Author: HandSventuresNZ

Sheen is a well-rounded woman who likes and have tried a lot of things. She likes swimming, nature, calligraphy, drawing, painting, DIYs, events management, reading, writing, health, and beauty in no specific order. Currently, she and her husband, Howell, are exploring life in New Zealand. Read on their adventures here!

Categories
Musings

About a Boy

Let me tell you about a boy.

He is talented. He plays guitar, drums, bass guitar, and piano.

He is active. He plays ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and basketball.

He prays. He trusts that there is a Sovereign God taking care of us at all times.

He is a lot of things to me.

I break things and I sometimes feel like I waste a lot of time and money, yet he generously gives, still.

I break down, get irritated, and change moods in a heartbeat, yet he never tires of standing by me.

I’m a mess in the most literal sense but he never tires of cleaning up after my own messes.

I work, but I feel not as hard as how this boy works to provide for me.

And it’s not just me.

I will always be grateful that this boy stayed.

I see this boy stretch himself, over and over, for the people he comes across with – his family, his work mates, and all the other people he serves.

Happy birthday, my handsome, talented, kind, generous boy! I met you as a boy and I am proud to tell the world that this boy has grown into a wonderful, wonderful man! I love you, Howell! Now, we celebrate!!!

Categories
S K-Beauty NZ Settling in NZ Uncategorized

Startups and the Entrepreneurial Spirit

I have always been fascinated with starting things up and building on it. This is one of the reasons why I love getting into new business ventures.

In the past, I ventured into events management, consulting, and even real estate. I also dipped my toes a little onto tutoring piano with kids and adults. The most successful venture I have had so far was events management but I had to pull the plug when we migrated to New Zealand.

Two years in our new home country, my brain and my hands were already itching to get into a new venture. Given that we are in a totally foreign country, I will have to build everything from the ground up. My planning stage consisted of learning the culture of the people here (which I still have not fully figured out), their purchasing patterns and behaviour (online shopping is popular here since there are a limited number of shops, which meant a limited number of products as well), and what item or service I can provide to fulfill a need.

I did not look far. I looked into my own needs. I got hooked with Korean beauty products in 2016. I found their products effective yet inexpensive. I made sure I was fully stocked when we moved here but I soon found myself needing to restock my items and purchasing from the online shops here meant I do not always have my go-to items available. I would purchase from different sites so I will get the best price for the product that I preferred but it was not sustainable for me.

And so my idea for a new business began. I looked for wholesale suppliers who can provide for the products I needed. After several attempts to contact an efficient supplier with the best price, I eventually found one.

The Website

Having found a supplier, I knew I was ready to start my own online shop (as a physical shop will take more effort and capital which I do not have). I purchased a domain and a subscription for an online shop and I thought it will already get easier form there.

Nope. It did not. I had to learn a lot of other items I did not know I needed. I needed to learn about online security, payment options, etc., etc. The list was incredibly wrong. Being the perfectionist that I am, fear started creeping in because my online shop may not be “good enough” until two years in, I already had to renew all my subscriptions, without ever having sold any item because of the things I feared.

The Movers

Fortunately, I am surrounded by Movers. My boss (at my day job), who is ever-supportive of all my crazy ideas, suggested that I can sell on TradeMe first. TradeMe is an online shop/ auction where you can list the items you want to sell. Given that they already have an established customer base, you are bound to sell no matter how long. I started selling in November. My sales were not astoundingly successful but my products are nevertheless moving.

My second mover is no less than my dear husband. Howell has been assuring me that no matter the turnout, what matters is that I did what I wanted to do, which is an achievement in itself already. I did not need to prove anything to anyone, so I do not have to pressure myself into succeeding with this business. I have the products, anyway and I can always just use them if they are not sold. With this encouragement from him, I launched my website on 1st April this year – indeed a good date to launch a business venture!

The Aftermath

Was my launch successful? Far from it. Yet, I am building myself up everyday. I am learning more about the field I chose to be in (Marketing). I am learning more about managing my own website, managing inventories, managing customer expectations, and more importantly, the culture of the people I interact with daily. I call it the aftermath but I am definitely not done yet. There are still a lot of things to do and learn. I still fear but I shall keep on moving!

The Online Shop| S K-Beauty NZ

So then let me introduce you to my online shop! It’s called S K-Beauty NZ. Given the previous issue I had with ordering K-Beauty items, I designed my products and services to fill the need that most similar shops do not provide here in New Zealand.

Store Pick-Up: Residents in Wellington can pick up the items they purchased. This means no waiting time for delivery for those who need their beauty quick fix!

