Don't QUIT

When Things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road youre trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

REST if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up, though the pace seems low;

You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and flatering man,

Often the strugler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup.

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out;

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;

It's when thing seem worst that you mustn't QUIT!

(A poem i used to memorize during my training as COCC in our school... i post this out of inspiration to Hye's recent write-up "YOU ARE NOT THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE" thanks, Hye!)

Love is Acceptance

Our relationship with our partner shapes who we are, who we love, and why. It can be our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. How we find our relationship depends on how we perceive, handle and value it. If there’s one thing I learned about love, that is ACCEPTANCE. Love is not only merely sacrifice but also acceptance.

“A man is a man. He is not a woman. A woman is a woman. She is not a man!” (Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot)

We should appreciate the mystery of our personhood and the one we love. Love is at its best when we accept the fact that we are who we are and that we love someone for who they are.

No human has ever been, and no human will ever be perfect. It is a blessing to be imperfect, because it is a blessing to be human. Errors are natural. Mistakes are inevitable. Embarrassing moments sometimes happen. When we accept that complete perfection is impossible, we can accept ourselves, others, and the world, exactly as is. Why should we be afraid of this freedom? Only out of such acceptance can we can actually make positive changes, because positive changes only come out of a loving heart. We don't deserve love by being perfect.

I love a man, a person, a human who is not perfect and will never be. Just the same as Joel loves me; a woman, a person, and a human!

Love Languages

Five Emotional Love Languages:
by Dr. Gary Chapman, Christian counselor and author of The Five Love Languages

1. Words of Affirmation

This is when you say how nice your spouse looks, or how great the dinner tasted. These words will also build your mate's self image and confidence.

2. Quality Time

Some spouses believe that being together, doing things together and focusing on one another is the best way to show love. If this is your partner's love language, turn off the TV now and then and give one another some undivided attention.

3. Gifts

It is universal in human cultures to give gifts. They don't have to be expensive to send a powerful message of love. Spouses who forget a birthday or anniversary or who never give gifts to someone who truly enjoys gift giving will find themselves with a spouse who feels neglected and unloved.

4. Acts of Service

Discovering how you can best do something for your spouse will require time and creativity. These acts of service like vacuuming, hanging a bird feeder, planting a garden, etc., need to be done with joy in order to be perceived as a gift of love.

5. Physical Touch

Sometimes just stroking your spouse's back, holding hands, or a peck on the cheek will fulfill this need.

An Inspiring Speech

I found this wonderful speech of Nelson Mandela. On 10th May 1994, he became the first democratically-elected President of multi-racial South Africa. In his inaugural speech as South African President, Nelson Mandela said:

“Our biggest fear
is not that we are inadequate;
our biggest fear
is that we are powerful
beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves:
‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous’
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
You’re ‘playing small’
doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking
so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just within some of us
- it is within everyone!
And as we let our own light shine,
we consciously give to other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence
automatically liberates others.”

Intelligence or Wisdom?

I found a very wonderful site about prayers and I thought of sharing this one:

One of France’s greatest scientists was
Louis Pasteur, who lent his name to the
process of “pasteurising” milk. He became
well-known in his lifetime, receiving
national honours in recognition for
his scientific achievements.

One day he was travelling by train and
was reading the Bible to himself. The
man who happened to be sitting next to
Louis Pasteur did not know who he was,
but saw that he was reading about Jesus
feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and
two fish. The man said to him: “You don’t
believe that story, do you?”

“Yes, I do believe it,” said Pasteur. The
other man, not knowing who he was
speaking to, said, “Well, I don’t believe
it. I’m a scientist, you see, and that story
doesn’t fit in with science.”

At that point the train slowed and the
man was about to get off. He said goodbye,
giving his name. He was more than
surprised to hear in response, “And my
name is Louis Pasteur.” The man, claiming
to be a scientist, had been very dismissive
of the religious beliefs of Louis
Pasteur, one of the world’s greatest scientists.

