Bible verses that are sure to lift your mood
I’ve been hearing a lot of suicide attempts and cases of depression lately. The bad thing about mental illness is its connotation to the crowd. We’ve all heard of the story about a funny individual who committed suicide. That kind of story isn’t new anymore. The stigma is the real struggle. When you don’t admit to yourself or to your closest set of people that you are having problems, that’s when you resort to doing things that are the opposite of what you really feel. And it’s hard to notice the signs and warning signals because you conceal it in your safety box. Or just so you thought. Because one day, that little box will explode, and it will be the end of your dreams and hope.
Every day, there is somebody somewhere thinking that his end is the best way to go. Truth be told, and please believe me that it’s not. And while hope is something you can share, divine intervention plays a big part in this. These bible verses that I’ll share are my life savers! I collect verses that bring me back to my tip top shape. And it’s very helpful when I feel sad, or hormonal, or empty. If it helps, I always think that there’s always Someone bigger than me, and that’s one thing that keeps me going. If you are in need of someone to talk to, I’m ready to lend an ear. May you find peace in this post. 
John 16:33 – I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Zephaniah 3:17 – “The Lord your God is in your midst; a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.”
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together, for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
Psalms 34:17-19 Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to Him for help, and saves him out of all his troubles. The Lord is close to those whose heart is breaking; He rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins. The good man does not escape all troubles – he has them, too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one.
Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.
Micropoetry: Time to walk away
Stunning views, continental buffet, and other cravings that will make you want to experience Breakfasts on Cruise
Echoes of rustling waves caressing the shore, cloudless cerulean blue sky, and sparkling sunbeams reflecting on water, all while eating your morning dose of pancakes and fruits and enjoying the light lullaby of the ocean— sounds interesting to you? If it does, breakfast on cruise is one thing you shouldn’t miss in your lifetime!
Last September, my SO and I marked our first year together. And what’s a better way to celebrate it than going on a Bahamas cruise! With endless entertainment and activities all lined up for us, we definitely had a good time. But if there’s one thing that remained my favorite- it’s having breakfast while overlooking the seemingly infinite shades of blue. From the farthest sky down to the deepest part of the ocean, there’s something about this view that just quiets my inner self.
Our favorite spot in Carnival Victory was the Lido Restaurant. They open around lunch time, and since we woke up late most of the time, this has been our breakfast spot. They have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and the food options are unbelievable. Some features that I loved were Mongolian Wok (I’m Asian hello) Salad Bar, Chef’s Choice, and Pizza Pirate that’s open 24 hours! I remember Luis trying to stop me from getting pizza at 3am. He didn’t win though, my cravings did. There were Carnival Deli and stations for unlimited soft frozen yogurt that we weren’t able to try because in as much as we wanted to eat everything, our tummy couldn’t anymore handle all the food, but they look appetizing, too.
Those times that we actually got up for breakfast time, we had memorable munch at Seaday Brunch and Breakfast Grill. Made-to-order omelettes, fluffy pancakes, and sizzling bacon were of course part of those glorious mornings. Don’t try to miss their hotdogs! I was just shy to ask about the brand that they use, but it’s so juicy and full of flavor! Next time, I promise to ask. I’m just not sure if they’re gonna reveal that secret to me.
On top of that, all these buffets were included in our cruise package! What more can we ask for, right? Devour all the way! Who said something about diet, and figures, and waistlines? After all, those are just numbers! Kidding aside, if you’re on a diet, they have options for you, too. Veggies and calculated calories are on their menu. And the fitness center is located on the same floor! No reason not to maintain your shape or skip the gym.
With happy people around and overflowing food at every corner, it feels like celebration every day.
Also, I think the warm greetings from staff also added to this amazing vibe. I’m so glad we went for Carnival. In case you ask, we booked it at Priceline.com. They have good deals, we had many options and most of them are within our budget. I called them to verify our booking, and their customer service is fantastic. Didn’t have to wait for them to connect me to a representative, which was cool for me since I don’t have all the time in the world. I was hesitant at first because of some negative reviews from other customers, but since it’s cheap, I didn’t really expect much. I booked our flight there also, and guess what, even our shore excursions! It’s one big leap of faith for us since it’s the first time that we used their website. But I’m glad we did! It saved us a lot of money in the process.
