Feel good, you'll look better

It is really true! When you feel good, like when you're simply in your comfortable clothes or you aced an exam or just having a good mood, you are absolutely going to look better! If so, don't miss the chance to take a picture of yourself wearing your bright smile. Just like what I did! I believe that it helps to remind me why I should always keep my mind positive everyday. You know, self-motivation.

So, if you want to look young and vibrant just like me, you should also start being optimistic, and the rest will follow.

Try it! Optional, but highly recommended ;)

Midterm Exams!

It was my very first time to take up midterm exams in college. And as an overall result, I know I pass all the subjects. But that wasn't so easy.We know the saying, "To achieve your goals, you must work hard", and that  what I just did, to stay awake the whole night, to make sure that I can answer all the questions there.

The night before the exam day (which was Wednesday) I was planning to start my review after I had my dinner. But that didn't happen; instead I set my alarm at 10:00 pm to wake me up because I wanted to rest my eyes so badly even just  for a while.

When my phone alarmed, my eyes were still lazy to open but I forced myself to stand up. I abruptly open my notes and other references to review what were discussed in school that would be included in the exams. I stayed positive throughout the night and concentrated well with my studies. I finished reviewing when it was already 3 in the morning and decided to go back to bed since I have one more hour to sleep.

Then it was Thursday, I woke up at 4am and prepared everything for school. I put a smile on my face to emit good vibes and everything nice, and with a big help from my inspiration I was so confident to take the exams.

And just as I expected, it was a wonderful day. Exams were just a piece of cake.

Since the midterm was not yet over and I still have the following day, I did the same routine as soon as I arrived home. I stayed positive no matter what. It's really a big help for me.

Then it was Friday, I gave my best shot to get high grades. But this time, the exams were not as easy like yesterday. But still, I prepared for it and I believe I made it!

Inspiration was in my head the whole time.

Hmm, there was still an activity the next day,but I'll tell you that on my next post.

Are you going to read this? If not, I don’t mind

I always tell myself to be true. Anything that appears in my mind and whatever I feel with so many comings and goings in my life I always blog it.

If I’m away from the computer, I write in on a scratch paper. To be honest with you, I get so pressured when other people tell me that my writing is good. And that’s really something. But who will really stay reading are my real friends and the people who love my blog.

That’s why when I get to read other’s blog I was never against with anything they post. Like me, they also have their own opinions, beliefs and events happening in their life. They are just being real and expressing their emotions. We just need to understand them. That’s what makes me appreciate different people, get inspired, learn from them and get ideas to post something on my blog (and sometimes even for my assignments, haha! like from Sir John Marine’s blog).


I salute every blogger in this world. They contribute a lot of help and knowledge to other people. They might sound harsh or not, but let’s face it we still get something out from them.


As long as we don’t step on other people and we know our limitations, everything will be fine.

It's nice to laugh how we look before...

Because we are different now, we know how to dress up, we know how to fix ourselves, we were influenced by the people we spend our time with.

Isn't it nice to know that we also have the confidence to show how we look when we were younger? That you even tell yourself how ugly you were and laugh with the photograph you're holding. It's fine with you now, because you have changed. You look better than before. It's just so nice to remember memories from the past.

@ St. Michael's Retreat House

At last, I'm home!

I had an overnight stay at Saint Michael's for the seniors' retreat.

I won't make this too vulgar because the speaker said so.

The retreat house is big, clean and peaceful. I was one of the students to be assigned at the clergy room.
No gadgets were allowed so I didn't bring my phone.

We started yesterday at 10 in the morning. Our sessions and other activities were fun. We talked a lot about our parents, family and God. Few about choosing the right friends. I was very emotional inside that session room. I had two handkerchiefs, both soaked in wet. I can't help but to cry. Tears kept falling. They were not tears of sadness, but of happiness. I know for so long that I am very lucky in life. I tried to stop the tears but didn't worked out, i'm just really such a crybaby.

We ended our activity last  night around 10:30. My roommates and I didn't sleep as soon as we entered the clergy room. We had our midnight snack, talked more, and I took a bath even I'm shivering in cold. I was only able to sleep for 4 hours or less.

By 6:15 in the morning, today, the mass had started and i am blessed to be chosen as the 2nd reader and felt more better because I was able to give service this Sunday even if  I'm not with my family together at the church.

We've shared so many stories, listened to their problems, prayed for each other and so much more. I just have to leave them there.

For the second time of my life, after 4 years, I have revived my spiritual and mental health. My heart has recovered from all the pain in the past and was healed by God. I feel so refreshing, accomplished, complete and thankful!

I got home safe and sound around 11:30 in the morning bringing the joy from the retreat house to my own home.

God is so good! :)

Full of Inspiration and Motivation

Good evening to you my friend.

I am just done with my Valedictory speech that I am talking about earlier @ LJ where you can read here.
And before I go to bed, let me tell you more about this very hour.

These past days, many people are making me feel great and fulfilling. Must be the way how I emit my feelings to others. And I am thankful to those people, and to God of course, He is always included in all the gratitudes that I am giving.

As I checked my twitter account, I was full of accomplishments for the compliments that I have read from people who follow me and at the same time I follow them back too.

