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.
In our church, we have a yearly mid-year prayer and fasting where we consecrate to God the things that are done in the early part of the year and the things to be done through the latter part of the year. For this year, the schedule came in timely – July 3-5. I have so many things to be grateful for including answered prayers and realizations I encounter daily. I also have a lot to pray for because I will be going through a lot of seasons again.
What Transpired
Day 1
It is not a coincidence that July 3rd was the schedule for my first article to go live at Daily PS, a community of Christian writers on WordPress. Here’s the link to the article and I hope this will recharge your spirits:
Hubby dear was also scheduled to have his first day of training on this day for a tentative promotion (his 2nd). I am also in the process of seeking for topics to contribute as guest posts for some of my fellow Christian writers here on WordPress such as The Christian Blog Ghana. Do visit their site, their posts are such an insightful read. 🙂
Day 2
After checking out the published article in Daily PS, I opened a new document over Microsoft Word for my next article submission. I was only targeting one topic. But God’s grace allowed I come up not only with 1 but 6! Ah yes, when God calls you for a task, He really will prepare you.
I had to blur it because I can’t spill all the beans just yet. 😉
I also decided to come up with a new blog logo since my old logo, the one with a bible verse in it, is perfect as a site header. For the logo design, I wanted it to be very simple. I chose a laurel wreath as it symbolizes victory. I plan to update my Facebook page’s profile picture to this new one but I am on social media hibernation (part of my prayer and fasting). I also plan to use this logo on all of my blog’s social handles instead of my photo. This blog is about God and not me. 😉
If you also want to learn how to create one, I can help you. You can find more details about this below.
I am feeling the inclination (tugging of the Spirit yet again) to conduct a free writing and website designing workshop for fellow Christian bloggers and writers who are just starting out or needing to revamp their sites. I am asking for God’s leading that either I host the workshop and invite other Christian writers to share their expertise or I join one. I already shared tips online with one sister in Christ (Hi, Mean! :-D) but I know meeting in person is better. 😉
I have been designing and managing this blog alone through tutorials (I learn from others, too) and it is quite challenging. But nothing is hard when God equips you to do a task. I believe I must thank the Lord for giving me the wisdom in making this website according to how He wishes it to be.
For the writing and web designing workshop, I am targeting an audience starting from teens and up. Yet another workshop I plan to conduct is a free art workshop but this time, for kids. I have always loved art back when I was a kid and I only got to explore so much of it now that I am an adult. 😀
Day 3
I have been conducting research for the past weeks about entrepreneurship and marketing for a not-for-profit project. It’s only during the mid-year prayer and fasting that I finally had a break from all the info overload. Ah yes, the “burnout” article really just came out timely, it’s even perfect for me as a reminder. 😉
Thank God for the grace, I got everything I needed and now ready to consolidate all the data for a better presentation. I still have so much to learn, though. My eldest sister suggested I make a storyboard. I am now working on how to integrate it with Microsoft Powerpoint. The current challenge I have is trimming down all the information and making it into one coherent output.
Today, I’ve also decided to come up with topics to share on my personal blog that are a little off the ordinary. These topics will be presented in a series to better categorize them and they will be technical with a little bit of faith on the side. This blog is meant to be informative. So any knowledge I can share with you all, it’ll definitely be posted. 🙂
The quotation for this week in my planner also came in timely:
The warrior of light has no “certainties,” he just has a path to follow, a path to which he tries to adapt depending on the season.
– Manual of the Warrior of Light (Paulo Coehlo)
I have high hopes that all I have mentioned above are plans that will materialize in God’s perfect time. Let’s just say this season is all about planning and preparing.
God is a god of perfect timing, anyway. 😀
Are you a Christian blogger? I would like to ask for your help by sharing your expertise with aspiring Christians writers here on WordPress. Any idea you have how we can share these tips will be highly appreciated. Thank you! ❤
That is how we, Filipinos, greet one another in our native language especially with people whom we haven’t seen for a long time. I must admit it’s been awhile since my last blog post here, but I have a valid reason why this post never made it to my consistent #everyFridayblogpost for 3 consecutive Fridays now. Today, as of writing, it’s actually a Saturday and around 12 midnight to be exact. 😀
So hear ye, hear ye, my beloved readers. Thou shall not cover thy ears for my words will but gently pierce.
Alright, alright. Enough with the never-ending intros, Tin. lol Nope, I am not messing around with you but this is my way of setting up the mood for this article – personal, casual, light, and a journal.
So, let’s start, shall we?
If there is but one thing we all have a hard time managing in this ever-present and modern world aside from time, it is this – priorities. If there is also one of us here who never had a dilemma how to manage priorities, do shoot me an email. I’d really love to learn how you did it.
I have always been a “doer.” When I plan, I set goals. When I set goals, I make sure I am working on achieving these goals. These goals vary from short-term such as paying the bills on Thursday, etc., to long-term goals i.e. career planning, business ventures, and a whole lot of things in between. In other words, I am a multitasker.
Currently, I have so many things going on even though the past weeks were already the busiest. This includes adjusting to our new home since hubby and I recently transferred. If you can imagine all the packing and unpacking that went on and still going on, I’m sure you’ll understand. 😉 I got the hang of it, though. I believe this is the toil of man, to never fully rest until we all reach the end of our timelines in this world.
For the past two weeks, I spent it with my families – the last week of May with my biological family (Ginete family) and the 1st week of June with my in-laws (Rome family). Those weeks were hectic to the point that my Dad, who spent 78 years of his existence in the province, admitted that the city life is so fast-paced time just flies when they’re here. I can’t contest this, it’s quintessentially true. 🙂
This is, in fact, the very reason why I’d love to go back home in the province and stay there for good. This is pretty ironic to someone like me who loves doing a lot of things. I love the laidback atmosphere in the province not because I am lazy. It’s because I enjoy solitude as it calms and eases my mind.
