A Different Christmas 2011

Christmas is one of the most celebrated Holidays in the Philippines and in our family. When my grandparent's were still alive (mom's side), our family and my uncle's (mom's younger brother) family gather in my grandparent's house on Christmas eve. We have games, prayers, gift giving, lots of food and laughter :)

When my grandparents' died only our family and my uncle's celebrate Christmas together. Sometimes they come here in our house and there are times when we celebrate it in their house too.

This Christmas is different and has a lot of firsts.

First Christmas that I'm married :)

First Christmas that my husband spent Christmas with us at home

First Christmas that we didn't wake up at 12 mn

First Christmas that we have no noche buena

First Christmas not spent with my uncle's family

First Christmas that I received cash haha

December 25 was also a great day! It was our Church Christmas Party and we had so much fun! We won 2nd place in our presentation :D We also had games and gift giving.

The Young Pro planned to have dinner at the Plaza since we had our cash prize to spend ;) We took a lot of pictures that night, played games on the street, shared a lot of laughter and love!

It was a great night!!

Although this Christmas is different, it was still one of the most enjoyable and unforgettable.

Thank You God for sending Jesus to this Earth. Thank you for your unconditional love and your grace. I pray that we will always share your love to others :)

World Teacher's Day

a post for my mom..

You teach not just inside the classroom and not just by the book but you teach by example..you help your students not just to be able to answer a quarterly exam but you teach them lessons they won't forget even when hurdled with life's tests.

I hear your students say, you're their best friend, their nanay, their favorite teacher, "ang pinaka mabuot nga maestra"..and I always feel a deep joy knowing that my mom is everybody's favorite, and I am so proud to be your daughter! :)

I pray that God will continue to bless you for your generosity. You are a blessing not just to your students but to everyone who in one way or another has learned something from you that made them a better person.

Happy world teacher's day ma!iluvU :)

today and forever

"So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

May 25, 2011 is a very special day for me..it is the day that God set for me to be one with the person I love. Together with my family we all thanked God for this wonderful blessing.

God has been so good to our relationship and we will continue to trust Him to take care of our love for each other, to guide us in our every way, to stregthen us when storms come, to bind us with unconditional love and to let our relationship be a blessing to others and glorify Him.

I am excited for what God has prepared for me and my partner, I know we will have a great journey together..the three of us :)

Music Shuffle Game

My brother emailed me this game and though I don't have an iPod or MP3, I just played using the Music folder on my laptop.

I quite enjoyed the answers :)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

-Nothing is impossible (yes I know with God!)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

-It's the God in me (or in him)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

-All for love (haha pwede)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

-All that matters (huh?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

-What if Cartoons got saved? (hahaha what if?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

-complete (yeah!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

-You're all I need (chos)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

-I give my all (what? wala pa gni..lol)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

- I surrender all (yay, daw n d amo haw?haha)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

- It takes 3 (a wedding song?)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

-Righteousness, Peace and Joy (ano secret da man?)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?

-I need to be next to you (ay..n d ko mag ingod cmu e!)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?

-You won't relent (I won't relent until I get married na lng haha)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?

-Perfect Two (whatever! haha)

______________________________________________________

ok back to work! lol :D

On this day of your life, God wants you to know..

I have this application on my facebook called Message from God. They have different messages everyday that can lift your souls and cheer your weary heart.

Here's what God said to me today..

God is glad that you are You.
	Sure, we all have things we want to change, to improve about ourselves. But underneath the flesh and bone, you are an immortal and perfect soul. Always remember that.

this is it!!

March 5, 2011

Thank you Lord for this wonderful gift!

Humility

If you are struggling with Pride, God's word will teach you about humility.

Being humble may be the hardest virtue a man has to practice. It is man's nature to think of himself first before thinking about others. Sometimes it is what causes conflicts in most relationships, business, friendships, families and a lot more. Why do men think of themselves highly than anybody else? Why do we always want to be above others, when even God humbled himself and become one of us?

I may not know the answer to these questions, but I want to thank God that through time He has taught me how to be humble. It was painful, it was hard, and sometimes I'm tempted to think of myself often before others. But God's word keeps on reminding me that I should be humble.

