Liza's Eyeview

A Mothers Love ...

2012-05-12T19:39:00.002-10:00

Lacey Buchanan never dreamed that a Youtube video she created about her blind baby boy and his rare cleft palate condition would spread virally, racking up some 7 million views and delivering hundreds of personal messages of support to her Facebook and email inboxes.

In the seven-minute video, which she made using her iPhone, the 25-year-old mother from Woodbury, Tenn., describes the triumph of witnessing 14-month-old Christian's giggles in the face of the constant stares and whispers they encounter in public when strangers see her baby.

Story continued on Yahoo.com

This Poster Says It All:

2012-05-03T22:28:00.004-10:00

Ultimate Blog Party 2012

2012-04-14T11:35:00.000-10:00

Aloha! If you arrived at this blog because you clicked my name on the comment I left, can I please ask you to head over to my other blog, A Maui Blog, because that's where my Ultimate Blog Party is happening! Thank see and hope to see you there!

Fighting The Invisible War ...

2012-03-03T23:35:00.000-10:00

... put on the full Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:10-18
New International Version (NIV)

TYRONE WELLS -- "Freedom" Cover (Ryan Pryor)

2012-02-19T06:08:00.004-10:00

FREEDOM by Tyrone Wells sung by Ryan Pryor

If you feel like dancing
In the middle of the street
Breaking in to song
Or singing out of key
And if you fall in love
Go on and kiss that girl or boy
And if you like your music loud
Make a little noise

[Chorus]
When you let it go
What they say is true
When you let it go
It'll come right back to you
When you let it go
There is freedom when you do
When you let it go
It'll come right back to you
(Every time now)
La La La La La
(Everybody sing)
La La La La La

If something's on your mind
Say what you need to say
And if you need to make a change
Go on and walk away
If something's in your heart
You gotta let it out
Go on and show the whole wide world
What you are all about

[Chorus]

Life is very short
We're here and then we're gone
So open up your hands
No more holding on

[Chorus x2]

The Greatest Love Of All

2012-02-18T20:26:00.000-10:00

"Greatest Love Of All" Sung by Whitney Houston

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

Everybody's searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me

[Chorus:]
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

[Chorus]

And if, by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love

Happy Birthday Nanay

2012-02-12T07:53:00.001-10:00

I was browsing Facebook the other day and saw this post. I am not fond of the posts that asks me to re-post it on my wall but this one caught my attention. Looking back, I know I have gone through all these stages ...

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday (Maui Time) - and actually in the Philippines, it's already her birthday. This is her first birthday in heaven. This is the first birthday of her that we are going to celebrate without her. I miss her so. Oh, I totally know she is in a better place - and actually I wouldn't want her to come back here on earth in the condition she was in before she passed away - but I miss her just the same.

The other day I was thinking of how I am so much like my mom - especially in my parenting to my two wonderful kids. Funny how that happens. In my teenage years there were times when I thought I would not want to be like my mom when I become a parent, and yet now I do a lot of things that she did that I thought didn't make sense when I was young. I think she will be happy to know that she is my hero when it comes to motherhood - even with all her weakness and idiosyncrasies, I think she's the greatest mom and loves her very much.

Happy birthday Nanay ...

The Power Of Vulnerabilty by Brene Brown

2012-01-09T20:43:00.014-10:00

This TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability is one of my most favorite Ted Talk. Go ahead, grab a chair and sit comfortably before you watch, because once you start watching it, you would want to finish it till the end...

TEDxMaui is happening here on Maui on January 22, 2012. Interested? Go to TEDxMaui website for details.

I Am A Vagabond Christian

2011-12-04T07:15:00.002-10:00

Last night as our family and I were watching a Swedish movie titled "The Christmas Story" the term vagabond was used. I had seen that word before - one of the travel blogs use it as a a name of the blog. Somehow, the term vagabond resonated with me....
This morning I am thinking of attending Hope Chapel. It's hard to explain why. I don't think I am ready to go back there. Feelings of stress overwhlem me just with the thought that I am going there this morning. (And I might even back out by the time I finish this post). I love being at Calvary Chapel South Maui. I feel at home there. I feel secure there. But my husband somehow do not have the same enjoyment I feel there. Not that he does not like it, but my guess is he misses our former church, Hope Chapel...

I guess this is the reason why I feel I am a vagabond Christian. A Christian with no permanent church. Aside from Hope Chapel and Calvary Chapel South Maui, I also love Kumulani Chapel. I love their Pastor Ricky Ryan (Mr. Super Encourager) and if it's not for the distance (I know, it's not that far, but it's still far from us) we would probably be going there regularly and might settle there as a home church....