Right now, my mind is a huge mess. I often wondered how I can manage to come up with an article while trying to balance everything. I am always prone to falling into this bad habit of workaholism. I have to constantly remind myself I won’t be able to achieve much when my body and my mind fail me.
Breathe. Take some time off. Pause.
The laidback lifestyle in the province gives us that opportunity. As a writer, there can be so many things in your head and writing them off seems like a never “good enough” solution. But praise God for the comfort of our sound-proof room now, even the drilling noise from a nearby construction site is lessened to just a whisper. *wink* I am grateful to God and my family for this great opportunity to live in a new home. 🙂
A deeper contemplation is what every writer needs. It is from the deepest recesses of our souls that the beauty of words is revealed. That is why I love midnights. I love staying awake in the wee hours of the morning. Everything is quiet. All I hear are my thoughts – loud and clear. It helps me to discern, to block distractions, and to fish those thoughts out one by one until they’re all carefully laid out.
Just like priorities.
You need to handpick them one by one so you can align them accordingly. Balance is achieved once you know what are the priorities that are particularly urgent and what are not.
So how did I manage the past week’s schedule? Maintaining balance is the key. But first, come up with what should be on top of your list and stick to it.
Here’s how mine looks:
God
Husband
Family
Career
Ministry
Image copyright: blogos.org
A word of caution here, though. Don’t confuse God and Ministry as something interchangeable. God being the top priority means your personal relationship with Him a.k.a. devotion and prayer time. The ministry is God’s calling for you how to serve His people. In my case, it is this blog.
So this, my friends, is the reason why I was hibernating from WordPress. I need to serve our families’ needs first. But I am just grateful how God orchestrated all the events that took place so beautifully and perfectly because I honored what matters to Him first.
Here’s how the events played out:
Nothing too fancy and as simple as air conditioning units installed right after my parents arrived (they won’t survive the summer heat in the metro).
Hubby and I also gave them a wedding anniversary gift in the form of Mom’s cataract surgery for a pretty discounted price (hubby’s work privileges). They are now both cataract-free and with 20/20 vision.
We were also able to spend a meaningful time with my father-in-law who’s a seafarer. Their ship passed by and stayed in the Philippines exactly the week when my sister-in-law will graduate in college.
Actually, a whole lot more of surprises took place and I can only attest that indeed, with God, nothing is impossible especially to those who believe. 🙂
Here are some of the photos with the fam bam:
(with the Ginete Family)
(with the Rome Family)
I prioritized our families over my career and yet God made a way for me to stay true to my commitment. As much as the workaholic in me would like to check emails and draft articles while on vacation, the place where my Dad-in-law’s ship was docked had no signal for mobile internet.
So, I prayed to God that if this is how He wishes things to be, may He prepare me once I get back and find out I was laid off from my job. 😀 Yes, I missed meeting the 2-article minimum for every week because I was able to write none for the entire week.
But as you all know, God is good all the time. I came back after the vacation and my employment contract is still intact and no memo came through the email. 😀 I am also grateful for my job now because I had the time to run errands for my family and attend to their needs especially with my aging parents.
Dad had one of his worst gout attacks while they’re here and seeing him crippled because of pain was too painful to watch too. It’s a good thing the practical side of me focused on what needs to be done and never focus on my emotions.
Ah yes, this is how empaths are. I believe most empaths are writers. Writers love seclusion every now and then and so are empaths. Being in a crowd often means absorbing so many emotions and it can completely bear us down. Writing helps unload those emotions when they become too heavy.
So, my family came third. God and my husband remained on the top 2. Right now, I am back to my daily grind writing articles for an ad agency. Another opportunity for a long-term project also came along plus an invitation to write articles for a faith-based website catering to an international audience. There are actually more pending collaborations with Christian writers up on the list from across the globe. These are opportunities that I am grateful for and I know God has a purpose behind them all. I believe 2018 is the year for fellowship with Christian writers from any part of the world.
Oh, and I believe this article falls in the long-form journalism category. 😀 The article runs through approximately 1,607 words. lol This can go on and on but sleep beckons, I must succumb. Hubby and I binge-watch movies yesterday since it’s a holiday. 😉
Regarding long-form writing, I was able to research a great deal about it last night out of curiosity. If you will ask me how I encountered the word, it just popped up out of the blue. I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere and my brain recollected it just last night. I believe this is a “tugging” about a personal project I felt I needed to work on sometime in the future. Only God knows when but I already have hints.
This, I believe, can wait. The ministry requires more waiting time because it follows God’s timeline and not mine. Thus, it is the last in my priorities. God will take control of it first, I am just on the receiving end to act out when He instructed.
Personally, some events are stalled when it comes to ministry work because God is still in the process of orchestrating everything until it is completely perfect to be revealed and executed – the birth of testimonies. Just like how this blog came alive.
To end this article, when you manage your priorities, your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th priorities may differ from mine but please keep the top spot reserved consistently for only One – God. The following verse will answer your question “why.” 🙂
“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33
How do you manage your priorities? I would like to hear your experiences too. ❤
Ever since I was a kid, I always try to search for ways how to be a writer. Yes, my favorite subject in class is English and my favorite part of that subject is the after-vacation essay. I always feel giddy when I share through writing how my vacation went. I also loved to join writing contests not to win the prize but to let my stories out. If you’re like me who wanted to pursue writing as a career, here are 9 tips you can consider and follow that dream of yours as a writer.
