At Home

23 December 2007

Christmas Sunday

It was a great day in Church. The worship was good. We had visitors from Sun Cellular which also sponsored a few parlor games for our Christmas Party. It was fun! A lot of us won in the raffle. Archie, Jai, Wally won P500-worth GCs from Robinsons. Jai and myself both won in the ‘Bring Me’ contest. Kuya Rene won the grand price of a brand new Nokia 1112. The Christmas Party proper was totally elating. We had so much fun. The youth presentation of “On My Own” was very good. The acrostic made by the mothers was equally wonderful. But of course, the youth won. Haha!

Another exciting part of the Christmas Sunday was our Best Hat Search. Everyone was asked to participate in the contest. Archie made a reindeer hat; Jai, a White Christmas; Tan, a Christmas Tree; Wally, a giant sock, Tatay made for himself a Filipino inspired hat with coconut skin, Ate wore an angel hat; while I had a trumpet style. Guess what? Archie won the first prize and Tatay brought home the second prize. It was really fun. Praise the Lord for a blessed day.

25 December 2007

Christmas Day

It’s Christmas Day! A few friends came over to visit. Kuya Edmon and Ate Jen brought here my goddaughter Erica. Several children dropped by. The biggest surprise is actually my nieces coming home from Tarlac. It was two Christmases ago when they last celebrated with us. You won’t believe how big they are now; especially Geng! She’s just a few inches short my height. So I guess they’ll stay here for the rest of the Christmas break.

One sad thing that happened during the season was that, Charlie, our dog, died on Dec. 19. We were really upset. But God is good. It’s time to say goodbye to Charlie.

26 December 2007

I was requested to cook for my Sis’ unofficial class reunion. It was A LOT of cooking! Thank God I survived with flying colors. I was asked to cook again the following day. Praise God the cell group said it was good. Hehe. Now I’m preparing myself for New Year’s Eve. My sisters already went to buy the ingredients. Looks like I will be the official holiday cook.

HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A WONDERFUL
NEW YEAR AHEAD! GREETINGS!

:)

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

and a Blessed New Year!

God loves you and may His grace abound in you

and your homes today and always.

It was a great year filled with God's love and mercy....

Thank you, Lord!

Looking forward to a more exciting,

victorious year by God's grace!

All glory and honor and praise be unto Jesus,

our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Again, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Our God is an Awesome God!

Greetings! ~Pinay & Family

Back from the unknown

I can’t remember the last time I key-in a blog entry. An overused excuse is the undying “I’m busy” statement. Seriously, the first three public lectures were done; that’s really a relief. Thank God.

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Unfortunately, I regret to blog about what happened today especially that it’s just a few days before Christmas. (Technically, we’ll be staying in campus until the 19th and thus off we enjoy the long holiday.). Anyway—

It was not a very exciting Monday morning coming to work today; I came at just a few minutes before lunch time. We were supposed to have a staff meeting at 10 am but my director decided to “delay” it. By the time I came to office, there’d been a glitch in the power supply of the entire building. The office was mainly ‘impaired’. With not much to do, my director casually talked about the plans in the office for the coming year. We all have home works so we can easily take off in January. One of the senior staff (excuse me, but perhaps I must mention that her attitude is better understood using the word “difficult”) who was out earlier came and instantly thought that the staff meeting went on without her and she was excluded from the planning. My boss was really very kind to her and tried her best to let our senior staff understand that we did not “betray” her at all (as she implies). The following events were very unhappy and really made us all upset—especially, in the spirit of Christmas. I couldn’t help but shed tears…

I hope that our senior officemate will open her heart and listen to reason after what had happened. Her fury was actually based on wrong assumption. And besides, is a good example of the idiom, 'a mountain out of a mole hill.' I really feel bad for her. Huh..

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Needless to say, there are a lot of wonderful things that happened during my hiatus besides this sad incident. God is so good. He is good to me, to my siblings, to Tatay, to Teeny and Aidz, to my Pastor, to the church and to my friends… Actually, it’s harder to write all of them here. But I thank God for His grace and mercy. Again, He showed us His faithfulness.

My work has caused me to delay my Christmas preparations. I have until tomorrow to ready my gifts. But I haven’t even started yet. Tonight is the SURP Christmas Party; tomorrow, here, in the college. Lantern Parade will be on Wednesday, while Teeny’s birthday party (she was born on Dec.25) will be on Thursday night. It leaves me until Friday to go home and prepare for the church Christmas celebration.

All the cards I’m supposed to mail for Christmas will also be late—perhaps I should warn the recipients to expect them on Valentines’ Day instead. Huh.

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I just want to say hi to my friends Sir Keith and Pastor Ben of Amadeo. I enjoy reading your entries.

An early Merry Christmas to all!

Updates…

Freedom...

God blessed the Freedom Concert 2! Thank You, Lord! All glory to Jesus! And thank you for all your support and prayers for us and the ministry. Modesty aside, we literally filled the venue! I will write a separate entry later… I am very, very busy right now!

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Rants…

Work has become more and more pressing as days pass by. It’s really tough to put all the pressure onto yourself. This one I’m working on is, in a way, bigger than the Congress. It drains me. And I think my boss is somewhat “out of context” at times. I don’t think I’m responsible for this tight schedule in the first place. Huh.

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Personal…

I’m weak and broke. I feel like my head is ready to explode. I’ve been having troubles calming myself lately, and so with breathing well… even when I wake up in the morning. So many things are making me anxious—work, home, life. I pray for God’s peace. I need to keep my faith high. I need to trust God whole-heartedly. Forgive me, Lord whenever I feel neglected. Please help in prayer. Thanks.

The Freedom Concert II

On Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007 @ 6p.m. at the C.E.U. Centrodome, City of Malolos will be the much-awaited FREEDOM CONCERT II!

Praise God for all He's done in the lives of the young people and in the MYF ministry for the past five years. We are forever grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ!

Last year, Freedom Concert I was swarmed by 4,500 young people from all over the place. This year, we are expecting 6,000 souls to fill the arena. Lord, may Your will be done. We wanna see Jesus lifted high!

Please pray for all the MYF teams as we embark in this ministry for Christ. And most especially, for souls to be saved in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I will head the Ushers' Team. Please remember us in prayer. Thanks.

I'm excited!

for us

received from a friend....

Being Twenty Something

They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.