I am a Vagabond Christian - at least I am for the moment. I trust God will lead us to the right church, as a family, one day. I know where I want to be but my family is also a high priority for me, and I think it's important to go to church as a family... One day I'll find out where....

But in the meantime, I am a Vagabond Christian - at least for a while. Thank God Christianity is not based on church or religion but on our relationship with Jesus Christ....

vag·a·bond (vg-bnd)

1. A person without a permanent home who moves from place to place.

2. A vagrant; a tramp.

3. A wanderer; a rover.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a wanderer; nomadic.

2. Aimless; drifting.

3. Irregular in course or behavior; unpredictable.

intr.v. vag·a·bond·ed, vag·a·bond·ing, vag·a·bonds

To lead the life of a vagabond; roam about.

UPDATE:

I attended Hope Chapel and had a wonderful time. It's hard to tell why I feel stress and anxiety with the tought of going there (they are all very nice there, it's more on my part), but I am glad I overcome it, went and had a blessed time there. It was a very nice visit.

Gingerbread House Making Through The Years

2011-11-29T22:20:00.001-10:00

Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes For Mom

This Mama Blogger Is On A Roll!

2011-11-06T06:01:00.002-10:00

It’s 5:23 in the morning. I have already been up for an hour and been tweeting, e-mailing and FB’ing. Now I am writing a post for this blog. Yeah baby, this Mama Blogger is on a roll!

Truth is I should be writing a post for A Maui Blog right now. But I thought it would be fun to visit here first. Afterall, this is my first love, my first “blog love”.

There are a lot of things in my mind right now. The upcoming Thanksgiving, my kids’ schooling, the business blog I will be resurrecting, plans for my work as a Social Media Director at Premiere Mortgage and Aloha Luxury Properties, and not to forget our daily dinners, etc.

My life is busy. Crazy busy. But I have learned to take it day by day so I don’t get stressed out by it. But there's one thing I am a bit concern. I am noticing that our “life with friends” is being affected by our busyness . Recently we had been neglecting spending time with our “old friends”. We just don’t hang out with them as much as we used to. That is not good. Yesterday we were supposed to go to a “first birthday party” of our good friends’ son. We planned on attending but bailed out the last minute due to some complications in “the home front”. This year’s Halloween, instead of spending it with our best friends up in Waikapu which we’ve done in the previous years, we decided to stay in Kihei. Hmm...

Speaking of “this Mama Blogger Is On A Roll” I better get rolling writing my posts at A Maui Blog. Need to. Exciting things are hapenning at A Maui Blog - I need to keep up with the momentum. It was nice stopping by here for a quick visit. And if you are still reading this post up to this point, I salute you, and love you. Yep, this post is so quick and random. Thanks for reading!

A hui hou!

When #FAIL comes your way, #ENCOURAGEMENT is an anti-dote

2011-10-09T06:52:00.004-10:00

blog

I am amused whenever I see a failwhale photo flash on my screen. Not that I would like a failwhale to happen. I am a Twitterholic, and I really don't like it when Twitter is down. However, the failwhale logo represents something more, something worth talking about. But before I get distracted talking about a Twitter failwhale, what I really want to talk about is our life's failwhales and how to overcome it. Let me use my recent life's failwhales as examples:

1. FailWhale No 1: Fundrasing for Blogworld2011 - since I started blogging in 2006, one of my dreams is to be able to attend the blogworld conference. I thought that this year I will be able to do it though a fundraising campaign. But just as I launced the campaign on my blog, I got the news that my mom passed away. I flew back to the Philippines and stayed there for 10 days. The campaign was put on a back burner. When I came back to Maui, life got so busy that I didn't have the time to work on the campaign. BlogWorld2011's date is so close now that I don't think I'd make it. #Failwhale! Am I bummed? Of course I am. I had been wanting to attend this for a long time. And aside from the fact that I wanted to go to LA to attend Blogworld, another desire is to go to LA to visit my brother there while I am attending Blogworld. It's a long story, but it's a #fail for now.

