Back Again

Ok, I don't want to jinx this. But yes, here I am... back again. hahahaa.
I didn't write the whole 2014! Not a single post!

Today I decided to read through my entries and WOW... Im surprised at what I've written. I can see how I was going through a journey from 2007 to present.

This year I hope to write more about my testimonials of God's goodness and my aha moments as I go through life. I now have a separate blog for my work related stuff so I guess this one will be all about life and love.

Speaking of Love.. I am believing for divine connections this year... and the right one that just might lead me right back to love.. wait a minute, isn't that a song? Way back into love? hehehe...

I promise my posts will be more regular.
This time I will be more specific so I can be consistent.

As I've learned in ALOHA Seminars, To think is to create, To act is to achieve. :)

So here goes my bold statement, I commit to post at least 2 to 4 entries a month. And maybe when I get the hang of it, I'll do more.... baby steps first.. :)

Cheers to you my friend for taking the time to read my entry.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Jenne

For Those Seeking Healing

Christ the Healer is one of my subjects in Bible School this quarter and as part of our requirements, we are to get 2 people healed by ministering the Word and make a written report of it per person. Sicknesses like headache, toothache and fever not included! 

In my mind Im thinking, "You mean it has to be a major sickness like cancer, diabetes, blind or mute?!" and before I even expressed my thoughts, the teacher enumerated examples of sicknesses and everything in my thoughts were included.

Next question in my mind, "Whaat? Meee? Hooowww? What if the person I prayed for don't get healed?? waaaaaa......"

And again even before I express my thoughts, the teacher says, "Do not worry, It is not You who will do the healing, It is CHRIST in you who will!"

Oo nga naman! Pero still ang hirap labanan ng unbelief ko! Kaya ko ba yun? Oh my gulay...

And once again kahit wala naman akong sinasabi, the teacher says, "Remember in Ephesians 2:8-9 ....

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Now I'm thinking, "Grabe naman mind reader ang teacher.. hahahaha"

I thought about it further and realized hindi nga naman yan tungkol sa "works" or kung gano kahaba o kaganda ang prayer ko.. through Faith talaga. Para pag gumaling hindi ako ang glorified, kundi si God. Kse nga kung ako lang, Good luck tlga! hahaha...

So here I am, nearing our deadline for our healing reports (4days na lang) and wala pa po akong napapagaling... yikes.. (not a good example of a bible school student).. kse naman wala pa po akong pinag-p-pray! Duh! 

Once again I asked myself, "Self... hehehe.. what is holding you back from doing your healing project?" and the answer came to me through my notes which said, "You will not understand healing if you do not understand Faith!"

Ouch! parang tinamaan ako dun.. konti.. hehehe..  The truth is I am afraid to call upon Jesus to heal those critical illnesses and major sickness because I have not fully understood my faith.. or in other words, "You don't call because You don't believe..." As harsh as that may sound but there is truth to it. Im not writing this to make anyone feel condemned ok.... Im just writing about my own realizations and my own areas of improvement. Kse nga naman I have both belief and unbelief struggling at the same time!

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (Wow I got that one right, thanks to Pastor Allan--super paulit-ulit ang sentence na yan last quarter kaya na memorize ko na rin!)

SO bottomline, to understand Healing you need to understand Faith.
Faith is BELIEVING.
Believing in what?
In the Great Power of Christ.
But How?
Well, for those who Do Not know Jesus Christ yet as Lord and Savior, then you can receive your Spiritual Healing first by accepting HIM and have a personal relationship with HIM.

For those who have accepted Him already but have trouble believing in the great power of Christ (just like me--sometimes), get to know HIM better, seek HIM with all your heart, learn from HIM, fall in-love with HIM, stay focused on HIM. Always ask, what does the Word say? Read. Read. Read. Do it with an open heart and you will find Jesus Revealing things to you.

"For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved (healed)." Romans 10:13

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals ALL your diseases..." Psalm 103:2-3

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you maybe healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16

These are just some of the healing verses that I like very much. There are tons and tons of it in the Bible.. so much that you would be overwhelmed of how Healing is truly part of God's WILL for our lives!

Wow, Thank you Lord for these reminders :)  Now I feel I am in the right track of mind to complete my Healing Project. 

