Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you

to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth

before you grow old and say,

“Life is not pleasant anymore.”

~Ecclesiastes 12:1

 

I look back in the past five years of my life and I don't regret every single day I've served the Lord in exchange for my dreams. :) People may laugh at me and call me crazy because I don't live the same way the world does. But I'd give my life away again and again~if only for Him who loves me and takes care of me.

 

I may have not achieved so much in the world, but I have been closer to His heart. I have lived His purpose for life. No medal, certificate, diploma, fancy clothes or car could match that.

 

I have given little, lost some, but gained so much more.

I have served Him and so I have lived my life.  <3

 

Photo Source

FOR TODAY

Outside my window

It’s drizzling and the dawn’s pretty and quiet. Everything is still and not a single leaf is moving. It’d be cool to walk on the streets—it would look like you’re in a Korean drama (of course, minus the Kwon Sang Woo. lol) I’m also starting to get used to the new view. And yes, I’m looking outside the window of our new house. We’ve moved!

 

I am thinking

about dreams. I realized I have to quit chasing after the smaller dreams I have in my heart in exchange for that one big dream that I know God is calling me to do. In fact, I realized I tried to be  content with these “smaller” dreams because I was afraid of the big dream.

 

But we really have to be courageous and take that leap of faith or we’re missing out on what God wants to accomplish through our lives—not that we have to be courageous in ourselves, but to find our courage in our Big God, the One who planted those dreams in our hearts. Right?

I am thankful

for every blessing that I have in my life right now. God is so, so good and this verse is coming to life in my life right now—after the long desert season.

 

Forget what happened long ago! Don't think about the past. I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.

Isaiah 43:18-19

In the kitchen

Oh, I don’t know what we’ve got in the kitchen! Since we’ve started to move, I’ve never eaten a home-cooked meal. We’ve been  ordering stir-fried noodles from the local noodle shop or making salted duck eggs with tomatoes—which are both YUMMY!

 

I am wearing

Pyjamas. In pastel polka dots. lol

 

I am creating

I just printed out my mini card (calling card) last night! But I think it’s funny and I don’t have the guts to hand it out to friends or to new ones I’ll be meeting.  It’s got a big picture of my face on the front page! lol

 

I am going

to go fix myself a glass of milk. Hungry.

 

I am wondering

why the neighbors’ dogs love to bark at 2am. Yes, almost all of our neighbors own a dog and they bark in chorus every morning. Really funny.

I am reading

Bruce Wilkinsons’ The Dream Giver.

 

I am looking forward to

to meet with girlfriends on Monday! Yey! We’re having a little breakfast party.

 

 

I am hearing

Rain water falling  from the roof. The rain had just stopped though and it’s really a beautiful morning.

Around the house

Everything is still in boxes and bags. Still got a lot of unpacking to do.

 

One of my favorite things

is my pocket journal (which is full now! Only one page remaining!) and my little prayer box where I keep prayers requests. And creamy drinks! I’m lovin’ chocolate milk like a kid again!

 

A few plans for the rest of the week:

 

Grocery shopping and find a good breakfast menu for the girls and,

just to keep everything in order around the house.

Happy Saturday! Have a great weekend ahead!

 

Photo Source:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I got my laptop last night and it’s working—even better than before! Yey! So excited to be back writing after a long month.

I actually haven’t slept yet and I’m just about to sleep. Still got a long day ahead because of design projects I need to rush. (Designs have been delayed for a couple of weeks since the computer crashed), but I’m so excited and happy. Better late than never, eh?

Anyway, I want to share what I was reading on Incourage earlier this morning. I came across Heather’s post which made me laugh and brightened up my day. Didn’t we all make funny blunders when we were younger? *wink*

I never got to call my prof “Hey, good-looking” by mistake, but I made a lot of hilarious, even crazier blunders back in high school (and I wish my high school bestfriends don’t get to read this and list them all down). But I do remember most of them (the crazy things I did) once in a while, and I just want to get swallowed by the ground everytime.

 

 

But the thing is, like what Heather was saying, is that we have grown and we’ve become mature today. I look back on who I was when I was 13 and 16 and 18 and I want to shrink and bury my head in my pillow. But these things—they’re all proof of God’s mercy and faithfulness—and His power to change. We’re a different person many years ago—and now, we’re becoming more and more like Him. That’s worth rejoicing and celebrating today.

And we, who with unveiled faces

all reflect the Lord's glory,

are being transformed into his likeness

with ever-increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord,

who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Have you also made funny mistakes back then? lol

 

Have a great day ahead!

P.S. You can now get updates of the blog right on your Facebook news feed! It’s really simple and easy. Just go to Periwinkle Confessions’ Facebook page and click like. It has actually been working since the FB like page on the sidebar got updated but didn’t get the chance to tell you right away. Anyway, I hope to see you guys on Facebook too! ;)

 

Much love!

Cathy

Photo credits:

Photo 1, 2, 3

It’s been a very long time since the last time I got to post something up on the blog. Oh, if regrets can only be seen and measured… 
  
My computer is still being repaired  today and I’m still using my Dad’s old netbook. Thankful because I found a way to get the keyboard working--- so I am posting today! Yey!

