Category: X-Young Love

On a hunt for a new journal; Thoughts on Psalm 86:15

RhizaLeave a comment

Where’s a Peter Pauper Press Journal when you need one? I haven’t seen any in the usual places lately, much to my frustration. And just now I find myself browsing PPP’s online catalog and daydreaming about getting my hands on the journals, specifically these two designs:

Yellow is such a happy color, yeah?

My last journal ran out of pages, and I’ve been using this non-PPP notebook for a while now. And it’s affecting my writing rituals! The paper is too thin, the lines are too thick.. Or I could just be lazy and simply finding excuses. I haven’t written long journal entries lately, and have been merely jotting down verses and quick notes here and there. I miss being absorbed in paper and ink and letting my hand speak for my heart.

When will I ever have the time? (And the journal? Hah!)

I have so much going on in my list, not to mention the house is still a mess, and I’m killing myself for not being able to keep up with everything. It’s a horrid habit of mine, putting my standards up too high—on others, and mostly on myself. Then I end up feeling disappointed about not meeting my own expectations.

And then words like this hit me hard in the head, and I’m amazed once again how God knows what I need to hear/read when I need them:

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. ~Psalm 86:15

Our Lord understands our limits. He realizes our struggles. He knows how much pressure we can take. He knows what measures of grace and mercy and strength we’ll require. He knows how we’re put together.

Frankly, His expectations are not nearly as unrealistic as ours.

When we don’t live up to the agenda we have set, we feel like He is going to dump a truckload of judgment on us. But that will not happen.

So why do we fear it could?

~Chuck Swindoll

I heaved a sigh of relief, thanking God for being merciful, and gracious, and forgiving, when others, or even we, can’t forgive ourselves.

I grabbed a pen and a paper to write these words down. And I thought maybe that’s why I suddenly miss having a journal—I remember things better when I write them down.

And these days, these are the kind of stuff I need to remember.

I’m keeping the twinkling lights

Rhiza1 Comment

So I finally boxed away my tiny Christmas tree three months after I put it up. I wouldn’t even bother, really, after all, I live in a country that self-proclaims itself to have the longest Christmas holiday in the world; but I woke up this morning with the collapsed tree on the floor, as if it resigned by itself and I was like, “okay okay I get it, it’s time to give you a break!”

And so I took away the tree, but I decided to keep the twinkling lights just because I like bright and pretty things, and just because I like the idea of keeping a little remnant of Christmas the whole year.

While it was a quick and uneventful experience, I have to admit that boxing up the Christmas tree had a subtle way of reminding me that life is softly (and swiftly) turning its pages, and everyday takes us a little closer to the life ahead of us and a little farther from what used to be, you know what I’m saying? Sometimes, in my self absorbed moments, I feel like the whole world is sighing with me.

Anyway, hello! It’s been a while, but for once I don’t feel so bad abandoning this blog for a couple of weeks because I was too busy actually living (and working!). I get tired easily, yes, but I love that God has given me so much that I never seem to run out of things to do!

I hope 2011 has so far been good to you as it has been to me. :)

Too early for Christmas?

Rhiza11 Comments

I had this on my list of things to do before the trip. I didn’t plan on doing it this morning though, until I found myself unable to go on with work stuff because my brain’s too drained out after an all-nighter, and I thought I needed to do something that didn’t require too much brain power.

True enough, the twinkling lights, fake poinsettias, and instax photographs made a whole lot of difference to my mood. I took the old Christmas tree from out of its box, and put up the embellishments in less than an hour. Instant pick-me-upper! :)

Notice the difference from last year’s Christmas tree? :) Here’s something you can do with your instax this Christmas!

Photo dump:

The sight of the twinkling lights, and my loved ones, is sooo making me tear up! *sigh*

I’ll watch the night turn light blue

Rhiza

Hello, this is my room. Well, parts of it. Only the good parts. And by “good” I mean the ones that are photogenic, those areas that have some semblance of order. Photo dump!

I work here *sometimes*. (Haha, I think I spend more time working in bed, or in the couch.)

My mirror is duuurrty, but it’s like, one of my most favorite things. Ever.

It was Mom’s idea to have my bed built in, totally saves up space! Love it!

This is what I wore to Bible Study last Thursday.

OTD: Sundress – Some tiangge, Robinsons Timog; Leggings – Kate Torralba’s Leg Love; Cardigan – Nui Clothing; Bag – Girbaud; Shoes – Payless; Necklace – arbored from a friend’s mom

+ + +

Two months ago, I took this photo while he was getting ready to serenade me with one of his love songs. <3

THIS ROOM IS NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU, YOU HEAR??

+ + +

Vanilla Twilight is playing on loop, first on my iTunes, now in my head. I wish I thought of writing these lines first.

The silence isn’t so bad
‘Til I look at my hands and feel sad
‘Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly

But drenched in vanilla twilight
I’ll sit on the front porch all night
Waist-deep in thought because
When I think of you I don’t feel so alone

Owl City is seriously making me want to paint stars and clouds on my wall.

Okay that’s it. Mornings are, without a doubt, not the best time for me to blog. :))

Happy Sunday, y’all!

Our dreams, they’re made out of real things

Rhiza7 Comments

..like a shoebox of photographs with sepia tone lovin’.

Forgive me for overusing that line from a Jack Johnson song all over my social channels, it’s been playing in my head the whole week, no thanks to you! :P

Anyway, hey hey. I’m alive! I know I said I’d post a blog as soon as I’ve settled back home, but September came and overwhelmed the life out of me, and blogging *here* was the first thing that got pushed down the bottom of my list. Although that doesn’t mean I haven’t been typing my heart away elsewhere, I have! Actually, I have been journalling nonstop, unable to keep my thoughts to myself. Somewhere in Tumblr, in case you’re curious, just because Tumblr strikes me as the social blogging platform where mush and cheese are very much accepted, appreciated even. LOL.

Obligatory explanations out of the way, I’m here to post some photos! To start with, can I just say I’m in looove with my blue walls and the sight of polaroids and instax photos all over my room? <3

I wasn’t sure where to put these polaroids (600). I used to just keep them in a box, but they’re way too pretty to be kept in the dark. So I got this photo holder from Ikea courtesy of my friend Olivia, but I have to screw it on the wall and I still haven’t found time to drill holes, pff. Ergo, I resorted to just putting the photos up with (ta-da!) magic tape, for now. I kinda love how it turned out. :)

Ohh, I just looove this side of my desk. <3

LOL. Isaac was in my room the other day, and I was in the mood to take photos. Haha check out the result of our little pictorial. :)) Mehh, I hope he knows that one Polaroid sheet costs about 250 pesos. That means, this failed photo session just costed me P500! Isaac you are sooo kyot!

And yay more instax on my cork board, too! Can’t get enough of these instant film photographs! (You want? Visit Polaroid Philippines yo!)

One last thing, the guy in the photos? Ask and I shall make kwento. <3

Okay that’s it. Ta! :)

One last stop

Rhiza4 Comments

I know I said my next blog would be when I’ve already settled in, but you know how it’s like when it’s the last day of something, you can’t help but take a lot of photos and/or try to translate what’s going on inside your head to words and sentences because somehow, you want to remember this one last moment?

Sometimes I wonder why I subjected myself to this self-inflicted stress of moving from one place to another in the past 5 years. 7 apartments in 5 years, 8 if I’m going to count this homecoming.

LOL. And I’ve documented 5 out of 8 of them too!

So yep, it’s the 8th time I’m putting my stuff inside moving boxes, and every time I do, this little voice inside my head would go, “One last stop, Riz, just one last.”

I’m done packing, and I’m savoring this last night.