But Before ending this entry, I just want to share to you the contents of a healing pamphlet that my very lovely seatmate, Alicia, gave to me.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THOSE SEEKING HEALING

• MAKE SURE YOU ARE SAVED.
• Healing is important; salvation is much more important. Healing is for committed Christians cleansed by the blood of Christ (Matthew 15:26). The blood was first applied; then the oil which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Leviticus 14:14-18)

• CONFESS YOUR FAULTS. James 5:16
• Sin covered up in your life will hinder your healing. Many Children of God need to examine their hearts and be cleansed from secret faults (Psalm 19:12)

• PRAY THROUGH THE REAL FAITH. Hebrews 4:16 and 11:6
• Share your heart to God in secret and let Him speak to you clearly through His Word. Have no unconfessed sin between your soul and the Lord, so that you know you will be healed when you are anointed according to His word (James 5:14-15)

• READ HIS WORD TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH. Rom 10:17
• Get a promise from the Lord on which to build your faith. Doubt puts you out of touch with God; faith puts you in touch with Him, and help you to receive from Him the very thing you need (Mark 11:22-24)

• FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE WRONGED YOU. Mark 11:25-26
• An unforgivng spirit unfits you to approach a merciful God, and will keep you out of His presence forever unless you are cleansed from it (Matthew 18:23-35)

• MEDITATE ON THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST FOR YOUR SOUL AND BODY Matthew 8:17, Isa 53:4-5
• This teaching is fundamental for our healing as it is for our soul's salvation. "Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses" (Matt 8:17) Then we may go free from bodily as well as spiritual afflictions.

• SEEK CHRIST HIMSELF RATHER THAN HEALING. Philippians 3:7-8
• "That I may know Him." Dedicate yourself, spirit, soul and body to Him without reservation that he may preserve you blameless until His coming (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

• COME TO HIM IN DEEP HUMILITY. James 4:6-10
• A pround self-righteous spirit is an abomination to God. We are saved and healed not because we deserve anything from God, but because God desires to manifest His great mercy and grace through Christ who died for us (Isaiah 53)

• PRAISE HIM BY FAITH BEFORE YOU SEE OR FEEL THE EVIDENCE OF HEALING. Philippians 4:4-6
• Lack of praise is an evidence of lack of faith; for faith validates the promises and rejoices in them before there is any outward or visible evidence (Hebrews 11)

• CLAIM YOUR HEALING AND KEEP IT BY SUBMITTING TO GOD AND BY RESISTING THE DEVIL. James 4:7
• The devil does not want us to learn the way of faith and will try to break down our faith and to steal our victory. He frequently brings on us the old symptoms after we are healed by the Lord, to make us fear and doubt. We must have faith to take healing, and often, we need greater faith to keep our healing. Therefore we need to be consistent in praise. Pray with faith even after we are healed.

Please look up all the scripture texts.

I pray that the material above plus my personal notes have blessed you today.
If you want me to pray for your healing, feel free to email me at askjennetoday@gmail.com

Jenne

The Blogger is Back...

Well, hello there!

After months of on-and-off-and-on-again writing, I am back!
Yes I am back. :)

Bigger and Bolder.

This year 2013, I have taken the bold step of enrolling in Bible School! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you read it right :) I enrolled in New Life School of Ministry Bible School :)

I think after 3 years of contemplating, finally God has appointed my right time and season to receive so much word. And as I looked back at the entries I have in this little blog of mine, it seems that it was all lining up to this fantastic and extremely blessed moment in my life.

Ooohh so excited to fill up these pages with my many many learnings everyday.

I won't promise how many entries I will put (para di ma-stress) but I will surely write!
Not because I have so many readers out there.. hahahaha.. but because I want to record my wonderful experiences and look back to how insightful and truly blessed I am whether I am up or down.

Stay blessed and beautiful!

Jenne

The Kindness Challenge

Inspired by the wonderful articles by Celes Chua over at personalexcellence.co, I decided to join in The 14-day Kindness Challenge.

