Major Blog Overhaul = Major Liefestyle Overhaul

Finally, I had some free time in my hands to update the layout of my blog. It's nothing much but for me the new view is decent enough to accommodate everything I want to fit into this small virtual space of mine.

This should also pave the way for the launch of my additional blog sites. Why am I doing this now? Let's just say that at this point my future is very unclear. Last week, we were handed a notice that our team's employment contract will end on December 5 instead of December 31 as originally scheduled. After December 5, I'll be a bum again (or a full time network marketer if I choose to be one again).

I really don't know what's waiting for me a few weeks from now. All I know is that if I am ever going to pull off this blogging thingie, now is the best place for me to start.

My next assignment: learn more about what feeds and feedburners are for... I really don't have any clue whatsoever. There's really a lot of stuff going on with blogging, and it's been going on for years. I hope I'll have enough time for the next few days to stay away from playing The Sims and focus on how I can turn this hobby into a money-making machine! :)

Lessons I Learned from Watching Barbie Movies

I thought about this topic 4 months ago (draft saved 05/18/2011 to be exact). Now that I have some free time on my hands, I'm in the mood to finish this post. After reading my previous entry which is so depressing, I just thought this one should tip off the balance a bit.

Since my daughter turned 3 (she's turning 6 this month), I always enjoyed watching Barbie movies with her (here's Wiki's complete listing of Barbie movies) . From The Nutcracker to the most recent one we watched, Barbie: A Fairy Secret, I always enjoyed how Barbie transforms into a brave and intelligent girl that we all would like to be. I was even able to apply some of the lessons I learned from these movies in real life, especially when I had to face tough situations.

Here are some of my favorite Barbie movies:

Barbie and The Diamond Castle: Up to now I still catch my self humming or singing the songs in this movie - Two Voices One Song, Connected, We're Gonna Find It, and Believe. All of those songs have inspired me and somehow helped me have a more positive outlook in life.

Barbie and The Three Musketeers: I love this movie because of the stylish fight scenes, especially the part when they sneaked into the castle on order to protect the prince when all the male musketeers are either unconscious or tied up. I also loved one of Barbie's lines in the movie: True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it's impossible."

Every time my daughter and I watch Barbie movies, I always hope that these movies would influence my daughter the way they influenced me. I hope that it her early years, she will be able to learn valuable lessons about hope, courage, honesty, kindness and love and that she will be able to use these lessons as she faces tougher things in life.

Merrick is Emo again!

"Life can never be free of pain but God will always give you the means to endure and survive. In the rush of events, you'll see that He's holding your hand at every moment."


I received this message from one of my friends a few days ago. When I received the message, I really wasn't sure if the message will be useful in my life. I just thought that it's something nice to keep in my inbox. But today, I realized that there's a reason why I didn't delete the message.

I've always had problems. Who doesn't anyway? But I've always managed to cope or think of ways to solve my problems. However, I feel really lost and helpless right now. And no matter how I try to come up with a feasible solution to solve my problem, I still can't come up with anything sensible. Add to that the fact that the other person involved does not show any signs of mutual cooperation to resolve the issue.

I don't have anything or anyone else to turn to but God. Yes, I have the option to talk to him about it, that is if he's really willing to sit down so that we can hear each other out and have a real conversation once and for all. I also have the option to seek some advice and guidance from good friends who will not be biased about the situation. But if his mindset about things does not change one bit, we can talk for hours and still not resolve anything.

A few years ago, I felt this way. And after a few months of feeling this way, we parted ways. I'm afraid that the same things are happening all over again. And I'm scared if I can still be brave enough the second time around. That's why I have no option but to turn to God for strength, courage, and wisdom. I know that nothing is impossible through Him and that if I just stay obedient and faithful, He will take care of the rest. I know that right now, He is trying to teach us something, I jsut don't know yet what it is. But I hope and pray I'll find out soon, and I will stay faithful that He'll be with me through it all, just as He has always been.