Strength

Hang on. There are no disappointments or calamities that God will not cure tomorrow.

TO BEGIN WITH

A blessed week that passed.

First: Already finished 10,000 words for my first self-published eBook titled “Simplify Life… and Make it Count.” One writer mentor suggested that for a short eBook, 20,000 words are enough. I guess I’m done with half of it.

Second: I was constantly reminded by God to always be on guard, stand firm in my faith, and be courageous and strong. Why do I think so? He has something BIG for me! I don’t know exactly, but God keeps reminding me it’s already here!

Third: Denielle, the kids, and I will travel to Caloocan on Monday to be with my parents-in-law. So excited to be with them again, for we don’t know when we will see each other again. Hopefully not too long!

Thank you, Lord!

STRENGTH

Strength. A word many of us mere mortals need these days. I don’t have to explain why. You know you need it, too. I have my one and only God, who promised to never leave me or forsake me. I believe Him, and with Him I find strength. My Almighty Father, who I would be lost without. But I would also be lost without my split-apart. She is my best friend here on earth. The one God gave me to really know who I am. My works connect us when we are apart and when we come together. Especially when we are together. The years have come and gone, trials, troubles, and a little bit of everything, still we are left with what we have built between us.

I’d be lost without my friends, too. In addition to the ones I can reach out and touch, my closest friends are music and books. The house is full of both. Fortunately for me my earth-best friend feels the same as I do about both words and music. An added source of strength we should all remember to call on is our past experiences and the lessons we’ve learned from them. Finally, faith in God rather than our own selves will help us get through the toughest times. I need not elaborate the reality of that.

- from ““Coffee and Mornings”, 2010 essays

Raymund's Random Insights

Well, thank God, we all got through another week without too many bruises.

Nothing beautiful comes easy.

Aim for the moon. The worst that could happen is you’ll miss and end up tumbling to the stars.

Poem of the Week

THIS NIGHT

by Emon

To write about you is easy ---

            compare it to a sailor's voyage

                        over clear waters,

            or a master baker baking butter cookies.

To praise or talk about you ---

            that is the challenge,

                        it would do more harm to me than good.

Within my own heart's head,

            I remember full moons in Gordon Heights,

                        school corridors and back stage kisses,

            a Sunday walk along Waterdam Road,

                        cold nights of warm hugs and fireflies.

Did you know

            that some pages in my journal are blotted and unused?

Those must have been the happiest of times,

            for who can jot down happiness while it is happening?

(July 2000)

AND FINALLY

TRIVIA: Coffee can be traced at least to as early as the ninth century, when it appeared in the highlands of Ethiopia. According to legend, an Arab goatherder named Khalid observed that his goats became livelier after eating the berries of the coffee plant. Intrigued, he boiled the berries, thus producing the first coffee. From Ethiopia, coffee spread to Egypt and Yemen. It was in Arabia that coffee beans were first roasted and brewed, similar to how it is done today. By the 15th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa.

Having my black coffee while doing some more writing for my upcoming eBook. Want some?

Happy weekend everyone! Sleep Warm and join me again next week.

Thanks for stopping by - see you next week.