A time to celebrate

She got discouraged but she did not give up. The pressure of time and strain of finances did not stop her from reaching her goals. Three colleges, tons of medical cases requirements (some of them were "repeats" as she transfer from one school to the other) a lot of family drama (i missed her graduation day) and sacrifices, arguments, and eight years later, my sister finally reaped the product of her labor. On January 31, 2010 we celebrated with the thousands who passed the Philippine National Licensure Exam. You deserve it little sis. I am so proud of you.

Ps. 136:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

A verse highlighted in green caught my eye as I read my Bible today. The verse is found in Genesis 18:14 " Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

Is anything too hard for the Lord? - He created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1), He parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14), He sweetened the Bitter Waters of Marah (Ex 15:23-27), He provided Israelites with mannah and quails from heaven (Ex.16), He caused the water to flow out of the rock (Ex 17), He caused the sun and moon to stand still for the Israelites which led to their victory (Josh 9), with God's leading, the walls of Jericho fell down (Josh 6), He healed Naaman leprosy (2 kings 5) - considered incurable in those days and purposely instructed Naaman to dip in the dirty waters of Jordan River to show his power.He forgave a sinner 7 times (Mary), He stilled a storm, made the lame walk, raised the dead. He died and rose again. Seriously, Is anything too hard for the Lord?

May 11

May 11, 1998 eleven years ago a tragedy hit my family killing my younger brother Lloyd. Last night I dreamed about him. I saw his young face smiling back at me – bringing up once again the pain that was buried deep in my heart. They said time heals all wound but each time I remember that fateful day the wound in my heart breaks anew. Death - an enemy that no one can defeat. Death can snatch away our loved ones or even ourselves in the blinking of an eye. We cannot fight against death by ourselves but the good news is Jesus fought death and he already won and one day will put an end to death and give those who believes in Him eternal life. It would be a great reunion for families separated by death to see each other again when Jesus comes - I am looking forward to that day. Until then, I will be missing my brother and allow father time to heal my wound.

Paper Anniversary

One Year Married and We've only just began! went to felini's restaurant after work.

Hair - Cut

Hair is a girl thing. Hair care products never left my expense list until I came to USA. I used to pamper my hair with all kinds of hair products to make it shiny, glossy, soft and manageable. My hair is not long and shiny like a shampoo model but it's my hair and I do my best to take care of it like having a trim every month.

Next to personally taking care of your hair - the next best thing for your hair is finding a good hairstylist. I used to go to a lady (in the Philippines) who knows what I like and knows how to cut my hair that will look good on me. Hair cut here in USA is a little bit pricey (15-25 bucks) so when we got a coupon for a $7 hair cut from a neighborhood salon, we brushed our way to a new hair cut.

I explained to the person how I want my hair cut and she snipped, snipped my long hair away - and the final result was, well, so horrible it made me cry!!! She butchered my hair, gave me bangs, I looked like I have a helmet, I felt and looked so horrible I could not even look at my self in the mirror. Overwhelmed with sadness, I asked hubby to set an appointment with his hairstylist (she cut my hair before and I liked it). Even it was out of budget, I still had my 2nd hair cut and Brooke performed a "repair" cut on my hair and thankfully I liked the end result.

Before and After

Mystery Shopper Scam

The other day, a letter from EAST INK FINANCIAL arrived in the mail telling me that I am hired to be a "mystery shopper" in my area. They sent me a whooping check of $3,950.00 with an instruction on where to use the money. They even had a break down of the enclosed check.

3 hours training pay - $300
funds for shopping in walmart, jc penney or home depot - $140
service charge for western union - $170
required funds to be sent - $3340

The whole things seems to be so wonderful. Imagine getting paid for shopping and giving reviews but they said, if a thing is too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.

At first glance, the offered plan seemed so legitimate because they even put an address, a number to call, and other stuff. But I noticed that the company name on the check is different from the name on the letter head. The company on the check is SCHNEIDER LOGISTICS TRANSLOADING & DISTRIBUTION, INC while the letter head is EAST INK FINANCIAL.