Let us pray:

Lord, I ask for the gifts
of knowledge and wisdom
and understanding.
What I pray for
I intend to work at,
so that I may develop
an open mind,
a thirst for knowledge,
and a wisdom that makes good use
of my knowledge and experience.
I know that any gifts are useless
if I do not also have
love and concern for others,
and so I ask that you inspire me
to live in such a way
that I am caring and compassionate
and promote understanding
between people.
May others respect me, Lord,
as much as I respect them. Amen.

Knowing The Right One

Knowing the right one to marry is probably the hardest part of marriage. Most of married couples would say that “you will never know the person not until you live under one roof.” Discovering the right one is a process not only during pre-marital or engagement stage but it goes on until marriage.



Some pointers may be helpful in choosing the right person to be with:

1. You will know you are marrying the right person when you feel support and encouragement about your own growth both emotionally and intellectually. The right person will want you to be emotionally healthy and able to stand on your own two feet. When you are with the right person you will feel good about yourself, safe, and fulfilled.

2. The right person will not be negative, selfish, wishy washy, silent, embarrassing, critical, or a slob.

3. You will know you are marrying the right person if your future spouse says "I love you" not only in words spoken, but by loving actions. We define loving actions as doing things such as noticing when you are tired, remembering your birthday, wanting to spend time with you, listening to you, showing you respect, calling if you are running late, showing you affection, being patient with you if you don't understand something, kissing you hello and goodbye, and hugging you for no special reason.

4. You will know you are marrying the right person if you are sexually compatible with one another. If the two of you view sexual intimacy differently, your marriage relationship will suffer.

5. The right person is someone who you like and who is your friend. The right person will enjoy spending time with you. Your love and your marriage will slowly fade if the two of you are not friends.

6. The right person is kind, considerate, and polite. Little things in life such as saying 'thank you' and holding a door open may seem old fashioned, but they do reflect the amount of caring and kindness in a person.

7. Having different likes and different opinions is okay as long as the two of you agree to disagree. Although you may not always agree with one another, conversations with the right person will be interesting and not boring. The right person will communicate thoughts and feelings with you and will not keep hurts and concerns bottled up inside.

8. Understanding that the only constant in life is change, the right person is willing to discuss marriage issues, questions, and topics with you both before and after you get married.

9. The right person will encourage you to make decisions to live a healthy lifestyle by eating healthier foods and getting exercise. The right person will want to work with you to balance your work and personal lives.

10. Feeling as if you are the only one picking things up around the house or taking care of the kids can get old. The right person is willing to share in the responsibilities of your home and future children.

11. Finding the right person doesn't mean that the two of you won't have difficulties or differences to deal with. However, with the right person you will know that the two of you will be able to work through the issues that could hurt your relationship.

12. The right person will trust you and not monitor your phone calls, or computer usage, or limit the amount of time you spend with others you care about. You will know you are marrying the right person if your future spouse does not try to isolate you from your family and friends. You not only need to belong to family, friends, groups, etc., you have the right to do so. The right person in your life will not try to control your life but will want to share a life with you. The wrong person will make you feel as if you have to walk on egg shells in order to keep peace in your home.

13. You shouldn't have to defend wanting privacy or time alone. You will know you are marrying the right person when you are not questioned about your need for time alone or personal space.

14. The right person will trust you and not spy on you. Feeling as if you have to justify your every move will become a very heavy burden.

"What you are as a single person, you will be as a married person, only to a greater degree. Any negative character trait will be intensified in a marriage relationship, because you will feel free to let your guard down -- that person has committed himself to you and you no longer have to worry about scaring him off." (Josh McDowell - Secrets of Loving)


"The kind of marriage you make depends upon the kind of person you are. If you are a happy, well-adjusted person, the chances are your marriage will be a happy one. If you have made adjustments so far with more satisfaction than distress, you are likely to make your marriage and family adjustments satisfactorily. If you are discontented and bitter about your lot in life, you will have to change before you can expect to live happily ever after." (Evelyn Duvall and Reuben Hill - - When You Marry)

"Marriage -- as its veterans know well -- is the continuous process of getting used to things you hadn't expected." (Tom Mullen)

"Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry." (Tom Mullen)

"Marriage - when two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions. They are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part." - George Bernard Shaw

"The middle years of marriage are the most crucial. In the early years, spouses want each other and in late years, they need each other." - (Rebecca Tilly)

When We Forgive...

