The 4th of July

image credits to Christopher Ramos/GMA Network online

The 4th of July also popularly known as ID4, for the Americans, was the day they become independent. Independence day is celebrated every 4th of July, the day the United States of America has been established. The independence was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on 1776 of July 4. The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of 13 colonies that united the American Revolutionary War. This is actually a separation from the British government which happened on July 2, 1776, and is believed to be the real Independence day.

The 4th of July is being celebrated by the Americans as it marks the day the United States has become its own nation. Americans celebrated it with parades, fireworks, and festivals. Watch the highlights of the celebration in New York and Washington DC.

image credits to Wall Street Journal youtube

Coincidentally, it was the day the Philippines has been recognized as an independent and sovereign country by the American government. It was July 4, 1946, as the Philippines were under its rule for 48 years after the 333 years of Spanish colonization. July 4 back then is being celebrated as Republic Day  It was a national non-working holiday until the late former president Ferdinand Marcos, changed it to Philippine-American Friendship Day, and became a working holiday. Then the former president Cory Aquino abolished it as a national holiday. 

I still believe that July 4 is the correct Independence Day for the Philippines and not June 12, 1898. Yet the islands were free from Spanish colonization but they had just passed it on to the United States of America. It becomes totally independent as a nation on July 4, 1946.

The Time to Quit

https://www.ajc.com/blog/get-schooled/challenge-isn-getting-teachers-into-classroom-keeping-them/

Quitting is not always giving up. Quitting is also changing everything. Quitting is pivoting to a new role. They say quitter never wins. What is the best thing to do when you quit a certain job or career, from a person in your life,  because of stress, anxiety, and abuse? What are you quitting at?

Four years ago I made a decision to quit someone. Being a single Mom and a teacher is stressful enough but don't get me wrong, these roles give me fulfillment in my being. Quitting on someone to do his obligations and responsibilities gave me relief. I don't have to ask or beg to care for his children if he is that responsible. You won't expect, you won't ask, you won't talk. Quit on him as a father of your kids, yet within yourself, he would puff out because there are connections. But at least taunting him to do his responsibilities is an absent thing, you won't have to always ask for anything. If you are an independent woman, think about these things.. does it make a difference if he helps or not? If you say no, then quit talking to him else let him know more about you and the kids.

Quitting on a job or career that is your bread and butter, one that you are equipped with needs a lot of thinking. It somehow affected my decisions. In quitting a job, you need to examine factors, especially if you have kids depending on you. It has been years since I wanted to quit as a teacher, but a turn of events made me finally decide on this. Last year was the tough decisive decision I have ever had. Too much stress from work, health factors, and peace of mind are the factors against the uncertainty of finding a new job or venturing into business. And I made it. I quit a job that I had stayed on for years. My bread and butter. Yes..12 long years and finally decided on it. 

Teaching tied you up for long hours, not the teaching per se but the preparation for it. The thin line between having your personal time mixed with your work and other extra things to do. The good thing that happens to me? I was able to find earning opportunities, and I was able to rest after work. Unmindful of the things that I needed to do after my working hours, I can sleep soundly and eat properly. I can do things that I have planned before, the renovation of my house. Quitting on my part is pivoting to a new role that would give me peace of mind, and a less stressful environment which is my home.

To sum it up, there are questions you need to answer before you quit on something. 

• What are the pros and cons of the decision to make?
• What is the value or the importance of these pros and cons?
• Is the decision urgent? - does it affect your physical and mental health?
• Is it feasible for you to quit now? - alternatives for pivoting to a new challenge.

Depression Kills

     Depression is not just a mere sadness or loneliness, but if not controlled can lead to a depressive state. Frequent emotional ups and downs will lead to depression. These emotional shadows may be brought by pressures from work or family, stress from too much work, anxiety in everyday lives, painful and traumatic experiences, too many expectations that lead to discouragement and low self-esteem, and the list goes on. 

     Once a person has it, he seems helpless, with nowhere to go, and no one to turn to. He is withdrawn from all the routine activities of his daily life. Losing interest in those things he was interested in and fond of. Nobody among his colleagues or friends could see the dark shadow one is having. No one beside him could feel the turmoil within.

  Depression is a mental state. Depression kills. Depression leads to someone killing himself to stop all the worries and pain. Believing no one cares, believing no one can help, believing no one hears, believing one is helpless. Depression is a serious matter that should not be ignored. Depression kills and for anyone who has it or knows that someone is having it, it is always too late for them to reach out.

      If someone you know you think is experiencing depression, don't leave her alone. Talk. These links can help.

Symptoms and Treatment

Take This Depression Test

My BLogSiTes & LinKs

   

    I got two blog sites, this one is created 7 years ago with this blog site, which contains random thoughts, poems, letters, blog ads, etc., the other blog created 2 years ago is Sunflower for Emily which contains selected photos and poems I personally composed and some from friends or have stumbled upon with permission. Since I am a heavy user of social media like Facebook and Twitter, for personal reasons I cannot link my Facebook and Twitter here. they are even linked to my Pinterest.

