A Glimpse of Eden by mayetterlarts

Teresa R Laurente, MBA

978-1-5035-4041-5 978-1-5035-4040-8 978-1-5035-4042-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. To order additional copies of this book, contact: Xlibris Print information available on the last page 1-888-795-4274 www.Xlibris.com Rev. date: 10/28/2015 Orders@Xlibris.com ii

Foreword This book is born from my thoughts, which is created into an artwork: My paintings. I love nature: the moon and sun, trees, rivers and ocean, waterfall and flowers and the living creatures in the forest and the vast water of the earth. Even if this life is not perfect, all I see in nature is pure wonder. So, from the paintings I have created the thoughts of heaven. I am alive and heaven I believe is found in after life. And Eden is a place where everything in sight is beautiful and magical, if not heavenly. It is paradise as described in the story of Adam and Eve. A place of perfect bliss, the dictionaries say. Thus, I titled this book, ‘A glimpse of Eden’ because everything about nature is beautiful and heavenly and my artwork is all about the glimpses of the beautiful earth. Why? They all remind me of love, goodness, and joy. And I truly believe it is God’s way of telling us that He is right here with us. Every work I did was coming from my thoughts. I claim that I themed this book from the movie of St. Francis de Assisi; Brother Sun and Sister moon because most of my artwork has a sun or a moon in it. Believe me I went to see the movie Pocahontas all by myself and loved the story, the soundtrack, the pictures and everything. If I were to choose, I would love to paint every scene the moon appears and every place of sunset. But I am still a full time working Realtor, thus my time is limited and I can seldom hold my paint brushes lest travel and capture the captivating sights of the day and night. Perhaps with the help of art enthusiasts my position will get better in time. And these I pray that I can just paint my time away without worrying where to pay my bills. Creating art calms my spirit and provides peace in my soul. It is my joy. It is a longing; one dearest desire of my heart. Besides the pictures of my artwork you will find in this book I have included my reflections with it. Each painting represents my mood and thoughts of the moment. My journey and experiences in life I believe have shaped my focus of thoughts, intentions, and contemplations. It has created a diﬀerent person in me. For, I am now hopeful, patient and persevering. So I do hope with great anticipation that you will enjoy reading through my feelings with my paintings and share them with your friends and family. Journey with me in spirit. It is my fervent aspiration and wishes that you will gain from this sharing of the innermost feelings of mine and see the outlooks I have formed that guided me in life. Numbers 12:6 – “Know that my love is always here with you, to stay. In dreams will I speak; you may sleep and the Lord will place himself at your side and ever watch over you. Even in the hours of night He does not want your loving and sweet conversation to be broken. Or even a wink of a hundredth of a second, our God does not sleep. He keeps lovingly watching us.”

Introduction “Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more” - PSALM 39:4

Each one of us is unique and different in so many ways, and has something special to offer the world. You and I are all born with our own sense of originality. No matter how simple we think we are or we may feel we are inadequate to show anything outside our self, know and believe that you have something unique to offer others, even if we don’t always feel that way. From all my experiences, I now resolve to be grateful for what I am and what I have: my family and everything around me. When I feel anxious, worried and sad, I have to keep on remembering to thank God for my life. I believe there is only one like me, the way that I am. And I am not that bad. Everything is so in our life because that is our responsibility as stewards of God’s creation. We have to make do of what we have to make out of who and what we are. This is our way of thanking Our Father for giving us life and sending us here to live on earth. I feel somehow that I and me is a pleasing human being. In fact, I am wonderful in the eyes of God. So I believe. That is why I am sharing my creation and thoughts with the world via this book. All because I trust in His confidence through the things I can do. So, know that you have something in you that others may benefit from. Stop expecting so much from life but check out what you are capable of giving from inside of you. Share it to the world. I will disappoint my creator if I do nothing of what I feel strongly I am given to share, hence this book, hence my paintings, and all of my many on going projects. With stories shared from friends and acquaintances I have met all these years exposing their own agony, I realize that my life is not that all misery, after all. The trials we feel in each event of our lifetime were meant to be there to polish us and make us stronger. I always try to be a rational being each time I come across challenging situations. Be it a friend and most especially in a family. Sometimes I fail and I attribute this personality of mine as unpolished human. Still far from the spirituality I read, learned and try to emulate. But life always gives us second chances. A million and more chances! So I say. And yes, we are given the opportunity to rectify the things we did by mistake or have omitted to do and to do it all over again and again to make it right. Even if I die trying, at least I know deep in my heart that I really and sincerely tried with all my might to be a better person. Perhaps there will be more and even bitter heartaches to come. And for as long as we do not anticipate such hardships, we worry less and live in the moment. Dealing with relationship is trickiest. Sometimes we feel that all our actions become futile during a misunderstanding. We are convinced to the notion of; damn if we do and damn if we don’t. Excuse my language but this isn’t mine. I just borrowed it. I don’t normally use profanity unless provoked but I let it out when no one is listening. Indeed, there is nothing we can do when we come to our wits end. All we can do is turn away from the meanness and ugliness of a situation; hope and pray that it will be resolve in time. As for me, I run to the Tabernacle and pour out my pain and frustrations. Then I go back home and in the silence of my abode start to get busy with anything to distract me. Sometimes I will clean my house, cook, garden, and the most enjoyable thing I look forward to: create art. I am also a crafter but I enjoy painting most of all. During my alone time, as I paint the time away, I focus on beauty, beauty of nature that is. It’s because nature always rile my spirit in a most positive and perhaps extreme way. Like the first time I came 2

