God Is a God of Purpose

Hands down, God knows His stuff. He has the most impeccable timing and He is the greatest planner of all. 

Just this morning, I visited http://www.svrtv.com/feast/ to watch yesterday's celebration of the Feast. (For those who don't know, the Feast is a weekly gathering that is being held in many places nationwide. It is a gathering of God's children where they can receive God's blessings through the preachings and stories being shared, through singing songs of worship and thanksgiving, through the Holy Mass, and just by simply being there.) 

Yesterday's celebration is not yet posted, so I watched the most recent one available, which was last 21 November 2010. I am so blessed this morning because by God's grace, He once again proved to me that He knows me inside out and He has and will always have the most perfect timing in the world. 

The theme for that day's celebration was God letting us know that He has a purpose for everything that is happening in our lives today. That even though we are experiencing bad stuff in our lives, even though we are experiencing pain and disappointment and frustration and hopelessness, we should not let these things stop us. Instead, we should believe that this stage in our lives is just a season of preparation for the greater purpose God has for us in the future. 

I Am God's Wandering Champion

Personally, I still don't have any plans for my future. It's a little frustrating, I tell you, especially when the people around you keep on asking, "So what do you intend to do with your life? What are your plans?" 

Every time someone asks me this, and every time I answer with a meek smile and a small shrug, my heart is breaking inside. It feels like a big failure on my part. Like, "hello, I'm 24 already, and I still don't know what to do with my life? No wonder I'm getting left behind!"

But then, I just try to remember that I may not know the details yet, but I know that God has something great in store for me. I know that just as He had directed me to where I am today, He will also direct me to the right path so that I can go to where He wants me to go. 

It may not seem to others, but I know that right now, I am at the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. I know that this is where God wants me to be because He wants me to get everything that I can -- experience, learning, people, opportunity, mistakes, failures, everything -- from where I am. And in the future, all the experience and learning that I have accumulated over the years will be used by God so that I can better serve Him and fulfill the mission that He has for me. 

When LYF Throws U Lessons

Friends, whatever you are going through right now, believe that it has a greater purpose than just giving you pain and hurt. In fact, I don't think that God wants you to focus on the pain, He wants you to learn from it. It may be to strengthen your faith. It may be to make you realize that there are more important things than what you have lost. It may be to make you leave behind what was in the past so that you can move forward to a more beautiful future. It may not make sense to us now, but whatever we are going through, God allows for these things to happen because He wants to equip us, He wants to prepare us for our God-given purpose. 

My prayers for you today, is that amidst the storms in your life right now, may you find peace and comfort from knowing that God has a purpose for everything. Yes, even you, especially you. 

You are not an accident. Where you are today, the people that you meet, the experience that you have, all of these have their purpose. 

I Want You To Be Blessed As Well

I hope you make the time to watch this. It'll only take an hour. Believe me, it will change your life.

Praying for your happiness,
Joanne

P.S. To watch the live feed of the main Feast as well as past recorded Feast celebrations, go to http://www.svrtv.com/feast/.

Schedule of live Sunday telecast:
8:00 am - 10:00 am, Philippine time.
10:45 am - 12:45 pm, Philippine time.

And This Is God's Answer

I just want to make a quick post because God answered my question last night and it really struck me. It is somehow connected with the most recent addition to my How I Became Financially Series, My Emotional Why.

Last night, I was yet again reminded of my financial situation thus far. I was feeling helpless again because I wanted to buy something but I don't have the money yet, and I don't want having to depend on someone's goodness to pay for it. 

I wanted to buy myself a laptop because I am finally feeling the need to have one. Before, it is okay not to buy one yet because we have a desktop computer at home that I can use. I don't have to mind sharing it with my mother and sister because I prefer to work when everyone is asleep anyways. But now, I am abroad, living with my relatives, and I feel like I am imposing on them. I mean, being a freelance virtual assistant, having my own computer is one of the most important investments I should have. 

