Man, was I tired this year. That’s not a complaint though, for I did want it. I was overworked, but was truly happy and I felt like I was in my element.
So this is my actual 2022 summary, as I do an annual review every year to reflect on the year that was. This is my way to document how God has taken me to adventures I never thought would happen, but here we are, taken aback by His goodness year after year.
2022 was the year that we slowly went out of our homes. The streets that were supposedly familiar were now a bit foreign to us. Perhaps because at the back of our heads, the danger of the virus still lurks, and that fear gives us new lenses to see things through. Yet, we also know there’s no other way to live life but to actually act upon it.
Action. That was this year’s word, and if I would play on it, it was ACT-SHOWN for me. I was prompted with James 2:14:
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”
And truly, faith shouldn’t stay as faith because what difference would it be against wishing? Faith should propel us into action, and that’s when we can only see that we truly believe in what we believe.
And that, my friends, is act that needs to be shown. But not for others, but for the audience of the One who matters.
So here’s a quick summary of all the act-shown this year:
Politics! It was the year when our country was the most divided so far. Not that I want it to be divided even more, but politics sure has its way of creating lines between people.
Of course, I love this country and I have my reservations and opinions on matters, but I kept away from being too emotional on national matters.
My goal was to vote, and influence who I can in my own small ways, but I never thought I’d actually be part of it officially.
The Joan of Paranaque. I knew Joan Villafuerte from Paranaque Patriots days, being her designer and writer for the team. The pandemic happened and the team was discontinued. Amazingly, she contacted me to be her online arm.
I guess the things I did for Patriots had some impact, and I managed her online reputation at home. While she and the whole team were doing house to house and person to person move despite still the threat of the virus, I was being fed with information and was taking care of her online account to show to those who can’t go out what she has been doing.
Dustin Carbonera, government employee. Ah yes, this was the best plot twist of this year that I didn’t even want at first, but God has been good and He kept me there. It was a story of push and pull, but what helped me was “What is the mission?”, and “Why don’t you like there?” To summarize it, how about checking Tim Keller’s preaching series on Jonah and it helped me have the right heart in working, and perhaps avoiding being swallowed up by a fish should I continue to be stubborn.
Sent. If you remember our book Types and Texts, we were able to sell about 500 copies of it and raise about 35,122PHP in profit, and all of those went to the missionary worker who is now in a creative access nation. We could never fathom who we were able to sell 500 of these, but we still have copies here, and now the other half’s profits would be given to local education org Real LIFE Foundation. You can still have a copy and help student’s lives be changed, and eventually the nation in the process.
Neue church. There’s a new Victory church plant in Cavite and it’s relatively near me. I truly believe that Malate/Taft has helped us be shaped into good leaders, and if that is the case, all the more the responsibility of helping others becomes a must. As of writing, I am still trying to have roots slowly by being active at the very least with Victory group.
Portfolio reviewer. I never had the chance for my portfolio to be reviewed because I was afraid yet this year I had the chance to review other’s portfolio thanks to CDAP and Design Week Philippines. That’s something for the books and again, only happened because of being present. I sure hope I did add value to those who I talked to that day. Not to mention, being side to side with my design idols since college. Journ Dustin would not have believed it.
Ilustradustin. I would have been an Ilustrado, thanks to winning a scholarship for Masters in Design Management in IED Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). I didn’t think I’d actually win, that’s why I joined the contest. But after prayers, and a starting career in local government, I declined the offer, and now in faith that God will move in other ways for this dream to push through. As one of my friends said “God doesn’t do half-baked stories.”
This is also something that explained what this verse meant:
“Delight yourself also in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
The original intent of the verse wasn’t that God is a genie, rather the first command was to delight in the LORD first, then when we do, we’d know what to desire for. So how am I prepping for this? Funny as it sounds but learning Spanish. Hola, Duo!
And this was the condensed part. I still have lots to be thankful for, like having a car to use for commutes, hosting an episode of Usapang Design and interviewing Type Queen Jo Malinis, biking and running desires again, and was even able to run a race, and even to the small things like those grocery perks being a government employee, and again, face to face meeting with friends.
After all that, I could only say, everything is all God’s grace. It’s action-packed because He is never a boring God, but He designed us to have adventures, should we choose to have it with Him.
This year is my seventh year as a registered business, this July 2023, and I am sensing a shift. Well see more of this to unfold, but that remains to be a developing prayer, and this I also have to rely to God yet again.
Every new year brings in new fears, but good thing we have a God who remains steadfast and unchanging. New year, but same, good Father. And through His mercies we see His actions, act shown.
LIT UP! 
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