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🌿 Serenity - a state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled. Also refer to a quality characterized by peacefulness and a lack of disturbance. It is a state of mental and emotional clarity, often sought after as a source of relaxation and well-being.

[ainserenity]

Not Every Blessing Comes from God. Not Every Blessing Comes from God. Jesus himself was tempted three times in the wilderness by satan and every offer looked like a blessing. 🍞 Food to satisfy His hunger ✨ Fame to prove His divinity 👑 Power over all kingdoms

Just because it looks good, feels right, or solves your problem doesn't mean it's from the Lord. Sometimes the devil dresses temptation as a blessing and sometimes what we call “opportunity” is actually a distraction.

[ainserenity]

HE NEVER FORGETS

Growing up, my family struggled financially. I witnessed the countless sacrifices my parents made to keep us afloat. There were days when we couldn’t afford to buy food, pay the bills, or cover the rent. I often envied my classmates who had things I longed for but couldn't have because we simply couldn't afford them.

As a child, I would pray fervently for those things I desired but couldn't obtain. I prayed almost every day, until eventually, my priorities shifted and new desires took their place.

Looking back now, I am in awe of God’s faithfulness. The things I once prayed for, I can now easily achieve. This is not a boast, but a testament to how God never forgot those childhood prayers. In His perfect timing, He blessed me with what I couldn't have back then. I appreciate these blessings even more now because I worked hard to achieve them, all while holding onto my faith.

This experience has taught me that no matter the struggles we face, God hears and never forgets our prayers. He has the perfect timing for everything. He is a faithful Father, and I am forever grateful to be part of His family.

[ainserenity]

A reminder that our difficulties don't last long. The JOY that comes from God is about to come. He will bless your way because you have been faithful to him.

I pray deliverance, blessing, hope and love to you all. May we all continue to seek God whatever season in life we are in.

Love, Alice!

[ainserenity]

Indecisiveness

I recently finished a booked by Joyce Meyer called DO IT AFRAID. I've always loved Joyce Meyer's books but this hits different. For a person who has been dealing with anxiety, the book has reminded me of what God is capable of doing: getting us through our difficult season.

There's a part of the book that I particularly love, it was when she mentioned that being indecisive is a SIN. It hit so hard because, I am a very Indecisive person. I change my plans consistently, I won't push through unless I'm 100% sure that it will go perfectly as I planned. If I have a month to plan for it, I'll definitely maximize that month just to make sure that all goes well. This is because I'm afraid. I'm afraid to fail, I'm afraid to waste the money I worked hard for, I'm afraid to disappoint people around me if something goes wrong. And if we are all being honest, we are all afraid to fail.

Being Indecisive is a sin because it means that we don't trust God enough to deliver us. We allow the devil to have his time to play around us and waste our time and opportunity. The devil fills our minds with "what ifs" to keep us from trusting God's plans for our lives.

In the book, Joyce Meyer mentioned that in life we really do fail. Everyone, even the richest and smartest people, has experienced failure. It maybe scary but failure is also a way to success. It help us grow and it teaches the best lessons in life. When our plans don't work out, it means that God has something better in store for us.

We need to remind ourselves of who God is and what He is capable of doing. We should remember the miracles He has already performed in our lives. If we truly trust God, surrendering our decisions to Him means allowing Him to take control, regardless of the outcome. When we're on God's side, we're already on the winning side. So whatever decision you're struggling with right now, surrender it to God because it's in His hands.

[ainserenity]

POWER OF PRAYER

Hello friends,

The other night I woke up with a very bad migraine. I had to Force myself to get up and get ready Because I have work to attend to. I work Australian standard time so I need to get ready by 4 AM because my shift starts at 5AM (that's 8AM AUS time). Waking up early isn’t a problem because I’m a morning person but the other night was just so bad. It felt like I am being pulled by my bed down. I needed to attend work because I have an important meeting to attend to, and a bunch of escalations to work on.

Around 4:30 AM I started doing my morning devotion. And while doing my morning devotion, I felt the need to pray for my migraine. funny as it may sound I hold my head with my two hands and prayed over my migraine. "Lord I need to feel better today because my colleagues will need me. I am asking you to please heal my migraine" and I kid you not, that instantly after praying that to God, my migraine went away. If I hear this story from somebody else, I would think that it’s a fake story but honestly it really did happen.

1 John 5:14 says "this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" isn’t it beautiful that God HEARS US, God is with us, and in every trouble that we encounter in life, big or small prayer is the ultimate weapon against it.

