Entries for January, 2008

January 12th, 2008

New Year Resolutions

I feel that it is never too late to list down one's official list of goals-slash-resolutions for this year.

Starting this year, 2008, I would...

• glorify God with my excellent works.
• blog more frequently but write shorter posts.
• reserve about 1-3 hours of my time every week for updates on sites/email accounts that I manage: blog, sorority, forums, organization, e-groups, mail, and Multiply.
• exercise in the morning.
• set aside at least an hour everyday for quiet time with the Lord in prayer and bible-reading, including reading of The Daily Bread.
• limit my alcohol intake in a month.
• condition myself to sleep early and rise early.
• drive the car.
• eat healthily.
• use an organizer to hopefully organize my life.
• return to Youth for Christ.
• enjoy every moment that I am single--no more hunting and looking out for me.
• read a novel every night.
• play in the piano and memorize a certain song/piece.
• earn money and deposit my earnings in my BPI account.
• buy/make birthday presents for friends.
• buy/make presents for my parents for all occasions.
• excel in my academics.
• ritually pray every morning and night.
• finish my unfinished 2005 scrap book.
• give Christmas gifts to everyone.
• remember names and take the initiative to greet and smile at familiar faces when I recognize them.
• write down ALL my goals and aspirations.
• give my financial tithes to the church and actual tithes to God.
• pray and fast with the church every month.
• constantly pray and lift up all my concerns to God.
• cook different meals.
• remember, think, thank, and write to God.
• organize and plan ahead by writing down EVERYTHING.
• list down and keep my promises to Papa, Ate and Ninang.
• live the Lambdan life, and make myself and everyone else proud.
• prioritize well, and then make wise decisions based on God's word, other's opinion, priorities, and gut feeling.
• organize my finances: income, expenses, accounts payable, and accounts receivables.
• disciple.
• recruit.
• memorize bible verses.
• perform excellently my duties and responsibilities to the organizations I have committed myself into.
• show my love to loved ones.
• keep my faith in God, and love Him even more through obedience.
• do so much more than these.
• LIVE.

In faith, I know I have already succeeded.

Watch out for my detailed entry on how on earth I plan to accomplish all these.

mood optimistic

yahn @ 08:12 PM | Book Of The Yahn [2 comment/s]

January 19th, 2008

Birthday Bash

Yup, yup. Indeed, it is my day today--I'm turning a year older once again! Yay! Well, goodbye 18 for me then, hello to my 19th year--my last year as a teenager.

As usual, I celebrated my birthday in different days, with different people. Last night, my college pals joined me in my countdown to midnight here at home. I threw a little bash for my six friends who were able to stay here in our house for the night, and we ate all that we could. And for the rest of the night, we sang our throats out to the tune of the videoke I requested from my parents. Videoke is something that all of us enjoy, and it definitely must not be left out in any party!

Later on, I'm celebrating my birthday with my family. We're going to Manila to have dinner and watch the Fireworks display in SM Mall of Asia.

And then tomorrow, perhaps there would no longer be a celebration for me since my high school friends are busy with their academics. But I'm meeting my YFC pal, Maxine, to attend this gathering in Calamba. Well, I must admit that I prefer not to celebrate any longer by tomorrow. If people do remember my day and greet me, plus give me a gift, then thanks. But if not, still thanks for making my day complete just by accompanying me.

On another note, I notice that my resolutions--faith goals as I'd like to call them--are, well, too many. But that's not really the point. I just wanna thank God that slowly but surely, I'm reaching my faith goals, one at a time. I already noticed a breakthrough with my quiet time as I have consistently set aside an hour of my day since the first for praying and bible-reading. I am in faith that in the days to come, God will persevere me in my improving efforts to communicate with him. Already I feel that QT is a daily routine for me; I no longer have trouble deciding which part of my day I should pray and read the bible.

So maybe I have failed to get myself a boyfriend when I was 18. I'm still here, a member of the NBSB clique, not yet an alumni. Perhaps I did choose a different track and opted for a different kind of committment. Well, what do you know--I feel fulfilled having done this so. It's not that I lost, rather I gained. Choosing to commit to my organizations is way much better than committing to someone. And as I have chosen and walked this path I'm walking on now, I have no regrets. I realized that I still have a lot to learn, and I'm better off learning them in a different perspective. God is simply awesome; he blessed and equipped me for the bright, and sweet, future awaiting. me.

And as the year opened, I thought that the prince I'm wishing for is the same new committment I'm hoping for. I was proven wrong. This other committment might just be another affiliation. I'm not scared. I'm excited in fact for richer learning experience. Simply, I'm not yet decided. As I've posted in my resolutions, I will now decide based on what God has to say, what others have to say, and what I have to say. And like the same ol' me, when I'm ready to go, there's no stopping me.