One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

~~~

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

prayers please

I’m suffering from indigestion and it hurts a lot! Ohh.... (sniff)

Testimonial Dinner Pics

Here's the link to the pics at the dinner last Friday. Well, yeah, I wore a dress.

The Dinner

Last Friday night we went to the awarding ceremonies of the outstanding career executive officers in the Philippines. I believed I was the youngest guest until I saw a three-year old girl (smile). As you know, it’s a formal gathering and they required people to be in so-called formal attire. Thank God I got one.

It was nice to be at the venue...very elegant. The awarding ceremonies actually came at the end of the program; the CESB was also celebrating their anniversary that evening. One bonus of the night was the chance to hear my favorite chorale, UP Concert Chorus. They were invited to perform.

Like I said, I was one of the search validators. My validee won and I got a chance to personally congratulate her. She remembered me. What I’m actually excited about was the part when the presentor read the biosketch of the winner. He was reading an excerpt from MY REPORT. The exact words I’ve submitted to the awards committee. I felt so honored. I could still remember how hesitant I was to take this assignment at first. It’s a great feeling for a first-timer like me.

It was quite an experience and I got a chance to fellowship with other partners from the CESB and other departments. I will probably post some pictures here later.

A wonderful church day

I was elated of yesterday’s service at church. For one, the worship was very filling. Praise God! Another thing, I was blessed by the message preached by Pastor Aries. It was words of comfort and assurance in the Lord. Also, I am happy to see how bold Pastor Aries was in preaching the word. He shared it with remarkable confidence and sincerity; and you can feel the power of God’s words speaking to your heart. I thank God for every blessed day spent in church. May it always be.

Women's Language: Read between the lines

I stayed for four years in the dormitory while in college. One of my roommates sent me this today.
--

If I don’t call you
[ It's because I’m waiting for you to call me ]

When I walk away from you mad
[ Follow me ]

When I stare at your mouth
[ Kiss me ]

When I push you or hit you
[ Grab me and don’t let go ]

When I start cussing at you
[ Kiss me and tell me you love me ]

When I’m quiet
[ Ask me what’s wrong ]

When I ignore you
[ Give me your attention ]

When I pull away
[ Pull me back ]

When you see me at my worst
[ Tell me I’m beautiful ]

When you see me start crying
[ Hold me and tell me everything will be alright ]

When you see me walking
[ Sneak up and hug my waist from behind ]

When I’m scared
[ Protect me ]

When I lay my head on your shoulder
[ Tilt my head up and kiss me ]

When I tease you
[ Tease me back and make me laugh ]

When I don’t answer for a long time
[ Reassure me that everything is okay ]

When I look at you with doubt
[ Back yourself up ]

When I say that I like you
[ I really do more than you could understand ]

When I grab at your hands
[ Hold mine and play with my fingers ]

When I bump into you
[ Bump into me back and make me laugh ]

When I tell you a secret
[ Keep it safe and untold ]

When I look at you in your eyes
[ Don’t look away until I do ]

When I miss you
[ I’m hurting inside ]

When you break my heart
[ The pain never really goes away ]

When I say it's over
[ I still want you to be mine ]

When I repost this bulletin
[I want you to read it ]

Something formal

I got this invitation today. It’s actually the awarding ceremony of the country’s top executives (If you recall I was one of the validators during this search and my validee happened to be one of the five winners.). Now, my concern is…this is a formal dinner! Pwew! I would not want to wear a dress…. Now I got to find myself a decent Filipiniana. I’m sure I’m the youngest guest here. Oh…

Prayer for a friend

Dear God,

You are our loving Father. I come to you today in behalf of my friend PC. He needs you. He’s been having some concerns about the church and at home. Please give him wisdom and discernment. And most of all send him peace. Keep him still—calm in the knowledge of Your love. Be with him today. Thank You, Lord. I trust in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Long vacation

I was able to enjoy a long vacation recently. There’d been many holidays starting from the Barangay Elections to All Saint’s Day.

I’m very happy to have lots of sleep while at home—that’s got to be the best reward.

Besides Tan winning solo from her slate, we enjoyed fun times with the rest of the family. Ate and I had to finish the bulk of laundry that the kids couldn’t catch up on (yeah, that’s where big sis’ role come in), and of course other household chores. What’s fun were not really the chores, but the bonding moment and sense of accomplishment together.

In the MYF, both Ushers’ Training sessions went well. This year, we had a good number of volunteer turn out (Praise the Lord!). Red and I are very encouraged with the ushers’ response. It’s a tough job for 55 people ushering for 6,000. But I’m happy that they are willing to take the challenge. Our theme verse: 1 Corinthians 15:58 “…Your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Our time at the cemetery on All Saint’s Day was also enjoyable as it also became an occasion to be reunited with several relatives—especially my cousins. It’s been a while since we stayed late at the cemetery.

During the past few days I was in active inspection of the plants at home. The rain still come-and-go which delays the flower season in our yard. But before I came back to work this week, I noticed the buds starting to come out. That’s a pretty good sign. I guess early December would mark the blooming season. Tatay is very positive about it. I feel bad that some plants did not survive the flood; anyhow, there are still others left to look forward to blooming. Oh, the euphorbias are already in bloom!

I got a new assignment at work. My boss assigned me to spearhead the public lectures on the assessment of the country’s constitutional bodies. I have to call the chairs/heads of the respective commissions now to follow-up schedules, etc. We’ll publish another book after this.

Please continue to pray about the Freedom Concert II and the MYF teams. We are less than three weeks away before the concert. Please pray that the glory of the Lord be lifted up amidst the young crowd. We really pray that God would bring in 6,000 souls to hear His word. Thank you.

Personal: On Tuesday morning, I heard the gecko in our room again. Please pray that it goes away. It’s my nemesis. Thanks.

Jubilee!

Yesterday was the Barangay (local) Elections in the country. As the banner reads, my little sister, Tan (better known as Angie in the community), ran for councilor in the Sangguniang Kabataan or SK (Youth Council) age group 15-17. I’m happy to announce that SHE WON! Yup, my dear lil’ sis is now a politician—to our big surprise. What is interesting here is that, there were only two parties vying for the elections and Tan happened to be “recruited” by the unpopular/opposition party. After the elections, the entire administration slate got the posts except for one which my sister got elected to. Haha! So, in effect, she’s the only opposition in the entire leadership. Now, we face the challenge!

Anyhow, my congratulations to my dear baby sister! I’m so happy for you! Let’s celebrate! The "Victory Party" will be after church service come Sunday. Thank you, Lord!