My migraine instantly healed just right after I prayed about it. You may be praying for something big, bigger than my migraine problem but may I remind you that God is a BIG, POWERFUL, FAITHFUL, CARING, LOVING and many more God. Nothing is ever big nor small for him, in just one prayer he can turn your worries in worships, he can turn your cries into victories.

You may be praying for something for quite a while now, I understand that waiting sometimes is draining. I’ve been in that situation and I am actually praying and waiting on God for something big. But hey, Thessalonians 5:16-17 says “Rejoice always, pray without CEASING give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” Do not stop praying about it, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, God hears you, he knows what your heart desires. He has a plan in store for you, far more beautiful that what we are praying for. Where we are right now is where God wants us to be, this is his will for us, so let’s rejoice in his presence knowing that our God has beautiful plans for us.

I urge you to Pray. Praying changed my life in so many ways I can’t even comprehend to explain. God is a miraculous God, I have bunch of testimonies to tell about prayer but this will turn into an actual book if I share all of them but really, I urge you to pray. Praying doesn’t have to be long, you don’t have to use big words, it doesn’t even need to be in English. God understands us, he knows. Pray about it, give it to God and see how he can change your life.

[ainserenity]

Delight yourself in the Lord

My mental health is something that I've been dealing with for quite awhile now. Ever since I finished my college years I always value everything and anything that is good for my mental being. When pandemic happened, I am beyond bless because God led me to where ever I am right now. I got the employment that I prayed for but the journey to get here was a real struggle. I've jumped from one company to another simply because I didn't felt myself and again, mental health dragged me down. Days of loneliness, anxiety and frustration all together. There was heaviness in my chest that led to shortness in breath, I literally thought I was having a heart attack. I cried and questioned myself and God, why?

Why am I dealing with this? Why am I alone? Why nothing has happened in my life yet? My friends have a stable job even if it was pandemic, My previous colleagues still has their jobs, my siblings are paid very well. I compared myself to others and it made me feel like I was worthless.

However, one thing remained in the middle of the frustrations and pain, questions and comparisons and that is my faith in the Lord. I continuously prayed. I told him everything I want in a Job that I am looking for and I really believed in my heart that he will answer my prayers.

One day, I was dealing with my anxiety and this bible verse was the verse of the day in YouVersion app

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

I was very sad that day but after reading this verse I know that God is sending me a message. So I prayed and told him that whatever his will, I'll follow it. On the same day, there was this job posting and I want the position and what the company offers so bad. So I prayed, and asked God that I want it but if he doesn't want me to be in that company then I respect as long as he lead my way.

Long story short, I got the position and every thing that I prayed for to God was checked. It was a permanent work from home set up, Good pay, healthy work environment and my employers are very nice. To this day, I have been working in the company for 8 months now and on my 5th month I was promoted right away. I still feel the same enjoyment and love for my job which is I really value and grateful for.

The lesson here is that our pain and frustration will be used by God to lead us in the better place. He will use everything that we've been through to bless us. If I didn't felt that my mental health was being drag from my previous job I wouldn't quit and I wouldn't be where I am right now. He is a great God and this is a testimony that I'll always look back on because it reminds me that my pain is valid, that whatever I am going through right now is going to be God's instrument to lead me where he wants me to be.

I hope this brings comfort to you, your tears and anxiety, frustrations and questions are normal part of our life but one this is for sure, he will never leave us. God loves us too much.

[ainserenity]

It's been awhile

Hi,

It's been awhile since the last time I wrote something and posted it publicly. I've been very busy with work, a lot of things happened too. My romantic relationship is in a roller coaster since last year and I haven't had enough motivation to write but rest assured that my faith and love for God hasn't change despite the turmoil I've experiencing lately. I think it made me seek him more. Pain does make us closer and stronger with God and I hope that It'll all be better soon. I will write more often now and I think this time I will be more confident in sharing it publicly. Just posting something before getting back on track.

[ainserenity]

[ainserenity]

Hi guys, sharing my church notes from last weeks sermon.

WHERE RESTORATION STARTS

• Church is essential

• You cannot change what you cannot see

• All change in your life must perceeded by recognition

• You do not know the other side of you because you cannot see yourself

• Help me to see what I cannot see, show the things that are broken in me

• Address the wrong in me

• When you are me effective with what God has called you to do people are gonna be jealous.

• When you are doing what God has called you to do people are gonna hate, people are gonna be jealous, people are gonna talk about you. Learn to live with a Criticism. The only people that don't critize are the people that don't say anything and never become anything but if you start to step in your calling, people are gonna be jealous.