I am so used with making do with what I have (with what was given to me), that sometimes I neglect to think ahead and think wisely with the investments I make. Yes, I have tried to budget my salary accordingly so that I can set aside funds for my laptop fund. But then, some emergency happens and I (or my family) need money, and there goes my savings. Ideally, what was set aside for specific funds should not be "borrowed" for other expenses, but then there are situations wherein practicality is called for.

Anyway, the point here is that, there are just times in my life that I ask myself, 

"Why am I not rich? Why don't I have lots of money?"

And the times I pray,

"Lord, what else am I doing wrong? Why am I not financially stable yet? I'm doing the best I can. Why is there still no change? Lord, please make me financially free."

More or less, these are my thoughts last night. When I opened my e-mail, this morning and saw a GodWhispers message, I felt silly and grateful at the same time because of God's message for me last night.

Dear Joanne Christine,

One of the biggest reasons why many don't receive my blessings is because they rely on me too much--and don't do anything!

Wake Up,
God

P.S. Always remember: I won't do for you what you can do for yourself. If I did, you won't grow, Joanne Christine. And I want you to!

So that's it. I am not saying that I am not doing anything for my financial freedom. But I know that what I am doing for the moment are not the only things that I can do. There are still many ways and avenues that I can try out and explore to see if that vehicle is the right one for me. But, I think I still lack the courage to get out of my comfort zone, plus I am still struggling with how I can effectively manage my time work-wise. 

I am still praying to God that He'll continue to bless me with the right mindset to attract wealth in my life. I am still praying that He'll continue to guide me to the right path, let me meet the right people, and bless me with the right opportunities so that I can be soon financially free. And most of all, I am still praying that I may have the courage, wisdom and discernment to live my life following His will and wish for me because I know that He only has my best in mind. 

When Lyf Throws U Lessons

But aside from praying, the lesson here is that God already gave (and is continuously giving) me everything I need to prosper and be wealthy. All I need to do is to acknowledge them and make the best with what I am given. And if I am stuck, then it is my job to get out of my rut and look for the path that God paved for me. I should not expect for Him to always do things for me. Yes, He will always be there to guide me and cheer me on, but I should do the things that I can do to achieve what I want to achieve. And when I have done everything that I can do, then I can confidently leave the rest to God's hands. =D

Praying for your happiness,

Joanne

How I Became Financially Free: My Emotional Why

Last month, through my "How I Became Financially Free: Introduction" entry, I made a (daring) proclamation that I will achieve financial freedom in the near future. I also shared how God prepared my way, from being a person who lacks hope, purpose, and worth to a person who is now filled with so much hope, purpose and worth.

I am now full of hope that one day I will be fully healed from my past demons; that one day I will be free of my worries about the future; and that one day I will be financially free. Moreover, a part of the purpose that I have been searching my whole life is now revealed to me: one of my life missions is to share my stories and learning in life through my writing. But the most important thing is that I am now learning to believe in, value, accept, and embrace my worth. I am now loving myself more and more each day.

For this entry, let me now share to you the reasons why I want to be financially free.

The Emotional Why

One of the blessings I regularly receive from being a member of Bo Sanchez' Truly Rich Club are Bo's PowerTalk mp3s.And one of his talk is about how to find our emotional why. But first, what is this emotional why anyway? And why is it so important to find out our emotional why?

In the simplest terms, emotional why is the hunger, the desire, that fuels us to do something. Our emotional why is what drives us to strive for something. This is one of the defining factors of whether we are going to achieve our goals or not. Let's face it, most - if not all - of us want to be successful in life. But how come not all of us attain great success? How come some, despite their desire to become successful, settle for mediocrity? The answer to that is because the level of one's emotional why differs from others. And as Bo said, the bigger and more powerful our emotional why, the greater is our motivation to achieve our goals.

The more powerful our emotional why, the greater is our motivation to achieve our goals. -Bo Sanchez, Find Your Emotional Why

My Frustrations

According to Bo, our emotional why has two parts: frustration and fantasy. Most often than not, we are driven by our frustrations in life. The pain they cause, the pain of facing every day with these frustrations staring at us, is usually the reason why we finally tell ourselves, "Enough is enough! There has to be something that I can do to make this pain go away!"