Friends for Keeps

a.k.a. The Three Bears; Orig Housemates; HSP (Halik-Sa-Poon)

Crush

Okay, probably this is the first time you’ll ever read about something like this here.

Yesterday, I went to interview our validee for the outstanding CEO award. I was back in the office around 3pm. Teeny’s Pastor will be coming over for dinner to pray about the house. I went to fetch her in her office (next building). As I waited downstairs, Sir Ben (Dean) came out and we had a short chat. As he was speaking, out came from the main door the (cutest!) young professor in the School. Boy, wasn’t he cuter than ever?! (sigh) He is known for being prim and proper, intelligent and very good-looking. He is very quiet, too. I should mention, he looked my way (maybe curious who the dean’s talking to) as he passed. Pwew! Even when Teeny and I came home, I could still remember that handsome face striding along the lobby. Teeny was so excited seeing my reaction; surprised with the idea that I was actually saying how cute the professor was. Until this morning, she’s not letting go of the subject. Haha. Anyhow, guess I got a little crush on him. (wide smile)

Counting blessings

The last few days has been filled with showers of blessings from the Lord. I rejoice and give all thanks and praises and honor to God! Amen.

- The Congress was done with flying colors! Yahoo!
- Birthday bash was a happy day!
- The PCNC report is done!
- My validation partner is a Christian!
- The MYF PLAY Seminar was so much fun!
- Today is the last day of field interview.
- I finished HEROES last night! Very Good series!
- God is so good to my family, especially to Tatay. Thank you, Lord.

Jubilant!

And so the world would know… finally.

Ang kasaysayan ng TIN

Sa hinaba-haba ng panahon;
Nagkaroon din ngayon!
Hay,,,
Sa WAKAS!!!!
TAGUMPAY!

Thank YOU!

To all those who remembered me on my birthday and special thanks to those who bothered to send me gifts. You made it a very special day.

Thank you Lord for the gift of life, family and friends.

at work

Prayer Request

We are now working on the preparations for the Congress. Please pray that everything will be under control. Also pray for the success of the event. This will be happening on 17-18 August, Fri-Sat. Thank you very much.

Today, offices are suspended but everybody's working overtime here in the office for the Congress. The typhoon is still in the country.

First in August

This is a very late update for this month. Actually, I got sick on the night of July 31 to August 5. I got back from work only on the 6th. Thank God for my friends who watched over me, for families and friends who prayed for me, and for God’s merciful healing to me.

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This month is one of the busiest here in the office. I have a lot of back-to-back activities going on. Right now, I am working on four things simultaneously; Congress, GK Build, CESB validation, LVC’s TSG Legal. All happening in August.

--
I made a new wallpaper for my monitor. My materials are courtesy of PC. He doesn’t know yet, but I’ll tell him. It’s the picture of the flower ‘Lily of the Valley’ he took and on it the ‘words’ that he made too. It turned out very nice--i like it, especially with the green background. Peaceful.

--
It’s been raining nonstop since last night and the water level is really pouring everywhere. Outside our building, the frogs are having a major concert! They’ve been like that since the moment I stepped in the room! Believe me, they sound like mooing cows—no joke! It’s like they have a loud speaker to amplify their cry! I’m a bit cranky about them.

--
I am so inspired by the messages I’ve been receiving lately. This morning, Apple and Arnel both sent good ones. This one I really like:

Just for today
Just for today, decide to be happy, to live with what is yours.
If you can’t have what you want, maybe you can like what you have.
Just for today decide to be kind.
Be cheerful.
Be agreeable.
Be understanding.
Be your best.
Dress your best.
Talk softly.
Look for the bright side of things.
Praise people instead of criticizing them.
Just for today. Try it.
After all, it’s just for a day…
Who knows, you might like it and do it again tomorrow.

That’s really nice. I did most of it today except for “Dress your best.” Hehe…

updates today

Contrary to what’s expected, today is quite a dull day at work. The Congress will be on August 17-18; I have 12 working days to make it run. A meeting with the Council is scheduled on Thursday, hopefully, there will be a quorum to finalize and approve the 3-year plan. I also hope to have enough number of participants to report on the Council meeting. As of the moment, there are >30 confirmed attendance. I’m trying to strategize how to better cast invitations and follow up participants.

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The shower drain is worse than ever. I need to do the laundry tonight.

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Our adopted cat finally got the spotlight on him. He is quite infamous in the house (ask Aidz); but last night he was cared for like a baby. We can tell that he was not feeling well. He looked sick and helpless. Teeny offered him a rag to sleep on. I had to put some “medicine” on his fur so he could lick it. The three of us were worried he might not survive the night. Before we went to bed, all of us checked on him and saw him lie peacefully. It was a relief to see him ‘normal’ in the morning.

---

It feels like I’m going to catch colds. I don’t accept it. Shoo!

cramming!

soooo tired!

Something light to start the day

I was washing the dishes this morning when I heard the local patrol make an announcement: “We are inviting everyone to attend the Department of Agriculture’s Orientation this morning at 9:00am in the Plaza Covered Court. We will be giving out seedlings and fertilizers…” I started to chuckle but consequently burst in laughter after hearing my landlady shouted back at the announcer: “How do you suppose we make use of those seeds and fertilizers, when you don’t even see soil in here?” FYI: My apartment is located in a densely populated residential area, and literally, there isn’t SOIL in sight anywhere.

--

Also this morning before going to work, I commented how my hair seems to becoming heavier. Aidz said that it’s because it’s getting longer. So I joked maybe he should start calling me Rapunzel. I asked him what would be a better nick name for Rapunzel. He said with conviction: Rap-Rap. Great!

Old habits!

I am a tea-drinker for quite awhile now. Anyhow, today I had to fill my cup with black coffee—again. Last year, I worked on a huge project for my office, we call National Congress. This year will be our 2nd Congress and surprisingly, my boss delegated the assignment to another staff. It is scheduled on the week of my birthday. Good news? At first, until the bomb exploded today!

Taking care of the Congress matters took a great deal out of me. It made me fight my natural physical system, accumulate stress, heartaches and frustrations, and put me on my threshold. I paid the price for that cause; it was done with sweat and blood. Modesty aside, as big as the challenge was, I can proudly say that it was a huge success. That’s one main reason they resolved to have it every year. Now that it’s only about two weeks before the two-day event, my boss (and me, too!) was alarmed learning that a lot of loose ends have to be met. Her response: call for SOS. She directed that I take over.

I’m rushing a lot of matters—invitations, follow ups, documents and details—everything for the second Congress. Actually, this was my fear—that I would have to step in and make do of what’s at hand. It’s harder to do repairs! The director said we (I) must salvage this cause. Good Lord!

