Friday, June 29, 2012

Single or Taken?


Ouch!! 
:)
A dear friend of mine posted this image on her Facebook's page a while ago and I found it very true, funny and sad at the same time!

When we were little, girls loves to fantasize of her prince charming, the knight in shinning armor who would do anything for her, loves her and treat her like a princess everyday.

If you grew up with a father whom you considered as your "hero", then there is a huge possibility that you will find a man who reflected your father. Not in a gross way, come on!! LOL!!
I meant a man who in so many ways reminds you of your father as far as his character, his hard work, his dedication and how he treated you as a human being.

If you grew up with a father who failed to do his job as a father, then there is a possibility that you ended up confused with men. You have no idea of what a great man is all about or how they should treat you and what is the man's position/roles in a marriage, because you never had one good male figure in your life.

On the other hand, even if you grew up with a bad father, it actually makes you very picky to chose your soul mate, because you do not want your life to ended up like your mother and you do not want you future kids to suffer what you went through as a child (to present time - yes parents, you left scars on your children's lives, it affected us in so many ways).

At the end of the day, we met some men, 
some of them are great, 
some of them are jerk, 
and WE ended up picked ONE that we thought qualified as our "Prince Charming".

Fast forward...
Once you entered a life called "marriage", your world changes!
Things that we did not see when we were dating is starting to appeared, 
things that we hate and love as well.
There are people who are really good at hiding the "true color" of their soul.
Some learned to be better and actually trying to be the best,
Others are too selfish to let go of their bad side.
Many became a bad (or good) one because something happened in their lives that changed their good behavior to be bad and their bad behavior to be good.

If your marriage is taking a down stroll, then you are one of the "Taken and not in love"s group?
Well, I think that there are some steps before we got into that phase in a relationship:

1. Love - Married/Dating - Lost the love
2. Not in love - Married/Dating - Fall in love
 3. Not in love - Married/Dating - Still not in love
4. Love - Married/Dating - Still in love

LOL, right?
So, which one are you at this point? Ideally, people would love to be number four, because it is the perfect kind of relationship, but sadly, not all of us could experience it. 

"Marriage doesn't create problems. It reveals them. You bring unresolved stuff into it."

Now, let's move on to the single ladies/men,
woot woot!!
I found it very true when people say they are single and happy, 
if that is really their honest feeling, 
because it is simply mean they are not ready to get involved in any relationship.
It is better to admit it, instead of rushing into any relationship based on a moment of passionate sex or a pressure from everyone else who wanted you to be in a relationship, when you, yourself, are not ready.
"You can't hurry love, right?"
;)

Single

Now, for those who are single and ready to be in a relationship but has not meet up with the right man/woman yet,
are you still single and happy or single and miserable?
This is for you to answer yourself.

But hey..,
I would rather wait for the right one, enjoy my single life without any drama and do things that will benefits myself in the future instead of rushing into a relationship, get all the drama that you don't need and then your life becomes worst than "The Real Housewives of Hell".

It's harder to fix the broken heart and clean up the mess it created than to be in a relationship with someone. I would rather check the "single" box in my Facebook account than to check the "Its complicated" one..
whew!! 
I just can't deal with anything that is complicated.

Even though, I can't speak up for any relationship that is complicated because when it comes to love, you get mixed feelings, emotions, logical thinking, and "sacred" moments.
Its harder to let go when you are in a relationship,
there is an emotional connection that is hard to break.

But, in a very bad situation,
always remember to save yourself
so you can save others!

What do I love the most of being married to my husband?
COMPANIONSHIP
and that is my final and honest answer!


Singles and Doubles,
Taken or not,
In or out of love,
have a great Friday
T.G.I.F
;)
xoxo,
Lindsay







Thursday, June 28, 2012

Operation Red Wings

I dedicated this blog especially for those who died with honor protecting my freedom seven years ago in "Operation Red Wings" June 28TH 2005.

We will NEVER FORGET!
















            

OPERATION REDWING KIAs- On June 28, 2005, three of four SEALS on the ground (Murphy, Dietz, Axelson) were killed during combat operations in support of Operation Red Wing. ON the same say, a QRF of eight Navy SEALs and 8 Army Night Stalkers were also killed when the MH-47 helicopter that they were aboard was shot down by enemy fire in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. 

