Thankful

Me time.  Love it.  Just doing the things I love.  Just savoring every bite of my fave food.  Not stressing about work.  Not thinking about any concerns.  Just taking it slow.

My happiness tank gets filled up every time.  And my gratitude journal gets lots of writing.

Life can get quite hectic at times, so we tend to skip looking after ourselves.

But even amid our busyness, we can take even just a brief moment to breathe and experience the simple joys of our day right where we are.

Because we deserve it. Because our whole self (mind, body, and spirit) needs it.

Being grateful even just for the teeniest and most ordinary blessings of our day shall help pick us up too.

Then at the end of a busy day, if we would look deeper, we would surely realize that we have loads to be thankful for, no matter how our day went.

So let's keep at it.  Every day.

Simple joys.  Blessings.  Gratitude.  Repeat.

Power of Small

I threw one tiny stone into the water, and it created those lovely ripples.

My friend and I were trying to outdo each other with the furthest throw while resting on the sand at the beach one afternoon.

Ripples.

I'm glad I can create ripples even just on a tiny part of the big ocean.

I'm glad I can create ripples even with just a little stone.

I'm glad I can use the power of small to help others.

I'm glad I can use the simple gifts that God has given me to bless the world.

It's not so much about reaching millions of people all at once.  But if I can reach even just one person today and help that person, then that person would be able to help another person, and another and another.

Then we can all create the ripples that the world needs.

And help make it a brighter place.

With overflowing happiness and hope for everyone.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Identity

I left my phone in the bedroom, and when I went to get it, I saw that I had heaps of missed calls from my sister.  There was a pile of unpaid bills under my name for some phone subscription that I never took out!

It was a case of identity theft!  The days, weeks, and months that followed were gruesome.  How could those people do that?  Why would they steal another person's identity?

I thank God that it finally got resolved after several months of distress.

When I look back and think about it, I feel pity for those people.  It's hard to pray for them after what they did to me, but still, I pray for them and for others like them.

I wish that they would stop and never hurt a single soul again.  That they would be able to find a decent means of earning a living and receive God's help in their times of need.

I pray that they would find their true identity as children of God.  

And realize that they were made in His image and were created to love even in the midst of life's difficulties.

I pray too that they would be instruments of good and not evil.

Life is hard and complicated as it is.

But may we all try to find the goodness in our hearts and seek to love others.

Always.

Christmas

I grew up hearing Christmas countdowns and carols as soon as the month turns into a "ber" month (i.e., September).  It may be way ahead of time, but I have always loved it ü

So whether I'm home or overseas, it's a natural thing for me to find a way to play my favorite Christmas songs even as early as September.

It also creates a much happier spirit in me as I look forward to my usual trip home to spend the season with my family, partner, and friends.

This year though, with all the issues that the pandemic has caused, I was thrown off course.  I won't be able to fly back home for Christmas, so I couldn't somehow bring myself to play my usual Christmas playlist.

Three more days to go and it will be October.  The days are counting and it will be Christmas before I know it.

Yet life must go on.

And I know that I should make the most of everything in the here and now.

That I should keep believing that only good shall come out of all these.

That God has something great in store for all of us despite what's happening.

Yes, my Christmas won't be the same this year.

But I continue to pray.

And look ahead with hope in my heart.

Anew

Regret.

That's what I felt one night as I recalled the things that occurred earlier that day.  I should have done this.  I could have said that.

But can I still go back in time and change what happened?

No.

Thankfully, I can start anew and look forward to a new morning.

I'm glad I can look back and learn from the past.

I'm glad I can keep going.

As I got up from bed this morning, I said a short prayer of gratitude for the gift of life.  For God's countless blessings no matter how many times I falter.  For another chance to be happy.

I know that He has wrapped a wonderful blessing for me in each moment of my day.

And I surely don't want to miss any of it!

Likes

Once while at the shop, I overheard a group of young women chatting about the number of likes and followers that they have on Facebook and Instagram.

In this age of digital technology (and social distancing), most of us are into social media.

And for those who are trying to promote their stuff to other people, whether it's an FB post, Instagram story, or YouTube video, or a product, service or idea that we are trying to sell, it's so tempting to validate our worth on the likes and views that we get.

While it does have its joys (just doing it for fun), it also tends to discourage us and make us feel like crap sometimes, particularly when we start comparing ourselves with others.  And that's the sad part.

The numbers that we get from likes, followers, or views are not who we are.