For me, there are a number of instances that bring me pain and frustration that made me want to have lots of money. Whenever I am reminded of these reasons, whenever these situations haunt me, it brings me too much pain. I just feel so helpless and guilty and just damn angry that I cannot do anything at the moment to remedy the situation. Top in my list are the following:

1. Being in debt to our relatives.

2. Being a burden to someone, and having to depend on them just so I can have what I need and want, even the basic stuff.

3. Not being able to help someone in need of financial assistance just because I don't have enough with me.

I've had these "pains" with me for a long time now. But amazingly enough, I was not pushed well into my limits just yet. I'm thinking it may be because deep down, I am such a masochist. Kidding! But really, I think it is because I have associated with pain long enough for it to be a successful driving force for me. And besides, the sad thing about pain is that it can either push you into action or paralyze you with feelings of inadequacy. And not all people can find the courage to push through their pain to achieve what they want. 

My Fantasy

I was reading West Loh's and Andrew Grant's The Money Mindset Report. One of the exercises there is for me to imagine myself receiving 1 Million USD, and to list down what I will do with that money. Now that's a lot of money! I remember when I first did it, I was dividing my 1M Pesos into my five funds plus an additional funding for my "send-a-kid-to-school" dream. Then it hit me that, hey, there is a million dollars (and not just pesos) for me to divide! I was having the time of my life writing down how much money will go where and thinking of the different things that I want to spend my money into, not only for myself, but for my family and friends as well. 

Finally, I can pay our debt to our relatives! I can treat my family to a vacation outside the country. I can buy what I've always wanted: laptop, digital SLR camera, and my own home office station. I can buy all the books I want. I can go to MOA and ice skate all I want. I can finally go to the countries I so very much want to visit. I can grow my stock portfolio. I can buy a condo and lease it out....But most importantly, I can finally realize my one unchanging dream: to send kids to school. I can have more than enough money to be a sponsor in my Alma Mater's scholarship foundation, and more than enough to finance a foundation that is geared towards sending out-of-school youths to school. I can see it in my mind's eyes and I just can't wait for that day to come!

When Lyf Throws U Lessons

This fantasy of mine brought such intense feeling within me. And I think that this is why, more than our frustration, our fantasy plays a bigger part in our desire to achieve whatever we want. We often hear coaches and trainers, and motivational speakers and writers saying that we should not focus on the pain, we should focus on the gain. Same thing, we should focus on our fantasy and not just in our frustration.

Yes, frustration has its part in our hunger to change. Without the pain, then we won't know that there is something in our lives that is not right. But we should be able to overcome this pain and shift our focus to why we want to make the change in the first place. Think of all the things you can do once you have attained your goals. This gives us something to look forward to, especially since our journey to making changes in our lives is surely not going to be easy. 

How about you? What keeps you going? What is your emotional why? If you still don't have one, then dig deep and find it. Once you determine it, then you are one step away from achieving your dreams.

Praying for your happiness,

Joanne

I Did Not Win a Free Seat! (Still, I Am Counting My Blessings and Hoping for the Best)

Last month, I joined the "Bo Sanchez Blogger Contest" in hopes of winning one of the three free seats to his Truly Rich Seminar. Of course, even before learning of this contest, I have already made up my mind that I will be sharing my personal journey towards financial freedom because I want to encourage others (especially my family and friends) to start taking this journey as well. The contest was just an added bonus. However, I still fervently prayed that I will be one of the chosen three because I really want to attend the seminar (but I am a little short on money right now).

The winners of the said contest will be notified via e-mail come November 5. So when that day came, I regularly checked my e-mail until the clock reached 12. But alas, no e-mail came. I checked the blogger contest site in hopes that they have announced the winner there. Yet again, nothing.

When the next day came, I was a bit sad that I did not win a free seat, but I know that God has a better plan for me. Maybe it is not yet the right time for me to attend the seminar since He knows that my mind is a bit preoccupied with other things. Maybe someone else needs it more than I do. Maybe I will win something bigger in the future! =D

So I just offered a prayer to God, asking Him to take away what (little) envy I have in the deep recess of my heart. I also promised myself that next year, I will have more than enough money to pay for my seat, as well as my mother's and sister's seats, for the next Truly Rich Seminar.

