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i＜J:ournal Prompt#1

On any gift-giving occasion, what sort of gift (clothes? gadgets? toys? books?) do you always look forward to? Why?

Yes, notebooks, journals, diaries, organizers, planners, even notepads make me super happy the way ice cream does! I guess whatever we want to receive on our special days all comes down to one thing - our hobbies.

I am so awed at people who have hobbies that are totally incongruent with their jobs or their academic capabilities. An example is a friend from college. He was one of the smartest people I knew; he was also one of the weirdest. He loved reading books on psychology and philosophy, yet Playboy and FHM magazines were also some of his types. He had the most objective opinions and ideals. He drank; he smoked; he even smoked marijuana, but his fancy for little kids was so endearing one would think he's already a father. :)

So back to what I was saying. We can classify people according to their looks, their brains, and even their upbringings, but we can't judge them for what they do in their secret times and places. For me, hobbies define the heart of a person - the inner personality only he/she and God know, and whatever gift we always look forward to on our birthday and in Christmas only reflects our values and belief system - who we are when no one's looking and how we view ourselves in relation to the world and life itself.

Now that's just the introduction. Ha! Got you there! XD

Since forever I've thought of myself as a poet, a playwright, a female Shakespeare clothed in thick adipose tissue. If I had to express myself, I would gladly do so in writing - in poetry more often. I couldn't imagine my life without words written by my callused fingers. The funny thing is when I receive a journal or a notebook that I actually terribly like, I don’t use it just yet. I keep it on display until I grow tired of poring over it and admiring its pages. Until a new and fancier one arrives, I wouldn’t be using my beloved journal for just any writing. It should contain my best works, my best writings. This was the case until September 30, 2011. I didn’t have spare money to buy a new devotional journal, but I had all those cute diaries from Korea and Taiwan that I didn’t want to use for JUST any writing.

Then came the voice of thunder. Yeah, God spoke.

Heck, daily devotions are NOT just any writing. It’s God’s voice in a horrid and unpleasant situation. It’s His comforting embrace amidst a dark and repulsive state of mind. It’s passionate, unconditional love pouring out on a seemingly hopeless life. Why couldn’t I dedicate even one of my favorite notebooks to the One who gave His one and only, of course, favorite Son for my salvation? *bangs head on the table*

God gave His best for me. What is a notebook compared to Jesus?  Paper that when wetted may well be as trash to the Darling of heaven?  I know – a speck of dust in a palace of pure, untarnished gold. If I don’t give my best and all the best gifts I have to God, do I have a right to claim the perfect Gift of all as my own? Not a chance.

All right, I'll be expecting notebooks or diaries from all fo you. Come on, you know God's gonna get all of them. Trust me! XD

Smiles,

Realizations of a 24-year-old

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It's been months since the last post. I really should be doing something fruitful with my life right now. In between December 3, 2010 and this day, March 4, 2011, I've had enough spare time to reevaluate my goals and what I really wanted to do. Here's what I came up with:

1. Working from home does my body no good. Sounds like a joke, but hey, I'm not! Totoo, I gained so many pounds over the last 3 months. When I saw my weight at the clinic yesterday, my eyes literally bulged. This was my heaviest yet, which makes me come up with a next realization.
2. Healthful food is helpful (pala). Sure I knew I had to eat veggies and fruits and carbs and protein-rich foods to maintain a healthy diet. The problem was, I ate too much. And too much of junk food as well. Ha! Sad story for me there. Anyway, healthful food is the way - nothing follows!
3. Learning is so much fun - when I do it with others. Photoshop class is on its 11th week. At first I didn't like the idea of studying Photoshop. It was kinda humiliating, I thought, knowing that many of my friends are already good at it. But since i was offered free tuition fee (by my dad), I couldn't help but grab the chance. With this humble act, I realized I loved being in class and studying alone was a drag. I rarely spoke to my classmates, though, but it was fun observing (Ssh, don't tell!).
4. Learning is my passion; teaching is application. With every new job opportunity I'm faced with, I realize there are so many things I have to know. I have to improve to reach a higher step. I have to learn to reach the next ladder. And boy, I am so determined to do that now. I've never been so enthused in my life! :)
5. Focusing on one area of competency is good, but using this competency to advance in another is better! Enough said.

I'm 24, and needless to say, I have to grow up and leave my childish habits and ideas behind. Thank God He's always there to be my Guide and my Shelter from the storms in my life.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to him be [all] the glory! -- Eph. 3:20-21a

Smiles,