you can tell i have spare time, blogging twice today hehehehe
okay here's another fun chain i found... a weekly question meme originated by Teacher of Julie at Greenbucks.
here's the question:
If you are married would you know if your husband is reading your blog? If you are in a relationship, would you know if your partner is reading your blog?
i think my husband reads my blog only when he finds time. however, he reads my ODBs, does that count? hehehe i don't think he finds blogging fun at all... ever since we got married, his passion for writing me letters somewhat died hehehe
nwayz, besides work stuff, i do a lot of pc stuff when my kids are busy. like right now =) otherwise, no pc for me, but lots of laughter with my kids... so who am i to complain?
k, gotta shut down... my kids are calling 911 already lolz!
but what about you? does your better half read your blog?
Wednesday, May 28
dAddY's CoRNer: for my bebot
i was just browsing for some fun things to do online and i happened to find this. hey, anything to let the whole world know how blessed i am to have my husband.
here goes:
well, let me tell you a short story (if i can summarize it) of how we ended up in each other's arms (naks naman!). well, we went out back in 1992. he loves to write me letters during our dating yrs., esp. when he was bored out of his mind in class (so imagine how many letters i got then - hehehe). my parents were very strict that i had to keep our relationship in secret, however, the truth will always come out, so when they found out... unfortunate things happened. i guess you can say, we moved on. for 2yrs we didn't see each other and in between those yrs, i got pregs. the father of my child left and didn't want to have anything to do with us. so what was i to do, but to stand tall and accept my responsibilities as a single mom. which by the grace of God, worked out well.
one day i bumped-in to an old friend and invited me to a dinner. to my surprise, noel (my husband) was there. i was too shy to really talk to him then, but he never gave up and somehow got my # from a friend.
like other relationships, we had our ups and downs (still do). he has his flaws and i have mine. but again, i truly believe that when you put God in the center of your marriage, He will strengthen you as you put your trust in Him. we both saw the transformation God has done both in our marriage and as a person. we both accepted the Lord as our Savior and it was one of the best things we've ever done in our lives. i don't know what i did to deserve God's blessings, but He knew all along that noel was the one for me. He has blessed me with a great husband and 3 beautiful kids. don't get me wrong, we still have our days of misunderstandings, but we don't see any of them as a reason to break our family. God continues to teach us every day and we know that this marriage is a lifetime journey towards the glory of God.
to my be, thank you for pleasing me almost all the time... hehehe, thank you for being an awesome daddy to our kids esp to camille. if there is one thing i learned from marrying you, it's that God is real and i truly believe that He brought us together to strengthen each other during our time of weakness. i love you and i'm so happy we're going on 11yrs of marriage and 13yrs of being together.
Rules:
1) Copy from {Start Copy Here} to {End Copy Here}.
2) Blog Brag about your husband - yes, the father of your child/ren. As I’ve said singles may also join by bragging about their own fathers, or even grandfathers. It doesn’t matter! Of course, Daddy bloggers themselves may also join, but you have to blog about your fathers and not about yourselves, deal? Okay. Good.
3) Add your blog in the list below linking to the post that you just made. Or if you wish, do it as how I’ve done it in my other blog by adding a new page.
4) Leave some love here. Yup. Here. Thanks!
5) Let’s not forget Peppermint Creative for the corner border I used for the badge.
6) Lastly, let’s help each other by copying and updating the list of participants in your post. Come and visit once in a while for the benefit of the late comers who have also joined this meme.
here goes:
well, let me tell you a short story (if i can summarize it) of how we ended up in each other's arms (naks naman!). well, we went out back in 1992. he loves to write me letters during our dating yrs., esp. when he was bored out of his mind in class (so imagine how many letters i got then - hehehe). my parents were very strict that i had to keep our relationship in secret, however, the truth will always come out, so when they found out... unfortunate things happened. i guess you can say, we moved on. for 2yrs we didn't see each other and in between those yrs, i got pregs. the father of my child left and didn't want to have anything to do with us. so what was i to do, but to stand tall and accept my responsibilities as a single mom. which by the grace of God, worked out well.
one day i bumped-in to an old friend and invited me to a dinner. to my surprise, noel (my husband) was there. i was too shy to really talk to him then, but he never gave up and somehow got my # from a friend.
like other relationships, we had our ups and downs (still do). he has his flaws and i have mine. but again, i truly believe that when you put God in the center of your marriage, He will strengthen you as you put your trust in Him. we both saw the transformation God has done both in our marriage and as a person. we both accepted the Lord as our Savior and it was one of the best things we've ever done in our lives. i don't know what i did to deserve God's blessings, but He knew all along that noel was the one for me. He has blessed me with a great husband and 3 beautiful kids. don't get me wrong, we still have our days of misunderstandings, but we don't see any of them as a reason to break our family. God continues to teach us every day and we know that this marriage is a lifetime journey towards the glory of God.
to my be, thank you for pleasing me almost all the time... hehehe, thank you for being an awesome daddy to our kids esp to camille. if there is one thing i learned from marrying you, it's that God is real and i truly believe that He brought us together to strengthen each other during our time of weakness. i love you and i'm so happy we're going on 11yrs of marriage and 13yrs of being together.
