My daughter Lauren and I during the 2018 Holiday Season - South Tampa 2018
Hi everyone! I hope that everyone is getting started right in 2019 =)
As I am sitting here writing this post, I can't begin to tell you how happy and blessed I feel just to be here. A few days ago I was a wreck, and this is why.
Over the past weekend, there was a typhoon (Usman) that damaged the Bicol Region of the Philippines, and this is where my fiancé and newborn baby were staying. I did not hear from them for TWO DAYS, and I can't tell you what I felt inside. It was the most horrifying experience! Just the unknown about the whereabouts and the condition of my fiancé and newborn was enough to drive me mad. I was in tears for hours on end.
Long story short, after a few days, I finally got word from my fiancé Arlene that she and my baby Penelope was all good, they were alive and well. This happened the night before New Years Eve. And I received the message from Arlene early morning on NYE, and all I can say is that "God is good".
This was my post on my facebook in regards to what happened:
When Typhoon Usman devastated Bicol Philippines
Thank you to all of my friends who supported me through this very difficult time leading up to the New Year. Thank you for all the prayers, and the love that you showed for my family. I am so blessed to have the best friends in the world.
Video Clip from "The Guardian" Let us all pray for all the victims and families affected by Typhoon Usman. The death toll continues.
So this is basically what happened right before bringing in the New Year. Crazy right!
Just a few hours after the good news from Arlene, I hopped on a plane from Florida to Las Vegas to spend NYE with my brother's family gradually working my way back to the Philippines. I made it just in time before the countdown, and was able to ring in the New Year safe and sound at my brother's house with some non-alcoholic sparking grape wine and some vegan pie, it was good a good feeling ringing in the New Year with family, but also knowing that my fiancé and baby was all good and waiting for me safely in the Philippines. I could not ask for more =)
Now as I am sitting up on my bed the next day, New Years Day....the first day of 2019, I am having visions of what will happen, or the things that I will have to tackle this coming year. Lot's of things to do, lot's of goals to accomplish, lot's of places to see, and lot's of love to give!
The four points are the things that I will be focusing on the most, and although that may seem so simple to some people, it really is.
My four points of focus for 2019 as posted on my facebook page:
Other than the four points of focus, the challenge will be the things that will be happening in between. Here are just some of the challenges that I will be facing, but excited to conquer:
- Raising my new baby in the Philippines
- Being consistent with work in order to continue to support my family
- Keeping strong relationships with my business partners at a place that is not known for the best internet in Asia
- Staying in contact with my daughter in the USA from thousands of miles away in the Philippines, and making sure that I still remain the best father to her, so important to me!
- Traveling for my OCRTUBE media projects which means I will be in and out of the Philippines and leaving my family.
- Working on eventually taking my fiancé and newborn to the USA to visit, lots of paperwork involved
- Starting another business in the Philippines to help supplement my projects and support my family, this takes a lot of time, and doing this in between everything else will be tricky
- Getting married to my Queen. This isn't really a challenge, but I guess I just want to make sure that I can always provide for her, and show her how much I love and care for her and my baby while I am traveling for work.
- To eventually be able to take my family with me on my work travels, this is a financial challenge
So these are just a string of things that 2019 will bring for me. I look forward to the new year, and what it will bring for me and my new family. Am I scared? Absolutely! But just like the incident that happened just a few days ago, I was shown that things will happen with or without me, so I have to continue setting goals and keep moving forward, have faith because God is always good, He always has a plan for me.
Anyways, just a quick share post. I hope that all of you have an amazing year, and I hope to run into some of you soon!
ONE MORE THING
This year as in past years has always been all about helping others, so just wanted to put this out here, if you are needing some health and fitness accountability or advice, please don't hesitiate to message me. I am by no means perfect when it comes to health and fitness, but two people "or more" helping each other towards a common goal is always better than just one.
(14 Day Free Trial Offer, message me to be added to my free mobile app group too!)
Also, entrepreneurism is also something that I love. If you feel stuck in a rut, and need help with getting your finances in check for 2019, let's help each other. I don't have all the answers, but I would love to share some business ideas with you, and maybe both of us can take our situations, our future to a much better place in 2019, especially for our families =).
Happy New Year to all of you, let's rock it! =)
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- Lagalag Mafia, my family life and travels in the Philippines and more.
- OCRTUBE, my mission to grow the sport of obstacle course racing around the world while giving back to the community.