I pray that everything will come out well and that we could still make this Congress a success. I personally don’t want this to flop. And I hope to be able to smile after this for my birthday. So help me God.

Coffee, anyone? No sugar.

I feel good!

It’s always a great feeling to know that you accomplished something—which means winning over the odds—and go home satisfied. ‘Details’ is everything to my boss. Thank God we finished our “surprise assignment” last night. Thank God we got an “A” when I passed it. Cha, we did it! We did a ‘milestone’ alright. Ha ha!


---

Got an email from RB. It was his birthday on Tuesday. He was so happy to receive the birthday card I sent him in behalf of CLCD. I chose the ‘man stranded on an island fetched by a gang of pirates with birthday cake and present’. Pretty neat; it made him laugh aloud. He said he’s making up various schemes to get back here. We surely miss our “Lolo” at the office. See you soon, Dr. Brower!

Something amazing for today

You can barely see drizzle outside my window but opposite the building is ‘raining cats and dogs’.

Random

Lunch with girl friends

Yesterday, I was busy discussing details of the Congress with Ate Pauline. I helped her out with the invitations and directory, etc., so she could focus on the workshop kits. Barely did I realize that it’s lunchtime. Checked my phone and saw two messages—one from Teeny, the other from Mam Dol. She’s inviting us for lunch and said she’ll drop by the lobby to pick me. Great! I rushed down and fortunately, was right on time.

Haven’t seen Mam Dol for about 3 weeks since her trip to Zamboanga. Teeny and I were happy to be reunited with “the beautiful” Mam Dol. Boy, she sure is gorgeous. At 44, she looks younger than me and Teeny, most of the time. Mam Dol is a good friend; a warm Mommy. She took us to Sweet Inspirations and we enjoyed Mongolian and cheese cake and halo-halo. Of course, a nice chat!

It was another good time spent with friends.
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5 o’clock habit

Working for my boss for almost four years, I’m very familiar with her 5 o’clock habit. That means, delegating assignments when it’s already 5 pm and expecting to submit, if not before 6, the following day. Most of the time those reports/data are needed by other “entities” so you have no choice but to deliver. Yesterday was one of those instances. Right now, me and my partner Cha are beating the deadline.
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House Quest

Lately, my housemates are eager to look for another apartment. We’ve been staying for more than two years now in our apartment; however, the ambience doesn’t seem pleasing anymore. Last night, we decided we’ll take a walk after work and check the neighborhood for any good place. Teeny and I will also be visiting our optometrist.
---

I cooked sauteed radish with chicken liver for dinner last night. My housemates loved it. Yay! And Aidz, bought me waffle for calling him handsome. Hehe… Thanks!

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Finally, was able to sate by cravings for this:

Friday!

We have Nights of Obsessions tonight. All the while I thought I'd be teaching. To my surprise, it was Red's schedule, not mine. Anyway, I pray for my brother.

I'm going home for the weekend. Hope you all have a great weekend and Lord's day!

Geng's bday

Today is my niece's 11th birthday. Happy Birthday, Geng! Ninang loves you so much. I hope to see you soon.

this week

Aidz and I went to see Transformers on Tuesday night at TriNoma. Wow, the mall is huge! We almost got lost going out of the building.

We had to take a long stride across SM, the next mall, for a ride home. Sorry for me, I was wearing hills that day so my feet hurt. I couldn’t use my other sandals because ‘our adopted cat’ tore it. Gee. I’ve been wearing rubber shoes for the last two days since…

Transformers is really good. I’m glad I went.

---
I received an unexpected message last night. Guess who’s “casually asking” if I had dinner already? Huh! Sorry, I cooked menudo for dinner.

---
Tonight is ‘TV’ night. Yup, the only day in the week that I’m really looking forward to turning on the tv… I want to see my lawyer... (Tom, Justice) :-)

I better go now, Teeny had allergies, will take her to the Infirmary.

think

It's not how you rock a person's world when you come into one's life, nor how you keep your image... What's far better is not being liked when you come in, but being missed when you leave.

Red flag

Girls know this. My abdomen hurts. Red flag for me at least for the week. Oh well...

Message received

God made you in such a way that when people in the world are sitting, you would be standing. And when the world is standing, you will stand out. And when the world stands out, you’ll be outstanding. And when the world dares to be outstanding, you will be the standard.


Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s learning to dance in the rain…it’s singing in the car even if you don’t know all the lyrics of the song… it’s giving your whole heart to someone even if you’re a little scared… it’s about taking risks and making life worth living… because every minute you waste is a minute you’ll never get back…


Trusting God in everything is the softest pillow on which to rest and the hardest rock to stand on! God is with you all the time! “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”—Proverbs 3:5-6

Adventure Day!

Pinay left the house without her glasses on! And she does not intend to wear it for the rest of the day. ^-^"

A borrowed thought

"It's quite ironic that in life, the person that brings out the best in you and the one that makes you strong is actually your weakness."

Food for thought from friends

The heart that loves is always young; the heart that serves is always happy; and the heart that cares is always strong. Stay young, happy, and strong.

Lirio, 5 July 2007


“Pray about it…”
Its meaning was only changed by people who think they can change God’s plan for their lives. When we pray we ask God to change ours to be in lined with His will. That’s why if it’s not God, it dies away.

Apple [on God’s will], 29 June 2007


God’s healing power is yours for the taking! His will is for your perfect health and well-being. Anything that comes against you is subject to change. As you speak healing scriptures daily in faith, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus will be activated in your body. The medicine of God’s Word will go to work to effect a healing and a cure. Remember, by His stripes you were healed.

Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever (anything and everything) they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For whenever 2 or 3 are gathered (drawn together as my followers) in (into) My name, there I Am in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19-20 AMP

For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4:22

Rx:
1. Jeremiah 17:14
2. Psalm 103:1-5
3. Isaiah 53:4-5
4. 1 Peter 2:24
5. Isaiah 40:30-31

DOSAGE: The more you confess—the better! Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

DIRECTION: If symptoms persist, confess more scriptures!

PHYSICIAN: Jesus the Healer License # 15:26 Exodus

Arnel [on healing], June 26, 2007; 03:58:23 PM

The mysterious ear problem

I’ve been whining about my left ear for almost two weeks. First, my hearing became weak. Next, pain is felt every once in a while. Until finally, the pain became excruciating I couldn’t bear it anymore. Last Thursday, June 28, I was able to go to the doctor –and I did not plan to leave that place until the doctor assured me the pain will go away.