So there. I think the rest of our cruise trip should be in another post. But for our breakfast fix, Carnival Victory offered us great food, breathtaking view, and one of a kind experience! ‘Til next time!
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25 Things You’ll Be Thankful For By The Time You Turn 25
When I was a little kid, I imagined my 25 year-old self with long, straight hair, makeup caked on my face, and sporting a denim. Don't judge, I think it's because of my tita(s) (aka aunts) or other ladies in the apartment where I grew up. I also assumed I'd stay in the Philippines and be a lawyer or broadcaster or teacher. I had all these dreams wrapped inside a magical box called "childhood."
I'm 25 now, and none among these things happened. My hair is short and curly. I use makeup, and it's not cakin'. 
I don't wear denims. I live in the USA, and I am a full-time nurse and part-time blogger entrepreneur. I have all these realities, and I can't even imagine myself not living the life I have right now. Contemplating on how my life turned out, I couldn't be more thankful.
As you reach this age, you begin to understand what "quarter-life crisis" means. We've all had those frustrating moments, but let me tell you these 25 things you needed to hear to convince you that your 25th year is the most badass year yet!
- You no longer care about what other people think of your fashion statement, how you dress up, and why you wear torn denim jeans. Whether you follow the latest trend of wearing chokers and off shoulders, or sport a professional look with nude blouses and pencil skirts, you don't care about others' POV at all. And if you wear scarfs or boots or coats on a hot day? Gee, that's for your #OOTD and #WIW
- You learn how to love your body type. This goes to skinny and not-so-skinny people out there. Movements against body-shaming are getting noticed and it's a good time to celebrate these differences especially when your body type doesn't look like those model figures on TV and magazines. Yes, you may sometimes feel ugly browsing Kylie's feed but you give yourself a break and not *actually feel ugly*
- Or you're only insecure for about 5 minutes. It doesn't count. Your self love is way greater than what you had 5 years ago. Maturity comes with age, and apparently, so does confidence.
- Relationship status isn't a biggie anymore. You don't feel the pressure to have someone just because. No proms to attend to. No social gathering every now and then. No pressure from friends, because hey, most of you are on the same page! Let's not talk about our parents' constant questions, but really, it's a fresh air not to be bombarded by those annoying love-related Qs.
- #WorkGoals and #CareerGoals are your favorite hashtags. Because we're workaholic like that. Thanks to Instagram for making coffee and tea as the new normal, because we're so over soda and beers. With a lot of work comes lotsa cups of coffee.
- Money. While you're still struggling with your finances, most of it are just because you enjoy traveling every now and then, or you can't get enough of eating somewhere instagrammable and fancy. But really, you're not really struggling, are you?
- Bullies don't control you anymore. You're done feeling sorry for yourself. You now have the guts to tell them straight to their face what you don't like about them, or if their actions are way too irrational.
- You already acquired the superpower of telling who's fake and who's real in your life. When you know, you just know.
- Your relationship with your parents is everything in your life right now. They treat you like adult, but they still pamper you with support and trust. How amazing, right?
- You are BFF with your siblings. After years of fighting and yelling at each other, they suddenly became your partners in crime. Everything seems so real, and even though you still annoy each other, you can't deny the sibling love that grows every day.
- No friends quarrel, because guess what, your number of friends were down to half! This isn't a bad thing at all, this only means that you grew as a person and in growing, you lose people along the way.
- Dating. You know what you want, and you don't settle for less.
- Having dreams, and knowing that you'll get there. Maybe not soon, but right now, you work hard to glue your end points together. Convincing yourself isn't that hard anymore. Or maybe it still is, but recognizing that you have years ahead of you to figure it out consoles you in a way.
- You're not as lazy as when you were studying. You get things done, and nobody's stopping you.
