heaven was celebrating and cheering for you! standing up for the truth and never compromising her beliefs definitely is so inspiring and gives way to Christians like us to never be afraid coz God is on our side. whether it'll cause us fame and fortune... these are all temporary pleasures... what God offers is a life of abundance and joy - PRICELESS! Your crown is heaven is awaiting you - and that my dear is the crown we should all be working hard for =)
Tuesday, April 28
Thursday, April 23
Day 4 of my Celebration of HOPE challenge...
i meant to blog about the whole 5days of this challenge, but i got caught with other important things.
yea, so it's the 4th day of the 5day challenge to relate to the poor people of zimbabwe. again, for those of you who don't know what the challenge is... well, you're supposed to eat portion sizes like, just a cup of only the following options: plain oatmeal or cream of wheat, a tortilla, rice, and beans, rice with bits of fish or chicken, and a vegetable. for water, it should be tap water, but you can drink as much as you want.
well, i've eaten only oatmeal for bf, rice w/ bits of chicken or veggies for lunch and dinner. mind you this is repeated for 5days. tomorrow is my last day and i'm starving. i've been drinking water like crazy and tap water is not at all that fun to drink, but that's the point, i need to relate and believe me, although i've done this last year... it's a great way to be reminded over and over again.
my daughter started doing it with me, but unfortunately on the 3rd day she got a virus and threw up a few times at school... so i guess she'll have to continue next week or something. although she didn't want to quit, later on she felt that it was good or better that she did coz she's now enjoying her fave ice cream hahahaha
it's crazy how temptation really lingers around you when you're trying to focus on something good. ugh! so many times i was tempted to just quit or just get a lil' bite of this and that, but thank God He strengthens me. although i feel cramps at night... i just force myself to drink some more water and fall asleep after reading.
i've asked my best friend, char to take up the challenge with me. now, i know this will be harder for her since she's best friends with food. not that i'm not, but she's a none stop eater, but she's fortunate to still have a slim body. ugh! i hate that! hahaha but kudos to her she's makin' it! although i'm sure she has complained many times as i have, she's almost there! one more day char... and we're hitting the buffet! hehehe
on another note, i've been wanting to give y'all an update regarding the "feed the hunger" event that we, the project hope team put together in the philippines last monday, april 20th. however, i'd rather have pics with my update as well. please be patient with me and i promise you, i will be sending the update sometime next week. but i'd like to take this opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father for blessing the event with His abundance. we couldn't have done this without His grace and provision. He has brought this ministry a loooong way and i'm so grateful to be in His service. thank you Lord!!! YOU are awesomely awesome!!!
k friends, wishing you all a wonderful and blessed weekend! hopefully i'll be able to blog again tomorrow... Lord willing!
God bless!
love
yea, so it's the 4th day of the 5day challenge to relate to the poor people of zimbabwe. again, for those of you who don't know what the challenge is... well, you're supposed to eat portion sizes like, just a cup of only the following options: plain oatmeal or cream of wheat, a tortilla, rice, and beans, rice with bits of fish or chicken, and a vegetable. for water, it should be tap water, but you can drink as much as you want.
well, i've eaten only oatmeal for bf, rice w/ bits of chicken or veggies for lunch and dinner. mind you this is repeated for 5days. tomorrow is my last day and i'm starving. i've been drinking water like crazy and tap water is not at all that fun to drink, but that's the point, i need to relate and believe me, although i've done this last year... it's a great way to be reminded over and over again.
my daughter started doing it with me, but unfortunately on the 3rd day she got a virus and threw up a few times at school... so i guess she'll have to continue next week or something. although she didn't want to quit, later on she felt that it was good or better that she did coz she's now enjoying her fave ice cream hahahaha
it's crazy how temptation really lingers around you when you're trying to focus on something good. ugh! so many times i was tempted to just quit or just get a lil' bite of this and that, but thank God He strengthens me. although i feel cramps at night... i just force myself to drink some more water and fall asleep after reading.
