Somethin' good is comin' up!

Sunset

2007-07-27T18:15:00.000+08:00

I'd like to cap the work-day with a smile on my face, despite of going through such rattling activities at work (it being end of 2nd quarter for this brand that I am assigned with). It was a pretty tough week but grace was just fabulous, that I got by! :)

Now let me share with you this is a photo I took yesterday at around 6pm, just right outside our bedroom window. Aren't sunsets just the most beautiful? The asthma of my Tiffey has set down as well, praise God. Thanks to you guys who prayed :)

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Keeping Lola Basyang at Bay

2007-07-24T11:01:00.000+08:00

Maybe blame my 30th year of existence for putting up this post. Or, maybe be happy about what's in store for you as you comb through this blog. Ok so our topic for today is getting older. Hehe. You'd have to bear with me today as I am terribly in a lethargic state, probly too tired and stressed out physically. My brain is falling short of some cells and my speech is almost slurring!

Did you know that the way you actually "feel" about getting old affects your own aging process? In a Yale School of Public Health survey of 70-80 people, those who described “aging” as “senile, weak, tired and sad” were more inclined to suffer from age-related problems than those who had a more positive outlook. Positive thinking now is even being used to help patients recover from heart attacks, drug addiction, surgery and all sorts of other disease or mental condition! Imagine that? Who would have thought that even just your perception can contribute to your aging process. No wonder I see grandparents who don't look like their age; and when you talk to them, they're so full of zest and life.

I really pray that I can develop more into this positive outlook and mindset. Nothing to lose! Positive thinking isn't about false expectations. It's about being at a sound mental state that will challenge a person's maturity to actually learn to juggle being realistic or idealistic. Slowing down the aging process is a good benefit of positive thinking. But heck, I think that's just the fudge on our sundae. Positive thinking will get us through life with much joy... (instead of feeling sorry about ourselves, or dwell on the shoulda-woulda-coulda's).

Let me go look at myself in the mirror... There, I look so like 20. Hahaha.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Proverbs 10:11).
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21).
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29).

I Don't Like You

2007-07-20T10:06:00.000+08:00

When people don't like you, smile and be happy. Let's face it, not everybody will like you. Not all that you meet will think nicely of you. Even when you exert much effort, some people won't really like the way you talk, the way you dress, the way you even flick your hair.

The good news is, you don't exactly need to please them all. You don't have to go so much out of your way to make people like you. Of course we have to remember to walk in the bounds of truth and logic when we carry ourselves. But what I'm trying to say is that, we can't drain our minds on how to look right or act right on another person's standards. You can't just blindly pattern who you are by using other people's preferences as your reference. Have your own.

The key here is LOVE. Not the cutie sweetie kind of love, but the love that springs forth from our Lord Jesus. When we find ourselves hating or disliking someone because of "Wala lang, di lang talaga kami vibes," or, "Wala lang, di ko lang sya gusto..alam mo yun?! Di ko sya feel!".. (sounds familiar?) .. we have to stop ourselves. We have to enlarge our circle of love. We need to make a conscious effort to understand that not everybody is the same as you, nor do they use the same standards that you use. Be nice. Be nice with a sincere heart. Is it THAT difficult to treat others with respect? Truth is, when we have Jesus in our hearts, love progressively becomes embedded in our nature. God will teach us how to love. God will teach each of us how to live according to His Will and not the will of your friend, your officemate, your partner or your family.

We were not born to please men but to please God. Know that even when the entire world hates you, God still thinks you are beautiful. When some people don't like you, smile and say it's perfectly okay. The burden will not be on you but on them. Isn't life wonderful? Let's not put it to waste by putting down other people or by molding ourselve to their standards.

Fear of Lack?

2007-07-04T16:11:00.000+08:00

Received a revelation yesterday. Actually twas something that I've known before but hearing God's Word again and again about provision in all aspects of our lives is a big relief for me. I love how God can bring calmness in my once-in-a-while chaotic emotional state. Let me share with you these materials that pulled me out of near breakdown yesterday.

Trusting in God's Promise
Fear of Lack by Pastor Steve Murrel

Canon EOS 400D

2007-06-27T16:33:00.000+08:00

I've been in and out a couple of electronic shops in Hong Kong, Singapore and Manila since the new Canon EOS 400D was introduced. Should I buy? Should I not? Do I go for it? What?!? I've recently been an advocate of being stingy (ok, frugal) and was debating within myself if it's really worth buying. After some pros and cons, I've decided to get one (hopefully) by end of July and seriously get into photography which I've been dabbling about here and there for almost two years.

Here's a well-written review on the camera.

FAITH CHECK

2007-04-23T12:38:00.000+08:00

Over time, we encounter questions in our walk with God that would either make us stumble in disbelief or simply build us up with more faith. I was thinking of FAITH yesterday because I was actually being suggested of being too much of a Christian "TALIBAN", paranoid of following even the simplest commands in the Bible. For a second there, I felt shaken, was almost into tears actually. Then thought, ano ba talaga dapat ang sundin ko. Is it God's Word or is it what other people think of me? For a good three minutes, I froze and tried to take a hold of myself. Good thing God can always change the situation and later on the attention was swayed to something else. There I was left into a daze, pounding my brain cells whether I should quit and just live life as I want to and therefore not be called a TALIBAN or anything even close to it. Throughout the rest of the day, nag-iisip lang talaga ako and I kept asking God to enlighten me, to comfort me, and I just sang in my head, worshipping Him.

Just before Sunday Service, we were on our way to church and it hit me. I will not let anything shake my faith. I will not let anyone tell me who I am or how I am supposed to act. Then came some other encouraging thoughts and convictions to help me improve as a person. Pastor Robert's preaching on the lives of Paul and Silas helped me overcome the dissuasion that haunted me earlier in the day. The goal is to please God, to praise Him in good or in bad, to magnify Him when troubles beset us. The goal is to FOCUS on Him no matter what. When bad things happen, answer this, "How will we respond?".

Perhaps what happened was, God allowed some pretty good jolting to strengthen me in my Christian faith. It's almost like taking sides. Are you in or are you out? Sa pula, sa puti? Deal or no deal? I sure don't want to fail and I sure don't want to make the wrong decision. Faith in Him and what Jesus did on the cross for me is my foundation. Now I need to even dig my heels in, more than before, to be sure that nothing can discourage me in my walk with the Lord.

- 1 John 5: 4 "For everone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our FAITH."
- Proverbs 4: 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
- Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Well, God says...

2006-10-20T18:35:00.000+08:00

The world says you won't ever make it. Well God says you are a CAN-DO person!
"You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. "
- Psalm 45: 2

The world says you're ugly and fat.. well, God sees you as someone BEAUTIFUL!
"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."
- Psalm 45: 11

The world says you'll never get what you're praying for.. well, God says that you'll have it as long as you seek Him!
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
- Psalm 37:4

The world says you'll never get healed.. God says just have faith and let me do the healing!
"I AM the LORD who heals you."
- Exodus 15:26

Just a Few More Days!!!

2006-10-11T23:32:00.000+08:00

My Future Baby

2006-10-08T23:21:00.000+08:00

Ok so much for new kids in the family (hehe).. our two sweeties are enough. I don't know why I've got my eye on this Hyundai Tucson. Its appeal is quite strong and boy am I praying for one! :-)

Starbucks in a Bottle

2006-10-08T20:38:00.000+08:00

Well don't you just want to praise God for Starbucks in a bottle?! I'm just happy to have found this lurking in one of the corners of the grocery waiting for a Starbucks addict to come and consume it! Talk about saving time for a quick trip to Starbucks in the morning before going to work! Bright bright idea! :-D

Prayer Requests

2006-10-04T23:03:00.000+08:00

Praise God for family and friends who never cease to pray for me and my family in times of need. This week is actually quite a challenging one. But, with God's grace, we will be fine!

1) My son has been healed after been hospitalized for 4 days due to a hematoma in his tonsils. Praise God!

2) God moved mightily to provide for the bills.

3) I need your prayers for the completion of our new home. For some reason, this demented architect that we hired have used up the money we've paid him and is unable to finish the rest of the project. So we will take over the finishing stage next week. Provision for this is what we need. If only everything comes cheap nowadays!

4) Please do pray for my older sister who will be undergoing surgery due to kidney stones on Saturday. Rebuke the stones in Jesus' Name!

5) Pray for me as well as it's been quite a challenge at work as this brand I'm handling is ending their fiscal quarter this October.

Thanks in advance for standing with me and my family in prayer. God will indeed work mightily in all these situations. By God's will, these will come to pass.

God bless you!

Summer Fun!

2006-09-22T16:15:00.000+08:00

Isn't it rather late for me to post pics from last summer? Teehee, it only goes to show that now is the only time I've ever had to somehow doodle a bit and rekindle my love for photoshop. :-)

Watch and be Moved!

2006-09-12T13:24:00.000+08:00

..Maybe God wants to reach out to you and tell you something you need to know today. Watch Joel Osteen as He preaches the Word of God and be blown away by his passion to speak God's love for us. This is definitely worth your time!

Faith

2006-09-11T17:42:00.000+08:00

"How can I have hope when my eyes show me that the problem I'm in looks utterly hopeless?" Almost too often, this is the question we throw back at friends or family who try to encourage us during times of problems or pain. "It's going to be alright" or "Things will get better" are the comments we would hear from the people who care about us. But how much of these statements do we actually take in; pause in our need to complain, and actually digest what those encouraging statements mean?

When we look at the Word of God, going through life is as simple as ABC, no fantastic steps to follow, no complicated principles to implement. All it takes is faith. Faith in the Father who birthed you into this world, faith that His promises are true. Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matt 21:22). This verse speaks so much of love, hope and encouragement. If Jesus said that your prayers will be answered, why not take Him at His Word? We've seen so many miracles and answered prayers happening in other people's lives, why not in ours?

We can never be free from problems or trials; but, God enables us to have a problem-proof life. Faith propels us to soar forward with a heart free from bitterness or spite. Faith enables us to see ourselves in the future, prosperous and living a good life for the Lord. Our human eyes will never see the big picture, only God can do that. Faith gives us the confidence to face everything in this world, knowing that God will always back us up. Next time you're faced with a hurdle, leap over the other side - God is there to catch you.. just have, FAITH.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1).