It is ok to admit our mistakes, it is a stepping stone to become a better person.
It is important to say sorry and mean it, this is one way to exercise humility.
Being too concerned of how you feel is being selfish, remember others have feelings also.

Here are some of quotes I want to share with you.

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all. ~William Temple

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself. ~Abraham Lincoln

True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes. ~Edward Frederick Halifax

It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help. ~Author Unknown

Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected. ~William Safire

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

A weekend at Sand Bar

Location:
Sandbar Beach Resort
Conception, Iloilo


A 3-hour ride from Iloilo City to the town of Conception plus a 30-minute boat ride to the island.
Sandbar resort has a long stretch of white sand bar and a crystal clear water perfect for swimming. Aside from this pictureque island, there are a number of other great islands with white sand beaches in Conception. You can go island hopping and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. This town is really blessed with great beaches, mountain formations and beautiful people.



Contact the resort owner if you wish to visit the island and coordinate with him about your transportation and cottage reservation. They are very accommodating and friendly so you don't need to worry about anything coz they'll make sure you will have a great time.

Vday!! love love love :)

Sunday morning, Valentine's day..I'm excited to celebrate the day with the One who loves me more than anybody else. He always takes care of me, He is my joy, my comforter, my life. So I first spent the day praising Him and thanking Him for all blessings He has given me.

As I was pondering about the importance of heart's day, I realized that God has a deep and great love for us all. I couldn't count the wrong things I've done, I couldn't imagine the sins I have committed and will still commit in all my life..but what I saw is God's loving arms ready to embrace me no matter how big my mistakes are. I felt God's great love and I know I am never alone..and I also have to share this wonderful opportunity to others. For them to know deep in their hearts that there is someone, someone greater than anything else, who will love them unconditionally.

Thank you God for your love for me ♥ iloveyou..

Priorities - Balance - Life

"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you're keeping all of these in the Air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it."

WORK EFFICIENTLY DURING OFFICE HOURS AND LEAVE ON TIME. GIVE THE REQUIRED TIME TO YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS & HAVE PROPER REST.

-this is the 30 min speech of Coca Cola's CEO, Bryan Dyson.

happy 2010!!

new year, new template, new posts comming up! :)
I've really been busy these past months and it makes me sad that I wasn't able to update my blog..
I hope this year 2010 will be a year full of blogging!! ♥♥♥

Everytime I Fall

A very nice song from Jaci Velasquez

Chorus:
Every time I fall a little bit harder
Every time I fall a little bit farther
Every time I fall
I fall right back into your arms

Every time I try
To explain the reason why
I have let you down
I fall to the ground

What is it you see in me
That makes you believe
No matter how far I stray
I will still find the way

Just when I think I’m not strong enough
You reach out to me and you lift me up

Repeat chorus

Time and time again
When I think I’ve reached the end
It’s your voice I hear
That draws me near

I don’t know what makes you stay
When I act this way
No matter what we’ve been through
I can turn to you

Just when I think I’m not strong enough
You reach out to me and you lift me up

Repeat chorus

You find the beauty in my imperfections
The guiding light in all my misdirection
And when I think you’ve finally given up
You fill my heart with unconditional love

Every time I fall
I fall back in your arms

I love the lyrics and it's a very nice love song..It reflects God's unconditional love for us :)

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... C: wait...

An Inspiring Read

I just finished reading a great book by William P. Young called "The Shack." It was the best book I've ever read. I was so blessed that i was able to read the book. It was nothing I expected it to be. It's really a heart-warming and enlightening story for me. I spent nights shedding tears while reading this book. I was overwhelmed by how God has been revealed in the story and by how great His love is for people like us. There was never a dull moment for me reading this book. One of the things I learned here is that we can't understand everything that's happening in our lives, but we only need to trust God that He is carefully knitting the threads of our lives into a perfect piece. God never expects us to be like Him, actually God never expects anything from us. He is only longing for every moment we spend and will be spending with Him. He is not who we think He is, He is more than what we could imagine. And it is so comforting and encouraging to know that God is so powerful and yet He is fond of each one of us. It is not about religion or doctrine, it is a story about love. love of a father for his lost child. love of God for the human race. and our love for others.

Well, I could say a lot of things here but it still can't summarize the beauty of the book and how it inspired me. Hope you could grab a copy and be influenced by this wonderful book.