Anyway, I checked the blogger site again today and saw that they have announced the three winners of the free seats already. And yes, I still did not win a free seat.

Nonetheless, I invite you to visit the site and check out all the entries submitted. I believe that above all, each of us who joined the contest have already been winners, as immortalized in the stories we have shared. And like me, I believe that the deeper reasons why we have shared our stories are because we want to tell the world how God is continuously helping us to become the persons that He envisioned and designed us to be, and in doing so, our stories may bring hope and inspiration to others who are in the same journey as we, or who may be a little lost right now.

For all the people who have read my entry, How I Became Financially Free: Introduction, thank you for spending some of your time to read it (I know that it is a long entry), especially for your encouragements and prayers. Let me also invite you to watch out for the second part of my "How I Became Financially Free" series. I am halfway through it, and God-willing, it will be posted next week.

Praying for your happiness!
Joanne


P.S. To read all the entries for the Bo Sanchez Blogger Contest, click here. Be inspired and be blessed! =D

P.S.S. Once again, I invite you to be a part of Bo Sanchez' Truly Rich Club. Let Bro. Bo be one of your mentors toward your own journey towards financial freedom and spiritual abundance. It only requires a small investment in your part, but the return is beyond your expectations. Click here to see what blessings await you when you join the club!

Mistakes Happen, Learn to Let Go

The most amazing thing happened to me last Sunday evening! In our parish, I am a member of the Ministry for Lectors and Commentators. For the three years that I have been serving in this ministry, I have never been a commentator until last Sunday. The first time I saw my name under that dreaded column, I felt my heart dropped.

There is a reason why I did not want to be a commentator. Being a lector, I just have to read either the First Reading and Psalm or the Second Reading and Prayers of the Faithful. More importantly, I just have to stand in front of the church assembly for those short moments when I read the Word of God. But being a commentator, not only do I need to stand in front for the duration of the mass celebration, but I also have to be on my toes for any unexpected things that may happen.

My Fear of Public Speaking

One of my fears is speaking in front of a crowd. Believe it or not, but I have only learned to raise my hands voluntarily inside a class when I was on my second year of college at my second school. Before, I couldn't care less if I gain a grade of zero on my recitation, I just wouldn't raise my hand. I dreaded recitations and reporting. My mind just goes blank during those times. (Now I understand that there is a reason for this, which is related to my introversion. More on this later on.)

Anyhow, I have learned to work with this fear of mine. The anxiety is still there, but I can now manage it. The one thing that I am most prone to do, however, is being a "defeated perfectionist" and until yesterday, I didn't really thought that I am on my way to healing from being one.

The Defeated Perfectionist in Me

Let me explain what a "defeated perfectionist" is. According to Dr. Leman, in his book When Your Best Isn't Good Enough: The Secret of Measuring Up, defeated perfectionists are those who:

- are never satisfied with mere excellence (they don't even know that they have already hit that mark),

- want everything to be perfect (and because nothing in this life can ever really be that perfect...), and

- can find flaws with just about everything they do (doesn't matter if it's negligible by others, something minor or major...a flaw is a flaw).

Moreover, defeated perfectionists have perfected the art of watching reruns of their past mistakes and failures. They are not only satisfied with just watching, they would also relive those moments and feel the disappointment and guilt, and play again and again all the other unmentionable words of doom they may think of about their being "not good enough" inside their head.

Yes, I do admit, I am one of those miserable fews...I can go on and on about what happened in the past that steered me to live that kind of life, but let's just skip that part (seriously, it doesn't matter now). What's important is that I just discovered that I am slowly healing from this hard-wired lifestyle.

Finding Grace in My Downfall

So getting back last Sunday, I have a lot of mistakes, although it has a lot more to do with the sound system...but still, i could have done something to remedy the situation.

(Have I mentioned that it doesn't matter for a defeated perfectionist on whose fault is which, whether they have some sort of power or control over the situation? Bottom line for them: something went wrong while they were there, so there must have been something they could have done. If none, then it must be because they just attract bad luck and Murphy's Law just love them so much!)