{Start Copy Here}
Rules:
1) Copy from {Start Copy Here} to {End Copy Here}.
2) Blog Brag about your husband - yes, the father of your child/ren. As I’ve said singles may also join by bragging about their own fathers, or even grandfathers. It doesn’t matter! Of course, Daddy bloggers themselves may also join, but you have to blog about your fathers and not about yourselves, deal? Okay. Good.
3) Add your blog in the list below linking to the post that you just made. Or if you wish, do it as how I’ve done it in my other blog by adding a new page.
4) Leave some love here. Yup. Here. Thanks!
5) Let’s not forget Peppermint Creative for the corner border I used for the badge.
6) Lastly, let’s help each other by copying and updating the list of participants in your post. Come and visit once in a while for the benefit of the late comers who have also joined this meme.
Masterlist:
{you're next!}
{End Copy Here}
hey you, come join the tag and give your husband a well deserved tribute! (just follow the directions above!) - kayang kaya mo yan!
can't wait to hear everyone else's love story =)
i celebrate all the couples who really stand their ground through thick & thin. hang in there... God is good!
STOP trying, start TRUSTING
i read this devotional by joyce meyer and inspired me to use it for today's odb. may the Lord speak to your heart as you read this message.
Not in your own strength, for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing & creating in you the power & desire), both to will & to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction & delight. – Philippians 2:13
Most of us desire the good life God has planned for us, but we recognize areas in our lives that need to be changed. Many times you set out to make those changes, yet in spite of your best efforts, you seem powerless to make it happen. Trying to bring about change through your own strength and plans will always result in frustration. God is waiting for you to stop trying to change and start trusting Him to change you. If you need to make changes in your thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, understand that you can’t do it by yourself. Spend time with God and ask for His help… after all, if He can’t do it, it can’t be done. But He can… and He will. – Joyce Meyer
~x~o~x~o~x~
As far as I can remember, I have believed in God. However, I can honestly say that before I was saved, those were merely words and thoughts that were never backed up by action. I never really put my trust in God till the time I truly surrendered my life to Him and He lovingly delivered me from my sins. As I look back and compare my life then and now, I realized a major truth that God had brought me through my tough times and never gave up on me. It was also then that I realized that something was missing from my relationship with God… asking myself, “Why haven’t I trusted God and worried less? Why do I keep putting matters into my own hands?” My belief in God and love for the Lord were then joined by trust in Him.
Life is good and I can’t complain. I’m blessed and I’m grateful. I know there may be tragedies ahead and certainly there will be difficulties along with joys, but now I know that I can hold my head up high as I face them all with “my God”, in whom I trust. I know too that as I face different problems along the way, sometimes God will not change the situation, but He will bring about change in me.
Friends, I know it’s our natural desire to want to be in control of our lives, but little do you know that it’s really not an attainable goal. When you assume that you can control all the people or situations that come your way, you’ll just end up frustrated, and angry followed by a path of wrong choices that will make your life more miserable. Trusting God requires us to let go and place our desires in God’s hands. Believing that His will & timing is perfect fro all things in our life. Of course we all want good things to happen in our life now, but the problem is we want it NOW, not later, but NOW. We even go far beyond changing other people instead of accepting that we do not have the power to change people, but ONLY God can. Friends, part of trusting the Lord often means not knowing how He will accomplish His plans for us & when He’ll do it. Remember that o ne of Satan’s schemes is to distract you from seeking & trusting God. He’ll do everything in his power to build negative thoughts in your mind. But friends, no matter how difficult your circumstances are, no matter how tempting it is to sit around wondering how to solve your own problems, I encourage you as the Bible encourages us not to take these burdens upon ourselves. Instead humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that He may lift you up at the proper time. God never intended for you to walk through your dark valleys alone. Stop thinking that He doesn’t care for you or He has too many problems to worry about. He loves you infinitely and perfectly and nothing in this world can ever change that. He’s just been waiting for you to let go and let God. Give your mind a rest from worry by turning your negative thoughts immediately over to God. And the next time Satan tempts you to take matters into your own hands, I urge you to lift up a simple prayer letting the Lord k now that you cannot handle this situation on your own and submit your concerns to Him. Ask Him to help you release your negative thoughts and trust Him completely.
So instead of asking God to change our situation, especially in our own terms, we should ask God to change us. God sees the big picture, and you don’t. Put down your pride and trust the Lord’s leading… follow the steps He will provide for you even if you feel that it’s not the route you want to take. Remember, it’s not about what you think is right for you; it’s about obeying where God wants you to be.
Have a JOYFUL day!
