Saved By Grace🐝

Purple heart

[worshipgifs]

[iamcharlene]

J.M.

As midnight falls, I am finally surrendering a ghost I was never meant to hold. Tonight, with an aching heart and quiet resolve, I am severing the threads of my first love, forcing myself to step out from the shadows of a devotion that was only ever a lonely echo.

Every memory of you is a beautiful torment. Every laugh, every look, every phantom fraction of a second haunts me with a treacherous whisper: What if? What if time bends? What if, somehow, there could still be an us? But that desperate hope built an impenetrable fortress around my heart, locking out anyone who might have dared to love me as I truly deserved, anyone brave enough to reach into my world and love me whole.

They say a first love never truly dies. Perhaps that is true. Perhaps it lingers not as a joy, but as a silent monument to how deeply a soul can bleed for someone who could never feel the same.

Maybe in another life, the stars will align differently for us. Or maybe not. But regardless of what lies in the unknown, I will forever be grateful that you were part of my younger days, and that I was blessed with the rare, bittersweet gift of loving someone this deeply.

Yet, I refuse to let my life remain a tragedy written for a heart that was never mine. Tonight, I break the lock and set this grief free into the dark. I am reclaiming the shattered pieces of my spirit so I can learn to love myself first, so that one day, I can give my heart to someone who will cherish it without reservation, without fear, and without hesitation.

I am commanding my feelings to grow still. I am burying my love for you in the quiet earth of yesterday. You will forever be my first love, the beautiful storm that shattered and awakened me, but you will never be my last. Thank you for the sweet agony of a racing heart, and for letting me feel what it means to be alive, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

Goodbye. You will always be my cookie.

[iamcharlene]

The Sundays We Left Behind

A sudden wave of nostalgia pulls me back to June of 2012, on a familiar track. When life felt normal, and the evening air held the simple weight of Sunday's quiet care. Preparing for Monday, for classes, for the week, In a routine of comfort we didn't have to seek.

Oh, the ache of those Sunday nights, wishing time would freeze, sitting with friends beneath the shadow of the trees. We laughed and we talked of the years we had made, hoping the warmth of that circle wouldn't fade.

Looking back now, my heart is amazed by the beautiful story the author has raised. God wrote our past, and He holds what’s in store, though seven long years have altered the floor. So much has shifted, so much has passed, and some lines of our story were not meant to last. There are faces I haven't seen, chapters long closed, and friends stuck in yesterday, forever composed.

Life makes you wonder, and life makes you grieve, For the seasons you loved but were destined to leave. You can never go back to the way things were then, you can never re-live those sweet moments again.

But perhaps we were fashioned to press toward the light, to move ever forward, past the edge of the night. For the grandest design is the hope yet to come. A promised reunion when our journey is done. Where God and His children will finally be bound in the new heavens and earth, eternally.

So may He fill our hearts with a joy that stays tru, for the hope of tomorrow, and a future made new.

[katsmith208]

[iamcharlene]

A Plea for Mercy

The lusts of the flesh are a deceptive master. They whisper that your desires are natural, that it is "right" to feel this way, and that no harm is done so long as you act in solitude. The world echoes this lie, telling you that if no one else is hurt, you are free. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, these whispers become chains. They tighten their grip, demanding more of your soul until, at last, you surrender.

How could I have begun this descent?

How could I, who claim to be a child of the Most High, harbor such darkness? I stand before others and profess my love for God, yet in the shadows, I cling to the very sins that grieve Him. How can I lift my hands in worship and offer thanks, knowing the filth I have not yet cast away? I claim to trust Him, yet I have cast aside the holy fear of His presence. How did I allow myself to wander into this wasteland?

There are moments when my heart screams to restart—to tear out these pages of my life and begin anew. I ache to make everything right, but I am stifled by my own weakness.

"How is it, Oh Lord, that You still love me? How can You offer forgiveness to a heart that has been so unfaithful?"

I am haunted by my own selfishness, choosing my fleeting pleasures over the God who created me. I have indulged in the very things He hates most, and still, His mercy pursues me.

How can this be?

[ihopeinjesus]

[worshipgifs]

[iamcharlene]

The clock hit 4:55 PM today and found me mid-thought. My desk is a graveyard of half-finished tasks, much like the 'hanging' items on my to-do list. But the real clutter is in my head. I looked at the mess around me and felt a pang of quiet frustration, wondering why, at this stage of my life, I’m still occupied with these same four corners instead of sitting in the seat I once dreamed of. I’m still waiting for my 'someday' to become my 'now'.

