Thirty-Two.

This year, my birthday got way extended more than it should.

I wasn’t able to update and post anything decent over 6 months this year. I ended 2021 with a bang and 2022 started with a much bigger bang. I would not give a monthly summary of how everything went but this is already a culmination of the 6 months that happened. After all, this is supposed to be my annual birthday post and not a 2022 mid-year review. Lol.

The surge of a novel COVID-19 variant affected the manpower workforce and it started together with the month/s wherein the annual resignations usually happen. Facing ‘The Great Resignation‘ as they may say, happened to fast-track my months and kept me away from the serious wedding planning and other personal activities I have planned for myself. I had to keep pushing myself to work beyond the limit and I have kept mum about it. I know that those were all part of the job and it will just be a phase. I know things like these would eventually make me stronger and will keep my professional portfolio stronger than ever — but it did get me thinking, whom do I really work for? And then I had to remind myself of my ‘WHY’. I smiled and had to pick up myself again.

Maybe these are the thoughts coming in as I grow older. Getting stuck in the book of Proverbs is maybe how God is telling me that I can never acquire wisdom in my own human way and I have realized that He is using others to transfer the wisdom to me like my mom, my friends, my boss, co-workers, my disciples, and even my DGroup leader. I may always hunger for higher knowledge and deeper understanding however, my human limitations had kept me blinded – it’s my ego. Yes, this year, I have to deal with my Ego. I have finished reading “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson and currently reading “EGO is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday. (You may download them here: E-Book Finds.) My book list for the year also got moved and even though the book lineup stayed the same (and even got longer), I could only manage to finish a few pages per day. Dealing with my hungry ego over the years maybe has a toll on my health and body but I now know how it is being mended by the Lord. Pushing myself to its unknown limit is driven by ego – that maybe I could do better, maybe I could still do more, and maybe I can still be great(er). But hey, the Lord knows me so well to put a pause in my drive.

I knew I had to sign up for this year’s B1G True Life Retreat as a Facilitator and I had to be away from Manila where the signal would be a challenge and carry a task wherein I must put others first and myself last. I had to tend my sheep entrusted to me and I know God will release all the tension from the anxieties that I have. The 3-day retreat was a struggle thinking of the realities of work and my personal journey however, during the course of the retreat itself while all along my task is just to guide my flock, I was then guided to align back to Jesus’ heart and it was indeed, the #BestWeekendEver!

Maybe I am getting wiser, learning directly from the creator and perfector of my Faith. Now, I am aware of everything being said to me, carefully listening and trying to actively listen between the lines of both said and unsaid words of wisdom – there is wisdom in everything said and unsaid and it depends on my understanding of how can I digest it or even notice it the very least. Seeking understanding is, however, cannot be mastered if not filled with the Holy Spirit.

My birthday got extended more than it should. The Lord has been showering gifts of graces and mercy on me ever since and just when I thought June had always been an unfortunate month for me, I am amazed at how God slowly changed it into a month of love and proof of my perseverance.

I turned 32 years old, Lyzawrites.com celebrated its 4th birthday and Lyzawrites Human Resource Management Consultancy turned 1 year old! My heart yearns to enrich this hard work toiled with years of practice and experience and just to see how everything is still standing from where it was back then, I am nothing but grateful. I would never see it this way if I were still blinded by ego.

I am now back on track with the wedding planning and I am definitely getting more and more excited as the months come by. God has been providing several reasons why I keep on literally crying out of gratefulness because I know that this wedding is not just for me and my fiancé but also with Jesus.