"Tell Someone Else Story..."

"Tell Someone Else Story"

Her name was Susan, my college best friend and continued to be my best friend till we each got married and reconnected here in the U.S. I married a Puerto Rican and the marriage lasted for 15 years and she married a white guy and their marriage lasted a year. I got two wonderful sons; Susan had none. She lived more than twenty-five years in New York till she passed away in 2012.
We saw each other three times while we were living in New Jersey. We went to see her in Queens, New York a few times and she and a friend came down to see us in New Jersey.
Whenever we're together, we didn't reminisce the good times in our college years. We just talked
like old buddies and just that. I guessed the duration of time that we were apart has changed us.
She can't relate to me as a mother of two boys and I can't connect with her lifestyle which is the single life. And that was foreign to me...
We were inseparable when we were in college. We loved the outdoors. We used to go to Burnham Park together and sometimes with a few of my dormmates and just had picnics. We walked so many miles in those years that I still have my callouses in my feet as of that remembrance. Her family had a small store that sells fruits and vegetables and we got to help sell them and at the same time hit our books
to study. We were both competitive academically but not to each other. It was ridiculously fun to be in the University G-Clef singing choir where we got to perform in big hotels in the area and to other
venues. We were also a part of the University Women's Bowling Tournament, the Debate and Drama Teams. You guys may be wondering how we were able to excel in most areas
of our college life.
Susan was a woman of so many special giftings. She was very intuitive, a very good listener,
kind, beautiful, genuine, confident and with a mighty sense of humor. She stood her ground.
She was very articulate in explaining things. Unlike me, I try "to go around the bush"
as much as I can just to avoid being called blunt and adamant. I do "sugar coat" a lot of my
verbal expressions jus not to hurt somebody else's feelings. But in doing so, I ended up hurting myself
because not being truthful or honest with how you really feel, you become the victim of your own losses. Susan perceived that as naivete on my part. She actually admires that in me for not being exposed to the hard realities of life.
I still miss her so much. Not being there with her when she was terminally ill had put a dent
in my heart. She never told me. Didn't want me to worry. Or perhaps, she wanted me to always have a strong, healthy, brilliant, beautiful and sweet image of her to stay in my heart...
I have never thought that she will be gone before me. She was a picture of good health,
inside and out. She was and still is my best friend to date... Our memories as best friends filled up my reservoir. I do think and reminisce how she touched my life incredibly.  

"Write What You Know..."

Today's topic for our 500-word challenge is to write something we know. It could be a day in your life that is unforgettable to you that is easy to describe. I have many unforgettable memories but
for some reasons, I can't articulate them. I can remember bits of events but there are gaps.
When I graduated from college, that was a good time to remember. When my first child
was born, that was heavenly. My first year of teaching in high school was very introspective.
When I owned a home and a car, that was celebratory. But nothing compared to that day
when I went to my church retreat and was spiritually slain by the Holy Spirit when the reverend/pastor invited people to come to the altar and be filled. I was one of the first ones to
respond to the invitation.
But before that happened, I was already fasting for 3 days with just liquids. Water, milk, & juice.
This happened summer of 2009. That evening was full of challenges. But my faith was
unwavering. It was raining so hard coupled with lightning and thunderstorms and heavy traffic. It was rough going to my mom's house. I invited her to come with me.
If my heart wasn't right back then, I would have easily turned around and gone home.
On my way to my mom's house, while all of these are happening, I thought I was going
crazy to have seen which looked like a burning log, maybe a 20-inch long and it slammed in my windshield. It was audible and I thought why was I the only one who witnessed it? I looked around while driving in the pouring rain to see whether other drivers saw what happened in my car.
And it seemed like it was just a dream but it wasn't. I knew then that was one of the manifestations of God's presence. I was scared to share it at first for their wrong notion
about that experience. I knew then that God was calling me for a purpose.
So that night when the reverend put his hand on me and started praying and prophesying for
 God's great plans for my life; nothing specific but I fell down on the floor. I didn't know how long I was basking in the presence of the Holy Spirit and when I woke up, I felt Peace from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. There was that exceeding joy unexplainable, and Peace that passes all human understanding. I wasn't baffled; I was beyond happy. I hugged everyone my arms can reach and embrace. If that was heavenly-like, how much more when we get to be with the presence of our Heavenly Father-- just worshipping Him. There will be a day when there are no more tears, no more goodbyes and no more bills to pay and sicknesses or illnesses to invade our bodies.
What a day forever that would be?