i've asked my best friend, char to take up the challenge with me. now, i know this will be harder for her since she's best friends with food. not that i'm not, but she's a none stop eater, but she's fortunate to still have a slim body. ugh! i hate that! hahaha but kudos to her she's makin' it! although i'm sure she has complained many times as i have, she's almost there! one more day char... and we're hitting the buffet! hehehe
on another note, i've been wanting to give y'all an update regarding the "feed the hunger" event that we, the project hope team put together in the philippines last monday, april 20th. however, i'd rather have pics with my update as well. please be patient with me and i promise you, i will be sending the update sometime next week. but i'd like to take this opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father for blessing the event with His abundance. we couldn't have done this without His grace and provision. He has brought this ministry a loooong way and i'm so grateful to be in His service. thank you Lord!!! YOU are awesomely awesome!!!
k friends, wishing you all a wonderful and blessed weekend! hopefully i'll be able to blog again tomorrow... Lord willing!
God bless!
love
Sunday, April 12
HAPPY EASTER! what a TRUE LOVE...
ahh! just remembering the powerful story of the Good Friday and Easter, i cannot help but get teary eyed... i mean, just think about Jesus' supreme act of love for you and me... it's the power of His "substitutionary atonement" - Jesus Christ died in our place when He was crucified on the cross. friends, we deserved to be the ones placed on that cross to die coz we are the ones who live sinful lives. but Christ took the punishment on Himself in our place—He substituted Himself for us and took what we rightly deserved. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” -2 Corinthians 5:21.
now that's TRUE LOVE!
let's go deeper so you'll get the bigger picture... let me ask you a question, what walls (problems) are you currently facing? well, i encourage you to watch this powerful message from Bill Hybels:
http://www.willowcreek.org/mediaplayer/playerHome.aspx?id=109&chid=1&cid=3
(once you click on the link above, select "Easter" on the recently added category)
after you watch the entire message... i want you to know that whatever problem you're facing today, know that they are only temporal... there is an expiration date on it... for the only eternal problem you will have has already been paid full by Jesus Christ.
humble yourself, seek, ask and knock and the door will be opened to you... that is the promise of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
have a powerful EASTER! remember, God is good all the time!
now that's TRUE LOVE!
let's go deeper so you'll get the bigger picture... let me ask you a question, what walls (problems) are you currently facing? well, i encourage you to watch this powerful message from Bill Hybels:
http://www.willowcreek.org/mediaplayer/playerHome.aspx?id=109&chid=1&cid=3
(once you click on the link above, select "Easter" on the recently added category)
after you watch the entire message... i want you to know that whatever problem you're facing today, know that they are only temporal... there is an expiration date on it... for the only eternal problem you will have has already been paid full by Jesus Christ.
humble yourself, seek, ask and knock and the door will be opened to you... that is the promise of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
have a powerful EASTER! remember, God is good all the time!
Wednesday, April 8
Weekend to Remember Experience...
IT WAS DEFINITELY A MOMENT TO REMEMBER!!!
for those who have not heard of Weekend to Remember, lemme give you a synopsis of what this getaway is for...
"Weekend to Remember is a weekend marriage conference that teaches God's design for marriage and family. The environment is fun, non-threatening, and sometimes hilarious. And it's a wonderful time for couples to refresh good marriages or heal troubled ones. There are over 150 conferences in cities all across the U.S. each year. Registration is open to individuals, couples, or groups. Whether you're engaged, newlywed, or remarried, enrich your marriage and begin a godly legacy for your family by attending a conference in a city near you. Or plan a memorable getaway to a destination of your choosing.
How will your marriage be remembered?