Halfway through the mass, I was really trying to keep it together even though all I want to do is hole myself up and just cry. I can already see the preview of my past mistakes at the back of my mind. I can already hear the beginnings of the historical account of my past failures playing in my head. By the grace of God, I've managed to held them in until the end of the mass. After the celebration, I just want to go home and finally allow myself to release the tightness in my chest. Lo and behold, the commentator for the following mass has not yet arrived. Being the good member that I was, I stayed for a while and prepared myself should I need to replace him.

But I guess, God took pity on me. I did not need to wait for long because one of the lectors who served with me agreed to be on stand-by instead. I was finally able to go home!

Immediately, I locked myself in my room, lied down, and just stared blankly in the ceiling. Just like that, the dam broke. I cried for a few minutes, uttering my apologies to God for being a distraction in the mass (for the low volume of my responses, for the mannerisms and tenseness I sure exuded throughout the mass, and for just not preparing myself enough). After crying my heart out for a few (short) minutes, I felt...nothing.

No further guilt, no further disappointments. I surprised myself that after that brief breakdown, I managed to be objective. I asked myself, "Okay, so you've made a mistake. Now what do we learn from this experience?"

It really shocked me to the core! Seriously! I used to dwell on a mistake for DAYS! I remembered waking up in the morning and the first thought in my head would be "you're such a screw up" plus a rerun of what went wrong, and at night I would sleep with these thoughts as well. But last Sunday, not only have I succeeded in quieting the inner critic in me, but I did not bring in my sleep thoughts of those mistakes as well. Really amazing!

When Lyf Throws U Lessons

At some point in our lives, we face our inner critics. Amongst all the voices we hear from others, this voice coming from within could be the worst and harshest of all. Why? Because it is what we BELIEVE in ourselves. It is how we see ourselves. It is how we talk to ourselves. And unlike other people, we cannot really run away from our inner selves. So what can we do to stop being miserable?

WE JUST HAVE TO STOP BEING HARD ON OURSELVES!

There will be other people who will put us down and criticize our missteps. Leave the critiquing to them. I'm not saying that we should not reflect on how to change ourselves for the better, or just let our mistakes go without so much as a thought. We can look back and assimilate without the emotional harassment from ourselves. Just be objective. Look at what went wrong and learn from it.

Important note, we should allow ourselves to feel the pain of making mistakes or having failures. The Bible says that there is a time for everything, even in feeling down and low. God does not find fault in those feelings. But then, there is also a time for letting go and moving forward. There is no sense in holding onto that pain for so long. 

In Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success, John Maxwell stated the importance of using our failures as stepping stones for our success by learning from our our mistakes. So go ahead and don't be afraid of making mistakes. Just learn from them, let them go, and move forward! Easier said than done, but not impossible. Personally, I know I still have a long way to go to be fully free of the defeated perfectionist in me, but I am keeping the faith alive that one day soon, God will give me the grace to fully overcome this. And if you also have a defeated perfectionist within you just like me, then I am sharing my prayer with you as well. Cheers!

How I Became Financially Free: Introduction

"Lord, thank You for giving me the opportunity to achieve financial freedom. I am so looking forward to investing on my future. I can't believe it. My future...MY FUTURE! Before, I wouldn't even think nor dream of reaching my 20's, but now I am looking forward to reaching my 40's -- the time when I would become a millionaire and the time when I can finally fulfill my one unchanging dream: I can finally help others to receive the education they deserve by paying for their schooling! Not only that, but I can finally treat my parents and give back to them (in a way) what they have given me; something to show my gratitude and love for them. And most importantly, I can finally give myself what I truly deserve -- financial freedom!"

~excerpt, journal entry, 15 September 2010

Hi! My name is Joanne. I am 24 years old. March of this year, I received my Bachelor's Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Not many know this, but one of the biggest frustrations I have in life is my lack of goals and dreams. Yes, I have a general idea on what I want to achieve before I die: to fulfill my purpose in life. Problem lies with what exactly that purpose is. I guess before I continue, I could give you a short background about myself so you will know where I am coming from.