2. FailWhale No.2: Applying to be a speaker at TEDxMaui 2011 - I don't know what possessed me to think that I am even worthy of applying to be a speaker at TEDxMaui. But the thought never left my mind when I first heard of TEDxMaui, so I did it. I knew that if I didn't submit my "half-baked" application on the deadline, I would forever be wondering "what if". I submitted my application the day before they announced the names of some of the speakers. The next day, when I saw the list of speakers, I was so embarrassed that I had the "delusions of grandeur" to apply to be a speaker at TEDxMaui. What medication I was on, I didn't know! Right now, it's a #Fail. But then again, maybe not. You want to know what the "big idea" I had for TEDxMaui? I wanted to speak about "ENcouragement" (the TEDxMAui theme is "Courage To Dream"), which lead me to the conclusion of this post.

#ENCOURAGEMENT. - "When life thows you a #failwhale, #encouragement is your anti-dote.

Since I illustrated what a #failwhale is through my life's example, let me also illustrate what #Encoragement (or #EncourageWIN as I'd call it) is through my life's example.

1. #Encouragement -When I woke up this morning, I got a notification from KLOUT saying that Liz Strauss added me to her KLOUT list under GREAT MOMS. Now if you know me well, you know that's one of the greatest compliment you can ever give me. I love being a mom. That really is a my passion. And for someone like Liz Strauss to include me in a list of great moms is a huge encouragement to me. This made my day today which made those #failwhales easy to take.

Going back to the FAILWHALE - what I love about it is that it's the "little birds" that carrying the whale. There's an insight to that. Think about it. Those little birds are the encouragers in my life. When the feeling of "I am a huge failure (huge as in a whale)" comes to mind, the encouragements of little birds can carry us along until we arrive at a #WIN. Gotta love those birds!

So one more time: When life thows you a #failwhale, #encouragement is your anti-dote.

* Bonus: FUN WEBSITE FAILWHALE: What Is A FailWhale?

I Don't KNow How She Does It

2011-09-12T05:16:00.002-10:00

I am definitely watching this movie. Opens Sept. 16, 2011

My Mom Is Now I Heaven, But Her Memories Lives on Earth

2011-08-21T06:05:00.001-10:00

As long as we have memories, yesterday remains. As long as we have hope, tomorrow waits. As long as we have love, today is beautiful. ~ @TheNotebook

Have you seen the movie The Notebook? The story is very similar to my Mom and Dad's story. Not exactly the same, but very close ...

My mom passed away on August 10th, 2011, but her memory lives on. I have a long post about my mom that I drafted handwritten in a notebook. I think I left the notebook in the plane coming back to Maui. Oh well ... maybe it's meant to be. Maybe the person who'll find it needs to read what I wrote in there. The good news is that my mom's memories are not tied up in the notebook, but in all our hearts. As our family misses my mom, this quote from The Notebook is a great reminder that as long as we have love, today is beautiful. And I know my mom would agree to that.

Finding My Center in the Blogsphere

2011-07-09T00:22:00.010-10:00

It's been a while since I blogged here at Liza's Eyeview. A lot have happened since then. One of those that "have happened" is that I now work as social media coordinator - full time, with pay. What was once a hobby is now my job. Most people would say I am lucky. In other words, I am blessed.

One danger of turning a hobby into a job is the possibility of burn-out. Generally, passionate people who are pasionate about what they do are susceptible to burn out because they give so much of themselves doing the things that they do, that sometimes their minds or bodies cannot keep up. That's the way with me sometimes. But I don't want to get burned out right now. I am enjoying my job and I intend to keep it that way.

Tonight I decided to came back to Lizas Eyeview to visit my blogging roots, to get grounded and be refreshed. When I say "finding my center in the blogosphere" I meant "finding balance". At my current job right now I am developing two new blogs, on a tight budget (understandable in this current economy). That means I cannot outsource it, I have to do it all. I like blogging so that's a good thing, but there are so much to do. Aside from the 2 work blogs, I also have to re-construct my A Maui Blog because it was recently hacked. A lot of the fixing and rebuilding is already done, but there are still so many details I need to organize and update on. This should a good timing to do it, but it can't be a priority over my 2 other projects. And aside from my full-time job, I'm still doing a part time job helping a friend develop and mainatin his social media involvement. So you see, I am pretty busy. This is not even counting doing my wifey and mommy duties - lets not go there for now.

Going back to Lizas Eyeview, it's amazing how even with the irregular postings, my page rank is still considerably high in Google Page ranking. OK, let's not go there either.

I had a great time visiting the blogs of my "old" bloggy friends. I think I'd do this more often.

My eyes are heavy now and I am dozing off. I think I'm going to back and will continue this musing tomorrow....

