cess and the city

any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental

[princessandthecity]

Sly. So sly.

Autumn is here. It may be the sneakiest season; it disguises itself with warm winds and late evening golden light. It wraps itself in colors that look like fire and the slowly fading sound of crickets at night. It comes without warning and without apology and before you know it, the air is cold and the leaves are falling and the Summer you thought you were enjoying is just a memory. Sly. So sly.

[princessandthecity]

Teach Me

Teach me how to trust my heart my mind my intuition my inner knowing the senses of my body The blessings of my spirit. Teach me to trust these things so that I may enter my sacred space and love beyond my fear and thus walk in balance with the passing of each glorious sun

[princessandthecity]

Alongside Cliffs

You told me once how we'll best know ourselves. While wandering alongside cliffs that could collapse any second to be devoured by the sea only leaving us to drown in our own uncertainties. You said that cliffs are exactly the places where we must learn to breathe. Riding that edge of unfamiliarity so that we may learn that we're capable of lingering there for far longer than once believed.

When I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds, until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost 'unhearable' sound of the roses singing..

[princessandthecity]

Audrey.

Today we pay tribute to an icon. She's not just a style icon, but more of a lifestyle icon. While most people remember her as the most charming actress to ever appear on screen, she is also famous for being a Mother, Humanitarian, a woman living a life that is always centered on her family, friends, and her desire to do good and provide for others. Along with her timeless beauty, Audrey is blessed with an enormous generous heart. Happy Birthday Audrey and to my fellow Hepburnatics!

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[princessandthecity]

..and in case you were wondering, you are like a sunset to me. You're all kinds of beautiful as you end my day, and you sweetly retire as the stars chase you away...

[princessandthecity]

Dear Friend, Stand Tall and Proud Sink your Roots deeply into the Earth Reflect the Light of your True Nature Think Long Term Go out on a Limb Remember your place among all Living Beings Embrace with joy the changing Seasons For each yields its own abundance The Energy and Birth of Spring the Growth and Contentment of Summer The Wisdom to let go like leaves in the Fall The Rest and Quiet renewal of Winter Feel the Wind and the Sun And delight in their presence Look up at the Moon that shine down upon you And the mystery of the Stars at night Seek Nourishment from the good things in Life; Simple Pleasures Earth, Fresh Air, Light Be content with your Natural beauty Drink plenty of Water Let your Limbs sway and dance in the breeze Be Flexible Remember your Roots Enjoy the View

[princessandthecity]

..because it’s summer and the memories are just waiting to happen.

[princessandthecity]

I don't have a favorite season, I have a favorite feeling. It's the windows rolled down, wind blowing your hair It's when I can walk straight outside without having to fish out a jacket It is curtains dancing around the room because of the cool breeze that pushes against its fabric It's chasing the sunset and having grass as my pillow It's the sound of lawn mowers, of falling leaves, and the noise of sudden pour down It's the sand between your toes, and the push of the waves It's the scent of sunblock and the glare of sun rays in your eyes It's the sweet taste of coconut juice quenching your thirst It's the sting of sunburn and dryness of your curly hair It's the rhythm of reggae music, makes you wanna dance It's the heat of the bonfire, and the crisp burnt taste of marshmallows It's the cold breeze making you shiver under the moonlight It's the stain of melted ice cream on your shirt It's the pounding headache from a brain freeze It's the aftertaste of tequila and the euphoria after meeting the hot guy in the beach It's when our souls realign with the universe, the horizon answers questions, and the surroundings give peace...

[princessandthecity]

Easter

..is the demonstration of God that Life is essentially Spiritual and Timeless

[princessandthecity]

Heal my heart and make it clean Open up my eyes to the things unseen Show me how to love like you have loved me Break my heart for what breaks yours Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause

[princessandthecity]

Holy Week

...sometimes, God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past, so it doesn't become their future. 2013, what a year that was. If I were to sum up my 2013 in one scripture, it would be: Ephesians 2:8 "Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ" We all face difficult situations, and how we respond to it, defines us. When I came to know Christ, I learned the essence of prayer. There is no powerful solution to any situation than opening the bible and having a quiet time with The Lord. I learned that when you begin and end your day with a prayer, everything in between comes just, right. When I surrendered my life to Christ, I surrendered everything that is within me, particularly my struggles, worries, sins, and pain. Christ took them out from me wholeheartedly. He answered all my questions through His words in the bible. It was overwhelming and truly comforting. Those answers made me seek Him more and He came in response to me through my disciplers. Apart from my Victory family, I have a number of spiritual family whom I can talk to about anything and everything at anytime. Christ blessed me with people who helped me be the person I am today. Not long ago, my prayers were all Why's but when I finally understood everything Christ did for me, that He died on the cross for me(John 3:16), everything turned into thank you's. In anything and everything, we must always give thanks to Him, (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and so I made it my mission to help men and women who are struggling the same circumstances I once was. I prayed to God to allow me be an instrument of His unconditional love, and I feel so blessed for I am currently discipling 6 people that I believe, God directed to me (Genesis 2:18). In the past year, I have encountered these 3 frequently asked questions: 1. How do you do it? 2. Where is your strength coming from? 3. Do I have what it takes? And it all boils down to one answer, Christ crucifixion. I remember asking one of my discipler, why she kept on pursuing me when I was really stubborn, arrogant and kept on denying Christ, and she told me that it wasn't her, it was Christ not giving up on me. I cried for joy. Indeed He opens the door to those who knocks. (Matthew 7:7) This may seem vague to you, but I hope and I pray that whoever you are, may you find wisdom and strength thru this testimony. I chose not to share in details for I made a pact with Christ that I will always take the high road on my route to Christianity and I will always try and avoid hurting someone along the way. But hey little fighter, I myself am a struggling fighter. Like Christ, I have been thrown stones at, and despite my silence, these stones kept on coming, yet I tell you, you will never see any visible bruise for Christ is my shield and no stones can ever get through. Ask, Seek, and Knock. When you don't have it, ask God for it (James 4:1-3) While waiting respond to what God is changing (James 4:3) (Ecclesiastes 3:11) When God says it, believe and receive it (1 John 5:13-15) I am not yet completely healed, I am a work in progress but I feel so fulfilled that Christ led me to Victory. God opened my heart and I know it is He working on me now, helping me write this testimony. He is Great, He is Faithful. Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Don't give up. Whenever you feel like giving up, remember the reason why you began. We are fortunate for He allowed us to take a peek on what He went thru on the cross. 'He gives his hardest battles to His strongest soldiers'. I promise you little fighter, soon days will be brighter. I remember my 1st ever service in Victory, Pastor Meng preached Philippians 4:13. Indeed, I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. People will usually hurt you in attempt to heal themselves. But know that the true mark of maturity is when somebody hurts you and you try to understand their situation instead of trying to hurt them back "Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness" - Katherine Henson