     I have seen that you can really do business or make money through them. SEO or Search Engine Optimization, Hashtags, analytics, web content, newsfeeds, and apps are by-words we constantly read or heard. These are the keys to more views and followers especially if you are doing business through these social media. These are the reasons why I initiated a new look and name for my two blog sites. I have signed up on Instagram recently, my Twitter is getting more followers, and I have affiliated myself with some twitter groups, persons, and blog ad companies. I was contemplating then what to do with my two blog sites along with their link to other social media. My Pinterest has a username of April Brews created only early this year because I was thinking then of a name that symbolizes what I love to do. I thought of a coffee since I am a coffee drinker and I drink while blogging or thinking. 

     With all this social media hype and the recent ALDUB phenomena that make waves through Twitter, it comes to me how powerful social media is in popularizing even ordinary but talented people, especially on YouTube. 

      I am also on LinkedIn and still looking and checking on some apps to link my blogs. With its new look and name, expect more fresh new blogs this coming day and so on. Please check the links and if you are interested to advertise your business or brands through blogs or space, feel free to leave comments here.

My Site Was Hacked

     

image credits to blog.ipleaders.in

After posting my last blog article two months ago, I found out that readers and I were being redirected to another site whenever there was an attempt to view my site. I can't figure out what happened..did I post or open a malicious link? did I approve a comment? because the first day it appeared, I approved one comment which has a URL link related to, which I think, to my post. For many days, I kept looking through all my links, posts, ads, and HTML affiliates, checking all their contents but I couldn't find what went wrong. I even looked into Google customer service to help me, but none related and no answer to the FAQs I have sent. Searching through for many days, I found a forum on Google for the same problem that I got..."my blog site being redirecting to another site". I found out I am not the only one who had encountered the same problem. There was one blogger with the same fate and was answered by,  I think a Google staff. So I have written mine there since I have read the staff mentioned that even if the same problem occurs, it is on a case-to-case basis. A few days after, I received an email that my query was answered. The staff told me that he found a malicious link in one of my affiliate links. He told me to check on it and delete the said link. I found the one he was telling me and after deleting it, I viewed my site..wow..it worked. From that time on, I cannot write on this site and am also thinking to create another site since I was nearly losing hope at that time. And for all the bloggers out there, always log out and change your password from time to time, every month if possible.

Wonderful Opportunities

Life is full of opportunities, but they say opportunity knocks once. As I am reading a lesson on Pre-encounter to an Encounter with God, opportunities are in abundance. It changes my outlook on opportunities. As long as we live, we could have these opportunities, the four wonderful opportunities that would change us ...

1) The Encounter Opportunity

This struck me the most..no matter how far we have strayed from God, we can STOP right now and TURN BACK to Him. Remember the story of the prodigal son? The son made the decision to return to his father's house looking for a second chance. (Luke 15:11-20), we can do the same thing by deciding to have an encounter with our Father God. Anyone ...ANYONE .. who desires to have an encounter with God CAN do so. God is always close to us, as close as the air we breathe."We are His offspring"(Acts 17:27-28).

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

2) The Reconciliation Opportunity

We can have true reconciliation with anyone if we recognize our sins, and our faults and ask for forgiveness. The same thing with our God, ACKNOWLEDGING our sins, REPENTANCE and ASKING for His forgiveness, and RENOUNCING all the evil we have committed. When we do this, God stretches forth His merciful hand toward us. 1 John 1:9 assures us: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness. Just like the prodigal son, seeing his fallen condition he decided to come back so as not to stay in that condition and take the risk to find a new opportunity. An opportunity to be in his father's place once again.

"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against You. I am no longer worthy to be called Your son; make me like one of your servant men." - Luke 15:18-19

3) The Restoration Opportunity

As to how an old painting is being restored by its painter, a new set of coloring kits is being dabbed in and a time spent to bring back its natural and original beauty, God does it to His sons. All of our sins deserve punishment, but God allowed His Son Jesus Christ to take our place and pay for our sins. Just like the father in the prodigal son, he decided to restore his lost son's dignity when he came back and ask for his forgiveness. He ordered a fattened calf to be a sacrifice in honor of his son's return. 

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

4) The Provision Opportunity

As children of God, we have all the privileges that we could enjoy. God considers us His dear children, making us participants of the same riches and glory as Jesus Christ. Once, we had lost these privileges because of sin. Coming back to Him, He dresses us in the best garments, puts the best shoes on us, and gives us the ring that represents the authority we now enjoy as His children and heirs. God treats us as His beloved children.

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." - John 1:12

In general, when there is an opportunity, there will be an encounter a new task, a new life. Opportunities would open a new door to a new beginning. Specifically, these opportunities are always available to us, life-changing opportunities, to begin with.