"If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive." - Mother Theresa

Forgiveness is usually hard but it definitely works! Forgiving is an effort we make for ourselves and not because we are obliged to do so. It is a gift that we give to ourselves and not something that we do for others. Refusing to forgive by holding on to anger and resentments is as good as remaining victims of our hurtful past. It is always a choice we make for ourselves to help us begin the process of healing our wounds. The hurts won't heal until you forgive! Recovery from wrongdoing that produces genuine forgiveness takes time. For some, it may take years. Don't rush it. It encourages us to believe in the possibility of building a better future. It builds our confidence that we survive the pain and learn and grow from it!

One helpful tip is simply identifying the situation to be forgiven and ask yourself: "Am I willing to waste my energy further on this matter?" If the answer is "No," then that's it! All is forgiven.

Forgiving is freeing us from the poison of anger, bitterness, and hatred. It is an internal matter; an effort to gain peace of mind and renewal of our spirits. Forgiving the person who has caused us pains doesn’t necessarily mean defeat. Moreover, it is a triumphant move over the person who hurt us! Forgiveness does not mean that we have to reconcile with someone who badly treated us! We CAN forgive even without them knowing. Remember that THERE IS NOTHING SO BAD THAT CAN NOT BE FORGIVEN… NOTHING!

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiving is to “let-go” and “move-forward”! One can not step into another relationship without resolving the past hurts first. HEALTHY love relationships are not possible without forgiveness! You cannot have a loving and rewarding relationship with anyone else, much less yourself, if you continue to hold on to things that happened in the past. Remember that it takes no strength to forgive, only COURAGE.

"Forgiveness is giving up the resentment to which you are entitled and offering to the person who hurt you friendlier attitudes to which they are not entitled." Robert Enright

Forgiveness helps you move forward. No one benefits from forgiveness more than the one who forgives! Give yourself the gift of forgiveness. The very word forgiveness is built on the root word "give".

It helps to focus on the things that you have learned out of the hurts and pains of the past. That itself is something to be grateful about. Learn to appreciate the blessings and love around you. Withholding forgiveness and dwelling in the past only makes you remain victim. There is no future in the past. The only way to restore your self is to give-up the past and forgive. That gives you a sense of peace and improves your well-being as a person.

“Forgiveness is the most important single process that brings peace to our soul and harmony to our life.”

Still find it difficult to forgive? View forgiveness as a spiritual act. It takes moral courage to forgive. Allow Divine Grace to express through us. Remember how God forgives man’s sins and how He continually does so. How can you be forgiven if you do not forgive? Of course we don’t have a heart as kind as God’s but still He gave us “heart” and “mind” that work harmoniously together. We are given the free will to decide and make choices. The question is “do we choose to make things right?” or “do we choose to remain in the past and stay regretful all throughout our lives?”

Forgiveness is the key to our own happiness and we hold the key! It helps us make peace with the past. Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.

Here are some prayers that can help you:

Prayer for Forgiveness. . .

#1 - Living, loving Spirit, let me practice forgiveness today by starting with the little hurts. I will let go of all the everyday occurrences that do not go the way I want, and the moment I begin to feel the familiar feeling of anger or resentment, I will practice forgiveness by invoking your loving and peaceful Presence and allowing divine grace to surround me. And so it is.

#2 - Living, loving Presence, I enter this moment of silence and consciously make the decision to unburden and detach myself from the painful memories of the past. I release to you everything that holds me back from my spiritual journey. I feel your power working in and through me in forgiving and letting go all that needs to be forgiven and released. And so it is.

