what you have to learn; applying what you have learned; retaining what you have learnt; and sharing what you have learned to everybody.

As to this "mother-and-daughter McDo issue", their behavior isn't a good sign that they are "educated" cos they created a scandal for some senseless reasons they have toward the staff. Another thing is their attitude on how they disrespect the cashier staff and the manager as well which proved enough that they are one of the many scumbags who brag their education to everyone but doesn't reflect the learning in it. (Who's uneducated now?)

PS.
What pisses me off mostly in this issue is when the mother asked the manager to form two lines in the cashier where one is for the educated people and the other one is for the normal people. NORMAL PEOPLE? Again, I've read it correctly, right? She did say 'Normal people'. How does she define normal? So, in that case, educated people ain't normal? And when a person is normal, they ain't edcuated? Is that what she's tryna say? Hahaha! Explain it to me, please.

(A continuation of Walk The Talk)

"Kabataan ang pagasa ng bayan" is a famous line from our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, believing that the next generation would stand up tall and will lead the next coming generation into building up a better nation, and it has to start with themselves but is it really happening?

If I am to ask you guys, do you still believe that we [youths] are the hope of the nation? Seeing all the youths around, with different lives, different personalities, different principles in life--are these folks working on for the nation's sake? I would say, NO. I personally, as a youth, is failing to do good for the nation. Well to reduce the pressure (because it is not about being nationalistic because I am not), what I like to stressed out here is the fact that we [youths] are failing to play our roles in this country. We should help build a good nation, or to start up with, building a good community, but it is very evident that it is the youths who, most of the times, are leading the crime scenes and rumors and issues that are unacceptable in the society. There were killings from one gang to another, premarital sex issues as well as abortion, even incest cases and homosexuality, alcoholism and drugs, illegal businesses, prostitution, rebellion against the government, young thieves and many more. These issues are all about the young ones, the teenagers, the youth. I can almost say that they are one of the top problem of every country. Now can we still say that we are the hope of and for the nation to make it better? Ask yourself.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (NIV)
1 Timothy 4:12

That is my devotion for today which gave me the drive to write this blog to wake up the youths out there that we have to be the change we want the world to be. When I've read this verse, the first thing that popped out of my mind is that what is this verse trying to tell me today? I have heard this verse a hundred times because it has been like a motto for us, youths. It is said by Paul to Timothy (who is a youth at that time) as an encouragement to stand up tall in front of the many. Especially, Timothy is about to go around the world to preach the gospel. Paul already foreseen that there will be persecutors around as well as insults that Timothy might encounter because of his youth. He is too young for some and so why it has to be him to lead the community and especially to teach the gospel. That is why Paul uttered these last words for Timothy to pass on the goal to him.

Now going back to what this verse is trying to tell me, it is not just a reminder for me to not let my youth be the hindrance in becoming the light of this world but to stress to me that this verse is about PROVING WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BE LOOKED DOWN BY OTHERS. And the answer is seen also in the verse: but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 

I would like to emphasize that very important phrase in the verse which is 'SET AN EXAMPLE'. We should always expect that there will be oppositions around us, not only from the elders but as well as from our co-youths. So what should we do then? We should prove to them that we are not to be looked down as small as ants easy to stump down. We should prove to them. That is why Paul said we should SET AN EXAMPLE.

This blog is a wake-up call for the Christians out there. How is our life? Do our friends can clearly see in us that we are Christians? Self-check. When I read this verse it is urging me to check myself. Am I doing the job? Am I playing my role correctly? Will I get an A+ due to my performances? Let us altogether check ourselves.

'Set an example for the believers,' Paul said. But let us show it otherwise to the unbelievers. Paul said we should set an example for the believers because it will surely be a big help to encourage them amidst disappointment, to motivate them continue doing good, to strengthen them despite circumstances and keep focused but we should also set an example for the unbelievers to take them out of the dark and be saved. To sum up, we should set an example for everyone. That is the key to prove that they should not really look down on us. That is the key if we want to prove that we are not worthy to be looked down as if we are unable to do anything. That is the only key, to set an example. Once we failed, it is likewise giving them to right to oppose us and prove them that we are weak.

How should we set an example? The verse says, 'in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.' That is how we should set an example. 

One simple illustration is instead of fighting back when someone lied at you or spread gossips about you, simply keep mum. Be meek. Do not fight back through gossiping about that person too or lying as well to that person. Rather be quiet and pray for that someone than exchanging statements with that person because you're angry. Fighting back might just let you keep the anger firing up and might let you speak out foul or inappropriate words. Aside from firing the anger more, you will lose your credibility as a Christian. So set an example in speech.