Not in your own strength, for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing & creating in you the power & desire), both to will & to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction & delight. – Philippians 2:13
Most of us desire the good life God has planned for us, but we recognize areas in our lives that need to be changed. Many times you set out to make those changes, yet in spite of your best efforts, you seem powerless to make it happen. Trying to bring about change through your own strength and plans will always result in frustration. God is waiting for you to stop trying to change and start trusting Him to change you. If you need to make changes in your thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, understand that you can’t do it by yourself. Spend time with God and ask for His help… after all, if He can’t do it, it can’t be done. But He can… and He will. – Joyce Meyer
As far as I can remember, I have believed in God. However, I can honestly say that before I was saved, those were merely words and thoughts that were never backed up by action. I never really put my trust in God till the time I truly surrendered my life to Him and He lovingly delivered me from my sins. As I look back and compare my life then and now, I realized a major truth that God had brought me through my tough times and never gave up on me. It was also then that I realized that something was missing from my relationship with God… asking myself, “Why haven’t I trusted God and worried less? Why do I keep putting matters into my own hands?” My belief in God and love for the Lord were then joined by trust in Him.
Life is good and I can’t complain. I’m blessed and I’m grateful. I know there may be tragedies ahead and certainly there will be difficulties along with joys, but now I know that I can hold my head up high as I face them all with “my God”, in whom I trust. I know too that as I face different problems along the way, sometimes God will not change the situation, but He will bring about change in me.
Friends, I know it’s our natural desire to want to be in control of our lives, but little do you know that it’s really not an attainable goal. When you assume that you can control all the people or situations that come your way, you’ll just end up frustrated, and angry followed by a path of wrong choices that will make your life more miserable. Trusting God requires us to let go and place our desires in God’s hands. Believing that His will & timing is perfect fro all things in our life. Of course we all want good things to happen in our life now, but the problem is we want it NOW, not later, but NOW. We even go far beyond changing other people instead of accepting that we do not have the power to change people, but ONLY God can. Friends, part of trusting the Lord often means not knowing how He will accomplish His plans for us & when He’ll do it. Remember that o ne of Satan’s schemes is to distract you from seeking & trusting God. He’ll do everything in his power to build negative thoughts in your mind. But friends, no matter how difficult your circumstances are, no matter how tempting it is to sit around wondering how to solve your own problems, I encourage you as the Bible encourages us not to take these burdens upon ourselves. Instead humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that He may lift you up at the proper time. God never intended for you to walk through your dark valleys alone. Stop thinking that He doesn’t care for you or He has too many problems to worry about. He loves you infinitely and perfectly and nothing in this world can ever change that. He’s just been waiting for you to let go and let God. Give your mind a rest from worry by turning your negative thoughts immediately over to God. And the next time Satan tempts you to take matters into your own hands, I urge you to lift up a simple prayer letting the Lord k now that you cannot handle this situation on your own and submit your concerns to Him. Ask Him to help you release your negative thoughts and trust Him completely.
So instead of asking God to change our situation, especially in our own terms, we should ask God to change us. God sees the big picture, and you don’t. Put down your pride and trust the Lord’s leading… follow the steps He will provide for you even if you feel that it’s not the route you want to take. Remember, it’s not about what you think is right for you; it’s about obeying where God wants you to be.
Have a JOYFUL day!
Monday, May 26
memorial weekEND
happy memorial day! i wasn't really planning on doing any pc work, but i totally forgot about the report i needed to submit to my boss last friday. whoops!
yesterday was an absolute fun day for me and my fam. for the first time after a long time, we held a picnic for 2 of my in-laws' bdays. we've been checkin' out the weather everyday and it's been showing that there will be thunderstorms starting at 3p. on our way there yesterday it was drizzling a lil' bit, my daughter and i were talking to God to change the weather. when we got there the wind was really strong and so my sis started hanging table cloths to at least prevent the wind from blowing all of our stuff. when everyone got there and b4 we started eating we said our grace. lo and behold, God was faithful to grant our prayer request of a change of weather. just a good minute after our prayer, the sun started shining! believe you me, even our guests were stunned! hahaha God is hilarious and too awesome i tell yah!
all in all, we all had an awesome time. so much food, activities and surprises we were all beat right after. yanna was having a blast playing in the playground, blowing her bubbles & later in the day, spent so much time in the sand building her own unique castle.
today, we have another fun filled agenda. noel's leaving to detroit for 3 wks (biz related) and so we just wanna make the most out of this day before he leaves. 1st time away from dad that the kids didn't even want to go to the picnic we were supposed to go today. they all just want to do a family thing so we're off to another exciting day.
here's a video footage of my lil' one singing her heart out with the song, "bleeding love" by liona lewis.
yesterday was an absolute fun day for me and my fam. for the first time after a long time, we held a picnic for 2 of my in-laws' bdays. we've been checkin' out the weather everyday and it's been showing that there will be thunderstorms starting at 3p. on our way there yesterday it was drizzling a lil' bit, my daughter and i were talking to God to change the weather. when we got there the wind was really strong and so my sis started hanging table cloths to at least prevent the wind from blowing all of our stuff. when everyone got there and b4 we started eating we said our grace. lo and behold, God was faithful to grant our prayer request of a change of weather. just a good minute after our prayer, the sun started shining! believe you me, even our guests were stunned! hahaha God is hilarious and too awesome i tell yah!
all in all, we all had an awesome time. so much food, activities and surprises we were all beat right after. yanna was having a blast playing in the playground, blowing her bubbles & later in the day, spent so much time in the sand building her own unique castle.
today, we have another fun filled agenda. noel's leaving to detroit for 3 wks (biz related) and so we just wanna make the most out of this day before he leaves. 1st time away from dad that the kids didn't even want to go to the picnic we were supposed to go today. they all just want to do a family thing so we're off to another exciting day.
here's a video footage of my lil' one singing her heart out with the song, "bleeding love" by liona lewis.
and here's another video when she asked to spell the name of the mag i was reading. (upside down i may add)
i know i promised to upload some pics... again, i will try to do this week. sorry =(
hope you all enjoy your memorial day! God bless!