“One pardons to the degree that one loves.” - Francios De La Rochefoucauld

“Our capacity to make peace with another person and with the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness.” - Peter Ustinov

“Genuine forgiveness is participation, reunion overcoming the powers of estrangement. . . We cannot love unless we have accepted forgiveness, and the deeper our experience of forgiveness is, the greater is our love.” - Paul Tillich

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” - Robert Muller

“You know you have forgiven someone when he or she has harmless passage through your mind.” - Rev. Karyl Huntley

“Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.” - Oscar Wilde

“When you forgive, you essentially undo the ability to blame. When you stop blaming yourself, you start to like yourself and you're much more fun to be around. You get your power back over your life. That is the power of forgiveness.” - Eldon Taylor

“There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” - Josh Billings

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” - Catherine Ponder

“One of the most lasting pleasures you can experience is the feeling that comes over you when you genuinely forgive an enemy - whether he know about it or not”. - A. Battista

“Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.” - Alexa Young

Think About This

"No one ever walked the path of Greatness who was not first visited by Love who whispered the Way." - Guy Finley

ABC's of Love

A - Absolutely amaze your partner with Adoration. Let them know in very special ways that you care. Exercise extravagant respect and devotion toward your lover. Accept them for who they are. Demonstrate your warm Attachment and Affection to them. Avoid taking your partner for granted. Be Aware of feelings!

B - Believe in your instincts. Be spontaneous. Don’t plan. . . just do something that you’ve wanted to do with your partner for a long time. Let your love occur naturally. Stop and pick a roadside flower and present it to your partner.

C - Cuddle. Lie Close and be Cozy. Just hold each other. There is a very special healing power in a Close, warm embrace. C is also for “Considerate.” Keep Communication open!

D - Discover new ways of expressing your love for each other like hire a skywriter, put a message up on a billboard, buy a radio commercial to say I love you, record a special message on a cassette. Well, even the simplest ways of expressing love are appreciated as long as done whole heartedly! Another very important in a relationship is: Don't LIE!

E - Entice your lover to try a new way of enjoying each other's company. Give time for pleasure. Enjoy each other to the fullest.

F - Flirt for Fun and Frivolity. It's best advised to be Friends with your lover! Your lover should be your best friend, as well! When you get hurt, just Forgive and Forget. Do not dwell on past hurts! Forget about your Pride! When you have a Fight, do not let the day pass without being Fine!

G - Gaze into each other’s eyes with a steady intention to say, “I love you” without words. Smile. Notice the eye color. Say something nice about them. Be Generous with your love. GIVE and take process.

H - Have a private party for just the two of you; candles and music works Be Happy together. Talk. Listen. Express your love for one another.

I - Indulge each other’s desires. Write your secret desires on pieces of paper and trade. You may be surprised.

J - Joke and have fun together. Lighten up. Be Joyous. Release your sense of humor. Have fun with love.

K - Kissy. . . kissy. . . kissy! Give your partner an unexpected, looooooong, juicy kiss. Be Keen on kissing! Show your Kindness to your partner.

L - Love with all your heart and soul. Always remember to speak, “I love you” at least once each day. Express love in new and exciting ways. Remember to love yourself and do nice things for you too.

M - Massage away the day’s tension and stress. A listening partner is helpful. Be sympathetic with your lover's woes. Spend some time without talking about works and pressures.

N - Never talk abour beak-ups! Never say your OK when you're NOT! Nurture your need for nibbling. Nibbling feels good.

O - Offer unexpected surprises your partner might like. Offer her/him a crying shoulder whenever necessary.

P - Pretend you are long-lost, passionate lovers. Use your imagination. Think! What could you do that you haven’t done for a long time? Do that. Don't compare your Past to your Present. Don't talk about your stupid Ex's (hehehe)!

Q - Quote your lover a love poem or a special passage from a book or greeting card that expresses exactly how you feel.

R - Remember the little things. Respect your partner by paying attention. Be aware when your partner’s likes and dislikes. Notice what makes them happy and deliver more of that.

S - Slow dance by candlelight or in the backyard in the moonlight. Get back to romance. Be Sensitive to the romantic needs of your lover. If you say SORRY, mean it!