I missed out on 2days already due to on and off internet in my mobile phone and defective blackberry service..hmmmmm.. right after typing that, the more responsible side of me just made a comment.. naah... its probably just my dexification (*see my other post re: dexification) for being too lazy to go use my computer instead of my cellphone. hahahaha...

Anyways, here's the details of what I missed out on:
Day 1's Task was Hug at least 3 people.
Day 2's Task was to Give up your seat for someone else.

Because I've missed out on both tasks, I will attempt to do both tmrw including the task for Day 3 and share about it to my dear readers (yes, even if there's just 3 of you.. hahahaha.. just joking.. hopefully I will have more readers in the future)

If you're curious on what this Kindness Challenge is all about and maybe you would want to join also, check out this link:  http://personalexcellence.co/blog/kindness-day-1-hug/

I really liked the whole concept in Celes' website. It has inspired me to think outside of the box, that I too can possibly inspire people in big and small ways through a website. I can share to the world the concepts of  ALOHA (A Life Of Higher Awareness) Seminars (*see my other post re: Aloha) even in just a click of a button.. And who knows maybe along the way, I just might get invited to places and travel and share the philosophy of living a life of higher awareness too.

Here's to me being kinder in the next 12 more days.

Aloha,
Jenne

God-fearing vs God-loving

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." I forgot what verse this is.. but I remember it so clearly in one of Pastor Jeric Soriano's messages.

A good friend of mine asked me with exasperation, I don't get it?! why do christians say God-fearing instead of God-loving?!

Just like many other questions about Christianity I found it hard to explain exactly, the only answer I could surmise was the first sentence I wrote in this entry: THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. I furthered my point in saying when we fear the Lord its not referring to a negative connotation but to the HONOR we give to our Lord.

My friend then argued, then why not say love the Lord instead of fear the Lord?

Maybe I was a coward or not so well equipped to answer such questions.. but I didn't want to argue back some more.. hehe.. I might give a stupid explanation. So instead, I just said, it would be great if you could hear that message of Pastor Jeric, I'm sure you will be enlightened. I know I was. Then silently to myself I was praying IN JESUS NAME, IN JESUS NAME, IN JESUS NAME.. open my friend's heart and mind.. let him let you in Lord.. I know I can't give him the sufficient answers Lord.. only YOU can.

The next day after we talked about it, my friend told me, "I was reading the bible today and I think I found the answer to the Fear of the Lord... or at least part of it."

My friend read to me the verse in the bible where he found it. I was smiling all over.. LORD, you work pretty fast eh?! hehehe..

Today I read my entry and found more verses that might help enlighten my friend.
Maybe if this is your question also, this might enlighten you too..

Provers 2: 1-5
My son if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom
And apply your heart to understanding
Yes, if you cry out for discernment
And lift up your voice for understanding
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord
And find the knowledge of God.

I'm sure there are more verses out there to answer why Fear of The Lord but at least this can be a start. :)

Staying Positive

It's not easy staying positive.

It's not easy to look beyond what we see and feel right now.

I went to church today and the lyrics in the song Nothing is Impossible (by planetshakers) hit home... it said..

I'm not gonna live by what I see...

I'm not gonna live by what I feel...

That's exactly what we should speak over ourselves when things are so impossible in the body or in the present.. We need to speak against negative thoughts and feelings.. and stay in the presence of God..

It is not at all easy.. and we have to remind ourselves that it is not through our own efforts that we are able to attain peace or positivity lest we feel completely frustrated.

It is only in God's presence where we can find that "inner peace".

And for those who resist alot or have a whole lot of drama (like myself.. hehe), it doesn't happen overnight.. we have to consistently seek God, thirst for God and reach out to God.. it is an unending learning process on how to stay in His presence and each lesson just gets better and better every time.

I was searching through the internet on devotions about Luke 6:45 "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" and I chanced upon a page that has this prayer in the end.. which I copied and posted in my wall... I believe God wouldn't mind me copying the prayer that reached out to me.. and just might reach out to others.. :)

Here it is:

And here is a prayer I'd like to pray over myself.. Father I choose to put away all thoughts, words and deeds against others. I only listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and not the lies and ramblings of the enemy. When I behold the face of the Lord my focus is not distracted. The words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart become more acceptable with each passing day. The attitudes of my heart, which form my words, are submitted to the King of Kings. I have the mind of Christ and hold the thoughts and intents of His heart. Therefore, my words match up and come into agreement with His words. I take every contrary thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I surrender every word of my mouth to the scrutiny of the gospel. I am one who releases life and not death with my words. In Jesus Name, Amen

--------------

And for those of you who are interested in the full lyrics of the song Nothing is Impossible by Planetshakers.. here it is..