The doctor first checked both ears. My right ear is clear and in perfect condition. Inside my left ear he found a growth on the ear wall called polyp. This “abnormal tissue” blocks (nearly closed) the ear canal. It was difficult for air to get through the eardrum. At first they (the doctor and his team) thought the biggest challenge would be the polyp removal. I agreed to go on with the procedure with the knowledge that “slight” pain would be felt. (You don’t imagine the pain I’ve been through with this ear so I’m willing to take a little more just to end my suffering.) To my surprise, they didn’t give me anesthesia! Do you realize that?! It was a complete torture. I literally “called upon the name of the Lord” as I clenched my teeth in agony (I was holding on the metal bar on the side of the bed and I felt like it nearly broke!). It was not long when they found ‘another case’ even closer to the eardrum. What was actually behind the polyp is not dirt or something but keratosis. It has grown big enough to completely block the eardrum and expand the ear canal. That’s very painful!

I guess it was obvious that I could not stand the procedure any longer. The doctor ruled to have another session (!) on Sunday for the second case. On Sunday, they were able to remove the ‘thing’ successfully. Praise the Lord. It was painful alright, but the knowledge of friends and family praying for me made it more bearable. Thank God. (Besides, I do not want to scare the next patient who was a little girl.) I have follow up check up with the doctor after a week. Right now, I’m taking a lot of meds to catalyze the healing process (I normally don’t take medicines).

That Sunday, July 1st, was also our MYF big outreach for the month. I went there after the procedure and found my brethren—my MYF family with open arms happy to see me doing fine. Bro. Mark even said he thought they’re all going to rush to the hospital! Haha! Thanks, General!

This experience actually taught me a lot of things. But above all, I felt so loved. Family and friends have been very supportive and prayed on my behalf. Isn’t that one best thing to know?!

Thank you for your prayers. And thank God for his healing.

Charlie's Angels :-)

in pain

I still did not go to the doctor over the weekends. I wasn’t able to go home until late Saturday afternoon. I missed the Prayer Meeting, too. Sunday was just too hectic, there’s no room for doing so.

I plan to really see the doctor this week. The ear problem isn’t getting any better. And at times, I just couldn’t stand the pain. I have to supply myself with antibiotics just to feel a little better.

Last Friday night must have been the worst. I was alone in the apartment and there I felt that excruciating pain. I called home and cried over the phone. I just wanted to hear my family; at least to make me feel better. I know they prayed for me and that’s all I needed. I did not know that my sister sent a message to Aidz asking him to come home and look after me. I was surprised that he was home earlier than usual plus, with medicines. Praise the Lord for friends.

Please continue to pray about my ear. And that this will not be anything serious. Thank you.

Prayer Request

My left ear has been hurting since last week. Please pray that I get better. I really don’t want to see the doctor but if I have to, I probably will by the end of the week. Thanks.

amusing...

Just thought I'd share a few lines...
1. All shrimps are born female, but turns to male as time goes…so are they like lesbians?

2. Starfishes are pretty but they don’t have brains…so be offended if someone calls you one.

3. Penguins can only have one mate; they spend almost half of their life looking for their destined partner, and then spend the rest of it with him/her. How sweet is that? >sighs<

End of the week

Another week has gone by…

Tonight, I’ll be going home. We have Nights of Obsession at TJCM.

I’m not feeling very good today. Red flag for me. But, praise God for the gift of life.

Bye, everyone!

By the way, I’m curious, do I have visitors from Rancho Cucamonga?

Weekend Report

I had one great weekend. I’m so happy.

It’s nice to be home on Friday night. Tatay and the kids (my younger siblings--who, by the way, aren't kids anymore) were all at home. My Saturday morning was quite productive; I did some house chores as usual—the general cleaning day. I started with the windows, then the ceiling and the floor. After that, the yard. It’s a fine, hot day outside. Worked onto the bougainvilleas, euphorbia, and the other plants. Cleared the flowerbeds and plant boxes from dried leaves and worn flowers. I guess I was successful; I ended up with a few scratches on my arms and ant bites on my feet (ouch!). I enjoyed it anyway.

On Saturday afternoon, we went to church for the worship team practice and the prayer meeting. We read Psalms 37:1-11 during team devotion. We delved more on verses 3 and 4. Then we did a few exercises like ‘dog panting’, the vowels, the happy birthday, and ‘face massage’. At the prayer meeting, Pastor asked us to pray for stronger faith of believers. Then I prayed for new souls to come to know the Lord and join us in worship the next day.

Right after the prayer meeting, my sisters and I went for a stop at Tita Monica’s. Tan wanted to cut her hair; Jai and I would have our nails made. After a short while, our Ate came in and joined the club. It was really a bonding moment for us sisters. I miss going out with them like that.

At service, the worship went well. Praise God. The worship team did a good job. And the congregation responded in worship. When it was like only five minutes since the message started, several newcomers arrived, I believe three families altogether. It was such a joy and encouragement to all of us. Glory to God. He answered our prayer.

At home after service, while preparing lunch, I played “Why So Downcast?” in the kitchen. My Ate almost jumped on me asking how I got a copy. That was the first time she heard my CD and like the rest, she’s overjoyed. As the song was playing, you can hear us in chorus. Lunch was great; the best part actually was SINIGANG! (my favorite)Yum yum!

My eldest brother came home too. I had a long chat with him. I miss Kaka. Have not seen him in a while. I told him about our US trip and all the exciting things that I could think of. I also told him about our Thailand adventures and he was really in chuckles. My brother is a good listener. It was really a quality time spent with him.

I went back to UP on Monday after lunch. After dinner, Aidz and I enjoyed our buko salad desert we bought at Grill Queen. Hmm, still the best.

I so enjoyed my extended weekend. I didn’t really expect that Monday was declared a nonworking holiday—switching the 11th with the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday, June 12th. It was a restful, fun weekend. Thank God!

Now, Happy Independence Day to all!

It's Friday!

I'm going home tonight! Yay! *dances*

Have a wonderful weekend! (I hope the rain would stop.)

Glad!

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." --Matthew 5:16

I was eating lunch with my peers today when they started saying jokes that I find immodest. Then they said that ‘I have no part in such conversations; I have kept myself untainted and they respect that.’ That’s nice to hear from them! Glory to Jesus!

:-(