Marriage is defined by memories. They can be memories of joy and fulfillment or pain and heartbreak. It all depends on how well you apply the principles that make marriage thrive. For thirty years, the Weekend to Remember conference has been helping couples create the kind of memories that build a healthy marriage. Remember your marriage. Remember this weekend."
ok, so we were scheduled to go last year, but due to conflicting schedules and other circumstances, i had to reschedule for the next one which was a year after. i've gotta be honest with you, my husband did not have a clue as to what this seminar/retreat/conference/getaway (whatever you what to call it) is really all about. all he knew was a getaway for the two of us, until that day we were having breakfast did he ask for our itinerary, so i gave him a print out of what our 3days will be. i did not receive a feedback (good/bad) so i just continue to receive the day as a blessing =)
we dropped off the kids to my sister's condo. it was their first time having the kids all by themselves, and it was the first time my little one will be sleeping without mom & dad... so we were pretty worried too. however, i've prayed for this day so i was confident that all will go well by the grace of God =)
the conference was held at the marriott in oak brook, il. right after we checked-inn, it was already time for the first session which started at 7p, last friday. funny how they mentioned: most of you, husbands, probably have no idea what this is all about or were pretty much just dragged into coming, some may have even fought on the way, but i promise you that you will all enjoy the ride... hehehe *thank you Lord!*
believe me, to our surprise, the place was full. some were married for a long long time, some are less than 5yrs and some are premarried; some have problems, some are looking to reconcile and some are just like us... looking forward to strengthen our marriage. i tell yah, before noel realized that we all have different reasons why we're there, he looked at me and asked, "are we having marriage problems that i don't know about?" i laughed and said, "no, we don't have to have problems just to be here."
i know we all have our expectations when we got married and most, if not all probably got disappointed to find out that you and your spouse still have a lot of differences. but you know what's amazing? the Lord has reasons why 2 different people are united as one.
through out this 3day experience, noel and i saw a whole picture of God's design of marriage painted right before our eyes! it was surreal! mind you, although this was a conference, the idea is not to focus on bashing husbands or wives or interacting with other people to find the same common ground, but it was mainly focused on you two. it felt like it was just the two of us there. no need for fake demeanor... everyone joined the journey with their spouse and enjoyed every moment. there were moments of laughter, but there were also moments where you see yourself coming to your senses and of course, there were moments of tears.
every opportunity was exhausted and it was all worth it. the line of communication between spouses were opened and for my husband, although he's been doing very well lately, this exercise gave him a better understanding of the importance of communicating. and yes, this exercise taught me a lot as well.
one of the many exciting moments was the time when we had to spread out all over the hotel and find a place to be alone and write a letter to your spouse. there were a few ideas they suggested for you to include in the letter, once done, get together with your spouse and read your letter for them. see, my husband knows very well that simple romantic things makes me over the top, happy. so when we saw each other, he led me outside the courtyard and volunteered that he reads his letter for me first. i was so touched as he read his letter to me with tears and as usual i was in tears reading mine.
there were a lot of things we learned and did together during this 3day getaway that will certainly make a huge impact to our marriage and our kids. the Lord has done it again! Our main goal to take away from this conference were 2 things... to strengthen our marriage and to be in oneness with Christ.
to end our wonderful experience, we renewed our vows on the 3rd day. you know what's amazing? everyone in the room were in tears... TEARS OF JOY... that's what God was aiming for.
and to close today's blog... i pray for all the couples who attended the Weekend to Remember seminar that as they live their normal lives once again, that they will grow in oneness with Christ and they will continue to lovingly accept their differences and be each other's support system as they model a Christlike marriage to their children, other families and friends.
i encourage you to join one of Weekend to Remember's marriage conference... no need to wait for problems to go to this... if you are in it for the long run, this is for you. marriage is a lifelong commitment... it shouldn't die when it doesn't meet your expectations. remember, expectations lead to disappointments.
thank you Lord for this amazing opportunity! YOU DEFINITELY ROCK!
for those who have not heard of Weekend to Remember, lemme give you a synopsis of what this getaway is for...
"Weekend to Remember is a weekend marriage conference that teaches God's design for marriage and family. The environment is fun, non-threatening, and sometimes hilarious. And it's a wonderful time for couples to refresh good marriages or heal troubled ones. There are over 150 conferences in cities all across the U.S. each year. Registration is open to individuals, couples, or groups. Whether you're engaged, newlywed, or remarried, enrich your marriage and begin a godly legacy for your family by attending a conference in a city near you. Or plan a memorable getaway to a destination of your choosing.