Through You I can do anything
I can do all things
'Cause it's You who gives me strength
Nothing is impossible
Through You blind eyes are open
Strongholds are broken
I am living by faith
Nothing is impossible
I'm not gonna live by what I see
I'm not gonna live by what I feel
Deep down I know that You're here with me
And I know that You can do anything
I believe, I believe
I believe, I believe in you

I Worship Jesus!

I got my son to attend Kids Camp 2011 in New Life. :)

It was a 4-day event and the main theme is: I WORSHIP JESUS!
I'm so glad I did. My son not only had fun and enjoyed every minute of it, he is now even more fired up in singing with me and the many christian music i play in the car while driving. In fact he even asks me to not sing with him so he can show that he can sing on his own now. :D

Here is our favorite.. and i think also the favorite of some people around me who always hear me sing it.. hehehe...

Our God
by Tom Colin

Water You turned into wine
Open the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

CHORUS
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

Into the darkness you shine
Out of the ashes we Rise
There’s no One like You
None like You.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

BRIDGE (*this is the part where joey gets really excited and fired up.. hehe)
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

-----------

I've been singing this song since February of this year.. Most especially during the times when I feel so down and out with Dad being sick.. and even more when Dad died...
I especially love the lyrics that says, if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us and if our God is with us, then what can stand against???

I use those words to counter any form of worry, despair and depression!
It is simply amazing to hold on to it... cause if we truly believe that God is for us and with us, then we have nothing to worry about.

He will provide and He will lead us to the right path.

Try searching this song in Youtube.
I am sure you will feel God in every line and you will feel very blessed.
I know I have. :)

Delegate

My reading of last week still echoes in my head and it says: "Moses' Father in law replied, 'What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you, you cannot handle it alone" --Exodus 18:17-18

Akalain mo yun. hehehe.. there is actually a verse/s in the bible that addresses my being a workaholic and always taking on everything on my own.. hahaha... I was smiling while reading this as it spoke so loudly to me.. WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS NOT GOOD. hahahaha... and it goes on to say.. YOU CANNOT HANDLE IT ALONE... :D :D :D hihihi.. kakatuwa tlga si Lord.. ang galing galing nya mag remind kung san ako nagkukulang..

So this weekend with what my title indicates, which is by the way The word to take with you today, DELEGATE... I delegated a whole lot of tasks this weekend :)

This weekend I had 2 bridal car accounts, 1 catering event, 1 exhibit event, 2 client meetings, 1 food tasting client, plus an overnight outing in San Mateo Rizal and a swimming event for Joey's school! and I was able to make all of it happen without me physically being there in all of it! (i only attended the outing and the swimming hehehe) yipeeee... I actually put into action the word DELEGATE and actually trusted and had faith in my staff that they can do it... :)

And I feel happy and refreshed that I got to spend time with joey and relax a little bit.
I'm really very happy that the Lord is working inside of me.

I liked what my devotional book said about this topic:
Many women.. (and men too!) struggle with the "need" to please everyone. But we simply can't be everywhere at once. We can't even do everything we would like to do. Trying to be all things to all people puts on the fast track to burnout! (yes that is me.. hehe) But when we delegate, we are freed up to focus on the things GOD has given us to do.

Delegating also creates the opportunity for another capable person to grow into a new role. (CORRECT! :) ) The people around Moses might never have become leaders if he hadn't given them the opportunity. It's the same for us today. Sometimes the best thing we can do for others AND ourselves is to step aside so someone else can step up. (TAMA................... hahahaha)

Correct diba?! hehe... jenne step aside na kse so someone else can step up.. hahaha..
Its funny my cousin asked me in a sarcastic manner.. is it your rule in the office to call you all the time? they cannot move if you are not there? hahahahaa... I was laughing but that actually made sense.. bakit nga ba, lahat ng bagay kelangan itawag sa akin, pati mga simpleng bagay kelangan ako pa rin ang magdecide?! why?