•  Jealousy is the trophy that mediocrity gives to excellence.

•  When something is broken he restores. He is attracted to brokenness.

• God is the only one that can redeem time.

• Your suffering is not always the direct result of your sin.

• You gonna let the Lord fight your battles. If you keep stepping in the fight, your leaving God out of the equation. Sometimes you have to sit back and let him fight for you.

•  People will define you by your dysfunction. You're more than your mistake.

•  Stop defining yourself by your dysfunction and do not let other people define you by your mistake.

[ainserenity]

BOOK REVIEW: ONE OF US IS NEXT

Hi guys!

Since I shared my thoughts about One of Us is Lying might as well share more of my thoughts about its sequel One of us is next. YES ITS A DUOLOGY!! and just like its first book the book cover is still a real bomb!! Love how it speaks so much about its genre.

Anyways, unlike one of us is lying, I find one of us is next a little dull. The book tried to build excitement in it's first few pages but it wasn't enough. I think it's because I raised my standards too high after reading One of Us is Lying.

The story is still about Bayview Highschool and the impact Simon left after his death. Someone is trying to be the new Simon but this time it has a Truth or Dare twist. If you choose truth a very bad secret about you will be exposed and if you say Dare then you will have to follow what the new "Simon" dared you to do. Main characters involve Maeve, Phoebe, Knox and Luis. Maeve and Luis were part of One of Us is Lying and bayview 4 were still mentioned in the book but the story no longer revolves around them.

I had to put the book down from time to time while reading the first few chapters because I find the story kinda slow. Don't get me wrong tho, I was in a little investigator mode when the truth or game started but the thrill feeling is comes and go. The story gets better when someone died because I got to stich stories to figure out who is the real culprit and that my friends will make you realize how predictable the ending is. THE ENDING WAS SO OBVIOUS!! ONE OF THE CULPRIT WAS SO OBVIOUS. Pay attention with small details guys and yes "ONE OF" just like one of us is lying it takes more than 1 person to plan everything.

There were many possible characters that might be responsible for the death of their "friend" (don't want to say the name because i don't want to spoil) I had so much question when they arrested the real culprit and the ending was a real cliff hanger. I got confused for a little while but it was somehow explained.

This is not a bad book, Karen McManus is such a good writer. The plot twist of the book is insanely good but then again the signs was too obvious to tell answer WHO DID IT. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I'd give it 8/10. Will still recommend it!

[ainserenity]

BOOK REVIEW: ONE OF US IS LYING

Hey hey hey!!

I recently finished reading One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus and I thought that it would be a perfect Idea to share some of my thoughts. Just a disclaimer though, this is my first time sharing some of my thoughts with the book I read. They are more on a personal note and I based on my own preferences and opinions.

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ONE OF US IS LYING

So, I bought the book because the book cover is so interesting! What the heck!! the book cover already tells you what to expect when you read it!!! Secondly, I never read thrilling book because it's not the my kind of genre and so just to be different I challenge myself and I did.

Reading the first chapter already gave me what I was suppose to expect THE THRILL!! Oh my goodness there were so many questions right away after reading the first chapterrr!! WHATs, WHYs and HOWs?!?! I tell you this book is definitely a page turner. I cannot put the book down because I had to know WHO DID IT?! Karen McManus did a great job because she already build a good impression of the story in the beginning.

There were 4 main characters ADDY, COOPER, BROWNYN and NATE. The 4 of them was in a detention with SIMON. As much as I do not want to spoil you, SIMON DIED. Now the title says, One of Us Is Lying so my first thought was 1 among 4 of them is actually lying.

So, the 4 of them has reasons why they would kill SIMON because SIMON is a gossip source of their school and holds major secrets of them. Which is so toxic! I would definitely leave the school if there's someone like SIMON there!! Anyways, throughout the book you'll find out what the secrets were but each time the secrets is being revealed it gives you hint who could possibly did it!! At first I was voting for Addy because I thought that she had the biggest damaged among all of them but wait till you find out cooper's REAL SECRET. OMG after that I just don't know!

When I was at the chapter 20s (I guess) everything seems a little predictable. I actually somehow expected it's ending so my big big advise is pay attention to little details being said in the book because it plays big big part!!

Overall, I enjoyed it. It has the thrill which I expected and the young adult feels is also there because Brownyn and Nate is a thing by the way. You can finish it in one sitting if you have free time because again its a PAGE TURNER!! It will make you feel like you're an investigator because you will have to make mental notes of their actions to figure out who the real culprit is. I'd definitely want to see a movie adaptation of the book that would be awesome!! I'd give this 9/10 because again the ending for me was a little predictable but I loved it!!