Here's why: (Click the photo to enlarge)

(There are things that are easy to explain by showing than by saying)

.. and I never thought that not only few enjoy reading my blog, but there are many. And because of those people I just have a new strength to do more greater things in life.

I know that you know who you people are touching my life filling it with glory, love and happiness.

Thank you :)

I am thankful now that...

I saw my name listed as one of the honor students AGAIN in our year level.

Hooray to me! I'm so happy!

I also thank God for this wonderful blessing, for guiding me, giving me strength and the knowledge to do my best to be part of this achievement.

That's not the only reason why I am so glad today. At  first quarter I made a good start, I was placed as 5th. Not bad. But when 2nd Quarter came, my rank went down, I was then placed 8th. Now, this 3rd quarter of  the school year I can't believe I came up to 4th. It's a miracle!

Well, I've always wanted this. I am so blessed, so, so blessed. I don't know what else to say. I just want to share with you my happiness, my bliss!

I made once more my parents proud! I will continue this until the very END.

So help me, God.

My plans this coming summer vacation

I always have something in mind, who doesn't?
Part of it is planning different activities this coming summer vacation so I won't get bored while I'm away from school.

These are the list of the possible things that may happen throughout this summer:

1. Print my own designed shirt.

I really wanted to have one a long time ago. I just need resources and money, and hopefully I will have them.

Have a preview of what I have drawn for my own T-shirt (:

If you can notice they are all different names,

I have included my full name and the nicknames

my friends keep calling me, 

and the largest one is my pseudo name. 

At the back of the shirt is how people will recognize me (:

2. Finish my unfinished novel.

The book is entitled SPY PRINCESS: THE RICH MAN'S SECRET.

A friend of mine had given me an idea of what will be the outlook of the cover. I am thankful for her willingness. Now, all I have to do is to edit some of it. Look below.

(Hmm.. better if I am that one in the cover.)

3. Keep my body in shape.

I just want to be more productive, healthier, sexier, and hot! err.... too much?

In short, I just want to keep my body in shape ( and eat more healthy foods) (:

 4. Enroll in a baking/ cooking class.

It would be so much fun. I need to practice more in cooking, it's a shame if my fiancée will ask me to cook something and I don't know how. Haha! And besides it's good to impress someone that you know a lot of things, and meeting new people from that place means exposing yourself in this happy world!

5. Read and collect more books!

I'm a book addict, I can't deny it. It's one reason why I had the urge in making one on my own. 

6. Expand more my vocabulary and learn Spanish. 

I know I still need to practice more in order to have something better (:

... and those are just some of what I am planning. I'll tell you more when I have a new idea.

Have a nice day!

Countdown

I am counting those days ...

19 days to go and it will by my final examination for the last quarter of the school year. (March 7)
33 days to go and it's my graduation day! (March 25)
[Note: Saturdays and Sundays were not included in counting]

40 days to for my dad's arrival! (March 20)
110 days to go and I'm turning 17! (May 26)
[Note: Saturdays and Sundays were included in counting]

HOORAY TO ME!

SEE YOU AT THE ENDING

Today, I started to create my own novel. I will post them in my second blog. I am really eager to finish my own story, and maybe in the future I can publish them.

If you are an active follower and you liked my work, please help me have more readers and followers. I just want every one of us to be happy and at the same time I can practice my writing and grammar skills.

If you want to check it out now, please click this link, and I hope you have fun reading.

Thank you for those who will support.

More power,

Erica

It's time for a check-up.

"If it isn't broken, don't fix it." It sounds innocent enough, but I've been thinking about this phrase for a few weeks now and how misguiding it can be. Are we really supposed to wait until something in our life is broken before we fix it, before it gets some attention or maintenance?

I don't understand how some people can find this mantra to be valuable. With such a mindset one is expected to believe that the world will take care of itself and there's no need to step in and take action until something is wrong. What does such an attitude say about one's:

friendships

marriage

health

house

vehicle

(insert something really important to you right here)

?

We need to care for and be good stewards of all that we have. This means constantly working and striving to keep it at its best. It's much easier and less costly (financially, spiritually, physically, and mentally) to maintain something over the course of its life than to clean up its broken pieces. Yes, that does mean work, but the downside of letting anything valuable in our lives slip through our fingers is that it is not guaranteed that it will be able to be fixed or replaced should something damaging happen to it.

Just saying.

Sneaky C

I'm certainly not God

I don't notice every little thing

but I see your sneaky ways.

Someone needs a spanking.

A change, for a start

yes. i finally changed the blogskin. this time, i'm satisfied. for now, anyway. let's just say that it's a new beginning to a mediocre ending..... :)

will pen down more soon.
till then :)

5th Placer, not bad at all

It was our REPORT CARD DISTRIBUTION last September 9, 2010. Parents have to go to our school to get our report cards and know the results out of it. They can also view at the bulletin board the list of honor students for that grading. We've finished 1st grading and there will be three more to come.



Mom first visited my brother's room.



