Sigh!

Less than 5 hours to Christmas here in the northeast of the states.

I believe this is the most unenthusiastic I have been about Christmas.

Oh well.

Hopefully tomorrow is a good day.

It is truly a happy day for me.

For months I've been up and down with what I want to do with my life and how I will achieve it.

Today might be that step that I needed to move forward with my life.

And to make me even more assured I finally managed to purchase my (LATE) Christmas gift.

I had so much trouble with Paypal that I gave up on getting it.

I decided to try again tonight and lo and behold.......IT WENT THROUGH!!!!!!!

I'll be doing a thorough review of my purchase when I get it next year.....so if you like anime then you'll definitely like this!!

Till next one!

Today, I went to the bank.

              It was raining.

On my way......a man down the sidewalk I was walking seemed to be urinating on a tree.

            I crossed the street after I noticed.

I made it to the bank and as I waited in line, someone requested that they need to call someone else to the counter.

          The lady who was being served at the counter seemed to take it up upon herself to confront the person who spoke first.

Then commotion erupted.

        So it turned into a 4 way 'talking over each other' moment.

It was calmed by another worker only to erupt again when the woman, who was being served finished her transaction, decided she didn't want it to end.

        Sigh!

Why can't people utilize the ability to ignore and block out stupid?
Come on!
I do this all the time.
It's like second nature for now.

Anyone else a master of blocking out stupid? :D

This post is going to be really short but hopefully to the point.

Today I'm going to chat a bit about a magazine I found at Barnes and Noble about a month ago.
It is called Bella Grace. There website is http://bellagracemagazine.com/. It cost me $20 US but it was definitely worth it. The content and quality is excellent and you won't regret purchasing it (especially if you like or want to enjoy the simpler and quieter quality of life)
This is from their 'Who We Are' section on their website:

[Inspired by "The Magic Bicycle" from the magazine 'Bella Grace' Issue 5, written by Sarah Bradley]

"What is my canvas; my outlet?"

What is my canvas?
What is my outlet?
How do I, as an individual, express myself?
How do I let those around me see my light; my beacon?

I like art....but I haven't put pencil to sketch pad paper in years,
I like quiet.....but too much makes me claustrophobic,
I like to move.....but not too much,
I like to read,,,,but I'm lazy, pick and somewhat of slacker when I make schedules.......

There's many more things I like but expressing them is so tiresome

I always felt that 'Hey, when it's time for you to open yourself to others you'll know'
But now.....
I don't know......
I want to unlock the door to my heart,
share what I have learned.....experienced in these 20+ years of life.
but I'm still scared.
Scared of indifference;
Scared of rejection;
Scared of mockery.

Two contrasting points, "to be open or not to be open", continue to have this game of tug and war for dominance.

Will I survive?

Heck yea.

But for how much longer will I have to wait to get a definite answer, if any at all?

What is my canvas?
What is my outlet?
Dear Lord,
I wonder what they are...........

Written: Thursday 17th Dec, 2015

As my first post about 9Muses was mainly about the departure of Sera Ryu, which was in a slightly sad tone, and is the most popular post on my blog, I have decided to dedicate this new 9Muses post to their recent comeback, which is going to have all that good summer feels.



On the 2nd July 9Muses returned with their 2015 summer comeback album '9Muses S/S Edition', with the title track "Hurt Locker". This is their 2nd comeback with recent members Lee Keumjo and Jo Sojin (their first being "Drama").





Left: Lee Keumjo                                                 Right: Jo Sojin
                                                          Images Link


Opinions:

1) Teasers (focused on the second one)

Mouth-dropping action!!!
The BEAT, the colors, the containers [like what?!?!?], drone camera action.........Kyungri.......seriously. 
My heart was on fire. THAT BEAT THOUGH......that beat seriously set the tone for me....did I mention the beat ;) 
I knew from the teasers alone that this song would be the best summer song of 2015.


2) Music Video (M/V)

The M/V itself wasn't that interesting. The highlights of the M/V were: the members themselves, the choreography, the location (container park or something) and the drone action.
The video was bright, jam-packed with colors and exhibited lots of life and energy. It is just what you would expect from a summer video (minus the location). The container warehouse/park was odd and different but helped it standout from all the staged and weird story plot themed videos for this summer. The containers were utilized really well. I mean, come on!!! They are on top off at least seven (7) containers....in the air......DANCING......and owning it. The choreography should have been showcased more in the actual music video instead of only the practice video that was released afterwards. The choreography is simple, executed fluidly and is not exaggerated. It doesn't need to be. It fit the style, tone and feel of the song.

