God is Good

I’ve been smiling all day and smiling all night (I guess in my sleep) the past days.  I can’t tell you why.

 

 

Today at work, everybody seemed happy too.

 

A co-worker told me “You’re having a happy day, aren’t you? I could tell”.  He said I was bouncing as I walked down the hallway I might as well be whistling too.  He said he’s happy too.

 

Another co-worker called me to his office and I asked why.  He said he just wanted to tell me a joke.

 

Such a good day!  Such a good week too, considering that Monday was such a disaster…but that’s another story.

 

Oh, I have some new friends too!

 

 

 

Good karma is at work.

 

So thank you, God! 

 

 

 

 

EVERYTHING...

…that happens in your life is being for your best interest. 

 

Consider this…

 

Anything that annoys you is “for” teaching you patience. Anyone who abandons you is “for” teaching you how to stand up on your own two feet.  Anything that angers you is “for” teaching you forgiveness and compassion.  Anything that has power over you is “for” teaching you how to take you power back.  Anything you hate is “for” teaching you unconditional love.  Anything you fear is “for” teaching you courage to overcome your fear.  Anything you can’t control is “for” teaching you how to let go and trust the Universe.”

 

~ Jackson Kiddard

I think I heard God Speak to Me today...

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God's wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay requite, says the Lord” Romans 12:19

 

It’s been a long time since I checked in! Words have been a struggle these days, especially amidst the very much convoluted thinking and unfounded drama wreaking havoc in our lives (thanks to hubby’s auntie who is basking in everyone’s sympathy for her much enjoyed “victim” status at the moment), with hubby appointed as the world’s greatest arch-nemesis of all time (thanks to rumor mongers who spoke too soon)….even if, truth be told, and reality be checked….seriously, he is the victim and it’s rather pathetic that defending him would actually raise more trouble in the already messed up situation. Catch 22, motha!

 

I seriously considered writing to everybody.  But I’m going to hold back for as long as I can.  For as long as sanity lets me.

 

Today…God’s word eases my burden.

 

I am holding on.    Hanging on.

 

 

 

 

Okay, one more time!!!

I'm bouncing off the walls! 

"My" Wooden Fence Template is back!  (yeah, I like to think it's mine even if there's probably a bazillion out there who thought of choosing the same one from Blogger Styles).

It's back once again!  And I don't know how many times I've lost it, pretty much gave up on it, only to gain it back and give it another chance.  It's a love-hate thing....but more of love, and just little "stupid" pain from knowing that one day, like any other random time that came, it might shut down again!  Well, it didn't really shut down, but it had a handful of problems with Photobucket...something I couldn't address myself.  But I'm patient this way....to a fault....welcoming the template with open arms again (because of LOVE), and hoping that things will change permanently....embracing it back like it never wronged me and believing that problems will no longer come...and it will be a perfect world again...forever.....and...like I never learned...and never will ...   *I'm beginning to sound trapped in the battered wife syndrome.*  Duh.

So yes, I'm happy and I'm celebrating. I really hope this will be the last of my Wooden Fence template woes. Because I'm beginning to think about pouring out the concrete on you guys, tee hee! Nothing can ruin my day today...even if I'm so close to cursing on the free donut at work that's supposed to be my lunch (because I was too lazy to pack a healthy one this morning), it's so laden with corn syrup even my ever-gustatory-enthusiastic tongue can't take.  Not to mention the top ramen option I have which is really not food but merely a tummy filler that can might as well be styrofoam, cardboard, or rubberbands dunked in hot soup. I'm gushing. 

It's supposed to be a lovely day.  And it is!  TGIF!

Anyhoozens...

HAPPY WEEKEND TO Y'ALL!

Here's a nice quote I picked up from Twitter last night:

The more I think over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.

~Vincent Van Gogh

(Yes, including those drama kings and queens whose minds are so convoluted that they are so hard to comprehend by normal people like you and me...and those who like to wreak havoc in your life right on the very moment that you're finally feeling happy, at peace and all that!)

(And yes,  I love Vincent Van Gogh too!   Faithfully!!!)

