The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
2023 has been my most painful year. Yet God has still been good to me because He opened doors that I believe will remain open starting next year and the years to come.
So, I am starting my WordPress hibernation early for my year-end/birthday prayer and fasting to seek clarity, discernment, and courage moving forward. I promise this post won’t be the last though, but I’ll see you next year. 😉
🕊️
Here are some of the things that I am believing and manifesting for 2024:
– new places for a wider perspective
– new faces for more fellowship
– new challenges for personal growth
– new opportunities for helping others
– new me for a renewed purpose
– new spiritual family (Hello, Victory Sorsogon!)
BUT the same God working in every one of these. 🙏🙂
“Thank You, Father God, for You have remained faithful in every season. Thank You most of all for Your love and the gift of salvation. Indeed, You are more than enough. May my lifecontinue to bring You honor and gloryuntil my mission here on Earth is finished. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33
“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
I am writing something short for today’s post. It’s more like a prayer actually for my brothers in Christ – single and married.
I pray that in every relationship you wish to pursue, may you outgrow your craving for limerence and eventually mature to real love because the latter is what will sustain your relationship until death parts you both.
❤️ Image Credit: WordPress ❤️
Meanwhile, here are some great reads on limerence and true love. May the Spirit guide you as go through them. 🙏🙂
“Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 9:9
Just like how old castles were built surrounded by a moat, it’s also the same for businesses. Moats were designed to fortify castles and make them impenetrable to any type of ground attack.
For businesses, what is your contingency plan (your business’ moat) when the economy crashes? There have been conspiracies going around such as a new ethnic weapon or bioweapon that China claims some countries already have that targets a specific race. However, the source of this intel needs to be verified.
Bulusan Volcano was placed on Alert Level 1 once again last October 25, 2023 due to increased activity. Mayon Volcano in Albay has been on Alert Level 3 since June 2023. Never-ending wars also fill the news lately.
So I thought, how do we safeguard our businesses so they can survive any type of natural disaster or war? We have to admit, when the Covid-19 pandemic happened, none of us were prepared for it.
By the way, you might be wondering why the article title mentions “mice” and yet I am posting a turtle cage. 😃 It is actually the turtle cage that I am trying to fortify against these rodents.
There is no one solution that will address all your business problems. In the case of my turtle cage, rodents just keep on finding a weak spot in my cage. Every time they do this, I have to devise a new plan to ward them off.
Here are some of the lessons I learned from fortifying our turtles’ cage that we can also apply in businesses.
Just one of my DIY projects at home last year built with the help of my husband. Unfortunately, only 1 plant survived because our pet turtles just love to play with the other plants inside the pen.
3 Lessons I Learned From Mice On How To Fortify Businesses
1.Adaptability
I think I already made more than 10 modifications to our turtles’ cage, and I thought I already solved the problem. But the rodents seem to be one step ahead of me. So, what did I miss? After carefully assessing the exterior of the cage, I realized that I’d been looking at the top part of the cage only. When I examined the cage closely and at a different angle, I saw other openings where the rodents found a way to get inside and eat our turtles’ food.
DIY Turtle Cage
Looking at the problem from different angles helps us target the root cause of the issue at hand. In a business, this might mean having to study customers’ profiles and take note of the best times to engage with them or advertise your product. Or you might consider changing the location of your business or operating hours.
Also, considering mobility solutions and alternatives as far as logistics are concerned will help your business adjust during a crisis. You might also want to include improving your communication strategies in the event that all communication lines are down.
2.Resourcefulness
When I designed this turtle cage, I was thinking of a low-cost project by making use of scrap and unused materials that I was able to rummage in our storage house. I also got the bamboo at the farm. The disadvantage though of using wooden materials is their durability. You have to change them every 8 months or so especially if they are exposed to different elements such as rain and sunlight.
Engineer/architect fora day. 😊
It’s all about maximizing what we already have that we can utilize to lessen the operating costs of a business. The IoT (Internet of Things) and technology can help businesses transition from traditional processes to a digital setup in terms of applying different marketing strategies and performing HR-related tasks.
We can also learn from doomsday preppers when it comes to cost-effective equipment such as using solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems especially if the business relies heavily on electricity and water use.
3.Think Long-Term
There is no better way to prepare than to anticipate what could possibly happen in the coming years. While we have no control over what could transpire in the future, a good amount of preparation might somehow reduce the negative impact of a crisis.