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 cor 5:7

The Seed

2006-09-10T00:44:00.000+08:00

I had a great time this afternoon while having Bible study with my niece and her friend. One line from the study I was discussing stood out in my head and I am still thinking of it now.

"The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act."

It makes a lot of sense doesn't it? It is the same as the principle of sowing and reaping. You plant good seeds, expect a good harvest. You plant the right thoughts, you act out good deeds. Sadly, if you plant the wrong thoughts, we end up in sin.

Have you ever experienced going through life hopeless of how you can ever change your bad habits or attitudes? Only Jesus can help you change. It is when we put our complete trust in Him that we realize that we CAN be a better person. And God provides a way for us to make it a reality. When we plant the Word of God in our hearts & minds each day, we can expect the best harvest - having joy, love, peace & hope in our hearts!

Formula for Success

2006-08-30T11:52:00.000+08:00

"Lord, bahala ka na ha. You know what I need. Amen." Oftentimes, we pray to God, assuming that He already knows what we want and need. I mean, sure He does. But there's something about praying specifically that catches God's attention. I remember praying this way and changing it to drill down to the specifics. At first I felt uncomfortable, like, it felt dictating a line of grocery lists.. But later on, I realized, that God wants to hear it straight from our mouth. Oli and I were believing for our own place this year and we refurbished our prayers from "Lord, sana, may bahay na kami".. to... "Lord, you said in Your Word that your people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Lord we boldly ask for that promise. We ask you to bless us with a house of our own. With nice white walls and a room for every child..." etc, etc. And here we are, about 60-70% done with the house construction!
It is to God's glory that we see all these coming to pass. And we know there's more to come!

The formula of success doesn't rest on anything of this world; it is not about having charms or crystals, or a superstitious belief on this and that. Success comes only from God and God alone. When we start to make GOD the center of our lives, success and miracles will be part of how we live. God's promises are here for us to take. We just need to know it, live it and ask for it.

WORMS!

2006-08-13T23:30:00.000+08:00

This worm had to highlight my week last Wednesday. We received about three huge bars of Cadbury from a friend who works in Malaysia and, voila, upon opening the wrappers, we found about two worms (ALIVE AND WRIGLY!!!!) and an insect that looked like a moth. Ewww. Yes, that's how you can describe it!!! One of the bars were lined with what seems to be a cobweb. We figured it must've been the remnants of the cocoon where the worm comfortably birthed itself into a moth. Well, I guess these things happen. I don't think I'll any kind of chocolates from here on... Or if I get a bad craving for some, I'd definitely make sure to tear apart the wrappers and inspect it.

An Answered Prayer

2006-07-21T23:26:00.000+08:00

color schemes.. floor plans.. room layout.. etc.. etc.. finally, the place that we can call our own is now under construction! :-) Praise God, indeed! it's crazy to have to plan for sooo many things for a small haven, but, this is way better than not having to plan at all.

we're working on a very measured budget and I'm sure that with God's grace, guidance and FAVOR, everything will be provided to complete this project.

God DOES answer. HE definitely responds... isn't it just so awesome?! whatever it is you're praying for, keep on pressing on!

Down and Up

2006-07-17T14:48:00.000+08:00

Praise God. Praise God!!! The last few weeks and months have been good to me. I faced some challenges along the way in almost all areas of my life. I had an opportunity to look at myself and how I am in the various roles I fulfill. If there's one word to describe the things I've gone through, that would be, yeah, ROLLER COASTER. Hey, two words ;p. Different experiences, varying results. I failed some, I stumbled on some, I succeeded in some. But amidst it all, I still see myself as a victor. I may have encountered semi-depressing circumstances, but it was an opportunity to praise God because it's a chance for me to show Him that I will handle the situation well. I may have encountered very annoying people, who would offend and even take me for granted, but it was a chance for me to see how other people need more prayers. I may have gone through some trials at home and our finances, but it was a time for me to realize that only God knows how to provide. I may have been passing quite a dry stage in my spirituality, but it is an open door for God to fill my cup. There were times when I'd feel uneasy, worrisome about the things around me, but I saw it as a chance for me to cling on to God for strength and wisdom.

It took a lot of courage for me to look at things positively; perhaps even tiresome. What actually moved me in the right direction is to ask the purpose of every single circumstance I was going through. An arguement with my hubby - I was being taught to control my tantrums, to be a good listener & to be submissive. My kids in a tantrum spree - I was being taught to be more patient and loving and to instruct my kids in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6). Sometimes I would feel God is distant - I was being taught to pray harder, pray more and read more of His Word (1 Chron. 28:9). Waking up feeling lethargic, not wanting to do anything AT ALL - I was being taught that lazy hands bring poverty and diligent hands bring wealth (Prov. 10:4).

So many things to learn from God; if only we will choose to look at our challenges in a different light. After all, no amount of wallowing and depression will solve anything. No matter how loud we complain and how many tears we cry, things won't get better unless we act on them (2 Tim. 1:7).

God bless us all!

My Saturday

2006-06-04T01:49:00.000+08:00

Today I had the chance to go to one of the busiest malls in town - SM North. I drove my in-laws to the mall and actually just walked around with my kids in pursuit of nothing. We didn't have any reason to shop. So we ended up having merienda at Super Bowl and chat over what's new with Cartoon Network and tried talking about why some cartoons don't actually promote good conduct. It was a nice talk about good and evil, the funny and the not, why some are rated PG and which cartoons rock. Cute! It's awesome how my children have grown to think of these things when all the while I thought the thing they only cared about are toys, tv shows and PS2 games.

So we topped the day by going to the Workshop and bought stuff like a mini-fan for my hubby's computer area, Spotless stain remover, a surge protector, a desk organizer and some plastic containers for the kids' toys.

Now I'm yawn after yawn waiting for my hubby to come home from his friend's birthday party. I don't really need to wait up... but, fixing his computer area was such a delight this evening and I'd love to see how he reacts to it when he sees the work (hard labor!!) I've done.

Well, so much for today :-)

Submission to Authority

2006-05-17T18:18:00.000+08:00

I used to cringe everytime I hear or read about this subject - Submission to Authority. Well, I somehow still cringe on it now. Not because I have problems with submitting to my boss or anything like that, but it's more of being submissive to my better half. Not so much of a grave concern, though. Perhaps, it's more of the day to day, small, even trivial decisions that need to be quickly made, that has to be my way and my call. It may have caused a few bickering here and there, but I'm glad that things are starting to smooth out little by little. Till then, I need to get over the paradigm of seeing myself as a woman of the decade (haha), that I am one with a strong personality.

Hearing the story of Daniel from our Bible study last night made me think about what exactly 'submission' is and how it is applied as a wife. Turns out that God's commands are pretty straightforward. Heck, there aren't any 'how to's' and 'what not to's'. But of course there has to be a sense of balance, logic and respect on both sides. These virtues, I would say, would come of course, if you will choose to live according to God's Will. It's going to come on bit by bit, or even all at one big blow - as long as we choose to live in obedience.

So I leave myself with one assignment. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated. Nothing that a willful heart cannot do. (pray for me) haha :-) SUBMIT.

Random Thoughts..

2006-05-15T18:17:00.000+08:00

1) i'm currently feeling a certain distaste in my mouth.. why, i don't know....
2) i pray that my little boy will grow up to be a God-fearing man that lives with integrity and peace..
3) i miss my high school friends terribly.. half of us are totally scattered around the globe and i miss their company :(
4) the letter B on my keyboard popped out last Friday and i am soooorta annoyed everytime i press the letter B.... grr.. see?! :-)
5) so i'm thinking what i'm thinking next...
6) i sure want to go back to Paris with my hubby... or maybe a fun family time in Sydney..
7) Praise GOD for building up my sales at work...... to You be the GLORY!
8) hmm.. i wonder how else can i improve with my work?
9) i don't like gossipers... i don't like people who can't stand up for their mistakes.. why can't people just learn to be fair to one another?! i sooo dislike that CRAB mentality.
10) i may be a bit shaken by them pot holes coming my way.. but God is always there to make me stand firm.
11) choices, choices, choices! we have a lot of em everyday... o God, help me make the right ones!
12) this 10-minute break is enough.. ok, now back to work! :-D

T.D. Jakes

2006-05-14T00:33:00.000+08:00

A few days ago I was listening to some of Joel Osteen's sermons over the web and man, I must say, God has moved and empowered this man to preach God's Word in a powerful, yet endearing way. If you've read the book Your Best Life Now, you would exactly understand how God can actually help you realize your full potential and leave different sorts of unnecessary baggages in life. Joel Osteen is indeed one of the annointed preachers in our time that can bring about inspiration for a tired humanrace such as ours.

So I came about texting my cellgroup leader, Jackie, of how blessed I am with one of Joel Osteen's Sunday sermons; she leads me then to a list of other good, if not, great preachers from around the world. There's Benny Hinn, Paula White, Juanita *something..sorry I forgot*.. then there's T.D. Jakes.

If you'd like to hear the Word of God preached in the most contemporary and most amusing way, I recommend for you to check out T.D. Jake's 24-hour broadcast and be blown away about the Word of God, all delivered in a manner that we can all comfortably listen to. T.D. Jakes is very much of a direct speaker. Able to bring the Word in a serious, yet hilarious style, all with an African-American flavor. Holler at me if you agree!

Who Do You Live For?

2006-05-10T23:33:00.000+08:00

*Who Do You Live For?*

Proverbs 12:9 "Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food."

Doesn't this verse hit the spot? Last night our cell group's topic was on "How to Develop a Healthy Self-Image". A lot of us walk unaware of who we really are. We desire so many things of this world and yet, we are never satisfied with what we have. Perhaps if we all bank on what God says about us, then we wouldn't have to be burdened from being "somebody" else. We don't have to be a pale imitation of someone else.

I'm glad to see my identity now in Christ Jesus who saved us. I am not perfect, nor am I trying to pretend to be one. But what I do know is that I strive hard to live in obedience, to be a woman of integrity and of godliness. Yes I am a work in progress. I stumble, I fall, I make mistakes. Now who doesn't?

I am just so over the "dating", the "arrive". I am just so fed up with the "I'll do this so that other people will look up to me". I am ever fed up with the "I gotta have this so other people will think I'm rich". No one can ever please every single human being on earth. We live to please our one and ONLY God.