Speechless....still

Still doing something non-verbal at home as words continue to be squeezed off me at work. As of June 3rd, I've been officially tasked to facilitate most corporate communications by our COO (something I'm very thankful for), aside from my usual job responsibilities. The trust means a lot!

At home, I just continue to express myself with my hands for now, playing my favorites. Badarzewski and Drumheller.

Next....Mozart. It's ironic, but the sound silences my mind.

I'll blog more soonest...

Musical Chairs

Now you see it, now you don’t.

 

I got frustrated with the intermittent template problems I experienced with the Wooden Fence template so no matter how much I adore it, and how badly I want it, I was constrained to switch to a different one.  Hopefully, temporarily.  But I can’t trust the Wooden Fence template anymore =(  which breaks my heart. 

 

So I hope this new template will suffice for now, until I find a permanent solution.

 

Maybe, I will be more inspired to write here now that I can actually “view” my posts without the pesky photobucket icons loitering like crazy.

 

 

Know Thyself

I made this today for Kat Von D's #asketchaday in Twitter.  I try to join the fun whenever I can.


Temet Nosce is latin for KNOW THYSELF.


The key to finding a purpose and fulfillment in life begins with knowing and understanding yourself. We are each born with this knowledge but finding a purpose and achieving fulfillment requires the sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and support. Each individual contains specific truths that should be shared with those we meet through nothing less than fate... (from Michael Dae)

The Fence Template is Back!!!

And this weekend rocks!!!

Temporary

I’m still “high” from my wonderfully touching moment with God last night at church.  So I won’t write anything about it yet.  I’m afraid that trying to define it will make it fizzle away.

 

But I’m just dropping by to explain why my beloved breezy “clear blue skies and adorable fences” template is gone.  Hopefully temporarily though. 

 

I have no time to find out but all of a sudden, the design components and images, apparently hosted by Photobucket are gone.  Surely, it’s not really my problem but the template designer’s account’s.  Photobucket says the bandwidth has been exceeded and we need to upgrade to Pro.

 

That’s what I get with freebies!

 

Anyway, I hope this regular template will suffice for now.  Until I find the solution.

 

Have a blessed Good Friday.  I’ll be back on Easter.

 

*luv always*

 

 

 

 

 

Still entangled...

in the Zentangle fever!!!

Tickled Silly

I nibbled on cold pizza all day at work yesterday and I just realized that when you feed your system with all that cold oily stuff, your Liquor cerebrospinalis seems to thicken as well. It’s just my silly imagination, of course, but yeah, as of this writing I reckon that my CSF from the lumbar region which normally contains 15 to 45 mg/dl protein and 50-80 mg/dl glucose (unless I’m really way off the norm as I am wont to be) is now 80% oily crust, 10% mozzarella, 5% oily mushroom, and 5% apple sauce (don’t barf yet, the latter independently, is what I have to deal with today since it’s the only thing left in my overhead file cabinet survival stash). That, or life just pretty much naturally slowed down today compared to the overdrive I succumbed to yesterday when we were severely short-handed by two people in my department while I had to squeeze in a little bit of paperwork organization for tax purposes – hub’s and mine, plus the monkey biz.  I finished with flying colors last night, with my accountant short of awarding me a cookie, so I’m happy.  Today is the calm after the hurricane. 

Anyway, cold-pizza-brained or not, I’m tickled silly. 

As I just made a little decision to scratch off a lil somethin’ in my humongous bucket list.  I’m going for it on Saturday, the 16 of April.  And I’m giddy and joyful as heck with my tiny secret!

I’m not telling.  Oh I want to tell so bad!  Maybe one day… *wink*

But don’t worry, it’s wholesome and fun and it’s definitely not against the law of God nor the entire universe.  I’m just thrilled at the prospect of feeding my heart with such glee this weekend…with just a little price to pay.  $78!!!  (Actually, times three, since I managed to twist the arms of my dearly supportive hubs, and my sister-in-law who is just as crazy as me! 

What’s in your bucket list?

Point to Ponder today

Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

 

~The Dalai Lama

10 things to learn from Japan

I got this email from my sister today…

10 things to learn from JAPAN                          

1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.