What we must prepare now includes acquiring assets that will not be affected by a volatile market. We can also diversify our investments so that in case one industry is heavily affected, our other investment can help sustain it. Also, saving for buffer funds is a necessity now. It is no longer an option, but a requirement. This is very important for every business to avoid acquiring debt.
Choosing your partners in the mission field is also critical at this point. This will include business partners and real-life partners. Business partners must support the vision, mission, and values of the company. If they are only after the profit, it could be an added strain on your business once you decide to end the partnership due to unresolved conflicts.
The same thing goes for your real-life partner. Choose someone who supports your dreams and goals and it would be better if he or she is not from the same profession. Tough times just like the COVID-19 pandemic tested every relationship all over the world.
If you’re in the medical field, I suggest not choosing someone who’s a medical professional, too. Medical staff alongside military personnel are always the frontliners whether there’s a pandemic or a war. You would need someone who is strong-willed and yet can offer you the comfort and encouragement that you need as pressure and stress start to take a toll on your mental and physical health.
Choose someone who will make sure when you get home, you will be able to get the much-needed rest and nurturing that you need. Or someone who can write your reports for you because you are already too exhausted working 8 hours straight in full PPE (plus an hour of overtime work) and braving the city’s traffic going home. And you still have a Zoom meeting after dinner. This was me, btw, to my husband (a registered nurse), during the Covid-19 lockdown. 😉
The small turtle is hiding beside the big one. The male turtle is an aggressive introvert. lol He’s aggressive enough to pursue our female turtle, but too introverted to interact with people. 😄
Speaking of partners, we found another turtle, a young male just this year. And it looks like he’s going to be a good partner for our female turtle. Though I think the age difference between them might be an issue now because he tried to mate her, but he’s still too small and her shell is too big for him so he failed. lol It looks like you still have to wait a little bit longer, young man. 😉
P.S. We plan to release these turtles inside our farm once they’re able to multiply. I want to make sure the young turtles are already big enough to defend themselves from predators before releasing them in the wild. Otherwise, their chances of becoming extinct are high, especially since locals poach them for food.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
Here’s an acrostic poem I wrote to start our week right. 📝 I pray that the Lord will free us from anything that hinders us from our walk with God. May we not be weighed down by the chains that bind us, but instead, be given the power, courage, and strength to set ourselves free in Jesus’ Name, Amen. 🙏
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1
The beauty in scars is that they leave you memories not only of the bad ones but of those that are priceless, too.
This article is my tribute to families who have very young kids and whose parent died or is suffering from terminal cancer. I was compelled to write this article after watching a video tonight. It just popped up in my YouTube newsfeed and came in timely.
Because yesterday, another young wife shared with me her husband’s battle with cancer after a recurrence (same as my Mom), and their youngest child is only 4 years old. She broke into tears as she shared their ordeal.
I couldn’t find the right words to comfort her, and this is what I would actually like to pray to God now. May God give me the wisdom to know the right words to say to people who are battling with cancer or dealing with loss due to cancer while I, myself, am dealing with my own loss. May the hope that I was given thru Christ be the same hope that I get to share with them. 🙏
Although I’ve read in an article that sometimes a “silent presence” is the best response just by listening to what they share. In one of the Breast Cancer Support Groups that I recently joined, another young mother was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, and she has just given birth. When Mom died, I wrestled with the question “Why does she have to die this soon?” for quite some time.
And God probably saw how I struggled with this question in my heart, thus, He brought me to these people who reminded me I have no right to complain and ask that question because I got to spend almost 4 decades of my life with Mom before cancer took her away from us. Some kids never got the chance to know their parents while growing up.
Yes, we’re all broken, and sometimes life has a cruel way of reminding us every now and then of this brokenness. And yet by His stripes, we were healed. Jesus made us whole. He makes me whole again and again and again.
As I am writing this now, tears just rolled down my cheeks. I just have such admiration for these young Moms and Dads for being so strong for their kids. I don’t know if I can do the same if I am in their shoes.
Maybe this is why I never got pregnant. I thought it was a curse from God. But now, I realize that God may be protecting me knowing that I might also have the cancer genes, I might die early and leave my young kids behind, and I will be passing these cancer genes to my kids, too.
Maddy was a beautiful reminder to me how well we ought to live each moment of our lives knowing the future is so uncertain. The priceless memories she left behind will forever be engraved in the hearts of those who love her – families, friends, and strangers. ❤️
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:26
There’s a lot of tension and anxiety going on as Israel prepares for urban warfare against the militant group Hamas in Gaza. Yes, every day we see death. And yet, seeing them increase by the thousands every passing week can be too much to bear.
