Tag: NZ

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Family

My Journey to Pregnancy

My story goes way back 2012 when I was first diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I had irregular periods then but that was the only symptom I had until it progressed to weight gain, insulin resistance, and eventually, as the doctors called it, an unexplained infertility.

It really didn’t bother me until we started trying to conceive, which started in 2018. We were already in New Zealand then so I can say I had sufficient healthcare. We were referred to a fertility clinic and we tried 3 rounds of Letrozole but never in any of those rounds did I ovulate. It was about the same time that I got into a major vehicular accident which impaired me in numerous ways. My regular physical activity rapidly declined as I dealt with my injuries and my undiagnosed PTSD from the accident, which then led me to emotional eating. It all spiraled to a point that I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2019.

We had to hold off all efforts in conceiving since I had to bring my blood sugar down to a safe level first so it was from that point on that we started rethinking our lifestyle and revamping ways we are doing things. The urgent things I had to take care of then was pulling myself out from a toxic environment we were in. We were part of a group who completely ignores mental health issues and wouldn’t even want to talk about it as according to them, it should only be discussed with professionals. I didn’t even know what they meant – for me, it meant they didn’t really care what I was going through but I still had to do my “responsibilities” that I committed to in joining the group. I had to continuously be emptied without any promise of being filled.

It was in 2020 that we decided that enough is enough. We left the group and by God’s grace, found a church who would love Howell and I and care for us no matter the situation. It was tough trying to rebuild new relationships as the previous ones were completely severed because of misinformation that were given to the other members of the group. Still, it has helped my mental health tremendously. Toxic people and environments aren’t worth the work to keep.

And because I was then gaining momentum to heal, I also started getting physically active again. If I could remember it right, there were still strict restrictions in place due to Covid so I wasn’t able to get back to the gym but I found good alternatives like walking everyday for at least 45 minutes and doing online dance workouts. Once the restrictions eased, I went back to swimming for about twice a week and continued my everyday walks.

It was also the same year that I started going to art school, where I found my tribe – people who had the very same passions I had: art. No matter the expression, we had the same understanding of how art is special to us – for the first time since we moved, I felt fully embraced and understood.

In 2021, with careful planning and discussion with my ever supportive husband, I took a break from work to fully recuperate. I had a discussion with my employer because I really did not know what I wanted to do, all I knew was that I wanted a break to fully heal. My dear employer was kind and generous enough to give me some hours I can work from home while I rethink how I wanted my career to go in the near future. This also meant I was spending heaps of time alone at home so as thoughtful as my husband is, he decided to give me a dog to keep me company, and boy did it change my life. If you are keen to see more of our daily adventures with Milo, check out our Instagram page.

Milo is full of beans but is sweet and is a warm company who keeps us happy with his antics.

With my husband’s unconditional love and support, exercise, eating healthy, continuing with my studies, spiritual and emotional support from church, and my sweet Milo by my side all the time, I continued to heal. I started feeling physical improvement around June, which was also reflected in my lab tests that time. I wasn’t thinking of having a baby anymore because the priority was to just heal. I am so blessed to have been given this kind of support by everyone around me. Now here we are, I am currently 20 weeks 5 days pregnant. God has given us a child in His own time, and it is beautiful.

Filling yourself with good and beautiful things physically, mentally, emotionallly, and spiritually will do you wonders, even for someone as complicated and messed up as I am. Reminds me of this beautiful verse in Philippians:

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. -Philippians 4:8-9

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ash the brush's journey

Ash the Brush’s Journey (The Artist’s Process)

As Ash the Brush’s Journey is my first ever published book, friends have had heaps of questions about it – Have you always had a story in your head? What prompted you to write a book? How did you know exactly what to draw?

First off, I’d like to thank all my friends who have already purchased the book, both in New Zealand and in the Philippines. Really appreciate all your support!

So back to my process…

The idea of writing a book has always been a dream of mine so when my mentor asked me what type of project I wish to do, I instantly said I wanted to illustrate one!

After the phone conversation with my mentor, Leigh Mitchell-Anyon, my mind quickly went into overdrive thinking for a topic. I didn’t have one then – all I knew was I wanted to reach children and introduce them to the beauty of art. Couple of minutes after, I went to the literal thinking throne…

And a storyline quickly popped up! I wanted to share that whatever pains we go through will always have a purpose. Then I thought of how I can creatively illustrate that point and thought of how we use paint brushes! Perfect!

I started working on it straight after that!