Then my cousin followed up by saying, in my office, they will only call me if they cannot solve the problem anymore. Takot lang nila tawagan ako dahil makakarinig sila saken.. hahaa...

So its like all-week God is really pointing out the message of DELEGATE :)

The reflection questions on my devotional book asked these questions:
What are your highest priorities? can you release a current responsibility to someone else and encourage that person to grow? What chores can you delegate to your children so they can grow and learn to serve others?

My answer to this is... my highest priorities are 1)my personal relationship with God. 2)my quality time with my son. 3)my efficient and effective management skills for my business.

There is definitely a whole lot of current responsibilities that I can release to others particularly my staff both office and household. And after much thought about this topic, I'm now looking forward and excited to help other people grow in their responsibilities. Gotta let go of my being tooooooo obssessive-compulsive about work. Gotta let go of getting too wound up about things when it doesn't go right (haha.. goodluck to me on this one!.. im almost always too stressed out when my staff does things wrong... but i'll definitely try my best)

So thank you Lord for your wonderful, loud and clear message. DELEGATE :)
It will surely do me some good.. and maybe, just maybe... to my dear reader, it will do you some good too.

Big Girls Don't Cry

Have you ever been in-love?

Have you ever been broken hearted?

For all of us who have been there, you know what I mean when I say, it ain't easy.. it ain't easy at all. My good friend who has 4kids now, even told me it breaks her heart even more when she realized that all her children will have to go through the same pain and hardship of going through a heart-break. She asks herself, how am I to comfort them when that time comes, when she knows there's really no way around it.

You're probably thinking I'm in-love right now.. or maybe the other option--broken-hearted right now.. hehehe.. EHNGK>> wrong answer.. I'm neither! (did that sound like a buzzer.. hehe.. i don't know how to write the sound of a buzzer.. hahaha)

Well, the reason I wrote this post is because I have a group-singing gig coming up and we're singing Big Girls Don't Cry (by Fergie). And going through the lyrics reminds me of that broken-hearted feeling.. I never really took notice of the song's lyrics before but if you read through it, it actually has a very good message.. A message of getting back on your feet and finding yourself..

As I sing it over and over so I can memorize my part.. hehe.. I'm actually loving it.. Especially the part where it says... I have to be with myself and center, CLARITY, PEACE, SERENITY.

Wow! so perfect.. I should've learned this song when I was broken hearted.. It would have made me feel a little bit better... hahaha..

Do you know what serenity means? As my mom always prays... God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. And that's exactly what we need to ask for when we're broken hearted.. when we're down and out.. when things don't go the way we want it to.. To Learn to Accept Things We Cannot Change.

We cannot change the reality that the people we used to love, don't love us anymore. We cannot change the reality that the person you dream about is already someone else's love. We cannot change the reality that the people you depend on, has already gone.

Or maybe the positive leads you were working so hard on, went with another company instead. Or maybe the success and fame that you used to have, has faded.

So many things we cannot change.. but the song goes on and says..

"But I've got to get a move on with my life."

and the punch line ofcourse goes like this..

"Its time to be a big girl now... And Big Girls Don't Cry"

I love the song now.

It's very real yet empowering.

Thank GOD, I'm a "little bit" of a BIG Girl now.. ;)

How about you?

-----

LYRICS

Big Girls Don't Cry

by Fergie

The smell of your skin lingers on me now

You're probably on your flight back to your home town

I need some shelter of my own protection, baby

To be with myself and center

Clarity, peace, serenity

CHORUS:

I hope you know, I hope you know

That this has nothing to do with you

It's personal, myself and I

We've got some straightenin out to do

And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket

But I've got to get a move in with my life

It's time to be a big girl now

And big girls don't cry

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry

The path that I'm walkin, I must go alone

I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown

Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they

And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay

-CHORUS-

BRIDGE:

Like the little school mate in the school yard

We'll play jacks and Uno cards

I'll be your best friend and you'll be mine

Valentine

Yes, you can hold my hand if you want to

Cause I want to hold yours too

We'll be playmates and lovers

And share our secret worlds

But it's time for me to go home

It's getting late, dark outside

I need to be with myself and center

Clarity, peace, serenity

-CHORUS-

Balance

A friend once told me you need to create balance.
One of the many services at New Life that stuck to me was about balance.
I know of so many instances that I told myself I will create balance in my life.