Thank you for your support of TraffickJam2011

2011-05-03T13:28:00.005-10:00

On Sunday I posted on Facebook and Twitter a request for support on my endeavor to help prevent child abuse in Asia. I was blessed to see many of my friends responding to this call. Here is the list of the kind people who are helping in this endeavor. In behalf of the children who will benefit from your help - thank you so much. Wishing you all abundant blessings through your kindness:

1. Gary Workman
2. Kathy Becklin - Buy Home In Maui
3. Dania Katz of Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine
4. Christy Sweeney
5. June Donaghy
6. Mark Goldberg of MauiGuidebook
7. MauiGuidebook.com
8. Chris Norberg @Maui - Hawaii Web Group
9. Cassie Kepler
10. Jean McNulty
11. @lSPARKYl
12. @MrsMacchi
23. Kris Nelson of DailyMauiPhoto @DailyMauiPhoto

Help Prevent Child Abuse - Here's How - TraffickJam2011Maui

2011-05-01T05:21:00.014-10:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Photo from TrafficJam2011 website

If there is one thing that truly breaks my heart, it is when I hear a child being abused. And so when I heard about the traffickjam, I decided to participate. I am thankful that I grew up in a loving and safe environment. I am thankful that my kids are also growing up in a safe and loving envinroment. But some kids are not, and I want to help them in my own little way. Would you join me?

Details of Traffick Jam 2011 are posted below. I need you support. Can I count you in? Here's the scoop (as posted in the TrafficJam2011 Facebook for Maui):

Traffick Jam is a nationwide fundraiser that the Hard Places Community is holding on May 7, 2011. We are planning a walk-a-thon that will include all fifty states, a huge undertaking. The slogan for the walk-a-thon is Traffick Jam 2011: In one day, we can help bring child sex trafficking to a grinding halt.

We know that the idea of a walk-a-thon is not unique or new; they are done all the time. However, we believe that the low-ke...y, low-stress way we are going to go about doing Traffick Jam 2011 will encourage many people to participate.

In a nutshell, here's what it looks like. We are asking people to sign up to walk ten miles, together, on May 7, 2011. Each participant in the walk asks ten friends to sponsor him/her. Each sponsor gives a donation of one dollar per mile. That's ten dollars per sponsor. Many people will not be able to give huge amounts of money in these trying financial times, but they WILL be able to give ten dollars to stop the rape of a child. Ten dollars per sponsor, times ten sponsors, is one hundred dollars. So, each participant brings in $100, and also pays the $15 registration fee to cover the cost of his/her t-shirt and shipping the t-shirts to all fifty states. If we have one hundred walkers in one state, then that is $10,000. You do the math! We could raise enough money to see our dreams of FREEDOM begin to come true in Cambodia and Thailand, stretching all across South East Asia as we grow and multiply.

TO THOSE WHO DONATE VIA PAYPAL,the DONATION BUTTON is HERE.

IF YOU WANT TO MAIL ME A CHECK, PLEASE MAIL IT TO OUR HOME. If you do not know my address, contact me here and I will e-mail you: http://www.amauiblog.com/contact-a-maui-blog/

BONUS TIP: If you have a business and you donate to this cause, I will put a link from this post to your website. That wil help you in your SEO :) - just a little thing to say thank you :)

FOR MORE INFO ON TRAFFICK JAM 2011, here are the links:
Facebook Official Traffick Jam MAUI Page:
Facebook Office Traffick Jam Page
Traffick Jam Website

Soul Surfer Movie Review (well, sort of review)

2011-04-10T06:53:00.005-10:00

I watched the Soul Surfer movie last night with my daughter and love it! When I came home, I was curious to find out what others are saying so I Googled "Soul Surfer Reviews",. I saw the Rotten Tomatoes review page. Interesting how the movie critics there gave it an average rating of 51% while the viewers gave it 87%.

Many of the critics think the movie is bland. They think it lacks excitement. One of them said that the shark biting scene wasn't "scary" like that of Jaws. But this movie is not really about the shark, is it?

Another interesting critic comment is that Bethany is almost eerie in her optimism. Here's the quote:

The flaw in the storytelling strategy of "Soul Surfer" is that it doesn't make Bethany easy to identify with. She's almost eerie in her optimism. Her religious faith is so unshaken, it feels taken for granted. The film feels more like an inspirational parable than a harrowing story of personal tragedy. - Roger Ebert review

Reading R. Ebert's comment reminded me of the Phil 4:7 verse in the Bible when it says ".. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus". I think, that almost eerie optimism is that "peace that passeth all understanding". It's hard to understand, but that is what is it, that is what happened, and that is what they portrayed. Oh I am sure there were many times of struggles and crying and agony, but the real heart of it ll is trusting their God in this difficult circumstances.