Product Requests: As limited variation of products is an issue here (merchants here do not really have that much of an option as importation expenses are expensive, mainly because we are literally at the edge of the earth), there is an option for customers to request for products which they wish to purchase for me to include it in my next batch of orders. They can just shoot me an email at info@skbeauty.co.nz or use my website’s contact me form. Easy as!

Best-Priced Beauty Products: Last and the most important bit, whether it be a skin care or makeup product, our prices are competitive, and I dare say, the best-priced items there are. That’s a sure win!

With that, I hope anyone who is interested may find their time to visit my online shop and check out the wonderful offerings we do have!

Categories
Daily Painting Musings

Daily Painting – Living Waters

I’ve been reading this book called Daily Painting by Carol Marine. The main message is to encourage artists to paint daily for their art to improve. I’ve only read a few pages but I am all in with the idea.

For my first painting, I painted a stream that flows into a river. As most of my paintings/ artworks/ writings reflect my inner thoughts, I wanted to share why I chose to paint this piece.

The past weeks have not been the best of times for me and Howell. I’ve been thinking a lot about life in general. One thing that keeps coming to mind is how I want to live my life. What do I want it to look like?

One gets a good perspective of how insignificant our issues can be if we look at the long-term consequences of the things we do on an everyday basis. It gives perspective on the things we consider “huge” and on the things we consider “petty/ trivial”. As Howell and I are at an age where we have all the resources we need at our disposal, it would be such a waste to live life as if it were just ours alone to live.

What are the good things we have for, if we choose to keep it to ourselves?

I thought of an imagery of a stream. The stream trickles down water from various sources and flows it to rivers. I want my life to be life-giving, not because I produce life on my own but that because I am connected to a source that never dries up. I want my words, my actions, my decisions, to reflect the purest of waters my source gives.

If there was just one thing that I want people to remember me by, it would be how gracious I have been, in whatever situation I were in. I want to be proud not of my achievements or my stature, or of my possessions I have acquired in my lifetime.

Instead, I want to be proud of the times I chose to forgive in spite of the pain. I want to be proud of giving even when I feel like there is no more left to give. I want to be proud of the fact that I have tried to reach out to those who are in pain, alone, and helpless. I want to be proud of living a life where I was able to give my all, especially to those who need it. I want to live a life that seeks to give, expecting nothing in return.

I hope my daily words, thoughts, and actions will help me achieve that – to be a life-giving stream, no matter the situation.

 

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Uncategorized

Praising God in Season and Out of Season

I am a black or white type of person. Navigating grays is a huge weakness of mine. This behaviour translates not only to my judgement of things but with other areas of my life, too – frustratingly, this includes my emotions.

Things that matter so much to me affects me in ways I can not even explain. Simple events or items that I can not take off my list weigh a heavy burden on my shoulders.

I hate to admit it, but I still am in love with control.

It drives me mad when things do not go as planned, most especially, when I meticulously plan for it –  which, to be fair, is a rare occasion. I tend to be spontaneous because I hate being disappointed. If something is not planned, then I can accept the chaos of it all. But if I have spent a huge chunk of my time on something and it goes haywire, expect dark days. It’s just me.

I came across that crossroad just a few days ago. Do the things that I do still matter? Are these things still of value? Why am I spending so much time on something I may not see the fruits of? It has been utterly frustrating. I pace back and forth and check where I took the wrong turn, an exercise that has always proven itself futile.

In the midst of the chaos, I am reminded of the fact that the God I love and serve does not change. The way I treat Him, the way I love Him, the way I worship Him, should not change because He never does. I am reminded that on those sunny and warm seasons, I can always turn to Him and thank Him for all the wonderful things He brings my way. In the cold and dark seasons, I can always still draw close to Him to seek for comfort.

Ultimately, it’s not about how I feel at any given time. My commitment is not to love the Lord only in the wonderful, blessing-filled days. My commitment is to love the Lord with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind because really, being faithful to Him is not just for Him alone. I believe that God calls us to abide in Him and to cling to Him in the good and the bad so He can provide for us the grace and mercies sufficient for the day.

Categories
Musings

The Case of the Average

I was listening to a talk during the weekend when it was mentioned that one should do something (I cannot remember which part of the talk this is) for him/ her to reach his/her best self. The reason I did not remember what that something was because my mind got stuck with the idea of developing into our best selves.

I had this seemingly dumb question looming over my head – one can never go wrong with trying to achieve the best, but why? Why do I need to develop into my best version? Is not my current version enough?

