Hello! I’m back again after quite a long writing hiatus and while life had certainly happened over the past year that I couldn’t even keep my blog alive, I’ve also been quietly going deeper into the things that I’ve been openly talking about here: my shame, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and lately, how my inner world plays out in the larger scheme of things—in society and in the world.

Why resuscitate your blog now, you may ask? Well, a few things—one, I’m finally learning to actually slow down after almost letting all my work, responsibilities, and roles eat me alive. Two, I have this nagging urge to write and share what’s only been on my mind for months. Three, there’s just so much going on these days, I mean, more than ever. The earth isn’t just groaning, but all the world systems seem to also be crumbling.

In light of what’s happening in the world lately, I’ve also been wrestling with a lot of thoughts and questions—making sense of how all of this is affecting me and how I’m living my life. Like, where do I fit into all of this? How do I make sense of what’s going on in the world? Why is there so much pain and suffering? How do I respond to everything that’s happening? Who am I called to be for such a time as this?

Suffering and injustice are all over the news. Governments are failing, technology is taking over our lives, and the earth is falling apart. We’re all already fighting our own inner battles each day, but simply being out in the world also feels like a whole battlefield in itself. No, life in 2025 is certainly not a highlight reel, even when the people you follow on social media show otherwise. That’s just the reality. We can’t just turn a blind eye to the blatant brokenness and sin of this world.

Yes, suffering and injustice are everywhere, and the ways of this world will always be corrupt, self-serving, and painful. It’s not just worldviews like capitalism and consumerism, but also beliefs we’ve been made to anchor our purpose on—like the need to achieve a certain lifestyle, the thirst for success, and the greed for money.

Some of these ideologies have been there even before we were born, and some of them have emerged and became much more prevalent because of technology. Have we ever even tried to pause and question them? They say a lot of these systems are “good”, but are they really serving us and our souls any good?

Maybe we’ve just been allowing all of these beliefs and worldviews into our lives because it’s what’s become “normal”. Maybe we’ve just been blending in, following what’s trending, and going with the flow without proper discernment and critical thinking. Trust me, I am guilty of this too.

At the end of the day, however, I personally think it all boils down to the reality of sin. There seems to be no end to suffering while we’re here and yes, it’s because we humans are slaves to sin—to greed, pride, lust, anger, and the list goes on.

Sometimes I get caught up in my own little bubble, navigating my issues and only really focusing on myself, but when I’m again faced with the distressing reality of, well, life, I’m compelled to think about what my purpose is in all of this. How do I show up in such a broken world?

Honestly, I’m also still figuring it out. What I do know is that I have a choice; we all have a choice. No matter how small of a decision that may be in my day to day life, it all contributes to the bigger scheme of things. It all contributes to not just my inner world, but also to my family, my community, and most importantly—the generations after me.

If you really think about it, every single choice you make affects not just yourself but a series of people, places, and systems around you. My belief is that we humans form an intricate web of connections, making all our choices, no matter how small, even more impactful than we think. It will affect not just our present environments, but the lives of our children, and our children’s children. Just sit with that for a minute.

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Most of my readers here are Filipino and I’m sure we all know what’s going on in our country lately, unless you live under a rock. In the midst of all the distress, I saw a photo of Mayor Vico Sotto wearing a shirt that says “What we do in life echoes in eternity”.

I paused and thought about this bold statement from someone who has been a sore thumb in the government and continues to fight against the system. He clearly made his choice.

Honestly, there is a lot to unpack from that photo. I know Vico is Christian and that he believes in eternity. He knows heaven and hell are real, and that we will all be accountable for every single thing we do here on earth. The only thing that could save us is our faith in Jesus, and his choices reflect that, as so obviously seen in the fruits of his words and actions. I truly admire his boldness, and how he continues to expose what is wrong without fear. For me, that’s coming from such radical faith in Christ and surely not something out of pure personal agenda.

I have so much to say about Mayor Vico (obviously!!!), but of course this also made me reflect on my personal choices, and how I also show up in such a broken world. I don’t have the government position nor the status, but I have this platform and my own little corner. What I do in this life will echo in eternity. Every decision I make, from the moment I wake up, will echo in eternity. Every stand I take, even if it costs my reputation or image, will echo in eternity.

For me, personally, all of this also boils down to my faith in Jesus and what I truly believe in. This affects not just my morality, but also every single choice that I make every day. I know it’s all a process, and I’ll probably forever be on this journey of dismantling destructive beliefs and rebuilding myself in light of my life surrendered to Christ. However, what makes up my being is now not just about me and my personal desires, but about who God wants and calls me to be. He is my Creator after all, and He alone knows and searches my whole heart. I have an eternal possession waiting for me at end of this life in exile here on earth, and that in itself encourages me to endure and keep going in this life.

Here’s how I am showing up in a broken world—I’m just going to try to make choices that lead to life and not death, choices that would echo in eternity, because that is what I put my faith in. I am not perfect and I know I will always fall short, but I can at least try to always choose good over evil.

This blog is also my way of showing up—to encourage you to also properly discern the decisions you make in life. No one can truly convince anyone to do anything, but we can help each other put things into perspective, bring it all to light, and make sense of it together. We can’t do this alone.

So, how are you going to show up in a broken world today?

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Romans 12:1-2 MSG
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.