How will your marriage be remembered?
Marriage is defined by memories. They can be memories of joy and fulfillment or pain and heartbreak. It all depends on how well you apply the principles that make marriage thrive. For thirty years, the Weekend to Remember conference has been helping couples create the kind of memories that build a healthy marriage. Remember your marriage. Remember this weekend."
ok, so we were scheduled to go last year, but due to conflicting schedules and other circumstances, i had to reschedule for the next one which was a year after. i've gotta be honest with you, my husband did not have a clue as to what this seminar/retreat/conference/getaway (whatever you what to call it) is really all about. all he knew was a getaway for the two of us, until that day we were having breakfast did he ask for our itinerary, so i gave him a print out of what our 3days will be. i did not receive a feedback (good/bad) so i just continue to receive the day as a blessing =)
we dropped off the kids to my sister's condo. it was their first time having the kids all by themselves, and it was the first time my little one will be sleeping without mom & dad... so we were pretty worried too. however, i've prayed for this day so i was confident that all will go well by the grace of God =)
the conference was held at the marriott in oak brook, il. right after we checked-inn, it was already time for the first session which started at 7p, last friday. funny how they mentioned: most of you, husbands, probably have no idea what this is all about or were pretty much just dragged into coming, some may have even fought on the way, but i promise you that you will all enjoy the ride... hehehe *thank you Lord!*
believe me, to our surprise, the place was full. some were married for a long long time, some are less than 5yrs and some are premarried; some have problems, some are looking to reconcile and some are just like us... looking forward to strengthen our marriage. i tell yah, before noel realized that we all have different reasons why we're there, he looked at me and asked, "are we having marriage problems that i don't know about?" i laughed and said, "no, we don't have to have problems just to be here."
i know we all have our expectations when we got married and most, if not all probably got disappointed to find out that you and your spouse still have a lot of differences. but you know what's amazing? the Lord has reasons why 2 different people are united as one.
through out this 3day experience, noel and i saw a whole picture of God's design of marriage painted right before our eyes! it was surreal! mind you, although this was a conference, the idea is not to focus on bashing husbands or wives or interacting with other people to find the same common ground, but it was mainly focused on you two. it felt like it was just the two of us there. no need for fake demeanor... everyone joined the journey with their spouse and enjoyed every moment. there were moments of laughter, but there were also moments where you see yourself coming to your senses and of course, there were moments of tears.
every opportunity was exhausted and it was all worth it. the line of communication between spouses were opened and for my husband, although he's been doing very well lately, this exercise gave him a better understanding of the importance of communicating. and yes, this exercise taught me a lot as well.
one of the many exciting moments was the time when we had to spread out all over the hotel and find a place to be alone and write a letter to your spouse. there were a few ideas they suggested for you to include in the letter, once done, get together with your spouse and read your letter for them. see, my husband knows very well that simple romantic things makes me over the top, happy. so when we saw each other, he led me outside the courtyard and volunteered that he reads his letter for me first. i was so touched as he read his letter to me with tears and as usual i was in tears reading mine.
there were a lot of things we learned and did together during this 3day getaway that will certainly make a huge impact to our marriage and our kids. the Lord has done it again! Our main goal to take away from this conference were 2 things... to strengthen our marriage and to be in oneness with Christ.
to end our wonderful experience, we renewed our vows on the 3rd day. you know what's amazing? everyone in the room were in tears... TEARS OF JOY... that's what God was aiming for.
and to close today's blog... i pray for all the couples who attended the Weekend to Remember seminar that as they live their normal lives once again, that they will grow in oneness with Christ and they will continue to lovingly accept their differences and be each other's support system as they model a Christlike marriage to their children, other families and friends.
i encourage you to join one of Weekend to Remember's marriage conference... no need to wait for problems to go to this... if you are in it for the long run, this is for you. marriage is a lifelong commitment... it shouldn't die when it doesn't meet your expectations. remember, expectations lead to disappointments.
thank you Lord for this amazing opportunity! YOU DEFINITELY ROCK!
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