I really missed all of you! How are you doing?

The whole time I was away, I realized so many things  about life, about friendship. September has been a season of plowing in my heart. And it’s great to have the soil soft, ready for planting seeds again. {Seeds of love grow best on good soil and only God can work on it like a farmer to make it ‘good’ and ready for planting.  He pulls out the weeds so seeds of love and forgiveness can grow, and plows to make the heart softer .} And it’s easier to love again—although it's not easy when your heart is being plowed! Ouch! lol

Jesus’ birthday gift for me is  a plowing season for the soil of my heart, so I could learn to love a little deeper than before. And I am soooo grateful.
How has it been for you last month?
No matter our circumstance, God always proves Himself faithful.


188. Thank you Lord for opportunity to reconnect with all friends! I missed them badly! And I thank you that even though we haven't seen each other in years, nothing has changed.

189. For my old officemates whom I badly miss as well. Seeing them last week was fab!

190. For new friends I met through this blog. I can't wait to meet them in person!
191. For friends in church who are ever so cute and charming! ;) They make me look forward to the future with joy!
192. For giving us friends so we don't have to be alone.
193. Jesus, for being my best friend ever!

Yesterday was my birthday! { I actually haven`t slept yet so I`m thinking that it still is today…} And I`m so much happy and thankful for everything. For what I have. For love. For life. For family and friends. For opportunities to share hope and inspire. For the time I`ve got to share about and live for Christ.

I`m 24 now. { I can`t believe I`m so old… old for my friends and the young people in church. } And I look back on all those years I lived and every day, every moment is all about Him. Everything was a gift from Him. Through all the ups and downs, He`s been there. I couldn`t be more thankful for all the beautiful things that has been and excited for what will be.


When I was younger, I thought that birthdays were just meant to celebrate you being born into the world. Now that God has opened my eyes, I know that birthdays mean so much more. Birthdays aren`t just meant to celebrate that day many years ago when you breathed you first breath. It means so much more than being thankful for life.

For me it means now that God has celebrated and rejoiced for my birth thousands of years ago, even before He laid the foundations of the earth. Birthdays mean God thought of you long before you were born. It is the celebration of the Creator thinking of you and loving you even before you were conceived. He knew this day would come and He couldn`t wait for it to happen.


I celebrate my birthday today because I know He loves me…longer before I was born. Longer before anybody was born.

I was on His mind. He was thinking of me.

And He celebrates with me today… the same way He rejoiced every single year… the same way He delighted over me when I was born.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for creating me.

The blog has been quiet lately, and that`s really made my heart so sad. I`m really wishing to write more and share more, but it has been a busy month and if I was not busy, I was going through something. But then again, maybe God is just making more stories to write about.

 

And now I got some stories to tell.

 

 

Last Friday God told me to take a big step of faith. I was invited to speak about Multimedia in a Christian arts café. I was so hesitant and really very afraid. lol You should have seen me! I really wasn`t confident speaking about Multimedia. Long story, but it was really one of my greatest fears. I actually got feverish the night before and thought about giving up.

 

So on Friday night, my fingernails all turned blue (they look a lot like freshly boiled peanuts! haha) and my knees were really wobbly. I would`ve fainted if not for His grace! The pastors who were with me, along with my sisters, were laughing so hard because I looked like close to having a heart attack!

 

Click here to read what I wrote in my journal that night!

 

And I`m so grateful, even if I looked so funny that night, because God taught me a lesson about courage, about taking that first fearful step out of your comfort zone no matter how afraid and unsure you are.  I feel so much humbled and even more dependent on Him for strength. Is there really anything we can do without Him?  

 

 

It`s so amazing how God desires for us and a makes ways for us to step out of fears and into His promises. We only need to believe Him and gather all the courage we`ve got to take a leap—even if all the courage you`ve got still equates with wobbly knees. Even if we looked funny or unsure, we`ve moved forward. We`ve walked past our fears. We believed when He said He will be with us and will never leave us alone. We obeyed. And that`s what`s important.

 

When God speaks,  oftentimes His voice will call for an act of courage on our part... and yieldedness is vital in listening to what He has to say.                                                                          

                                                           --Charles Stanley

Thank you Lord for:

 

184. For Courage, to stand up and move on even when we feel like giving up.

 

185. For calling us and holding out your hands when we are too fearful to take a step.

 

186. For people you use to encourage and strengthen us.

 

187. For always believing in us.

 

It`s pretty cool tonight and the rain`s thumping on the roof a little loudly. There`s a storm in our islands again and the winds are pretty strong, so it`s a little scary. The only thing I love about storms is staying indoors and yeah, I almost forgot, making some steamy soup and coffee.

I just left this post hanging and made myself a cup of coffee. lol ;) It`s really cozy tonight and perfect for sweet talk! I  just wish  the girls were here but they`re out for music practice (My sisters are so busy these days and you`ll always hear them talking about chords and parts, which I don`t understand at all!)