out from the car in the mountains of Yosemite, I cried. For I could not fathom that there is such a beautiful thing in life such as what I see. In that time I forgot every bad experiences I have in life. All I could see is wonder. I am just beyond awed with the splendor right before my very eyes. And I cried because I could never thank God enough for giving me the opportunity to live and experience that wondrous moment. As you can see, my paintings are inspired by nature. Each time I am confronted with diﬃcult situations, I run and bury myself in prayers and in creating art. My thoughts flow in the moment when I am in it. My wishes and prayers are expressed in shapes and colors of nature. Those that is vivid and strong in my mind. I feel the nudges in my soul. That is why I am afraid to start painting after ten at night. All because I will not stop painting, only to realize that it is already five in the morning then I get beyond exhaustion and regret I did it to my body. But when I see the results of my work, I have nothing to complain about but thank God for my health, my life, and my family, for His protection and love. My creations never fail to give me a deeper sensation of gratitude, pride and joy. Sometimes it tells me that this is what I must be doing at all times even if my surrounding world is tougher. The sages of time admonish us to “Follow your bliss” and life will be sweeter than it should be. Time is like a river. It is not going to be the same water running through it in each minute when you touch it. So we must then follow our bliss. For that is what we were born about. That is the purpose of our own existence. It is the life we are meant to live. Don’t brush your longings and the desires of your heart away. Make your dream real. Walk in your dreams. Feel your skin in it.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

Giving and the joy of giving. “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” - Luke 6:38

I like to give; my mother and siblings too. When you and I give, no matter how simple and insignificant our gifts maybe, the reaction of the receiver gives us a warm lovely feeling when we see the smile of the person’s face as she/he says; ‘thank you.’ That is what I perceive it to be that: ‘we receive when we give’. And mostly we are more gratified with their reactions rather than when we are the ones receiving the gift. Giving is as powerful as prayer simply because it can do so much to both people; the giver and the receiver, in a more positive way. I always believe that for everything I give of myself wholeheartedly and without expectation of anything in return, something out from somewhere is placed back in my palms and position or life. Sometimes the value is even greater. Things I never would have ask for are handed to me unexpectedly and provide me a certain kind of special mood and atmosphere in the moment. Oftentimes, this kind of state of mind linger more than a day or a week; in which, when we remember this certain moment, we cannot help but smile. Thus, one simple act of giving has so many ripple eﬀects on the giver more than the receiver. It is a special kind of prayer and act of love. Somehow to me it is the real essence of love in action. I believe that giving is kindness, and kindness is love! Giving is not only about material things. You can give in so many ways, form, and style. One big example is a simple smile. Smile is not limited to just being a gesture. It is a form of a greeting, acknowledgement, and friendship. Therefore smile is considered to be one of the many aspects of gift and giving. And the same thing goes when we protect someone from anything. When we defend a person, most especially a friend when they are attacked with negative criticism or gossip in their absence. This is giving big time. One special joy I can give or anyone can give to me is loyalty. For example: a certain person or group of people start to talk about your friend, and she/he is not around to answer and defend herself. When we pacify this person or group of people and assure them that these kinds of rumors and such about your friend is unfounded, and that; it is not the best way to get the truth out, we are giving a priceless gift of our loyalty and kindness toward that friendship. I know for sure that we wish our friends would always do these kinds of chivalry. A gesture somehow buried in time when competitions exist. Alas but the truth is; there is no such thing as competition. Note: Do not use this picture (this is taken by my IPhone) Please use the picture on file – CD taken from camera. Always position this picture sideways. Annotation must be below each picture Pictures are always in the middle and occupying the whole page 4

Dianne and I 16 X 20 Acrylic on canvas

My daughter; Dianne gave me this canvass with this lower from her school project. She told me to paint over the canvass anything I wish. But I love her work, as always. So I did not change anything but added more details in the canvass: the leaves, petals, and shades.

Stillness and God. “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.” - Mother Teresa

If you feel sad, blue or depressed, check it out. You maybe: tired, sleepy, hungry, thirsty, overwhelmed, or just exhausted. Then, you know what to do. Always find time to drop everything and take time to find solace from nature. Silence among the trees in the depth of nature provides harmony to the chaotic mind. I believe that nature cannot fail to give nourishment to our soul. It always contributes peace and contentment in the spirit, if you try to seek from it. Being alone amongst the sound of silence is not loneliness. It is even more a one rare gift you can give to your self. Also, not everything will go the way you expect in life. Most pain, agony, misery, and doubt comes from placing emphasis on what others must give us in return of what we have given them. This is why we need to drop expectations and that we go, ride with the flow of life. By accepting things as they are without judgments and resistance, you find your way to peacefulness. Acceptance to the moment, to what is and the present life situation, is one of the many ways to achieve peacefulness. Moving on from the past and moving forward toward a life that you desire feeds hope to feelings of desolation and misery. Always remember that you have no control on other people’s behavior; how they act and how they treat you. That is their own actions based upon their decisions, personality, and attitude. It is only up to you; how you react, that, their actuations cannot aﬀect your attitude for the day or towards life. Live moment-by-moment and one day at a time. There maybe times when we cannot make a sense out of what is happening in our life. These are the moments that require faith because if we have faith in God and in our self, we will remember our own truth and all the knowledge stored deep within our soul. From there you will find the answers and solutions to what is bearing your down. We can only do so much. So if the solutions to your problems are not within you. It’s time to look outward. Perhaps get some help from others who are experts. But always find time to be alone to ponder what your life is all about. Reward yourself with peace in your heart. Find peace and the answer to your questions in the quite space of time and nature. For you will never fail to find God in the quiet wilderness of the trees, water, and other creatures in that dimension.