Navy SEALs
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y. 
Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, Calif.
Machinist Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev.
Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H. 
Quartermaster 2nd Class (SEAL) James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla. 

SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2, Virginia Beach, Va.

Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo. 

SEAL Team 10, Virginia Beach, Va.

Chief Fire Controlman (SEAL) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La. 
Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif. 
Electronics Technician 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore. 
Lt. (SEAL) Michael M. McGreevy Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y. 
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va. 

Army Night Stalkers
3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Ga.

Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio. 
Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn. 
Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla. 
Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind. 
Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn. 
Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va. 
Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla. 

HQ Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn.

   
            



"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."
Joseph Campbell

We remember and we honor your sacrifices. 
Rest In God's Everlasting Arms, Heroes!

xoxo,
Lindsay

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Magnificent Pictures

My obsession!
:)


Aurora picture: Aurora borealis, or northern lights, in Norway

via


Arctic Shine
Photograph by Max Edin, Your Shot


Earth's most famous light formation hangs over a landscape saturated by the glow of a full moon in Longyearbyen, Norway. The photographer, who recently submitted this image to National Geographic's Your Shot, said it was the most beautiful northern lights display he had ever witnessed.

Referred to as the aurora borealis around the Arctic Circle, the light show also appears in southern polar latitudes, where it's known as the aurora australis. In addition, the naturally occurring phenomenon has been spied on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. (See "Auroras Seen on Uranus For First Time.")

Green light is the most common for Earthly auroras, but blue and red hues also appear from time to time. (Kastalia Medrano).

Space picture: the Milky Way as seen from Mount Kilimanjaro
Stardust
Photograph by Kwon O. Chul, TWAN

Far above Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro, the band of the Milky Way cuts through a sky dusted with stars. This recently released photo, a single frame from a time lapse video, was taken near the town of Moshi on Kilimanjaro's lower southern slopes.
The smaller, almost opalescent blur on the left of the frame is the Small Magellanic Cloud-a dwarf galaxy far, far away that's home to hundreds of millions of stars.

Dynamic Earth

Illustration courtesy SVS/NASA, U. Illinois, Thomas Lucas Productions, DMNS


Solar particles get bent as they sweep around Earth's magnetic field, as seen in a still from a new NASA planetarium show called Dynamic Earth: Exploring Earth's Climate Engine.

The image shows the full scale of a coronal mass ejection, an eruption of charged particles from the sun's upper atmosphere.

When the particles reach Earth, they can interact with our planet to produce the northern and southern lights. Under the right conditions, CMEs can trigger especially intense solar storms that can damage satellites or cause power outages.

Stellar Nursery
Image courtesy VLT/ESO
Awash in gritty, pinkish light, this image is the best view to date of the lively stellar nursery known as NGC 6357. The newly released visible-light picture was made by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile.
Swaths of color represent glowing dust and gas clouds, while dots of blue and white light show the hot young stars growing inside the nebula.
NGC 6357 is also called the War and Peace Nebula, due to the fantastical shapes of a skull and a dove that seem to appear in infrared images of the cosmic cloud. Located within the constellation Scorpius, the nebula lies about 8,000 light-years from Earth.


"Have you not known? Have you not heard? 
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable."
(Isaiah 40:28)

XoXo,
Lindsay









Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Vacation, Anyone?

New Zealand's Otherworldly Landscapes 
by HÃ¥kan Ludwigson

Adriatic Sea
Roca Vecchia, Italy
via


Wind-Carved Cliffs of Corfu
Greece
via

Rancho de Costa, La Paz, Mexico

 Ladera ecolodge in St. Lucia

Koh Samui, Thailand
via



Delaire Graff Lodges and Spa, 
Stellenbosch, South Africa
via

Barcelona

Grand Resorts at Cap Cana
Dominican Republic

Thank you Conde Nast Traveler for all these beautiful places you have posted in  your website.