I like what Lala said last night during our warm-up. "I'd like to be able to live [a godly life] in this world; but not allow the world to 'live' in me." It's always a choice. Would you like to live for God or live for a perishable world?`

My Favorite Picture

2006-05-04T15:27:00.000+08:00

ok so i sound a little 'high-schoolish' to even tag one of my photos as my "favorite".. but shucks, isn't this photo just so awesome? it reminds me so much of God's love!

btw, this picture was taken in la union during one of our family weekend trips. no post-processing done with this one and yes, i was blown away when i saw the raw picture in my computer. for more of my pictures, you can view them here. God bless you!

J'aime Paris!

2006-04-19T17:16:00.000+08:00

Bon jour! I'm glad to be back after a long vacation from posting! I finally had the chance to visit two of the most culturally-advanced countries in the world - France & Italy. What can I say, 'twas a blast. Seeing the streets of Paris for the first time is extremely breath-taking. Rome was a living history book. I totally felt like I was in a different world. God has made such great creations! Here's my photo at the Tour Eiffel. More to come as I try to update my online photo album. God bless you!

Holy Week

2006-04-10T13:36:00.000+08:00

*Holy Week*

All I can say is, holy week or not, I will ever be thankful to God for saving me from my past mistakes and sins.. For cleansing me and giving me a fresh new start. For me, holy week is not a time of self-punishment or penance, hence, it is a time to rejoice, for if Jesus did not die on the cross for us, we would be still suffering with sin, regret, condemnation and.. there will not be peace within us. Let each day of the year bring you joy knowing that with Jesus, you are saved and will have eternal life... If you want to be freed by the bondage of your past, by the bondage of sins that you cannot seem to avoid doing, COME to Jesus. Ask Him to change you. And this, my friends, is not something that we do in just one week... but it is a life-long process... of coming to the Lord, accepting who we are, and asking Him to change us for the better. Makes sense doesn't it?

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ”- Romans 5:6-8

Cmon now...

2006-03-16T22:44:00.000+08:00

Whatever it is you're going through, God will find a way. God will make a way. You just have to believe. Learn to trust. Find it in your heart to let go and let God do the Work. Keep on praying...

Cam Itch!

2006-03-11T23:33:00.000+08:00

*Cam Itch!*

I just can't get enough of taking pictures lately and may I say... I am quite inspired to get it on with this new found hobby. Photography! I'm happy with how my first month turned out and now I can capture God's cool creations in a flick of a finger. View my online gallery and let me know what you think :-) God bless!

Let Me Encourage You...

2006-03-06T22:47:00.000+08:00

*Let Me Encourage You...*

Hey, it's been a while. A lot have been consuming my time lately and yah, I guess it has almost diminished my time to blog. Maybe I'll be back.. or not (hehe).. but lately, a number of things at work and at home have taken its toll on me. But! I'm right back on track. Unmoved. Stronger. And yes, I'd like to think wiser.

Ever since I got back from my short vacation in HK, things have been quite challenging. There's the daily mommy stuff, issues at work and problems with one of my siblings. Nope I'm not moping about work (I am just so over it and moving on with new things for me).. so as my title suggests, let me try to encourage you with a moving testimony of my brother's life.

My big bro is about 11-yrs older than I am and resides in the States. About a month ago, he decided to surrender his life to God and enter a facility that would help him get over his dependency on drugs. It's a big step, what he did; and it involved a praying wife that got through the challenges of being with a partner who wasn't at all perfect. You're probably guessing it right. With dependency on you know what, things may sometimes go haywire.. But my brother had something good, his wife and his family back here in Manila.

His stay at that center was a good one. Strict and tight security, but nevertheless, twas a place where he was able to feed on God's Word. They have Bible Study classes there and some sort of a support group; catering to the questions we humans mostly throw about life - and finding the answers from the Bible.

I wouldn't want this to drag too long (i'll try), however, let me summarize the events that have unfolded last February...

1) My brother had a "mild" heart problem and was taken to the infirmary. We didn't worry much. My sister-in-law couldn't get much details from the nurses.. but they reassured us that my bro was alright.

2) About a week after, we learned that he had suffered a stroke, leaving him with an internal hemorrhage in his head, affecting his right brain, leaving the left side of his body paralyzed. But God is faithful. Doctors say that 1 out of 10 people survive this kind of attacks. Praise God, my brother lives.

3) Upon knowing this, I tried asking God 'why', however I stopped myself immediately and thought that I was not in a position to question God and His plans. I had a long pause after my sister told my at around 3am. My chest felt heavy, eyes downcast, feeling helpless as I was miles away from my dear Kuya.

4) But then, God, again, in His loving nature, assured me that everything will be alright. It reminded me of a verse that says in Romans 8:28 that all things work for the good of those who loved the Lord. God's Word comforted me and my family.

5) We could have looked at the situation with no hope. We could have pitied my brother. We could have sulked in dismay. We could have gotten angry with God.

6) Choices were made. Decisions were taken. My family and I, along with my sister-in-law and her family as well, chose God. We chose His Promises. Didn't He promise healing? Didn't He promise restoration? Didn't He promise LIFE? At that point, we made a decision to hand the circumstance to God. Approaching the situation with pessimism just didn't make any sense. Hey this is nothing that God can handle. Hey, with Jesus, all things are indeed possible!

7) A few weeks passed and doctors agree that my brother's progress was miraculously fast. We have only God to praise for that! He was eating well, able to recognize some family and friends, and slowly being aware of what had happened to him.

8) My brother learned his lesson. God gave him a heavy blow, allowed him to be broken.. God perfectly knew what was going to happen next. My brother made a decision not to go back to his old way of life - for he had Jesus in his heart.

9) Just as we thought things were going well, we were all dumbfounded to hear about the hospital bills. It had almost reached to US$1.5M. I almost fell off my chair. I nearly fainted when my sister confirmed that yes, it was indeed in US Dollars. Again, it was a test of faith.

10) Day and night we declared that those bills are paid off. We declared by faith, that God is able, much able to supernaturally shoulder the bills. It's a huge amount of money. It's an enormous sum that even if we work 10 jobs at one time, it wouldn't still be enough. But we had someone bigger in our lives. And that IS God.

11) Jehovah Jireh is our God who PROVIDES. Jehovah Shalom is our God who brings PEACE. Jehovah Rapha is our God who HEALS. We hung on to His promises. It was all that He wanted us to do.

12) Days passed. Tears have gotten dry. People came helping from all ends. GOD shone through. God showed that He was in control. A friend of my sister-in-law said that he was going to take care of the bills and that all my sister-in-law had to do was to take care of my brother. When Ate texted me this, I thought, could this be right?! A second later, I raised my head up high and praised God with all my heart! Isn't God so awesome?!?!!

To this day, my brother was transferred to a hospital for his various therapies. He is making good progress and slowly but surely, God is restoring my brother physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Oh praise You, Father.

Don't you know how awesome it is to serve a living God who knows everything and anything about you? Oftentimes we feel misunderstood, we feel empty, we feel like our lives our going no where. We break down to the extent of even wanting to kill ourselves because of the problems we encounter in life. We are this way because we have forgetten what it is to Trust. To Trust in the Heavenly Father that created us. We are blinded by our problems because we choose to look at them instead of exercising our Faith in Jesus Christ. What God did and is doing for my brother is just the start of his new life. He has been given a second chance by the God of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, chances.

If you're going through a painful situation, and you feel that things seem really bleak, try calling on to God. Can you imagine the pain my sister-in-law had to go through with her more than 10 yrs of living with my unstable brother, depositing him in a rehab, hearing about him being taken to the ICU, not being allowed to visit, seeing that half of his body & brain is paralyzed, being confronted by US$1.5M of bills, being just by yourself to handle all the pain? If you talk to her now you'd be surprised that her spirit is full of joy. Why? Because God lives in her. She has held on to God's sweet promises. Her faith was immense and her deeds followed.

I pray that whoever is reading this post will be encouraged to go through their hardships in life. Believe in your heart that God is able to get you out of that situation. Believe in your heart that God is there for you. Have you given your life to Him? Make that decision today...

HongKong Weekend

2006-02-21T18:52:00.000+08:00

Wei! Just came from HongKong last Sunday and spent one of the coldest weekends I've ever had. Twas about 15C during the day and perhaps 10C or lower in the evening. Woah, the wind is a major killer. It's like you can well tolerate the temp, but, with the wind gushing relentlessly through your face, you'd definitely get the feel of hard ice hitting you head on. Weird though, coz when my office mate arrived there mid-week, the weather wasn't all that cold.. well, I guess it HAD to wait till the weekend for the temp to drop.

Disneyland HK was actually the major event with the trip. I pray I can take my kids here soon (hopefully get an incentive package - with my family included hehe). It's a nice nice place with all the nice nice views. It's not as crowded as Disney L.A.; but can still expand to have more rides and other attractions. The place was great but the weather was a bomber. It drizzled almost half of the day and the winds were blowing at every angle. It was about 5C that time. Oh thank GOD I live in a tropical country. I don't think I can last a week in that kind of weather.

So, enough of my boring post and let's start clicking away with the photos we had from the trip. God bless you!

God's LOVE

2006-02-14T12:08:00.000+08:00

Happy Valentines Day! God LOVES each and everyone of us. You say, why? Because He does. Period. Because as Scriptures say, we love because He loved us first (1Jn4:19). How can we know love if not from our Father above? How can we learn how to walk without anyone showing us how? How can we read without anyone teaching us how? Before we smoulder with those Valentine goodies, let's pause and think what God's LOVE is - for us.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39

Mistakes

2006-02-03T10:53:00.000+08:00

A mistake is a mistake. It happened. It was overlooked. It was not earlier on detected. And moreover, it was not planned. I've been going through a rut at work because of a mistake I've done, and perhaps some people around me as well. It was the first time in three years. I didn't see it coming, nor was I able to rectify the situation at the soonest possible time. Now it's a lesson to even be more critical of the things and documents coming my way. To be more mindful of the work I do everyday. To be more keen in every single email that passes my mailbox by. Yes, there's a lesson to the mistake I've done. But if it's any consolation, it DID NOT cost money... only time and an added effort to please an irate customer.

