First off, Happy New Year to all! 🎊 It’s like we’ve started the new year a bit late, but not too late, it’s still January! 😃 I will share why I feel that way later in this journal and faced it faith. But would like to start with a little retrospect of the last year.

2021’s Breeze 🍃

Last year was like a breeze that feels like everything that happened was just yesterday. A mix of ups and downs and as the pandemic continues, with recurring lockdowns, we can just do limited things and go to limited places. And with my side of the family getting sick, adds to the downs, but also very grateful that the Lord healed them and gave us as a family and my husband the strength to overcome it. When the cases lowered significantly at the last two months of the year, we had the opportunity to actually celebrate the Christmas holidays with some of our friends and family and that I believed is the great thing to end the year 🎄

New Year’s Slow Beginnings ⛅

“..rest, refresh, and, more importantly, reflect.”

I was ready to welcome the year with high hopes and anticipation of making new projects, yet…illness struck. Yes, you might have guessed it, covid welcomed me instead, and not long enough my husband got it too. So we were both down for a week or so and were quarantined for 10 days, which in the middle of that I was even rushed to the hospital and good thing we were able to go home a few hours later. It was really a scare, especially for my husband who have to tend to me and even had a fever earlier that day. Unfortunately, some of my siblings caught covid too. But, I’m really thankful to the Lord that we just got mild to moderate symptoms and felt better quickly.

What happened left me totally halted in my plans and just a few days ago slowly started getting back to my regular schedule. Even this journal took me a great deal of time to finish 😅 I would say the gradual progress of getting back on track is beneficial for me. I was able to rest, refresh, and, more importantly, reflect.

Sprouting Faith 🌱

“for we walk by faith, not by sight.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

Though my new year had started in a different route and in an unmelodic beat, there had been a few things that made the start of the year meaningful 🌺

A message that speaks life

Before I got the symptoms I received a message from one of my clients from last year. She ordered a few hand embroidery hoop arts that I already stitched as Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to receive the parcel in time for Christmas since their area was affected by a great typhoon. But just after new year’s day she sent me the following message that really encourages me and speaks life to me, which gives more meaning to what I do in Heartily 💗

“Hi Sarrah! We found it! Thanks so much for helping us to track it. The presents couldnt be more meaningful, especially after the storm. Thank you for the Bible passages and all the little thoughtfulness that came in the package. You truly made our Christmas special. And the hoop art are beautiful! God bless and advance happy new year!”
~ Tracy, Blithe Books

My balcony garden’s resilience

When I’m feeling a little better I got the chance to have a good gaze in my little balcony garden to check on my plants. And I’m really delighted that they remained intact and flourishing even though I wasn’t able to water them for many days. My orange bougainvillea is starting to grow some blooms. And my only rose plant also shows some growth from the leaf buds and recently shows a flower bud, yey! Did a great deal of cleaning of aphids and spider mites on them just before I got sick, and hopefully, will be able to see new blooms soon 💐

We walk by Faith

As this journal’s title says, it’s faith in the Lord that I would like to even more flourish this year and years to come. For the last couple of years, death, sickness, and uncertainties have roamed in our family, but through it all, I’ve seen how God had been faithful and kind and helped us through each turn and comforted us in our lowest point.  He reminded me of his word written in 2 Cor 5:7: “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” Truly, in the many uncertainties of life, there’s a solid ground we can walk onto, that actually takes faith. Of which that faith also comes from the God who loves and cares for us 🌿

Green Light On 🌿

Growing a grateful heart

Through the pandemic and the storms of life that had happened, I’ve seen the value of family and friends who are sincerely concerned. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by these few people, yet gave tremendous impact. And most especially to my husband, who in that late afternoon for a brief moment that I have no breath in me, was by my side and cared for me all throughout. Such times that I will treasure in my heart, and know that I am blessed. With all these things, ultimately, I’m really touched that God embraced me and let me see life in a better and more beautiful view 💖

One step at a time

Photos of the recent hand embroidery hoop art I stitched 🧵

Everything halted but was able to eventually start stitching again. When I’ve gained a little strength I got to design a new worded hand embroidery hoop art, which displays the word “Faith”. Then, when I’ve fully recovered I did a few stitches at a time in the next few days. Glad to finish it and hopefully release the pattern for this within the year. Got back to work also and slowly restoring to my usual schedule. Also, I got to lay out some plans and ready to start some of the custom projects in the pipeline. Would love to share them in the coming weeks when I’m done! I love to have this feeling of excitement again 🥰

One big takeaway I got from the past weeks is that there are times that you may be totally down in different aspects, which no human strength, neither wisdom nor money can put you up, but only faith, which is unseen yet gives you the intangible strength of reminding you why to push and overcome 🌟

I hope you’re having a great start of the year, and if it may not be, I hope the small and big blessings of every day may remind you of God’s love and hope for you.  Take care and God bless always! 🌻

Heartily yours,
Sarrah 💛