I am happy. I am contented. I seem to have everything I need. Why do I need to go beyond the good and the better version of me?

Is good enough not good enough? And like the detail maniac that I am, I racked my brain with reasons why:

  1. Because why settle?
  2. Because I hate wastage. I am already putting in time, effort, and resources. Why waste the effort by only giving it your good?
  3. Because good is only a step away from bad, actually
  4. Because honestly, I’d rather die trying than die with my what-ifs

I’ve learned that really, there’s nothing wrong with the average, but there is nothing exceptional about it, though. Why do we tend to choose the average, then?

  1. It’s easy.
  2. Giving it your best can be tiring. But would giving it your good enough make it less tiring?
  3. We sometimes feel like we have no choice. We do not have enough to go beyond the good enough. We choose what is presented to us, thinking that there is nothing beyond the box we confine ourselves into.
  4. I can just be plain lazy.

They say you need to start with the end in mind. And if I do think of the end, I think of the absolute end of my existence. When I die, whether I die at 30, or whether I reach 90, there is a longer time I want to secure – eternity.

If doing my best and reaching my best self is one way of securing my eternity in heaven, would I then not risk it all? Yes, average is good; but eternity does not recognize the average. The choice is yours.

Categories
Musings Settling in NZ Uncategorized

Welcome 2019!

2019 New year greeting card with fireworks. Minimalist style, geometric thin outline. Vector, eps.10

“…yet in the midst of the chaos, God said, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ Indeed, He is.

Even if I don’t feel it, even if I don’t see it.

I have cried over this several times, asking God to take this cup away from me. I went here with a leap of faith, never fully understanding that it can take a longer time before I fully land my feet on flat ground.

Be still. God will move. God has moved. He paved the way ahead of me, even if I haven’t seen it yet.

I am terribly bad at waiting but this time, I have to be perfectly still and wait for my Saviour who has the best intents for me. I will not whine nor grumble.

I will be still, just as He commanded me.”

This was one of my reflections 2 years ago. We were 2 months in New Zealand and it was a time of complete uncertainty for Howell and I. We just arrived, jobless, and were not even sure of my visa so I can stay in the country.

A month after, Howell got his job, and we moved into our home where we still reside today.

Time flies. It is now 2019.

That was a tough year for us and 2018 was a bittersweet one. Howell was promoted twice, moved into another wonderful company. We found new friends and lost old ones.

I got into a major vehicular accident, had bouts of depression because of the accident, dealt with major health issues because I was in pain for 3 straight months after the accident. After which, it led me to go back to my first love – writing and arts. It was also the year I launched my online shop.

I began to accept that our decision to go here would mean I will be apart from the people I loved the most. We’ve traveled parts of New Zealand and visited the Philippines. We’ve made huge milestones in 2018 and we lost huge parts of our hearts too – some, we know, left a permanent void in our lives.

In all things that happened, God has been faithful. Every pain has its own joys and triumphs.  Every setback has presented us with greater opportunities. Every void was a chance to fill our lives with wonderful surprises.

I know 2019 will present more to me and Howell. May it be good or bad, I know that the Lord will continue to be faithful.

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

Categories
The Long Drive Chronicles Uncategorized

I Am Okay

After a 2-month hiatus from blogging, I am here to tell everyone that I am okay. I was planning to write something about my recent awesome holiday but things happen and writing is the only way I know for me to sort out what happened.

I was on my way to work this morning when I got hit by another car. The next thing I knew, I was holding the wheels sideways, looking for an exit for me to get out of the car. How many times did it flip? I wouldn’t know. I saw the car from the corner but I honestly do not know why the driver decided to go straight ahead.

The first thing I thought was how I was going to go to work and if what happened was real. I was just cruising on the road. I did nothing unusual as I was below the speed limit of that road. The car that hit me came from a corner and I was pretty confident to go straight because it was supposed to stop because that road has a give way sign.

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I think 3 to 4 onlookers came to my rescue as soon as they saw me. They checked up on me if I had any injuries, which at that time, I didn’t know I had so I said I was okay. One of them called in the accident immediately and so 3 police cars arrived a few minutes after the accident. The police got my details and my statement. They sorted everything out as I stayed in one of the police cars.

I called one of my workmates to let her know what happened so she can relay the information as well. And as she just lives around the area where I met the accident, she dropped by to check in on me. My father-in-law came to pick me up and I am here, now, 3 hours after, retelling my story in my blog.

