Hello, friend!
I know. We just embraced a new year and, again, we are at that season where billions of people in the world would think of new ways to better themselves in the next 365 days.
As you can see by now, getting back to writing blogs is definitely one on my list. It’s been a while.
What’s frustrating about this routine is how many of us would be so fired up at the beginning of a year-long commitment, but due to the undisputed cycle of human forgetfulness, busyness of life, and loss of dedication, we would end up putting down the hammer and chisel and not finishing the goal we diligently sculpted for the first half of the year. It’s a busted reality.
“What are your personal goals this 2023?”
“What are you looking forward to do?”
I asked my nieces who arrived from Montreal to spend Christmas and New Year with me and my brother. They were caught off guard with the spontaneity of the question. They tried to ponder for answers, but they struggled to say a word.
It was New Year’s Eve, and we were on our way to Downtown LA to visit the Last Bookstore. The rain was pouring hard, but I kind of liked it. I loved the fire it ignited to my artistry. It’s my conducive weather.
Aiming to still pursue the conversation, I asked them again to at least describe in one word what they wanted to do. The older one began talking about her upcoming wedding, while the other shared her plan to start a small business. Marriage and business both sounded positively risky and life-changing to me. And both words I could not have imagined them saying when we were playing as kids back in the Philippines.
Time has flown. They have grown.
As their uncle with a relatively short age gap, I was reminded by the bold decisions I made when I was their age. I left the comfort of my home, started traveling and living abroad at twenty-one. But behind all those adventures, God was there the whole time guiding my direction, protecting me, and leading me to the people who made an impact in my life.
It’s hard to sum up my desire for the next twelve months in one word, but the one sure thing I want to do is to create. To be more productive than I have ever been.
God has been gracious to me over the past years. He faithfully provided for my needs and expanded my resources. But I feel like I have not given much justice to His provision. I don’t want my days to pass and be less productive. I’m sure God doesn’t want that either.
I’m motivated to write this down as a personal note and a friendly reminder to many of us who need more encouragement to use our skills and talents for the Lord.
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16)
On that New Year’s Eve, I found no better way to kickstart this plan than to digest some creative inspiration at an art exhibit in a historic library.
When the owner Josh Spencer founded the bookstore in 2005, he thought this business would fail due to the declining interest and popularity of the book industry—hence the name “The Last Bookstore.“ But years passed, what used to be a tiny loft grew bigger than what he imagined.
It became a haven for creative souls and exploring minds.
It’s always inspiring to see people who discovered their voice through art and creatively spoke their candid perspective of the world around them.
Some appeared to be strange, and some even more strange.
As a child of the Creator, creating should not come as a mere option but an opportunity to grow. As this year progress, may we learn to make use of the time, blessings, and gifts that God has given us.
It doesn’t matter if you feel like you started the year with a bad stroke. Life is a masterpiece in its own right. Every color and element in our painting, good or bad, completes the symphony of our existence.
Keep creating while you can. Because we never know, today may be our last.
The Last Bookstore is located at 453 S Spring St – Ground Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
They are open every day from 11AM to 8PM except Christmas and Thanksgiving.