On the left hand side is how I conceptualized Ash’s features and colours used so all the illustrations are consistent. The top right photo is the final colour palette I’ve chosen for the entire book. The middle photo on the right are my art materials that inspired my book characters. I’ve especially included a Mongol pencil, a brand I’ve used from childhood. The bottom photo on the right is also an inspiration for one of Ash’s journey scenes.

I did a storyboard so I’d have a concrete direction…

Then researched for the appropriate facial expressions for the character…

Did test paintings of all the pages in watercolour, ink, and coloured pencils…

…And made the final paintings.

The most difficult task for me was not the painting part but the scanning, editing, and layout! I have been doing graphic arts for years now thus I was confident to do these tasks but it was way different to my typical editing and layout work!

Good thing I have a good relationship with my printing supplier, they helped heaps in my book layout! Shoutout to the PrintCraft guys Dave and Gary! Inputs about printing and layout from one of the artists I met in class, Michelle Mainwaring, helped heaps as well!

It was an exciting project and I am encouraged to create more. If anyone is wanting to also do their dream projects, I encourage you to do so! Start small, and take those small, wobbly steps haha, you’ll get there!

Ash the Brush’s Journey is now available for sale on my shop. Click on this link and buy your copy today!

Categories
Work

Go Mad for Marshmallows these School Holidays!

Staglands yummy winter marshmallows are back and for a limited period only, during the July School Holidays, they will be given away FREE to all visitors!

Toast your own on the cosy Barn campfire and enjoy some wild cooking in the great outdoors.

www.staglands.co.nz 

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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/

 

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Settling in NZ Uncategorized

NZ Visa Experience

One of the issues immigrants face is applying for visas to work and stay in another country. In the years past, it was not too difficult for migrants to get a visa to stay permanently here in New Zealand. Unfortunately, we came at a time when a lot of the processes and requirements have changed. As for me, here is my experience of the whole process. Bear in mind that this is not a comprehensive one since everything is already a blurry for me.

What visa do I apply for?

Presentation1
The visas I applied for in a nutshell.

I came to New Zealand through a Visitor’s Visa that will last for 59 days. We opted for this one because it was free. We knew that once I get here, I will apply for another visa, thus we chose not to have any additional spend for this. Note that Howell is already a Permanent Resident visa holder since 2011 so we did not have to worry about his visa here.

When we were already here, we did not know what options we had for my visa so we consulted Immigration NZ. They have confirmed that with our specific case, given that we were already living together for more than 12 months during the time of application, we can opt to apply straight to residency (which can take up to 9 months at the time we called) or if we wish to have a visa that would allow me to work soon, then we can choose the work visa (with processing time of 25 days max) instead. Given that there were more opportunities for me at that time, we decided to apply for the work visa since its processing time is shorter.

After I got a job, we pushed for the application of my residency visa. We needed to save up for another application (because fee$$$ haha) so we postponed it until I had my own job.

Timelines

My visitor’s visa was approved in 10 days if I can remember it right. Processing time was shorter perhaps because it was my second visit already.

My work visa was approved 4 months after I submitted my application, in contrary to the 25 days stated in their website then. This was the toughest visa I had to apply for because I had issues with my urine test. I had to retake because they found traces of sugar in my urine sample (which was not normal). It went downhill from there. For some reason, it was difficult for them then to confirm what stage my application was but it was approved nevertheless.

My resident visa was approved 5 months after my application. Should we have known that the timelines for the work and resident visa would be the same, we would have opted to apply straight to resident visa since we spent a significant amount for both applications.

Requirements

All requirements can be found on Immigration NZ’s website. Their list of requirements are pretty comprehensive and straightforward so there is no guesswork, especially for the visitor’s visa.

The requirements for my work and resident visa are almost the same, except we added a few items like the tenancy agreement and home bills to the resident visa application since we were already renting on our own then. Since my application is partnership-based, we had to provide documents that will prove that we are in a genuine and stable relationship for more than 12 months. A marriage certificate here is a recognized proof of a relationship but is not enough to prove a genuine and stable one so we had to add on several items to the application. Below is a list of all the requirements  I can remember:

  • Marriage certificate
  • Tenancy agreement
  • Statement of joint bank account
  • Statement of joint investments
  • Copious amount of photos, especially the ones we’ve posted on social media
  • Letters from family members posted to our home
  • Utility billings
  • Timeline of the relationship (a friend told me a bullet-type of timeline is acceptable but since I am extra, I did a 3-page narration of our love story;) )
  • Tickets and bookings from all our travels throughout the years
  • Some people submit references (statements from people in NZ who know them and can testify about the status of their relationship) but we chose not to because we are both not comfortable asking people for this

Extra items to take note of

  • Personally, keeping in touch with Immigration is helpful throughout the process of applying. I usually call them at least twice a month just to check on the status of my application. When my case officer emailed me, I emailed her twice. There is a thin line between asking and being pushy in terms of asking for updates so you’d have to strike a balance on this.
  • Be as organized as possible because you may need your documents in another application. We have all our documents filed in one binder so it is easy to produce them when it is needed.