But how exactly do we do that?
How exactly do "I" do that?
With work biting me in the ass.. How the !@#@$ do I do that?

I take joey to his different classes--swimming, tennis, dance, etc. Does that count as balance?
I eat breakfast or brunch with ma now.. does that count as balance?
I go ballroom dancing once in a while.. does that count as balance?
I go to church on wednesdays or sundays... does that count as balance?
I cleaned "some" of my drawers (hehe).. does that count as balance?
I'm back on my feet writing again... does that count as balance?
Hey I might even be considering having a love life sometime in this lifetime.. does that count as balance?? heheheh...

I go back to where I started.. and my work challenges didn't change.. so i still end up stressed..
Hmmmmmm......

Maybe if I ramp up the speed on considering a love life, maybe the stress would change?? hmm... nahhh... i might even get worse.. hehehehe...

Balance.. balance.. balance...

How do we do get to do that?
I really don't know..
But I'll keep trying.. when I've figured it out.. I'll let you know..

Cheers!

Pardon my post...
My post seems senseless.. hahaha...
I don't think you got anything from reading this :p

I do not eat the bread of idleness

This holy week has been most productive for me.

It all started when I dreamt of my dad telling me to go through my things cause I still had some stuff left. In my dream it was tagalog.. hehe.. dad said, "Anak tignan mo pa dun, may mga gamit ka pa do'n"

The whole dream was quite weird but an urging in my spirit was telling me.. go.. go.. go and take baby steps in orderliness.. So I did :D

If you know me, you'd know I'm ms. "tambak" hehehe..
When my table gets too cluttered, what I do is I take out all the clutters on my table and shove it to a basket or a rack or a corner.. hahaha.. and allow it to collect as much dust as it can! Or until my mother begins to yell at me.. hehehe... But now that I'm all grown up I think my mother gave up on yelling at me altogether.. and she's probably making use of the power of prayer instead to get my ass moving.. hahahaha... :p Hey, I'm being honest here.. its not easy to admit that.. but yes I am Ms. "tambak"

It has always been part of my prayer to God to help me overcome this weakness of mine. And I believe it is really a long process on how God works on us.. It's never a quick fix with God.. It all starts with a heart that seeks.. and it has to continue on with a heart that seeks him even more...

I finished cleaning my desk and drawers! I still have one big shelf left.. but overall my office area is pretty much neat and clean already!! I can't believe it.. hahaha.. My "tambak" has been in the box for over a year! bwahahahaa... And now IT'S CLEAN! :) :) :)

When I finished everything.. I remembered there is a verse in the bible that talks about being clean and organized .. So I looked it up... and its in my favorite chapter Proverbs 31.

And it said on verse 27:
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Yes! Yes! Yes! I am a success! I did not eat the bread of idleness during this Holy Week :)
I am so happy about myself.

I am a work in progress.

Thank you Lord.
This Easter Sunday, we remember Jesus Christ and it brings me to tears thinking about what He has done for us.... to die for our sins.. to save us from our past.. to redeem us... even though we do not deserve it.. but by GRACE we have been saved.
Oh dear Lord, thank you for your son Jesus.
Thank you Thank you Thank you.

I offer my baby steps of cleanliness and orderliness to You Lord.
I know You are smiling back at me.. You're probably saying.. Finally! my daughter listened! hehehe... I love you Lord and Thank you Thank you Thank you.. for I know You are working inside of me.

FC Tips 101: Envelope

I remembered a learning the other day when I visited a wake.. I made a mental note of the lesson to remember as a tip for funeral coordination.. and the lesson is..

#1 Must Have Empty Envelopes. :)

For what? you might ask.. hehe.. Well its for those people who want to give "abuloy" but don't have an envelope to put it in. :D

I was with my cousin when we visited the wake and because we didn't have an envelope, you know where she ended up inserting the money? in an empty sim card envelope.. hehehe... we gave the envelope and her friend said, ano 'to Load? hahahaha.... So lesson is... must have empty envelopes.