Note: Do not use this picture (this is taken by my IPhone) Please use the picture on file – CD taken from camera. Always position this picture sideways. Annotation must be below each picture Pictures are always in the middle and occupying the whole page

Vacation Island 16 X 20 Acrylic on Canvas

I notice that the clouds have several different kinds of shapes and forms. One of them is distinct and clear that it convinces me that they look like white angels. I love looking at this picture. The clouds feel like loating cotton balls and I can touch each and feel its texture any time I want to.

Do not be afr aid “For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” - Isaiah 41:13

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy, after all your prayers and counseling and good heart to heart talk with good friends are done, is to be alone and to go outside somewhere quiet with the heavens. Heaven to me is in the midst of nature. Be it in a garden or park or in the middle of the city or building. I do not know; but the breeze, the rustling noise of the leaves, the sounds of birds chirping and happy crickets does wonder for me. When I see a flower, or even a dog passing by, my negative mood is altered in an instant and I am a diﬀerent person with a much better disposition. I can think clearly and I feel positive. There will always be comfort for every sorrow however the circumstances may be. Never lose hope and have faith that nothing will last forever; sorrow, pain, or misery. And running away to feel the existence of life that nature gives is one of the many first steps to peace, healing, and freedom. God’s providence is for our good. To know God, to trust Him, to hand our troubles to him; are the many ways of healing. Like prayers for supplication and aid; gratitude of the things we possess and enjoy, the family we have, and the life we are given, all these contribute to a healthy emotional state. It gives assurance that we are okay after all. And the chaos in our heart is only temporary until we know the solutions to get rid of them. Just like the way sunset proclaims the grandeur of God’s presence - announcing that another day in our life is given and that it is time to rest, so we express gratitude. And gratitude can be expressed in so many ways. To be on our knees before we close our eyes at night thanking for our food, our clothes, our shelter and many more; is one way of really expressing that everything is going to be okay tomorrow. That God will not forsake us just like He did yesterday and all the days before that. I am very much grateful in knowing the world; of its beauty and goodness in a much deeper sense with nature and gratefulness. For as if they all scream in my face that I should not worry or to not be afraid, but just to keep on doing things; what I am supposed to do and do it all my best. When we are kind to our self, we become our very own best friend. We care for our self-better when we are hopeful too. Hope propels our zest to keep moving on and forward. And when we are our own best friend, we are a one great friend to others as well. It’s because we can see that we are not the only one who is suﬀering. That there are others too who need our help. And helping others is healing.

Mountains and Balloons 16 X 20 Acrylic on Canvas

I have never experienced a hot air balloon ride but I am always fascinated how it feels to be up in the air in an open space. I am afraid of heights and that I do not know if I would ever ride in one for that matter. But to see how it glides so freely up in the air frolicking with the birds and wind is just amazing. And for those who are in it, I bet, they all can see nature at its best.

No matter what, life is still beautiful “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

Life is not easy indeed. It is muddled with struggles even when many said it is up to us how we react to it. We are just humans. We react accordingly: to our own capacity and coping mechanism. There will always be trials and tribulations, suﬀerings and pain in the midst of living. A tear is the other end of laughter; so they say. And to me it means, that there is a measure between the two, and somehow they meet halfway. And between is the gap, and the gap is peacefulness. But despite all problems and diﬃculties, it is still worthy to be alive. This is because life with its ups and downs hand us situations that oftentimes take us up with surprises. Sometimes all the trouble we go through will lead us to a better place. Something we could only dream about. It happened to me and I know it happens to all others, if we only pay attention to each moment we are in. God rewards our tolerance and patience. And when we see life as something to be explored and experienced, we in turn learn the many things it teaches. Just pay attention. I admire the horses because we seldom see them react fiercely to their environment, even in the wild. They remain steadfast to their goal with calm disposition to attain it. To me they run the race not to compete but just being in their best while enjoying the moment. Unperturbed and dignified, they face their challenge like it is and nothing else. Their beauty is not defined by their looks or structure but by the whole composition of what they are inside and out. One day I will paint horses and that’s for sure for as long as I am still alive with my full capacity. Indeed, life is short. So short that at a flick of a second, in a blink of an eye, everything changes. We won’t even notice. Yes, nothing stays the same and yet so many times we take for granted the sweet moments of joy, the gift of the minute, the hour, and the day. We fall short of exploring the deeper creases of our heart to enjoy the many things God has given us. We forget to take notice of the special people in our lives; family and friends. We ignore our chances to say the word; “thank you for being there.” I myself regret the times when I forsake the opportunity to show them what their presence really meant in my life. But it is never too late to turn around and start-doing things that make us feel good and that is; making other people feel good. When we stop, look, and listen to what is around us, our problems become smaller and our life is more gratifying that what we thought it is to be. Note: Do not use this picture (this is taken by my IPhone) Please use the picture on file – CD taken from camera. Always position this picture sideways. Annotation must be below each picture Pictures are always in the middle and occupying the whole page 10

The Garden 24 X 36 Acrylic on canvas

As a kid I always imagine myself walking along the garden pretending to be Rapunzel. Garden and all the living creatures in it never cease to amaze me. In fact, every place I go, I make sure I visit the botanical gardens. I ind joy and peace in the midst of trees and water. I feel cleansed breathing in and out when I am in the wilderness.