"No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one."
  ~Elbert Hubbard~

Its never too late to start saving, packing and enjoying the reward for all the hard work you have done in life.
Until then...it is not a sin to lust for these beautiful places
;)

xoxo,
Lindsay






Friday, June 22, 2012

Mess-Test-Trial-Victim

Thankful...
via


THOUGH YOUR LIFE IS A MESS NOW,
TEST AFTER TEST THAT MAKES YOU TIRED,
TRIALS THAT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP,
TOO MAD AT THOSE WHO MADE YOU A VICTIM,
WHERE IS JUSTICE?
WHERE IS GOD?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE THROUGH EVERYTHING IN LIFE.
YOU WERE NOT EXPERIENCING THINGS BY COINCIDENCE,
THEY HAVE A PURPOSE, A REASON, A LESSON, A PROMISE TO KEEP.

THERE IS HOPE FOR A BETTER TOMORROW,
THERE IS FAITH TO GIVES YOU STRENGTH,
THERE IS LOVE TO EMPOWERED YOU.

KEEP ON FIGHTING UNTIL YOU REACH YOUR VICTORY!

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
James 1:12


"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
Romans 12:12


"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Romans 5:2-5

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13


"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9


"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Genesis 50:20


"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23:4


"For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory."
Deuteronomy 20:4


xoxo,
Lindsay



Monday, June 18, 2012

Your Body Is The Reflection Of Your Soul

I think that the most beautiful part of ourselves is the soul. The body, however, will reflects the soul, may it be beautiful or not. 

What we are on the outside is the product of who we are on the inside.

Everyone and everything has its own beauty, even in its imperfection, we could still find the beauty of it. 
I am a big believer of confident is hot, smart is gorgeous, healthy is sexy, humility is sweet, kindness is love.

I also believe in "If you do not like what you see, do something about it" motto.
That goes for your health, body type, knowledge, wisdom, spirit, and soul.
There is nothing wrong about doing something good to make you feel better on the inside and on the outside.

However, so many times we get trapped in our own philosophy.
We tried to keep reminding ourselves that the real beauty is on the inside, yet we screamed and angry at ourselves when we look on the mirror, or when we compare it to anyone that seemed "perfect" and "have it all". 
That is not good!

The good news is : it is not too late to make you feel better about yourself, there is always a way when there is a will (a strong will that actually doing it)
The bad news is : giving up, self pity, laziness and denial.

But, no matter how breathtaking you are on the outside,
if your soul is ugly,
people will see it, smell it, notice it, and get sick with it.

People say that the deepest of the soul is mysterious,
yet it reflects so strong on how we live our lives,
how we treat ourselves and others.
I guess it is not that mysterious after all huh? ;)

Your everyday life is your catwalk in motion,
Walk with confidence is good,
Add kindness and wisdom to it,
then you will get a standing ovation from the crowd (may it be your family, friends, co-workers, even stranger)
:) 


This post is not about body type, 
Its about the soul as the real beauty behind it.
Body represents the "outside"
the way we talk and act.


XoXo Beauties,
Lindsay

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day 2012


TO ALL THE GREAT DADDIES OUT THERE
WHO LOVES AND CARES FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
TO ALL THE STEP DADDIES WHO TAKE GOOD CARES AND LOVES THEIR STEP KIDS AS IF THEY WERE THEIR OWN.
THANK YOU DAD!

A presence and love of a dad is needed as much as a mother's presence and love.
There are things that a child will learned more from a father,
There is a certain bond that is powerful about a good father and a child.
If you are a father, please take care, love and be there for your child.
Do something good for your child, so that they will look up to you, remember your legacy and someday, they too, will become a good parent because they have a great example.
There are many people these days who are struggling to become a good parent 
because they are clueless of what a great parent should do to their kids, 
they never had one in their lives.

Father
via 

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)


xoxo,
Lindsay


Saturday, June 16, 2012

Picture Of The Day

Does Paris ever *not* look beautiful?!! Sigh!