How to be a Writer: 9 Tips to Think About
1. If you want to be a writer, commute via public transportation every day.
The stories are out on the streets from the woman you helped get inside the crowded train to the guard who greeted you exuberantly with, “Good morning, Ms. Beautiful!” 😀
A whole lot more can happen in a day and every single moment can spark a thought or an idea that may be or may not be related to it. The comforts of your car can’t give you those experiences. Aside from that, you’re too focused on the road while driving you won’t have time to notice everything around you.
2. If you want to be a writer, mingle with people from all walks of life and not only the social circle you grew up with or you happen to spend most of your time with.
Talk to that vendor at the market where you always buy your fresh eggs or the barista at your favorite coffee shop. Your conversation need not take an hour, a few chit chats are enough.
You’ll realize how rich and colorful their stories are. Each story is special. If you can imagine them in your head, they’re like vivid images with so many details and colors of different tones, hues, and gradations.
3. If you want to be a writer, you don’t have to take expensive writing courses so you’ll come up with the most interesting pieces.
The old adage in our Literature classes back in college is a pearl of golden wisdom to uphold, “you write not to impress, but to express.” If you’re also born to be a writer, a “writer’s block” is never a problem and it can’t stop you from coming up with an exquisite write up. Why? Everything around you has a story to tell.
4. If you want to be a writer, always write from your heart.
Always remember that you never have to copy any other writer’s style. Find your niche and when you do find it, embrace it. Only then can you make masterpieces that are genuine, sincere, and reflective of who you are. Every writer is special in the same way that your individuality makes you unique from everyone else.
You can also be versatile by exploring different genres. But at the end of the day, always go back to your niche. I encourage you to write in the language that you’re most comfortable with. If you’re comfortable writing in the vernacular, do so. If it is the lingua franca, use it.
5. If you want to be a writer, always have a thirst for learning.
It is your knowledge bank that makes a writer a writer. Without knowledge, you’ll have nothing to write about. Knowledge need not be highfalutin. It can be as mundane as a cat lying languidly in your balcony basking its furry coat under the sun’s prickly heat. Then “boom,” you now have an article entitled, “When Cats Bathe Under The Sun.” 😉 You gain knowledge from anyone, anywhere, and anything. Knowledge is never limited to books alone.
6. If you want to be a writer, you need to be a wide reader.
My Mom never failed to encourage me to be one when I was a kid. Thus, we were surrounded by books while growing up. She is right. Reading is one avenue for you to gain knowledge. Reading also improves your vocabulary. Having a substantial vocabulary also makes it easier for you to process and express your thoughts and ideas. How? Words just flow freely. You always have the right words for every thought.
7. If you want to be a writer, you need to be observant.
Writers are keen on details. Details can make up or break up your story. If you presented them wrongly, you’ll come up with one sloppy article – not worth reading. Nope, I’m not referring to details in a technical way, but details you see around you. What you see is what your brain will process. What your brain will process is what will come out in your writing.
8. If you want to be a writer, keep on writing.
Never lose your focus. If there is any tinge of truth in the saying, “practice makes perfect,” I tell you, there is. Not just a tinge but a myriad of it.
But never plagiarize just for the sake of having something to write about. A copied thought is still plagiarism. But you can somehow make it your own by infusing it with your interests, past experiences you can associate it with, and your own interpretation of the thought.
9. Lastly, if you’re called to be a writer, trust your God-given ability.
He has a purpose why He showered you with that gift. As a writer, you leave an imprint, a legacy that will not just impact your generation but the next generations who will be reading your articles for as long as dear WordPress is alive and kicking. 😀
Writers don’t just leave a legacy, they’re also the greatest editors of themselves. They subject themselves to consistent improvements and rechecks their articles every day until it is polished free of errors. But no, you can’t always make your writing perfect the first time around.
At the end of the day, keep in mind that if you want to be a writer, always think you are writing for an audience of One and always bring God all the glory. Trust Him, He will never fail you. 🙂
From a Christian writer with all the love she can give,
P.S. (A very long one.) 😀
I very much would love to publish a book, be a published author, and I know I won’t have a hard time achieving that by God’s grace and if it is His will. But my convictions told me that it will defeat my purpose why I am writing if I will publish the book for the sake of making a profit or earning money. If I will make a book out of my faith-based testimonials or anything about God, I will give the book to all my readers for free – the same way that the Bible is free. In the first place, it’s the Bible where I got all the wisdom from the experiences I went through and the reason why I’m writing.
God’s Word is never meant to be exclusive only to those who can purchase your book – it’s meant to be free for all. Always remember to never let money be your sole motivation in using your God-given ability to write. It has to be God and only Him that should be your motivation why you’re writing. Also, God will provide you other ways to finance your writing but never use your writing about God to earn money. If we plan to put God on the pedestal, place Him there without anything latched on to Him – self-glory, money, pride, popularity, etc.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:3
If you also want to be a Christian writer, don’t deprive your readers the chance to know God more due to financial constraints. Give them wisdom for free as a way of serving them, as a way of loving others so much you want to give them a source of hope through your writing, as a way of sharing the Word, and as your gift back to God who let you experience salvation for FREE.
“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” – Ephesians 2:8
This is why I have never monetized this faith-based blog even if there were offers to monetize it. All of my ideas and testimonies are free for all to read and share and it will remain that way for as long as I can write. I refuse to even make this a private domain and pay a monthly fee even if I can because I don’t want money to have anything to do with my faith except for tithes.
I may write a book but I’ll give it for free. It is not the price of your book that matters but what’s in it – the story you want to tell. Your story is meant to be shared with everyone. Just like the Bible, there is no limit to where its wisdom can go. It’s the same with your book. Write a story, share it, then leave a legacy worth following through your articles and your readers when they also pass the wisdom to others. 🙂
Are you an aspiring writer? Are you still in a daze how to become a writer? Or have you been writing for years already? Let me know in the comment box below how you’re pursuing your love for writing. I’d pretty much love to hear your story too. ❤
And so I’m back. ☺ Hi there beloved reader of this post!