I searched online and I found out that this is one of the many scams. MYSTERY SHOPPER SCAM. What they do is send you a fat check with instructions to cash in the check, wire them half of the money, take a portion of the money for yourself as your first payment, then use the rest of the money to shop at certain stores and write down your experience and then send them your report. Sounds easy but the moment you en cash the check, the bank and the police will be hounding you for cashing in a fake check / bounced check etc. The scammers get their money and you alone is left to face the prosecution of the bank . So be cautious and don't be fooled.

Kind Stranger

Kindness is a virtue not everyone has. Too often, we tend to repay kindness only to those who are nice and kind to us but I learned that by showing kindness to those who are mean, we can indeed heap coals on their heads and win them (Prov. 25:21-22).

I went to a college that was a 12 hour bus ride from my hometown, so going home was never frequent and it was always an anticipated break from my busy student life. One night, I decided to go home, it was a warm night, perfect for a long ride back home. It was almost midnight and I was a bit sleepy and drifted off to sleep as soon as I slumped onto my seat on the bus.

My trip to lala-land was cut short when the bus stopped and more people got on the bus. Then a blurry image of a man appeared beside me and I heard him say "is this seat taken?" Honestly I didn't want any seat mate for I planned to sleep on the empty seat, but I said "no the seat is not taken". So the man sat on the next to me and then I realized I made a big mistake! My seat mate talked a lot even I told him I was really sleepy, he still kept on talking and asking me questions which I answered with irritation, sarcasm and a dash of insult.

Hours passed and it was almost dawn when our bus stopped in the middle of nowhere. There was a commotion and I noticed the passengers where leaving the bus with their luggage. Confused, I went out of the bus to see what was happening. Well, our bus was stuck in a kilometer stretch of knee-high mud pile. The bus could not go any further and the only way to get out was to walk and brave the mud to the other bus waiting few kilometers away.

I tried to lift my luggage but it was too heavy. Jut then, someone offered to carry my luggage - it was my seatmate. Even though I was mean to him earlier, he was still kind enough to help me carry my luggage. With shame and gratitude in my heart, I let him carry my stuff and I carried his little back pack and together we walked through the mud pile - this time I was wide awake and was happy to talk.

Dakak Experience

My country Philippines is composed of over seven thousand islands - that means we have over seven thousand beaches to enjoy.

In 2007, we visited one of those many beaches. We went to DAKAK Beach Resort in Taguilon, Dapitan City.

Dapitan City is also the place where my country's national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal was exiled. The exhibit of some of his life's works are displayed in Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City.

It was my third trip back to Dakak but each time, I feel like seeing the place again for the very first time.

The trip going to Dakak was a long one but the reward of seeing the pristine waters, powdery white beach, lush mountain and blue skies was really worth it.

In 1994, Dakak resort was used as one of the official resort for the Miss Universe beauty pageant. Although it is not as 'grand' as it used to be, Dakak is still a must place to go - a perfect place for people looking for tranquility, privacy and relaxation.

Experience Dakak. Experience Philippines.

Camp Heritage

Last 2008, I had the chance to visit CAMP HERITAGE with some students from Summit View Adventist Elementary School. Their principal and fellow church member Mrs. Kathy invited me to be one of the students' sponsors for the outdoor class. I had a great time with the children and I also learned a lot from the lectures about trees, climate, survival in the woods, and etc. The scenic view was awesome but it was verrrry cold in the morning but other than that, everything was great including the food in the cafeteria. I am looking forward to another visit there.

Camp Heritage

Morning at the lake

Teachers/Sponsors and Students

Good Morning Sunshine!

Together with one of the students

New Year's Resolution

Do you have any new year's resolution this year? I do. (smile) I used to have resolutions like to exercise, to study hard, to be more friendly and nice (it's not that I am not friendly and nice).

So here goes my little new year's resolution.

• not to be too argumentative with my husband (too often I am right) hehehe
• smile often
• have more patience (i want to be patient - NOW)
• shed off some baby fats ( they dont have a variety of veges here)
• be early for the Sabbath School
• learn to like the cat that Shaun adopted
• be a better person and rise above my common self

May we all be blessed with patience and endurance to carry through our resolutions. Have a great New Year Everyone!