#adulting

[iamcharlene]

The Dawn of 2026

The winds of 2025 have ceased their heavy blow,

We raise a glass to every storm that taught us how to grow. For every trial we weathered through, the shadows and the rain, We stand here now with stronger hearts, refined by joy and pain.

The calendar has turned its page, the dawn is crisp and bright, As 2026 arrives in floods of morning light.

A canvas blank, a story fresh, a path we’ve yet to tread, With hope as our companion now for all the days ahead.

It’s time to start, to find our way, or restart what was lost, To seek a deeper purpose now, no matter what the cost.

A journey new begins today, with vision clear and wide, To walk the road with open arms and nothing left to hide.

Oh Lord, I lift my heart in praise for all Your hand has done, For keeping me through darkest nights until the rising sun.

For guidance on the winding road and grace that never ends, I’m truly grateful for the life Your loving mercy sends.

[kocalls]

[smoothwhisper]

[iamcharlene]

Echoes of Mortality

We drift through this world like shadows on a borrowed shore. We are given days, not guarantees, knowing only the desperate fight to greet the light of one more unforgiving morning. We are a landscape of fractured mirrors, each piece reflecting the yearning to be complete, to reclaim the pristine shape of our creation. Remember that helpless, innocent being we once were? Now, all we crave is the simple, life-affirming calm—a life that fills this terrible emptiness.

[iamcharlene]

The Rending Sorrow

The sheer agony of loss, a wound that tears through the soul. To lose that person— The one your very heart ached for, The one whose absence is a constant, grinding void. This was the soul woven into the deepest fibers of your being. The lifelong companion, the unflinching shield against the darkness, the sanctuary you believed was eternal. The one you knew would defy gravity and time just to stay by your side.

[iamcharlene]

The Aftermath..

Today is Monday, November 10, 2025. The storm has already passed the area of the Philippines, yet it left extensive devastation in several parts of Luzon where it passed, as well as in neighboring provinces, especially in Cebu.

Many have died, many are injured, and many have been left homeless. It is painful to think that one of the reasons for this is the negligence of the Government, a lack of proper management and preparedness. It is heartbreaking because there are people greedy for power whose only desire is their own self-interest. Many Filipinos are suffering, hungry, enduring hardship, and the worst part is that they are dying without experiencing or realizing their rights as Filipinos.

I am not a political person, but I feel the pain—the suffering happening in our society. My family and I are among those affected by the ongoing corruption in our country. It is shameful and heartbreaking.

May God have mercy on our country. May God heal our nation and bring a leader who will lead with love, compassion, and mercy for his people.

[iamcharlene]

As the first half of the year comes to a close, I find myself entering this new month with a quiet heart. In this season, God is gently teaching me the beauty of silence—the strength found in listening, the wisdom in understanding, and the grace of being still.

He reminds me that not everything needs a response, and that His timing is always perfect. There’s peace in waiting, in trusting, and in knowing that He is working beyond what I can see.

Thank You, Lord, for the quiet moments that draw me closer to You. Thank You for the gentle reminders of Your goodness, mercy, and unfailing love as I step into another month.

Silence isn’t weakness—it’s a posture of trust. Sometimes, silence is the most powerful response.

[iamcharlene]

Approaching my 30's

Approaching my 30s is somehow both exciting and scary, knowing that I’m no longer in my 20s and entering a new era of life. It’s crazy to think about HOW TO PLAN MY LIFE SERIOUSLY. This age feels like a serious time to get married, start a family, secure a good position in the corporate world, plan a business, travel more, build connections, achieve more in life, and be mature in every decision I make.

And yet, here I am, still thinking about how to pay my loans and utilities, and wondering what time I should do my laundry. Isn’t it funny? While others are planning trips with their families, I’m having a serious meeting with myself, deciding what to check out first from my online shopping cart.

During my quiet time, God reveal to me through his words in Isaiah 43:18-19;

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

I should not dwell on the past but instead focus on what God has already prepared for me. Life is very surprising, and with every tick of the clock, it can change, make, break, or lose. Yes, I feel so much pressure planning my life, and I feel stuck, unable to move forward in the bigger picture of God’s plan.

I am always asking God to help me not feel pressured, to trust Him, and to be patient in this life of mine. I know God has a great plan ahead of me, and I look forward to discovering what more I can do and what He can do in my 30s.

[iamcharlene]

I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away.

#RecklessLove ♥️