As promised, my next article will be about my “remote working feels.” God gave me the grace to have just a few hours to squeeze this in.
To those who will be reading this for the first time, this is a “sequel article” to my previous articles about remote working, freelancing, telecommuting, and the likes. It was a total career shift for me from the field of education to my first love which is writing. If you will ask me why the shift from being a teacher to a writer, let’s just say classroom management is my waterloo. But I do love teaching. Yet, I love writing more. It was actually one of my prayers to God to give me a career opportunity where I can pursue both my passion for teaching and writing.
The answer?GOD MADE IT POSSIBLE. (Yay!)
How did it happen? I’ll explain later. 😀
This will be my first-hand experience on remote working and if you are already a remote worker like me, maybe you can relate. But if you’re still considering the option to work remotely, this might give you a heads up.
When I wake up, I do my devo first, do household chores, take a bath, then have my breakfast. I sometimes start working on my articles while eating breakfast. Or sometimes, I don’t eat breakfast and start working right away.
2. Weigh your tasks.
This will mean prioritizing what you are going to do for the day. If I need to do errands on that day, for example, I have to assess if that errand will consume more time. If yes, I would need to finish my pending articles first. But if the errand has a time deadline too i.e. banks, bills payments, etc., then I would prepare everything I needed for the article the night before so I wouldn’t have to cram in finishing it the next day.
3. Create a deadline for yourself.
This is, by far, the most difficult. Because if there’s one challenge that any remote worker faces every day, it would be this – procrastination. So yes, beat yourself to that deadline and practice discipline at all times. Even if that bed looks so comfy and the weather is all gloomy and pretty much a bed weather, never forsake work over comfort. 😉
4. Check your productivity.
This will make it possible for you to keep track of your work’s progress. Always make sure you’re getting towards your goals and not falling behind.
5. Always look for online crash courses which could help you advance your skills in your area of expertise.
Ah yes, this, I totally love. And I just discovered this with LinkedIn. Yup! They offer a “free” trial period of their online courses and I haven’t used mine yet. 😀 Let’s just say I am still waiting for that right online course.
6. Continue to challenge yourself to do not just the given tasks but be proactive in what else can you do to help in the betterment of your team’s performance.
Let’s admit it. Your team leader and the rest of your teammates are balancing priorities left and right too. So, it’s not just about getting things done but making sure you are also contributing to your team’s progress.
#1 and #2 are interchangeable depending upon your current needs. For example, in my case, I am currently juggling two jobs as a remote worker. Yes, the answer to my prayers. ☺
But before I get on with the how, the when, and the what, I just want to mention that before I finally got what I prayed for, it required me to seek first and foremost God’s wisdom over my plans. Honestly, I went through several job rejections too. I had a hard time balancing my priorities. I also had to give up my master’s degree. And a whole lot more of struggles left and right.
There were also things which I insisted I will do and I so wanted to have for as long as I put my 100% effort and will-power and yet, God closed those doors a thousand times too. So I finally got it that that door is not the one that God intended for me no matter how much effort and sacrifices I make just to have it. This verse reminded me of that:
“Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” – Proverbs 3:6
So I came to those moments of placidity – a moment of idleness. Those moments where I had my “serious” heart-to-heart talk with my Father.
“What do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go?”
Answers did not come as fast as I’d expected. The enemy played a part in it too by deceiving and tempting me with other opportunities. Sometimes the temptation comes in the form of my own motives.
But it’s a good thing the Scripture is around and the Spirit is greater than he who is in this world. So, God won, of course. 😉
I waited patiently. Always keep in mind that when you seek God’s will in your life, it requires patience. Why patience? Because patience is required for you to have faith. And faith is believing in the things that you do not see. If you aren’t “seeing” any outcome and you don’t have patience, your prayers, sad to say, are useless. Because most likely, you’ll easily give up and move on to your next prayer request.
As they say, believe in the power of your prayers, seek for God’s wisdom and His will over your plans, and lastly, be patient. This, I guess, is the formula in making sure in everything you do, you are assured that you are honoring God with everything.
So let’s now proceed to the job opportunities and I will lay them down one by one according to how each one has played a role in my decision-making.
First, I have a high tolerance for traffic congestion, long lines in the jeepney and taxi stands or walking far just to get to work and to get home. For me, they all require will power. As they say, “if there’s a will, then, there’s a way.” Unfortunately, my body can’t keep up. 😦
The first time I tried going back to the corporate world, my first week at work welcomed me with a cough and flu which went on for about several weeks and I had to take antibiotics for a week because it became severe and it just won’t go away. Another thing, I am a possible candidate for breast cancer. Yup, you can read more about that here in this link: https://thejourneymansmoments.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/the-borrowed-life/.
Last Friday, my husband and I went to this mall in Makati’s business district to buy birthday gifts. When we were about to go home, heavy rains poured, and as expected, the traffic jam was a killer. It was also around rush hour so our usual 15-minute travel coming home was extended to an hour and a half. Pretty saddening, right? Oh, and so exhausting too. While inside the jeepney, I was staring at all the corporate employees and all their haggard, tired, and sullen faces and I was praying silently to God for more options to us working and commuting people.
Better options.
I cannot speak for all as we all have our own reasons why we work, why we chose that kind of work as well as our goals and dreams. We’re all different but for me, my decision to be a writer and work remotely certainly falls for only one reason: health.
I am not really the pro-promotion kind of employee as I am aware that promotions are most often equated to heavier responsibilities which require more of your time and more of your effort. It requires you make your career as your #1 priority. However, there are those who were really called to be in higher positions at work. But personally, I do not see myself as one of them. It is not even my main reason why I pursued a master’s degree.