Nasidman Island

These past few days I have been really busy and I didn't have the luxury of time to update my blog. Now is my chance, so I'll share with you where we had our summer getaway.

This is Punta Pasil Beach Resort in Nasidman Island, Ajuy, Iloilo. A place blessed by a white sand beach, clear waters, lush surroundings and approachable people. It is a two-hour bus ride from the city to Barangay Barrido, Ajuy and a 10-minute boat ride to Nasidman Island.



We enjoyed boat rides to and from the island, taking pictures of the beautiful surroundings, eating our sumptuous lunch and some chichiryas, swimming in the cool waters and spotting some striped-colored fishes.

We had so much fun and wish we could go back to that wonderful place soon.

Lights switched off

March 28, 2009. 8:30 pm. I voted for EARTH!

We switched off our lights and enjoyed an hour of family bonding :)
my little brother was desperate to watch his favorite cartoons but my mom said we should not turn on the tv either. So we gathered outside our house, had fun dancing with our neighbor's music, storytelling and just talked about anything that pops up to mind. My brother's high school classmate passed by our house and told us that we are the only one who turn off our lights to join the earth hour. Quite sad because others don't seem to care or maybe they are not aware, but it also makes me happy that we have been a part of this global event and helped vote for earth against climate change.

"This is a vote made by the Philippines for the earth because we showed our unity for the world to take action in Copenhagen in 2009 where they will draft a post-Kyoto policy where they will set new targets for developed and developing nations to reduce carbon emission," said WWF communications officer Gregg Yan.

VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community – a call to stand up and take control of the future of our planet.
Visit http://www.earthhour.org

Love is..

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

New Year '09

Welcoming year 2009 was still exciting but not really that enjoyable like the previous years. Though we enjoyed lots of food on the table, we can't spend much time outside to light our fire crackers because of the rain. From the afternoon of December 31 until January 1, 2009, rain kept pouring on the Philippine archipelago. People in our town took advantage of the time whenever the rain stops to light up their "kwitis" and other fireworks.

We decided to have our New Year family devotion at around 9pm so we won't be disturb by the noise. Unfortunately rain stopped during this time so our neighbors went out of their houses and started to set off their firecrackers. Yet we have a great time during our devotional ;)

I waited for midnight and was excited to eat and watch our pinwheels, fountains and roman candles display different colors. It was still drizzling but we were too exciting to mind it. We slept at around 1:30 am, exhausted from the celebration and our stomachs full.

☺☻☻☺☻☻☺☻☻☺☻☻☺☻☻☺☻☻☺☻☻☺☻☻☺





This picture was during the food festival in Barotac Viejo, there was a Christmas lantern contest and this one, for me, was the best of them all. It was neatly-done and has attractive lights.





The following pictures were taken during Pie's birthday at Racsos last January 3, 2009.

A Paradise..wonderland in Guimaras

Villa Igang, a resort 4 kilometers away from Poblacion, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras.

It is a paradise on its own, with crystal clear waters, white sand beach, amazing rock formations and more of nature's wonders.

It was a gloomy morning but me and my friends decided to pursue our trip to Guimaras Island. I was ecstatic even the day before because it's only my second time to the island and my first time to visit its beaches. I woke up at about 5:30 a.m. to prepare our lunch for the day. Mylyn and I grilled some pork and fish and cooked adobo. It was past 8 a.m. when we left Mylyn's boardinghouse and we were thankful that somehow the sun decided to take a peek on us.

A 15 minute boat ride to Guimaras Island plus a 45 minute ride on a tricycle, we reached Villa Igang with curiosity and excitement. We've heard so much about this place and it's our turn to discover it's beauty. We wandered a while looking for someone whom we can inquire about the accommodations. We were lucky that the place was not packed with visitors that day. The first photo above was taken just outside our room, it's a magnificent view and seeing it, I seem to be in a foreign place. But that's not just it, there were more amazing things to see on this resort.

We fixed our things and changed our clothes, armed with our cameras we headed to the beach to explore. We shot some pictures outside our room, then we headed to the cave. It was small, but wide, water from the other side filled the cave up to our knees. Smiles and utters of amazement filled the cave, we were never tired of taking pictures and admiring the place.