Shucks, I can't believe how people marvel at pointing severely at people's mistake. Not to mention talking as if you've done this mistake every single day of your working life. I must admit that I am somehow bothered by how things are being thrown at me. But then again, I know GOD HAS SEEN EVERYTHING. HE knows who's not speaking up and admitting to their flaws.

You know what never fails to amaze me? See my list below....
1) People will NEVER admit to their mistakes AS LONG AS somebody else has raised his/her hand in admission to the fault.
2) People will always "wash their hands" when worse comes to worst.
3) People take delight in pounding on people's faults and incessantly ask the "why" and the "how come", even if you've apologized and offered to move forward with the solution. (on a note, did you ever think that in life, there will ALWAYS be questions that cannot be answered? Especially when it's over and done with. Most especially when it was a mistake or an accident.. yah, asking WHY will only aggravate the EMOTIONS, blind the PERCEPTION and blur the path to the SOLUTION).
4) People like it when other people don't fight back. They feel they've received victory, whereas, they do not know that it doesn't actually solve ANYTHING.
5) People always look at SILENCE as a sign of weakness. That if you apologize and remain quiet they love to still keep on pounding on you. I mean what gives? Can pounding bring back time? Can continuous nagging solve anything? No. What matters is the fault has been acknowledge and actions will be taken to SOLVE it.

I know that mistakes can be irritating when it happens ALL THE TIME. Like people don't learn from it. But can a certain consideration be given granting that it has only happened for the first time?

Anyhow, I am moving on..... I am leaving all these to God. I shall choose to be HAPPY today. This is the LAST of my whining.

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 17:3So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

Luke 17:4If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Proverbs 19:11A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

Acts 17:30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

What the WORLD can't fill - God CAN

2006-01-30T21:31:00.000+08:00

Going on-leave for even a day can just about refresh anyone. I mean it has recharged me with much energy for the week and it's great to be up and about - doing nothing. So, I just finished cooking for tomorrow's meal .. and here I am poking my keyboard away. I don't have actually any breaking news to share, but I do want to emphasize how God's been utterly awesome this week. Twas my son's 8th birthday last Saturday and God was gracious enough to provide; I've heard of our cell leader's mom ready to leave the hospital soon after being in the ICU for weeks; My husband and his friend is moving forward with their new business; My brother is hungrier everyday for God's Word; I see people still with that g0-get-em attitude despite that EVAT rising up to 12% this February.

If only we can look at the world through God's eyes, we will definitely feel that the world isn't cruel after all. I know I've harped on making the right choices in my previous posts.. but, at the end of the day, these choices determine where we will be the following day. It's not always easy to let an offense go when our flesh tells us to take revenge. It isn't easy to smile when things went real bad at work or at home. It isn't easy to wake up the following day when you know you've got problems as big as the Titanic to face. It isn't easy to lift yourself up when someone has dumped you for the most preposterous reasons.

But one thing's for sure. Our GOD is at the most appropriate place to fill that void in our hearts and lead us to the right direction. Of course the pain will not subside in an instant. But when we continue to seek Him with all our hearts and yearn for Him, God is faithful enough to fill it. Sure we may have had a painful experience, however, the beauty of it all is that we can surely get out of that rut - with God. How else can you imagine getting out of your problems now when before you thought things seemed bleak? That's God working for you. No matter what it is we are going through, God is ABLE to make us choose the right decisions. From the most trivial cases to the complex ones, HE is much able to create a way out. Have you tried calling out to Him lately?

Matthew 11:28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Whoopee!! :)

2006-01-27T15:44:00.000+08:00

God's FAVOR is upon YOU! Yes you! It's upon us all! Woah, I am so super thrilled today about how God makes things HAPPEN. And I mean happen - just in the nick of time. Amaaazzing... I mean, I'm still at awe at His goodness that I couldn't stop thanking God for helping me/us today!

When I woke up this morning, I declared that God's favor will be upon me today - and whatever it is that I'm waiting for at work will come to pass. God started working out our deals yesterday and I knew in my heart, by faith, that He will definitely give a good & pleasing outcome today. And true enough - clock strikes 11am, and there you have it! The huge deal that we've been waiting for to make our numbers!

There are some hurdles in the way, but nothing that God can't handle. Important thing is that, God knew exactly what we needed and He MADE a WAY. Oh PRAISE YOU FATHER!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,whohave been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. - Psalm 23:6

You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.. - Job 10:12

For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. - Psalm 5:12

Worry

2006-01-25T18:20:00.000+08:00

The group went back to Bible Study yesterday and it feels great to reconnect with spiritual family after such a long break. Anyways, we discussed about 'WORRY' and why it is considered to be a 'SIN' which is unconciously done by most of us. If you dissect the scriptures and dig through your experiences on why it is an offense - it plainly implies a distrust to God. When we worry, it is like telling God that 'I believe you BUT.. Ya I do trust you BUT.. I know, BUT. ' Worry just takes out our focus on our Heavenly Father. And that, my friend, is disastrous. I mean ya we all know what a seed of worry can cause in our hearts and minds. Why do you think there are so many pranings, OC's, over-thinkers, over-analytical thinkers (that never get anything done).. etc. Don't let WORRY become your way of life. Do not EMBRACE it. Do not hold on to it. God is commanding you to CAST it to Him. To LIFT up OUR burdens to Him.

So there, it was a nice study to open the year because indeed, if we want to succeed and experience triumph in our lives here on earth, then we must focus on Jesus and take God's Words of advice to heart. To sift our hearts and minds of negative thoughts that causes us to WORRY, think of Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Yeah! I love that verse. You should check out the amplified version or the message version for some parallel reading too.

Glad to be posting here after a hard day's work! Praise God my WORRY-List has gone from plenty to measely.. Konti na lang Lord. Help me rise over the rest of em! :-) God bless you!!!!

Sometimes we slip...

2006-01-24T12:33:00.000+08:00

ya, sometimes we slip.. we know perfectly what to do, how to do it, how to speak and how to react on things, but we sometimes slip. we sometimes slip. i personally hate it when i slip. i tend to sway to the other direction when the going gets rough.. but i'm just so happy that God is always there to just nudge me right back. isn't it a wonder how God loves us unconditionally? isn't it amazing how He can love and not be tyrannical or bossy at the same time? isn't it so cool the way God loves - that no matter how badly we think of ourselves, He still thinks we're beautiful? He's as focused as He can be at you and me... wouldn't it be the greatest thing ever if WE likewise placed our focus on Him instead of our worldy selves? .. just some thoughts i'd like to pour out while i'm eating lunch here :) have a blessed week ahead people!!!

Extra Grace Required

2006-01-20T18:32:00.000+08:00

I'm still at work.. anticipating an important deal that will hopefully come to a graceful end.. I'm hopeful and prepared. So there, how are things with everyone today? It's a friday and boy am I thrilled! I mean, sure my yaya went home to the province.. sure I'd have to do the laundry (yikes), sure I'd have to maybe cook, sure I'd have to help out with our business.. But nothing beats the grace and strength that God can give. As Rick Warren puts it, it's one of those days when you are in EGR mode - EXTRA GRACE REQUIRED. But ya, God is so faithful - He will definitely see all of us through. You just got to have FAITH... Faith coupled with deeds or actions. Hey, are you going through a rough time with family, work or maybe in your relationship/s? Don't worry too much. You're in good hands.. you're in God's hands. All you have to do is TRUST Him. Come on now, put on some lip gloss and shake that booty, put on some nice clothes and show the world that you don't crack under pressure!

We're not PERFECT

2006-01-18T18:35:00.000+08:00

.. not because we're Christians it means that we're automatically PERFECT and SINLESS. We're only humans. Made of flesh and blood. Not because we attend Bible Study, we can live like saints. We're only human. Not because we quote verses from the Bible mean that we're all holy. We're only human. Not because we preach God's Words mean that we can never ever ever ever make mistakes against ourselves and other people. Wouldn't the world be a better place to live in if people would HELP each other grow in their faith and become a better person in the process? Now even if you ace your bible study class, go to service or mass every single day - but if you have a "dark heart", always putting people down or saying bad things about others, not being obedient to God's Word.. I don't think God will be pleased with that either. Please, let's all live in harmony and learn to RESPECT one another.

Matthew 7:3-5 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Proverbs 15:3The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Ephesians 2:10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are all a work in progress :-) Amen? Amen!

Be blessed! :-)

oh stuff...

2006-01-17T10:02:00.000+08:00

Hola! Been quite a couple of days since I last posted. After last Friday, I somehow got sick of looking at the computer screen and totally couldn't take anymore. Aiya! It's always this taxing every January when people are rushing for their 2006 business plans (including me) haha. Talk about cramming. Praise God I'm almost done with mine.

So how has everyone been doing? Twas a great weekend. Spent some time at home with the kids and attended my officemate's wedding at Lipa last Sunday. Oh and I've finally finished reading Your Best Life Now and I feel inspired to go live my life and make the right choices. Oli just started reading it (seriously) last night and as I was in my twinkle-twinkle-little-eyes stage, half asleep, half awake, he was saying some stuff about how good of a book that was.. (sorry sweetie, i knew you were saying hosts of things but i simply could not remember). So ya anyway, come on!! Get yourself a copy. It's worth it!!!

The Lord's favor is upon us all - may you have a great day! I pray that today will be the day that your dreams start coming to pass. But if you aint see anything happening yet - keep on praying.. You're one day closer to receiving your answered prayer. Let's be hopeful in the Lord!

thinking aloud...

2006-01-12T17:46:00.000+08:00

"It doesn't matter what anybody else does or doesn't do, I'm going to live my life with enthusiasm! I'm going to stay on fire. I'm going to be aglow. I'm going to be passionate about seeing my dreams come to pass."

We won't get any closer to our dreams by feeling sorry for ourselves, for the mistakes we've made in the past. Loosen up, lighten up. Just stop being so miserable!

Don't wait for others to change when you yourself have so many issues you don't even know how to love.

It's nice to respond nicely when someone's been polite to you. Try it.

You can NEVER live life alone. Stop pushing people away. Get over your fears. Run to God for help.

Get over the pride. It never did anyone any good.

Stop pretending to be somebody else. You're perfect just the way you are. Don't let society dictate how you should act or dress or speak.

Taking your life is not the solution, and you know that deep inside. Seek help and counsel. There are more people on earth who has experienced far worse problems than you. You are too valuable. God loves you.