My goal as to why I work is to earn money to provide for our needs and to use the extra money to help those in need also. Now, the latter is part of the reason why I can say that one of my jobs right now answers this. I am a content writer for the Emerging Business team of an e-commerce company. I have never thought about writing business articles or anything related to business.
But I am very eager to learn some business concepts even before I started this job. I have this feeling God is leading me towards this field from opportunities to interests. I cannot see clearly now what His plans are for me in this area, and yet I trust Him that I am right where He wanted me to be. 🙂
I have one guess why it has to be in the field of business. When we say “business,” oftentimes it has something to do with money. Yes, money is the root of all evil, as they say. And yet, it will only be regarded as such if you have the wrong reasons for having it. But if you are using the money to honor, glorify, and expand God’s kingdom, then money, in that sense, cannot be regarded as something evil.
I want to sponsor one or even more scholars in the Real Life Foundation in our church; I want to help send missionaries all over the world; I want to take part in every community outreach/medical mission event; I want to put up my own SpEd school which will cater to the needs of Special Education students here in the Philippines; I want to put up a foundation for all the children with special needs who cannot afford to have the therapies; and a whole lot more of other advocacy.
I cannot do all those if I lack finances. Volunteering, for me, can only do so much. I want to help in a way that I can see these people slowly reach their dreams and see them aim towards better opportunities in life.
The recent killings of juvenile delinquents here in the Philippines are very alarming. If only the spiritual family can reach out to them before another young life becomes collateral damage again, the better opportunities for these kids to have another chance in life. Poverty is not a reason enough why these kids should resort to crime, robbery, and drugs, and vice versa. Poverty has an end. Education can be a tool for that – financial education, family planning education, livelihood education, and regular schooling. Faith makes it all happen.
If money is the problem, foundations are willing to provide scholarships to students as long as students meet a certain criterion and fulfill a set of obligations. Just to mention a few, we have in church the Real Life Foundation. World Vision and Operation Blessing also provide that. These kids don’t actually need a one-time volunteering outreach event. What they need is serious mentoring, making sure they’ve been given the right opportunities towards a better life through empowerment.
I am never a fan of spoon-feeding when it comes to succeeding in life in general. Just the way my parents have taught me, it is all about personal effort which consists of persistence, patience, and resilience. And yet faith has taught me too that it is only God who provides EVERYTHING we need and to trust in God alone.
So this, I am guessing, is one of the reasons why I am learning a lot from all my research in business, finances, and entrepreneurship. As much as I hate money when it becomes the root of all evil, I also know I need it that much to help others.
I did tell my husband a few months back that I wanted to take up a business management course. He told me that we are not financially capable of that. So he asked me why. I told him that one day I might have to take over our family business in Bicol along with my other siblings.
My guess again is that this job sort of hit two birds with one stone: I get to do what I love, and I get to learn all about business and finances for free from all my research.
So I did mention that I love teaching. I love literature. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in this field, and I have the passion to share knowledge or pass it on to anyone willing to learn. The next job opportunity came in the form of an English content specialist for an e-learning platform.
This job is project-based, and it allows me to impart what I learned from the academe to the younger generations and help them achieve their goals as students through additional learning supplements in the form of lesson plans. Teachers also get to benefit from these lesson plans (calling fellow teachers out there to check it out). 🙂
Now isn’t God amazing? All it took was persistence in prayers, more personal time with Him, more immersion in the Scripture, and complete trust in His leading alongside disappointments, failures, and sacrifices.
As this verse goes on to say:
“Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.” – Proverbs 16:3
Those were the good opportunities. The not-so-good ones came, for example, in the form of a teaching opportunity abroad. It’s not that working abroad is a bad opportunity. But let’s just say that it isn’t for everyone. I, for one, can’t see myself working abroad if my husband is left here all alone. I will be going against my marriage oath and commitment to God to be with my spouse AT ALL TIMES. The compensation is far greater than what I’d be earning here, but I am also thinking about the collateral damage and the consequences.
This now brings us to priorities. As a wife, the mandate from God when it comes to priorities is God first, second is the spouse, third is family, fourth is the career, and last is the ministry. One of my prayers to God during the whole decision-making process is to help me align my priorities right and balance everything, making sure each priority is getting its intended attention, time, and effort. The article below is a favorite of mine as it shares how women can be successful in both their careers and their family lives.
That is now my current prayer – to be able to balance all my priorities well as a wife, as a content writer, as a content specialist, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a sister-in-Christ, including weighing tasks and managing time. I know God has brought me into this certain season for a purpose which includes serving Him and others, and though I may have a few doubts and worries, He will lead the way for sure. 🙂
As God has promised:
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11
And as my life verse says:
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4: 13
P.S.
My special thanks to my family for all the support and to my sisters in Christ for all the prayers. ❤
“Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3
Hi, everyone! 🙂 It’s been a while since I’ve written here (details why will be shared in the next article) and good thing I still have some remaining time (before prepping dinner) to compose a “quick” article.
A brother in Christ/friend of mine and I had this business collaboration and I was more than glad to help and do a review of their products. Well, when it comes to shoes and sandals, no girl can ever resist, right? 😉
So he asked me to do an OOTD-sort-of-theme for the sandals and all I promised was photos of the shoes and no whole-body shots (except for one). lol Well, I am getting older and let’s just say the fashionista in me has shifted too to more simple outfits peg. Being a remote worker has a say in it too. This will be explained more in my next article. 🙂
Anyway, I’ll keep this short so you can go ahead and read more about what Liliw Tsinelas Store has in store for you by clicking the link below. ❤
I am down with my usual migraine attack (on its 5th day now), but this time accompanied by a high fever and eczema too. Whew! It’s kind of difficult to manage everything when every illness you have bolted in altogether. Though I took medicines yesterday, my husband (a nurse) and the doctor at the university infirmary advised me to take 3-5 days of bed rest for my follow-up check-up on Monday, and limit physical activity. While in bed, I thought about writing something.
