Be of Service for a Greater Cause

The world is bigger than us and the responsibility to make an impact to the life of others is way deeper than any moral principles. It’s been my ultimate dream to make a difference in the life of others but the desire and the realization is way more complex than words could ever describe.

However, my dream is going to be realized soon. For a month, I have been working on my online store. Initially, it was just the thought of doing something while I am working on building my website and page followers. Then, I realized that I could use it for something bigger.

So, today I decided that for every product purchase in my store, I will donate a Smile Kit for one child in an impoverished place in the Philippines. The Smile Kit will contain basic necessities such as toothbrush, toothpaste, and school supplies. They are simple things that we often take for granted in life but will have a significant impact on the life of others.

If you want to be a part of this simple project, please help me by visiting my online store, iPrint Sign Solutions. Ten percent of every sale goes to a child in need.

Reflection: Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count. –Stella McCartney-

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Organize and Declutter (Day 6 of Thirty-Day Challenge for a More Meaningful Life)

Day 6. Organize and Declutter. Let go of something in your closet.

I read somewhere that attachment to material things create a void inside you. Letting go of a thing or two from your closet is the start of escaping the prison of materialism.

Good order is the foundation of all things. –Edmund Burke-

A visit to my walk-in closet and dressers made me realized that I have tons of clothes that I don’t wear anymore. As I organized, I made a decision of which clothes to let go. After hours of folding and arranging, twelve drawers, two ottoman storage, and a walk-in closet are more orderly. Simple actions that made me feel more productive and efficient.

Reflection: "Good order is the foundation of all things." –Edmund Burke-


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Start your Day with a Prayer (Day 5 of Thirty-Day Challenge for a More Meaningful Life)

The power of prayer is undeniable.

In the busy world we live in, a meaningful life is as elusive as ever. Imagining a life which has vitality, substance and contentment is getting harder because of the overwhelming materialism that surround us. Sometimes, a gentle reminder to start your day with a prayer is all that you need to start a meaningful day.

I lost count of the times that God made a difference in our life because of prayers.

Day 5. Start your Day with a Prayer 

When I was teaching in Indonesia, I used to start my day reading a Bible with my husband who was here in the United States. Prayer continuously plays a vital role in our relationship but life could be overwhelming sometimes that we only get to do it before going to sleep or before eating dinner.

A prayer before starting that day is a humble way of asking God to show me which way He wants me to go. It is also a beautiful reminder that I am as fallible as ever and only God can complete me. If and when I fall on this day, I know that the prayer I uttered for the day is enough to strengthen my resolve to stand and live the day as a child of God.

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayers is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”

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The Most Beautiful Place in the United States

The thought that we spent the day at the most beautiful place in United States still beguiled me. The accolade was not something I just invented but it’s actually granted and undeniably deserved by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. With over 100,000 votes from the public, the award was given by ABC’s Good Morning America.

I was wonderstruck to see the panoramic scenic view of the entrancing beauty of this place. I think, pictures describe a thousand words so I would let the pictures speak for this majestic beauty right here in Michigan!

The second stop at the scenic views of the Sleeping Bear Dunes park. 

Beautiful view with special people in my life. 

Most of the land on the islands is now owned by the National Park Service and is open to the public. 

 

Sunny beaches and sky-high dunes. 

Sam's adventurous nature brought us to the most beautiful place in the United States. 

The hills, dunes, valleys, shoreline, small lakes, and streams which you'll see throughout the area were formed by the powerful earth-moving forces of ice, wind, and water over time. 

Trail leads to a lookout at the top of Pyramid Point. 

Lake Michigan’s water can be a bit chilly in June, but is a welcome relief during the hot parts of July and August. 

The trip was also a great bonding experience. 

The pyramid point trail is about 2.7 miles long with a spur to a lookout point high over Lake Michigan. 

Miles and miles of clear water and white sand. 

Lake Michigan seems so near but it actually requires about two hours of going back up the hill. 

With beautiful Sam. :) 

 

Overlooking the two islands. 

Sam and Zack brought us to the two most beautiful places we've ever been in Michigan- Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks. 

The steep hill scared me at first. The water seems near but it'll take you two hours to climb up and 2,000 dollars if you need to be rescued. 

 

That's as far as I could go. The height scared me. 

The colors of the lake indicate the water level. 

 

The water seems so near but it's actually higher and it would take you two hours to hike. 

Picturesque sceneries as far as your eyes could see. 

The man in blue shirt actually went down the steep hill 20 years ago.

Shop custom made signs and personalized gifts!

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Be One with Nature (Day 4 of Thirty- Day Challenge for a More Meaningful Life)

Being one with nature is beneficial both on your body and mind.

A day in a life could just come and go and doing this challenge is starting to have a huge impact on my perspectives in life. Just on the fourth day and I am already realizing that there are effectual ways to break the monotony of life.

Day 4. Be One with Nature
Today, I challenged myself to be one with nature. Thankfully, we are currently on vacation so it is a lot easier to put in reality. Our day started early with a visit to the Sleeping Bear Dunes Scenic Drive. It has about 12 stop over that allowed us to bask on different views. Being one with nature allowed me to smell the trees and reminded me of my mortality.

One of the stop-over at the Scenic Drive.

We went hiking, stopped to save a turtle along the road, savoured the beauty of Lake Michigan, and walked in the cleanest water I have ever seen. I also experienced just laying down on the sand while enjoying the amazing view of Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes Pyramid Point. I was sore all over from hiking and endless walking but it was so much fun.

A plethora of studies show that being in nature allows us to release anger, anxiety and stress. It also offers the most positive boost to provide healing for both body and mind.