- You look up to someone worthy of your attention. Popular artists are MEH, and bosses who inspire you are the BOMB.
- You know the importance of sleep. And everything is alright in the world when you get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.
- Mastering to-do list is your expertise. You developed a skill of juggling your child duties, paying bills, doing groceries, and work. If you have other stuff going on, you just know you have time for it.
- Whether you binge-watch or stay home on weekends, you don't feel guilty doing so. And when somebody asks how your day off went, you smile and say you had the best weekend! You don't feel like you're missing out on something.
- Hangovers aren't your thing anymore.
- Your faith just gets stronger. It doesn't matter whether it's faith in God or faith in yourself, the thing is, you believe in the greater version of everything. Your optimism may sometimes wither but once you envision how you want your life to unfold, it reassures you.
- What you think of as complicated doesn't sound complicated at all aka your taxes, insurance, investments, savings, and all those adult stuff that you're now dealing with. Remember your old self feeling puzzled over these things? And OMG, some of your friends are even your financial advisers already!
- You're a nicer version of yourself. Gone are the days when you have zero tolerance on people who bring out the beast in you. You just unfollow or block them from your feed, and you're done.
- Savings is your best friend.
- You know how to cook a meal or two. And I'm not talking about frying eggs or boiling noodles.
- Finally, the satisfaction and comfort you feel knowing you share your frustrations with your age group. You're not afraid of opening up, and letting your problems out because you are not alone in this fight, and life gets better anyway.
Quarter life isn't that bad at all. Or do you want to wait for your 30th year to feel it? 😂
The art of making salad
I’m not really the health-conscious kind of person. I know it’s ironic that I belong to healthcare team and not religiously observe balanced diet and proper exercise. I won’t even try to rationalize my food preferences- first off, I loovve pizza… annnd BURGERS. Who doesn’t? I also share the world’s addiction to sweets. And being Asian, I can eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No holding off. So yeah, that sums up my food obsession.
This past month, though, it finally came to my senses that I’m gaining a lot of weight. I work graveyard so I can blame that to my slowing metabolism. But I know for certain that my food choices are terrible, in a way that it’s tasty but sinful. I sometimes cook for a ‘less sinful’ alternative but I find it hard to fit food prep in my schedule. If I work four nights straight, I’d rather sleep than cut meats and slice veggies. So I went grocery shopping for healthy options, and I found this salad brand that really surprised me. I thought, maybe, I can try having it as my lunch at work. I tried it the whole week I was working, and from a meat-lover, I converted to being a salad enthusiast real quick. Lol.
Here are some Taylor Farms salads that I got! My favorite is Ranch Chicken! Ya’ll should try it.
I really wanted to provide a version of salads for you so I googled some easy steps for ya’ll to enjoy!
What you need:
Lettuce (or spinach if you want)
Veggies you love (bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers)
Meat (grilled chicken bits, tuna, bacon)
Toppings (cheese, nuts, croutons, avocado)
Dressing (vinaigrette, ranch, thousand island)
- Wash lettuce in cold water. This is to prevent it from being soggy. Dry it with some paper towels.
- Slice your meats and veggies into cubes. Makes for an easy packing, in case you want to bring it for lunch like what I always do!
- Toppings are what make your salads look pretty. LOL. I personally want croutons and nuts because it adds crunch and crisp to every bite!
- Only put your dressing when you’re already ready to eat your salad. Or you’ll risk having a very sad and soggy salad. I’ve made this mistake before and I had the ugliest salad ever 🙁 So don’t try, I warned you!
- There are many available salad dressings that you can play with, but I copied this simple recipe from WikiHow in case you want to make your own version of balsamic vinaigrette:
The ratio of oil to acid is often 3:1. This means for every three tablespoons of oil, you would use one tablespoon of acid. A basic dressing is simple and painless.
Mix:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon any variety fruit jam or jelly (optional)
- For dressings or vinaigrettes, the gold standard of oils is extra virgin olive oil. You can also use canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, or sesame oil for Asian-style dressings.