Speaking of my husband, though, I appreciate him for his nonchalance. That is one thing I wanted to learn from him – how to maintain a worry-free attitude despite the disarray or when things have gone awry. I am, on the other hand, the exact opposite – I worry about everything! 😀 But through time, I have learned to control my worries, and I’ll share how in the succeeding paragraphs.
Dealing With Life’s Atrocities
I know there came in your life wherein you have never felt good enough – as a spouse, as a child, as a parent, as a student, as an employee, as a friend, as a relative, and ultimately as a person.
As a Christian teacher, I have learned that it is even more important to speak life than to criticize students. We might never know; we are already crushing the dreams of a young spirit because of the negativity. Though trials produce resiliency, positive reinforcement is still best. The world is already complicated enough, mainly because we, humans, made it that way.
Every person is different. It’s the same as how every seed grows to be a different plant. Every plant has its own tender and loving care requirements. Yet all plants need sunshine; they all need light.
The Breaking And The Making
When I was a grade school student, I had my first taste of disappointment when I didn’t win as president of the student council, and I was reprimanded during the campaign period along with the rest of my running mates. The offense? We were late in Math class for just a few minutes, and we weren’t allowed to enter the classroom. I took it as my responsibility to take the blame, being the running President, and seeing your peers crying out of shame was enough to break your heart to pieces.
When I was in high school, I had another major disappointment when I only graduated as “special mention” in class after consistently being on the top 3 honors list from 1st year until 3rd year, but failed to meet the criteria for the extracurricular activities, which comprised a huge percentage of the final grades. One of my high school best friends suffered the same fate. We were advised by our parents to never receive the award during the graduation ceremony, though our names were called because they said that we do not deserve it, but we were present during said ceremony.
When I was in college, I wasn’t able to finish my thesis on time because the adviser from our concentration was on sabbatical leave. We were assigned instead to another adviser from another concentration. After submitting my first draft, I got it back only to see red marks written everywhere, and the one thing that was retained in me was this comment: “How did you reach this far if you don’t know how to make a research paper? This is not the work of a UP student!”
I thought, maybe I should also ask my former professors why they passed me in all my other subjects if I am undeserving to be in UP. 😀 Little did I know that there were several of us who got the same remarks. Yep, in our university, you’ll encounter all sorts of professors, but when it comes to critical feedback, I understood it all as part of doing their jobs as teachers.
Then I worked, a dream job it was. But disappointment once again came. The mission and vision of the workplace weren’t met because one of the figures of authority behaved otherwise. I was the recipient of that very unprofessional behavior, and many have seen it. It happened a couple of times, too. I stayed and chose to keep quiet. But after praying about it, I had to let the job go.
God’s Path Towards Salvation
So these were all hang-ups of the past, which I am sure most of us have experienced one way or the other. Others may have gone through even worse than all these, and if given the chance, they are very much entitled to unleash their grievances as much as they want. But unfortunately, as much as we would like to shake them off, they are already embedded in who we are.
All those years, I have struggled with the need to impress, to seriously meet expectations, to be perfect, to excel always, and to prove myself to people. I suffered from anger and resentment boiling in me, and the need to take revenge and retaliate was so strong. I blamed life for bringing me people who did nothing but criticize me for my weaknesses, and only that, and went beyond in criticizing who I am personally, without even the slightest hint of who I really am and what I can do. This resentment and anger included some issues in other areas of my life, too, which I will not share due to their sensitivity. I really thought I was the unluckiest person alive back then.
For 27 years, I have battled with insecurity, the by-product of low self-esteem, poor self-image, and self-worth – the mentality that “I am never good enough.” Failures, wrong decisions, and disappointments became the stronghold that corrupted my entire being until it led me to a major depression – the breaking point, as they say.
Depression robs you of the beauty of life. It makes life look bleak, bland, and distorted. It affects your every decision, and it just kills life itself. Before I was born again in 2013, I committed suicide twice – both were failed attempts.
No, I do not easily give up. I did arrive at that breaking point on the verge of quitting everything, but I still fought hard against it.
I had two options: let the darkness corrupt me and become those people who plagued others or themselves with it OR choose to search for the light, the hope.
Knowing The Savior
The opportunity came for the latter – I was given HOPE.
The greatest moment of my life was when I was born again through my faith. Why? It’s because when I found out who I was in Christ, that was the greatest and the best thing that I have heard about myself for 27 years.
It was on that day when I surrendered myself to Christ that ALL chains got loose – I was set FREE.
The moment has already come for me to look at things from a very different perspective – a total paradigm shift. It wasn’t everything I hoped for, BUT it’s exactly what I NEEDED which no one else could give me except God.
This HOPE taught me even more than what I have learned in the academe or even from life itself. It taught me how to patiently wait for the right opportunities and how to patiently endure every setback. It taught me that there is a time for everything. It taught me to decline job offers and business opportunities that could’ve made me rich in wealth and possessions. It taught me to pass up on chances of earning titles that would’ve given me some sort of self-entitlement and self-fulfillment. It taught me to weigh options, sacrifice if I must. All of these, if they will, in the end, forfeit my soul.
It taught me to choose God’s will over mine. It taught me to rely on God’s plans rather than rely on my own understanding of the circumstances around me. It taught me to relinquish control and allow God to take over. It taught me that GRACE is a gift freely given, even if undeserving. It taught me how to love others even when they do not deserve it. It taught me to find joy, peace, and contentment even when darkness, chaos, and bitterness are all around. It taught me how to let go of the past and forgive.