For a first timer in the THRILL genre section I can say i'd definitely read some more.

[ainserenity]

[ainserenity]

THIS IS MY TESTIMONY

When I was in college my only dream was to graduate. Go to the stage and receive that diploma. Take picture with my friends and  say goodbye to our professors. With that dream I studied hard. Passed my exams and won student council so that I have a good educational background. However, things went the wrong way. I did finish college but I wasn’t able to take the diploma in the stage because my school won’t allow unless my tuition fee is fully paid. At that time my family was suffering financially and had no way of paying. All my hard work for 4 years was for nothing. I wasn’t able to receive my diploma, wasn’t able to take picture with my friends and wasn’t able to say my goodbyes. I blamed God. I prayed for it, I told him that it was my only dream yet he still didn’t gave it to me. It was so painful that I started doubting his presence. So I removed everything that would remind me of him. Convinced myself that he is not there, nobody is there.

Weeks passed by I was still suffering this pain and depression. I started losing weight and had no energy to eat and talk to my friends. Until I saw this girl online (Jess Conte), had no idea who she is but she seems so lovely. I watched her until she started saying words of God. I saw that she just finished reading bible. It came out of no where but at that moment my heart knows that he is reaching out for me. It wasn’t coincidence that I stumble upon that girl’s post, it was God’s and he is reaching out for me. I mean maybe for you its so shallow and I might gone crazy and put meaning to such things but that time really felt that it was God. So, I opened my bible once again and started reading it. The words of God is the water and my heart is the plant. Slowly my faith grows. 

Fast forward to now, I have been to ups and downs of life. Lost a job, lost a friend, I’ve gone broke, felt lonely, had a family problem but my faith is here. Knowing that by the end of the day God has a reason as to why we need to go through certain pain in life. It was God’s purpose to not grant my dream because that would open my heart and faith in knowing him in a bigger perspective. I can tell that I am way nearer to him now than I use to. I see him more as a genie before than a God. Now, I see him as a God that will make you go through trials in life to teach you life lessons and lead you to a better position in life. I still have so much to learn about him and my heart still needs watering from his words.  

So dear you, know that your greatest pain is your greatest blessings. God is turning it to something beautiful. No pain is ever wasted to God. By the end of the day, all of the tears and all of the pain will be worth it.

[ainserenity]

FAITH IN FRIENDSHIP

Let’s talk about friendship. I’ve always been proud to say that I have very few friends. To be exact, I only have 2 friends and there is no shame on that. When I was younger I can tell that I somehow belong. I have certain groups that I go out with but they are not the people I run into when I need someone to burst my life’s up and downs. It felt so lonely not have someone I can be myself with. I have no boyfriend and there are some things that we can’t share to our family. In those moments I run into God. I prayed to have a friend that I can be myself without any filters on. Someone that I don’t need to pretend and can accept me. 

God being so good, blessed me with 2 beautiful ladies in my life that I now consider my best friends. They are like my sisters and I consider my them as a gift from God and as a gift from our creator I make sure to take good care of it, to love it and to put value into it. It is true that money can’t buy happiness because one person can never afford to buy a one true friend. We’ve been through ups and downs of life and yet we still stood beside each other. We’ve seen each other ugly cry from pettiest reason to real life problems yet we are still each others best friends. God being so good he knew what exact kind of friend I needed. He gave me 2 beautiful ladies that has a heart for Jesus. What a beautiful friendship! When one is in the middle of a storm the other already knew what to say next. 

Just like normal relationships, we get annoyed at each other and we’ve been through numerous misunderstandings. But the thing is, a relationship that is built with faith has a solid rock foundation that is indestructible. We know when to say our sorry, We know how to solve the issue and what should we do in order to keep the friendship strong.

So my prayer to you, is that may you have a real friend. Someone you can ask for a help in the mornings or late at night. Someone you can be with without any filters on. Someone who can accept everything about you but above all else, I pray that you may have Friend that has a faith in God because if that person has a faith in God then that person has already a faith in you. 

[ainserenity]

Is there something wrong with me?

Hello World! 

I started my year a little rough. Lost my job and had a fight with my father and right now here I am pretending that I have a busy schedule. I don't have any motivation to move and I just don’t feel like myself. I’m turning 25 in few months and can you believe that, a 25 year old unemployed lady who until now still can’t find herself. I always feel like I’m starting over and over and over again and this time I just feel like quitting. Is there something wrong with me?