The Hate Within

For most of my life, I hated myself. My daily mantras were, (but not limited to): 

"Stupid" ! "Worthless" ! "I do not deserve to be happy" ! "Nothing I do is ever good enough"

"I just want to die" ! "Lord, please kill me now" ! "I will die before I reach 21"

It is only by the grace of God that I am still here in this world, living and battling with my inner demons. So you see, I never really thought much about where I want to be and what I want to be in the future. For me, I only see my imminent death. 

Starting Life All Over Again

Maybe that is why when I finally decided to "live my life" and start my life anew, I have been so obsessed with finding my purpose in life. I want to believe that I am not an accident, that God has been so patient with me because He has this specific mission for me. I want to know where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to do.This is why I have never thought twice in spending money on self-help and inspirational books. I have immersed myself to the stories and teachings of the likes of Bo Sanchez, John Maxwell, Joel Osteen, Rhonda Byrne, Oprah, Jack Canfield, and others.

You might think that this desire in me to become a better person is a great thing, but I tell you that it is not all good. I was doing something wrong somehow. Between my inner demon whispering my past failures and my inner seeker obsessing about my future, it is so easy for me to not be in the moment and embrace where I am now. For four years, I have been in the wildest ride of my life. I feel like I am a bipolar person. One day, I am at my happiest, then something happens and I am back to being depressed. It is a vicious cycle, one that I felt I would not get out of. There had been days when I told myself, "What's the point? I should have just killed myself back then."

But you know what? The greatest miracle happened just this year. Before I graduated from college, I have no clue whatsoever on where I will apply and on what kind of job I prefer. (Remember, I have no goals in life. I do not have a 5-year or10-year plan.) But I do know one thing, I want to have a job as soon as possible. No breaks for me. Why? Because I have already "wasted" my time before. (You have to forgive me though because the story on how I "wasted" time before is for another day.)

How God Prepared My Way

So, did I follow through with this plan of mine? A big NO! You see, I have this thing wherein I "think too much" and I "over-analyze situations" that most of the time, I get stuck while the opportunity goes away. I'm just not an innate doer. I'm a thinker, that's my nature.

So while my batchmates were busy sending their resumes and applying for jobs, I am at home reflecting on what I really want in life. But I thank God because despite my laziness to apply, He still gave me an opportunity to earn money while I am getting my life back on track. And He really knows how to bait me. 

While deciding on what I want, I have followed Bo's guidelines that if I want to succeed, my business or work should be connected to my life purpose and core gifts. But since I cannot answer my life purpose yet, I decided to determine my core gifts. I acknowledged that one of my core gifts is writing. So when I saw this ad looking for freelance writers, I grabbed the opportunity (after much-needed consideration of course) and applied even though I have no background on writing content articles. Amazingly enough, this stint lead me to my job now. 

When I visited my friend who lives in Bataan, I met her friend who is also a freelance writer. We just met that one short time the day we were leaving for Manila. I was so surprised to receive an invitation from him that his friend is looking for writers who can work full time or part time writing product descriptions, articles, blogs, and others. I started out as a part time writer for them, and now I am working full time as a virtual assistant (I just gave myself that title because I am not writing for them anymore, rather I am involved in numerous projects doing all sorts of things). And this job, together with the people I work with, is truly a gift from God.

Receiving Miracles

Because of this job: 

1. I now earn my own money. It may not be as big as compared to what my friends are earning now on their jobs in the Hospitality and Tourism industry, but it helps me pay our electricity bill. More importantly, I am now able to set aside money for tithes and for my future. Following Bo's advice on how to divide income, as soon as I receive my monthly salary, I set aside 10% for my Forever Fund (tithes), 20% for my Future Fund (investments), 50% for my Fixed Fund (electricity, internet, grocery), 10% for my Freedom Fund (savings), 5% for my Fun Fund (rewards for myself), and 5% for my Frivolous Fund (incidental  or unplanned expenses). 