Left the office at 6:15 pm last night to prepare dinner. I cooked ginisang mongo (sauteed mongo with tofu, tomatoes, and ampalaya leaves) courtesy of Tita Jean. Dinner's ready at 7.30. Teeny was out so I was waiting for Aidz to arrive from work. It's ironing day for me; from 7:55 to 8:35 everything was well-pressed. Suddenly, it felt like my head was too heavy, it hurts, and felt like going to explode. I was afraid my blood pressure's going up (have no basis for thinking that though.) Could it be the egg? ( I had one in the morning and one in the afternoon). I don’t know. But what I did was to lie on my bed and hoped it goes away. Aidz was not home until 9:55. We ate late and I hardly was able to finish my plate. I excused myself and went off to bed. I’m glad I’m okay in the morning. There’s a lot to do.

xxx

Got an email from our host today. It was fun to read.

First of the many…

Me and my buddy Apple, behind me, enjoying the snow on the mountains of Lake Tahoe.

i'm back... to back ^^

I came back from the US trip on May 23. That break (April 23-May21) was really awesome!That was one of the best experiences I ever had. Thank God for the privilege to go abroad. It was really a blessing. Most of all, I'm happy to build new friendships from the other side of the globe.

Just a few days after coming back, our Center boarded the plane going to Thailand for our office planning. May 29-June 1. Today is the official day of my returning to duty.

Thank God for all the blessings He has showered on me. I'm happy to be home.

Coming to America

We are all set for the US trip come Monday, April 23. Thank you for all your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for us as we embark in this journey. We wish to bless our brethren in the US the same way they blessed us in our ministry. Also, we want to share the Love of Christ to all of you. God bless you!

Personal:
Thank you Ate Pauline for all the help in preparing for the trip. To my best buddies Teeny and Aidz, I couldn't thank you more. I love you. I hope to get that signature, guys! Ate Lyj has been so wonderful since day one. Thanks for taking my plants in custody. I'll miss you sis. Sir Keith, I’m really looking forward to seeing you there. I got your number. See you in May.

It's a hotta-hotta summer here in the Orient. Got to prepare myself for the temp in the West.

Fun!

Currently listening to Oscar dela Hoya (Yes, he’s the boxer who sings too!). It’s in Spanish. I was playing around with the lyrics; those that seem hard to understand I look up in the dictionary (thanks to babel fish). Then I got excited and tried typing my complete name—(given name, my mother’s family name, my father’s family name) inside the box. ¿conjetura qué? A Joseph-syndrome! My name in literal Spanish translation means I rule my family! Great! Haha!

Pinay of the Family rules!

Inspired

Late this semester, I helped a group of nursing students with their research study. Just a while ago, I received a short message from one of them. She said she got a high grade from her Research class. She thanked me for the support and effort given them. That made my day. Thanks, Jhen. Keep it up!

xxx

I showed Tan's grad pic to my officemate. It opened the door to some sharing about how we go about with our family. It was really sentimental and I managed to keep composed. She was so inspired of our story and said she'll share it with her kids. Thanks.

Nanay's birthday

April 10

Today is my mother’s 58^th birthday. The last time she celebrated with us was six years ago; before the Lord finally called her to rest. She was a lovely woman and I’m ever grateful to be her child. Her memories are cherished forever.

My Mother

Who was it that risked her life that she might give that life to me?
Who was it that braved a thousand storms that shelter I may be?
Who was it that rocked me in her arms that I to sleep might go?
Who was it that loved me all night long yet never let me go?

This was a verse from a poem I read from a very old book in our grade school library. My classmates and I were cleaning the shelves then and the book was so worn out that I believe the teacher resolved to put it away. I really couldn’t remember who wrote it nor was the rest of the poem yet these lines strike me the most. I guess it was not very hard for me to recall after first reading since it’s a perfect description of my mom.

And may I add…

She wears the sweetest smile that calms my troubled heart.
She walks with grace and confidence that makes me stand all odds.
Her lullaby is the best melody that plays in my ear.
The song she taught has been on my lips each time I had to sing.

Her joy is like a fountain that could not be quenched.
Her eyes tell me that life is full of blissful surprises.
Her memories can bring to life all happiness and triumphs.
I could not care for anything else whenever she holds my hand.

From her I learned selflessness and sacrifice in its truest meaning.
It was for her that I learn to dream and understand how to be fulfilling.
Respect is earned and love is priceless but to her those are abounding.
She is someone I proudly call mine and hopes others had one.

I love her and I love her more everyday!
Truly, mothers are heaven’s gift!
Mine is the best I received!


‘The child who knows how to love is the one who was loved.’ I miss her so much. Happy Birthday Nanay!

TV day for me! I did not get a nap; I watched tv! Tomorrow is a holiday and I plan to do my ‘other stuff’ by then.

Funny because whenever I’m away from the keyboard, I have tons of things to write. Why is it that whenever I face the pc, everything seems to slip away.

FRIDAY

I started off slow—still. Got myself a dose of John Grisham and stopped at about a hundred pages left to dig. It’s getting pretty exciting. Checked my phone at eight quarter and found a message from Bro. Mark sent 6am. Angela from Bayside wants us to sign up for particular sessions in the Conference—which we’ll do online. Bro. Mark wants us to drop by the office to do so. We have practice in the theater arts on Saturday; I said I would get there an hour early to do the assignment.

SATURDAY

It’s Black Saturday. It’s very unusual for me to be home with all—at least just one left out—my siblings at home. The eldest down to the youngest, with the exception of my brother Pastor, are all here. Everybody’s busy now at the kitchen preparing lunch as I type this.

I can’t think of how to best spend my remaining vacation except for finishing my book. Hmm, I guess another option will be, get more sleep.

It’s quite dull outside. The sun is up but is hidden under the clouds. I’m not an outgoing person so I don’t have much to do in mind. I guess I’ll check on my files later after lunch.

xxx

After lunch, prepared for my 2pm appointment at the MYF office. We will be choosing from a list of choices the topics we want to join in during the break out groups in the Thrive Conference. I did not choose Lincoln Brewster, he’d be speaking in the assembly anyway. I picked Developing Your Speaking Voice, sounds like speech class; People and Organizational Development; Scars are Tattoos of Better Future, among others. We had a practice in the theater arts afterwards and I got to do some challenging roles like a condemner and a lesbian. Haha, I sure had a hard time acting the latter. We’re still preparing for another short skit which we’d practice on April 15^th.

xxx

Finished the book after lunch. Did not sleep until 12:30 midnight. O-ow!

We get to enjoy a long weekend as the holy week beginning Maundy Thursday is declared a non-working holiday.

The day passed as is. It was 10:30 am when I got off bed and felt good about it. I’m looking forward to more sleep in the coming days. I was at home before the sun was down yesterday, and that was amazing. It was different. I’m used to coming home late and, being there before dark was a surprise. I like it.