It taught me what true humility is all about. It taught me to be grateful always. It taught me that simplicity matters most in life. It taught me to look outwardly and consider what others are going through as well. It taught me that if there is a void that the atrocities of life have caused in me, either by wrong choices or by fate, no one and nothing else can fill it up except God.
I found this hope in Christ alone, and I find strength in the Word every day, which is my guide in this life – not any textbook, novel, or company brochure.
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” – Hebrews 11:1
Faith Anchored To Our Souls
Faith did not make my life free from criticism, condemnation, trials, and suffering. Yet it gave me a way to view life beyond that – salvation in eternity.
I still find myself in situations I have stated in the first part of this article. But this time, I have learned to see these instances from a different standpoint. I have learned to understand first where some people are coming from and why they are that way. I have learned to understand that maybe they are still in the darkness, too, driven perhaps by the need to compete, to be the best, and to meet expectations, dealing with their own insecurities and personal struggles, too. Or they have this false motive to instill in those who are next in line exactly what they went through, because in this “dog-eat-dog” world, repaying evil with evil is normal. Only God knows everything. What I observed, though, is that when people prick each other to bleed, it’s better to choose to be the rose among the thorns – the salt and light. 🙂
There are times the past comes all rushing back; it haunts. Another disappointment will ruffle your feathers. The need to lash out and punish calls. But I choose LIFE. I will speak LIFE.
Because Christ has given me LIFE. He, alone, gave me LIGHT. It is my duty as His follower to use that light so others can walk in and with Him, too, despite the darkness around them.
Ah, yes. Them.
One day, they will be brought out in the light, too. They will break standards, cultural traditions, and not conform to this world wherever they may be and whatever they may be doing. They will choose to fight for faith and spread light when hope seems dim. That was the reason I was smiling because I was praying for them silently, and I am claiming it all in the Mighty Name of Jesus, who made it possible for me, too. 🙂
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
P.S.
It’s been 3 years now since I got saved, and when things don’t go the way I’ve expected them to be, I have this bookmark to remind me of who I am. I thank the sister in Christ who gave this when she facilitated a talk during my baptism of the Holy Spirit. I have carried it with me since then. The last verse listed is my life verse. 🙂
What matters is who I am in Christ. 🙂
Oh, and yes, one new thing I have learned too from our couples’ bible study Vgroup 2 Sundays ago (thanks Tito Tony and Tita Len for the wisdom) – the boiling water concept. If you put eggs in boiling water, they become hard. But if you put the potato in it, it becomes soft. I choose to be a potato – a couch potato. Kidding. *wink*
Seriously, it only means that when life and circumstances knock you down, don’t bear any grudge and don’t be hard on yourself and on others. Instead, let it soften you, let it refine you, and let it make you better. Be a better potato, I mean, a better man/woman. 😉
Last but not least, reach out to God, and then God will send His people (spiritual family) to help usher you out of the ordeal. I am praying for your struggles, too, my dear reader and brother/sister in Christ. If you also need to share a tough ordeal and are in need of a prayer intercession, you may always pop me an email. ❤
I am very much thrilled to announce that today marks my 3rd year here on WordPress as a blogger/writer. Hooray! And things only got better lately. Praise be to God for the provisions and wonderful opportunities. 🙂
My 5-year old laptop crashed a week ago bringing with it 5 years of memories too from photos to articles and a whole lot of other stuff. My laptop is the other half of my life – most of my daily activities are centered on it. Especially my masteral thesis. I was close to complete devastion after finding out that the backup copy of my thesis materials were not updated.
Grateful tho I was given a hubby who is very supportive and helped me retrieve my files back which we did after going through a lot of hassle. When the repairman told us that my laptop can’t be repaired anymore as there are more issues in the operating system that cannot be fixed, husband dear offered to buy me a new one.
I hesitated as I don’t want to spend that much cash as we plan to save it for our church wedding next year. But then again, he reasoned out that I needed the laptop. He is giving it to me as an early birthday gift, so I know I cannot refuse his offer. 🙂
We bought a new one and was very pleased that we were given a discount and not just that – a free mouse, a free headset and a free case cover were included in the package. Now this part I can’t help but praise God for the provisions.
Today, I opened my laptop and in came a notification stating that the operating system is now ready to be upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1. Oh my good Lord. What a way to celebrate my 3rd year doing what You asked me to do. 🙂
So here’s my short review on Windows 10 as compared to Windows 8.1.
Windows 10 has more control settings and options which include a more filtered Windows Defender that lessens risks from malware and virus attacks. It also has an easier way for user accessibility to programs, apps and navigation. All the key programs can be easily found in the Startup menu and the task bar. They say it is Windows 7 upgraded.
However, the designs of the windows are very stiff, sort of minimalist style as compared to Windows 8.1 which appeal more to my creative senses with its icon arrangements suitable for those frequently using a tablet or ipad. I guess I still can consider myself more of a cellphone person than a laptop person, still. (I am using my phone while doing this article.)
But I prefer Windows 10 as what I am after in an operating system is a software that’ll provide more uses technically. I haven’t browsed through all of the Windows 10 features but I am definitely keeping the upgrade.
And yes, it is free for original Windows 7, 8 & 8.1 users. 😉
I guess these upgrades bring my blogging experience to a whole new level – more convenient and more interesting ways to write and write even more. And most especially, this is one big help in accomplishing research work and other academic/business requirements.
There is only one theme tho that’s never gonna change all throughout – serving God through the mission He has appointed me alongside other responsibilities.
As you read this, I am guessing you are a blogger too – do choose to be with me in spreading the Word, God will be there to guide you same way He guided me all the way. 🙂
Cheers to more happy blogging years ahead!
P.S.
This article marks my 200th post too. Indeed, there is something awesome about the number “3.” 😉
Greetings beloved readers and fellow bloggers of WordPress!