Thursday, May 22
our condelences
noel and i went to a viewing of a close friend's sister. her name is connie guiang, 40yrs. old and survived with a husband & 2 kids (8 & 4yrs. old). she died of breast cancer & colon cancer.
it's so heart breaking to see the pain of the loved ones left behind. their family reminded me of my own. they were all very close and were filled with love for one another... not only due to grieving stage, but it has been that way ever since.
my heart sank when it was time for us to leave last night and the family were saying their last goodbye. connie's 2 kids, although very young to really understand, broke down and that just did it for me and noel. how hard it is to leave our children, specially at a young age. oh gosh! that's so hard to bear.
although, i wasn't able to witness to anyone, i truly believe in the power of presence... sometimes, there are just no words to make it all better, but i pray that the Lord's mercy, comfort and grace will just pour out to them and that His presence will be felt amongst them during this hard time.
i'm not sure if connie's a believer, but i do hope she is and i pray for the time that the whole family will come to know Christ and receive Him as their Lord & Savior so that they will all have the assurance of seeing each other in the 2nd life.
friends, once again i ask for your support in praying for this family. our unity in prayer can move mountains and so i thank you so much for coming alongside all the time.
may you all be blessed in Jesus' name!
love
it's so heart breaking to see the pain of the loved ones left behind. their family reminded me of my own. they were all very close and were filled with love for one another... not only due to grieving stage, but it has been that way ever since.
my heart sank when it was time for us to leave last night and the family were saying their last goodbye. connie's 2 kids, although very young to really understand, broke down and that just did it for me and noel. how hard it is to leave our children, specially at a young age. oh gosh! that's so hard to bear.
although, i wasn't able to witness to anyone, i truly believe in the power of presence... sometimes, there are just no words to make it all better, but i pray that the Lord's mercy, comfort and grace will just pour out to them and that His presence will be felt amongst them during this hard time.
i'm not sure if connie's a believer, but i do hope she is and i pray for the time that the whole family will come to know Christ and receive Him as their Lord & Savior so that they will all have the assurance of seeing each other in the 2nd life.
friends, once again i ask for your support in praying for this family. our unity in prayer can move mountains and so i thank you so much for coming alongside all the time.
may you all be blessed in Jesus' name!
love
Sunday, May 18
narnia & another challenge
i've been feeling under the weather this past few days. thankfully i didn't have to stay in bed the whole time. i crashed the bed so early friday night while watching narnia (part 1). my hubby was sweet enough to stay with the kids while i rest. the next morning i had the biggest headache, but had to get up to make sure the kids eat their breakfast. not for long my headache went away and finally back on my feet again. i still have a cold and sore throat (w/ a man's voice right now), but all is well.
besides i still managed to watch "narnia: prince of caspian" w/ my hubby. i brought the kids (except yanna, my lil' one) and my sis to see narnia while noel's at work. my other sis & my bro-in-law went to see the movie too. since i don't recommend bringing kids 10 and under to see narnia, i planned to just take yanna, my lil' one to the park, but she fell asleep. went back home but stayed in the car while she gets enough sleep... but noel was already home and joined us in the car. after a while, we stopped by target for some grocery shopping. right when they got home, noel and i left for a short date, really just to watch a movie and eat, but after eating so much popcorn, we were both too full already and we were both suffering from a bad cold so we decided to call it a night.
however, this movie is another thumbs up! better than the 1st one, but both deserves 5 stars. come see it! to echo camille's reaction, you'll be at the edge of your seat the whole time! can't wait to see the 3rd one hehehe (yep! there will be part 3 - camille, an avid fan of narnia went ahead and read the book to see what happens next). so happy i've seen 2 great movies in a row - not a waste at all!
ok, so let me share the next challenge from willow. the challenge is to live the next 1 month of your life as if it were your last days. many use one the the famous quotes, "live life as if it's your last" as their favorite quote, but there are many who just use it, but still waste the real purpose of their lives. today, i had a chance to really think about this challenge and i know that it will be tough. i know i will need a lot of prayers and again, i'm up for what God wants me to learn from this.
but before i go on with the challenge, i would like to update you all with the result of the celebration of hope we did at willow...
remember the limit of consumption challenge (setting aside the money you save from groceries and such) and bringing what you saved as an offering to the celebration of hope people we are currently helping? well the amount of money saved was in total of over $500k.
remember the solidarity challenge i did for a week? there were 15k people who were influenced to take up the challenge and i'm so happy to be a part of it.
and last, but not the least, the packing of meals for the people in zimbabwe: we did over 3 mil meals!
