A Self-Reminder

Dear Beautiful Me,

You know very well that there is nothing to be anxious about.  You are serving the Author of time, and what you think is too late for you is just His perfect timing of working out His plans.

I am glad and proud of the woman you’ve become.  Looking back, I didn’t know you would be as strong as you are now and I smile every time I look at you.  I know the journey has not been easy. You’ve had your fair share of the bumpy and winding roads but dear Joy, you’re hanging on and for every narrow way, you always come out victorious, glory to the God who sustains you.

You are beautiful, don’t you ever forget that.  The standards of the world can be deceiving, but I know that you know how beautiful and wonderful God made you.  You are a princess, the daughter of the Most High and when earthly things begin to take toll on you, I know that you will always overcome.

Protect your heart; guard your thoughts. I understand it isn’t easy but everything starts with the mind. I pray that you will never be misled by emotions. Do not rush my dearest for love knows its own time. Do not work things out on your own for you very well know where it will lead you. Wait patiently. It will come.

Never get tired of being good. No matter how unfair the world may seem, you’ve got to make a decision every single day to be the child that God created you to be: long-suffering.  Keep that love; keep that heart because at the end of it all, it’s always between you and your Master. Do not let the pains of the past rob the goodness in you but let it keep you going.

Keep exploring. Let the world surprise you with its grandeur. Stay curious.  Keep learning. Be brave enough to take challenges.  Savor life for you were made to explore and see how beautiful the earth your Father has created for you is. Study. Travel. Go and make the world your own!

Cherish time.  You know that no one has yet invented a machine that will transport you back to yesterday.  Live each day as if it’s your last.  Love fully and let each day be an expression of your appreciation of life.  Stay connected.  Reconnect if you must.  The people you value need to feel valued.  The people you love need to feel loved. Don’t hold yourself back. Express.  Make your presence felt. You are not getting any younger and every moment wasted is forever wasted. Don’t rely on “making up” because you can never really make up for the lost times. Each day will always be a new day.

Time is precious.  It’s a scarce resource.  Use it wisely.  Spend it right.

Keep dreaming.  Keep hoping.  God placed in you a dream and He has equipped you to make it happen. Don’t give up when circumstances would say otherwise.  Keep on.  Keep fighting.  You’re getting there and each day would remind you that you are a day closer to the answers.

Never give up on love.  Someone is kneeling before God and praying for you.  Keep believing in it.  Never distance yourself from its magic.  Allow your heart to feel it again; to celebrate it again.  You are looking at the same sky and like you, God is preparing him for your meeting.  The dreams you once dreamed will all come to pass, probably not with the person you dreamed it with, but it’s definitely with the man that God created exclusively for you.  And trust me, he, himself will be the definition of love to you.

Keep writing.  This is you.  This makes you YOU.  Let your mind free itself from everything and let it explore the world of words.  Then write.  Bring life to it.  Inspire the world.  You are a writer but more than that, you are God’s pen. Write your story the right way!

Lastly, keep the faith.  Never lose it.  Keep the fire burning and know that God will always see you through.  When trusting becomes so hard, remember that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Fight the good fight of faith.  Take part in the kingdom.  Be a testimony of God’s power and love.  Four years ago, you were telling the world through this same Young Blood page how torn you were between your dreams and your convictions.  Look at you now, God finally reconciled the two.  You’re now on track, doing the things you love most.

My dearest Me, I want you to always remember that you are good the way you are.  The angels rejoice with you.  The heavens celebrate your uniqueness, your being you.  And even when troubles come, I know we’ll always make it.  We’re more than conquerors, aren’t we?  Whatever life brings us, we choose to live a life that is for Christ.  You are beautiful, more than you’ve ever known.  You are blessed, more than you can ever imagine.  And yes, you are what your name says about you.  Joy.   You are a perfect masterpiece created by the Maker of heaven and earth.  You are a sight to behold.

And don’t forget we’re partners, okay?  We’re in this together: mind and heart united, until we hear our Master say, “well done my good and faithful servant.”

Until next time beautiful Joy.

By: Florence Joy L. Maluyo

This is one of my favorite essays ever published. My nickname’s Joy and feels like I am talking to myself. I just wanna publish it on my blog because I can relate to this whenever I feel down about something. Right now, I just feel like I wanna share this to you. It’s my roommate, Zsareena who introduced me to this wonderful essay. I am really thankful to the writer, Florence Joy L. Maluyo for creating a life-changing meaningful craft that brings hope to every hearts. ❤

Are all of these things make sense?

We are living on a planet called earth. Each of us has their own stories to tell. My story is about my plans for life. Digging up from its most inner core, I admit that I’ve been so persistent to be the best version I can become. The way I see things, I want to do it in a way that I could attain the dream achievement of my life.

So I asked myself, “Are all of these things make sense?” At first, I doubted myself if I can really pursue what I wanted in life. I was trying to create different conclusions asking myself about my future plans. At the end of the day, we all lay down in bed  and say ” Life ” is what we make it.

I did face dramas, all the craps, failures , frustrations, criticisms, and other bullshits in life that made me realize that “SHIT HAPPENS” indeed. In fact, I am used to it by now. In my almost 19 years of existence, I realized that life is on how we really deal with it.

I keep on reminding myself that everything is according to God’s perfect plan for my life. Even though problems come along and obstacles pave its way to me, I will never be afraid to conquer it all because I trust God. I have all the issues in my life that could slow down my life’s progress but, how could I deny the fact that God is with me? That I just have to trust on Him and rely to whatever circumstances I might encounter, knowing He is with me. I am thankful for this life He give to me.

Even though, it is not perfect, I still choose to follow Him. He knows the way and the truth in my life. Challenges in school makes me wanna scream and give it up. But the promise of good future of Christ motivates me a lot.

Perseverance is essential in order for us to attain good results. But before anything else, I still make it to accept the fact that life on earth is a temporary journey that will come to pass. What matters most is our relationship with the One above who made us feel the happiness, the love, and the sorrows here on earth. Living is easy. In the past, myself used to struggle on things I thought that really matters the most.

As I went along my quest, I found out that this is not my final destination yet. Towards good goals in life, determination is a must. The heart needs to be heard, and our desires in life need attention. Equipped with perseverance and hard work are just recipes to reach our dreams.

The things I’ve lost in the daily battles of my life do not matter anymore. Because, I only gain in life. According to Job 1:21, “21 He said, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!”. Now, I come to my senses and concluded that this is the truth. The medals, awards, money, properties, and jewelries, I cannot bring all of these when I die. That’s why, material or worldly things don’t matter. What matters most is on how we turned out to be. Being molded by God’s grace and His will for our life brings us to wherever we are today.

Every decision I make, I always make it to the point that I let God know about it. I asked God if this is the right thing to say or to do. I always wanted to make God as daily part of my life. I may not know what the future beholds, but all I ever believe are the promises of Christ. According to Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans not to harm you but to prosper you, to provide you a future and a hope.” I hold on to the words He left for me. I should not worry about what tomorrow comes for tomorrow will worry about itself. So let him have your worries and cares for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.(Peter 5:7).

In everything I wanted to do, I want to be happy. But being happy for myself is not the only thing I need. My greatest achievement in life is to make my parents happy. Oh, seeing their smiles and their laughter soothes my heart. And the most important thing of all, is to please God glorifying His name in every single day of my life. I love God, and I am not ashamed to tell the world how I feel. I’m trying to live life to the fullest, enjoying every moment, giving value to every little conversations with the people I meet and of course, in top of all, to love, and to feel love. Everything else makes sense to me now. It is clear to say…LIFE IS SIMPLY AMAZING.