What now?

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My Resident Visa

For those who wanted to know what my current visa is, it will allow me to stay in New Zealand indefinitely. However, should I choose to travel outside of New Zealand after 19th March 2020, I will need to apply for another resident visa to re-enter the country.

I can also apply for a permanent resident visa after 2 years. So if we will be travelling outside New Zealand after 19th March 2020, we might need to apply for permanent resident visa. In 5 years, I will be eligible to apply for citizenship.

As an NZ Resident, I am also eligible to receive all the benefits a citizen or permanent resident has, e.g. health care, KiwiSaver, maternity leave, etc.

Other options

For those wanting to apply for a visa here, visit https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas for more details. The information in their website is really helpful. You can also choose to ring them for specific questions. Here is a quick information on how to contact them.

Hope this was helpful!

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Musings Uncategorized

The Year After

We arrived in New Zealand on 29 December 2016. We had high hopes of the future, given that we are confident that we have prayed for this decision, planned and plotted timelines tediously, and that we are certain of the support Howell’s family has generously committed.

Several bittersweet things happened in between. I named my blog post for today as The Year After, mainly because around the same time last year, we feel our life in New Zealand has finally started. This post is about recalling our leaps from last year and some of the many things we are grateful for.

Work

Both Howell and I were both blessed with good jobs here. Coming here, we were prepared to take on any role, irregardless of its relevance to our past work experiences. All we knew is that we were to earn dollars, and we’re pretty much content with that.

We’ve had our fair share of disappointments applying for a job. We both applied for entry-level jobs here that we were confident we can do but there would be close to a hundred (I kid you not, I think I did apply for 100+ jobs) letters saying that we were not qualified and that other high caliber applicants applied for the job. Apart from the rejection, it was ridiculously painful to receive messages like those.

We were ready to start from the bottom and move our way up but the Lord, in His generosity, had better plans for us. Howell was the first one to find a job. He was hired as a Graduate Engineer, with the main responsibility of doing reports for an insurance company which dealt with Earthquake damage claims from the 14th November 2016 earthquake event (i.e. Kaikoura earthquake). A few months into his work, he was given design jobs and a year after, he is already one of the Intermediate Engineers in his company, doing design work, account management, and client liaisons.

I, on the other hand, found a job as a Marketing Manager in one of New Zealand’s wonderful wildlife reserves. The role, the company itself, my workmates, and the environment, fit well with my needs and wants. I could not have wanted a better job for myself.

It is amazing how we were restored specifically in this area of our life. Work was one of our anxieties then. We had to pray for humility to accept whatever job the Lord grants us. We had to prepare for whatever opportunity may open for us.

Home

If I could remember it right, we transferred to our flat around April. We lived for 3 months with my in-laws. Our relationship with them isn’t perfect but I am proud to tell the world that I have learned to love them as my own and they love me the same. However, no matter how good our relationship with them is, we still had to stand on our own and build our own family, thus the decision to rent a home of our own.

Transferring home has been one of my concrete experiences of God’s generosity through the people around us. Most of our furniture and appliances, even our cutlery, came from my in-laws and from members of the Lamb of God community. Salvation Army and the Trash Palace has been one of the most helpful places we’ve been when we were starting. Little by little, we are able to build something that we can call ours. It is a joy to experience this with Howell.

Community Life

Community life has a completely different meaning here in New Zealand so I’d have to put a bit of context. When I say community life, I am referring to my prayer group here in New Zealand, the Lamb of God community. It is different from communal living, which some religious groups do.

We started as observers for almost a year. We adjusted to the way they did things, tried to learn their patterns, and basically established relationships with all of the other members. Today, we are happily serving the community’s youth. Bigger things are laid out and we are praying that someday, all these will bear fruit.

Quality of Life

One thing that has greatly improved is the quality of our life. We have quite a number of responsibilities here but the way New Zealand’s overall systems work is that it allows you to have work-life balance. You are encouraged, and in fact, supported, even by your employers, to pursue your passions.

