Still Here ... Just Not Typing Much On This Blog

"Mom, why are you not blogging much at Liza's Eyeview anymore?" my daughter asked me this morning. Apparently, my 10 year old daughter is checking my blog and saw how delinquent I am with my postings. Not that there's a rule that I should post everyday, but she knows I used to post almost everyday.

Just lack of time. I returned back to work this week and is adjusting back to this new schedule (which was actually my old schedule prior to my being unemployed). Now that I am officially employed (back with my former employer) I have lesser time to blog here (although I still blog regularly at A Maui Blog. )

I am sure I will not totally abandon Liza's Eyeview because this is my "reflecting board".... just a fewer posts that what I used to do, just to indulge thwe reflective side of me....

I am at A Maui Blog this week.

My updated post is  on A Maui Blog.

Men of Integrity (MOI)

See and hear these Men of Integrity sing at Hope Chapel Maui.

Today Is The Day I Removed My Blogher Ad and more ...

Many changes are coming to this blog.  Today I removed my Blogher Ads.  It was bittersweet. Blogher has been very very good to me. I decided to remove my ads because I would not be able to fulfill some of their requirements any longer (like posting regularly at least 3x a week).  I may or may not post at least 3x a week but I just didn't want the "pressure" of knowing I have to.  

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am starting back to working part time with my former employer. That plus my two other blogs (A Maui Blog and Maui Real Estate and Development Blog) would for sure keep my hands full - not to mention fulfilling my duties as a wife, a mom. Sometimes (many times) the other part of me like being a daughter, a sister and a friend, takes a side burner as I don't have much time to nurture those relationships as much as I want to.  Thank God for Blogs and Facebook to keep me connected to my family and friends...

Today is Monday.  This is the last Monday I would be a "stay at home/work at home" mom.  Next Monday I am off to work. I need really be wise in using my time this week.  I pray that I would get my priorities straight - that I would be organized and not get sidetracked by things that are not important.

It's 5:20 AM. I will log off in  10 minutes and will start reading my Bible.  It's a good way to start the day.

A Christian Working Mom Blog Once Again :)

Starting on April 27th, I will be returning back to work with my former employer. It's a good thing.  As much as I would prefer to stay at home and be a full-time mom, that  is just not going to happen right now.  Therefore, I am thankful that I am going back to my former employer instead of trying to find a new one. I thought I let you you know :)

Good Morning Monday

Working on a new post. Getting organized. I thought it would be nice to put this pink hibiscus flower here for you to enjoy while I am doing work behind the blog.  Aloha!

To Be Where You Want Me To Be ...

Any of you familiar with that song? For some reasons, I had been singing that in my head the moment I woke up this morning.  Here's the longer excerpt of the lyrics:

To be where you want me to be dear Lord

To stay where you want me to stay...

To go where you want me to go

I will follow you

Lord, show me the way...

Your way....

I usually use the phrase "I don't know why", "out of the blue" and "for some reasons" when I am uncertain about stuff. The truth is many times, when I say I don't know why, I kinda know why, when  say out of the blue, there's actually usually a trigger, and when I say for some reasons I kinda have an inkling of the reasons why....

I am contemplating on returning to the workforce and just abandoning my desire to be a full-time mom, because  even when I am supposedly at home full time right now, it's a different  "full time". I am more at home but when I am at home my focus is to develop a home business that would keep me at home. So my body is here but many times my mind is away - many times thinking of how I can make my home business successful...  

To be where you want me to be dear Lord
To stay where you want me to stay...
To go where you want me to go
I will follow you
Lord, show me the way...
Your way....

We "need" to refinance our house. Do we really need to? No, not need. But it would be wise, because it is kinda foolish not to take advantage of the lowest mortgage rate available right now - an all time low - and there's only a small window of opportunity to do that before it goes back up again. But my "unemployment" would greatly reduce our chances of being approved for re-financing our mortgage. I have to have a "real job".

To be where you want me to be dear Lord

To stay where you want me to stay...
To go where you want me to go
I will follow you
Lord, show me the way...
Your way....

I am truly amazed when I see and meet working moms who are so together. I am in awe of them. I feel guilty whenever I see and talk to working moms who do not "whine" about their being a working mom like I did, or doing. I should be hanging out with those moms so that their influence would rub off on me (my two sister-in-laws works full time and never whines about it even though I know they would love to stay at home with the kids). I should really stop "whining". I think many of the working moms who don't whine about their being a working mom honors their husband by not talking stink about it. I should try to be like them.

To be where you want me to be dear Lord

To stay where you want me to stay...
To go where you want me to go
I will follow you
Lord, show me the way...
Your way....

I really am wishing I can go back to the Philippines to visit my family. I am filing my application for Visa tomorrow as a step of faith.  At this time that I am unemployed I can't do that yet, but maybe when I return to the workforce I would.

To be where you want me to be dear Lord
To stay where you want me to stay...
To go where you want me to go
I will follow you
Lord, show me the way...
Your way....

***

After re-reading my post I thought some family and friends might worry about me. I am ok, actually good. This blog is my "reflecting space" so do not be alarm when you read some "mellow" reflections like this. It's good, just having some quiet moments thinking and praying out loud :)

So What's Up With The Golden Egg?

I got an e-mail from myself. It's the subscription from my own blog Liza's Eyeview. I subscribed to it to make sure it's e-mail subscription is functioning correctly. When I opened the e-mail and saw the picture of the golden egg I thought "what's up with that?" I also thought "that's so lame!" Yep, such a lame Wordless Wednesday photo. Not only that. My latest post at A Maui Blog is equally lame - Stuffed Easter Bunnies and Easter Barbies. What in the world was I thinking when I posted those? I guess I posted it for fun... or actually in a rush, because I have other things to do...

