2010 was a year of "Coming Home"… Coming Home to God. Coming Home to the ones who love me. Coming Home to
where I belong. Coming Home to my own.
2011 was a
year of “Preparation”... a year of building foundations. A year of
preparing to grow up, preparing to fly, preparing to take big steps, preparing
for big changes, preparing to be a wife, preparing to speak out, preparing to
capture my dreams with two hands.
2012 was a
grand year of “Exploring” new places, a new relationship as a married person,
exploring feelings, exploring ideas and so much more.
2013 was a
year to “Create”.
Creating
memories, creating a
business, creating a home, creating an
improved DW, creating handmade, creating ways to help others who are
less fortunate, creating new and lasting friendships and creating new adventures.
2014 was all
about challenging myself to have a life filled with “Joy” and we had the best
gift of our very own Sophia Joy.
2015 was a
year to “Grow” all areas of my life, growing relationships with God, my
husband, my family and friends , growing Hearts & Crafts, watching SJ grow,
and growing my collection of happy moments.
2016 was when
I needed to“Balance”– an even distribution of weight enabling someone to remain
upright and steady. Balance all aspects of my life, relationships with God,
family, husband, daughter, pet, friends, colleagues and community, my passions
and myself.
For my 8th year, 2017, participating
in Ali Edwards #OLW movement [don't quite know how to catagorise this}, the word came so easily and naturally to me. In fact,
when I was in Melbourne, Australia walking and browsing alone, I wondered to
what word I would choose for the coming year. And I thought about what I wanted
from the coming year, I wondered what it had in store for me and then the word
came to me“Thrive”. I saw it a few more times in books, on cards, on posters…
To “Thrive” is to bloom, abound, flourish,
develop, shine, grow, radiate, arrive, succeed, prosper, increase, bear fruit,
get ahead, blossom, boom, progress… Such a rich word with so much meaning and
depth.
So 2017 will be this, a year to “Thrive”.
#OLW2017
To say that life has not changed or that it has changed too much would be a an over-exaggeration. But it has changed some...
Most importantly I guess would be the fact that I am writing this post in my home, on my bed with B snoring{ok, that't not quite new} and my amazing, bright and funny 26 month old baby bestie/daughter sleeping beside me.
Two weeks ago on Friday, 10 December, I was at a Coldplay concert in Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, listening to this amazing band play all my fav. songs including Atlas. I am not daydreaming. I have a job that I enjoy and that I am good at and I am thankful for that and I am typing all this on my Asus Transformer tablet which is definitely not RM200. I am also trying my best to make each day memorable and to live life as best as I can.
Christmas has not come. In fact, it is about 23 hours away. I lament about the passing of time occasionally for the days pass to quickly but I am trying to remember to savour the moment and to be present in everything that I do.
It is great to note that I do not have many melancholy things to write about and that I have done well in ironing out bits and pieces of my life... and for the most part, have come to accept things that I cannot change, have come to embrace life and new experiences, have come to accept myself and to love myself and the person I have become.
So why finally am I dusting away the cobwebs of this blog and putting my thoughts out there in the open? Well, the thought has been nagging at me for sometime, the need to preserve my thoughts, and no matter if no one reads it... it is solely for me. A place for me to record the things I feel, to capture moments, to express in words what is in my head and in my heart.
I miss that... writing, blogging... whatever you want to call it.
I initially wanted to write this in a journal but it would take too long to pen everything down and typing seemed easier and quicker. Plus, I miss this little spot. This little Piece of Heaven.
The real reason I am up typing this when I could be reading, catching up on my TV series while wrapping Christmas presents is that I had to share the gift I just got from an old friend of mine. PL was back from London for Christmas and she said she would drop by and the next thing you know, we were waist high in conversation about society, the world, our self image and of course updates of our life.
It was towards the end of the conversation that we touched on God. I shared that I felt that my relationship with Him had kinda slided and how I wanted to rebuild that, make it stronger than it was before. The next thing I knew, she was sharing what I needed to hear and in fact was along the lines of what my cousin had shared with me when I met him in Melbourne two weeks ago before the Coldplay concert.
Below is a summary of what struck me and brought tears to my eyes, because surely this was Him giving me another reminder, another message to come back to Him... and then I felt it. The stirrings in my heart. The words of the Father gently asking me to speak to Him, to make time for Him. And I am in awe. I had just received one of the best gifts ever. A reminder about the gift of His son. And I felt what can only be described as the spirit of Christmas.
* Time here on earth as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, an employee is preparing you for an internal time with Him
* Spending time with Him and building your relationship with Him will enrich your life in every way possible
* Tithing is not all about money. It is about sacrificing your time, the things that you want
My days have been full and carving time out with Him has been put on the 'To Do' list... and that's where I have been wrong. That is the missing piece. Him. Putting Him first in everything that I do. Spending quality time with Him and listening to His word. Being enriched with His messages to sustain me and give me faith so that I in turn may help and encourage others.
