No matter what area of the spectrum the teen you are buying for is on, new teen or last years as a teen, it can be difficult to know what to buy for their birthdays or other special occasions. Younger kids are easy to please and buy for. They like just about anything. A teenager, however, is at the stage where they know exactly what they are getting into and anything less is a disappointment. If you are looking to buy for a teen in your life, below are some great ideas to get you started.

Custom Gifts

One of the best things you can buy for that teen who has everything already is a custom gift. Generally, these types of gifts need to be bought ahead of time and you cannot just pick them up right before the event. Custom gifts can include the recipients name or maybe a picture on it of something they love. One such idea for a teen's gift is official cornhole boards from customcorntoss.com. You can have them created with just about anything on such as names to favorite sports teams' emblems.

Gift Cards

While many people see gift cards as the easy way out of gift-buying, it can be a great way to show a teen you care about them while giving them the freedom to buy what they truly want. The best way to go about this is to offer them the gift card in a unique way to make it special. Attach the card to a small, unique gift that lets them know you took time and put a little effort into thinking about them on their special day. Small gifts to use with the gift card can be a stuffed animal, a purse or wallet or maybe even a bank. All of these can work well with cash gifts, too.

Buying for anyone can be a difficult process anymore. It can be even more stressful when you are trying to buy for a teenager in your family. However, it can be done with a little effort and creative thinking on your part.

I am happy for another victory that Senator Manny Pacquiao brought for our country after winning by knockout his fight against Argentinian boxer Lucas Matthysse on the 7th round. However, it is my prayer that it would be his last fight and he will retire for good. Three  years ago, he already pronounced his retirement and yet because of the clamor of the people that he should fight with Floyd Mayweather, he gave in then lost. Well, many said, Mayweather won through his dirty moves, it should have been Senator Manny Pacquiao who won the challenge. But as for me, he should have not listened to the people's cry. He has already proven his worth as a boxer. I considered all those fight as profiteering games for the gamblers who bet Manny's life at stake. Many people gambled a lot every time he fights. It became an avenue for the people to bet while putting Senator Manny's life at risk. Why at risk? Because every punch on his head is a day of turmoil on the day that comes when he gets old. No matter how many supplements would he take but the pain he got during the fight, especially those punches on the head will have had its effect in the long run.

What's next for Senator Manny Pacquiao? He would finally retire from his boxing career for his own good. 

I'll say AMEN to that.

The high school years are the last few years for you to enjoy your children before they head off to college and start their own independent lives. It's important to make sure these years are productive, fun and fruitful. There are a few ways to make sure this happens. 

Consider these three. 

 1. Educational Priorities.

  One of the reasons why many parents want their children to get into the best private high schools in florida is because they want to set them up for college. When a child does well in high school, this widens the number of opportunities they have for college acceptances. Many important exams like the SATs and ACTs are given in the high school years. Furthermore, many students can take accelerated courses and gain college credits for free. 

 2. Extracurricular Activities 

 Whether your child loves soccer, basketball or drama, extracurricular activities help to spice up the educational experience with fun. Most colleges like to see students who are well-rounded. So, a mix of extracurricular activities, educational excellence and community service are the three areas that most students tend to work toward mastering. Sit down with your teenager and figure out which extracurricular activities will work well for them based on their personality. If you have a naturally shy child, singing in the choir might help them come out of their shell. However, it could make them retreat more into that shell. It's all about knowing the balance. Once your son or daughter is clear on which direction to pursue, always remain encouraging. 

 3. Relationships 

 The high school years are the times when your child builds relationships with peers. This is the time when your child will probably have their first kiss and first boyfriend or girlfriend. It's important to make sure your child cultivates healthy relationships. Be available to have the talks about sex and intimacy. While you might not want your child to have sex in college, it's very important to make sure that the channels of communication are open. Transparency is important. Always make sure that you're able to be a source of wisdom and safety for your child during this time.

"We fight for self-worth and significance, and marriage becomes a battlefield rather than a haven..."

This words from the Daily Devotional about 5 Languages of Love is so timely for me who is quite hurting on this area. Let me share it with you as well, you might relate to this too...

Love is not our only emotional need. Psychologists have observed that among our basic needs are the need for security, self-worth, and significance. Love, however, interfaces with all of those. If I feel loved by my spouse, I can relax, knowing that my lover will do me no ill. I feel secure in her presence. I may face many uncertainties in my vocation. I may have enemies in other areas of my life, but with my spouse I feel secure.