I'm hopeless that I will never be included to be listed as one of the honor students because my scores at my previous exams didn't satisfy me. When we were there already I asked my younger sister to view the list of honors for me because I am so nervous I might not be included. She agreed, then walked away to see it.



After a while, she came back frowning. I asked her what happened. She said I didn't make it!



I DIDN'T MAKE IT! that was harsh of her.


Now I'm sweating all over and worried what mom will say to me once she found out, and what my teacher will tell her.



It's about time when mom will visit my room to get my card. I'm not yet saying about this to mom. I just want to see it for herself- or for myself. I agreed easily with what my sister said.



I passed by the bulletin board where the honors are posted. I took another glance to ensure that I'm not included. And God! I was surprised when my name was there! The only student who has the longest name printed there! Phew! I shouldn't agree so easily with my sister. She tricked me! She even started laughing at me when she realized I found out the truth!

I felt a relief. But wait, It's a tie! There's another classmate of mine who was also ranked same as mine. Not bad anyway.



I realized that I can do it better next time, I'll try making it at the top, top1 to be exact.

Like what they say, There is no harm in trying.

P.S. This is what I keep on praying also at night. Thank you, God, for letting me have this achievement.

Hooray!

Someone just gave me a compliment that my grammar is improving!

Thanks to that person.

As you can notice, I started blogging last March and my grammar isn't that good. I also posted before that I want to improve it so I can do better in school. Now that I achieved my goal, I am also thanking blogger for helping me giving a good practice.


Chao!

The Problem with Cash

I've recently been called on, again, to help a friend in need financially. I've done so on many occassions and have learned a lesson that many people go through life not ever really understanding. "More money doesn't solve money problems." That may sound incorrect, but the fact is you can give away as much money as you want - to fill someone's needs or not - and the same problems will come their way again.

"Then what does solve money problems, Mr. Know-it-all?" Without this turning into a lecure, let me keep it to a simple answer of "Financial education" and "Personal Development". I wish I knew how to share this with more people. Have a great day my friends - who haven't asked money from me yet. :)

Who is Jesus?

Meet Jesus. He visits often and speaks to me. Sometimes I don't fully understand what he's saying, but that's my problem, not his. He's friendly, caring, and hard-working. He's my neighbor's Latino gardener.

Yeah, that's not quite right, is it? It's just a bit of humor. But when we start really asking the question, "Who is Jesus?", we can start to run into real problems if we're not careful.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Son of God, one of God's spirit children. He is brother to Lucifer, the brother who went bad. God, of course, is one of innumerable Gods, and it is only natural that He would have multiple children, including Jesus. Jesus's death on the cross was not sufficient to actually save completely, but His ultimate goal is to save us through that death and our good works so that we, too, can become gods by our own right. Now, I realize that this is not in accordance with everything you find in your Bible, but that's because your Bible has been influenced over the centuries to stray from the truth, so obviously this truth about who Jesus is will not align with the errors in your Bible. We believe in Jesus and trust Him for our salvation. How could you possibly say that Mormons are not saved?

Who is Jesus? Jesus is a man born over 2,000 years ago. He is the best man ever born. He is not only the son of God; he is a god himself. Now, be careful with that, because he also identified himself as the son of Man. The conclusion that he was God's son was not his own; other people said it. Some have claimed that he was God Himself, but that isn't true. He prayed to God, so he cannot be God and pray to God. He is at the right hand of God, so clearly he cannot be God. In John 1 it identifies him as "the Word" and says he was with God, so He can't be God. When the rich young ruler referred to him as "good", he denied that he was God by saying, "Only God is good." No, no, he was not God in the sense of "God Almighty". He was a god in the sense like Satan is called "the god of this world" or powerful people were referred to as "gods". Jesus was the best man ever born, a powerful man, blessed by God, and a god in that sense. We hold that salvation is possible only through Christ’s ransom sacrifice along with repentance and good works in the name of Jehovah. We believe in Jesus and trust Him for our salvation. How could you possibly say that Jehovah's Witnesses are not saved?

Who is Jesus? Jesus came to show us the way. He is our savior. He is the spiritual God who took on human flesh to show us true Christ Consciousness. Through this consciousness we are saved. Now, we know that you have this quaint story about Him "dying on the cross" and all, but since Jesus was actually God in the flesh, He couldn't actually die, now, could He? He simply released Himself from the lie of "death" as He did from the lie of sickness and all other sin-based errors. He didn't "die on the cross" to "pay for your sin" because sin is simply a false understanding of the Divine Mind (which Jesus came to correct) and doesn't actually exist. We believe in Jesus and trust Him for our salvation. How could you possibly say that Christian Scientists are not saved?

I could go on, but perhaps you're getting the point. It's actually fairly easy to say, "We believe in Jesus and trust Him for our salvation." It's fairly easy to even mean it wholeheartedly. And it's pretty easy to then claim "We believe what you believe; we're saved by grace through faith in Christ!" Of course, if you try to start asking questions like "What do you mean by 'grace'?" or "How would you define 'faith'?" or "Who is Jesus to you?" ... well, now you're just being narrow-minded and judgmental! In fact, you're probably one of those pharisaical fundies, aren't you? So, really, what makes you think you'resaved, you're so smart?!