Now I need to go to bed and sleep .... Good night everyone. Will come up with a better post tomorrow.... for now, nighty night.

Golden Easter Egg

For more Wordless Wednesday,

visit 5 Minutes For Moms and WWHQ

Sunday Scribbling: Celebrate!

It's so appropriate and relevant that the prompt for Sunday Scribbling is celebrate, because I am celebrating many this week:

1) My son G got accepted at the STEM program at Kihei Charter School - yahoo! We just found out today. I will be posting more about this later but just want to mention in this post that this is a great fit for him and we are celebrating that he got accepted*. (*The letter of acceptance stated "conditionally accepted" contingent to us returning the form the mailed us confirming that we are still interested in enrolling him there, and also that we must submit other records needed such a TB tests and school records, as requested).

2) It's Palm Sunday today - a celebration remembering Jesus' entrance to Jerusalem. A tradition commencing the start of a "Holy Week" (as some would call it). And to those who do not celebrate Palm Sunday, it's a celebration of the beginning of Spring!

3) It's my brother Joseph's birthday on April 14th - He reads my blog so I thought I'd mention this in advance. I am known for forgetting birthdays so I am glad I remembered this. So, Kuya, happy birthday to you! You bless our lives in so many ways - I am glad you are my big brother!

In closing, I would like to share a video of Kool and the Gang titled "Celebration" - this is the "national anthem" for celebration, don't you think? Before you go there, be ready to dance because this song always makes you want to dance - or at least for me - it makes me want to dance (and you're probably glad you are not here to see me dance - ha!ha!).

Just Look How Far You've Come ...

Out of the blue, last night I browsed through some of my old posts.  I felt a warm sensation deep inside.  Reading my first post brought back a variety of emotions I was feeling at the time I started my blog. Then randomly I clicked March 2007 and April 2007.  Browsed through the list of posts I made then and found some songs that encouraged me at that time, like So Close and I Simply Live For You.

Yeah baby, I've come a looong way.  Who would have thought I would still be blogging til now. I initially blogged to vent, to reflect - it was all for me. It was a self preservation tool. But now it has become more than that. It's to reach out, to encourage...

Oh I remember the days when I had 5 regular readers - my sister in law Gem, my brother Joseph, my counselor and friend Karen, my friend Todd, and an online friend hockeymum. Four of these people knew not much about blogs until I introduced them to it. Now four of them are bloggers and one is very active with Flickr.

And then I met the "mommy bloggers".  A group of women whose posts constantly encouraged me though many difficult times and situations - be it parenting, marriage, stress, etc. Then I discovered Kamsin's blog, and many others whose posts became my treats for the day.  And how can I forget Ernestine ... Jaime's (Blondemomblog) mom, who now became a passionate blogger through Jaime and I's encouragement. She's 70 something grandma who e-mails and blogs - how cool is that? Pretty cool I'd say.

How about the time when I deleted close to a hundred posts when my husband and I had a huge argument about my blog.  I wished I hadn't deleted those but I was trying to prove a point (yeah, that darn submission - you know).  And it worked.  At that time my husband didn't want me to blog about our family so I deleted every post there was that referenced to my family. Problem was my blog became impersonal and boring. I almost gave it all up. But then friends and family stepped in to encourage me to go on. Hubby had a turn around later in my blog life...

Then crisis and tragedy came upon us. Blogs became an immediate source of comfort and tool for communication. Like with Kit and Joey ...

Back to looking at my first post and the vast emotions that came along with it ... some of "difficult ones" are still there.  After 2+ years, I still am in the process of healing (I know it seems so long) ... learning to face disappointment with grace and trust, knowing that God has a bigger plan.  When the time comes when I don't experience any "discomfort" at the mention of such, then I will let you know. In the meantime, I am enjoying the ride. I am rejoicing in the fact that what satan meant for evil (he wanted me to succumb to feelings of abandonment and harbor resentment) God turned out for good (this blogging thing is unbelievable!)

After I typed in the title of this post, I got reminded of one of my favorite song by Steve Green back when I first became a Christian. And the chorus goes like this:

Don't give up

Don't give in

Give it all to Him

Cause He cares so much more than you know

When it seems 

who you really want to be

is something you'd never become

Just look how far you've come.

Great reminiscing with you folks. I am thankful. Blog on. Let's continue to blog life together.

***

Note: I'd be linking some more words to the blogs etc. later ... for now I need to go back to bed and get some sleep :)

Your Are Here (The Same Power) by Hillsong Lyrics and Video

Verse 1:
There is a love that I know
A strength for the weak and the broken heart
My Shepherd and King I find You within me
For you are here
My Lord forever, You are here

Verse 2:You carried the cross for the world
Gathered the lost and the fatherless
My Shepherd and King
I find You within me
For You are here
My Lord forever
You are here

Chorus:
In this place, you are here
By Your mercy, I draw near
In my heart, take your place
You are here

Verse 3:
Your word is the light of the earth
Your glory resounds in the universe
My Shepherd and King
I find You within me
For You are here
My Lord forever
You are here

Chorus Vamp:
You are here
You are here
You are here

Bridge:
The same power that conquered the grave
Lives in me, Lives in me
Your love that rescued the earth
Lives in me, lives in me

Vamp:
You are here
You are here
You are here

(* I dedicate this song to my friend JOE who loves to worship. God is there with you in Virginia Joe - go lead them!)