Always seek peace “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2Corinthian 13:11

We all have diﬀerent desires deep within. Some are grand, some are extravagant, and some are beautiful. But none is ever dull and lowly. So don’t look down on anyone who is not moving faster like you do. Instead of being judgmental and critical why not find a way to help others. We each have a gift to oﬀer and in each gift in us bring joy for others. I always remember this: to be the person I want to talk to and do business with. There is great power of ‘nice.’ Being nice, even with a simple smile exudes a welcoming aura for others to feel comfortable being around you. When others feel your vibration of being approachable and helpful, words spread out like wildfire. So strive to be a nice person. Make it a point that this is attached to your brand name simply because you are the business and a friend. You are your own brochure, business card, and company. A nice person gets along with everyone and makes him or her feel at ease. Nice people do not place themselves above the rest but assure others that they are unique and important as well. They are diplomatic, courteous, and respectful with their words and actions and are very considerate with everyone. A nice person does not damage the name and reputation of others just so he or she gets the business to herself. Friends become cold for no reason and then you see them hanging out with the person who shouts to the world that she or he is the best and no one else. Many business people and people in general have forgotten that the only way to get through and get ahead to become the go to person for anything under the sun is the person who is amiable and mostly humble. Some of us are victims of people who proclaim they are nice, successful, and happy with their lives but in reality – secretly these so called friends pulls down other people who they see as threat to their popularity or endeavors. They talk, chat, text, email about others in a negative way. They cannot accept that someone out there is better than they are and can outdo them. They say that when you do what you love; everything else will follow. It may not be perfect but when you know your own limitations, you will understand the whole gamut of how life is on love, money, success, and maybe, just maybe everything else under the sun. When you love what you do, you have a happy disposition. And when you are happy, you are nice. Then there is no need to use negative energy to pull someone down. You see, it’s not all about us. It is all about the good feelings of others too. Oftentimes it is a cold world when we are the smartest, the prettiest, or the richest. For sure you do not wish your friends to feel less than they are.

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Sunshine Butter ly 18 x 24 Acrylic on canvas

I love butter lies and I am always fascinated with their extravagance of design and color. Much more, they are elusive, which signify that they should be left alone. Fragile, yes they are, that is why they are meant to be for the eyes-only. What really impressed me most is the time it takes to transform an ugly and horrifying site of a caterpillar evolving into one of the most beautiful sight of nature.

The power of nice “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25

My friends and I were gathered at a big table one night and we were enjoying our share of this delicious food and sweet wine when one of the girls at the table blurted out suddenly and said; “It’s a tough world out there. People are okay when your name is not out there and you have got nothing to show oﬀ. But the minute many know your name and you have gathered some success in your sleeves, these people tear you down. They talk behind your back, stab you with their sharp tongue even to the point of inventing a false story about you, just so you are destroyed!” Everyone at that table shared his or her piece of mind. Not only that it is true, it is a disease in our society uncured for hundreds and maybe thousands of years. One male member in that table shared his thoughts and said; “It is only women who does that kind of thing. It is because women do not want to be outsmarted. They just want to be ‘the’ number one!” My thoughts run wild and in my silence I said; not everyone is evil. Some others out there, who have nothing to prove in life; are much better people than those who have everything. Thus then I believe that negative energy in a person has something to do with competitiveness; jealousy and enviousness. Insecurities, forgetting about the life we are given and the blessings we are enjoying make us negative. Why not encourage one another? When a person is ungrateful, all she or he sees is the lack, the need, and their limitations. Resourcefulness, decisions, and action toward overcoming the hurdles of life are very important to develop. Of course we have real limitations such as capabilities and resources. But if only we see the potential in our self; in how far and high we can go in life, every dream and desire is attained, for as long as one pays the prize in getting there. We can only get to where we desire to be. So we have to accept that fact and do the things we ought to do to erase the feelings of not being good enough. Instead of falling into insecurities, why not look for the good – positive side in self and others? Maybe they can help us too. Patience, tolerance and respect are much more important than being right. Those who are the peacemaker and sensible people gain more respect. Let these negative people be as they are! But tell them in a courteous and diplomatic way that what they are doing actually hurts everyone including him or her. They will change eventually when they learn that resentments is not the way to win in life. Being fair and kind pays oﬀ every sense of the way, in every event, every time.

Just Dream Egypt 18x24 Acrylic on canvas

My daughter April named it Egypt and I added dream because I have to imagine Egypt in order for me to get it in my dream. Then it came to mind that the realities of life could only be accepted and enjoyed when you try to ind the message behind every happening and event. And the only way to this is to be grateful of our existence and try to ind ways to thrive and shine.