God is so awesome! i was filled with awe just hearing how much people were touched by the love of God and poured their resources and time to share this love to the less fortunate. God deserves all praises and glory! thank you Lord for making us your instrument.
k, back to the next challenge...
would you agree that our lives here on earth are short? wouldn't you like to live an intentional life? i'm sure you all do, but the biggest problem we have is that we are stuck in a someday syndrome.
see Jesus knew when He only had 1 mon. to live... that's why He had the 4 principles in mind.
1) live passionately - (living each day as if it were your last)
2) love completely - (showing others love that transcends & transforms - say it now! show it now! & share it now!)
3) learn humbly - (growing through your problems and pain)
4) leave boldly - (creating a legacy that will impact generations)
these are the principles we need to carry each day of our lives. esp when you know you'll meet your Maker soon, wouldn't you want to make everything right? when i was listening to this msg, i was worried that i might not meet my own expectations... to really live this 4 principles since i know that i do struggle with the "someday syndrome" also, but i pray that the Lord will help me make this happen. He knows my weaknesses that's why to help me each day, i need to surrender and resurrender my life in God's care.
everyday, there are many challenges in life (mainly temptations) we have to go through. God gave each of us the freedom of choice. but with every choice comes the result. now the question is, with every choice you make and as you live your life each day, where do you think you're going after your last breath here on earth? heaven or hell? remember, it is not by good works that you and i are saved, but it is by the grace & mercy of God that He chose to send His son, Christ Jesus to save us, by dying on the cross so that our sins may be forgiven. did it ever occur to you that it should've been us there on the cross and not the One who is completely sinless?
i never really thought about the importance of our destination after death until i was saved. now, every time i hear someone dying or someone who already passed, the first thing i would ask or thought of is, how's their relationship with the Lord? that question became a huge part of my being esp when i experienced the lose of my mom.
i share this challenge with you even if i may not have the chance to get to know you, only because i sincerely love you with the love of the Lord. our paths may not cross here on earth, but i look forward for the time that you and i would finally meet in heaven.
as i type this blog i would like to express my sincere apology to the people i've hurt in any way and offer forgiveness to those who caused me pain. whether the involved people will read this or not, i pray that they will come to know the Lord and by grace, receive God's forgiveness and peace from any bitterness.
and so to you my friends, i leave you with a question and hope that it will stir you to stop wasting precious time, and instead throw yourself into becoming the person God intended you to be.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU HAVE ONE MONTH TO LIVE?
"Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should." - Psalm 90:12
may we all live for the Lord's glory!
in Christ,
love
besides i still managed to watch "narnia: prince of caspian" w/ my hubby. i brought the kids (except yanna, my lil' one) and my sis to see narnia while noel's at work. my other sis & my bro-in-law went to see the movie too. since i don't recommend bringing kids 10 and under to see narnia, i planned to just take yanna, my lil' one to the park, but she fell asleep. went back home but stayed in the car while she gets enough sleep... but noel was already home and joined us in the car. after a while, we stopped by target for some grocery shopping. right when they got home, noel and i left for a short date, really just to watch a movie and eat, but after eating so much popcorn, we were both too full already and we were both suffering from a bad cold so we decided to call it a night.
however, this movie is another thumbs up! better than the 1st one, but both deserves 5 stars. come see it! to echo camille's reaction, you'll be at the edge of your seat the whole time! can't wait to see the 3rd one hehehe (yep! there will be part 3 - camille, an avid fan of narnia went ahead and read the book to see what happens next). so happy i've seen 2 great movies in a row - not a waste at all!
ok, so let me share the next challenge from willow. the challenge is to live the next 1 month of your life as if it were your last days. many use one the the famous quotes, "live life as if it's your last" as their favorite quote, but there are many who just use it, but still waste the real purpose of their lives. today, i had a chance to really think about this challenge and i know that it will be tough. i know i will need a lot of prayers and again, i'm up for what God wants me to learn from this.
but before i go on with the challenge, i would like to update you all with the result of the celebration of hope we did at willow...
remember the limit of consumption challenge (setting aside the money you save from groceries and such) and bringing what you saved as an offering to the celebration of hope people we are currently helping? well the amount of money saved was in total of over $500k.
remember the solidarity challenge i did for a week? there were 15k people who were influenced to take up the challenge and i'm so happy to be a part of it.
and last, but not the least, the packing of meals for the people in zimbabwe: we did over 3 mil meals!
God is so awesome! i was filled with awe just hearing how much people were touched by the love of God and poured their resources and time to share this love to the less fortunate. God deserves all praises and glory! thank you Lord for making us your instrument.
k, back to the next challenge...
would you agree that our lives here on earth are short? wouldn't you like to live an intentional life? i'm sure you all do, but the biggest problem we have is that we are stuck in a someday syndrome.
see Jesus knew when He only had 1 mon. to live... that's why He had the 4 principles in mind.
1) live passionately - (living each day as if it were your last)
2) love completely - (showing others love that transcends & transforms - say it now! show it now! & share it now!)