No, there’s nothing wrong with me. It’s normal to feel lost at 25, 26, 27 or 45 years of age. It’s okay to start over and over and over again as long as you are moving. I know that there will come a time that I’ll thank God for letting me start over repeatedly because that is part of the process. There are lesson learned in each season, they are never wasted. I know that it’s not only me who feels this way. I know that there are a lot of people out there looking for purpose in this world and this is a confirmation that you should keep going. I am not ashamed of my current status for I know that this is only temporary. What I am going through right now is valid and they matter. One of the biggest thing I’ve learned in life is to see the “good” in every bad situation. So yeah, I may be feeling a little “stuck” to where I am right now but there are blessing too. I get to sit in my office chair and right this blog to motivate you, I got plenty of time to spend with my family, I got more time to read and watch Netflix shows but most importantly, I got more time to contemplate where I should be headed. We are not in a race for God has his perfect timing for everything. He ordained that paths we take in our life and it’s important that we listen to where he wants us next. 

Yes, I feel like I’m about to quit. I shed tears a lot of times and the fear of how my life is going to be in future breaks my heart; but thank God for the power of prayer. The power we all have, it gives us the peace of God which transcends all understanding. It’s okay to be shaken but remember that we have a father that watches over us, so run to him. He should be the first solution before anything else for he guide our steps. I may not be in the position I want to be right now but I believe in God. I believe that he has wonderful plans for me. My emotions are valid, what I’ve been through matters. Charge it all to your experience and learn from it for it will be useful in the next steps that God will bring you. 

[ainserenity]

LOOKING BACK

When we were approaching 2020, I had so many expectations. My heart was so full of hopes and dreams. I was so ready to step in 2020 and start my life over again. However, worldwide pandemic due to corona virus happened and our life was put on hold. All of my plans turned into a stone and it was so disappointing.

I lost my job because the company I used to worked to declared bankruptcy. I was worried that I won't be able to support my family and won't be able to do my responsibilities. I remember praying to God to provide for my family, to bless me with a job during the pandemic and praise Jesus for his goodness because he gave me the strength and confidence to work as an online English teacher. My salary at that time will only suffice our food, good for 1 or 2 weeks. I remember feeling so depressed because I was struggling to find a regular job at that time. And then, my sister lost her Job too. We felt so worried because we might not be able to pay our rent and other bills. God is so good, he gave my sister a better job with kinder manager and bigger pay and last November I found a regular job and I can still keep my teaching job.

In the middle of pandemic I started to feel emotionally unstable. I had nobody to talk my feelings to. I felt so alone. I remember crying myself to sleep because I feel so suffocated with my own thoughts. My anxiety was so bad, it gave me a hard time breathing. I prayed about this to God. I told him how horrible I feel. That night, I opened my phone and started to talk to people randomly. Long story short, I met a this guy. He’s good looking. He is kind, funny and family oriented. He has such an inspiring story and I am so amazed with how his life has turned out and now he is my boyfriend.  

During the quarantine season, I had all the time in the world. I was able to prioritize working out, organizing my room and reading books. I did everything I wanted to do. But most importantly, I learned to give my mornings to God. I've learned to praise and worship him. I've learned to have a quiet alone time with him. I can say that 2020 was the year I got closer to God. This was also the year I have learned to be Grateful with small things.

Looking back, 2020 was no doubt a bad year for most of us. But, if we will pay attention. We went through so much but God gave us better. I lost a job but now I have 2. My sister lost her job but now she has a better one with kinder boss. I felt so alone but now I met the guy I think I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. I become closer to God. I learned to appreciate small things.

It is true that everything happens for a reason and the reason is a blessing. In your most difficult time, pray to God. Praise him and worship him because he is a generous father. He will not forsake us. If you feel like he has forgotten you, remind yourself moments of happiness because those were from God. Hold on with your faith.

[ainserenity]

A LITTLE BETTER

Comparison will kill your joy. Always remind yourself that things we see in social media are highlights of people's life. It doesn't mean they don't get bumpy roads, they do because they're also humans and sometimes they face bigger challenges than you do. Always put on your mind to act with kindness and see the good in people even if their intentions are not. Be happy for them through small victories to the biggest ones, celebrate life and be grateful. Tomorrow is not promised, you never know when's your last I love you, Thank you and God bless you will be so say it as often as you could. Show them love in your own simple way. This world face so much trouble, let us be the one that will make it a little better, the one that will bring joy and compassion.