- The gold standard of acids is lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Also, any citrus juice (orange juice and grapefruit juice) works well with vinegar (apple cider or white wine vinegar).
- Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together (about 30 seconds). Add salt and pepper. Whisk the jam or jelly into the emulsified dressing (optional). Serve!
I like that salads are easy to make. It fills you right up, it’s healthy, and Taylor Farms offers a wide range of options. So there, my new favorite lunch! Wuhuu!
10 Smart Hacks Every Wanderlust Should Know
If there's one thing I don't like about traveling, it's the "before" of every trip. I always find myself cramming to buy essentials I forgot to bring, or losing accessories and cords that go missing at the exact moment I badly-badlyyy- need them. (Feel me, bruuh?) I love planning but there are things that planning couldn't do for you. In terms of saving money, time, and space, there are a lot of smart ways you can do that are way better than the traditional travel preps you always go for:
1.Book your flight 54 DAYS IN ADVANCE.
This is a secret shared to me by my friend who happened to be in a research team of an airline company. I googled it myself and I was amazed by the algorithm that these airlines use. True enough, with 3M trips (within US) collated and analyzed, that's the magic number that will save you a dime!
2. Maximize containers.
Do you have a pill/ sun glass container lying around your house? Bring it to good use by utilizing it as your wonder organizer. You'll never lose a pair of earrings again! It's also the best container for earplugs and memory cards. These little things are easy to misplace and I assure you, it's truly surprising how many important things these containers can fit in.
3. Ladies, forget your hot curling tools.
Aside from carrying its weight, it's also prone to malfunction after a bumpy travel. Here's a pro tip for you: Spritz damp hair with sea salt spray, cover it with towel, do a bun, and sleep on it.Unwrap it the next day and you'll see beachy waves perfect for your #HairGoals. After all, a free-spirited look is what best sums up a fun-filled adventure.
4. Bring a plastic bag or two for your dirty clothes.
And not just that, go to your pantry and snatch some dryer sheet. You can use it to keep your dirty clothes from smelling. You'll never know if your flight back is going to be delayed, or worse, if you're going to be stranded somewhere. And isn't it cool and awesome to have a fragrant smelling luggage?
5. Scarfs. Jewelries. Sunglasses.
The hack of every fashion-oriented individual when traveling. You can bring 4 or more to change your vibe using the same set of clothes. You can wear the same boots WHILE mix-and-matching your scarfs and accessories and your friends won't even notice it! It's in the details, you guys! Plus, infinity scarfs are life savers, make it a blanket, or cover up when you need it. Infinity scarfs equal infinite options.
6. Eat right.
Too general, you say? But really, you can avoid jet lag by just eating right. Lay off booze and caffeine, and hold off your heavily processed food for a while. These food dehydrate you and make your jet lag worse. And if you're doing an overnight flight, expect mouth dryness and peelings on your face when you do otherwise.
7. If you think couponing is just for groceries, think again.
Browse destinations that you're planning to visit and look for restaurants and hotels around the area. You can find printable coupons on their websites that are beyond compare. Deals like Family buffet, Free room upgrade, and unlimited drinks are just some of these amazing offers!
8. No need to bring your shoe organizer.
Shower caps can do the trick. Wrap it on, and viola, your baggage stays dirt-free.
9. If you're travelling internationally, call your bank and credit card companies first.
Make sure you do it prior to avoid receiving alerts for suspicious activity. Or worse, last a day without access to your hard-earned money!
10. Bring empty water bottle.
Do this or pay $4 for water. I assure you, there are many refilling stations after you pass security.
Travel light, and in-budget, with these smart hacks!
Poetry collection: Love and other abstract things
***This is not Haiku. Haiku is 5-7-5, first line with five syllables, second line with seven, third line with five again. Sorry for the wrong photos.***
35 Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar You Never Knew About
Why wait for the next grocery shopping? Buy one now:
Spicy Tortilla Wraps
Hospital stories: Last things people do before they die