[princessandthecity]

10 Rules For Being Human

Written by Cherie Carter-Scott in Life is a Game, These Are The Rules 1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period. 2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, 'life'. 3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The 'failed' experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately 'work'. 4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson. 5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain it's lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned. 6. 'There' is no better place than 'here'. When your 'there' has become 'here', you will simply obtain another 'there' that will again look better than 'here'. 7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. 8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours. 9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust. 10. You will forget all this.

[princessandthecity]

Bonfire Hearts

Your mouth is a revolver Firing bullets in the sky Your love is like a soldier, Loyal 'til you die And I’ve been looking at the stars For a long, long time I’ve been putting out fires All my life Everybody wants a flame, They don’t want to get burnt And today is our turn Days like these lead to... Nights like this lead to Love like ours. You light the spark in my bonfire heart. People like us—we don’t Need that much, just some- One that starts, Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts This world is getting colder. Strangers passing by No one offers you a shoulder. No one looks you in the eye. But I’ve been looking at you For a long, long time Just trying to break through, Trying to make you mine Everybody wants a flame, They don’t want to get burnt Well, today is our turn Days like these lead to... Nights like this lead to Love like ours. You light the spark in my bonfire heart. People like us—we don’t Need that much, just some- One that starts, Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts People like us—we don’t Need that much, just some- One that starts, Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts

[princessandthecity]

..and above all watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. - Roald Dahl

[princessandthecity]

Road Trip Commandments

- Candies and Motion Sickness Pills must come in handy - Buckle Up. Always - Your escape from reality can not possibly begin until you truly separate yourself from reality, and that simply means, you are 'Katarina' for the weekend! - Pack light!

- Thou shall take every opportunity to use the restroom, even if thou doesn't really have to go, in order to reduce the chances of needing to stop in the future - No nagging the driver - Driver controls the music. Only and Always. - A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving - Lao Tzu - Hold the liquids. Stop overs ruins the fast and furious momento - Easy on the long and winding road. We don't want another barfing episode

- Stay away from social media! No Facebook-ing, Instagram-ing, Tweet-ing, & Blogging - Do Not Disturb the driver. Talking is ok, Holding Hands is acceptable, Cuddling and Tickling -- definitely not allowed. Safety first! - Take turns in driving. And keep in mind, it's a journey, not a race! - Never stop for that hot guy in leather jacket lying in the middle of the road. No, that is not Damon Salvatore and Yes you are hallucinating. Must switch driver when this happens. - Ditch the scenic route. Too tacky and overrated and saves you A LOT of stop overs - Thou shall climb all the way to the back while on a 100mph and thou shall take an annoying #Selfie

- Strictly No Calls allowed! Remember, you are 'Katarina' for the entire trip. #TurnOffYourPhone - Thou shall sing thou hearts out! - Pretend you're lost and ask for directions. - Implement the Vegas Rule! #WhatHappensInTheCarNeverHappened - Thou shall take a Tumblr worthy photo

- Random road trips are always the best, forget all the rules and go make some crazy memories!

[princessandthecity]

Serendipity

n. - fortunate accidents - pleasant surprise It was one rainy afternoon when I caught a heart shaped Choco twist pretzel while watching the most romantic chick flick in history, Serendipity...

[princessandthecity]

Celebrate Everyday Moments

You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.. - Dr. Seuss Don't wait for a perfect moment.. Take a moment, and make it perfect.. - eating ice cream with a fork - taking long cold showers - kissing and dancing in the rain - roasting marshmallows - talking on the phone until 5 in the morning - driving his car - last minute Christmas shoppings - karaoke nights - cliff diving - baking Calamansi muffins - booking a ticket using someone else's credit card - meeting new friends - sleeping on fresh crisp linens - drinking a cup of tea - conference call with the girls - surprise visits - Sunday service - shy glances - reading a novel - praying for the impossible ..Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away