PARIS YOU ARE ALWAYS IN MY HEART
Paris you are always in my heart
And you shine inside my heart 
Just like the rainbow
Paris you are a part of my heart 
~Aldo Kraas~
     
Who or what is YOUR "Paris" tonight? 
Have a wonderful weekend
xoxo,
Lindsay


Friday, June 15, 2012

Pacific Partnership 2012 in North Sulawesi, Indonesia


Pacific Partnership is an annual deployment of forces from the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy (USN), in cooperation with regional governments and military forces, along with humanitarian and non-government organizations.
The deployment was conceived following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, as a way to improve the interoperability of the region's military forces, governments, and humanitarian organisations during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific, and strengthening relationships and security ties between the nations.
The deployment is typically based around an amphibious warfare vessel or hospital ship of the USN's Pacific Fleet. Other nations regularly contribute to the deployment; the Australian Defence Force has provided assets since the first deployment in 2006, and seven nations, along with other branches of the United States Armed Forces, US government agencies, and non-government organizations, were involved in Pacific Partnership 2011.
(Source and More Information : Wikipedia)


Pacific Partnership 2012


About
A dedicated humanitarian and civic assistance mission conducted with and through partner nations, non-governmental organizations and other U.S. government agencies.

Mission
Pacific Partnership 2012 will perform humanitarian and civic assistance activities in Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. USNS MERCY (T-AH 19) will serve as the command platform in addition to a Japanese Landing Ship Tank (LST 4001) OOSUMI. PP12 seeks to build and strengthen alliances, partnerships and relationships with regional host nations, partner nations, foreign humanitarian assistance actors and non-government organizations (NGO), and U.S. government interagency organizations by conducting HCA and other civil military operations.
General Information
If you are looking for the official source of information about Pacific Partnership, please visit our website at http://www.cpf.navy.mil/pp.


(Source and More Information : Pacific Partnership 2012 Official Facebook's Page)




On January 31ST 2012, the Governor of North Sulawesi, Mr. Sinyo Sarundajang, is invited to attend the Mid Planning Conference Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) in San Diego, CA. I am extremely excited when I read the news because for one, I am a Manadonese and my husband is a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer. Partnership like this is amazing because their mission is humanitarian, friendship and strengthened the relationship between the nations.

So, Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Naval Station San Diego May 3, beginning its part in Pacific Partnership 2012, a four-and-a-half month humanitarian and civic assistance mission to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Mercy was scheduled to depart May 1, but a mechanical problem delayed the ship's departure for two days.

Pacific Partnership 2012 is a mission that will take medical, dental, veterinary, engineering and civic assistance projects to Southeast Asia and Oceania. Pacific Partnership missions build on relationships that have been developed during previous missions, for example Mercy's participation in international relief efforts following the December 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, and Mercy's 2006, 2008 and 2010 humanitarian and civic assistance deployments to the region.

USNS Mercy arrived in Manado, North Sulawesi, on May 31 2012 as part of a two-week visit to Indonesia and to participate in the PP12. The people of Manado were so excited to see the big ship arrived in their city and the mission it carries. They are forever grateful and loved the Mercy and her crew :)

Manado is the "Land of swaying coconut tree and smiling people", because we have a lot of coconut trees, LOL, we love people, we are friendly, happy, love to eat and outgoing people. Manado's culture got influenced a lot by the Dutch, Spain, Portuguese, Japanese and British cultures. All of those mixed cultures influences shows in our ethnicity, foods, languages, names, also religion. We are the largest Christian's region in Indonesia and so far our city has been living in peace and harmony with everyone.

Notes: I put all the links of/to the original sources/owner of all the pictures I posted below with the word "via" (click on it) below each picture or if I posted more than one picture from the same source, I will put the original source all the way at the end of the images/pictures they took.





via  Mr. Harold Immanuel's Twitter

via  Mr. Harold Immanuel's Twitter


This is the summary of what they did that I got from http://www.cpf.navy.mil/news.aspx/030010 but I am posting some pictures of their missions from various sources. 

"Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) completed its first mission port in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, June 15. Aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), the PP12 team of more than 1,200 crew spent 15 days traveling between Manado and the three islands of Sangihe, Talaud, and Siau.
The multinational, multi-organizational crew of host and partner nations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worked in the fields of medical and dental, veterinarian, civil engineering and subject matter expert exchanges. They also conducted community service in the areas of sports and recreation, donated items and band performances.
"I believe the key to our success was our ability to bring people together in a focused effort," said Capt. James Morgan, PP12 Mission Commander. "We have accomplished a great deal in two weeks time."
The mission participated in 11 major subject matter expert exchanges involving more than 1,000 Indonesian specialists, allowing this year's mission to continue building on established best practices for all the countries involved.
According to Morgan, nearly 200 surgeries were conducted; four major engineering projects stood up; over 2,300 livestock and pets received veterinary care; and, over 9,000 local citizens received medical evaluations and treatments in Manado and on the outer islands.


The crew also conducted cultural exchanges and community service with local citizens by playing sports, reading with children, transporting donated supplies, and conducting 10 music concerts and clinics performed by the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band. 


The goal of PP12 is to take part in a humanitarian and civic assistance mission that brings together U.S. military and civilian personnel, host and partner nations, non-government organizations and international agencies to build stronger relationships and develop disaster response capabilities.


"Pacific Partnership in Indonesia brought together the very best military, humanitarian, governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations that our countries and the international community as a whole have to offer," Morgan said. "I couldn't be more proud."
Working together as an integrated team and at the invitation of the Indonesian government, Indonesia military and civil service personnel worked alongside the partner nations of Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, and the United States; the NGOs of Global Grins, Hope World Wide, Johns Hopkins University Medicine, Latter Day Saints Charities, Project Handclasp, Project Hope, Univ. of California San Diego Pre-Dental Society, University of Hawaii Schools of Engineering and Nursing, and World Vets; and, Joint and Interagency teams from the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, Departments of State, Justice, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Approximately 70 professional civilian mariners also ensured the safety and navigation of the USNS Mercy.
The remaining Pacific Partnership 2012 mission ports include the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Through active engagement with host nation officials and militaries, subject matter expert exchanges, civil action projects and medical exchanges, the mission will continue to build the regional partnerships and collective abilities needed to respond to natural disasters.

Sponsored by the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet and now in its seventh year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual humanitarian civic assistance mission in the Asia-Pacific Region."









Sunrise that looked like a cross? :)

Playing basketball with Mount Karangetang on the background
(All the images above are the courtesy of Iddo Posangi, who is also a doctor from Manado participated in PP12)
 


(The volcano off the coast of the island of Siau, Indonesia. )


(All the images/pictures above are taken from Pacific Partnership 2012 Facebook's Page)


(Mr. Iskandar, an Indonesian man, a translator for PP12, a U.S. Navy sailor)

(Pictures on the collages are the courtesy of my mom and miss V.Danes)
Below are some of the pictures of the Closing Ceremony of PP12 in Manado 
Friday, June 15th 2012



Gubernur SH Sarundajang tutup Pacific Partnership.JPG
The Governor of North Sulawesi
Mr. Sinyo Sarundajang
via

Gubernur SH Sarundajang tutup Pacific Partnership1.JPG
The Governor of North Sulawesi
Mr. Sinyo Sarundajang
via
SHS Press Conference1.JPG
The Governor of North Sulawesi
Mr. Sinyo Sarundajang
via

The Governor of North Sulawesi
Mr. Sinyo Sarundajang
via




via and via
Thank you very much for everyone who volunteered and involved with the PP12. You did great things for the people of North Sulawesi and Indonesia in general. You have changed many lives, perspective and bond a strong partnership and friendship of the nations.

Thank you for all of your donations, money, energy, time, work, help, talents, sacrifices (including and especially) for leaving your families for months due to the deployment (Thank You USNS Mercy's families).

I wished many people would realize the prize these families must endure during deployment. I also wished that many people would understand and realized that the military is not all about war, they are doing many humanitarian efforts all over the world just like this one. For once in your life, set your political view aside, and see it from a different perspective. I am sure the people that they helped would love to tell you what they did and how it changed their lives forever. 
We hope to see you again in Indonesia! Terima Kasih, Sampai Jumpa Lagi (Thank You, Til We Meet Again)!

For more information, pictures and news, please check out these websites:
BRAVO ZULU! STAY SAFE AND MAKE IT HOME EVERYONE! FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS!
xoxo,
Lindsay