3) learn humbly - (growing through your problems and pain)
4) leave boldly - (creating a legacy that will impact generations)
these are the principles we need to carry each day of our lives. esp when you know you'll meet your Maker soon, wouldn't you want to make everything right? when i was listening to this msg, i was worried that i might not meet my own expectations... to really live this 4 principles since i know that i do struggle with the "someday syndrome" also, but i pray that the Lord will help me make this happen. He knows my weaknesses that's why to help me each day, i need to surrender and resurrender my life in God's care.
everyday, there are many challenges in life (mainly temptations) we have to go through. God gave each of us the freedom of choice. but with every choice comes the result. now the question is, with every choice you make and as you live your life each day, where do you think you're going after your last breath here on earth? heaven or hell? remember, it is not by good works that you and i are saved, but it is by the grace & mercy of God that He chose to send His son, Christ Jesus to save us, by dying on the cross so that our sins may be forgiven. did it ever occur to you that it should've been us there on the cross and not the One who is completely sinless?
i never really thought about the importance of our destination after death until i was saved. now, every time i hear someone dying or someone who already passed, the first thing i would ask or thought of is, how's their relationship with the Lord? that question became a huge part of my being esp when i experienced the lose of my mom.
i share this challenge with you even if i may not have the chance to get to know you, only because i sincerely love you with the love of the Lord. our paths may not cross here on earth, but i look forward for the time that you and i would finally meet in heaven.
as i type this blog i would like to express my sincere apology to the people i've hurt in any way and offer forgiveness to those who caused me pain. whether the involved people will read this or not, i pray that they will come to know the Lord and by grace, receive God's forgiveness and peace from any bitterness.
and so to you my friends, i leave you with a question and hope that it will stir you to stop wasting precious time, and instead throw yourself into becoming the person God intended you to be.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU HAVE ONE MONTH TO LIVE?
"Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should." - Psalm 90:12
may we all live for the Lord's glory!
in Christ,
love
Wednesday, May 14
let's pray together
i'm sure you all know the horrific quake that hit China and the cyclone that has recently hit Myanmar.
friends, i urge you to take a few minutes out of your busy time to pray for the people affected by these tragedies. the death toll continues to rise in China... just this morning the death toll was already close to 15,000 and about 40,000 still buried and missing. while the tragedy in Myanmar, there was a confirmed death of 100,000 and 60,000 more are either dear or missing.
please join me in praying for the improvement of the current situation in both countries. some who have survived are now in refugee camps where there are medical, food and water crisis. the aids are not getting there as fast as expected and for this, the people have suffered greatly under starvation. friends, if you feel that you do not have the material resources to extend a help to this people, please, i beg you for a simple prayer. it's enough to save these people who have experienced tragedy in epic proportions.
thanks for your support. may the Lord be glorified in the midst of this until the end of time.
friends, i urge you to take a few minutes out of your busy time to pray for the people affected by these tragedies. the death toll continues to rise in China... just this morning the death toll was already close to 15,000 and about 40,000 still buried and missing. while the tragedy in Myanmar, there was a confirmed death of 100,000 and 60,000 more are either dear or missing.
please join me in praying for the improvement of the current situation in both countries. some who have survived are now in refugee camps where there are medical, food and water crisis. the aids are not getting there as fast as expected and for this, the people have suffered greatly under starvation. friends, if you feel that you do not have the material resources to extend a help to this people, please, i beg you for a simple prayer. it's enough to save these people who have experienced tragedy in epic proportions.
thanks for your support. may the Lord be glorified in the midst of this until the end of time.
Sunday, May 11
GOOD ENOUGH mOm =)
happy happy mom's day to all the moms out there! may the Lord continue to strengthen & guide you all as you take on the job God has blessed us with... remember that this is a lifetime job... it never ends. so whether you feel like you want to be THE PERFECT mom or you're becoming a monster mom... remember that there's not one right way nor there is a secret way to be a good mom. we all choose the best for our kids. there's no comparison needed for in God's eyes we are good enough to receive His unconditional love. remember, we are all God's treasured child. however, there's one sure thing that will help us become the mother God wants us to be and that is to always ask Him for guidance and always listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit. but when you get it wrong... admit to it and pick yourself back up and do it again and again until you get it right.
here's the key verse: charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (psalm 31:30)
i'm so tired right now, but i had to log in to do some work... feeling under the weather coz of the many things i needed to take on yesterday and today. i absolutely loved what i did - i wouldn't trade it for anything. so here's a summary...
yesterday morning, as part of project hope's fund drive mission, we delivered flowers to our donators' loving mothers. then we went back home to get ready for church. it was a beautiful and touching message delivered by our only woman teaching pastor, nancy beach. after the service we went straight to the celebration of hope to volunteer 2 1/2 hrs. of packing food for the people in zimbabwe. it was great to see a couple of my girlfriends volunteered there too. i do have some pics to show you, however i'll have to download that some other time. if you're emotional like my sis and i, you'll be crying along with us =) we were a mess just watching the intro and as we were packaging the food. oh goodness! but for all it's worth... the experience was once again a turning point. we met many Christ lovers and that was absolutely rewarding.
today, we woke up early to arrange the flowers at my sis' place and again to meet our deliveries. so really, a lot of driving to do. but seeing the mothers' reactions and focusing on the purpose definitely makes it all worth while.