Another is to set an example in purity. You may have a friend who is committing premarital sex or some who is planning to do abortion or even those who are homosexuals, what you should do is to rebuke them. Correct them thus it will help them be reminded or somehow it might make them stop doing it. Expect that there will be about 90% possibility for them to neglect your rebuke and reminders, but as long as you did your part, it is a big help. Rather pray for them; it works.

To set an example in love. Forgive and forget and start anew--a great illustration of love. Without exemptions, love and show kindness to everyone, not just to those who are loving. Love unconditionally. Show fairness. No favoritism. If it is their right, let them. Do not put chains in their necks and boss around. Let them feel the breeze of life. No abuse! No taking advantage. Love. Love. It is the greatest among all. Love.

Set an example in faith is likewise showing your testimony with the glory of God. Remember we should be the living Bible. Show the world through your lives that GOD IS A GOD, and no one else can be like Him. Show them you have a God. Show them that you can do all things even if it is so hard because you have Christ who will give you strength. Teach them how to pray amidst impossibility, because 'Prayers can move mountains.' Show them that you are able to change even it is very impossible because you have faith and you trust God.

Make sense? Share it. It is as simple as that. Set an example. Wake up! Start proving it today.

REMEMBER: Action speaks louder than words.

All preachers speak of God's teaching and that we should do this and that for the glory of God and also that the unbelievers too would follow what we do. Yet there are some who fail to prove it through their lives--believing we will see it first in them because they are the ones who taught it--but rather shows what is contrary to what they speak of and what their followers should see in them.

  "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." (Titus 2:7-8, NIV)

*WALK THE TALK. PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH. That is what this verse simply tells us. It is a very good reminder that as we live this life, we should always do it for the glory of our Master. It is true we cannot please everyone thus some of them would disregard and even hate our actions. But think about it, as long as we do good and we do it for the Lord, who are they to oppose us?

Lahat ginagawa ko para sa 'Yo Lord. I may receive in return some insults and ridicules, pero as long as You are happy sa ginagawa ko, I will keep doing this. Help me Lord, for them to see that I have Jesus in my life. :') Good morning Lord. *hug*

That is what I posted in my Facebook account just this morning as I had my morning devotion. It's a very great reminder, especially, we leaders commissioned by God to lead the youth of this nation and help them see the light. We are not just leaders assigned by our pastors or someone who might just discovered our skills and abilities in this field but this might be one of the very great purpose of God why He created us. He want us to be His helping hand--even though He alone can do the work thus we are very privileged--in leading the youths to His way. We preach. We lead. We counsel. We show manners and characters and traits that they should follow. We teach them how to live this life for God's glory. And so 'Walk the Talk' should be kept as always in our sticky notes for us to be reminded. We are mandated as leaders to live what we speak of. 

I have a friend who asked me if I am a Christian this one afternoon as we were having lunch.  (This was long time ago.) And I  proudly responded 'Yes!'. And then she asked, 'Then why do you have the same vices as we have? I thought you Christians were like forbidden or it is not right for you to do this, right?' I was speechless. Really. Because I was so ashamed of myself. I failed representing God's name in my life and I feel like I lied to them I haven't even responded to her. I don't have anything to say, I was stuck by my own trap.


That is what the verse simply tells us what to do. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. We are living in a world surrounded with critics. Especially when you are a Christian, trying to live rightly before God. Every eyes are on us. They are waiting when they can oppose us through our mistakes. We are imperfect, yes. But we can always do good if we want to. It is our choice whether we wanted to be opposed or not. In my experience, I was opposed because of my own flaws. I haven't been careful of my actions. Well, I admit it's my fault. And so this verse should always be a reminder for us. You may be a leader or not, you should be reminded of this.


I have seen lots of leaders who failed to prove what they are teaching. I know this might be their weaknesses, but I wasn't born yesterday thus unable to assess their actions. It was very disappointing witnessing leaders around who don't walk the talk. I am always, right now by the guidance of the Lord, being careful of my actions. I am afraid there may come a day again where I will be put to shame. Most of all, I am afraid and ashamed of God. 


Character. That is where most of the leaders fail; in proving what they preach by their actions. But nothing is really hard if you have chosen to 'Walk the Talk' and is determined to portray good character. You may be cool in some ways and be 'in' with the trend of the youths through your actions, but if you're giving God lots of shame through it, can you still call yourself  'cool'? 


Titus 2:7-8. Be reminded. Be the change you want the world to be. You preach? Practice it. You talk about teachings? Walk by them. Prove what you speak of. 


Notice: Look behind you. Do you really have followers?