Happiness Along The Journey

Got my share of ups and downs...We're all in the same life's journey.

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. ~Matsuo Basho 

Happiness is a journey, not a destination; happiness is to be found along the way not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it's too late. The time for happiness is today not tomorrow. ~Paul H Dunn 

Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything. ~Norman Lear 

The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; I mean that if you are happy you will be good. ~Bertrand Russell 

So much sadness exists in the world that we are all under obligation to contribute as much joy as lies within our powers. ~John Sutherland Bonnell 

Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember. ~Oscar Levant

Don't Cut the String

Could it be better without the string?

Well-respected Filipino preacher and author  Bo Sanchez once mentioned in his article that we, humans  are like that kite whereas God is the boy flying the kite. The string represents our relationship with Him. There were times we feel that the string is holding us back and so we want the string be cut off so that we can live our lives on our own terms. For a time, perhaps it feels good.  We  can soar higher because we’re free. However, in due time we will come crashing down destroying ourselves.

The message: Don’t let the string be cut. Remain in our relationship with God. In other words, we have to allow Him to love us. Like the boy flying the kite. God has vision for our lives: to be able to soar higher  - as high as we can possibly be.

I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.  ~John 10:10

When God gives you a 'No,' give Him a 'Thank you.' He was protecting you from less than His best. ~ author unknown

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ~John 15:5

For A Reason

One inspiring message  with  a 'Hari Raya Puasa' - inspired background.  

Everything happens for a reason. Every action has a reaction. Always remember that whats meant to be will always find a way to come about. ~author unknown 

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 

One day at a time -- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering. ~author unknown 

He has made everything beautiful in its time …for there shall be a time there for every purpose and for every work. ~Ecclesiastes 3:11,17

Shake It Off

Though easier said than done, guess there's no other better way. 
Let us learn from that old mule.

Here’s another parable about an old mule that fell on a deep dry well. As it was impossible to lift it up, the farmer decided 

to bury it right there and then. Together with his neighbors, they started filling up the well with soil and dirt. At first, the mule became hysterical but it soon discovered that every time soil and dirt would fall on its back, he could shake it off and step up, until the well was full. Exhausted but happy, the mule finally stepped over the well and walked amidst the cheering crowd. ~author unknown

We face various problems. If we could only respond positively and refuse to give in to panic, resentment and self-pity, the adversities that threatens to bury us may come to benefit and bless us instead.

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Viktor Frankl

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. ~Art Linkletter 

Self-Love Tank

We need to extend love to others but first we need to refill our self-love tank.

You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy. ~author unknown 

If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself. ~Barbara De Angelis 

I know I am beautiful. I know I am strong. Because I love myself, and I was put here for a reason. We all were. We've all been a present. ~Stephanie Rivero 

Within you is a Love Tank. And your Love Tank has a faucet. The only way for love to flow out of that faucet is if your Love Tank is full. If you don’t receive love, you won’t be able to give love. You can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t love anyone if you don’t love yourself. You can’t even love God if you don’t love yourself. ~Bo Sanchez

Our Bag-gage

Do you have a lot of things to carry? Sometimes I do..
that's why I  need the help of other people.

The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all. ~Leo Rosten 

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer

Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. ~Mother Teresa 

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa 

How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world. ~William Shakespeare 

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss 

If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. ~Buddhist saying

Greetings to All Fathers

Today's my  father's day, I mean his birthday.   
In the celebration of  Father's Day, let me extend my greetings to all the loving, caring and wonderful fathers around the world!

My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence B. Kelland 


A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society. ~Billy Graham 


My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me. ~Jim Valvano 

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. ~author unknown 

Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad. ~author unknown 

Your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever, Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

Our Scarecrow

I  refused to blog for many  years... My  fears? One,  I’m not a computer expert  (I knew nothing about HTML or javascript)  Two,  I don’t have the time. I'm afraid I may not be able to make postings regularly. Three,  English is not my native tongue and  so I have my own limitation with the language.

But before 2011 ends, I've decided to push through anyway. Today, though I'm quite slow,   I believe I am making some progress. Somehow, I've conquered this fear!

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. ~H. P. Lovecraft 

If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living. ~Seneca, Epistles 

The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~Nelson Mandela 

In life, we have our own scarecrows. They prevent us from experiencing God’s abounding love and joy. What are our scarecrows? They are our fears. Our fears paralyze and stop us from pursuing our goals. They hinder us from becoming the persons God has created us to be. ~ Eng Si

R.E.L.A.X.

I've been working for several hours and I need a break.  I browsed my old journal book and found this RELAX acronym written by Rick Warren, a well-known American Pastor. I believe it’s worth-sharing and so I  created  a graphic representation : )  

REALIZE MY WORTH. Our significance is regardless of what our work is. Irregardless of our job or career. We can relax. We don’t have to prove our worth to people. We don’t need the approval of other people to be happy. If we were made by God then we worth it. God loves us and He made no junks! 

ENJOY WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE. We try to get more and more and we get overextended financially. We spend making payments and inevitably relationships begin to deteriorate. That’s not the way God wants us to live. 

LIMIT MY LABOR. Take a day off. Our best requires rest. If you get so many irons, you put out the fire. “The Sabbath was made to benefit man” (Mark 2) 

ADJUST MY VALUES. I have seen that all the work done is because a man wants what his neighbor has. This also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4). We have to stop and say we’re not going to be caught up in the rat race of always getting more. There are some things more important than getting more! 

EXCHANGE MY PRESSURES WITH GOD’S PEACE. We need relationship with Him where we can exchange His peace for our pressure. When we live for God, it’s not only the right way, it’s the healthy way, the whole way, the balance way and the most relaxing way.    ~ by Pastor Rick Warren

Teaching a Child

I’ve never met my grandfather but somehow I knew my father learned so much from him.
 Today, I’ve come up with few quotes in addition to the humorous conversation between a grandfather and his grandson.

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. ~author unknown 

Children should be led into the right paths, not by severity, but by persuasion. ~Terence 

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William A. Ward 

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand. ~Chinese Proverbs 

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~Proverbs 22:6

Wolves Inside our Minds

You might have heard of this parable. An old interesting parable
with valuable lesson.

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life... 

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. 

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. 

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego. 

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. 

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too." 

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, 

"Which wolf will win?" 

The old chief simply replied, 

"The one you feed." ~author unknown 

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable ~if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ~think about such things. ~Philippians 4:8

Dark Obstacle Monster

The same obstacle monster  tries to bully me, sometimes. 
  I needed “reinforcements” too, just like everyone.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. ~Henry Ford 

Press on. Obstacles are seldom the same size tomorrow as they are today. ~Robert H. Schuller 

Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them. ~Orison Swett Marden 

Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals - Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want. ~Marsha Sinetar 

Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them . . . they are liable to spring upon you; but when you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight. ~Orison Swett Marden 

Victories in life come through our ability to work around and over the obstacles that cross our path. We grow stronger as we climb our own mountains. ~Marvin J. Ashton

Be Still and Know that I Am God. ~Psalm 46:10

God's Whispers

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world ~C.S. Lewis 

We all want God’s voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God’s is the still small voice...the gentle whisper. Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. Perhaps there’s reason. God’s whisper means "I must stop ranting and move closer to Him until my head is bent together with His and then, as I listen, I will find my answer."  ~author unknown 

I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed the topmost steeple, but God declared: "Go down again - I dwell among the people. ~John Henry Newman 

Let your heart guide you. It whispers softly, so listen closely. ~author unknown