Papa told me that we can learn from these incidents. Praise God that I survived, unscathed. Well, except for a scratch on my left leg and perhaps a bruise on my right leg. I will go and have myself checked once Howell arrives home.

In all these, I just want to get the message across. In terms of practicalities, here are some of the things that people have to consider, especially if they are driving.

  • Nissan Liberty is a safe car. No kidding. I would have died given the damage to the car.
  • Put on your seatbelt. That saved me.
  • Get insurance. It takes your mind off of the financial side of things. I was driving carefully but someone hit me. I couldn’t have predicted that. You may be taking care of yourself but someone might recklessly just crash into you like what happened to me.
  • Contigo water bottles are pretty sturdy hahaha. All the containers where my lunch was packed were broken but my Contigo water bottles? Yeah, nah. Still good.
  • Sort your personal items well so that in emergency cases, they may find the contact details of the people who need to know of your status. Good thing for me, my phone is intact in spite of the crash so I was able to coordinate with people well. Had it broke, I did not even have Howell’s number memorized.

Now that all those practical items are mentioned, I know I have to share the biggest factor why I still am alive at this very moment.

The police officer who came to my assistance asked me if I go to church and I said I did. She surprisingly told me that my faith saved me. And I wholeheartedly believe so. I was moved to worship and to pray even as I was driving at the motorway this morning, a few kilometres from where the accident happened. And I did. I worshipped the Lord for He is glorious, He is all-powerful, He is a God who can bring things into action, wherever you are, whatever circumstances you might be in.

With the damage to my car and with how events happened, I may already be at my Daddy’s side right now. But it wasn’t God’s will yet. I lived to testify to something greater than myself. I am given, literally, a second chance at life. I am moved to tears as I type these words because things would have turned the other way. The Lord saved me and He saved me for a reason. What for? I am bound to find out. Right now, I will just praise and thank Him for the life He has gifted me with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Musings Uncategorized

The Myth that is Preparedness

A few days ago, I saw a video on Facebook which talks about time and how not to waste it, basically. I find these videos a cliche sometimes but then this one made sense. It kind of made me look at some areas of my life that I have not been dealing with. Below is a copy of the video if you want to see it for yourself.

I took several steps to fix my schedule and put a structure to it, somehow, but that is altogether a separate topic.

What I’m driving at is that after I took a good look at my schedule and how I am using my time, I saw that I have been spending it on the things that I love doing, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I haven’t focused on doing the things I need to do to achieve what I want. For most people, doing things that they love and doing things to achieve something they want is almost the same thing, but for me, it isn’t.

To contextualize this confusing concept, when I refer to the things that I love, these are my hobbies–swimming, painting, reading, etc. The things that I want to achieve or want to have are: several businesses, good health (yes, it’s something I am working to achieve now!), eetc.

I saw that I have been postponing the concrete things I should do for me to achieve my goals (one specific goal that I am referring to is a business venture that I have been planning for 2 straight years now) because I want things to be perfect. I want to be fully ready before I do anything for fear that I may fail if I were not perfect or ready enough. Two straight years was not long enough for me to be ready, according to my irrational fears.

It was until Howell offered to do ALL the chores at home for this month just for me to have “time” to focus on this business, which was pretty ironic because he works Mondays till Fridays while I work Wednesdays till Fridays. I guess he knows me too much to know that if he gives me all the time in the world, I might eventually get tired of focusing solely on my hobbies. That’s kind of what happened.

So this week, I finally decided to take that step. A few months back, I already secured my supplier for the items I wanted to sell in my shop. I’ve also been paying for a website of my own for 4 months but because of my fear that I wasn’t ready enough, I totally abandoned doing anything to actually push through with my lofty business idea. Due to my indecision, the supplier I secured ditched me already so I had to frantically search for another supplier who should be reliable enough not to leave me. Thank God, I did found one a day after I found out about the other supplier.

When you look closely at your fears, you’ll often see that fears are just a manifestation of something deeper. For me, I do leave things hanging for fear of not finding a next purposeful goal after I have achieved it. Sometimes, I am too fearful that achieving this specific goal may tie me to a spot where I cannot leave. At times, I fear that I am missing out on something better that may still be out there and so I hold off moving as long as I can. Until I’m ready. Until every area of my circumstances are perfect.

Now, I am totally devoted to this cause, in spite of the fear. Why? Because if I wouldn’t take the first step, nothing will actually happen. What changed? The idea that no matter how wonderful and perfect my ideas are, if I do not do anything to achieve it, it will remain as, well, ideas, however perfect they may be. Ideas are good but without action, they serve no purpose.