T - Try a little Tenderness. Be gentle. Practice the “soft touch.” Go slow. Be intentional.

U - Uncover your deepest feelings. Speak them or write them to your lover. Communicate them unwaveringly. Let your emotions express themselves with sensitivity, Understanding and love.

V - Vow your eternal love for each other. Renew your vows. Make some new ones. Look up the word “vow” in the dictionary. Live by your solemn promises.

W - Watch a sunrise or sunset together. Bring a picnic basket with snacks and your favorite beverage. Let the Warmth you feel for your partner be felt.

X - X-plore your romantic dreams. Day dream about this one. Think. X-cellerate. Don’t wait. Do something X-citing together; something you said you would do in the past, but you both have been putting off or making X-cuses about.

Y - Yearn for each other’s touch. Don’t hold back. A hug-a-day pays dividends beyond your wildest imaginings. AND. . . it feels good to be touched by the one you love.

Z - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz in each other’s arms. Zero in on being close. Touching feels good. Enhance your enjoyment by listening to your partner’s breathing cycle and to their heartbeat. Inhale and exhale together. Become as one.

Remember: Don't be the perfect one... BE THE TRUE ONE!

Still Wonderful

Having to make a brand new start only to realize it's about to end so soon... sometimes, it makes us harder to start especially when we are hooked on the past...trying to recover from what was lost...and sometimes the hardest part of it all was when you have given away your heart and you haven't gotten it back...

To be able to make a brand new start is as good as leaving the past behind...though it wasn't always easy to forget...having a peace of mind is sometimes very hard to achieve but only then you can really have a new start... How do we know that we are moving on?...it's when our heart finally accepted that there is no turning back anymore.


There is still more to life... HOPE gives us a forward look. Looking back to the past without regrets, pains & tears can be achieved for too long...but in the process, it makes us better persons than we are now!

Sometimes I act like a different woman...but I am more than myself than ever before...in my 28 years, I've learned how it is to have and to lost... to laugh and to cry... to hold and to let go... and I know that there will still be more to expect...life never runs out of surprises no matter how we see it...no matter how many challenges that come & block our way...at the end, we still say to ourselves... it is indeed a "WONDERFUL LIFE" after all!!!

Thank You Coolingstar9

I want to thank coolingstar 9 for sharing with me this very wonderful award... I thank all the bloggers whom this award originated! Thank you for passing this around!

To Coolingstar9... i will carry on this award and bear always in mind to have a BIG heart for all! Thank YOU!

HOPE

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair, wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance — i.e., believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary.

Today, I believe all of us need to have a positive outlook in life. The term “hope” is also associated with the word “positive thinking”. It is the “anchor of the soul”. Hope is one of the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) and carries a connotation of being aware of the spritual truth. It is believing that Gods divine promised blessings are assured.

Hope encourages us to try new possibilities. As I am reflecting with this word, I realized that the sun rises on each new day bringing new options and greater opportunities to spread my wings and fly. I know sometimes, it is too difficult to hope for better things to happen; but nothing is too impossible with faith and patience,

In our modern times, it is so hard to maintain a positive outlook. Especially now that violence is enormously rampant, We are most of the times downed with life’s difficulties when even ‘hoping’ is greatly impossible. Our ability to ‘hope’ is very much impaired and we go down into despair instead. In times like these, all we need to do is to trust God and never let go whatever happens. Just like what God does, He never let go and He never gave up on us even when we have greatly sinned against Him. He always provide comfort and love whenever needed. Even when we don’t ask for it, God is so loving that He patiently waits for us to seek for Him. God is always there for us and I believe Hoping is not too impossible with His intervention.

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22

My Dose of Daily Pills

I have so many experiences of God's love that I wanted to share through this blog. His love is so enormous and incomparable! The very reason why I decided to create this blog site is to let everybody know of God's love, His miracles, and His connection to our everyday lives! I have so many things to share with you... and I hope this site will, in one way or another, inspire and touch lives... come and journey with me...