2. I am better than ever. In the past 6 months, I had gone into a long phase of depression that has started while I was still in college. Now, I am back on my tracks and I am starting my life all over again. There are still the varying degrees of highs and lows, but I am happy to note that I am experiencing great days longer and I am able to pull myself out of the pits faster than before. 

3. I am embracing the Now. Finally, I am able to leave my past behind and not worry too much on things that are yet to come. Of course there are still some days when I feel anxious, frustrated, doubtful, and dejected, but I am now able to feel those feelings while allowing God to work in me and believing that I will get over those feelings soon.

4. I am given an opportunity to gain financial freedom. The first paycheck I received, I immediately joined Bo Sanchez' TrulyRichClub. Because I have yet to discover what I really want to pursue in my career life, I thought that I could at least start learning on how to take charge of my financial life. I figured that if I invest on changing my wealth mentality, the physical manifestations of this wealth will follow. And amazingly enough, it does. With the amount I am earning for the past four months, I was still not able to save Php 5,000 to allow me to open an account in CitisecOnline (the top online broker in the country that offers  an opportunity to invest on the stock market even with little time, knowledge and capital through their COL-EIP program). But then, when I celebrated my birthday last September, my father sent me Php 5,000.00 for my birthday gift! Without a doubt in my mind, I used this money to apply at CitisecOnline, and now I am a proud part-owner of three companies! The excerpt at the start of this blog entry was actually written right after I lodged my application. 

5. I now have a mission. This thought just came to me this week. God is really such a great planner. There is a reason why I am so passionate about learning from the great people I have mentioned earlier, why there are no second-thoughts whenever I purchase their books (really, I hesitate in buying shoes that are over Php 500.00 but when I see a book I know will help me on my self-growth, even if it is Php 800.00, I will immediately buy it). There is a reason why I did not find joy in writing product descriptions and articles and blogs about lighting, christmas trees, and other stuff despite claiming that I have a gift for writing. There is a reason why I became familiar of Bo Sanchez because of Kerygma and why I have considered him as one of my mentors. And the reason, I believe, is because God wants me to share my stories and learnings in life through my writings.

When Lyf Throws U Lessons

This entry is just the introduction to my series, "How I Became Financially Free". No, I am not there yet. BUT, I am now on that journey. And I am declaring through this series, that I will achieve financial freedom in the near future. With this series, I want to share to you what I have learned from Bro. Bo through his TrulyRichClub, especially the benefits of investing (not merely saving) your money. I will share to you the steps I have taken, am taking, and will take as I continue this wonderful journey towards true financial freedom. 

I hope that you take this journey with me, together with the others who have discovered this powerful blessing from God. It is about time for you to take charge of your financial life because you deserve to be financially free!

If you are taking charge of your financial life now and you want to share your own stories and life lessons, I would love to hear and learn from you as well. Or if you also want to change your financial life,  I invite you to declare with me your own affirmations of being financially free. 

Praying for your happiness!

Joanne

On Acceptance

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you don't want to be in? Have you ever told yourself that what you are doing, where you are right now, is still not enough? Have you ever felt so left out by the pack, that you are not progressing as fast as you want to?

I am not enough! 

Well, I have. Every single day of my life, I have this epic battle with myself. I have to constantly block my inner me, my "kid me," who keeps on telling me that I can never be enough. No matter how hard I try, it still isn't enough. No matter how little much I have changed, it still is not enough.

It sucks you know? And I know that I am not alone on this. I have watched too many Oprah and Tyra Shows to know that this feeling and way of thinking is very prevalent to most teens, and even most adults worldwide.

God's Love Messages

You know what keeps me going? Whenever I find myself in the darkest pit of my mind, I get this timely messages from God. Somehow, He communicates to me His love and assurance -- whether through my friends, some random TV show, or quotation from a book. Most of the time, though, I get these "love messages" from God through GodWhispers.

GodWhispers are "very short, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always insightful personal message from God" e-mailed to me regularly (for being a member of Bro. Bo's Truly Rich Club).

My Little Green Itch

Just this past few days, I have been feeling a little "emo-ish" because I feel like I am not making the most of my time. Being a fresh graduate, I wanted to land that first job as soon as possible. But, for those who know me, I go through things a little differently. I tend to over-analyze things that most of the time, the opportunity had gone by.

