Life Is a Journey, not a Competition

"Life is a Journey, not a Competition."

I came across this image on Facebook today and thought to myself, wow! This rings true to me.

We're here to enjoy life, not pull each other down. This year, I've decided I will live each day like it's my last and be happy and spread happiness where I am. After all, life's too short to be feeling down all the time. I choose to be happy and I will be happy because I believe God loves me and wants what's best for me.

Indeed, life is a journey... meant to be celebrated and enjoyed. We're here to share this amazing creation given to us by God and we should definitely enjoy every single moment. I'm very excited about what's coming next month too!

My bestest college friends and I are going to Bataan for a short vacation and I'm super excited about it! This will definitely be another journey to remember – making memories to last us a lifetime. I really hope we'll have enough time to explore and capture those moments. More importantly, I'm happy I'll be spending time with some of the most positive people in the whole wide world. I can't wait to share the laughter and moments of joy and pure bliss with these amazing earthlings.

I've arrived at that point in my life where I recognize who I should keep and who I should leave behind. I've been hurt before, yes. But I am also perfectly, completely, and totally loved. Thank You, Lord Jesus for another year! I can't wait to see how 2019 unfolds. I'll be more hands on, that's for sure. I will enjoy every moment and see where Life leads me. Lead the way, Lord Jesus! Amen.

5 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2019

And so it begins... 2019 is here and I'm super excited about what's coming.

Here are just 5 of the amazing things I'm looking forward to this year:

1. Travel Plans
Next month, my friends and I are going to travel again – this time we're going to visit Las Casas. Definitely something to look forward to this year. I'm travelling with these lovely peepz!

2. Health Goals
This year, I commit to living a more healthy lifestyle. Less or no junk food and more fruits and veggies (good luck to me! LOL!). I'm going walking every day, as my schedule (and the weather) permits. No biking for me yet until I lose 20lbs because I don't want to risk another accident.

3. Career Plans
I plan to keep an eye out for opportunities for growth in my freelancing career. Right now I've got 2 clients and I'm hoping to grow into an agency by attracting more clients. I also intend to grow and learn new skills this year, SEO and Facebook Marketing in particular.

4. Spiritual Growth
Because 2018 was a trying year for me, spiritually, I'm breaking free and moving on towards spiritual growth and maturity. I want faith restoration and I promised myself to be good and do good deeds this year and beyond.

5. Learn to Cook New Recipes
I've been a foodie-in-training for quite some time but my culinary repertoire is still basic. I want to learn how to cook new recipes and maybe bake (especially lasagna... yum!) a little. I don't have an oven so to my friends with ovens, expect me to raid your kitchen real soon. 😋

I am also looking forward to joining my colleagues in Manila in April for our first quarterly meeting. Exciting! I can't wait! Bring it on 2019! I intend to evolve this year! 💖

My 2019 Journey

Happy New Year, everyone!

Finally, 2019 has begun. As I'm writing this, I'm excited about this coming year. I claim, in Jesus' name, that this year will be filled with love, joy, and peace. Blessings will flow like a river through my life and my relationships will be blessed too.

What I'm most looking forward to this year are the travel plans that my friends and I are making. We're going to Vigan or Cambodia. Plus, I'll probably be going to Manila this April. My new client is also planning a major event here in Cebu this year.

There's a lot to look forward to in 2019. I hope to rebuild broken relationships, especially with my family and friends. I pray for abundance, blessings, healing, and miracles to flow into my life. I hope to become a blessing to my family and my friends and everyone who I meet this year.

The year 2019 will be a great one, I claim, in Jesus' name. Amen.

See you at the bright side! 😉

My Journey, to be Continued...

It's true what they say – it's the journey that counts. My journey has been rocky at best. But I am grateful and hopeful that God will continue to guide me and encourage me to keep going, especially when I'm tired and confused.

I choose to be grateful from now on for I am truly blessed. I have a loving family, kind friends, a happy life, work that I love and am passionate about, food on our table, a roof over our heads, clothes on my back. I am sooo blessed.