2. THE DIGNITY

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.



3. THE ABILITY

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.



4. THE GRACE

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.



5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.



6. THE SACRIFICE

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?



7. THE TENDERNESS

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.



8. THE TRAINING

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.



9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.



10. THE CONSCIENCE

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly  

 

"I call upon you to draw from the depths of your being — to prove that we are a human race, to prove that our love outweighs our need to hate, that our compassion is more compelling than our need to blame."

–Elizabeth Taylor (RIP 3/23/11)

Zentangled!

Here’s what I’ve been busy doing the past days:

True to its name, it really relaxes me and helps me focus.  And helps me decorate my house for free too!  LOL.

A Moment of Silence

I won’t blog-a-lot today.

 

My thoughts go out to the victims of the recent earthquake in Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s pray for them… Let’s pray for the whole world. 

 

For all of us.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 ”For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

It's liberating!

It's really really liberating!

I'm off Facebook.  Well, at least for a while until Easter when Lent is over.  I've been contemplating about what to give up. I've been giving up meat for about 22 years now and it has gotten so easy for me (bordering pleasurable because I've already fallen so deep in love with vegetarian dishes that they have become more of a treat for me!) I've also tried abstaining from coffee some years and actually got off for quite a while due to health concerns that sacrificing a cup doesn't even cut it anymore.

And then came top 3 and 4 on my list.  Facebook or Rice.  

Facebook.

Rice.

Facebook.

Rice.

I favored rice to stick with me.  'Nuff said.

Last night, I officially bid Facebook goodbye, albeit temporarily.  Since it has become one of the main contact points for me, I had to post an email address on my status just in case there is something I must not miss.  Just so I will still be in the loop but it is only for practical purposes.

 

(Image courtesy of brakebanzeen.com)

Today is Day 1. I'm not necessarily an addict (maybe) but for a typical audience-hungry human like me (and so are you if there is an opportunity and don't you deny it hehe), I had a little bit of withdrawal symptoms. But what is surprising is the bigger feeling that came with it.  Guess what, I find it so liberating at the same time!  I'm free, I'm free! (aside from more free time to focus and re-channel my energy on other things). I'm free!  It feels good.

I'm sacrificing something and doing this in honor of my love of Christ and His love for me,  in honor of all the unborn children and in fervent prayer that all future mothers will always choose life over abortion, and for my parents' strength and health.  But in effect, God is the one blessing me with this overwhelming feeling of lightness and clarity of mind.  Like I have been relieved of a baggage that was not at all that necessary to begin with.

May I always remember this liberating feeling that I am enjoying immensely even just on the first day without it. It's like crossing over the difficulty of breaking up with someone you have grown so accustomed to and thought you couldn't live without because you just got used to it (or not even thinking about the prospect of breaking up because of that), and all of a sudden discovering the joy that multiplies in exponential proportions once you've finally been released.  All of a sudden, you are not burdened, nor tied down, nor carrying something heavy on your back.  You're dancing, you're doing what you want...you are free!  That's what it feels like for me.  I can cite that example because I've been through a relationship like that in the past. But let's not go that way, tee hee!

I'm coming to the realization and appreciating the fact that it's not all about sharing to the world what you're currently doing (as if it has turned into an addictive responsibility beyond reason) nor sharing to the world what you are capable of doing, though it's helpful for building up a healthy and confident psyche (just don't go overboard). It is also not just about finding out what others are up to all the time, aka being nosy and stalking. It's time to re-evaluate personal relationships and focus more on personal associations. It puts our awareness and perspective to a whole new different level and re-acquaints us with the real meaning of "friendship".

I will still use it for networking and marketing, and I will keep my commitment to post inspirational quotes in the hope of touching someone who needs one at the right moment. Let's face it,  our posts, no matter how trivial sometimes, can benefit others.  That one little soul on your list who needed to see a photo that you've just shown, an idea, a merchandise, a long-lost friend found on another one's list, a quote that strikes stronger than lightning, a wake-up call vicariously acquired from someone's status bar.  