Ooh. Half of the day is almost over. But I'm still excited for what's more to come. I'm in so much faith that God has much more surprises to come. Maybe not today, but definitely next week. Oooh, I'm so thankful already to the Lord for keeping me hopeful. God never fails to make me smile.
mood thankful
listen Happy Birthday To You!

yahn @ 01:21 PM | Book Of The Yahn [1 comment/s]

January 20th, 2008

3-Step Success Plan

ONE: PRAYER
Pray. I believe this would be the first step anybody should take in making tough decisions and acting on them. That explains the 7-day prayer and fasting we do in church at the start of the year. Ideas don't just come in and all of the sudden you decide for yourself that this is what you want to do. You have to pray for your faith goals, discern not just what you want for yourself, but what God has ultimately planned for you. You don't wanna waste your time planning and acting on your own, not knowing that you will fail in the end because God never really intended you to succeed in such--now would you?

Indeed, it is much easier to pray when you are in trouble. People find it easier to ask favors from God rather than thank Him for the favors already received. What is prayer anyway? Isn't it about communicating to God? The difficult decision people face in prayer is what on earth they are supposed to tell God. Because we know He is God, then we can tell him just about everything! But of course, it's not always telling Him all that YOU want--He is God indeed, thus it is only proper that He hears from us what He deserves to hear from us: the praise, the worship, the gratitude due His name. After all, He did make all things possible, right?

Lately, there are certain prayers in my heart. As I notice the breakthroughs I've already received from Him in just half a month, one prayer of mine is perseverance--that may God continue to stregthen me to preserve my integrity and burning desire for Him. Two is for discernment; may I always discern His will for my life so as to ultimately decide and act as He pleases.

TWO: PLANNING
Now I'm done praying. It's about time I plot and organize my act. Small actions may come spontaenously, but big ones don't. In the law of action-reaction, there is an equal and opposite reaction balancing every force exerted. In the same way, every ultimate accomplishment that you wish for should be caused by the very effort you exert. This law may not always be followed, but rest assured that this is the most sure-fire way to have it your way.

So that this entry wouldn't be that long, I intend to post in another entry the details of my plans for my faith goals. It would be better to have it isolated, since it would be very long for it is very much detailed. Perhaps I will post a time table as well to make it more realistic. I must admit that already, I am enjoying the idea of organizing my life.

THREE: ACTION
This is the most crucial part: putting words into actions. What steps have I already taken to get me closer to my goals? How are my plans doing so far? I might as well mention in every entry that I post updates with regards to my faith goals. This would not only keep me reminded, but will also motivate me.

As Sean Covey puts it, "sharpen the saw." Never get tired of renewing yourself. Life is a series of constant changes, and there is no reason for us not to catch up with these changes.

yahn @ 03:30 PM | Ice-peek!, Book Of The Yahn [Add comment/s]

January 27th, 2008

The Plan

This would be the second part of my personally formulated three-step success plan: the writing part. As I have earnestly prayed to God for discernment and concentration, God has been good and answered my prayers thoughtfully. And now I have an idea what I would be doing not just this year, but perhaps for the years to come.

For the success of my and God's goals for myself, I would take the following actions.