I’ve been keeping myself busy trying to avoid the news as I see photos and videos of the tragedy that has fallen upon the men, women, children, and elderly in the Middle East. I do not want to take any sides, so let me just instead offer a prayer to families who are grieving and those who are trying to survive. As we wait for the Lord, we pray. 🙏
Lord, please deliver us from the woes of war.
May God turn His face towards His people. May He give us the peace that we seek every day from the battles inside and around us. May His ears not be deaf to our pleas and our cries for help. May He end this suffering once and for all. And yet not our will, but His will be done in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4
I woke up today feeling all nostalgic when I saw a notification here on WordPress. It’s another achievement unlocked – today’s my blog’s anniversary.
And I can’t help but smile and thank God for the 11 years of being a storyteller, sharing the Good News, and just being me. 😉
Thank you to my WordPress community for making my blogging experience so worthwhile. This is where my purpose as a writer started, and hopefully will not end here, either.
As long as I’m breathing, I will keep on writing. Thanks be to God for this wonderful gift. 🙏
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
God is truly amazing. He knows how tiring (but very productive) this day was for me, and He knows exactly what will make my heart flutter.
When I was about to pick some Blue Butterfly Pea flowers for tonight’s tea, this was the spectacular view that greeted me – a beautiful butterfly perched just beside the flower. ❤️
Blue Butterfly Pea Flower & A Real Butterfly
And because I’m physically exhausted, my brain can no longer come up with enough words to describe the following random thoughts that popped up in my head in the last couple of days. You might want to search them on Google instead. 😉
– Armageddon(not the movie)
– Revelation 16:16
– woman, child, and dragon
– Caden
For Caden, I just had this sudden thought last week of having a baby boy for my firstborn (if I can choose 😀). And I saw the name Caden while browsing on the internet, and I felt like I also wanted that name as one of my choices for my baby’s name if ever.
My other choice for my future (if God wills it) child’s name is Zaphen, which is short for Zaphenath, Joseph “The Dream Interpreter’s” Egyptian name. When I search for Caden on the internet, it means “warrior,” “fighter,” “Spirit of Battle,” or “Spirit of War.”
That’s all for today. A blessed night, everyone! 🙏❤️
“Why flowering trees and why not fruit trees? You can’t eat those flowers.”
Mom asked me this question last year when she saw the labels on the polybags where I’m growing the seeds of the flowering trees. Well, Mom had a point. So, I just smiled.
Fire Tree
Golden Shower
Palawan Cherry Blossom
But in my head, the answer was simple: the pollinators. It is because of these pollinators that’s why I am planting the flowering trees. No pollinators, no fruits, no food. These small creatures typically go unnoticed, but they actually play a vital role in our environment.
Sad truth.
But if you’re going to ask me, why not choose flowering plants instead? I had climate change in mind when I thought about what type of plants to propagate on our farm. The probability of delicate flowering plants surviving the effects of climate change as it worsens year after year will be very low.
Flowering trees, on the one hand, have deep root systems and will have better chances of surviving periods of extended drought and strong typhoons. They will also provide sufficient shade when intercropping and will serve as a home to other species in the ecosystem. Not to mention that their beautiful flowers are such a lovely sight to behold, especially if there are plenty of them.
Let The Flowers Bloom
Last year, I bought 8 kinds of seeds of different flowering trees before coming to Bicol. Out of the 8 flowering trees I planted, I was able to successfully propagate only 3 of them. They are the Palawan Cherry Blossoms, Fire Tree (a favorite home of fireflies), and Golden Shower.
Praying the seeds of other flowering trees have a high germination rate, too.
Only 11 of the 15 seeds germinated, and we transplanted them last week on the farm. As much as I would like to plant a thousand of these trees now, I really don’t have much of an option. Because we need to take into consideration first where we will plant them inside the farm for future landscaping purposes.
These are tall and huge trees that should be planted 1-2 meters apart. I intend to grow only a few for each kind so it will be easier to get seeds once we propagate them later on.
God Makes Them Grow
Upon checking them yesterday, so far all of them were doing well except for the Golden Showers. I am praying the Golden Showers will survive. If not, that means I have to try propagating them again and again.
In every project of mine, I make sure I follow it through from start to finish even if I fail somewhere along the process. This way, I get to maximize my assessment on where I made a mistake and what areas I need to improve on to get my desired results next time.