So I will do my utmost best to do just that. Put Him first. Keep Him close.
To say that life has not changed or that it has changed too much would be a an over-exaggeration. But the one constant in life has been His grace, His protection and His love which without, I would not be who I am today and I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I feel Christmas. HE is Christmas.
He has and always be in my Heart.
To say that life has not changed or that it has changed too much would be a an over-exaggeration. But it has changed some...
Most importantly I guess would be the fact that I am writing this post in my new home, in my new room, on my new bed with B snoring beside me {ok, that't not quite new}... but this is new... writing in bed in a new room in a new house... {more on this one day soonish I hope}.
I am listening to Coldplay's "Atlas" and am daydreaming in my mind of floating in space, of dancing in the sky, dancing under the stars, catching falling stars, riding on the wings of the wind... something magical, some grand adventure. I am not making much sense I guess but its just a feeling I have... to want to be weightless, to drift with the wind into the sky to play among the stars in the black velveteen night... to escape from the pressures of work, of expectations, of failings, of trying... and I am remembering Angel, Dane and Adam and missing them for some strange reason.
It's just been a long few months and I am lamenting the passing of Christmas and the days that seem to end so very quickly without me having done the things I really want to do. I also have been wondering about what I am doing, if what I am doing is really right for me, if I really meant to do the things I am doing now... Perhaps I am being just being morbid and over pensive as I sometimes get but I really wonder if its all worth it... its a vicious cycle. Needing to work to earn to pay for the things you want.... a never ending cycle.
Though this post seems a tad "meh" even melancholy, I have so much to look forward to... its a mixture of joy and of worry and of expecting too much of myself and not handling stress and things well. But I am working on it... trying to iron out the tough bits and be better with work and stuff... and oh the joyful bits... there are so many ideas bubbling away. I am excited and nervous and worried {yes, I tend to worry a wee bit too much}, but I know that I should commit everything to the Lord and go ahead and trust Him that He will guide me on the right paths *smile* okay... enough of writing. Am going to do some research on tablets... I fancy getting one for myself, a proper one instead of a RM200 one that sucks *snickers*... see I do learn.
Oh, there is just so much to be thankful for this Christmas and if I were to list it all down, it would take me hours.
Christmas 2013 has come and gone in a blink of an eye and although I am super tired, I just wanted to write a few thoughts down just like I try to do every year, and since I hardly blog these days anyway, I thought it would be good to share about my 31st Christmas
*smiles smiles*
This Christmas was slightly different from the past Christmases... the main differences would be that my brother and his family are in the Philippines celebrating with my sister-in-laws family, instead of work slowing down, I was working too much in December {new clients and a shortage of manpower in the office} which made me grumpy and stressed, I didn't my Christmas shopping done in time and most importantly I did not find my Christmas spirit till heaps and heaps later *sniff*... ok nothing really new here to be honest - LOLs!
Very much like last year, I found my Christmas spirit during Christmas eve mass. Unlike the Christmas spirits of old, this year's Christmas spirit did not really appear when I saw the beautifully decorated church nor did it appear when I heard the angelic voice of the choir singing Christmas carols... sure there were stirrings in my heart {I am after all a super sap!}, but it was not the same.
There was also no BIG bang to announce the arrival of my Christmas spirit. There was also no "ah hah!" moment... rather it was more of a swelling in my heart when the priests {there were four at the mass} talked about how blessed we were to be able to gather together to celebrate Midnight Mass in peace...
how there were so many people out there suffering; people who lost their homes due to floods or war, people who were starving or who were sick or who were just lonely.
The swelling in my heart was one of thankfulness, joy and shame. Shame because in the hustle and bustle of "my life", I had forgotten the very fundamentals of Christmas. I had forgotten to prepare myself for the birth of Jesus. I had forgotten to pray for those who were forgotten, lost, in pain or suffering. Instead, I went on and on about how much work I had, how stressed I was, how I did not have anytime to buy presents and yadayadayada. Reading all this now, I feel ashamed at myself to have allowed these pressures to cloud the joy and peace of the season.
But all is not lost. Thank God!
The Christmas spirit swelled in my heart and grew and brought tears in my eyes for indeed unto this day, the Christ child is born and he is called Immanuel which means "God with us". It was a gentle reminder that no matter what I did, where I went or which nasty client I had to tackle, I was never alone. God was and will always be with me. That simple reminder was when I felt the Christmas spirit flow and course through me.
And joy, the kind you can't buy, filled my heart.
Thank you God for allowing me that special moment, thank you for the gift of Your Son. Thank you that I am called to be in your fold. Thank you God for all the blessings you have showered upon me and continue to shower upon me. Alleluia! Amen.