Most of my batchmates are now already employed and I am feeling a little dejected because I still am stuck in the house. Not that I am a total bum. I do have two writing gigs that pays well. BUT, (guess it, come on) it still isn't enough! Not when my mother will undergo an operation this early June. Not with all the bills (from way back) that need to be paid. Not with the loss of financial support from my father. Because now, I am an adult. I earned my degree. I have to support myself. No excuses!

 God Never Fails

The weird thing is that whenever I am in this "dejected moods," I receive my GodWhispers. And just this night, I got another. It says:

          Dear Joanne Christine

          Wherever you are now is exactly where I want you to be.  Every delay. Every
          postponement. Every obstacle. So wherever you are, be there. Embrace each
          difficult moment and the hidden blessing that it gives you.

          Always here,
          God

          P.S. And then, move on, Joanne Christine. We have worlds to conquer.

Is it unwise and silly to believe in this? Maybe for some, it is. Maybe they'll even say that I am just looking for a "justification" for my situation. Heck! Even I have said that.

But here's what I realized from my experience so far. God never fails. Sometimes, we do not understand why things happen, but in the long run, we benefit from that. So yeah, I know that I am where God wants me to be. It may be hard to accept but I am where He wants me to be.

If I look at it on a different perspective, this is an opportune moment because I can take care of my mom  once she had her operation. It is a blessing that I found my two writing gigs, giving me an opportunity to earn money while I am staying at home. 

When Lyf Throws U Lessons

So, if you find yourself in these situations where you feel like nothing is making sense anymore,  believe that something good will come out of it. God does not waste time. His timing might be a little different from ours, but have faith that all will be good, everything will be all right. BUT, bear in mind that we have to get up and move on. Never stay in that rut for a long time. If you can't pick yourself up, then ask for help. Just be sure to never let anything stop you from moving forward. Treasure every moment because there is a lesson hidden beneath.

 "The greatest gifts we can give ourselves: acceptance, forgiveness, belief, and love." -neri.anne.j.stioch

My Guiding Principles

I make the best of what I am given

I believe in myself

I choose to be courageous

I give myself permission to fail and learn from it

I drink deeply from good books

I follow through with what I say and what I plan

I choose to be happy

I share my gifts to others

I am blessed and I am a blessing

I lift everything to God

Lord, I Lift My All to You

So this is the feeling of finally realizing a dream!

When I discovered that I have been given a gift to compose songs, I want nothing more than to be able to compose a simple worship song for God just to express how thankful I am for His goodness. I mean, what better way to glorify Him than to use the very gift He has blessed me with, right? So I prayed and prayed for the inspiration. I have written like eight songs, so far, and most of the songs were borne out of my frustrations and depression. So imagine my utter joy when, finally, words rushed into my mind. Word by word, line by line, hearing the tune within my mind, and just like that, I finished the song!

It is a privilege for me to share this with everyone, especially to those who don't like themselves very much. I pray that the day will come when you will be able to see your beauty and greatness. Friend, God loves you very much and He knows how great and lovable you are because He made you so.

Title: Lord, I Lift My All to You
By: neri.anne.j.stioch

I am but a broken piece
Ugly, cracked, and weathered
Still, you see something beautiful in me
You say, I have potential for greatness
I am your masterpiece

Chorus:
Lord, I thank you
For giving me this chance
Lord, I thank you
For bringing me back to You
I thank you for this life
And now, I give it all back to You
Lord, I lift my all to You

I am but a shattered glass
Seems impossible to become whole again
Still, you patiently glued me together
I may be an imperfect vase
But I receive your perfect grace

Repeat Chorus

Bridge:
I am full of scars
Most of them I cannot see
They are reminders of my past
I may not be as flawless
But I sure bear the mark of
Battles fought and won
All 'cause of Your love

Repeat Chorus, except last line

Lord, I lift my all
Lord, I lift my all
Lord, I lift my all to you

That's it! Thank you and God bless minna-san...