How have you been doing lately? Haven`t heard from you guys in a while and wondering how you`re all doing.

I haven`t been posting on the blog so much this month. I look at the archives and feel a little frustrated—just look how many posts I made in May!

Everyday, when we wake up God splashes color and goodness around us. But we seldom get to notice. How many of us stop for a while to enjoy the sunshine? To feel the cool breeze that blows on our face, surprisingly, on a summer morning? To watch carefully as rain pour down from the sky and into the leaves and petals of the flowers that grow outside our windows…and to notice that these are jewels after all—crystal jewels that are not rare but priceless!

 

171. For new baby cousins!  We`ve got two new addition to the family, and they`re both under age one! Adorable, cutie babies!

 

 

172. The good health of my family. Everyone`s healthy and feeling good.

 

173. A bunch of really good Christian friends! I don`t know what to do without them!

 

I was supposed to make a photo journal about summer and how God has used it fill me with joy this month, but my memory card got broken last night! Ouch! All of the photos taken—including our grand reunion photos were corrupted and I was so heartbroken. I don`t have any photos to post.

 

But that wouldn`t stop God`s children from recalling every good thing and every joyful memory and bringing Him praise, right? And now that I don`t have photo-proofs of those memories anymore, I must recall them over and over so I would not forget Jesus` goodness.

 

Anyway, today, instead of a lengthy and more colorful photo journal I wished to make like the one I did the other week, let me share with you the joys I find in ordinary, simple days. Some are more than a month old, but they bring joy to my heart even now…just the same.

 

It`s heartwarming to realize that even these are as joyful as celebration days because Jesus is always present!

 

Have a joyful weekend!

 

Eating Out at Midnight

{A weekend at a Seafood restaurant downtown Manila. With Dad`s pastor friends from Japan…}

 

Cool Summer Treats

Fruit mix! These are bananas, beans, gelatin and tropical fruits plus lots and lots of milk!

 

My Baby Dog

Photoshoot with the family puppy, Star.

Look at how she posed seriously for the camera!

She, and the older dog, Twinkle are like babies,

cheering up the house.

The first quarter of the year had been truly wonderful for me… This season, God had showed me a sweet side of Himself, that He is a really thoughtful God who delights to make us smile and make us happy.

 

Well, things had not been perfect and easy. My grandma died a few days into the new year, but God had been so faithful. And I`m not just saying that. I really saw His goodness right before my eyes. He has brought families together and restored broken relationships… and it`s really true that even though things can get imperfect or even painful sometimes, God ultimately meant it to happen for something good.

 

What really amazed me was how God showed me that He is that loving Father who delights to see us smile. When I really didn`t expect it {or maybe when I have already given up on it}, God had been so kind and good and amazing to give the little desires of my heart one by one. Yey!

 

The ocean waves, the long drives, walking barefoot on grass (the ones I mentioned on a previous post), and all other little things I love… God has been orchestrating things so I could enjoy them to my hearts content. And it's heartwarming because God had been speaking to me through these little things that if He cares to give the tiniest details that make me happy, He is also concerned about the other bigger things that concerns my future. I just have to wait and trust Him.

 

For a while I thought that God could not be this thoughtful and sweet. I know that He is… but to the extent that He would really do a lot to make this little, struggling, untrusting heart of mine happy… {You wouldn’t believe how many surprises I got just this week!}. I know that this is His way to strengthen my heart and my faith in this season of my life.

 

Here are photos of some of the best things that has happened the past three months. {These are the ones I easily found over a multitude of photos. Honestly, I wish I had taken more. But the thing is, I only take too much photos when I’m bored. So that means, I’m really enjoying. Anyway, I’ll add more to this post when I find everything.}

 

How about you? What has He been doing in your life? Showing you? Or teaching you?

 

{A few weeks ago. Went out for coffee at 4am My pastor Dad, Mom, Ptr. Elmer and (his wife) Tita Amy Fujiwara. 137.}

{Last January, with cousin Dane… A few days after grandma died. 138.}

{Feb was our church’s anniversary.

(From left to right) Carlo and Viola, Ate Jeniffer and her baby Yogur. 140.}

 

{The youth group I love the most! 141.}

 

{My cousin Andrew was born a few days before our grandma died. His older brother Euri was born a few days before grandpa died in 2005. It’s nice to think that sometimes, someone goes but God offers new life. 142.}

{March. We helped our friends (who are abroad) to surprise her mom on her birthday. It was my first time to organize a thing such as that. I love doing it. I love my friends and their mom. I love making people happy. 143.}

{Because I love to blog and I got my first invite as a blogger.

These are Jay and Adz of Think Like A Beginner..

and of course, my Ava dear (my sweet sis!) Awesome! 144.}

 

145.

 

{A week ago! I’ll tell you why it changed my life in another post. 146.}

 

And truly, we just have to patiently wait on the Lord for His answer to our prayers. I still am waiting for a lot of things, but I my heart can rest knowing that He honors the desires of my heart.

 

Right now, I even have more than what I am asking for.