Where there is faith, there is hope “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

Have you ever been in a situation when you thought all things surrounding you seem hopeless? When in every angle you turn; there lurks a painful reality that all the odds in life is there to get you, no matter? And when you think one hurdle of difficulty has been worked out, another one – totally different from the previous, sets in? As the saying goes; “when it rains it pours” thus becomes true for us in this phase of life. Don’t you think? And then we thought that we are beaten and defeated, that we give in feeling disappointed and frustrated. Yes I was in such predicament a few times in my life. Then I was jolted in my own reality thus awakened from a deep slumber. Then, I remember everything. And that, never once in my lifetime, that the storms in my life have beaten me to death. I have always come out the winner from it all. One by one I knocked these odds down, leaving me standing in the midst of the chaos and feeling victorious. And I am still here! Today! Breathing, eating, and functioning, as I should, and the pain and sufferings were to me; just like a bad dream. These I have forgotten to acknowledge. I took for granted all the little miracles that happened along the way. Surely you can agree with me, that there is someone out there helping us, lifting us from all the misery that befall on us. Who is this someone? He seems to be all so powerful, compassionate and all loving. My faith is my only companion at all times most especially during the many distressing moments in life. I consider my faith as my shadow, consuming my every thought because it is always there to rescue my every fear and concerns in life. I know all along that I can always rely in God for His constant love for mankind and to me, His child, His love. The experiences we go through are mere instruments for us to be used to craft our life the way we ideally want it to be. The gurus of our time call it wisdom. This I believe that whatever happens to us is our own doing from the choices we make. Indeed we make mistakes thus we suffer from the consequences of each. And we call them lessons. I do not pretend to know all the answers but surely I have gone a long way. Though I am quite a student of my own journey, I have gathered wisdom out from the hardships I went through. The pain and sufferings were enough to mold a little more patient, a little more understanding, a little kinder. What better way to be empathetic with those we see needing desperate help with those who we interact in our daily life?

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Please use the picture on file â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CD taken from camera. Annotation must be below each picture Pictures are always in the middle and occupying the whole page

The light of Monarch 18x24 Acrylic on canvas

This painting took a long time to inish. I had to draw and paint layers of colors of the butter ly in smaller intricate manner. But all is well. I thought I would do more to it but there is a point in everything that we can only do so much, lest we destroy the whole point of view. I thought this is itting a thought can be when we place our faith in God. Like these monarch butter lies. They travel thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico just to survive bringing with them nothing but their reliance that they are provided along the way. This is life.

Be Still and Know that I am God “This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches,” – Jeremiah 9:23

In the midst of disenchantment, love is the balm and the healer when forgiveness and acceptance are embraced. We then have to let go of our grip that holds us from living and life: the indiﬀerence, the arrogance, the ego, the bitterness, jealousy and enviousness, and the many negative vibrations in the soul. We have to forgive others who wronged us because that is the only way we can forgive ourselves, the person that we are. Easier said than done, so we say. But by accepting the things that we do not have any control of, peacefulness in the soul is attained. Contentment is grasped when we surrender our will to the moments of the hour, the day. And by riding along the flow of each event in our life we gain freedom. Freedom to laugh, dance and be merry. Because when we resist what life hands us, surely the muscles in our body become sore with guilt, regrets, and resentments. It is because every event, every happening of life is the moment’s pleasure or pain, for us to reject or to enjoy. And each moment brings you what there is and that is the only one we’ll ever have and nothing more. So we might as well take notice in what is it we are experiencing and going through in each moment and learn from it. Just as Max Ehrmann starts his Desiderata with: ‘Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence,’ so we recognize that it is in the quite space and time where we can gather our thoughts to carry us to another level of consciousness and awareness of our presence. Indeed it is in the stillness of the moment that our worries are pacified and our questions are answered. “Stillness is the language of God.” When life seems chaotic, what is needed is to just retreat to a quite place to find the peace within and soothe our troubled heart. In there, in that space and time is when we truly commune with nature and God. This is the moment where we give our cares to Him. ‘It’ and ‘all’ are His; the pain, the worries, the anxieties of the moment. We surrender ‘all’ to Him and ‘all’ is no longer ours. Then, our shoulders are lighter, or chest gets a breather. Know that He is there at all times. “He loves us as if we are only one”, as St. Augustine of Hippo wrote. And so, trust that even in our sleep He is there to comfort us, heal us, and give us what we need most; the best for us all. Gratefulness is a virtue that creates in us the vision to see things that we have to be thankful for in life. We become gracious when we begin to understand that all that we are and what we have now, all that we see, were once our hopes and desires, which we thought, we could never have or be. When we are thankful, we see more blessings in our favor.

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My dream 18x24 Acrylic on canvas

Some would say it is foolish for me to dream. But this is my dream. Whether it will materialize or not, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt if this was only a dream. Most of my paintings are coming out from my imagination; my wishes and desires, and this is one of them. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you have this kind of feelings too? I think we all do. The glass house was the focus of my paintings and because I love water and clouds, the rest came along with the subject in hand.

Be true to you “Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.” - Ecclesiastes 7:12