2008 - The Year That Was.

How was the year 2008 been to you?
Was it a bad or a good year? 
Have you been a better person this year or became worse? 
My 2008 is a memorable year. 
It is a year of change, adjustment and one heck of a roller coaster ride.  Relocation to a new country, marriage, marriage bliss, marriage woes, unemployment, bills, pregnancy, miscarriage - It all happened this year and I felt like I became 100 years older overnight.

Like the past years, this year has taught me life lesson. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, things wont come out the way we plan it. Shaun and I had plans and our plans didn't get through so the best thing to do was to get over it and to move on.  I also learned new appreciation to my country and work when I was already thousands of miles away.

I cried buckets this year but I also had my share of laughters and smiles. Loads of trials came my way but bountiful blessings were showered too. Through it all, the Lord never left me. He has been my comfort and guide this 2008. I thank Him for my husband, for my family back home, for blessing me with friends, my sansan, for shelter, for food, for health, for forgiveness, for Salvation and for love.

Overall, I think I am a better person now, some of my experiences were frustrating and sometimes I feel like giving up but I also believe that it is the darkest before the dawn. The next year will be better.

Best Server. Ever!

I know some people who go to their day to day job bored and tired, their job is a burden for them. I also know some people who find their job inspiring and fun regardless of the salary.

The day after Christmas, hubby and I stopped at Bob Evan's for dinner. There we met a bubbly, friendly, smiling waitress. Her personality is contagious I felt embarrassed for not smiling enough. We told her we were on a budget and she offered us the saver's menu for the ages 55 above! We got our food in less than 10 minutes and our waitress checked on us every time to give us more rolls. We enjoyed a sumptuous meal for a lesser price and a free chitchat with our waitress.

Our world would be a better place if we put our hearts in what we do. An old proverb says "If a work is worth doing, it is worth doing well". When work becomes fun - people can serve better, quality is made better and satisfaction is always guaranteed.

Be it as a surgeon or a garbage collector - 

“A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist”

Happy Holidays

How did you spend your Christmas holiday? My Christmas eve started bad since hubby and I had an argument but it turned out good before the night ended. We went to see the lights in downtown plaza. We were surprised to see a lot of people walking around the plaza enjoying the
lights!

 
On Christmas morning we shared a family meal together with Shaun's brothers and mom and step dad at his mom's house.




And oh, I got Christmas presents...two pair of boots from our friend Mamie!

It's Christmas !!!

This very moment, while I am sitting in front of the computer suffering from dry air and cold, my fellow men back home is celebrating Christmas with fireworks. Sometimes loneliness hit me with much pain and I tend to wallow in self pity as I ask my self what am I doing in this cold and lonely place. But then again I think of the real reason of the season - it is the birth of Jesus. So no matter where we are in the world, Christmas is Christmas because Jesus was born!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

My Christmas List

It's my first Christmas here in USA. . . what better way to start it than posting my Christmas wish list. Remember the time you make a christmas list with the hope that each every wish in the list will come true? I remember my excitement when i opened my christmas present to see the school bag i wished for. This Christmas, this is my wish list.

• A stronger relationship with God
• A healthy and happy marriage
• To be together with my whole family back in Philippines someday
• A fulfilling career in my chosen field
• A Job
• A Job
• A Job
• To make a difference, one life at a time
• Food for all the hungry
• Shelter for the homeless
• Education for everyone
• No more bullies and underdogs
• Cheap but quality products in the store
• To see my sansan again
• To be able to have a mini-me in the future

And above all, I wish that love and peace will abound in the whole world even for just a while.