Before anything else, I would like to take this moment to extend my warmest gratitude to God and to my fellow blogger/writer Ronovan of Ronovan Writes for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I am deeply honored and much appreciation goes out to him for choosing me. Having been nominated, I would like to uphold the award’s name by continuing to provide more inspiring stories and articles to all of you. 🙂
I would like to share this opportunity of appreciating fellow bloggers here on WordPress by selecting my nominations for this award as well. But first, here are the rules in accepting this nomination:
Thank and link to the amazing person who nominated you.
List the rules and display the award.
Share seven facts about yourself.
Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.
7 Facts About Myself
1. I prefer to eat cold food and rummage the refrigerator.
2. I always play a particular song in my guitar wherein I only get 30% of its lyrics right.
3. I enjoy long talks whether they may be over the phone or chit chats over coffee.
4. I love rainy days but ironically, I haven’t experienced getting soaked under the rain on purpose.
5. I have occasional bouts of random words that I do not know popping in my head I just have to write them down.
6. I prefer writing articles using a pen and paper when I am not at home than type them in my laptop.
7. My thoughts may come in as fast as they go out I easily forget things, but my faith in God remains constant.
15 Nominations for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award 2014
These are just some of the awesome blogs that inspire me on a holistic sense. There are still lots of other blogs that I’d like to include but I guess I would have to just end this by saying that all the blogs here on WordPress are amazing and unique in their own special ways. This is in fact what makes my blogging experience worthwhile and awesome – versatility. 🙂
Continue blogging my dear blogger friends and inspire one another, one way or the other. Happy blogging, everyone! 🙂
It usually takes me 2 days after I have written an article or even a post like this one to publish it online. Those two days are usually for editing i.e. grammatical errors, sentence construction redo, delivery of ideas, etc. That’s why I have a Word file saved in my laptop where I write my thoughts down or a pen and paper beside me for those impromptu thoughts and ideas. I do a lot of editing and just plain technical editing. But that was before. Now, these two days aren’t just the usual editing, because the editing done comes from God. How and why?
I guess I need to tell you too that being vocal about my thoughts and making a lot of ‘noise’ on social media about my faith brought me to people calling me names such as a hypocrite; banal na aso, santong kabayo; Ms. Goody Two-shoes and a whole lot of other names. (Mind you, I am not offended, I am just amused.) I can go by a lot of nicknames pala. 😀
Nah, kidding aside, there comes a point wherein I do ask God before I post an article or a status update if it is the right thing to “say.” Did I write it too outlandish? Or was it too vulgar? Or did I use the proper words that were meant to be understood and not meant to ruin someone else? Do I sound too prying or too imposing? Did I share those words/thoughts in a manner that You wanted me to share it? Am I making the message across just right when it comes to faith and God? Or I’ll just deactivate my Facebook account, or I’ll just delete my blog site, or just do it altogether?
Of course, no matter how tempting deactivating is to me, which I actually did a hundred of times already way back when I wasn’t a Christian yet, it was one of my commitments to never do it again when I got saved. I just felt that I should not. Not again. Not anymore.
Because I love writing.
I love expressing my thoughts through words. Not verbal, not in front of a crowd, but with a pencil and paper or in front of a computer screen. I hate public speaking, I am not good at it. I stutter, my thoughts get lost as fast as it comes. My spoken words are all a jumble.
So yes, I have been praying over a lot of my posts lately here on social media. I have prayed earnestly up to the point that I asked God to talk to me in my dream, tell me directly what He would want me to do with my love for writing and is there a way that I could have done it better. I asked Him not to give signs and let me do the guessing if it is from Him or not. I fell for that trap when the enemy used it to his own advantage.
I woke up the next day, did my daily routine and opened my Twitter account. Guess what I read in my news feed?
This:
“Don’t give up on what God has called you to do. The end result is worth the pain.”
God’s Daughters
To think that I wasn’t even a follower yet of this profile (upon reading the post). So I thought, “how did it get in my news feed and how come it is the only thing I saw in my Twitter page?”
I have no idea.
Read it again, this time in the profile of God’s Daughters. Okay, I got it. It is the answer to my prayer – timely, accurate, and concise. All I could blurt out was: Hallelujah! I will always be Your follower may it be on Twitter or everywhere. Now happy to serve You. 😉
For him, to imagine is to dream. To recount is to live it by. Vivid are his words. Vibrant and so full of life. Thoughts flow freely and openly. Like a blossom slowly starting to bloom. Petal by petal, it starts to unfold to the world outside. It captivated every observer, every passersby. It now becomes like a picture – that of Dorian Gray. The fire of youth seems to breathe in and out of him. Admired by many, praised by most.
And yet, to the painter Basil, who made the portrait with all of his heart came a price too high to be paid – it costs Dorian’s soul. How can the boy be ever protected from the harsh and cruel realities of life? With all the experiences that he would go through, would there still be any good left in him?
Basil tried to protect him. Veer him away from all those worldly pleasures, make him see the world in a different perspective. And yet he, Basil, found himself caught in the whirlpool of words, thoughts, ideas, philosophies that are rich but are not from his realm.
The artist is helpless. There’s no way that he can be saved – that man in the portrait. It pained to see the masterpiece becoming a remnant of the past that would soon fade. Like a memory, dug deep until totally forgotten.
All that was left are his words, his thoughts, that once captivate but now begin to haunt. Sweet words they were. Now, they are all jumbled, like a puzzle, wherein one decent word cannot be formed.
Indeed, the boy is a writer. His life is a wordplay. A tangle of woven dreams, broken hopes and yes, just words.
Nothing else but all sort of words.
***It’s been a while since I have created something “fictitious.” So here’s a short fiction to practice my imaginative writing skills. If ever I have one. 😉
The Journeyman's Moments 