The heart is the center of the soul. Our thoughts are born from within and are influenced by how we conceived the world around us. Whatever springs out from within us, is the true expression of our spirit. This includes mostly of our feelings and emotions of the moment. We laugh when we feel happy, smile when we feel joyful, or cry when we are sad. The thoughts we harbor from our mind are the true manifestations of our heart and soul. Oftentimes but not always we express our thoughts through our actions toward self and others. Our actions then are the true voice of the person that we are. This is our personality and character. This is what we are made of inside and out. When we are conscious of out thoughts and we decide what actions we take. And this is the ideal way to live in the moment: to be conscious of our thoughts and feelings because every decisions and actions we take has a possible consequence of our present and future. We all know that our present also becomes our past. Be true to self and the world will conspire with your dreams. If anyone pulls you down, you got it covered; the angels, yes I do believe, comes, guarding your heart and soul. Trust in the divine order of your journey. Be the person that you are and never mind the noise in the background. I truly believe that our soul shapes our life. How we react to our surroundings is the reflection of our beings, how we think, and what is in our heart. And when we take responsibility in all of our actions, we make life easier, perhaps even peaceful and happier. It’s because we think ahead of our actions. Nothing is permanent in life. The past events and experiences flow along in our memory like a dream. The parts we play as the character of these dreams are the truth about what and who we really are. And in realizing these, I come to conclude that we can actually create our past by doing the things today, each minute of the hour, by being conscious of our thoughts and actions in the moments we are in. And we are not done yet. For as long as we take our breath, we continue to be in awe of what life brings. We keep on meeting, seeing, and savoring the moments to come. Some repulses us, some grieves us, but a whole lot will take our breath away. Sometimes, we are aﬀected by the emotional baggage of others and the drama they create to gain sympathy and love from people around them. Although our intuition nudges deep within to turn away and leave behind the negativity of that world, the Christian in us prevails and we somehow keep on extending ourselves to give of what we have within. But, God rewards our tolerance and patience. Be who you are deep within but wrap it up the Christian way by being kind and considerate with self and others. Note: Do not use this picture (this is taken by my IPhone) Please use the picture on file – CD taken from camera. Always position this picture sideways. Annotation must be below each picture Pictures are always in the middle and occupying the whole page

Sunset 30 x 40 Acrylic on canvas

This picture reminds me of the miracles of life. My inspiration was from the Oasis in Austin. And this painting depicts gratefulness for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love. To be grateful of the many wonderful things we enjoy in life; our family, our relatives and friends, our work, nature and the universe, and the many, many things we fail to recognize that are right before our very eyes. Like the air we breathe, the food, the bounty in our table, our taste, smell, and feelings. These are the very things in life that we all have to be grateful for in every waking moments of the day.

Dream on “The LORD your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the LORD will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors.” – Deuteronomy 30:9

The road ahead does not promise anything. Their uncertainties are like darkness of vision or vague pictures. One thing though that I know for certain is that; when you dream something for your life, somehow these desires become realities. The only requirement about it is to know what you really want to happen for you and to pray and ask God about it, most of all. And when you have that goal in your heart, there is no reason why you cannot attain it. I have found out myself that when I write these dreams down, it is no longer a wish list when I create a plan on how to arrive to that certain goal. With the list of things to do, I have created a road map to where I am going. At first I was not serious about this because my beliefs about this kinds of things are half bake. But when I discovered from one of my old lists that I wrote five years earlier, as I was organizing my files, I saw my previous lists and realized I was actually living in those lists. It was an amazing awakening. Somehow every now and then I get distracted thus I am late in my destination. Distraction comes in many forms. As for me, I like gatherings and parties. You see this universe is like a magnet, so they say. Whatever you feel deep inside is sent out through the vibrations in the air, out to the universe around you, and whatever you sent out are the ones that you get back. I say that we must be sure what we want in life in order for us to get it. I am a late bloomer, if you know what I mean. I was head strung kid and I always have my way until age and experience have changed me and overhauled my stubborn spirit. And now I believe in miracles and I trust in the divine providence when we truly deserve blessings and gifts from God. As the saying goes; when you have a good heart, good comes to you. Of course we have to practice good discipline and develop habits that can transform our life for the better. There is no other way better than that with a whole lot of faith and heartfelt prayers and supplications. Even when there are times in our life that are diﬃcult and we get frustrated with what is happening to us. Results of our hard work are not getting us further improvements. Just keep on. Adjust your plans, get help, and learn to tone down ego and pride for you to approach people for assistance. One thing for sure is to know what is right and wrong in what you do. Know your limitations. Accept realities and be true to yourself. Nothing is easy. But with your dedication, patience, perseverance and resourcefulness, there is no reason at all that you will fail reaching your dreams and ideals.

Moonbeams 24 x 36 Acrylic on canvas

I thought about the moon as the dream, the birds I envy because they can ly. I am the isherman hiding behind the shadows of that great big tree which represents doubts, fears and hesitations. But then again, I have to have faith that God will give what my hearts desires for so long that we want it badly enough. And when we do, we go to work with our heart and head, hands and feet. And then our dreams will meet us halfway somewhere in our life journey.