A New Me

2006-01-11T22:53:00.000+08:00

With all the challenges coming my way at the start of 2006, I realize that God is molding me with the right character if I wanted to succeed in whatever I put my hands on to. Wallowing much before on the might have beens and should haves, I'm happy to have discovered a new me.. Amazing how I kept on running around in circles in pursuit of answers that didn't live up to my expectations. But even more amazing to know that it is only GOD and a life of service to Him that can make life beautiful in its every aspect.

So to sum up helpful pints of wisdom from the Bible, from friends and Joel Osteen's book, here are some of the few tags that helped me, and is helping me get through the tests. Now it's going to be a good fight of faith.. and I'm glad to be a part of it.

1) Adversity often pushes us into our divine destiny.
2) The struggles give you strength.
3) If you will handle adversity in the right way, God has promised that He will turn your challenges into stepping-stones for promotion.
4) Your reaction to a problem determines how long you will stay in that problem.
5) It's not the adversities that cause our problems; it's how we respond to our adversities.
6) God will use any adversity you face to take you to a higher level if you'll just do your part and keep standing strong.
7) Best thing to do when things or life doesn't make sense is to TRUST GOD.
8) Good ALWAYS overcomes evil.
9) People who hurt other people are usually broken inside. Take the opportunity to be a blessing and help him heal that scar.
10) You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when God puts a little pressure on and you get out of that safe zone and step over into the faith zone.

Oh and here's something to reflect on if you've been having get some good beating in the office...

18You who are servants, be good servants to your masters--not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. 19What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. - 1 Peter 2:18-19

Trying to be Creative..

2006-01-10T15:00:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to be in photography but never had the chance to fulfill it. Digicams weren't born yet when I took photography class in college... :( So taking the cue from my bro-in-law, who's into this, I decided to flick my cam away .. and here are some of the results.

"Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!" Proverbs 23:31"..whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him
will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.." John 4:14

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth.." Psalm 104:14

"Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults." 1 Corinthians 14:20

Let me know what you think! :-)

Currently...

2006-01-06T11:33:00.000+08:00

.. at work;
.. feeling sleepy;
.. in the middle of a couple of emails;
.. trying my best to stay focused;
.. thinking about a new digital camera that I don't really need at all;
.. feeling a bit irritated with work (hihihi);
.. thankful to God for favor in one account that we thought had no chance of closing.

it's gonna be a great day!

God's Requirements

2006-01-04T18:34:00.000+08:00

“ He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. ”- Micah 6:8

Before I start my day at work, the first website I go to is biblegateway.com. It's amusing because it's Bible Verse for the Day oftentimes falls appropriate for how my day turns out, what I'm feeling or what I'm going through for the current season. The verse above is their verse for today. Isn't it so straightforward that it screams, GOD WANTS US TO BE GOOD?

But just what is "good"? If there's one word that can describe it, it is "over-used". Too many times it is associated with almost everything. Good person, good hair, good job, good deed, etc.. etc.. The good ol' dictionary states that good is an adjective that means "being positive, or desirable in nature; worthy of respect, honor, of moral excellence, pleasant". And the list goes on. When Micah wrote the verse above, he was appealing to a concern on the pretensions and lawlessness of Jerusalem. If we look at the world today, our own selves can sometimes be a reflection of the then Jerusalem. Goodness appears on the surface, from the outside and not within. Tarnished hearts, yet shiny on the outside.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?" God has given his one and only Son as the perfect example of a good man that lived a good life. This verse gives hope for all of us who are aiming to be the person that God wants us to be. We've been spoonfed to have been given a role model. But why is it that to be "good" is such a difficult thing to do? As we walk through life we encounter situations that will make us or break us. Either or, it's a choice. Either or, there's a price to pay or enjoy.

The remaining half of the verse says, "to act justly". To act honorably and fair. Why can't we do this? Because we've been cheated, we need to take revenge. Because we've experienced how it is to cheat and get away with it. Because we want to do things fast and easy. Because oftentimes, we get away with trickery. Going further in the verse, it says "to love mercy". To consistently be compassionate, kind and forgiving. Why can't we do this? Because someone has walked out on us, left us, lied to us. Because no one has returned any gratitude. Because people look at mercy or compassion as a sign of weakness. Finally it says "to walk humbly with your God". Humility. To be modest in behaviour, meek, gentle, to show respect. Why can't we do this? Because we have low self-esteem. Low self-image. We mask our inferiorities with an arrogant stance. Because we know it all. Because we have it all. Because we're higher than others.

It's encouraging to note that even by just one verse, we can say so much.. But I hope we can all try to take some time to ponder about what it means. The world is already full with all sorts of crap - from people, made by people and lived by some. It's all a matter of choice. How do we fulfill God's requirement? If we dedicate, and I mean DEDICATE our lives to Jesus, then, we can be assured of rising above ALL our "issues" in life. The requirements become easy to follow. The burden becomes lighter and lighter. Your self-image improves, gets better and better.

I am perplexed to see other people that choose to wallow on self-pity, thrive on pride and feed on people's weaknesses. Do you actually get a buck richer everytime you lambast someone to shame? Can the past be relived? Can you bring back the lost time? As Pastor Joel Osteen says, 'you cannot unscramble eggs.. but God uses that to make an amazing omelette!'. God's requirements may be difficult for you or us to do because of our past experiences (that have broken us really bad).. However, know that God allows such trials or circumstances to make a better and wiser me and you. And, before you know it, you're all.... good.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T17:15:00.000+08:00

I'd like to greet you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! This New Year's Eve celebration was, I'd say, the most cost-saving of all. Hey we only had lusis and torotots (hehe) to toy with as we welcomed 2006. So, my mother and her household watched to their eyes content as our neighbors sprung different awesome (and expensive) fireworks up in the air. Wish I had some pictures to post here but I don't :-( I left my camera at home.

Anyways, prior to New Year's Eve, my friends and I had a post christmas party at Ronnie's house. SBG's Manila Chap was complete once again (we miss you SBG New York & Doha!!). Click here to check out our wacky pics. It was fun to be with the girls again...now, mostly talking about wedding preps for Lala, Soph and soon, Cha. Ok, no rush sweeties, we don't have to exactly get married once the chart states 30. Haha. It was nice to see Soph and Clem again after four months of being home in Texas. Looking forward to see you all again on Friday! :-)

Anger!!!!!!!!!

2005-12-29T10:43:00.000+08:00

"In your anger, do not sin." I've always found this verse quite difficult to do. When it's that time of the month, or when I'm stuck in traffic, I get this urge to blurt out in dismay and just complain till I turn completely red. There are moments when I would hear some things from other people that would just tick me off, like, what in the??! Or silently before I would say, "madapa ka sana!" or say whatever quiet curse I could think appropriate for that moment.

I later realized that anger is a choice that one person can make. It says in Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger". There! Isn't all a matter of choice? You can choose to respond in a well-mannered way OR you can reply with one big blow of profanity. Which do you think can yield more of a solution? Violence, endless cussing won't solve anything. Like the more I yell at my kids when I'm having a bad day, the more inattentive they become. But once I apologize to them and I am calm, the kids feel sorry for their behavior too.

I used to get offended by small things said against me. Even just a dispensable comment about my driving can make my eyebrow raise. But I'd rather be called a wise man rather than a fool. "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control", Proverbs 29:11. Choose not to take offense. Choose to find a positive angle in the situation. Of course you wouldn't draw to become a martyr or something like that, but God has given us the right mind to decipher situations and circumstance. I'm glad that I'm progressing on this. Thank God!

Anger leads only to evil. Sure, yell at your spouse, friend, sister or brother and get the results that you want. But you will only be planting hatred in their hearts. Sure you can be condescending to a friend who's not earning as much as you are. But money is not confined alone to measure wealth and success. Sure you can punch your neighbor in the face for taking that parking slot but it only leads to... yes, you guessed it right, more fighting. Sure you can give that "maangas" look and "mansindak" all you want, but it only is "JUST THAT" at the end of the day.

LOGIC should supersede anger. Hey, even the Bible says that. I know we're only humans, we are not perfect, we will always fall short. But our God is a loving god. It is working fine for me, to having to pray continually, and for sure will work for you too. Anger - and how you will respond to it will always be a matter of CHOICE. We may be having the worst day of our lives but ANGER won't make it any better. You may have been hurt so bad that you feel the need to take revenge, but ANGER will not turn back time. Are you having a difficult time dealing with your anger but is so sick and tired of it? Maybe it's time you focus more on God instead of your circumstances. Maybe it's time to look to Him for your troubles instead of dwelling too much negative, unproductive, angry thoughts. Now, it's time for you to make that choice.

Thank you, Jesus!!

2005-12-23T09:42:00.000+08:00

Ok, this post is for someone who's very, very special in my life. In fact, He's what I'm here for! I'd like to say thank you - Jesus. We all wouldn't be here if you weren't born into this world and if you didn't die for our sins. It was the ultimate life-saver for us all. Imagine swimming in the fiery lakes of hell.. the thought just gives me the creeps. But PRAISE GOD. The world lives. We live. We breathe a breath of new fresh air everyday. All BECAUSE. It's funny how some people look at me as if I have a disease just because I'm a born-again Christian. What gives? Do we pray to a different GOD? At the end of the day, no matter which religion we belong to, God will not ask you, 'so which hood have you been at?' .. He will ask, 'did you believe and live for my son, Jesus Christ?'. If you love Jesus and believe that He died for your sins, start living a life of love and service to God. Live a lifestyle of worship. Love your neighbors. Bless your enemies. Enough with slander. Hey, I'm not perfect. No one is. Do you know that we are all works in progress? We are God's workmanship. He ain't done with any of us yet. What matters is we progress in our faith, in our walk and in our obedience in His Word.

Again, thank you Jesus for your unconditional love. I pray that everyone will realize the importance of what the hoola is all about this Christmas. I love you to bits! :-)

Your Best Life Now

2005-12-19T15:13:00.000+08:00

I'm reading this book, "Your Best Life Now - 7 Steps to Living at Your Potential" by Joel Osteen - Lakewood Church's Senior Pastor, and oh I strongly recommend you to read it too! It got me glued after reading the first few pages on amazon.com. Praise God for technology, I immediately got myself an e-book copy and downloaded it right away. I'm not done reading the entire book yet but it has a handful of uplifting content that can boost your spirituality. Take seven healthy tips to take your family, relationships and career to greater heights!