The rest of Christmas passed by in a quiet blur. I spent a lot of time with my parents which was lovely. I hardly give them quality time, so spending time with them during Christmas Eve dinner at our very memorable Tram Car restaurant, Christmas lunch at a local coffee shop today, hanging out with them at home, furniture window shopping and then a simple bak kut teh dinner today in Kepong was wonderful indeed and I my mum thanked B and I for spending Christmas with them. Belle the beagle was uber cute today too ~ I hope she gets better soon. I also spent time with my bestie Meows and several other friends. We also managed to sell the condo {I also pray that the sale of the house goes smoothly}. Didn't get to spend much time talking to B one on one but he was always beside me or somewhere close by *smiles* There was also some frantic present wrapping and packing.... and now...
...now finally there is peace and quiet in the house.
I am listening to Mozart Christmas Carols and marveling at how fast time passes and another Christmas has come and gone and how I have to wait another 364 days for it again.
This year, there is still no Christmas tree in the foreground, no BEC Christmas party, no Christmas carolling.... but there are a pile of surprise Christmas presents, a few packed bags for tomorrow and most importantly, there is Christmas, joy and peace in my heart and a God who is always with me.
Once again, Happy Blessed Christmas everyone!
*God bless*
Thank you for reading this dear blog friends and to Jennifer Robinson, thanks for leaving me a comment, I really appreciate it.
And just like last year, I am still hooked onto Avicci {gosh he is a cutie} and kinda regret not dragging myself to the rave - LOLs. So here is some music from him ~ enjoy *smiles*
Christmas just ended but I am already looking forward to the new year 2014, bought my diaries, won myself a calendar and will create a new desktop calendar soon. But first, a short trip away with B and my in-laws, a little bit more of work and its hello 2014!
And finally, to end this post, here is a photo of my darling beagle Belle, asleep. I pray she gets better soon the little dear.
Oh, so much to look forward to everyday... and really I wonder what next year's Christmas will bring, I pray that they are only blessed, good and happy moments. Amen.
I know... I know... I was supposed to update this Little Piece of Heaven ages ago but really... its getting tougher to juggle everything. And what do I mean by everything? Well, here's a little of what is going on in my life {for the benefit of those kind people who still follow me ~ thank you}...
Work ~ I recently got promoted {which is awesome} and we have also won some new clients {which is also awesome} but the icky part is that some of my team members are away which means that work has tripled for me. I enjoy being challenged, don't get me wrong, but its hard to do your portion of work and someone else's portion too and still do a good job for both portions! LOL... but thankful I have a good support system consisting of B, my colleagues, my family and my other friends who understand the daunting nature of life in a PR consultancy.
Hearts & Crafts~ What started of as a little "let's try something new and see how it goes" has turned into something super awesome. I don't make heaps of money and I hardly join any bazaars these days but I am still getting support and sales which is awesome. I have a lot of ideas {funny how the ideas come when you are uber busy but never when you have nothing much going on} and hope to execute them soon but with work taking precedence these days {until we have all hands on deck again}, this has to take a backseat. However, no mater how big or small my store is, I am happy. This was something I used to daydream about and now here I am, actually doing it *smile smile*
Project Love Nest 2.0 ~ I don't know if I have blogged about this but we are moving. In another 2 months time or thereabouts, I will be nestled in my new home which is just a stones throw away from where I grew up. The house is being renovated and OMG is is a pain to manage contractors and deciding on what needs to be done and how everything is going to look and be transported... GAH! Even thinking about it is giving me the shivers!!! But... the house is gorgeous. I used to wonder how the inside of the house looked like and now we are the proud owners of said house! Will share some before and after pics of the house when things settle down *grin grin*
Holidays & Occasions ~ I missed the Avicci rave about 2 weekends ago and feel a bit bummed about it but I wasn't feeling well and I had the strangest feeling that I should stay at home and so I did. Last weekend was Kelssy's wedding and it was a whole day of merriment and activity. Will be going to celebrate their second wedding celebration up north this weekend ~ can't wait to go for this short road trip. Other then that, my weekends have been filled with shopping for the house stuff, catching up on sleep, tv and shop updates or visiting friends and family. I always feel that there is not enough time in a day!
Swaps, Snailmail & Postcrossing ~ I just started participating in Postcrossing and Swaps via swapbot this year and it has made me realize how much I miss writing, pen on paper and decorating said letter with stickers, pen and stamps. Have been meeting a lot of new friends via Instagram as well which is great. Hoping to do more swaps and snailmail next year.
Anyways, that's about all the stuff that is happening in my life apart from my usual I-want-to-craft dilemma, watching and catching up on all my neglected TV series, movies and books and oh gosh, I just remembered I need to pack up and move *shudder* this is not going to be pleasant! I really do have a lot of stuff.