"Learning The Art Of Free-Writing..."

According to Jeff Goins, who started the 'My 500 Words Challenge,' Free-writing
is writing without worrying about editing or punctuation or anything else that would keep
you from writing. Master the art of silencing the inner critic, letting go of perfectionism, and embracing your art." I highly approve the phrase that he used especially embracing your art.

I perceive Art having aesthetic value; creative imagination, a gallery, and landscapes of natural
scenic views of people and their works. If one can incorporate all of that in one topic, that
is ingenious Art.

Today is the first Saturday of the year 2019. I just started going to a prayer fellowship at our church
 This is an hour of praying for the needs of those that filled out their prayer requests on a card.
Last week, I was privileged to pray for five people in my heart, even during my prayer time at
home. This morning, people that came had tripled in number. My heart was rejoicing for that
good turnout. I love that I witness people's devotion to praying. We still believe that praying is
our lifeline to God. Today I got to pray for ten people. It gave me an insight that we all have
emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual needs. And we should not be ashamed to ask
people to pray for us. We are here to lift each other up and edify one another. 
To me, praying for someone to be healed from an illness, restoration of broken relationships intervened by God, and unsaved family members to be saved had done
me good.

 It quiets my mind reassuring me that I am not alone. And through corporate prayer these petitions get stronger and bolder in the eyes of God.
Leaving the church this morning put me to ease... leading me to do my grocery shopping.
I don't know if it was just coincidence or what. All the people I came to contact with whether in passing or having an intentional conversation with the clerk or grocer or the parking lot attendant,
the florist, the baker, and the banker; they all seemed so nice in their dealings with me. I couldn't believe my eyes that at the grocery store, no one has tried to intimidate me or rude to me. 
There were countless times that whenever I go to any grocery store, people are just rude, very oblivious of what they're doing. Gone are those days when the mantra is respect and using
"Excuse me, I'm sorry and Thank You is a given. But Today is very Special. I got to see and 
experience the extension of prayer. I have my faith that because I immersed myself in praying    
others' needs that the Lord wanted me to see that we can cultivate goodness in people
no matter what their cultural background and social strata in life. For this, I am thankful 
that His grace is sufficient, His mercies are new in the morning and that His love
is unfailing.
Thus, I am admonished to share 2 Chronicles 7;14 (NIV) which says, " If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Thank You for your time and Good Night!

"What Time Do You Write On Your Blog?"