Missing Philippine Christmas

Philippine Christmas is like no other. Even in the midst of financial crisis or natural disaster Filipinos were still able to find ways how to celebrate Christmas with cheer. The Christmas decorations need not be luxurious too. When I was younger, my Mother made a Christmas tree by coating a dead branch with white soap flakes that looked like icing! You will know it's Christmas when the wind starts to blow a lot cooler, when the vendors start displaying their lanterns on the side walks, children start making star lantern or parol from bamboo, and in some places, the local government puts up giant christmas trees for everyone to enjoy, some people put up the nativity scene made of corn husk and other indigenous products, and of course - you will know it's christmas when you hear the sounds of christmas. . . the ageless christmas songs on the radio like "pasko na naman", "himig pasko" among others, and the sound of the christmas carolers. Truly, there's no Christmas like pinas krismas.

Christ and Santa Claus

Christmas is here once again but it seems that the world has forgotten what Christmas is all about - and the world has seemed to replaced the reason of the season. Santa Claus and his elves and reindeer became the center of the season. Christ was placed somewhere else. To the younger generation christmas is a a time they get lots of gifts, candy and see santa claus. But Christmas is not all about Santa Claus - It is about the birth of Jesus and Jesus is the reason why we have Christmas. I found this little note about Santa and Jesus online. I do not know who wrote it but I want to share it.

Santa lives at the North Pole.
Jesus is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh.Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year.Jesus is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies.Jesus supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited.
Jesus stands at your door and knocks, and enters your heart.
You have to wait in line to see Santa.Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap.Jesus lets you rest in His Arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is
"Hi, little boy or girl, what's your name?"
Jesus knew our name before we did.
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our history and future,
and He even knows our hearts and
how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly.JESUS has a heart full of love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO .JESUS says, "Cast your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa may make you chuckle but.
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree.JESUS became our gift and died on the tree, For you and me.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember, WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas,
JESUS is still the reason for the season.
Yes, JESUS is better, He is even better than Santa Claus.
Merry CHRISTmas

Static Shock

Static electricity shocks -I am so sick and tired of it. My clothes cling to my skin like I'm a big chunk of magnet, my hair stands up when I brush them, Touching the doorknobs give me the shocks, and even touching or kissing my husband is giving me static electric shock.

So what is this static shock thing and why this thing happens? I remember my highschool teacher illustrate static electricity with a comb and shredded paper.

My friend google has this explanation:

Seventy percent of the human body is water and that makes us a walking conductors continuously conducting charges while performing normal activities.
The build-up of these charges in our body increases when air is dry and arid like in winter. The low level of moisture in the air and the dryness of skin does not provide much oppurtunity for the electrons gathered in the body to dissipate quickly and easily.
When a person comes in contact with a conductor like metals, the charge in the person's body gets transfered to the metal rapidly resulting in a static shock.

SOURCE

HOW TO LESSEN CHANCES OF SHOCKS

1. Humidify the air

2. Moisturize your body (lotions galore)

3. Walk barefoot or cover your foot with foil - what??? see source

4. Carry a coin or metal to use to touch grounded metal objects.

5. Use fabric softener on clothes.

6. Use clothing made of cotton or wool.

Black Friday

One of my many "firsts" experiences here in USA is the black Friday shopping. My friend Amy and I left home at four o'clock in the morning..yes 4am to beat the crowd in WALMART. There was a long long line of people wanting to grab one of the mammoth sized plasma tv on sale. Consumerism is rooted deep into the veins of those people I am sure. They do not NEED those plasma tv but they have to have it because their friends has it and they really wanted it. I am thinking what they will do with their old tvs - maybe sell it on a garage sale next spring.
Back to my black friday shopping - I got a vaccuum cleaner (our first brand new one). We were lucky to get out of walmart early and we hit KOHLS next but the queue to the check out counter is so unimaginably long we left without buying anything. Then we stopped at JC penny's and got some tights and winter gloves for me and shirts for Shaun. At 9 am, after five hours of roaming around, we were ready to go home and sleep. There's no guilt feeling for this shopping because we got what we NEED and not what we WANT.

My First Snow

Yesterday the snow poured, they covered the tree branches, the cars, roofs, ground, grasses, everywhere. The snow covered most of the things outside with a cold blanket of white. It's like waking up to winter wonderland :):) They were exactly what I was thinking about - just like the frost on the refrigerator roof.

My First Snow Ball

Nasty weather outside

They look like icicles found in the refrigerator "roof"