my kids gave me their hand made mom's day card (late, but always precious), then noel made reservations to jurin. can't believe i stuffed myself. my hubby said it's ok since it's mother's day... so i guess i should agree right? i don't like the feeling though =(
right now, i'm beat - but gotta keep up with work. so i hope you all had an awesome mother's day celebration with your loved ones! you are precious in God's eyes... i salute each one of you =)
thanks to everyone who sent me e-cards and of course to all who texted me - i'm forever grateful for your thoughtfulness! i love you all in Christ Jesus =)
remember, God is good all the time! blessings to all =)
here's the key verse: charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (psalm 31:30)
i'm so tired right now, but i had to log in to do some work... feeling under the weather coz of the many things i needed to take on yesterday and today. i absolutely loved what i did - i wouldn't trade it for anything. so here's a summary...
yesterday morning, as part of project hope's fund drive mission, we delivered flowers to our donators' loving mothers. then we went back home to get ready for church. it was a beautiful and touching message delivered by our only woman teaching pastor, nancy beach. after the service we went straight to the celebration of hope to volunteer 2 1/2 hrs. of packing food for the people in zimbabwe. it was great to see a couple of my girlfriends volunteered there too. i do have some pics to show you, however i'll have to download that some other time. if you're emotional like my sis and i, you'll be crying along with us =) we were a mess just watching the intro and as we were packaging the food. oh goodness! but for all it's worth... the experience was once again a turning point. we met many Christ lovers and that was absolutely rewarding.
today, we woke up early to arrange the flowers at my sis' place and again to meet our deliveries. so really, a lot of driving to do. but seeing the mothers' reactions and focusing on the purpose definitely makes it all worth while.
my kids gave me their hand made mom's day card (late, but always precious), then noel made reservations to jurin. can't believe i stuffed myself. my hubby said it's ok since it's mother's day... so i guess i should agree right? i don't like the feeling though =(
right now, i'm beat - but gotta keep up with work. so i hope you all had an awesome mother's day celebration with your loved ones! you are precious in God's eyes... i salute each one of you =)
thanks to everyone who sent me e-cards and of course to all who texted me - i'm forever grateful for your thoughtfulness! i love you all in Christ Jesus =)
remember, God is good all the time! blessings to all =)
Friday, May 9
finally done!
thankfully i'm off today and i was able to finish 40 mother's day cards. i had other plans, but i was dragging putting the cards together coz i was watching at the same time. so really, the cards will def be late. ugh!
my husband, noel planned a date with the kids today. i was just gonna stay with my little one, but my sis didn't want to tag along with them so i decided to go instead. we watched "iron man"... oh gosh! i highly recommend this movie. i give it 5 stars! it not only had great graphics & awesome story, but it also has great lessons. come see it!
i received a sad news today. marge's uncle, uncle rey, went to be with the Lord this morning. he was battling cancer for quite some time now. he decided to end his chemo and wished to spend his last days with his children and grandchildren. his wife, tita connie, had to stay here in US to carry the financial burden. imagine how hard it is to be away from your family, plus to not be present at the last breath of a loved one. my heart goes out to the kalaw family. as you read this blog, i kindly ask if you will pls take a few minutes to lift them up in prayer. that the Lord will comfort each one of them in a special way and for all of them to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit bringing them new hope and peace that passes all understanding, that God will send tita connie back to the philippines safely, that all the preparation and other things that comes along with this type of situation be in God's hands so that everything will run smoothly, and most of all that God will be glorified in the midst of this and at the end of it all.
thanks for your continued support! i have a long day tomorrow... nitey nite!
blessings to all!
my husband, noel planned a date with the kids today. i was just gonna stay with my little one, but my sis didn't want to tag along with them so i decided to go instead. we watched "iron man"... oh gosh! i highly recommend this movie. i give it 5 stars! it not only had great graphics & awesome story, but it also has great lessons. come see it!
i received a sad news today. marge's uncle, uncle rey, went to be with the Lord this morning. he was battling cancer for quite some time now. he decided to end his chemo and wished to spend his last days with his children and grandchildren. his wife, tita connie, had to stay here in US to carry the financial burden. imagine how hard it is to be away from your family, plus to not be present at the last breath of a loved one. my heart goes out to the kalaw family. as you read this blog, i kindly ask if you will pls take a few minutes to lift them up in prayer. that the Lord will comfort each one of them in a special way and for all of them to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit bringing them new hope and peace that passes all understanding, that God will send tita connie back to the philippines safely, that all the preparation and other things that comes along with this type of situation be in God's hands so that everything will run smoothly, and most of all that God will be glorified in the midst of this and at the end of it all.
thanks for your continued support! i have a long day tomorrow... nitey nite!
blessings to all!