My sense of self-worth is fed by the fact that my spouse loves me. After all, if she loves me, I must be worth loving. My parents may have given me negative or mixed messages about my worth, but my spouse knows me as an adult and loves me. Her love builds my self-esteem. The need for significance is the emotional force behind much of our behavior. Life is driven by the desire for success. We want our lives to count for something. We have our own idea of what it means to be significant, and we work hard to reach our goals. Feeling loved by a husband enhances our sense of significance. We reason, If someone loves me, I must have significance.

I am significant because I stand at the apex of the created order. I have the ability to think in abstract terms, communicate my thoughts via words, and make decisions. By means of printed or recorded words, I can benefit from the thoughts of those who have preceded me. I can profit from others’ experience, though they lived in a different age and culture. I experience the death of family and friends and sense that there is existence beyond the material. I discover that, in all cultures, people believe in a spiritual world. My heart tells me it is true even when my mind, trained in scientific observation, raises critical questions. I am significant. Life has meaning. There is a higher purpose. I want to believe it, but I may not feel significant until someone expresses love to me. When my spouse lovingly invests time, energy, and effort in me, I believe that I am significant. Without love, I may spend a lifetime in search of significance, self-worth, and security.

When I experience love, it influences all of those needs positively. I am now freed to develop my potential. I am more secure in my self-worth and can now turn my efforts outward instead of being obsessed with my own needs. True love always liberates. In the context of marriage, if we do not feel loved, our differences are magnified. We come to view each other as a threat to our happiness.

We fight for self-worth and significance, and marriage becomes a battlefield rather than a haven. Love is not the answer to everything, but it creates a climate of security in which we can seek answers to those things that bother us. In the security of love, a couple can discuss differences without condemnation. Conflicts can be resolved. Two people who are different can learn to live together in harmony. We discover how to bring out the best in each other. Those are the rewards of love.

While the digital world has provided a great deal of access to information in a positive way, it has also wreaked havoc on the way many people live their lives. 

Unfortunately, many people struggle to disconnect. They check their email inboxes through the night. They tend to check social media on a consistent basis. As a result, it's so difficult to disconnect from electronic devices. In order to gain your mental sanity, there are a few ways you can disconnect. One of them involves starting and keeping a morning ritual. Consider these three tips to get started. 

 1. Mind 

Mental health is so important. With suicide rates at an all-time high, too many people are struggling with their mental health. Make your mental health a priority by starting each morning with a brain dump. When you wake up, take some time in the morning to sit and write down everything on your mind. Your thoughts might include the dream you had the night before. You might write down the tasks you'd like to get done for the day. Write about your feelings and emotions down in a journal. This is a great way to get a mental check-in. You'll be able to gauge where your head is at once you intentionally prioritize your mental health. 

2. Body

Many successful, busy CEOs admit that they work out in the early hours of the morning. Try a thirty-minute jog outside or on the treadmill. Go to the pool and swim a few laps. Do a few yoga poses and stretches before you jump in the shower. Do something to get your body moving. Try to switch up the routines on a regular basis. Challenge your body to strengthen, refine and tone new muscles. As you make this a habit, your body will reflect the time you've put in. 

3. Spirit 

Prayer is so important. Take time to pray, read a devotional thought and express gratitude. As you do these three tasks, you'll be able to experience spiritual healing in a profound way. If you love to listen to a specific type of worship music, try playing a song or two as a part of the ritual. As you get into the habit, you'll feel closer to God and the calling on your life.

Yes, literally speaking, it's true. While composing this post, I was stranded in one of the grocery store in our city. Another typhoons is about to enter the Philippines' Area of Responsibility (PAR). It is bound to fall in Visayas and yet Mindanao is greatly affected. 

When the rain started, we're having a meeting. Good thing I was able to hitch on my colleague's car. However, I was seated on the corner and there's a water dripping on the car's window lid thus  causing my left arm and legs to get wet. 

When we arrived at the grocery store, my other co-passengers decided to have a bowl of hot "lomi"-it feels good on my tummy and somehow relieve me from that cold feeling. However, the rain didn't stop yet so I was compelled to enter the grocery store for some food stuff-thanks to GCash credit. 

I love the rain, but I hate it when I'm still outside...