• glorify God with my excellent works
  Plain do my work excellenty--from academics, to organizations, to the sorority, to my family, even to my friends.
• blog more frequently but write shorter posts
  Blog at least once a week. Blog about goals, prayers, and God's word to me. Blog about recent news, opinions, pictures, etc.
• reserve about 1-3 hours of my time every week for updates on sites/email accounts that I manage: blog, sorority, forums, organization, e-groups, mail, and Multiply
  Keep a website notebook to remind myself of the updates to be posted and schedule site maintenance every Saturday afternoon.
• exercise in the morning
  Jog every morning, around 5am, to improve stamina and speed. Invite friends to jog with me, like Rajiv or sisses, and play tennis with friends, like Teddy.
• set aside at least an hour everyday for quiet time with the Lord in prayer and bible-reading, including reading of The Daily Bread
  Set aside quiet time in the morning, before going outside the house/dorm/room. Pray, read the bible, write down prayers, and relax.
• limit my alcohol intake in a month
  STOP drinking alcoholic beverages officially by June 1, 2008.
• condition myself to sleep early and rise early
  Sleep as late as 11pm and wake up as early as 5am.
• drive the car
  Practice driving at home every weekend. Enrol in a driving school in the summer.
• eat healthily
  Cut off junk foods in my diet, even pork. Eat three half meals at most in a day. Be generous in giving foods, but be thrifty in speding on them.
• use an organizer to hopefully organize my life
  Jot down all schedules in my organizer and always check on it.
• return to Youth for Christ
  Attend monthly gatherings.
• enjoy every moment that I am single--no more hunting and looking out for me
  Simply disregard impure, unrealistic fantasies.
• read a novel every night
  Make a time table of all the books I would read this year and schedule at least one particular chapter to read every night. I am planning to read seventeen books this year--at least! Perhaps I will post here next time that time table I'm talking about. I am currently working on it for I'm still determing what those 17 books would be.
• play in the piano and memorize a certain song/piece
  Memorize a new piece every two months. Practice playing during the weekends, and whenever there's a piano around. Enrol in a piano class in the summer.
• earn money and deposit my earnings in my BPI account
  Write for Freedom Writers at least once a month.
• buy/make birthday presents for friends
  Take note of friends' birthdays and buy them presents a month before their day.
• buy/make presents for my parents for all occasions
  Take note of their birthdays [of course I know them by heart], anniversaries, and greet them on the day, plus prepare a gift.
• excel in my academics
  Set aside a time everyday to study and never procrastinate for an exam. Always pray before studying. Study, and leave the rest to God. Don't get discouraged with failing marks or difficult exams--I will persevere and keep on giving my best.
• ritually pray every morning and night
  Praise God in the morning, and thank Him at night.
• finish my unfinished 2005 scrap book
  Finish it during the summer, before the first semester of 2008 starts.
• give Christmas gifts to everyone
  Buy many gifts already by November. Take note who to give them to.
• remember names and take the initiative to greet and smile at familiar faces when I recognize them
  On the first meeting, call them by their names and chat with them. Let them talk!
• write down ALL my goals and aspirations
  I will set the back part of my website notebook as a prayer notebook where I could write down all my prayer requests, including my wishes and goals.
• give my financial tithes to the church and actual tithes to God
  Set aside ahead of time money for my tithes for the church. Always start with a prayer in all activities--in meetings, heading a committee, organizing an event, taking exams, etc.
• pray and fast with the church every month
  Water fast every first Friday and attend the prayer meeting.
• constantly pray and lift up all my concerns to God
  When I start worrying or thinking uncontrollably of the worst-case-scenarios, I would pray and lift up all my worries, fears and thoughts to God--then I could breathe easier.
• cook different meals
  I would learn to cook through books in the summer, and cook those meals at home.
• remember, think, thank, and write to God
  In every prayer, I would remember every good thing that happened in my life and whisper a prayer of thanks to God. Even as I do my daily work, I would silently thank God whenever for every good that comes my way, or that I see for others. I would remember and write them down in my prayer notebook, even the good and painful lessons learned. I would post letters to God in this blog sometimes.
• organize and plan ahead by writing down EVERYTHING
  Evaluate notes in my prayer notebook and discern God's will for them. I would do this every Sunday morning. Then I would make realistic plans for the accomplishment of God's beautiful purposes for me, like when and how to do them.
• list down and keep my promises to Papa, Ate and Ninang
  My promises to Papa: I would pass all my subjects, I would always have time for our family, I would always inform them. My promises to my Ate: I would take good care of myself, I would never hurt myself, I would always tell her like it is. My promises to my Ninang: I would be an asset of the sorority, I would excel in my academics, I would be loyal to the sorority.
• live the Lambdan life, and make myself and everyone else proud
  What is the Lambdan life? It is an excellent life. It is doing my best in all aspect, and producing fruitful and excellent products. It is how a woman lives her life, the way God wanted me to. A Lambdan is a woman of God: strong, responsible, sensitive, conservative, and happy.
• prioritize well, and then make wise decisions based on God's word, other's opinion, priorities, and gut feeling
  My priorities in life are: God, my family, my academics and career, my affiliations, and my relationships. When faced with tough decisions that have long-term and public consequences, I have to consider my goals and priorities in life. I need to read God's word and pray perfevently to Him. I would also consult my friends and mentors for my choice, And I will re-examine over and over again as well my intentions and reasons for choosing such option/s.
• organize my finances: income, expenses, accounts payable, and accounts receivables
  I will start using the envelope system, and organize my finances. Every first week of the month, I would set aside my money for particular expenses for the whole month, using the envelopes. I would also put an "Income" envelope where I could put all my extra money, so that I could save them. I would also write down all my emergency expenses so I could keep track of my money.
• disciple
  Invite a classmate or two to YoJam.
• recruit
  Invite!
• memorize bible verses
  Memorize a certain bible verse everyday, as prescribed in the Daily Bread.
• perform excellently my duties and responsibilities to the organizations I have committed myself into
  Always work excellenty, aiming for perfection at all costs.
• show my love to loved ones
  Make time with them.
• keep my faith in God, and love Him even more through obedience
  Continue living under His authority. I'll keep His word in my heart and always refer to them in all circumstances.
• do so much more than these
  Check out my prayer notebook every week. Update and post plans in this blog.
• LIVE.
  

Habits determine one's character. I choose these new set of habits to form the character God has set for me. And I prefer to do them habitually so that God's traits would all come naturally to me.

This would be my covenant to God. As He promised me salvation, prosperity and a good life, I swear to obey Him and first and foremost remember Him. My covenant to God is to do my part, to stand my post, and trust in His loving grace. God has promised more than enough for me, and all I would have to do now is obey Him.

Today, January 27, 2008, I, Yahn, swear to abide by this covenant I made with my God.

yahn @ 04:57 PM | Book Of The Yahn [Add comment/s]