Why should you read this book? If you've said any of these comments before ..... "I can't do it", "I wasn't born that way", "I'm not an eloquent speaker", "I just can't seem to get it right all the time", "I'm never going to achieve my goals", "Life sucks", "I'm no good, I'm never getting that promotion".. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? These are the very things that hinder our success. If you've been down and out for the last couple of months or years, and if you feel as if God doesn't care about you, think twice. Joel Osteen narrates verses and stories from the Bible and presents what God thinks about YOU and YOUR situation and how God is so excited to bless you!

Where to get your copy:

OMF Literature
Along Boni Ave. Tel. 531-0141
* stocks to arrive only on January or Feb. 2006.

Amazon.com
* takes about 2-3 weeks to ship to Manila; and this is direct to your local post office.

Mobipocket.com
* If you've got a PDA/Pocket PC, PDA phone or a device that supports Symbian 60, 80, UIQ Sony Ericsson P800 or P900 series, download the Mobipocket Reader for free and purchase the e-book online and install to your device.

Can't Wait for 2006!

2005-12-19T00:16:00.000+08:00

Perhaps for the first time this holiday season, Oli, myself and the kids finally braved the gift-frenzy crowd and tried to shop for Christmas. We checked out Tiendesitas. Bought a few items each for ourselves and went around enjoying this morning's cool christmas breeze. Had lunch at Casita's and it was fun to exchange dreams with the kiddies. Tristan was aiming for 100 million bucks when he grows up while Tiff was okay with 70 million. They said they wanted to have money to be able to provide jobs to other people, and of course, to buy their dream cars. It was actually surprising for me and Oli to hear them "want" to bless other people. Wow, they understand the teach-a-man-to-fish concept. We decided to bump off to Eastwood as the kids were aching to buy themselves a toy. Praise God these little ones know how to work around the "allocated budget", we seldom get tantrums with the buy-me-that-now syndrome.

As the kids were shopping for their toys, Oli was drifting in his thoughts and blurted out that it was his plan last year to "shop until he drops" in Christmas 2005. Well, here we are, trying to work around a budget, and planning carefully what to spend for, Oli gave a sheepish smile, somehow a little disappointed, that he couldn't actually make his 2004 plan a reality. Just as I was about to respond, he immediately turned the other direction and said, 'well, God has pruned me quite a bit this year, and yes, 2006 will be THE year for us!'. Yeah!! That's the spirit. God has built up our faith so much in 2005 and we are sure of the things we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

You see, last year, if you were to see me, I was the type who'd always appear positive and show that can-do attitude with family and work. I was trying for myself to build an image of strength, hoping to encourage the people around me. It is true as the Word says, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. I was never really an encouragement (well, maybe a little..hehe). My heart was doubtful, unsure and was on a weak foundation. It wasn't any different from Oli as well. We shared the same sentiments. We thought that life was "just like that".. and whatever comes, comes.

God has done awesome and wonderful things for us this year and He was gracious and sweet to teach us to look at ourselves as the person He designed us to be. God sees us (and you!) as overcomers and victors. He did not plan for us to settle for mediocrity. God is a god of increase! He wants to see us ever increasing in all areas of our lives. 2005 was an icebreaker for Oli and myself - and this is the year we've come to realize that God wants to bless us... over and abundantly! 2005 is the year that God said, 'enough of those negative, weakling, i-dont-see-myself-successful thinking! It's time to get it on!!!' This is the year we've come to discover our God given talents and gifts. The year we've come across new God-fearing friends; the year of open doors and opportunities, and the list goes on. The good news is, it doesn't end here! It's going to be an exciting new year ahead!!!

Of course we couldn't just laze around and wait for blessings to come. It's not like it's going to rain peace, forgiveness, love, provisions in just one prayer. God has done and will do His part, but we will do OUR part as well! ...........So, 2006, here we come!!!

A Word of Encouragement

2005-12-15T08:51:00.000+08:00

The other night, I felt such great encouragement with how Oli prayed. He's a very straight-forward man, concise and direct. His prayers are short but sweet, not wordy but clear. You can just imagine how funny he looks when I start praying. We're complete opposites! I would say I'm ma-chicka in my prayers, trying to cover everything that I've gone through the day. I'd nudge him sometimes to tell him to wake up (hehe).

After our prayers, we had a quick chit chat about how the day went. Oli shared with me some new opportunities for business and gave our two cents for each topic. Just as he was speaking, I received a word from God. Amazing. I wasn't even sure, until I told Oli... God started with, 'Rache, look at your priorities, iron out the folds, and keep on seeking me'. Then He continued, 'I will raise Oli to be a great leader, someone like Robert Kiyosaki. But tell him I want him to know Me more.' Whoa. I couldn't believe it. Was it just my head? Was I hearing voices? Am I out of my mind? I paused for a few seconds.. Ok, checklist. Was it encouraging? Yes. Was it pleasing? Yes. Was it good? Yes. Did it give you peace? Yes! I tapped Oli on his shoulder, sat up and told him, 'Baby I just received a Word from God!'. He stared at me (probably thinking I was out of my mind.. hehe) and said nonchalantly, 'how? what?' I proceeded to narrate how it went. Oli looked up and said, amazed, 'well, actually.... I was thinking about that this morning! I was pretending to have the skill set of Robert Kiyosaki, trying to help and encourage people.' We both felt so uplifted. We actually slept with a smile.

God speaks to us daily, yes He does! Through situations, other people, circumstances, problems and even dreams. Oftentimes, we're pre-occupied with what we want, how we want to think about things, or we simply choose not to listen. I remember those faint voices in my head telling me don't do this or don't do that, go here or go there, etc. That's God. He speaks to you and me at any given time, if we know and choose to listen. How? Tune in to His channel by praying continually, enter His presence, seek Him at all times. Be blessed!

20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:20-21

Christmas Convergence 2005

2005-12-12T12:47:00.000+08:00

Yesterday's Christmas Convergence for all Victory Churches in the nation was an awesome event! It's amazing how more than 15-thousand people can come together to worship, pray and bless the Lord with all their hearts and minds. God's presence was so powerful that it moved everyone, almost teary-eyed with every song and prayer. Oh we thank God for all the blessings He has not withheld from us this year.. and we look forward to a bright new year - 2006!!

*Photos from Pastor Steve's blog*

Starbucks

2005-12-08T22:14:00.000+08:00

'Twas a so-so day with a lot of the usual stuff. What thrilled me most (however shallow this may seem) is that Starbucks (finally) found it feasible to ground a store along Congressional Ave. Good thing my bondage with coffee has worn off quite a bit; but I still look forward to girlie talks with my friends, bonding with my sisters (and in-laws), art time with the kids, tingling conversations with my hubby and relaxing moments to talk about God and His amazing love with my family and friends. One tall cafe mocha please! :-)

My Hiding Place

2005-12-07T22:56:00.000+08:00

Psalm 91:2
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

This verse speaks of David, declaring that God is his fortress and refuge. God was his sanctuary, a shelter from danger or hardship, a hiding place, the safest place we can ever run to. Can you picture it?

When problems come, putting our trust in God seems easier said than done. Learning to trust in God takes persevering practice - and a lot of it! Sometimes, even the littlest setbacks put us down.. but these circumstances enable God to sharpen us until we are sharp enough to take life's blows and realize that He is always by our side. And it doesn't stop there. God is saying, 'I'll take you in!', 'I'll save you!'...

We all have this privilege. No one is exempted. When trouble comes and you have no where to go, be confident that you can get through that storm. Why? Because God wants to save you and keep you safe in his abode. All you have to do is call on Him. Your head's beem telling you that you're not ready or perhaps not 'good enough' to come to God? It's a lie. Jesus came to call the sinners - us! You have faith? Nurture it. You have problems? Cry out to Him. You need a shoulder to cry on? God is ready to listen. Are you tired? God is the perfect sanctuary. Don't let yourself go through the storms alone. God is just here, waiting for you.

What saddens me......

2005-12-06T13:06:00.000+08:00

It saddens me sometimes why other people would:

1) rather have all the money in the world than to be loved..
2) rather have all the great stuff money can buy but is lost spiritually, emotionally..
3) rather attend parties and gimmiks and spend very little time with God through prayer, going to service or hearing mass..
4) rather talk about senseless, pointless gossip than speak positive things about other people..
5) rather look at the wrong at other people when they themselves have a lot to fix in the first place..
6) rather fight and create a hostile environment than seek and promote peace..
7) rather mope, complain, whine about their life problems than pray to God for a solution..
8) rather talk about other peoples' problems when they don't even have intentions of helping..
9) try to justify pornography, fornication, abusive and offensive language and try to cover it up by doing acts of kindness to the poor..
10) try to avoid talks on God or spirituality plainly because they think it's not cool or it's too weird, but cries out to God when they've got problems..

I pray that sooner or later, people would see how beautiful it is to live one's life for God. After all, whatever it is we're enjoying now is a blessing from above; and even the problems we face are meant to make us better people. Don't you think it's time to make that paradigm shift and look at things in another perspective?

Praying as One Family

2005-12-05T12:52:00.000+08:00

For the first time last night, we learned to pray together as one family. Often times Oli and I would be caught up with our busyness and forget to pray with the kids but it's a nice feeling when we can all come together and feel God's presence among us. Tiff did a great job praying for guiding Oli and me as we work everyday, Tristan was so cute as he prayed for his classmate, Angelo, that he may improve his reading skills. Sure they weren't super behaved, but we finished praying for each other one by one, and that alone is a great accomplishment - and a start - for us to come together and glorify God for His goodness. God binds families, heals relationships and places an impenetrable hold to those who seek Him earnestly. This is something that I pray, would be a regular act of worship that we can do every night before going to sleep.

Respect

2005-12-05T12:50:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, my friend Shiela had her bridal shower. She's one of the people I admire for her kind heart, bubbly stance and sincerity. Best wishes to her and Dexter for their upcoming wedding on the 17th at Bataan!

