“To receive more you must first be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the doors for good ideas to flow, while cynicism blocks the door of good ideas.” – Jim Rohn
Happy New Year, everyone!
I’m certain that you’ve all had a lovely celebration welcoming the New Year with your family as I did.
2012 brought a balance of blessings and trials in my life that I’m truly grateful for, and so I’d like to start the first day of 2013 with gratitude in my heart for what the Lord had blessed us last year 2012.
Our Own Business
When my husband and I first met, we were both working in a trading company owned and managed by a couple. The last work my husband was into, where he stayed for 10 years, was at a construction company that is also owned and managed by a husband and wife team. I’ve always had this vision that someday, we will both be like our former employers—that we would have a business of our own that we will grow together, and it all came true last year.
My husband officially resigned from work last year to focus on the sub-contracting business he started. Of course, I’m equally proud and happy that my husband has finally fulfilled his dream of starting his own company, of finally being the boss as I’ve always believed and encouraged him that he can do it.
By this year, I will also be working full-time to help my husband manage the business and to learn the ropes of how the industry works so that I could also help him efficiently manage the new business—a trading company—he plans to put up anytime this year.
Online Blessings
Blogging has truly been a blessing to me, and last year was just amazing in terms of the earning opportunities I’ve been given. I owe it all to the wonderful people I’ve met online who are very generous in sharing their resources and to the advertisers and companies who expressed their interest to work with me.
Because of the earnings I got online, I was also able to fulfill my goal of finally having my blog moved to WordPress, with the help of Tanya Peterson of Blogelina, who patiently worked on it. I’m also grateful to learn a lot on how to earn from and grow your blog from her through her online blogging class.
Growing Precious Gifts from God
My son officially started school as a Junior Advanced Casa pre-schooler and of course, I’m very proud of and ecstatic to see my little boy start a new chapter in his life.
My daughters are also both grown-up and every time I look at them and see how responsible and loving individuals they are growing into, I just couldn’t help but feel blessed to be their mom. Pretty soon, I will have two teenage daughters. Isn’t that exciting? 
Spiritual and Personal Growth
I’m truly grateful to have come across the blog Inspired to Action where I learned about the Hello Mornings Challenge. Although I wasn’t able to finish the challenge, I’m grateful to be a part of a team of spiritual moms who are very encouraging in every possible way. I will be joining the challenge again this year, and will do all my best to participate from the beginning to the last day.
Also, through some helpful books—that I highly recommend for all women and moms to read—I got online, which are Living a Virtuous Life by Lori Ramsey, The Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene Schacht, and Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin, I was able to fully understand my God-given role as a wife, mother, and homemaker, and I now fully embrace those roles wholeheartedly. I now aim to please God through lovingly serving the people he placed in my care: my husband and my children.
A New Beginning
It’s something very personal so I won’t share the entire details, but something heart-breaking happened a few days before we welcomed the New Year. But I’m extremely thankful God gave me and my husband a wonderful gift—the gift of reconciliation, forgiveness, and a new beginning–at the last day of 2012 that gave us an even happier New Year celebration and all the more reason to be hopeful for what 2013—and also for what the coming years—will bless us in our journey together as husband and wife.
So again, I say, thank you, 2012 and thank you, Lord, for your Grace and Love all throughout the year. I and my family look forward to another amazing year ahead!
I earnestly pray for an amazing 2013 for all of us.