I've fallen many times but I know that God will never leave me – and together, we will rise above this. I believe that God is good all the time and He's got my back. I won't let my nerves get the best of me anymore because I know that the Holy Spirit is with me and will always be with me.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being a crucial part of my journey. Mama Mary, thank you for your intercession. I praise God as I keep going. Thank You Heavenly Father! Amen.

It's the Journey that Counts

My blog title is cheesy, I know. But it still rings true to this day.

Yes, it's the journey that counts. I can relax and enjoy the journey because I know that I have one destination - heaven with Jesus Christ my God and King.

Life can be difficult at times. We lose our way, we encounter problems, sometimes we lose hope. I've been through all that. There are some events in my past, which I will never understand. So now I choose to let go and let God.

Today I claim in Jesus' name that I will never waver in my trust in God. I believe that abundance is coming. His miracles abound. God is at work in my life and for that I am grateful.

And so, today I promise myself to enjoy the journey no matter what obstacles I face. To live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride.

Today, I claim my destiny and I will do my best to stay the course.

I am grateful for my life, my family, and my friends. I am grateful for work that keeps me busy each day. I am grateful for all the blessings big and small because I know I have a big God. I pray for abundance, blessings, and miracles in my life and for my family and friends and all those who need God's presence in their lives.

I will strive to be more loving, kind and generous. I accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Heavenly Father, I thank and I praise you in Jesus name. Thank You for loving me and saving me from my sins. I love You dear Father and I will bless Your name forever. Thank You for sending our Lord Jesus Christ to save us even while we are sinners. Lord Jesus, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to be our advocate and our guide. Thank You, Mama Mary for your intercession. I love you Lord Jesus and Mama Mary! To God be the glory!

And the journey continues...

Friends for Life, Forever Friends

Have you ever wondered why some people stay in your life while others get left behind, move away, or simply disappear? Well, I've recently taken stock of the relationships in my life and now I realize that, in life, some friends stick around for the long haul while others were merely passing through. Nevertheless, I am super grateful for the people who stayed - these are the ones worth keeping, after all.

I used to think that all the drama in life makes things more interesting; now I know better. The lesser the drama, the better my life became. After weeding out all the nonsense, I am finally at peace and ready to live life fully!

Taken during our recent trip to Bohol

I am blessed to have friends who stuck around through thick and thin, in sickness and in health and I can honestly say that they've made my life so much richer.

Over the years, they've mellowed like wine (and hopefully, so have I). I am in constant awe of how wonderful my real friends are. I am amazed at how happy my life is with them by my side. I am grateful that God sent me these precious beings who have not only made a difference in my life, but also stuck around to share their lives with little old me.

You see, the best thing about my true friends is they don't try to change me; they accept me as I am, flaws and all. They teach me that being human includes making mistakes... and that's okay. At the same time, they inspire me to keep growing - to become the best version of myself that I can be. That's why I am blessed and eternally grateful to have friends like them in my midst. Praise God for friends who have turned into family... And cheers to more love-filled years to come!

Here's a glimpse of my amazing circle of friends:

Why I Love Being a Foodie-in-training

It's been a while since my last blog post. I've been so caught up with work that I haven't really been doing much writing on any of my blogs. Lately, I've been watching a lot of food-related videos. Recipes of meals that I'd like to try and cook in my meager little kitchen (I don't even have a microwave oven, let alone a real one! I know, right?).

From pasta recipes to Frittata, jambalaya to chicken cordon bleu... I've started down this fun yet very challenging path, armed with my zeal for fine dining and the desire for self-improvement. I'm hoping to grow as a foodie, hence, I am officially a foodie-in-training.

My friends have been very supportive, encouraging me from various parts of the world -- defying time zones and weather conditions. So far, my favourites have been pasta, chicken and potato recipes. These are the simplest to prepare and don't require an oven. However, I would really love to branch out into baking. Maybe someday when I decide to get serious about this craft and finally buy that oven.

Here are some of my favourites!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Potato Croquettes with Cream Sauce
Various arrays of pasta, potato, and chicken dishes
Russian potato salad - my Mama's recipe