Anyways, the bridal shower party was composed of Shiela's buddies in the industry - it was a cute mix, a gorgeous group (ehem) hehe. Charm and I are thankful for their understanding (especially Shiela's) when we chose to stay in the coffee shop when the "highlight" of the party came. It's great to be around people who knows how to respect their friends' decisions and not judge them for it. It's nice when people you have known only for a couple of minutes, reach out and try to understand you for who you are. Wouldn't it be great if we had more people like them walking around this planet? Having fun means a whole great spectrum for all of us. Not taking offense and accepting people for their choices is a gift. I'm blessed to have great friends like them.

Blog Make-Over

2005-12-05T09:18:00.000+08:00

A couple of minutes ago I was browsing through Day 28 of the Purpose Drive Life book by Rick Warren and it was about a person's growth and maturity in his Christian walk. It is never an easy road to walk away from your "old self", old habits, old ways of thinking, or simply put, your past. Rick Warren suggested creating some sort of a daily journal, an account of "things learned" as we take that big step to let God do the work in us, in our lives.

This is the reason why I've thought of reformatting my blog; making it indeed an account of what God has impressed on my heart as I let God shape me and my life to how He wants it to be. I hope that you can also find some great insights in my blog, and I respect that you don't have to agree all the time.. After all, this is a personal reflection of my Christian walk with our Creator. Be blessed!

Godly Reminders

2005-11-29T12:15:00.000+08:00

Praise God for some stark realizations, affirmations and sweet reminders I've received over the long holiday weekend.  I pray that you will be blessed as well as you read through my post.

1.  God gives you the competence to do your work, establish strong relationships and make sound decisions.  It is not exactly right to claim the glory for ourselves and be airheaded because of our achievements, but know that it is only through God’s gracious gift of “competence” that you are able to do the things you do.. and have done in the past.
2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

2.  Pain, hurt, disappointments are some of the key indicators to know if God is humbling you.  Do you have a problem with arrogance?  Pride?  Accepting your mistakes?  It takes more of a huge effort to remain humble rather than to be defensive and give reason to what you’ve done to other people.  Are you going through a difficult time right now?  Pause and pray.  God may be tapping you on the shoulder asking you to humble yourself.  After all, pride never caused anything good in a relationship.  Make a stand.
James 4:6 NIV
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

3.  Set aside time to pray for people in your daily prayer closet.  I greatly appreciate friends and family who pray for me and my family; may God bless them (you know who  you are *smile*) with abundance and prosperity.  You are in my prayers, our prayers, as well.  I will be getting “Praying God’s Will” by Jay Duque this week as this book will help you/us to pray, not just for ourselves, but for other people as well.
James 5:16 NIV
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

4.  God is GOD.  He disciplines just as your biological father would.  Without discipline, we would never have learned the values we will live with as soon as we turn into adults.  When God disciplines us, it may be difficult, it may be painful; but just as our dads would tell us, “anak, it’s for y our own good”…  God tells us that, it makes us stronger spiritually and mentally, mature and “not lacking anything”.  No child can learn to walk without stumbling.
James 1:2-4 MSG
Consider it a sheer gift, my friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

5.  God loves you.  God loves you – period!  He loves you and me and everyone else.  He is patient and kind.  He is patient in the sense that no matter how much we sin, He will still give you a chance to do that 180-degree turn, apologize, say sorry with all your heart and live for Him.  Sometimes we hate ourselves for not having this or that, we become disappointed when things don’t turn out the way we want them to.  We need to love our God more.  And only then can we learn to love ourselves and other people too.  It may sound weird, it may sound far out, but make a spirituality check and identify what/who you are living for.  Is it temporal?  Does it depreciate?  Is it always connected with money?  GOD is eternal.  No beginning, no end.  I don’t think anything in this world can match that.  Who/what are you clinging on to?
Titus 2:12 (NIV)
12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age..

Whaaat's happening!

2005-11-11T10:06:00.001+08:00

Ok so it's been an entire month since I last posted. So what's happening? Nuthin .. haha. Simply put, it's a simple life.. Nothin super extravaganza chuva mega ecstatic experiences. But the past month was totally colorful. *smile* Not like there's anyone viewing this (haha) but yah, I like putting my thoughts on screen.. (not on paper.. aia! ugly penmanship lah!)

The family enjoyed the long long vacation last end of Oct. spilled through Nov. 4. We went to La Union and had a blast just laaazing around while the kids played at the pool. The whole troop was there - Oly & Nina with Lance Ocean, Mom & Pop, Irma. Oli's folks had a clan reunion as well at Porro Point.. some sort of a naval base. Pretty oldfangled if you ask me. Check out these interesting photos taken by Oly.

Yeehaa, cowgirl mom and tiff. Doesn't my little girl look cute with that hat? Hehehe. I look pretty stressed with my eye bags sticking out (eww!) haha. Hey, it was a looong trip and I pitched in to drive so my hubby Oli can sleep. Oh where is Starbucks when you need them?! There's NONE in La Union.

All crampled up for the pose! We have here (CW) Nina, Oly, Irma, Rache, Oli, Tristan, Lance & Tiff.

I'd love to show more pictures.. maybe in the coming posts :) So after two days at LU, we headed off for lunch at Camp John Hay Manor and went home to Manila after. Ya, it was an 8-hour drive.. traffic was really bad!

Gotta run.. I'll just post post post again. God bless y'all!

Victorious!

2005-10-04T09:10:00.000+08:00

Maia, Rache, Rochelle, Lala and Jackie

Last Friday and Saturday, four of us from our cell group attended Victory Weekend for Women and all in all the experience was great. You know that feeling when you're light as a feather, renewed - made new! I've finally gotten rid of all of my hang-ups in life and it really is a brand new start. Lala, Maia, Rochelle and I witnessed around 400 women embrace the Lord in a mighty way, ready to face the world with the promise of a storm-proof life. Sure our lives aren't storm-free, but with the One who made us, getting through each and every trial will be a breeze. Some may wonder what it's like to be FREE. Free is such a beautiful word and committing your life of service to God is indeed something that I can never exchange for anything else. When I say free, it's being free of the bondages of this world.. what will I wear, how will I get through this problem, where am I going, what's my purpose, what will I eat, where will I be 5, 10 years from now, where will I shop or go out tonight, etc, etc. It's being free from the temporal things that bring happiness. I know no set of words can ever describe this joy.. But we're all glad we found Him and can finally be at rest and at peace. :-)

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

Pastor LA, Rache and Jackie

Pastor LA,Lala and Jackie

Plastic ka ba?

2005-09-23T11:47:00.000+08:00

A close friend and I were talking a couple of days ago and we were discussing "tupperware" people.. yah, ung mga "plastic" .. pretenders, or whatever you want to call them. At first we were so annoyed at how some people can be like this but later on we somehow pacified ourselves and gave the topic a good laugh.

I know I just posted something about back-stabbers and now, perhaps a brother of that are the plastics. Ok - I don't wanna be untrue and not admit that, at one point or another, I was also like this. But as grew older, I came to a point (in which I know most of you have), that being "plastic" becomes such a chore and a burden and I just couldn't keep up with it, especially when other people are like that.

Alam naman natin that it's BAD.. bad, bad, tsk tsk... Pero it's amusing how people love to swim in it. Even if I exhaust all thoughts and compile what my friends think about the topic, it will still boil down to this - it's unproductive, fruitless, pointless, derogatory, childish, foolish.. Here's what the Bible has to say about it.. If you fear the Lord, or if you say you believe in Him, consider these...

Psalm 5:9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

Job 27:4my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.

Matthew 23:25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

Psalm 12:3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

Proverbs 19:22What a man desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar.

Deuteronomy 19: 17-19 17 the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, 19 then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.

What Pattern is Your Brain?

2005-09-20T12:07:00.000+08:00

Your Brain's Pattern

Structured and organized, you have a knack for thinking clearly.You are very logical - and you don't let your thoughts get polluted with emotions.And while your thoughts are pretty serious, they're anything from boring.It's minds like yours that have built the great cities of the world!

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

The Back-Stabber

2005-09-14T18:56:00.000+08:00

I’ve come to think about people who back-stab today. Silly me, but the subject just floated out of nowhere, now I feel compelled to say something about it.

I wouldn’t know if I’ve been a victim, but then again, with that Filipino culture of putting on a good face (even when it’s not called for), I’m sure I have .. and even you for sure. As I ponder about the realities of interpersonal relationships, the explosion of gossip and the trouble of people who are fond of making a fuss over simple things, I twist in dismay. Even more when I find myself tap dancing in the same water.. (but thank God not anymore!)

Why do people back-stab? These things come to mind – insecurity, bad childhood, bad environment, not God-fearing, envy, jealous, bad habit, blinded perception. When there’s back-stabbing, there’s gossip. When there’s gossip, there’s bent truth. Friendships come to ruin, trust is broken. Perhaps if we as humans, know how to be vocal about how we feel about things, back-stabbing wouldn’t be so much of an evil thing among us. Look at people in other culture, they are very frank and direct as they speak. We respect them for that and we appreciate their comments. But why is it hard to implement in your own country?

The cure for back-stabbers? To be comfortable with themselves and realize they are not perfect. Instead of bad mouthing the people around you, it is way so much better to approach and say, ‘Hey, I have something that I’d like to open up with you.” I say seek peace! I say down with gossip! I say start focusing on the worthy things in life!

Sow a thought, reap an act.
Sow an act, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap your destiny.

Ped Xing

2005-09-07T19:03:00.000+08:00

Every morning I drive down North Edsa to get myself to work. Right past the MRT station and just before you climb up the flyover, if you look to your left, you'll see a conspicuous, clear-cut, straightforward sign in the aisle that says, "WALANG TAWIRAN, NAKAMAMATAY" (no pedestrian crossing, or you'll die!! hehe). From Mondays through Fridays and just about any day that I pass by that same area, I see bundles of pedestrians attempting to cross the wide, car-bus-infested road. I say to myself, 'what could these people be thinking?!' Sure they need to go somewhere, sure they need to get to the other side of the road.. or maybe there's no convenient way to cross over, but, what about the law? What about their lives for crying out loud?