Those are only a few of the pros of social networking, and we can't take that away. 

But no more overloading.  (Which is exactly why I stopped putting in entries for my gratitude journal.  I made a mistake of setting up automatic feeds and I couldn't undo it for the longest time!  I finally did last night.  Another liberating experience, yay!)

Will I go back to Facebooking come Easter? Yes, of course.  My friends and family are there. 

But probably not as much.  Hopefully not as much!

I'm liking this freedom!

It's Friday! I'm outta here!!!

Well…well…

 

I’m supposed to finish write (I haven’t actually started) an article today and lo and behold, I’m here instead and I feel like I’m about to drone on uncontrollably. Blame it on my now once-in-a-blue-moon caffeine fix that I had hoped would stab my monster headache right into the heart and clear out the fuzziness in my head.  FAIL.  Well, not exactly.  The headache scampered away in one dark corner, taking the fuzziness away alright, but being replaced by a monster jitter that left more noise in my head I can’t even hear my thoughts, much less, focus on what I need to write.

 

So I’m here!  Hopefully, to get rid of the dust and eventually get into the zone.  The right zone.  The article is set to be published by March 11^th and that leaves me 632,400 seconds to work on it from this moment.  But I have to pull out at least a working draft from my butt ASAP to make room for my client’s inputs and revisions.  That, plus a handful more deadlines of not-so-important side job articles to submit.  Think think think… Oh, if I can only start the article now instead of solving insignificant mathematical problems!

 

But it’s Friday and all I can think of is:

1. The leftover turbo-broiled tapa (marinated pork) I made for dinner last night. And eating it,  of course.
2. Hanging out with the hubs, chilling out watching TV and pulling off an all-nighter without worrying about having to pay for it the day after.
3. The weekend!!!

 

So, I hope my writing assignment can somehow be squeezed between the “turbo-broiled tapa” and the “all-nighter”.

 

HAVE A FUN WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

 

 

 

 

 

Truth be told..

I don’t know how to come back to blogging.  This might as well be the longest hiatus ever!

Yes, I come by here and there, but there’s not enough substance, not enough heart. Visits here are nothing but dreary in my book and I’m sure you’ll agree. And I don’t want to waste the happiness and tears and everything in between that I have invested in THE blog since 2005.

And so I go on.

And because I want to.

Hopefully I’ll get back into the rhythm of things.  And THOUGHTS, for that matter.  When we’re busy, we tend to lose grasp on the reflective side of things and simply flow on.  But I am reminded that it’s good to pause and hear our heart (and God) speak regularly as I’ve done in the past years.  Reading my old posts make me realize that.  Hopefully, I will be back in no time.

Oh!

I got a message of appreciation from Facebook…Out of the blue, this person shot me a message about the inspiration I bring to the world or something like that (let’s not blush and go through the details). I felt so good.  Who wouldn’t?  But it made me panic just the same.  It was, truthfully, a BIG awakening for me happening on the perfect time when the flames in my heart were burning out.  She was a God-sent FB friend who sent me a message on the right moment when I was starting to feel tired, when my energy was kind of dwindling in NASCAR speed, and when my original desire to serve and inspire was losing the battle to….what is it? A bad case of burnout? Having too much on my plate? Having faced a lot of imperfections about life (read: mean people) recently? 

Anyhoozens…

She’s God-sent and I’m nothing but grateful right now!

And hopeful that this post, albeit long overdue, is the start of something new. 

Let’s give this a shot.

One more time.

<3

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hmmmm...

One of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness.

- Josh Billings
US Humorist (1818 - 1885)

 

Hey Blogsite!

I missed you! I had forgotten that I could conveniently email my entries to you. 

 

I’m back from my long vacay…

 

So I’ll be back blogging soon…

 

….after I get over the jetlag…

….after I sort through all the mail….

….and make sure all bills are paid….

….and return all calls….

….and clean the bathrooms….

…..change the sheets…

…..refill the pantry…

…..wash the dirty vacation laundry….

 

You’ll hear from me next year. 

 

JUST KIDDING.

  

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret."

 

— Miguel Ruiz