Merry Christmas

I'm late. As usuaaaaaal. :P

But anyways. Without further delay. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE. ;D 

God bless the whole bunch of people whom I love to bits and pieces! 

This has been... the best Christmas I've had in my life. Never before have I celebrated Christmas this way, and I've never had more fun since the last ten years or so. But anyways, this Christmas has always been about others to me. And this post is dedicated to the people who mean the world to me; whom God has so generously blessed me with.

Mom and Dad

I love you guys. For being my parents. Not the perfect parents, but you have been awesome parents to all of us four kids. Thank you for all the love and sacrifices you have lavished upon us. And hey look, I've managed to capture a photo of Daddy smiling! :D

Joel

He may not know or realize it, but I love my baby brother to pieces. This year has truly brought us closer as siblings in many unexpected ways, and I have never once regretted that. In these growing years, we are learning to slowly rely on one another; and that is truly a blessing. He is trustworthy, faithful, patient, understanding, and every bit as annoying as any little brother can be, but he has indeed grown into a wonderful young man. God bless you, baby bro. :D

Steph and Tim

Ahhhh! What would I do without my Kor and Che? Steph, for being my awesome awesome big sister who shares my annoying common habits, and for dishing out the advice that every little sister requires in this stage of her life. Kor, for breaking out of his shell and becoming my friend, becoming my brother. For making the effort to fix our relationship despite the stale past years which saw us more as strangers than siblings. For finally changing his ways, for accepting the willingness to change, for finally becoming someone I can call my older brother. Thank you Lord for the work you have done that has blessed my siblings and I. Thank you for bringing us closer as a family, for fixing our relationships, for giving me a friend in the form of my older brother. 

My second family;

These are the people whom I met this year after joining Younified. And I've never looked back since. They have been nothing but a blessing to me, and have influenced me in ways I could never have imagined. They are the living examples of what God's amazing love can do in one's life.

Esther Marie

Esther Square! :DD She is my sister in Christ, and my awesome partner in crime(albeit the same name). She is understanding, sweet, nonjudgmental, patient, kind, and overall an angel who loves Jesus more than anything else. She was the last person I expected to grow close to, but God does have His strange ways. An amazing, amazing friend. Love you loads! 

My Younified members!

(I just chose this photo but it technically represents everyone else I know but are not in it. HEH.)

For granting me the fun I've never had, for showing me the love of God, and for being my second family whom I love and cherish time with. 

Theresa;

My sister in Christ and my sister always! For giving out the best advice, for being a patient and most understanding person I've ever met, for being there for me when I needed a friend, for being there for me when I had troubles and needed to confide in someone. You go girl. ;) Stay the way you are!

Chris

Yep, him too. Despite all his Fabio-ness and "Nope, just Chuck Testa." shootbacks which drive me crazy, he is truly an awesome(can I add immature in reference to the above pic? :D ) sort-of brother-friend-frenemy. Lesse..what's so memorable about him...hrmm... ahh. The glares. The hair-whipping. The jab attacks that drive him mad(with laughter). His 'cool' persona. His vanity. His love of camwhoring. His high opinion of himself. His sarcasm. His awkward silence. And most of all, the annoying influence he has on Joel. 

Yes, that's Chris for you. So Merry *jab* Christmas to you, Christopher Drew Howard. :D Oh wait, what? You don't like me revealing your middle name..? 

".. nope. Just Chuck Testa. "

Matthew

Festive season calls for retarded photos. XD I'm sorry Matthew!

But you are awesome. You cook AMAZING. Your talent in music is... indescribable. The patience and understanding you exude is enough to make even a complete stranger trust you. Thanks for the arguments, disagreements, debates and fights that I had with you. They were funny, and made me laugh. Yes, despite all the HARASSMENT. Oh, and thank you for being my punching bag! :D And also for being a huggable teddy bear. Thanks for the jokes and humor, for the laughs you've provided. You've done plenty in your few months here; more than enough to impact everyone else including me.

Danny and Sam

Mah brothers. :DD I've never had so many brothers and sisters in my life! God bless you guys. For being annoying, for making me laugh, for the advice, for the trust that you both hold. 

--Doesn't mean I'm not going to throw pie in your faces one day. Watch out. Sisters are meaaaaan. You don't mess with da girls! XD

But more than anything else.

Adrian.

There are just some people in your life who you just have nothing to say, because there's so much to say, and yet nothing will come out. Because these sort of people are special, indescribable, and so incredibly so that they leave you speechless. That there is just no way to put into words the joy and happiness they have brought into your life, and the beautiful experiences that have been nothing but the peaks of my year. For being one of the best people that have ever entered my life. For drawing me out of a very dark place, for showing and guiding me slowly into a world where things are brighter, happier, lighter. 

AJ/Remy/Adrian; 

You are that person. 

God has never sent a blessing that I have treasured more deeply. 

So this Christmas, I owe it to Him, for all the joy He has provided for me. Through you.

You are truly precious. Thank you, Lord.

Jesus.

Dear Lord,

This year has been nothing but a year of new beginnings. I fail You every day Lord, but yet You still lavish such happiness in my life, these people whom You sent to bring me up. Thanks Lord for coming to Earth, trapping Yourself in a human form, and suffering all that pain and hurt just so we could be saved. Lord, I don't understand. I do not understand how the shedding of Your blood and Your resurrection somehow was able to save us humans. I still don't get it; I'm still confused at times. But I do know the suffering You've been put through, and You did it all for us. Us humans who do not deserve it, but yet God, You refuse to forsake us. You could've just destroyed everything, Earth and all, and start anew. Start a new creation, a new being, that would be perfect and error-free. Then there wouldn't be all these problems. But You didn't, Lord. Why? Are we humans that worth it?

Apparently, we are. And nothing I do can ever make up for the sacrifice You made in exchange for my life. 

No form of celebration, no matter how grand, can truly give gratitude to the true meaning of Christmas. So, this Christmas, thank you for the wonderful time I had. Thank you for my renewed family relationships, for my new brothers and sisters I have been granted with, for the supportive friends and mentors, and lastly, for the best Gift You've ever gotten me. 

Thank you for bringing me Home once more.

Happy birthday, Lord. 

You are the reason to why Christmas is Christmas;

All praise and glory to Your name! :)

Lots of love;

your daughter, 

Esther.