Thursday, May 8
video contest
oh goodness! i'm really not the type to join any type of contests, but a good friend of mine who has the same business as i do, submitted my video to a mother's day video contest running this month. winners will be announced next month. yikes!
well, i finally fixed my computer. it was a big mess with dell. they said the problem was my hard drive, but when my bro-in-law checked it for me, he said it was the power supply. so i ordered a 500 gb hard drive from dell since they suggested this was the problem and i ordered a power supply from newegg. i installed the new power supply just the other day and yesterday i come to find out that the hard drive is not even compatible with my desktop. grrrrrrr i wanted to explode in anger yesterday coz dell won't allow even an exchange of a compatible hard drive. so now i'm stuck with a hard drive that i can't even use. thank God i didn't curse nor wished anything bad for the people i spoke with. hehehe i mean, it won't change the situation anyway so why waste my time and energy of doing all that. my anger was just a normal reaction for something so crazy... grrrrrr just thinking about it makes me wanna scream! lolz
k, enough! on a good note, i'm going back to school! i A's my placement test... it was all divine! although i studied, i just know i couldn't have done it without God's help. He was just right beside me the whole time. i mean, it's been a looooong time and most of it left my brain long time ago so really, i was half ready and half not - ha! anyway, i give all the glory to God! you rOck Lord!
i finished 3 curtain panels the other day and wow! i can't believe the difference. it made my family room look bigger. i'm still waiting for the rest of the fabrics i ordered... but while waiting i have enough fabric to reupholster the ottoman.
i've been doing so many things at such a short time that i'm running late in sending my mother's day cards. ayayay! hope it'll make it to the mail at least tomorrow morning. better late than never.
k, gotta go back to work! blessings to you all!
well, i finally fixed my computer. it was a big mess with dell. they said the problem was my hard drive, but when my bro-in-law checked it for me, he said it was the power supply. so i ordered a 500 gb hard drive from dell since they suggested this was the problem and i ordered a power supply from newegg. i installed the new power supply just the other day and yesterday i come to find out that the hard drive is not even compatible with my desktop. grrrrrrr i wanted to explode in anger yesterday coz dell won't allow even an exchange of a compatible hard drive. so now i'm stuck with a hard drive that i can't even use. thank God i didn't curse nor wished anything bad for the people i spoke with. hehehe i mean, it won't change the situation anyway so why waste my time and energy of doing all that. my anger was just a normal reaction for something so crazy... grrrrrr just thinking about it makes me wanna scream! lolz
k, enough! on a good note, i'm going back to school! i A's my placement test... it was all divine! although i studied, i just know i couldn't have done it without God's help. He was just right beside me the whole time. i mean, it's been a looooong time and most of it left my brain long time ago so really, i was half ready and half not - ha! anyway, i give all the glory to God! you rOck Lord!
i finished 3 curtain panels the other day and wow! i can't believe the difference. it made my family room look bigger. i'm still waiting for the rest of the fabrics i ordered... but while waiting i have enough fabric to reupholster the ottoman.
i've been doing so many things at such a short time that i'm running late in sending my mother's day cards. ayayay! hope it'll make it to the mail at least tomorrow morning. better late than never.
k, gotta go back to work! blessings to you all!
Monday, May 5
Busy Weekend
i'm working from home today coz of a bad pulled-muscle, yesterday, that's now causing me major back pains. i think it's kinda swollen too that's why it's hard to move around. regardless, God's good to me =)
yesterday, we celebrated my mom's birthday. she would've been 66 yrs. old. we attached our messages to her on a balloon and sent it off via God's all powerful air-way.
here's a beautiful shot of the balloon flying towards heaven! (it was amazing seeing it fade out in the clouds) *we're all wishing to see it displayed in her room when we get to heaven someday*
happy birthday mama! we love and miss you soooooo much!~*~
friday: our system was down at work so i left early and went shopping for decorative pillows to replace some of my old ones in the family room and bed set for my daughter's room. my bf, char & i met up for dinner at stir crazy where her sis works. before we went inside we met this filipina lady who apparently was looking for a cab, but didn't have a phone so char went ahead and helped her out while i conversate with her. there was something mysterious about this lady's life (short story she had shared to me), she lives in london and is just here on vacation, but she's alone. she doesn't have a family in london nor here. i truly believe in praying for someone God brings in our lives even for a short time or even if you don't know what's going on in their lives, once you decern the need to pray... do it! it won't hurt, in fact it'll help them, plus you'll be at peace and filled with joy once you obey. remember, there's no coinsidence or accidents... God has a purpose for everything. love the opportunity!
char and i spent hours of reminiscing the good times and laughing at the bad times (laughing coz thank God we were delivered!). always good to have that bonding time with friends =)
~*~
sat: we left early to have breakfast at "le peep", my fave bf restaurant in evanston. and of course i don't leave that area without visiting "vogue fabrics". i'm changing the color scheme of our family room to blue, yellow & brown.... ahh! just love it!
too bad they didn't have enough of the fabric i wanted to make my curtains, but thankfully i found just the right one at joann's. had to order another 7 yrds. since again there was not enough to make 5 pannels. will take pics of the finish product.
i'm also changing my daughter's room theme from garden to black & pink paris style room since she's in her teens already she's been asking my husband and i for this. so hopefully we'll be able to finish everything this summer.
after a long day of searching for the right curtains for the fr, camille's room and ayre's room... it was time for them to enjoy. new toys from their aunts & spent an hour playing arcades... thanks to my sistahs!
k, i think it's about time for me to sign off. i'm about to watch my mom's wake while i'm doing my work.
hope your weekend was filled with great memories!
God bless you all!
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