We both are able to exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, and do our individual interests.

Howell is actively playing his most loved sport, ultimate frisbee. He will be playing at Nationals in 2 weeks. That’s a huge leap he would not have experienced back in our home county. He is also able to play music (drums and guitar) in our community events, something that he always wanted to do even back home.

Meanwhile, I get to regularly swim because there are heaps of swimming pools here. I get to read at least one book a week because the library is a few blocks from our home and they have good choices of books. It’s worth noting that Howell was also able to get interested in reading books simply because of the e-book app that the library has. I also am able to get back to my love for arts–calligraphy, painting, photography. One thing I am not able to do now is practice piano but we’ll get there.

Gazing Forward

Last year was a leap of faith for us. We had to trust that God delivers what He promises to do. It was an unbelievably eventful year for us. We are proud to be settling nicely here, with the help of our family and friends. We never would have imagined to be where we are now a year ago. We are humbled by all your kindness and generosity to us, especially in our time of need.

Today, we are gazing forward. We are praying for a child soon, but we are not rushing into anything. We know that that child will come in God’s time. We will continue to prepare and to look ahead as we’ve only just begun. We are continuously setting our sights on all of God’s other promises to us but for now, we live fully in the here and now.

If there is only one thing that I can describe our past year, it’s that it started with a leap of faith that led us to other leaps we never would have dreamed of. Trust that once the Lord has spoken, no matter the circumstance, He will deliver.

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Musings Uncategorized

Turning 29

My 29th birthday celebration yesterday was unlike no other. There was no fancy celebration, nothing huge like my previous birthdays when I used to meet with my friends. It was a simple and quiet celebration.

We have planned on going for a road trip but sometimes things just wouldn’t go our way. There was a huge change of plan for several reasons I’d rather not elaborate.

I started my day with a fun event with the Lamb of God youth, followed by a “shopping spree” in Wellington City, and a movie in the evening. I was so psyched with the shopping spree part because it was the first time in years that I was able to buy gadgets for myself. Howell bought a phone (this purchase wasn’t planned since my phone broke down a day just before my birthday, coincidentally) and a DSLR camera (since I wanted to dabble with photography).

My sister called me at midnight, just in time for my birthday. I was able to chat with her and my mom for a bit so it made my celebration so much special.

Another wonderful thing that happened is that my residency visa was approved! It was one of my biggest anxieties the past year, given the immigration changes here so it is such a blessing that this news came in. That will altogether be a different post, for those looking at migrating here.

It’s so surprising that even in this simplest celebration, everything that happened yesterday seemed so meaningful. I am in the process of restoration. All the things I have never thought would happen, happened.

As a friend quoted to me recently, it seemed that the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. I am convinced that these things happening in my life is a fulfillment of God’s promises He made years past. The Lord is restoring the years stolen from me by the responsibilities I had to take on at an early age. I am now capable of exploring things that I have wanted to do in my younger years, such as swimming, writing, and several artsy things. I have so much time in my hands that I can use to develop and use my talents more.

At 29, I certainly do not feel young, but my heart is as young as it can get because of my hunger for new discoveries and the new opportunities life opened up for me. For these, I am grateful.

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Howell Uncategorized

Howell’s Half-Marathon (Cigna Round the Bays 2018)

18th of February 2018, I joined Cigna’s half Marathon, my first 21km. I finished in 2:16 and I think I did really well. Interesting though, when I look back at my experience, it was actually the “journey” towards the finish line that had more meaning than just crossing the line itself. Let me tell you four things that I find very meaningful which I had experienced during the run.

First off, we arrived late. The run was supposed to start at 7:45am (gun time for half marathon) but we arrived at the parking lot at about 8:30am (about the same gun time for 10km run). Sheen was running for 6.5km which has a gun time at 9:15am. There was a warning that the cutoff starting time for 21km is at 8:45am and so I rushed towards the starting line. It’s ironic that others are running towards the finish line while I am running towards the starting line.

The fact that I finished the race means I was able to cross the starting line before it closes, however, I was already at the tail of 10km runners. In essence, 21km runners are ahead of me by an hour and most of those that with me will only run for 10km. Imagine that by the time these people will cross the finish line, I am literally just halfway my mark (well, technically not even halfway, but close).