Believe in Yourself “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:13

Everyone have goals and aspirations. We dream for a better life so we plan our strategies to achieve them. In our excitement, we share these plans with friends and relatives but then we are told of the many stories; how our plans could fail and that we are not fitted to do the things we intended to do. Oftentimes their skepticism influences us and we become afraid to move forward to do the things in order to achieve our dreams. We begin to distrust our capabilities. On and on negative emotions lurk in sabotaging our enthusiasm and hopefulness thus crippling us with all sorts of doubts and fears. Furthermore, depression sets in, leaving us feeling guilty and ashamed of our worthlessness. And then, to feel better, we blame ourselves and others for the situations we are experiencing. These self-defeating thoughts, as we sink deeper and deeper into despair. There is always hope for everything under the sun; if you have faith in God and in the capacities you possess. Resourcefulness and willpower are among the most important tools to find solution in order for anyone to hurdle the stumbling blocks of our plans. Indeed not every moment in life is gratifying. Sometimes we are in a phase of uncertainties and we wonder with mixed emotions swirling around our head keeping us restless, anxious and even sleepless. We oftentimes don’t always know what to feel, act or decide. But with every crossroads in our life our heart knows what we want, where we want to go, and what we really want to do. So believe in yourself. Listen to your heart. We all know that success does not come from pure luck or chance but through determination and hard work. And a succession of little accomplishments gets us closer in our day-to-day pursuit of our goals. Gather enough excitement and willingness to extend your-self from your comfort zone. When you focus on your strength, tackling your obstacles is not that challenging. You can do it if you really want to do it badly enough. Also, the royal road of enlightenment will appear right before you when you pray hard enough. Sometimes you will feel that you have encountered miracles. All because; when you look back, you realize that, where you are at the moment, was once what you have dreamed and desire. Lastly, recognize your weaknesses and cultivate them to compliment your strengths. It is always best to be positive and not to entertain doubts and darkness of thoughts. We cannot aﬀord to be judgmental on what we see or hear in our surroundings. The truth is, there is no shortcuts for gaining in life. We must be willing to pay the price to achieve what we desire in our heart. You must see yourself in your dreams.

Lotus 16 x 20 Acrylic on canvas

Life is like painting too. You imagine what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like for a inish product. You plan, strategize, and make a goal. You make mistakes; you erase one aspect or the whole thing and start all over again. You plan something else for a picture to create but then surprisingly a different outcome emerges. Nevertheless, you still like the result. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Do not mind what people say about you and what you. Do not criticize yourself. Do what you love to do.

Create a habit of persistence and persever ance “Search your own heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life” – Proverbs 4:23

There are crossroads we meet in certain times of our journey here on earth. We ache leaving and yet grieve staying that we stand in between a situation or phase at one point or another. And these are the moments when we need most to call upon Him, our God for reliance and guidance. To listen well deep within what our soul is searching and what it is really that we are meant to do here on earth. Thus to understand whatever purpose our existence play in connection with what our heart desires. We hope and dream for better life, great relationships, peaceful countenance, and happier days ahead. Thus we trust in our faith that somehow this route that we are inclined to undertake is a guided road we are meant to thread all along. Then we go, take a step forward with a leap of faith that somehow in whatever we have decided upon will change our life with the success we meant to pursue in which our heart crave for. When you go through so many downs in life, you have so much to share to the world from the experiences you have acquired. Each experience makes us into better people. It’s because we learn lessons from each episode and each lesson we learn add knowledge and know how of what real life is all about. For every mistakes and fall we undergo, we become better equipped with skills we can use to thrive here on earth. And that is where the strength and determination come from. Failure is not after all fatal. Our dreams and desires bring us to where you want to go. Your faith creates the security and assurance that everything will be all right. And the wisdom gained from your mistakes and experiences propel you to believe that you will be able to make it to the finish line wherever that maybe you are aiming for. The heart beats to the rhythm of what our soul define, at least that is what I truly believe. We are what we think and act. We act on the emotions we harbor deep in our heart. In the midst of our own flow of life, there lies the God given gift, which everyone calls ‘our music’. I sincerely agree to all the gurus and sages of our world that each of us carries a gift for the purpose of making a diﬀerence in all forms of life. And to me, this is what they meant as the main reason of our birth. That; this music is the rhythm of our soul and the desires of our hearts. They say, it has the power to change someone, if not inspire many. The Bible declares that we are only stewards of this gift in which we have the responsibility to cultivate its usefulness for the benefit of our brothers and sisters in Christ here on earth. Note: Do not use this picture (this is taken by my IPhone) Please use the picture on file – CD taken from camera. Always position this picture sideways. Annotation must be below each picture Pictures are always in the middle and occupying the whole page 26

Acquarium 22x28 Acrylic on canvas

When we hold love as the medium of all the cares in the world, we are set to be the bearer of peace. When love what we do, we feel satis ied with life. Not only that, we are proud of our accomplishments. The aquarium to me portrays how we live. Each ish is in harmony with the rest living in there. They feed, breed, and survive. What more, they are peaceful when there is no greed involve.

Be proud of who you are “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no fickleness, neither shadow of turning.” - James 1:17

Oftentimes we take for granted the gifts we possess as talents; even to the point that we feel embarrassed of what we can do. We keep on ignoring our desires and dreams because, as we see, there are other more important things in life than paying attention to our own whims. And then when we get to take the chance of really doing the things we are dreaming of doing, we give up so easily at the slightest provocation of discouragements. We get distracted even to the most mundane things we encounter in our day-to-day routine. Then year after year we keep on dreaming and hoping we get the time and chance to get back again in the grove of our motions in catching up what we left behind. This happens to me many times. This is the reason why it took me so long to finish this first book. Our goals change from year to year. We keep promising our self that we will make time as soon as we get one. The question is; do we really have enough time? Is life that accommodating enough to wait on us for our goals to meet us as our age progressed to a point when our dreams are bigger but our physical capabilities are beginning to be limiting? The only best time to do anything we need to be doing to make our life better is now. Of course, we cannot do drastic moves from one end to the next. But with discipline and perseverance, proper planning and strategies, we will be able to attain whatever it is we were dreaming of becoming as a person. One thing for sure is to know what is it in your heart that you have been wishing all this time. What is it you really want to be in life? Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can. Be grateful that you are able to dream and make plans to realize your dreams. Be resourceful. Ask questions. Share your dreams. Be proud of your goals and the person that you are. Be patient with your little progress but keep on and never give up. Each of us is destined to become someone as we fulfill the mission of our birth and the reason of our existence. Create your miracle. No matter how simple your goals are, if it means a whole lot to you go for it. As they say; don’t die with your music still in you. Share it to the world. You will never know how it could change another soul. Be the inspiration of others. Do what you love and love what you do. Be proud of your accomplishments.

