My Birthday Wish

I am turning a year older tomorrow, and I always get asked what I want for my birthday and I am epically awful at thinking of material things I want.  It’s time to put material things aside and remember those who paved the way for me. Every year I know what I want — I want to be able to make an impact to the lives of my adopted kids in my community (Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro). I usually do this every year since 2008. I know it’s not everyday that you get to help people around you and not everyone has the heart and passion to reach out to those who are in need. 

For those who don’t know, I started a charity works and a volunteer’s organization (Keep Hope Alive) in 2008, a lifetime commitment for queer children who experience poverty, hunger and depression. I firmly believe that to bring change to our world we need to keep as many queer and questioning and amazing young people in this world as possible before anything else we do matters, and Keep Hope Alive helps me do that. Every act of involvement says you believe in the idea of making the world a better place. Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them. I admire those people who do and pray for the hearts of those who don’t that someday their hearts will be touched and be able to share their blessings.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and it’s really the thing that will make me most happy second to serving God and family. In giving, I believe nothing is too little, no matter how small. Napakasarap sa feeling na nakakapagpasaya at nakakatulong ka sa mga tao lalo na sa mga musmos sa paligid mo. Ako aaminin kong wala akong pakialam sa mga batang palaboy-laboy lamang sa lansangan nung bata pa ako, dahil unang-una hindi ko naman sila kaano-ano. Pero nung nakita ko kung gaano sila kasaya sa ginagawa kong pagtulong, narealize ko na lahat ng tao sa mundong ito ay dapat pangalagaan ang isa’t isa sapagkat tayo’y mga nilikha ng diyos na may kaakibat na responsibilidad para magserve. Lalo na kapag nakaka-angat ka or kaya blessed ka with good job and family na di nararanasan ng mga batang ito. I know money is hard, and charity can be very personal, but God’s provision is immeasurable.

I’m very excited for my birthday tomorrow. Another wish will come to pass. I’m excited to see more children to be fed and be inspired with the feeding and healthy teeth program we prepared. To all the people, friends and my family who helped and supported me with this passion and advocacy, thank you is not enough. Let God deal with your good deeds. To some people just reading this and knowing and respecting that this is something I care about means a lot to me. J

Playing with the kids. These kids loved to be cuddled. As soon as their done with handwashing they ran towards me and asked me to carry them on our back. (piggy back ride) 

Dream BIG

Dreams. Dreams come a size too big so that we may grow into them. They’re more powerful than we’d like to believe. God has a big dream for you. What you have to do is to see that dream.  Those dreams are more powerful than we could ever imagine. They guide us through life, they help us set goals and ultimately achieve them. They are often the reason for heart break, but also the reason for soaring hearts.

Everyone has dreams, whether they are big or small. Everyone wants their dreams to come true and dreamers take small steps, to achieve the greater goal. They never give up, They NEVER fail. They do everything they must do to achieve. Someday, if you try hard, dreams would become reality. But you have to realize that God hasn't give up on those dreams and you don't have to either. You've got to dream it, then believe it, before you can live it.

“My dream is big and I will reach it just to prove everyone I can. It’s never too late."

 DREAM BIG ☮

Things I want to do Before I Die (My Bucket List)

All of us have dreams -- the wildest of which our own dreams cannot even fathom. We long to see more, learn more, and travel more. Imagine being able to say at the end of your life's journey: "Wow, what a ride!" 

 We keep an unending list of things we want to achieve, things we want to change, attitudes we want to cultivate. It is so great to take the time and really ask yourself, what DO I want? Creating and achieving your life list is about deciding what you really want-which means setting goals. 

As I got older, I still had it and now, perhaps of out necessity, but nevertheless, it is about time I crack my skull open to fish for things once lost. I realized there are so many things I want to accomplish in my lifetime. Call it a quarter-life crisis. I found that some of the things I'd listed I'd already done, which was kind of a neat revelation. And here they are.

1. Serve God, make disciples. Serve the people and the government2. Write and publish at least one book - DONE

3. Spending a year with the minorities; volunteering at a homeless shelter or an orphanage; and mentoring  a disadvantaged children and youth.- DONE
4. Promote win/win conflict resolution.
5. Positively impact at least 10 people’s lives - DONE
6. Starting a profitable, location-independent business doing what I love
7. Having a million dollar investment portfolio to finance my life goals.

8. Establish my non-profit children’s foundation. - DONE
9. Exhibit my own paintings and artworks in a gallery

10. Date someone, get dumped, and remain best friends with them even though they broke my heart. DONE

11. Make my family proud and watch them enjoy life. -DONE
12. Learn to play an instrument well.

13. Wave to a stranger, smile and make them smile back. DONE
14. Go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
15. Lay down on railroad tracks, and take a picture of the sky.

16. See Starry Night and the Mona Lisa.

17. Drive and/or ride in a Corvette, Porsche, and Ferrari.

18. Travel around the world and take my parents on a vacation abroad

19. Make 50 people smile, in one day and take a homeless person out to eat-DONE

20. Go bungee jumping and kayaking through class IV rapids

21. Go to an African wildlife safari, try hang gliding and walk the Incan trail to Machu Picchu, Peru

22. Explore Antarctica and photograph an endangered species.

23. Experience the cherry blossoms in Japan

24. Find out where my ancestors came from.

25. Understand the truth behind the time-space continuum DONE

26. Give someone a total and pleasant surprise DONE

27. Ride a camel in a dessert

28. Visit the Great Wall of China, Egypt’s pyramid, Taj Mahal, Stonehenge and Explore Teotihuacan

29. Learn to fly a plane

30. Have a meaningful conversation with a beggar- DONE

31. Elect to a public office - DONE

32. Get interviewed by international media and publications like Business Week, Times Magazine, Forbes, CNN, etc

33. Realize the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, talented, compassionate woman you've ever met has fallen in love with you. (I keep pinching myself, but I'm still awake!)

34. Find someone who loves me unconditionally and Have a romantic dinner on a hot air balloon, and......

35. Get married to the woman I love and have a wonderful family life.

There’s a lot of impossible things to be accomplished but instead of worrying about when that wonderful days come I think it is best to work towards completing some simple yet spectacular things in my life. M. Russell Ballard said, “small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the directions of great ships."So, what’s on your "bucket list" Shernan