By the way, the province of Sorsogon here in Bicol currently has a “1 Million Trees Challenge,” which is part of the LGU’s 7k Program. It is my prayer that the local government will not just target planting 1 million trees, but will also make sure that all 1 million trees will grow, survive, and thrive so generations after generations will benefit from them.
Back to the farm, I got a little bored during the latter part of the day yesterday so I decided to drive our old Innova around and started circling our Mango trees. When Dad saw me, he suggested I drive to the bushy part to flatten the tall weeds (I don’t see the importance of this prior to mowing, sorry Dad 😃) because he was planning on having them mowed later that afternoon.
Unfortunately, heavy rains poured so Dad had to postpone mowing the lawn. The good thing though was that somehow a huge portion of the weeds were flattened.
If I know how to drift, I would have drifted the Innova to make sure all the weeds really flattened out. But well, drifting an automatic car is quite a challenge, and I know Dad will make me walk home should I decide to do it. lol Just a little trivia about me, I have a need for speed that’s why I don’t drive. 😀
I’m a very impatient driver, and if you see a car that’s parked diagonally and all the rest of the cars are parked vertically, that’s probably mine. lol I think I was born to drive main battle tanks so I can easily ram it anywhere should the need arise. 😂
A Flowery Road
But thank God, there were no scratches and dents in any of our cars while I was the driver. That means I’m still a good driver, right? If my Mom’s still here though and saw me driving around in circles at a fast speed, I would’ve gotten about an hour long of her reminders and “whatnots” (love you, Mom).
So, let’s try to connect driving and the 1 million trees, shall we? lol Just try to envision driving down a winding road lined up with flowering trees. Ah yes, that would be such a splendid and a pretty romantic sight, don’t you think? I would love to see this as a reality one day, God willing, one tree at a time. ❤
This is the filtered expectation when you’re on a farm.
This is the unfiltered, no makeup reality with all the sweat, sunspots, and freckles. lol I took this photo trying to identify how this tree got 2 trunks.Twins, maybe?
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
I am 80% introvert. The home is my life. Give me a book or in our generation now, the internet, and I can spend the entire day just reading. I sometimes forget to eat. If only books are edible, too. lol
If I’m not reading, then I’m tinkering with DIY projects. I love systems and processes and deciphering how things work. I just hate Math though, so no formulas and computations, please. But if you’re a Mathematician, do know that I’m very much intrigued by how your brain works. 😀
But as we all know it, adulting requires we do more than just read books or devote our entire time to hobbies or projects. We don’t have a choice, do we?
So, that 20% that I do get to go out to buy stuff that I need, do important errands, or spend quality time with people I love, I make sure the experiences will be worthwhile and definitely one for the books.
I also prefer to commute via public transportation when going out. I get to observe people a lot and this is how I get ideas for my next story. The solo backpacking concept has always been a dream of mine. But I already dismissed the idea because nowadays, traveling alone to unfamiliar places is not safe, especially if you’re a woman.
What Introverts Do When Outdoors
So, where do introverts like me go when not hibernating? Here are some places where you can find them.
My first BIA flight.Thanks to my sis-in-law, Heather, for this awesome capture! ❤
Do watch these breathtaking videos of Mt. Mayon during my flight. She’s simply stunning, always a “Daragang Magayon.“ ❤
How to get to places without getting bored inside the car? Take selfies.lol
Farm girl mode featuring the Japanese Tunnel during World War II.
Tinipak River
That photo where the subject became part of the background. lol
Sorsogon BoulevardSunset
Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon
Baguio City’s Session Road
Palogtoc Falls/Irosin, Sorsogon
UP Diliman Bike Ride
Mt. Daraitan Peak w/ my hubby. This was a “budol” climb because we weren’t informed it’s not for beginners. lol But thanks be to God, we made it to the top ALIVE. 💪
I thought about writing this year-in-review (or year-end review) because I usually do a social media hibernation every December as part of my birthday prayer and fasting. I’m going to be another year older, yet another year wiser. 37 years have been tough, but I’m looking forward to what lies ahead than what is behind.
P.S. All credits go to my husband for taking these photos. Today’s Day 1 of us living apart, too, so I’m posting these photos as a remembrance of another meaningful chapter. It’s painful to lose people, but I know this is God’s way of testing my faith in Him, a way to refine our characters so we can be deserving to be called His sons and daughters.
Pained but sanctified. ❤
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” – Proverbs 31:25
P.P.S. I still have 115 rough drafts of articles that I need to revise and post here. They are more than enough for this year even if I post every day. lol How to stop the brain from thinking? 🤔
The Journeyman's Moments 