On to happy things... I recently made my first Black Friday purchase from Studio Calico and here is the short story of what happened which I shared on Studio Calico's blog post. I hope they don't I am strange!
~*~*~*~
I was so surprised when I saw the Studio Calico box this evening as I was not expecting it for at least another month - what with me living in Malaysia and all... but there it was in its unassuming brown box.
Before I opened the box, I turned on my BoneyM Christmas Carols and slowly cut the tape to reveal the treasures inside and to cut the story short, it was as if Christmas morning had come early for me. You see every day I see these pretty sneak peaks, reveals and items online and I very very seldom get the chance to buy them {no thanks to the awful conversion and shipping rate!} but finally... finally I have my own little magnetic kit box and other goodies which I have previously only been able to "oooo" and "ahhhh" at :)
As I opened each brown paper bag, drew open each muslin bag and sneaked a peek at the goodness inside, I just kept smiling {like a little looney} and I about half and hour later, I am still smiling. Still happy.
Sorry for this uber long comment but I to share my joy and say thank you to the team for selecting these pretty grab bags and for sending these goodies so quickly. It is my first time participating in a BlackFriday sale and I am so glad.
Happy early Christmas to the Studio Calico team :)
~* ~*~*~
So yes... I am still smiling as I type this.
Truly Christmas has come early for me.
It's a little late and though its a public holiday tomorrow, I need to wind down for the night. Its been a draining two days at work - I a whole month to feel like this though I certainly hope it is not so.
A well styled book case is never easy to achieve.
There are many things to consider, namely the look and feel of your
bookcase the types of items you would like to display and if you are
going to coordinate the display items
i.e. with a certain theme, colour, etc.
I know I haven't blogged a lot lately at this Little Piece of Heaven
but really, really, much has been happening and one of the biggest
news of the year {no I am not preggers} is that we will be moving in
about two months time *woot woot*
This time, we don't have to hunt for the right furniture {we managed
to find all the right pieces over a weekend!} but we would
need to do some minor renovations for the new place. At present,
I am going through several quotes and would dearly love for
this whole process to be over to be honest!
Then there will be the packing *shudder* and
more packing *double shudder*
and then the final move and then sadly,
saying goodbye to our little apartment...
the first home that B and I have together. I will miss it heaps...
Anyways, more on the reno and etc. later on...
there will be plenty of time for that I am sure...
I will leave you now with some inspiring ideas
on styled book cases. Remember though that the
styling has to be entirely about you and not about
whats in and trendy or in fashion at the moment *smiles*
Enjoy these awesome pics. I am surely inspired {plus its been awhile
since I shared any inspiring interiors, right?!}
So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened." - Luke 11:9-10
Today's Gospel reading at mass {Luke 11:1-13} is a reading that I have read numerous times in many stages of my life and yet, each time I read it or hear it as part of a sermon or a conversation, the message changes for me.
As I listened to the Priest share his homily this morning, I am reminded yet again that God provides and really, how amazing is it that this message comes to me two weeks in a row {last week a lady offered me two candles to light and so very randomly told me that God provides}. Surely God must be telling me, "Hi JW, I got this. Trust in me. I will provide. All you need to do is ask."
It it foolish to think that all I want is going to miraculously appear on my doorstep tomorrow and I know that a lot of my prayers may go unanswered, but what the Priest shared rings true to my dulled ears that needed a reminder... that sometimes God answers your prayers in ways that you do not expect and that He always provides you what you need, when you need it. And how true that is. I with my human eyes and my limited understanding cannot fathom the design and work of His hands... His plan for me.
So I paused for awhile today and took a quick glimpse through my life... at all my wants that have been rejected, all the disappointments faced and all the trials endured and I realized that these things have only built me up, made me stronger, made me more compassionate, made me see things with new eyes and above all to realize yet again how infinitely blessed I am.
I thank God that I have such strong support from my family, from my husband and best friend, from my two sisters of my heart, from my friends and even my colleagues. I thank God that I have the ability to make people laugh and put a smile on their faces. To be a part of a team. To be part of a loving and large family. To own a small happy business {who would have thought!}. To have traveled. To have a roof over my head and comfortable bed to sleep in at night. To have so many wonderful moments in life. To have loved. To really just be just me with all my flaws and good bits. How we take all this for granted sometimes...
...and oh, how happy and infinitely blessed I am.
So I ask of you today dear God, for blessings on those around me, that their burdens lessen, that their health increases, that they have more smiles and less tears, that their hearts be at peace, that they be given their daily bread, that they find people to love them as they should be loved, that they are kept warm, that they have shelter, that they have a hat to hold, that they receive hugs when they are down, that they always have someone to listen to them and care for them, that their journey in life be filled with wonderful memories, that they find joy in their lives and that the empty void in their lives be filled with Your peace and love.
...and oh what peace and love it is. What a friend we have in you.
Thank you for providing me all that I need and so much more.