I find it quite difficult to start given that I have already spent part of my energy running towards the starting line plus the anxiety that I will only be the one left running while everyone is done already. Note that there’s also that idea in my head that the event might be done before I can even finish the race… and that Sheen will be left alone waiting at the finish line. A ton of pressure for me while I try to establish my comfortable pace.

There was a point, past about 1km, I noticed a guy passing behind me wearing the 21km green-coded bib. It was a relief knowing finally that I am not alone. So, I decided to run at the same pace as he is, until about 3km, I lost him. This is the part where I started to recognize and reflect on what is happening.

I can’t help but compare this run to my spiritual life, to anybody’s spiritual journey actually. There are people who starts early, on time and just in every way, always, seemingly ahead of other people. These are usually the more disciplined Christians (spiritually) who are consistent in their prayer time, reading the Bible, to the point of waking up early to do these things just to keep themselves spiritually fit. Then there are those struggling to even start their spiritual journey, which was seemingly, what happened to my 21km run.

In our spiritual journey, we can sometimes see people of great Christian faith, just like the person who passed me, who are so encouraging, so much a relief seeing them running together beside us. For a time, we feel comfortable just following their lead. The problem is, just like what I experienced, when they’re gone, we lose hope simply because our anchor is on a temporal person. This can actually extend to not just a person of great Christian faith, you can even think of material things that encourages us, or perhaps, that promotion in our job or even our relationships. We see these things enabling us to finish the race, but the real challenge is, who are we when they’re gone?  Can we still push through our Christian journey? Do we still have the capacity to run? Then suddenly I thought, if I focus on an eternal being, that eternal being will not disappear no matter what. And here comes my first lesson:

LESSON 1: Be encouraged with the things that surrounds us, even with those great Christian people, but be more focused on God.

Isaiah 26:3 says “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

I was seriously left discouraged when I lost my temporary companion, but when I realized that the race must go on, I kept my pace thinking that there’s no other way but to run in order to cross the finish line (Well, I can’t even start thinking of going back, because the end line is literally on the other end of the bay and I have to get there no matter what or else, it would be difficult for me and Sheen to meet).

As I continue the race, it felt a bit more comfortable running even just in the company of 10km runners. But there comes a time where I have to continue the race without them since I am going for 21km while they will take a turn towards the finish line. Literally, I was the only one who turned towards the path for 21km when the time came. It became more difficult as I am running against strong sea breeze (thus the name Windy Wellington), alone, no other runner to share the force of the wind.

LESSON 2: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Have something that you hold dearly to keep you on the race.

Philippians 3:14 says “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”

When you feel that you are on your own and is faced by great trouble, this is where Christian life gets a bit more challenging. Keyword: “Eyes on the prize”. In my case during the race, I always think of receiving the Finisher’s medal. As this was my first time running a half marathon, it would be a great reward for me to have it. That verse run in my head during the race. It actually pumped me knowing that I would uncover greater reflection as I go on with the race.

Side note: I also think about the time when Sheen will be waiting for me at the end. She has to wait longer if I run longer. The hard part is that we only said goodbyes on the carpark as I have to chase the starting line. I can imagine her alone, waiting on the finish line and constantly looking out for me – which, I know, wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for her. Good thing that when I finished the race, Tom was with her and they seemed to be happy just talking to each other while waiting for me and for other community members.

There was an interesting thing that happened to me during that stretch of the run. Note that for the 21km run, there’s a turning point at about 14km mark and therefore, while I am only at 9km mark, the opposite side of the road are those running opposite and on their roughly about 16km mark. Some of these people, for whatever reason, cheered me on while my face is being blown by the wind. Imagine, they are runners ahead of me, and they have more energy in encouraging me to run! Maybe because I was cute and handsome, or probably they saw me struggling, I don’t know why. But the important thing is that I realized that these people represent the cloud of witnesses in my life—my parents, my spiritual mentors, my community leaders, those with more experience in their faith, all of them encouraging people like me who are struggling. It was indeed helpful knowing that they’re more worn out, they have suffered much, and yet, they can still provide encouragement, and smile on me.

LESSON 3: Provide encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Going past the 15km to 18km seemed more comfortable to me as I was able to pace myself well. And during that time, I have already passed some 21km runners and am confident that I will be able to cross the finish line on time. The last 2km, however, was a different story. I am a bit competitive so I decided that for the last stretch, I will not stop, no excuses, I will finish the run exhausting all the energy that I still have.