If we think about our spirituality, often times we can identify ourselves with these stubborn pedestrians. The commandments written in the Bible are straight to the point, yet, as sons and daughters of God, we tend to deviate and do what we want, without sometimes thinking about its consequences. Perhaps if we allow ourselves to view the Bible as a direct instruction of living a peaceful, godly life, then we don't have to buckle under the desires of our flesh. Imagine a world with less self-inflicted problems, less stress, less sickness, less unpleasant feelings, etc, etc. No worries, uncertainties, fears, unnecessary risks. God sent the Bible to protect us. Not to suffocate us. Street signs were put there for a reason - public safety. God's Words were written for a purpose, too - for us to be saved. I guess next time we short change God and feel that seeking Him is a sign of weakness, think again.... Everything we have belongs to Him and was given to us on a loan... No matter how much we resist, His purpose will always stand.

what we've learned..

2005-08-13T01:19:00.000+08:00

Oli and I were talking passionately about God last night and we had a few notes to exchange about what it means to have a personal relationship with our one true Maker. Here are some interesting points to note:

RELIGION, RELIGIOUS GROUP, WHA?
It doesn't really matter which group or religion you're in (James 1:26), what matters is:
- how you strive to live like Christ and move away from all that the Bible calls sin (1 John 1:9);
- how you can serve & glorify God by serving others (Col. 3:17);
- making your conduct reflect that you are indeed a child of God (2 Cor. 8:21);
- you have committed yourself to Jesus and acknowledged the fact that without Him you are nothing (John 6:28-29);
- daily acknowledge that Jesus died for you on the cross for your sins - and that is reason enough for you to move away from your "old" self to your "new" self in Christ. (Romans 7)

OH, SO YOU'VE CONVERTED?
Being "renewed" in Christ does not mean you have "converted" as other groups pray to God anyway. What it means to be a Christian is that:
- You gave your commitment to our Lord God that you will strive to follow His Word as you live your life (2 Cor. 3:17-18);
- That you know what it means to "repent" from the sins you have done and that you will do all means to change and avoid the same old sins;
- While people will always judge you depending on what your "religion" is, at the end of the day, God will ask you, "have you been faithful to me and not anybody else?" That is why being a Christian means having a "personal" relationship .. it is between God and YOU. Not between You and the religion you're in. When you face Him one day, you cannot call on your Pastor or Priest to come to your rescue. It will be just You and God;
- Some people may not understand but again, at the end of the day, we are answerable to God and NOT to anybody else.

TO FLEE OR NOT TO FLEE
- There are about 7,000 promises in the Bible. Promises for a good life, prosperity, growth, etc. But it also entails responsibility, commitment and OBEDIENCE if you would like to prosper in whatever area of your life. Obediece to God and His "law".. God will bless those who follow Him and following means, being obedient. (Deut. 11:13-17)
- Some Christians avoid certain things that lead them to sin (2 Timothy 2:22, 1Cor. 15:33, James 4:7). Some people find it weird, strict, exaggerated. But again, the Holy Spirit will convict you of the things you must avoid (John 14:15-21). And it is not the teaching of Victory or any other religious orders/groups out there. The groups are there to support us and to help us "know" God and not to tell us that, that's bawal, that's masama or what. It will then again boil down again to you and the choices you make.

IT'S ALL A MATTER OF CHOICE
- God gave us the right to choose. Left or right, black or white, yes or no. We are able to decide correctly if we constantly seek Him and acknowledge that He is the Lord of our lives;
- Some people might think that some Christians are trying so hard to "convert" the people around them, but, the truth is, no word can ever describe the "joy" you will have in Christ if you dedicate your life to Him and only Him alone. Just as Jesus made disciples, and just as His disciples preached the Good News, we as Christians are called to spread the Good News as well (Read Book of John and Acts);
- Having a "new" life becomes difficult when we have not made up our minds to leave our "old" selves;
- If we've given up our "old" selves and committed to God that we want to change, God himself will give us the strength to overcome.

So I guess the bottomline is, who exactly do we want to serve as we live on earth? Is it ourselves? Is it money? For Oli and myself, we're blessed to share the same conclusion.. That all of us are created differently, but yet our spirits seek only one God.. That Life on earth can be disrupted by so many forces that lure our focus out from God.. That living a fruitful life, with meaning, with purpose and sense, with simplicity and humility, does not match any worldly things that bring temporary joy and relief.. That when it's time to go, we can proudly tell God about how we did our best to be obedient to His Word and nothing else...

Dell Q2FY06 Ends Today! Whew!

2005-07-29T16:05:00.000+08:00

Cheers to another great quarter! A lot of changes have taken place but the Dell
Team in Penang & in Manila is still 100% super supportive to us distributors! I miss Meiling and ML! Anyhoo, if you guys are reading this, I hope you're doing great :)

** Luau Party at the Rasa Sayang Shangrila Resort, Batu Feringgi, Penang, Malaysia with Dell Team & Dell Phil Distis.

chain letters..

2005-07-29T15:04:00.000+08:00

I don't know about you but I've been getting some chain letters lately and somehow, it's quite irritating. I don't mean to offend anyone or anything like that but, thing is, chain letters aren't true. It's just not true. It's pure hoax. It's a waste of time, of effort and that precious happy cells inside your body are disturbed with these chain letters.

Just what is a chain letter? As researcher D.VanArsdale puts it, "Texts that appeal to superstition to encourage their copying or publication have circulated for over a thousand years. Beginning around 1900, copy quotas and deadlines were added, and claims of divine authorship and magical protection were removed. The resulting "luck chain letters" still circulate, and in over four thousand generations of copying (with variation) they have accumulated ways to increase replication that challenge our understanding."

Next time you see a chain letter lying around your inbox, you can choose to read it or delete. But try to really intuitively ask yourself, 'will a mere letter give me bad luck?', 'will it REALLY give me good luck if i pass it within the specified deadline?'. I don't think there's any logical explanation for it. Ultimately I would say, if you need "good luck" in your lives, polish up on your skills, do good with your job and keep on praying to God for guidance. If you think na "wala namang mawawala sa kin if i try it", i hate to bust your bubble, but, ya, meron ngang mawawala. Your time, the effort, that 5-10 seconds na sana you tried to invest in something more worthwhile, and of course, you'll end up hurting the feelings of God (who made you and everything!).. Do you trust Him enough for the blessings or are you going to sit there in doubt?

If there's anything more powerful in this world, then I'd say right away (and i'm sure most of you will agree), it is God. Who do you pray to at night? Who do you call on when you're happy? Scared? Fearful? Depressed? No amount of forwarded chain letters can take away your unwanted feelings, let alone will bring you that "luck" in life.

heaven sent!

2005-07-29T12:21:00.000+08:00

Well guys call me mushy, or mushy, hehe, but it's high time someone paid attention to the most beautiful people in the world (aside from me and my family ofcourse hehehe). Call it kidstuff or what, but, hey, we don't see this around very often now do we?

Ok - i've been through so much in school and while i was in my teens.. we actually dunno how we would have suvived adolescence without each other. it was a great mix! we've got clowns, nerds, serious people all rolled into a single package. ever will i be thankful to God for blessing me with such great friends.

Girlfriends! Take a bow :)

CAMILLE

Oh yes, the voluptuous, the ever so charming, the very wacky Ca-Ca! Or Fungi during our high school days. I love Camille's wit, her smile and her ability to make something really fun... even if it's dead boring. She's smart and straight to the point. She can knock some sense into a person's head without sounding too offensive.. even if she's using offensive words.. haha. What can I say, it takes talent to be like her.

LEANNE

She's the powerhouse of the group I would say. She speaks with such conviction and is just so darn intelligent.. Leanne or Lehy as we call her is not someone you'd want to toy with. I mean she's fun and all but you better not get into her nerves or else you'll get some good ol beatin'. :) But of course Leanne's a loving and thoughtful person to her friends. All in all I can say that Lehy's one of the few people here on earth who can easily understand a friend.. No non-sense, direct, no beating around the bushes approach. Beauty and brains, my friend.

CARLA

Carlooney! Man, she's probably the kindest person I know and the scariest person at the same time! Please don't get her angry on the road. Kidding! Oh but Carl is such a sweetie. She's someone who has such great insights about life and would most often bring the group back on the right track. It's a blessing to be around Carla because she's such an angel. Need an advice? Need to hear something good? Need someone to pray for you? Need someone to help you with your walk with God? Carl's all that and more.

CHA-CHA

Everytime she would come before we would say Ho-Ho-Ho.. But now, when she comes, people say, oh good, Cha's here! Cha's the life of the party. She is totally hillarious. Can make your cheeks turnin purple as she pulls off her jokes. Cha can also be serious at times, and she is a deep-thinker. You can count on her whenever you need help and it's just amazing how she can blend well with the people around her. I admire her courage and tenacity, her drive to excel and her love for her family.

ELAINE

You have time for a nice long chat? You have time to read through a novela-type email? Elaine can stir up great conversations that can leave your jaws hanging. Haha. She's funny, she's smart and most of all God-fearing. Her two little kids are so lucky to have Elaine as their mom. She's a real blessing. I love Elaine's fighting spirit and her passion with work and family. One thing's for sure, Elaine will surely be blessed as long as she's here.

SOPHIE

Yoohoo, Sophiee! I've known this gal since grade school and all I can say is that, over the years, she never changed a bit. She's still the innocent type kind of person (innocent type, may I stress..hehe) and her patience on anything is just about awesome. I think when God taught us patience Soph aced the class. Fun to be with, sincere, loving and super thoughtful, Soph is a jewel of a friend that you can surely cherish for years to come.

LALA

Ms. Popular! Lala was the ever so showbiz person in the group. She'd be friends with literally everybody in school. Reason why she's a people magnet is that she is very accommodating, friendly and sincere. We've known each other since we were in our tiny cute underwears in pre-school? Or kinder? I admire Lala's will to succeed and her drive to make it good in her career. She is a blessing to her family and friends, indeed.

good mornin!!

2005-07-28T09:23:00.000+08:00

(Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com)

Verse of the Day

2005-07-28T09:06:00.000+08:00

[God Disciplines His Sons ] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ”- Hebrews 12:1

I'm blogging!!

2005-07-04T19:37:00.000+08:00

Ha! I finally gave in. Well, I'm not a writer by heart.. and I don't recall "writing" ever liked me. .. Hehe. No I don't think it's a fad.. it's simply one of the nicest ways to write about anything under the sun and improve yourself along the way. Oh writing is just a great therapy! Cheaper than going to the spa.. I hope I can update this as often as I possibly can. God bless y'all!