At the end of my life, how would I account for how I lived? Like every gift given to me, I’d like to use it to the fullest and make something beautiful, something bigger than myself, out of the little or much that I have been given. There is no better time to move but today, now, at this very moment. Being prepared is good, but being fully prepared is a myth. If it makes sense and if it is something that the Lord wants me to pursue, then I’ll take a leap of faith, hoping against hope that what little I have may bear fruit and bless others.

Featured photo from http://passionforfreshideas.com/personalgrowth/leap-of-faith-jessica-mcgregor-johnson/

 

Categories
Uncategorized Work

Mums Go Free at Staglands on Mother’s Day Weekend!

Mums Go Free at Staglands on Mothers Day Weekend

Saturday 12th to Sunday13th May      

 

At Staglands we all know how important mums are so are offering each and every one of them free entry into The Reserve on Mothers Day weekend, 12th to 13th May! That’s not just one day but the whole weekend!

Mothers must be accompanied by their children aged 16 years or under to enjoy this special treat.  So why not make a day of it and bring up a family picnic or if you prefer put your feet up and relax by the log fire in our cosy cafe.

Grab your free entry vouchers at www.staglands.co.nz today!

Categories
The Long Drive Chronicles Uncategorized

The Other Side

We have received terrible news in the past week, the passing of two sisters in our prayer groups in the Philippines and here in New Zealand. I was surprised with how devastating it felt. I honestly am not too close with both of them but I knew them enough.

I knew of Giki’s passing through a common friend. I really thought, or maybe I kind of hoped, that it was only a joke. She died of childbirth complications. Fortunately, their baby is alive and well. She’s almost my age and her husband’s a good friend of mine. I knew how long he waited for her and how happy he was when they finally got married.

I wasn’t too affected at first but it hit me the second day I’ve received the news. I was crying my heart out the whole day. The people at work might have found it odd that my eyes are red and swollen the whole day but I didn’t really have the courage to tell them about it. Even if I felt like telling them what happened, nothing would make a difference because I was miles away from home. I couldn’t be there for my friend.

The next news was of Rose’s passing. We knew her for just a year. I think the first conversation I had with her was before one of our meetings and no one was in the venue yet so she invited me to wait with her in her car. She shared how it was for her when she migrated to New Zealand.

I remember this was the time I was really anxious if I’d ever have a decent job here. We both were HR professionals back in the Philippines so we had something that we can talk about. She shifted to a career in finance here, I think. She talked about how she herself experienced how difficult it was to find a job here. Our conversation for the most part was uneventful but she made an impact to me that day. She assured me that all will be well and that I had to trust that God will provide for me and my family. She didn’t know how thankful I was of that assurance. I needed that badly at that time.

I tend to be pretty dense during these situations. I try to avoid my emotions and deny them most of the time but the Lord confronted me through them. I see death as something beautiful and freeing. I have learned this when my dad passed away. I had to hope that it is indeed beautiful, that death does not simply end in death alone, but it is a meaningful reunion with our Maker and that someday, we’ll join them.

Like I said, the second day after the news of their passing was different for me. For some reason, I could not fight back the tears that day. My drive going home is an hour so I have a lot of “silent moments” that I tend to think about things.  While I was driving home that day, I heard this song entitled The Other Side. Here is an excerpt of the lyrics that really stuck with me:

I bet you feel you’re finally home
Running down those streets of gold
The kind of peace you can’t explain
Looking into Jesus’ face

I know that you’re in a better place
I know I’ll be joining you someday

It isn’t easy to say goodbye
But I know it’s only for a little while
Run up ahead and I will catch up
‘Cause I’m gonna see you when tomorrow comes
On the other side

Where there are no more goodbyes
No more pain, no more tears left to cry
We will join with the angels singing their song
Praising our savior, all the day long

It isn’t easy to say goodbye
But I know it’s only for a little while
Run up ahead and I will catch up
‘Cause I’m gonna see you when tomorrow comes
On the other side

There are times when the Lord speaks to me through songs and I felt like He was dealing with me through this song. It didn’t deny the pain of death but it sheds a ray of hope that someday, we will meet again. This time, there’ll be no goodbyes. It gives hope that yes, those who have gone ahead of us are free. They are joyfully looking into Jesus’ face. In the meantime, I can continue my journey here so that someday, we may all meet again…

So to you, sisters, Giki and Rose, bask in God’s embrace. You had been His faithful servants. We will all be looking forward to seeing you someday, until we meet again.

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