I love how the movie is bold about sharing Bethany's faith in God and yet it is done in a subtle way, not a "believe or go to burn in hell" kind of way. I love how their family was portrayed, how they are all so supportive to each other. I love that the movie does not have provocative sex scenes and does not have too much gory violent scene; I love that the language use are decent and does not contain a lotsof F word that is so common in most movies nowadays. I love that "loving others" was emphasized; I love that the "not giving up in times of hardship" is taught. This is the kind of movie I want my kids to watch and it's hard to find movies like this nowadays. Even the Disney animated movies these days are so full of sarcastic jokes that kids learn to be too sarcastic instead of using courteous and kind words. Ahhh, maybe I am just an old fashion mama, but this is how I feel, and since I have a blog I thought I might as well give my 2 cents worth of review of this film. If you have not seen the movie yet, go see it. It really is a simple movie that is worth watching. Don't expect spectacular, expect a good. And since most review pages give star and points, I might as well give it a 5 starts out of 5. :)

Just Because ...

2011-03-27T00:14:00.001-10:00

It's 12 midnight. I should be in bed, asleep. But I thought I should break the silence of this blog by posting something ... just because. Just because I miss blogging here ar Liza's Eyeview. I miss visiting my Mommy Blogger Friends.. I miss talking story about life, about my struggles and accomplishments, my disappointments and triumphs ... I miss talking about my family, my friends ... oh I miss the good old Mama Blogger Days. One of these days, when I get a chance, I'd post here more regularly - but for now, it'll be intermittent. Aloha Oi!

Oh The Blog About My Visit to My Family in the Philippines... Hmm...

2011-02-24T23:04:00.004-10:00

I got a call from my brother yesterday. My mom's initial medical exams came back with some concerns. It shows that she's got an enlarged heart and also showing some liquid in her lungs. My brother said she needs to be confined in a hospital for some more tests....

My dear friend E of http://myjourneytomindfulness.blogspot.com had e-mailed me a couple times asking how my visit to my family in December was. She visits my blog often to check if I had updated my blog posts, and I have not, till now. Part of it is just busyness and part of it is avoidance (avoiding homesickness).

I had a good visit with my family in the Philippines. But I could not find the time and the energy to write about it. I have not even uploaded many of the photos I took from there. Maybe I should do that tonight. In the meantime, let me post some pics here.

And while we are looking at the photos, please remember to say a prayer for my mom. For good health to be restored...

Visiting My Family In The Philippines

2010-12-12T06:30:00.002-10:00

I am going back to the Philippines! Ok, don't panic. It's not permanent. I am actually going back there for an emergency visit. Only one week - Dec 15 to 22. My uncle who we are very close with, suddenly died from a stroke while visiting the Philippines (from New Jersey). That was the incident that made us decide I really need to go back to the Philippines for a visit. The other day my oldest brother who are taking care of my parents told me that my mom's dementia is getting worse. I wanted to visit her before she forgets who I am ...

It's been nine (9) years since I last visited the Philippines. I am soo excited that I am going back there at this time. I know one week is very short, but that's all we can afford and am very thankful for it. I know I won't have much time to visit friends, as I would like to spend much time to be with my mom and dad ( yep, one week is short!).

Seeking your prayers for safe travels, and for my family here on Maui while I am gone. Hubby with be with the kids. I'm sure they'd have lots of fun.

I will be blogging about my travel here. I will also post a lot about "Christmas In The Philippines".

Mahalo and aloha,

Liza

Do Not Be Afraid; Do Not Be Discouraged

2010-11-24T22:37:00.000-10:00

"This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you." 2 Chr.20:15,17

The Serenity Pray and I

2010-10-31T05:19:00.012-10:00

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

- Reinhold Niebuhr

As I am sitting here with a struggle in my mind, I was reminded of the prayer above. It does capture the cry of my heart. But the quest for "the wisdom to know the difference" is so great. I doubt I can ever truly achieve it. Even with all the "trusting, surrendering, casting of my cares" that I am doing (or so it seems I am doing), I still struggle with the question "why" on some areas of my life.

There are days when I think my struggles are a test of faith that makes me closer to the Lord, but there are also days when I doubt if I am doing things right. And then I get worried that one day I would just break and get off track. "The wisdom to know the difference". I need that. I need the wisdom to know the difference on which things I should accept and which thing I should fight to change, to make the difference. There are days when I think I am doing well, and there are days when I think I am not ...