Today, was able to focus on my third John Grisham book. Did not find myself a copy of The Pelican Brief so I dug into The Firm. It’s good. Though I find the first two as more suiting my taste. Or maybe it’s too early to tell since I’m just halfway the book. But don’t get me wrong, it is a really good one still.

At four, the brethren were here for the mid-week Bible study. Our neighbors came too. It was a short fellowship and fun one. Everybody had a good time.

I would still work on the book and hopefully finish tomorrow. I should have brought another book at home too, say The Rainmaker or The Street Lawyer. Guess I will indulge myself with John Grisham books until we get on the plane.

restful weekend

SATURDAY

It was a restful Saturday for me. Have not had such long hours for myself in a long while! Finally, I’ve finished my second John Grisham book, A Time to Kill (I read The Client back in college). It was a great read. The author is really building on the characters. I like the way he described the setting, very vivid. I’m enjoying every page as if I’m watching it onscreen (have not seen the movie though). It’s beautiful. I hope I can start with a third book, The Pelican Brief.

After Saturday night practice, I went to Bro. Mark’s place as promised. He was asleep at 7pm! Yeah, he sleeps very early and wakes up in the wee hours of morn as part of his discipline. I left the thing to his nieces Shek and Sarah.

When I got home, my cousin Julius was there! He came home for the graduations (his siblings are also graduating). I love him so much; he’s my best buddy. We practically grew up together and spent childhood as pals. Since we went to college, we barely see each other and very seldom that he could make it on special occasions. I was so happy to see him. He said he really waited for me to get home. It’s been a practice that whenever he’s in town, he visits us. I’m glad he did. It was a joy.

SUNDAY

I was the song leader for this first Sunday. My lineup was all worship songs: Psalm 19, Still, Spirit Touch Your Church. Sunday service was over after the communion.

After lunch, I got a text from my niece who’s been away (in Tarlac) for a year now. Oh, I missed her and her sisters so much (Geng, Jing, Ayeka). It was a fun exchange of messages talking about everyday things like viands, what’s up for the moment, school, etc. Then finally she said, “Sige po, I love you.” I replied saying how much I love her and missed them badly. I could not help but cry. Even now as I type this, I’m still crying. I love all my nieces and nephew. I miss my Geng so much! To be honest, I have a very special affection to Geng. Perhaps because she’s the first in her generation in the family. I’ve always thought of her as my own. I’m so attached to her that I feel bad toward my brother for taking the kids away (They moved to his in-laws and enrolled the kids there.). And Sunday afternoon was like, “I want to see my kids back”-syndrome for me. It was too bad they can’t make it for the summer break. Although Jing said she will be home this summer. I really wish to see them soon.

At 3pm, we went to MYF’s outreach at Hiyas Convention Pavilion. The theme is on witchcraft and other deceiving media of the enemy. The theater arts had an excellent performance! To my surprise, they used To Where You Are as one of their main songs. Beautiful!

So I went straight to our apartment afterwards for another week ahead.

Today is Mhes' birthday. Happy birthday, mare!

Tan's a graduate!

FRIDAY

It’s my lil’ sis’ graduation day. I decided to go straight home and check on things back there. Got home at 11:30am and made sure Tan and Tatay were all set for 2pm. My brother, sis-in-law, and niece and nephew (Agape & Aaron) were there too. All of us went to Tan’s school to drop them off and went to market to buy something for dinner—chicken with pineapple, pork nilaga, melon juice. It was a simple family gathering yet I was so happy. It’s exciting to see Tan prepare for college.

One down!

I had a major accomplishment today, but I don't feel like rejoicing. We are meant to finish so many other things and fortunately, I would only be working on one [although this one means 20 days of different outputs to process and analyze :'( with 702 responses each! ] which I hope to finish before the holy week. ToT on Values and Ethics is out, but the Bayview report is still hanging.

I should be excited because my little sis is graduating this Friday. I am happy for her yet, I still don't know if I can go home on her graduation. I hope I can.

I wish the office would be more sensitive to the staff right now. There's some resentment going on.

Fearless

Barrera vs. Marquez bout

Mexican warrior Juan Manuel Marquez and champ Marco Antonio Barrera grapple for the WBC super featherweight title Saturday night (Sunday morn in RP) in Las Vegas.

That’s enough reason to stir a crowd in our house—as you know, I belong to a family of sports lovers; especially boxing. I skipped (actually, just ate late) lunch to watch this match. I’d say this one’s good!

I think pound-per-pound Barrera has an advantage; his jabs are excellent—solid and connecting. Marquez’ punches are swift but seemed not connecting which made Barrera looked invincible and unaffected for the first six rounds. You can hardly tell who won every end of the round. These two fighters exchange punches every time it’s the last 10 seconds!

The more exciting round is the seventh. Marquez was a blast. Just a few more punches and he could have brought Barrera to canvass. Surprisingly, Barrera hit him on the chin followed by another blow which landed Marquez on his knees. Unfortunately, the referee called it a slip and deducted a point from Barrera for throwing another punch while Marquez was down. That hurt Barrera a lot. I was counting the low blows Marquez gave him and I think it was three or four. The referee did not acknowledge that.

The next few rounds were quite in favor of Marquez although I’m convinced that Barrera can make a comeback. If Marquez wins, maybe not with a big margin. After the twelve rounds of boxing, the judges declared a unanimous winner—Marquez as the new champ.

Poor Barrera. He was tough. If not for a wrong call, I’d say there’s a chance he could have won the fight. Marquez is a good fighter as well. Anyhow, the decision can be challenged because of the call on the slip.

Another beautiful match. Perhaps a rematch will be in the oven soon.

Now I can’t wait for Oscar to be in the ring again. The date is May 5. By then, I know my heart will skip a beat.

Dilemma

I decided to separate my ‘desktop water plants’ into two vases. A friend gave me a vase and so I was delighted to act right away. To my surprise, the plants weave their roots together and I don’t see any nice way to separate them but to really ‘hurt’ them both. Now what? My old vase is very small and could hardly accommodate them. I’m torn!

I’m sorry I have to do it. I did.

Ok, I was successful and I think there's little damage (if not none at all) than I expected. Great!

I survived!

We finally finished the dreaded 20-day training vis-à-vis 10-day training simultaneously happening in two separate areas. We couldn’t imagine how it happened anyhow, thank God it’s over.

Now I’m working on processing the outputs. This one’s another monster. I pray for strength and wisdom.

I need to finish all my reports this week. We are expected to do field work in the regions next week. This sure is a tough job!

Here’s some update on the US trip in April. It’s too close!

Still at work