When I read the email that was sent in my Hotmail inbox by Jeff Goins and what we need to write about; my first thought was, I already expounded that topic yesterday which is about the time I write for my Blog. So, here I am again and will try to add and not be redundant.
I write before midnight. That is when I 'm already finished doing everything for my two dogs; from feeding them to walking them outside for their bathroom breaks and brushing their teeth and spend time petting them before they're both ready to bed.
Before I gather my thoughts to the page, I see to it that I'm also ready to bed meaning I already had organized my computer desk. I don't work well with a space that has so many clutter. It affects the fluidity of my thinking process. I also want my bed free of clutter so when I'm done with my writing, that is my reward to plunge into my bed with a lot of pillows. It also means that when I start writing, I already had taken a shower and wearing my comfortable pajamas. That is my routine. You might think that all writers can sway their thoughts in a messy atmosphere. There are even many of them that before they can write that they take a glass of wine or maybe even a bottle of liquor to get them going. Well, as the maxim says, "to each his/her own." It's a personal preference.
Getting up early to write is not for me. I have a problem with that. On weekdays, I get up at 5am, and I have a lot of things to prepare before heading to work. And when it's pouring down winter rain, I may even have to get up even an hour early for impending road problems as well as your car problems that may arise when it's too cold to drive. 
I really admire people who are able to write early in the morning. I wonder how they do it. I can understand if they do it early in the mornings on Saturdays and Sundays. But on weekdays, I don't know... Maybe, it takes them half hour to one hour to write 500 words. It usually takes me 60-70 minutes to come up with 500 words cohesively. That for me is still competitive. One more thing, if you write early in the morning, and the day has just begun; no activity has occurred yet. What would you write? Would you write something that happened a while back or an event that just happened during the day?
I might be able to do my writing early in the morning if I'm in a writing escapade or adventure where you and other writers are closer to nature like near the mountains, over the hills and walking trails that you can have your muse in writing just like that, no power struggle with yourself. Only countless thoughts marveled by your environment. When the atmosphere is so conducive for writing, even the air that you breathe each time feels like a healing touch to your soul...
That's my pitch for tonight.
Goodnight!

"What Motivated Me To Get Started With My 500 Words?"

 
Writing for the Soul; from the Heart is unfinished business. There's always something that gets in the way. However, joining to write my 500 words initiated by Jeff Goins every day for the whole month of January motivates me to join in writing with the rest of the enthusiasts.
The feeling of being in a group of bloggers, writers writing for the same goals & aspirations kind of stir me from the inside. The commonality among us, that drive to be better and not so judgmental in the editing part takes away the pressure off your shoulders.  
Of course, we all want to hone our skill in writing and be more creative and interesting and what best way to do it other than making it a habit for 31days with Jeff Goins guiding us in this adventure.
For me, I believe that what will see me through in writing for the whole month of January is the Daniel Fast for 21 days. Since I'm fasting from social media and other stuff that is draining my energy, now I have real time to become synthesized to things that are good in my spirit like writing & journaling
This way, I can listen to myself fully...I hate to admit that I have this wholehearted, sincere and really pumped to start on something but occasionally, I'm not a good finisher especially if I'm doing it alone. I guess because when you're writing with hundreds of people there is accountability. You don't want to be the one slacking off. And it shows, too.
Writing is a beautiful craft to be molded. Topics or subjects you want to explore are undeniably massive in number. Because of so many resources within reach, writers like me are perplexed into writing fiction or non-fiction which is for me always takes the latter.
Doing this 31 day of writing develops discipline in me. I'm learning to like hitting deadlines on a daily basis. Right now I have time to think and write but comes next week is back to teach/work with kiddos in the elementary public school. But that shouldn't be an excuse for me. I should devote special time to respect writing as a gift, not as a pinned responsibility that is put on me.
My level of commitment to get through 31 days of writing should present me a level of challenge because when you're challenged with something that is dear to you, you want to finish the race with more exhilaration than when you started. 
I am thankful for these moments when I can just sit, look around, pause and think freely what's my next word or line. I wonder how the other writers and bloggers do it; what time do they write. Are they nocturnal or more of daytime artists? I think I'm more of an owl writer. My eyes are more alert at night and I'm enthralled with a different silence and solitude when everybody has gone to bed and you're alone flirting with words to type. How marvelous is that to write what pops into that head, the spontaneity of delving at the moment. How I wish that time is not measured by seconds, minutes and hours. And that you're just here not being bound by fear and uncertainty...
That's the essence of writing-- the unfinished work!
That's it for tonight.
Good Night.

"How You React To Your Life's Misgivings Is Powerful..."

This writing regimen on writing a topic of your own choice with 500 words is kind of fun. You just write without the accountability of being precise or spot on with your writing. You just write your thoughts. It doesn't even matter if your words are not cohesive with the rest of your sentences. Just be spontaneous. Be free. What does that gonna look like?