After that we went to the other side of the resort where the diving spot is located. The rock structures were truly amazing. The waters in this area is clear turquoise and green. We climbed the rocks on the right side to see a clearer view of the sea. It was breathtaking, with blue skies and crystal clear waters..it's just paradise. Cameras nearly run out of batteries because you can never stop clicking to take a memorabilia of this place.

After a sumptuous lunch, we rested for a while before heading to the waters. We rented a small boat where we had the chance to paddle in our own novice way. Rain started to fall but it never discouraged us to continue our explorations. As we are amazed by the beauty of the sea bed, I spotted something familiar..2 fishes swimming, they keep swimming, keep swimming, keep swimming..yes I saw two clown fishes swimming above an anemone..We found Nemo!!

Sad to say but the sun is almost hidden in the dark clouds and its time for us to head back to our room and get ready to go home. I might forget to mention, the staff here are really nice and if you don't have food with you, they can cook for you for a very affordable price.
It was an unforgettable day..a great experience..a priceless moment..

For the First Time

I will not be talking about the movie here but my first time to solve the Rubik's cube.


Last Sunday, my godson, KM, went with us after the church service and he brought with him his rubik's cube. I am always interested in knowing how to solve this "magic cube" but I can't seem to understand instructions and videos from the internet hehe. I once asked a friend to teach me how but she was only successful in teaching me how to solve one face.

My sister knows how to solve the cube so I asked her to teach me how. At first I really can't figure out what she's talking about hehe but since I have a little knowledge on how to solve one face, I did it on my own way first. Then she taught me how to solve the layers one by one, it's a good thing she was patient with me.

But she doesn't have all the time to teach me because she'll be doing her thesis, so I stored all her instruction on my mind and left her alone doing her thesis. Sometime in the middle of twists and turns, I get lost, so I have to disturb her and ask for the patterns. It took me about 4 hours to learn and master the puzzle.

It was a nice feeling solving this crazy cube. Do you know that there are exactly 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possibilities to solve this cube??!!??!!?? I am so blessed I know 1 way of how to solve the rubik's cube wehehehe☻☺

For video tutorials of how to solve the cube, click here

Headlines

"5800-Chinese-babies-remain-ill-on-tainted-milk"
Thank you Lord that I still get to eat and drink good food.

"Torture: A pervasive reality in the country"
Thank you Lord that I am safe and surrounded by great friends.

"3 hurt in 7-vehicle smashup at Skyway"
Thank you Lord that I still get to travel safely.

"Iraq: Cholera cases near 500"
Thank you Lord that I'm healthy.

"Poverty, hunger prevent Filipino kids from getting basic education"
Thank you Lord that we never run out of food in our table. Thank you Lord that my siblings, cousins and relatives are still able to go to school.

"Beheading brings more fear to kin of OFWs on Saudi death row"
Thank you Lord that my family abroad are safe and healthy.

"23 Are Charged With Illegal Sports Betting at Borgata Casino"
Thank you Lord that I still see families enjoying a day at the park. Thank you that we don't have to spend so much money in exchange of fun and laughter. Thank you Lord that we are contented with what we have.

Death Toll in South Asia Floods Crosses 1,100 Mark
Thank you Lord that you have kept us safe whenever natural calamities happen. Thank you Lord that through these events, we realized our mistakes and draw closer to you.

"Hope North To Benefit From Celebrity Clothes Auction"
Thank you Lord for people who knows how to extend help to the needy.

"Group Suicide Becomes Frightening Trend in Japan"
Thank you Lord that you have taught me to value life and that there is always hope because I have a loving and gracious God.


When we turn on our television sets and listen to the news, it seems that there aren't any good news anymore. If it's not about the economic crisis, it's about war. If it's not about natural disasters, it's about death. If it's not about corruption, it's about other people's lives..

We hear complaints, we see tears, we feel anger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we turn on our television sets and listen to the news, it seems that there are a lot of opportunities where God can work. If it's not on giving us the best job we have been waiting for, it's on allowing us to love others more. If it's not on making us survive disasters and testify His goodness, it's on rejoicing that we are soon going to be with Him in paradise with no more tears. If it's not on blessing our leaders to help and guide the people better, it's on blessing the simplest person and bringing joy and comfort to the lost.

We hear thanksgiving, we see smiles, we feel love.

thank you Lord Ü ☻ ♥
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