Today is Sunday, 10:50 pm and I'm still working in the office.

(Listening to the same song for a 100th time.)

Random

Today's a very good day. I had the liberty to update my blog since we got out of the training earlier than usual. Great!

1. I'm thinking of writing... again.

I used to scribble short stories, essays and poems when I was younger. I know I had so much to write then but I didn’t put in ink. There’s this one story I made back in my senior year in college which took me one whole notebook to finish. One day, a name just popped in my mind and I can’t recall how or where I encountered it. Then it dawned to me it was the main character in my short story! Haha!

I can think of so many things to write in Filipino. Actually, I made my version of a legend and my friends were convinced and persuade me to submit it to our local TV network that airs children stories. Haha! I love to write in my language.

I wish I could find time to write despite my toxic sched. It feels good to share your thoughts.

2. Today's my little bro's 19th birthday! My sweet little bro will no longer be a teenage boy in a short while. It's too swift!

3. My desk plant is growing pretty well. She’s lovely. She has a new sprout and looks very healthy. I’m glad. Her cousin is looking good, too. I enjoy watching them grow and add leaves day by day.

4. My baby sister will graduate in high school on the 30th of this month. Amazing how these kids grow too fast! She’s 15! She’s preparing for their Seniors’ Ball next week. I’m so excited! She looks lovely in her gown. She wants to curl her hair so I’ll take her to the parlor on Sunday.

5. I miss staying home longer but I’m really too busy right now. I won’t be home until Saturday night. I miss chatting with my father.

6. Work is so pressing. I had to save some sleep.

7. I wish to read new books too.

8. I pray that our finances will be met for the US trip. Keep praying for support. Thanks a lot.

9. Hope I can update more often.

10. God bless!

short update

Saying, "I'm busy" is an understatement.
I really am.

Hope to update on our US trip come April. Everybody's excited. Keep us in prayers. Thanks a lot.

subsconscious

Do you believe that sometimes our subconscious minds lead us to doing things we had no idea we've done? Last night, I was working on a paper up until around 1:30-2:00 a.m. I was so tired and sleepy and resolved to retire to sleep. I thought of writing an outline not to lose the flow of thought the next day. As I opened my work today this is what I found written:

PERNAL PITLINE ===> it's supposed to be Paper Outline (I remember trying to write this!)
I LOFE MOTHER. ====> don't have any idea how that showed!

Yesterday, Feb 13, 2007 was my Mother's 5th Death Anniversary, the eve of Valentine's Day. I was really surprised to see this. Have no memory writing those. I guess you realize what my heart says even when I'm out of consciousness: I LOVE MOTHER.

Happy Valentine's Day to all around the globe! God loves you!

In God's Hands

HUMAN BEINGS ARE SUCH SMALL CREATURES, AREN'T THEY?
SO DON'T BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING,
TREASURE EVERY MOMENT, DO WHAT YOU WISH TO DO.....

BROADEN YOUR VIEW, BROADEN YOUR MIND,
DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE BOTHERING YOU,
DO TREASURE YOUR LOVED ONES, LIVE SAFELY AND PEACEFULLY,
ALWAYS BE HAPPY TO WELCOME THE COMING OF THE NEW DAY....... ENJOY THE SUNSHINE ...

ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS....
IT IS ALWAYS COMFORTING TO THINK THAT THERE IS A GOD WHO IS ABLE
TO PUT EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE, AND HE CARES ABOUT YOU
NO MATTER HOW SMALL YOU ARE ( HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU RIGHT? ).

-beautiful message for today-

Drowsy

I'm quite uneasy today. Caught colds last night. It feels like my head is thrice its actual weight. Got very short sleep also. Oh, I really don't like this feeling. I feel weak and drowsy. I got myself half a gallon of unsweetened pineapple juice. Got to be well. There's no room for being sick. Especially during this season.

Enchanted Christmas

We went to Enchanted Kingdom last December. See pictures here. I'm with Aidz and his sister, Aimee. This one is my fave:

No more Cinderella!

How I wish I won’t have to be Cinderella tonight! Going home at midnight is just too much.

For the last two Tuesdays, we had to stay late in the office to prepare for training the following days. I won't be home until around 12:00 or 12:30 midnight then prepare for an early travel the next day. We have another training starting tomorrow so you might guess what I’m thinking now.

For the entire February until 1st week of March, we will be out to conduct consecutive training to a total of 1000 personnel (50 persons/day). Good Lord, I pray that my body and mind can take this.

I just hope that we finish earlier tonight. That at best, I could get home by 10pm. I certainly want to be home early. Huh.

file transfer

currently tranferring files to my old pc. guess it'll eat up the rest of the day. hope to finish before 5pm. pwew!

last year, it was january 23 when i transferred my files. today (jan 26, 2007) i had to transfer again! how's that?!

generosity

currently enjoying a very rich sandwich from ate pauline. she said her husband prepared it. it's so good! i love the pickles and tomatoes! i gave her egg sandwich i made last time. she was so thankful. what i love most about this generosity is the note attached:

"your egg sandwich was a life saver!"

thank you so much. i appreciate simple thanks. let's eat!

howdy?!

Hi all! I'm doing pretty well back here. Office work has always been busy. Right now, we are conducting several training for the officers of COMELEC. Most of the time we're on the field so I rarely update my blog. Aside from writing the documentation for the training, I'm still working on the terminal reports for two funding agencies. Honestly, this is tough and I've been working on it even before the holidays! I hope to cover everything soon and so to submit these reports (with flying colors!). My policy reform brief needs some revisions. Oh well, it's hard to make policy recommendations on matters you are not really familiar with. Oh, i can't wait to finish all these papers!

My lower back has been aching for the past two days (or three?). Guess, it has something to do with my period. Hope the pain goes away soon.

Aidz finally bought us a new TV set. very nice, flat screen, 21-inch. He also brought the DVD player. Last night I started watching one my favorite Taiwanese romantic comedies,It Started with a Kiss . It was really great! I'm looking forward to seeing the last four episodes tonight.

I also enjoy the episodes of our local TV drama, Maging Sino Ka Man . I think the series is about to end, which is good (for me)! I am also amused with the Korean drama, Princess Hours. I love the characters! They are adorable.

I want to thank the Lord for the promotion at work He gave to my Ate (elder sister). She's been working really hard and now she reaps. The Lord rewards the faithful.

I've been scrolling from the old to the new testaments lately. I think I will have to focus on one book then move to another for my daily devotion. Where should I start? Timothy? i just thought it'll be best for my studies. Oh, last night i read Isaiah 41. It would really be great to have a sort of manual.

That will be it for now. Hello everybody!
God bless!

Len

Hello 2007

Belated Merry Christmas to all and a Blessed New Year!

A lot of things to thank God for in 2006 and so much great things to expect in 2007!

te voglio bene assaie!
I wish you well with all my heart!

~Pinay