OK, the days when I feel "I am not" fall about right within the PMS zone and the "why the heck am I not refilling my thyroid pills when know I should" days. OK, enough introspection. It's time to start the day and do the chores...

Search me, O God,
and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and
see if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Ps. 139:23-24

Wish There's a USB Port In My Head, And I Can Easily Download My Thoughts As A Blog Post ...

2010-10-27T05:38:00.006-10:00

... but then again, maybe not.

So many things in my mind lately. If I don't dump some of it out into my blog (or journal), I would have an overload ...

There is a radical decision I am contemplating on doing this weekend. No, I am not committing suicide. I believe God gave us life to live it abundantly. I love my life - with all it's joys and challenges. Suicide hurts, not only on own body and soul, but it hurts our loved ones even more deeply. It makes the people who loves us most and we love most suffer. If you Googled the word "committing suicide" and this post came up and you are reading it, take it as a sign that you should not do it. Enjoy life. E-mail me and I'll talk story" with you..

There is a radical decision I am contemplating on doing this weekend. No, I am not divorcing my husband. I believe in honoring my marriage's commitment of "till death do us part". Sure there are ups and downs. And maybe romance is slipping away a bit and needs improvement. Bottomline, I love my husband and he loves me. That is fine. "Romance" (googly eyes on the cartoon as my kids would describe it) and "that lovin' feeling" come and go. Commitment is the key. Life is busy, very busy at this stage in our life. That gooey feeling of romance will come back, when we find the time to bring it back. For now, we need to find time to be sane and not get caught up with the "hustle and bustle" of this world. To make the right decisions. And to be happy on where we are at. One of my best friends is moving out of their home next month. She and her husband are separating. I do not judge her. I love her so much. I know both she and her husband are wonderful people and the decision did not come lightly. But I am still sad. It's just sad to see such a great marriage back then lose it's bond now. I still am hoping things will be worked out. I am not giving up hope.

There is a radical decision I am contemplating on doing this weekend. I do not have the details about it. I have to study every step of the way. But I am confident it will work out for good.

I cannot tell you yet what that radical decision is. And honestly, it might seems radical to me but minini to you. Don't get too excited about it. Don't get too intrigued. It's just me.... me and the many things that goes on my head that keeps me awake in the middle of the night. It's just me and my never ending ideas and possibilities. Really, it's not that radical for you, but for me it would be.

I hear my husband's alarm clock going off. Time to log off the computer. Aloha and a hui hou!

P.S. -

Two of my sweet friends are blogging. I just added them to my blog roll. Check them out (wonderful blogs!):

June: http://www.junesforecast.com/
Whitney: http://ilovemisswhitney.blogspot.com/

I Know ...

2010-10-22T02:31:00.008-10:00

"I know..." I never knew that the phrase "I know..." can be such a comforting word. It is to me right now.

Let me explain why and how.

We are currently studying the book of Revelation at church. A few weeks ago, when it was announced that we will go through the book of Revelation during Sunday Services, I was a bit worried. Would it be "hard to understand?" "would it be boring?". None of my worries came true. In fact it was the opposite. I love the way Pastor Charles is teaching us through the book of Revelation. Each Sunday I learn something new or I am reminded of something I had forgotten. Two weeks ago was "first love". Last week, it was that phrase "I know....".

I slept early last night. Just tired. I lay down next to my daughter on her bed while praying for her, and I fell asleep there. Then I woke up in the middle of the night (now early morning) and I couldn't go back to sleep. Too many things on my mind. Too may decisions to make, too many things I want to discuss with my husband but don't know exactly how we should discuss, too many things going on....

And I was laying on my bed ... yes, I even moved to my bed (ok, my husband and I's bed) .. and I still couldn't sleep... just as I was about to start praying about the many concerns I have, I felt (heard) a still small voice in my heart saying " ... I KNOW....". And of course I teared up. I know it's the Holy Spirit. I know it's the Lord. He knows. He knows what my concerns are. He knows what's troubling me. And just as he told the Church of Smyrna in the book of Revelations that "He knows" ... that He knows of their affections and sufferings .. He also told me He knows what my needs and concerns are.

Revelations 2:9(a) "I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! ..."

Revelations 2:10(b) ".... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life".

My poverty is nothing compared to what the church of Smyrna is going through. It's actually minini if I put everything in perspective. I still believe I need some things done, I still will press on accomplishing what I need to accomplish... but it's nice to know that God "knows". He knows, not in general terms ... but personally - with all the details of my life. He will guide me through.

" ... I know ...".