Hans Christian Andersen said it perfectly, “Just living is not enough…one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

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Seize the Day (Day 3 of Thirty-Day Challenge for a More Meaningful Life)

It’s the third day of my thirty-day challenge for a more meaningful life. This day couldn’t be more perfect for what’s on my list- carpe diem.

The expression carpe diem was first uttered by Horace and rooted back from the oldest philosophical motto of Western history. The message resonates different meaning from various perspectives but mostly it signifies a day free from worries and simply savoring the beauty of the day.

At first glance, the tree looks like cherry, but, it isn't.

I feel so blessed to have this perfect opportunity to put this list in reality. Worrying does not change a thing and the pace of life is accelerating whatever we do. So, off we went on our travel for a short vacation. No rush, no worries. We even took the time to check on some cool trees and views along the way. The usual stress that travels bring was noticeably absent. And just like that, we were in a paradise.

Wearing matching shirts made the day more special.

The mere sight and sound of the rushing falling water was heaven. The sound was loud but it gives you this very peaceful and calm feeling.

This is probably the most peaceful town I have ever been.

The beautiful Falling Waters Lodge.

Truly, we could learn from Marcus Aurelius, “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…”

Day 1: Write a letter for someone who hurt you the most.
Day 2: Show a random act of kindness.

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Show a Random Act of Kindness

On the first day of the month, I started a challenge to do something each day that would pave a way for a more meaningful life. Cliché as it may sound, life is short and there’s nothing more meaningful but allowing experiences and actions to transcend positive energy in the core of our being.

Day 2. Show a random act of kindness.

Kindness is free yet it is something that we oftentimes fail to do. It is wrapped with hope and allow others to continue trusting that life’s condition will change for the better. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing others benefit from a sincere act of kindness.

This was inspired by a random act of kindness shown to me one day at the church. I have always struggled being an introvert so I am so grateful when people are kind enough to initiate conversation with me.

It was just an ordinary Sunday, I was seated while waiting for the service to start when an old lady approached me and gave me a hug. She told me that she’s been wanting to meet me. She’s been to Asia before so she was so excited while telling me about her experiences. The warmth of her gentleness touched me so deeply that it just affirmed my belief that the church is indeed the best place to be during Sundays.

There are many ways of showing kindness but for many people, it’s still a battle. I believe that we need to be cognizant of the fact that everybody has different struggles and we have the responsibility to spread kindness by any act that would bring positivity to the world.

Henry James said, “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”

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Thirty-Day Challenge for a More Meaningful Life (Day 1: Forgive Someone)

It is easy to get lost in a shuffle. Wake up-work-sleep-repeat the pattern type of thing and miss the basic truth that one day, we are all going to die. Chances are, we are too busy living our life that we are neglecting the groundbreaking message of what we are here for.

The bigger picture of having a consequential journey is sometimes inconceivable to fathom. Since it is the first day of September, I will start with a thirty-day challenge of living a more meaningful life imbued with commitment, meaning, serenity and contentment.

Day 1. Write a letter of forgiveness to the person who hurt you the most.

A known author once said that forgiving is hard because human consciousness has a hard time living at the present. The episodic memories bring us back and forth to the past and present reminding us of the pain that the experience left us. Hence, finding forgiveness in our heart will definitely not be easy.

I am starting at the most difficult challenge because it would be easier to remind myself in the coming days that if I was able to forgive the person who hurt me the most, then everything else is possible.

Bottling the pain inside is not beneficial to us. Sooner or later, it will coat our heart with bitterness and cynicism that’ll affect us to live a healthier life. Forgiving also means releasing us from the pessimism that incarcerate our ability to make humble decisions.

It is more burdensome to carry the weight of resentment to the person who caused us misery. By choosing to forgive, we also choose to heal and to free ourselves from negativities and toxicity associated with pain.

Martin Luther King, Jr. explicated it beautifully, “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”


Today, I choose to forgive and it feels good.

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After the Storm at Lake Michigan

Watched the sunset at the White Lake Channel (Montague Side) 

A storm pummeled Muskegon last night and left behind a trail of colossal destruction. The heavy downpour of rain flooded some areas and caused power outages to thousands of homes. We’re lucky enough to sleep through the night with power. The deafening thunder was so loud that the whole house trembled so many times.

However, just like in every storm, there’s calm after. It was a beautiful sunny day and we watched the sunset at Lake Michigan!

The water was calm and this man was doing the kite sailing. 

Amazing view of the man doing the kite sailing right before the sunset. 

He jumped so high out of the water so many times! 

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Asian Buffet or Red Wok?

Personal favorite?

A typical day cravings for Asian cuisine usually bring us either in Asian Buffet or Red Wok. The cultural contexts that the selection of the two restaurants embody are truly amazing and sometimes it’s hard to make a decision which one to go.

The two offer a wide range of selection that are mostly stir-fried at high temperature gastronomies surefire to suit all kinds of palate. Do not be deceived by the names because both restaurants actually include American food in their choices. Ham, steak, pizza, onion rings, fries and mini beef patties that are described by my husband as ‘scrumpdelicious’.

I personally consider it a luxury to be able to fuel myself with dumplings, egg rolls, chow mein, fried rice, egg foo young, lo mein, and other authentic Asian cuisine thousand miles away from home. They also have sushi ala carte and their shrimp varieties include sweet and sour, hot and spicy Szechuan, and shrimp with lobster sauce.

My husband and I like the wider selection of Asian Buffet but we prefer Red Wok because the owner and the servers are always so friendly. Mary Dillon couldn’t make it any clearer when she said, “I learned from McDonald’s that we can do great things from a marketing and advertising perspective, but if the experience at the restaurant isn’t superior, it might not matter.”

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