Rating: 3/5

3) Song

It's your typical love-breakup song but the beat and flow of it really brought it to life.
The distribution of lines fit the song, however, I personally would've liked Minha to have actually sung Keumjo's beginning line like they had her do in the live shows and performances. It really helped balance out the song even more. I cannot end without talking about Euaerin's rap portion. Even though it's practically a norm now to have a rap portion in K-Pop songs, 9Muses rap portions always seem to be that 'icing on the cake' for their songs and "Hurt Locker" is no different. Even though their last few title tracks had about two (2) rap breaks, Euaerin's rap was an appropriate length and was that necessary piece to begin the the closing of the song. It flowed smoothly from beginning to end without feeling random or out of place. 

Rating: 4.5/5

4) Overall 

I believe "Hurt Locker" is the best summer K-Pop song of 2015. The summer songs for 2015 K-Pop have been a letdown with mediocre songs and recycled beats. 9Muses saved summer K-pop this year. "Hurt Locker" might have had a slightly dull video (which was mainly for visual/aesthetic purposes and succeeded at it) but the song has all the necessary components for summer (IMO): a catchy beat, a proper high and climax, and an appropriate flow. Sadly with big names like SISTAR, BIG BANG, Girls' Generation, rising stars AOA and more entering the summer field around the same time, 9Muses has been pushed to the back burner. I hope that I'll be able to see 9Muses take #1 at live shows and performances, even with the big names of K-Pop on the scene, one day in the near future.

Overall Rating: 4/5



Till next time,

Take care and may God bless and keep you during this week.

For this summer I'll be challenging myself to read a decent number of books.
And I mean READ THEM not 'read and not understand anything for the sake of finishing the book'.

Original date : Saturday 6th June, 2015

I have come to realize that the answers or even just the thoughts and potentials that this current generation has been seeking lies in our past.

Let me explain.

The works, writings, thoughts, presumptions and philosophies of our ancestors tell the story of their worlds: their triumphant, their downfalls, their discoveries, their inventions. By looking to the past, we see and learn of and from their messages and warnings.

It has only been a few months since I started to dabble in the works and writings of past Christian teachers and advocates, but this is the most excited I have been when it involves history.

History was always this systematic bore with lifeless portrayals of seemingly important events and dates. It was always about getting a decent grade from the snooze fest called 'History class' and never about being drawn to or intrigued by the people of the past. That is what they were: People of the Past. Never a connection between my life and theirs. Dates and documents that are void of life and personality did not intrigue me. I want life stories. I want to know why certain people did what they did and who influenced their thinking, beliefs and actions.

Knowing the dates and documented events does not activate imagination or yearning to know of the past builders and craftsmen of our world. I find that it insults and diminishes the value, work and hardships that these people of the past made and went through to get their stories, their side of events, across.

This change in my approach to reading and studying of the Scriptures is opening my mind to worlds, cultures and discoveries that are held within their pages. I'm reading books from C.S Lewis, Ellen G White, A. W Tozer; books that were considered ancient and out of touch with the modern age. They are coming back by demand. Not because these books are religious or history nuts are on a rise, but due to truths, philosophies and discoveries held in these paper bound scripts.

I can't wait to see what else the Lord will open up my mind to. It's exciting, slightly terrifying and soul-liberating all at the same time.



Influenced by:    "The Unknown God" Series part 3 by David Asscherick on 3ABN's program                                          'Anchors of Truth' and on the website [www.lightbearers.org] 

                                                                            AND
                             An article by World's Last Chance "The Great Controversy, SDAs and The                                          Historical Trash Heap'. [https://www.worldslastchance.com/end-                                                          time-prophecy/the-great-controversy-sdas-and-the-historical-trash-heap.html]

Yay! It's my first site review.
Oh my gosh! I'm seriously nervous and excited.
Here goes nothing........

This review would be on the items that bought and received, and the process I went through.

The site I purchased from is called CDJapan (www.cdjapan.co.jp), which is known for merchandise ranging from CDs to anime paraphernalia and much more from Japan (hence the title of the site). I learned about this site almost 4 to 5 years ago but with no credit/debit card to my name I decided to wait patiently till it would be my time.


My time arrived and I didn't waste a second. I picked out what I wanted for the time and to just test out how the site works. I bought 4 CDs: Kavkanize [Regular Edition] by Shishido Kavka (1st full length album), THE IDOLM@STER (Idolmaster) MASTER ARTIST 3 01 Haruka Amami, THE IDOLM@STER (Idolmaster) MASTER ARTIST 3 02 Hibiki Ganaha and THE IDOLM@STER (Idolmaster) MASTER ARTIST 3 03 Makoto Kikuchi.

My thoughts and observations from different years

1. Thoughts
I think our minds have been cultured/cultivated to expect/yearn to have chaos, drama and destruction to feel alive and complete. 17/08/13 2.30 am 

2. Untitled
People believe that they are the center of the world, even though more than 6.9 billion people don't know of their existence. Race, religion, culture nor education changes that. It may be my view and perception but you gotta admit it is true, we all behave like that at some point in life. Some learn to be less self-centered and more caring, while others bask more in themselves and forget that the world doesn't revolve around them.
Aug 19, 2013

3.The Word of Power Sept 5th, 2013
By calling on the Word of God and claiming His gifts and promises, it will allow the Holy Spirit to show us that we are not alone and that God has a solution for any and every problem that we, as His children, might or will have in life.
Reference: 2 Timothy 4:2.