Just 200m away from the finish line, there was this guy, in a Flash costume, who greeted me and offered to run with me until the end. We both crossed the finish line, with him all the while chatting with me and encouraging me to finish the race. I find it different when I first tried the Cigna 10km run. The feeling now is more relaxed, more happy, and positive. I do believe that’s the idea of that Flash guy. Just knowing that someone knows your pain and will be there for you on that crucial part of the race, I guess that’s what made it easier to cross the end.

LESSON 4: Being with your friend at the crucial point of his/her Christian life has a great effect on how he/she responds to the situation specially after going through the pain, trial or suffering. Sometimes just being the “Ministry of Presence” brings a huge of difference. (See Ecclesiastes 4:7-12)

All in all, it was very humbling experience. I had my Christian songs with me throughout the race, which I only selected just that morning. Just a tip, don’t use sad songs as there are parts of the race that I really got emotional. There was a sad song that reminded me of God’s faithfulness – which is a story worth telling at another time.

So, to recap, the lessons are:

  1. Keep your focus on God (Isaiah 26:3)
  2. Eyes on the prize (Philippians 3:14)
  3. Encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25)
  4. Ministry of companionship (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, see also Job 2:13)

 

Keep running the race, everyone!

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Uncategorized Work

Kids Go Free at Staglands on Children’s Day!

Staglands Wildlife Reserve are celebrating Children’s Day on Sunday 4th March by offering  FREE ENTRY into The Reserve for ALL CHILDREN.

In addition to their usual attractions, visitors can enjoy free off-road tractor-trailer rides. So if you are looking for a fun Children’s day outing for the whole family, meet at Staglands and connect with nature on Sunday 4th March 2018.

(*Offer is not available with any other offer.   Children (0-16 years) must be accompanied by paying adult)

Visit http://www.staglands.co.nz/staglands-wildlife-reserve-and-cafe/x,76,3,1,6976,,2107/kids-go-free-on-children-s-day-.html for more details.

#ChildrensDayNZ #PutTamarikiFirst

 

 

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The Long Drive Chronicles Uncategorized

The Long Drive Chronicles – Kid on a Bike

Those who have been to Staglands Wildlife Reserve would know that the road I travel to get there isn’t necessarily the ideal road you’d take to work. It’s a windy road filled with a number of blind curves. It takes me 20-25 minutes to drive this road giving me loads of time to think about things, mainly to amuse myself and to distract me from the terrifying bends I have to drive in.

I sometimes sing, reflect, make my own jokes and laugh at them while driving there. And from here, the long drive chronicles was born. It is during my drive here that I get to take a closer look at my life and the circumstances surrounding me in an uninterrupted way. Will post a video of my way to work soon but for now, enjoy the read!

I usually go home at a certain time. There would be times when I’d come home late because I had a little chat with my boss but it’s not that often that this happens. In one of my usual travels home, I got off at an unusual time. I had no meeting or any sort of social engagement that day so I was driving at a relaxed pace.

Everything was as is until I came to a blind curve with a home right after it. I usually don’t encounter the residents there leaving the house and if they do, they leave with a car but at this specific time, a kid on a bike drove fast before me. I was in a safe speed so nothing untoward happened.

I, however, thought about what could have happened should I come home a bit earlier or later or should my driving speed have altered before that kid appeared on the road. That day, though, I was at that part of the road at that time, driving in that speed, saving me from a possible collision.

It reminded me of one of the prayers of a member in our prayer group where it says, “thank you, Lord, for saving us from things that we know and the things we are not aware of…”. 

Sometimes, we wonder why we are stuck somewhere we feel we shouldn’t be. We are in relationships we feel we shouldn’t be in anymore, we are in jobs that are not rewarding and fulfilling anymore, we are awaiting for answers that wouldn’t come. We feel stuck and forgotten. No matter what we do, nothing moves.

We may or may not know it but there is Someone at work in our lives, protecting us from things we cannot bear. We are in circumstances we need to be in at the moment. We can take comfort in knowing that we are provided with what we need when we need it. It may be a difficulty we need to grow from, it may be a short supply of resources we need to get by. We have the right amount of good and bad we have to deal with on a daily basis. Nothing is given to us beyond our capacity.

My takeaway for this day, from the kid on the bike, is that I am where I should be now, nothing more, nothing less. I am not a day over or a day under the things I am supposed to go through. Everything is in place because Someone is in charge of me. I am thankful for the times I was saved from things that I am aware of, more so, from the things I am not.

P.S. On the flip side, parents of these kids should teach their kids basic road safety to ensure they are secure when they go out of the house. 🙂 🙂 🙂