The Note

(It’s fiction... but the message could be real.)

He woke up early in the morning. He prepared a cup of coffee and went back to his room. While opening the window, he saw an old book. He scanned the pages and noticed a piece of paper. He read the hand-written note:

Allow me to join your journey today,

I’ll give you hope and show you the way.

Leave your worries and sorrows behind;

I’ll take the drive seat and keep you in mind.

~God.

What a great note to begin the day. It feels good to be reminded amid daily worries. He smiled and got himself ready. He has conquered a lot of troubles in the past and with faith in his heart, he will  continue a great journey.

Then he uttered a prayer from Psalms: 

Psalm 119:133

My Prayer (this week...)

Lord, pour your cup of goodness 
in my heart and mind today. 
Though there's a bit of tiredness; 
Lift me up and show the way!

Zest and vigor, I seek..

O, fill me with the right motivation.
Let me welcome this week
With joyful anticipation!

Remind me to be grateful
Appreciative of the given chances.
I'll set aside the troubles

Then face the day with gladness!
@Ric

Life is a cup to be filled,

not drained. ~ unknown 

God bless everyone!

C.h.e.e.r. M.e. U.p. Lord

I’ve posted it once but I want to share it again. A very simple 

prayer / poem that I need to remember often

Cheer me up again, O Lord

Hear my heart today.

Encourage me to keep on going;

Empower me to pray.

Relieve me of all the worries...

Make way for each new day

Enlighten my weary spirit

Until I find

Peace from You, O Lord, I pray.

Have a Nice Weekend!!

See my acronym for   C.H.E.E.R.  U.P.

A Foolish Prayer

Note: This personal story was originally published on my account from another site.  
I made few editing for this post. 

a doodle art created last night

“O Lord, please?.. …please make Mr Yell a little kinder today..”

That was my kind of prayer before I go and while commuting  to work each morning. At that time, being a newbie  in the corporate world and getting along with my boss was difficult for me. Mr. Yell (not his real name) was  a hard to please and short-tempered superior.  He would shout at anyone even at the slightest mistake. And each day, he’s becoming a  ‘monster’ to me.

After several months, I found myself praying a new petition. I remembered asking the Lord to make a choice: “O God,. It's either me or Mr. Yell. One has to go. I don’t want to work with him anymore”. Perhaps  it took me more than a month uttering the same prayer each day. Until I’ve realized my foolishness. I wanted the Lord to take Mr.  Yell out of the company  in exchange of me. A nobody versus  the Vice President of the company  and  definitely  one of the best in the industry. What a foolish prayer!

I told myself “you’re not only pathetic but stupid.” And guess what I did? I filed my resignation  letter that week. At first Mr. Yell wouldn’t want me to go however I insisted. “Nobody can stop me now.” I told myself.

During that time, I needed to finish some work assignments, so I had to stay  with the company for several weeks. Until  one fateful day.  Mr. Yell suddenly tendered his IRREVOCABLE RESIGNATION!  We (his staff) were caught by surprise. According to the source, there had been a scandal. And in order to save his reputation, the VP decided to leave the company as soon as possible.

Immediately,  our secretary  came to see me. She asked  “Do you want me to go to the Head Office? I’ll get your resignation back and I’ll  tear them  right in front of you.” I was dumbfounded. I don’t know what to say or do.  Then I   told her  “I’ve  already made up my mind. I guess I have to go too.” Then  I remembered my prayer.  And  I  felt sorry  for myself.  I  never  thought that the Lord would take a foolish prayer . . . seriously.

Perhaps every prayer is a matter of trust.

Worry-Busting Techniques

Here’s a graphic representation on what we do to ourselves when we worry a lot.. (Hmm.. Am I doing that ? LoL..)

According to Norman Vincent Peale, the word ‘worry’ itself is derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘to choke’. The long-held and habitual worrying is like a person putting his own fingers around his throat, pressing hard and cutting the flow of vital power. Perhaps a slow self-inflicting harm? Maybe. Anyway, I have summarized some simple worry-busting techniques based on what I’ve learned:

1. Snip off the little worries and expression of worry like "I’m worried I might miss the train", "I’m worried I might lose my job", "I’m anxious I might so.. and so…"

2.   Each morning before you arise, whisper the words “I believe” three times (or maybe more) believing in your heart that you’ll have a great fruitful day.

3.   Before you go to sleep, decide to  finish each day and be done with it. Learn to let go of the things that you have no control over. Whisper a short prayer leaving all the hurts and worries behind.  

4. Try this simple technique: 

Imagine yourself on board on a ship. With all the worries in your mind, take each anxious thought out of the mind. Drop it overboard. Watch them disappear in the wake of the ship.

You may say: “I am dropping all my worries overboard casting them entirely out of my consciousness. I shall watch them disappear in the great ocean of time.” Recite these statements several times and believe. Really believe.

And then remind yourself of Philippians 3:13 - "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."

Stress Less

Here are simple remedies for a stressful day. 
A timely reminder for busy folks like many of us. 

Dance it out.
Sing. 

Breathe.
Go for a walk.
Talk about it.
Go to bed earlier.
Focus on what you can control.
Reminisce about the good times.

and may I add a heartfelt prayer.


Reminds me of the prayer I've posted before.
a rephrased prayer of St. Teresa of Avila:


Let nothing disturb me,
Let nothing frighten me,
Everything passes away
except God.
God alone is sufficient!

Paying Attention

Sometimes we are caught up in a busy world that we become unaware of the danger 
ahead of us  just like this caricature.  I have posted here a part of a newspaper write-up  by Fr. Jerry Orbos.  A good reminder for everyone.

When God orders us to do something, we must listen. Many of us half-listen or do not listen at all. Why? Because we listen to ourselves or to the world around us. God speaks to us every day in ordinary ways. In the Holy Bible He speaks to us in a special way. If we want to listen to God, we must tone down the volume of our own headsets and the noise of the world around us. Only with a listening ear, and a prayerful heart can we truly listen and discern. ~Fr. Jerry Orbos

Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again. ~Andre Gide

Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it! ~Luke 11:28

Serenity Prayer

O I love this prayer!

The Serenity Prayer
God, give us grace to accept with serenitythe things that cannot be changed,courage to change the thingswhich should be changed,and the wisdom to distinguishthe one from the other.Living one day at a time,Enjoying one moment at a time,Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,Taking, as Jesus did,This sinful world as it is,Not as I would have it,Trusting that You will make all things right,If I surrender to Your will,So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,And supremely happy with You forever in the next.Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

Planting Thyme

It takes discipline, I know..

Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees. ~Corrie Ten Boom 

Our religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to have plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence. ~A. W. Tozer 

When I find myself racing around, trying to fill a day with mindless tasks or petty entertainment, this is usually the time that God whispers to my heart to draw away with Him and to silence my heart as He wishes to speak. ~Katherine Walden 

Without prayer we become deaf to the voice of divine love and become confused by the many competing voices asking for our attention. ~Thomas Aquinas