4. Untitled
The vicious human cycle is leading to its slow, abrupt but forseen end. The speed of advancements in the past 100 years has been slowly progressing into a high speed chase that'll end in a 'crash and burn'.
June 8th,2014

5. Untitled
What do you see in me? Who do you see in me?
June 8, 2014

" 'History attests that religion and religious people tend to be narrow. Instead of expenditure of capacity for life, joy and mystery, religion often contracts it. As systematic theology advances, the sense of wonder declines. Brennan Manning' Facebook post/quote from Escape to Reality "

This struck a cord in me. I do not disagree nor do I agree with Mr. Manning's statement. I agree when he talks about religion and religious people being narrowed minded, but that is due to their mind and spirit's devotion to the 'theory' of the religion and its practices instead of focusing on the true nature and purpose of it. I also agree that the mindless follow of a religion and its practices keeps is from truly yearning and learning about ourselves and the world God created for us. The final sentence is true as well.

It seems that I have only been agreeing with his point and that there is no fault in it. However, that is incorrect. I believe that religion, in today's culture and mindset, has been given a bad rep. Well its no surprise with all the scandals the church has been through, especially in the last 10 years. On the other hand, that gives us no excuse to cast the church and God aside. We are stereotyping God, the church and believers in Christ all because of a few peoples mistake. But that apparently is how the human mind works, even though we are not perfect it is much easier to condemn another imperfect person when they fall and then categorize them for their imperfection. That attitude and way of thinking is why I am on the bench on Mr. Manning's statement.

I find that our perception of what religion is, is corrupted and based on imperfect human understanding and wisdom. If religion is 'so bad' and 'not Christ like', then did the Lord inspire James to write the meaning and true purpose of religion. Christ has a meaning for 'Religion' and it is not how we depict or treat it. James ch 1 & verse 27 says " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Original date: September 17th , 2013

Regardless.........however

Regardless of how your day starts,
Regardless of how emotionally unstable you feel,
Regardless of how far off track you feel,
Or
Regardless of how far off track you really are from the Lord's path,
He is always there to hold you when you experiencing a million unnerving emotions and frustrations, and are going down the wrong path,
He will lovingly nudge you back to Him and hold your hand once again along the path of life.
That does not mean we should take His mercy and loving kindness for granted,
As His children we must put aside our natural human nature (of hate, lies, lust and so much more) and to truly live as Christ Jesus who became our example even to the Cross.
To put off the old man and have the spirit of our minds renewed through the blood and sanctification of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Reference: Ephesians 4 verses 22 - 25

Original date: October 23rd, 2014

Life has its ups and downs
Most want just the 'ups'.....
And at this moment, that's all I want.
Selfish? Yes. Needs of correction? Yes!
My habits and hobbies are one of my
biggest downfalls.
In order to grow, I need to put everything into
The Lord's hands.
Everything? You may ask.
Yes, everything.
My good moments, emotions and thoughts;
As well as the negative ones.
What I need is to put ALL my trust and hope
to build, grow and strengthen me into the
individual He has planned for me.
It's scary at times but I need to believe that
He has my best interests in mind.
My Lord, Savior, Guardian..... My everything.
Carry and guide me through this period in my
life, as I know in the end it'll be worth it.

Original date: June 23rd, 2014

It's easy to be nonchalant.
It's easy to be neutral.
It's easy to want to be:
the peacemaker,
the middleman,
and actually succeed.

It's easy being neutral.
It's easy being emotionless.
It's easy being neutral.
I repeat......It's easy......
being emotionless;
being neutral.........

But is it really.......the right......
feeling?

I want to feel.
I want to remove this mask;
This hollow shell that covers,
and shields my.
Shields my heart?
From what?
..................
Pain?
Hurt?
Betrayal?
Deception?
Yes! Yes!
I'm scared to allow people in.
I'm scared of expressing my views;
My feelings.

I learned that doing such a thing,
leaves you open to attack;
It leaves you open;
..............Exposed!
..............Vulnerable!

It's not easy being open.
It's not easy being exposed.
It's not easy choosing one team,
and staying and standing firm
in that choice.

It's not easy being vulnerable.
I want to be vulnerable.
I want to be exposed, open, honest,
and vulnerable with You Lord Jesus.

It's not easy being vulnerable.
Help me to be vulnerable.
It's not easy being me.
Help me to be the 'me' You designed
me to be.

It's not easy being vulnerable.
It's easy being neutral...........
..............
I want to be vulnerable.