Well, today is just the second day of 2019. And it still feels like 2018 is at bay in my personal calendar. It's not that I'm not excited about what this year may bring but there is so much at stake here. I'm doing the corporate Danie's Fast with my church for 21 days and I'm already having withdrawals with not drinking coffee, not eating red meat, no sweets of any kind and no social media and Netflix. Blogging is okay. Reading Christian books is welcome. Listening to K- Love and Air one radio is helpful. 
I look at this as a challenge and a discipline to my body and to my mind, heart & soul for I know that after the Daniel Fast, I feel replenished and more focused on the things that matter most. Isn't that what most of us want? Come to think of it, with all the constant distractions around us even when we're asleep; the things that we dream are all connected to what we do and how we use our time. However, we need the challenge to awaken our soul to do the things that are beyond our comfort zones. And in every challenge lies the misgivings. Can I really do it? What if I do it and go back to be a slob again? I believe that you owe yourself to be healthier this year in all areas of your life even if it means dragging your feet to do it.

This afternoon I went to see my mom who lives 17 minutes away from me. It's been raining all day. I hit a lot of puddles going to her house. She asked me to sew her jean pants and so I did with needle & thread. I also helped prepare dinner for her and my youngest sister. I love my mom dearly. However, when I talk to her now I have to be loud, otherwise, she can't hear me. She refuses to have a hearing aid that she's not going to pay. I don't quite get that. Don't you wanna hear your loved ones talk clearly? Because very oftentimes, she just keeps on talking and not listening to us.
And that results to miscommunication. A lot! But she's my mom. I am thankful every day that she is still alive. I have a lot of friends and high school classmates that their moms or both parents are no longer here on earth. And I know that puts you to misery especially at Christmas, New Year's & Thanksgiving.

So, I will tolerate the little inconvenience with the hearing loss and sooner or later, I would be in that situation. Let me tell you. Growing old is not a joke, it's a slow death. That's a myth to be growing gracefully. The pangs of aging are some kind of disconnection between your mind and your body. The only one thing that is intact is your heartbeat. Listen to it!

"I Pray That Your 2019 is Moving Forward..."

Attending a New Year's Eve Church Service has always been my end of the year celebration with my very good friend Senaida. Tonight we arrived 20 minutes early. The parking lot wasn't packed. We got seats 4 rows from the very front of the altar. Where we were seated was actually a good place to worship...
This is not our home church. Most churches were closed for the New Year's including ours. Thus, we decided to go to this church, a sister church. The Praise & Worship Team started with a song I never heard before. I just thought it was one of the Hillsong's. Or maybe an original song composed by one of the worship singers. And it went on to be a few more songs that I'm not familiar with. That's frustrating when you're just moving your lips but not singing the words. Finally, "How Great Thou Art" was sung to my delight.
Then I caught myself murmuring, complaining about their song choices. I can't be stoic I told myself. Whew! That was pretty bad of me to have that feeling, especially it's the last few hours to conclude before ushering to 2019. That convicted my heart. It's not about what I love to hear but the right attitude to ring in the New Year. Realizing my mistake, I asked God's forgiveness. I know that the enemy wanted me in his corner of selfishness, however, after giving it to God, my murmurings turn into true worship. I may not know the words, but I can still close my eyes, lift my hands and pray which are all forms of worship.
On the other hand, the preacher gave us a powerful message of us all moving Forward. That it is way too long for some of us to have stayed stagnant in our lives. That we remained unmoved with the things that are of God. Complacent maybe the word. Maybe even oblivious to the blessings that are unclaimed by us. We're not willing to move our faith forward...
I pray that we all delve in to reading His Word, get involved with church ministries that are close to our beliefs and less social media.
I believe we can all do that by the grace of God. It is not our own ability that we are able to do it. It is always the grace and the mercy of God that is our present help.
His love never fails...
That's my testament!