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Regal Peacock 16 x 20 Acrylic on canvas

Beauty is always expressed in the context and essence of love. The heart as the soul of man only knows this beauty. For whatever you say and do, think and feel if it is all about love and for the goodness of life and all. Frolic and noise, chatter and hassles are fragmented thoughts only to break loose the deeper sense of a person. Love only expresses faithfulness and sincerity. For no one human can really feign affection but the actions one take will never fail to tell what is deep inside of him.

Accept and Embr ace in whatever there is. This is my parting words. “Why we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” – Hebrew 12:28

Life is a perfect picture with twisted swirls of events. It can take us to so many places and create events in our world. It also oﬀers us a vast arena of possibilities and opportunities for prosperity. God wants us to be happy and to prosper in such a way that we can become assets to our community and a positive force to our family and society as a whole. Many times we fail and make mistakes but as always every day is another chance for us to start all over again. With positive views and one goal in mind, we know deep within that we can do what our heart has set for us to do. In the eyes of uncertainty, a will placed in God is the one and only strength we can have. Nothing can perturb a silent throbbing heart when it is with the loving embrace of God. It is in that peaceful surrender to His will where we find in us the invincible soul that is fiery and powerful. With God in us we find peace within to accept the realities surrounding our life. Behind each smile is a past, a history, and a story. One may never know what is inside of another person’s thoughts until it is shared. But even then their feelings and yours can never match in intensity unless he/ she has traveled through your heart. I always believed God is here within me and in you. I may have sinned in so many ways, failed Him a whole lot as we all do, but I know and trust that I am guided by Him, the Holy Spirit and His love will always endure my every story. Happiness is in knowing that the things we have learned from youth are carried through the years in life and become our tool to living right. All the hardships and victories are our guiding light and their memories, our lucky charm. This is my belief. And this is what make us of what and who we are. As for me, I stand and live loving life whatever gift I receive in each moment. I thank the problems, the hardships and the pain. They created in me a person with more wisdom. When you are at peace within yourself and you are content where you are at the moment, this is success. And success is happiness. And so, know that whatever you are going through as of now is not going to last forever. Somehow, you will get through it and life will even be better than it is now. Miracles happen everyday. So embrace the moment for they bring the miracles for you. We are softened by the hardships we have gone through and our pain becomes the guiding light in understanding ourselves and others even those who have lost their way. Reality is tough but when we embrace our past as the pathway to our presence, life is beautiful with its promises. I believe that whatever you wish can come true. I believe that we have the capacity to make little miracles in our life.

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Million petals 18 x 24 Acrylic on canvas

When we are peaceful, we are happier.. When we are happy, we are content with whatever there is and when we are content with life, we feel good. We feel con ident of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to become of us and the world around us. When we feel good about ourselves, we are in harmony with life and all that is in it. Like this lower, I relate to working together for the common good.

Nothing is ever too late “Be quick to say; I love you, I miss you, I’m sorry, thank you, and etc.” - Mayette D. Rodriguez

Life they say is a duo of opposites. There is up and down, happy and sad, good and bad, success and failure, win or lose. So never fret when its time to face the downs. Do what has to be done and get over it. I know you say; it is easy to say but hard to follow. And I could never agree with you more on this. But this is living and while we are still breathing and all our faculties are intact, we have to fight what is right for us and move on. Then every event becomes a memory. And when we look back we can say: “we did it and look how far we have come. It was a long way, baby”. I do not know everything about life and I do not want to pretend I know all the answers to the questions. I am just sharing my experiences of agony and the realization of what I have discovered to save me from misery. And I feel I have a duty to share to the world how I eased my pain, frustrations and disappointments in life. I am not perfect nor my life. I still go through the same things and feelings all over again each time a situation meet me in my life journey. But being in the moment helped me how to counteract my negative feelings. So I share you what I learned. And that: God will never ignore our needs even our wants, because our purpose in life is fulfillment and happiness I began a journey, which I never thought was a lifetime of rewards: the dreams I thought were impossible. You see, it takes so much experience in life to get us to wake up and become what we must be; how we wish to be and how God designed us to be. With my journey and from the road I thread before, I realized the source of joy and peacefulness. That goodness is our anchor for life’s bliss and fulfillment. That, when we are unaligned or misaligned to this one source, we become disconnected and imbalanced with life in our soul and body. Give someone you meet a reason to smile. Nothing in life is perfect and no one is perfect, that’s for sure. We all have our faults and weaknesses and most of all, shortcomings. But these do not make us less in the eyes of God. And we do not have a reason to frown on others too. We just have to continue our goals to be what we wish to be in this lifetime. We can die trying. I still have so many battles to win over, many things to accomplish, and many more projects to finish. Yet, this is what life is all about for me. Everything changes and the cycle is never ending. And it means we have so many chances to be aligned to meet new opportunities. These make my life meaningful. Something to work on, a reason to get up each morning, more dreams to accomplish. But now I learn to take each day in stride and take things a step at a time. I say to you and me: Let’s GO FOR OUR DREAMS. Be blessed.