Our worth is based on who God says we are.  His children.  His beloved.

May we always remember that.

Then the world will surely be a happier place!

 

Happy Place

The other morning, on my way to an appointment, I had the chance to make a quick stopover at the beach.  It was a beautiful spring weather, so I thought it would be nice to go for a walk and get some Vitamin D from the morning sunshine (yay!).

Yes, the beach is one of my happy places, so it's really great to live in a coastal suburb.  It's so good to see and be in your happy place anytime, especially when you have to face a tough day or want to feel better after a long day!

As I sat and rested on a bench that Friday morning, I felt so happy and thankful (as I always feel when I'm at the beach).  Experiencing the sights and sounds of the ocean, the seagulls, the blue sky, little children running around, elderly couples holding hands and laughing together, etc are always a delight to my senses.

Things like these always make me look up and thank God.  Appreciate the simple things.  See God's goodness in anything and everything around me.

That time I had at the beach was just brief, but I was able to savor every moment and take with me loads of joy that I knew I needed for my appointment that day.  *smile ü*

Yes, thank God for happy places!

Warrior

I am a worrier.  Sometimes, even just a little snag can make me anxious.  It's never a nice feeling.

To me, everything has to be smooth sailing, or else I worry.

But nothing is perfect!  And not everything is within my control.  I can't always stay in my comfort zone, and at times have to step out into my courage zone.  

So when things don't go according to plan, I pray.  And try to see the happy and positive side of things.

It's no walk in the park.

But if I can just be a warrior (not a worrier!), then I can soldier on in any battlefield.

If only I would put on the armor of faith all the time, then I can stay the course.

Life then would be more fun.

And much brighter!

Somebody

Rejection is a lonely road to travel.  Especially when you are walking alone.

I have experienced many rejections in my life.  I have called myself a nobody.  I have been to the pits.

Thankfully, life creates new opportunities.  Each new day offers a chance to start anew.

It's not always easy to buck up and continue the journey, but I believe that God sends second chances for a purpose.  And blesses us with new moments to be happy.

So each time I find myself on Rejection Road, I try to remind myself that I am not walking alone.

That I am a somebody.

Because I am God's beloved.  

Glass

Count your blessings.

What a cliché.

Yet so true.

Every moment is a wonderful gift.  No matter how uneventful or simple it is.  

Sometimes we forget that waking up each day is something we should be grateful for.

Sometimes we tend to focus on what's missing in our lives, instead of appreciating what we already have.

I'm guilty of this at times, especially when life isn't going my way.

But the moment I press the stop button in my head and start remembering my blessings, small and big, I feel happy.

Life's downs will always be around.  But I believe that gratitude is a great antidote to whatever negativity may surround us.  And it helps us to look at what's ahead with hope in our hearts.

A wise man once said that we should look at our glass as half-full, instead of seeing it as half-empty.

We are all blessed.

Even beyond blessed.  If only we would look deeper.

And be always grateful.

Compass

I have been lost many times.  

And I still get lost a lot.

When driving on unfamiliar roads.  When traveling in a foreign country.  When navigating through a storm.  When trekking through the jungle of life.

I don't always find my way.  

As there are times when I don't have my map or compass (a.k.a. Apple or Google Maps) with me when I should.

But when I do, I just search for it in my pocket and voila, it points me to the North, gives me directions, and gets me back on my feet.

In my life's wilderness, everything is chaos unless I carry my Compass.

He points me to my North.  He guides my way.

But at times, the journey is still too tough for me.

Not because He makes things difficult, but because of my stubbornness when I want to do things my own way.

Wherever life takes me, I wish I would always remember to take my Compass with me.

I wish I would just follow the path He leads me to.

Yes, it may not be a breeze.

But I should just trust Him.

For God's way is truly the only way to happiness.

  

Addict

I love watching comedy films and shows (Friends, Ally McBeal and The Big Bang Theory are just a few of my all-time favorites ü)

What's not to love?  The humor.  The belly laughs.  The feel-good moments.

They are especially helpful on days when life has lots of dramas.  Laughter is the best medicine as we say. 

They help me see the lighter side of things that sometimes I just couldn't help but wish that life is a comedy.  No stresses.  No problems.  Just fun and hilarity.

Life is not that simple though (ouch!).  So I just wish that no matter what life brings, I would always be a laughter addict.

Always high on humor.

Always injecting myself with laughs.

And only using 'drugs' of happiness!