More tips next time...

Funeral Coordinator

Days has passed and the more I feel my calling in being a funeral coordinator.
Beyond the potential amount of money that can be earned *which I have yet to figure out..., I truly feel for everyone who has experienced a death in the family.

The concept of having a funeral coordinator is quite foreign to us Filipinos. Much like how people viewed wedding coordinators in the years back. So lets ask the important question, WHY? Why do you need a funeral coordinator?

With everything that has happened to me and our family, this is what I have surmised.
1. You need a funeral coordinator because you need a person of sound mind and heart to assist you in the decisions you have to make for the funeral.

2. You need a funeral coordinator because you need a person who will safeguard and protect your welfare from numerous people who take advantage of your grief and disorientation.

3. You need a funeral coordinator because you need a person who will guide you through the processes of death to the wake to the interment.


I remember that last few minutes of my dad, all the nurses were running around like headless chickens figuring out why they couldn't get his BP. Until finally they've concluded there was no more pulse. Time of Death 4:09 AM, the doctor said out loud. Then came silence.. a long silence... tears falling.. all i could do was rub my dad's cold feet and over and over again I whispered I Love You Dad.. I Love You Dad.... We were all at a loss... what now? what do we do now? My mom and I staring at blank space. Our minds floating in the air as if time has stopped and the world is moving in slow-mo.. or maybe it was because we were not moving at all..

My sister arrived and the OC that she is, she kept telling the nurse and doctors what happened? what else can we do? ganun na lang yun? wala na ba tayong magagawa pa? wala na ba kayong gagawin pa? she was practically harassing them.. Well, I can't blame her.. my sister has done everything she could in the last three months and why wouldn't she do the same on the last hour.. Just to calm her down, I had to tell her definitively "Wala na ate jack. Wala na si Dad. It's done". Tears again...

The doctors say you need to wait 45 minutes before they move the body. Silence again.......
It was like we were all in a trance or in tagalog.. tulala.. I thought to myself.. Pano ba ang mamatayan? Ano ba ang ginagawa pag ikaw ay namatayan?

You get blown by the wind and you just flow.. you don't even know where you're going..

Barely an hour and a half from my "tulala" self and just right after the Private Nurse asked permission to leave, my mother tells me the cash money I gave her the night before is missing. In all our "kaguluhan" we were not able to secure her bag.. Then I checked my bag, and my cash was gone toooooo!!!!!!! The part that's even more frustrating is that where our bags are placed are inside the room where only the Private Nurse and Close Family can go to.. So either we all stole from each other (which would be pointless) or the Private Nurse did it! waaaaaaaaaaa..........
My tears of loss is now turned into anger! How can people do that? In the middle of your grief, they steal from you??? WTF!

Just right there in that moment, I knew the cheaters, swindlers and victimizers of the world makes no exemptions in death. In fact they probably celebrate your loss and vulnerability for its their perfect time to attack and the worst part is sometimes you wouldn't even know they already duped you.

Sorry to sound so negative, but its really the sad truth. From hospitals, to memorial services even florists and other suppliers.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying everyone is like that, but I'm saying if you don't have a funeral coordinator of sound mind and heart, you just might end up with the cheaters.

I hope you got something out of my post.
It sure makes me feel better writing about it.

I am a work-in-progress.
I can sense, my calling for funeral coordination can go leaps and bounds.

I'll write more of my learnings in the days to come.

My head is hurting

Going through old pictures and finally downloaded all pictures in my phone.
Who wouldn't cry again and have a big headache after seeing these..

I miss you Dad..
I love you Dad...

Amidst my tears, I hold on to my verse this week that says....
"And the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, will guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus."

Yes Lord, grant me Your peace.

Be Anxious for Nothing

In other words, DO NOT FRET or WORRY.
Instead of worrying... PRAY :)

I think this is truly the perfect verse to go over and over again for me.
For all the worry warts out there like me, this is the perfect verse to hold on to..
hehehehe...

Be Anxious for NOTHING!
But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to GOD....

Yes, that's right, go ahead and let your requests be made known to GOD.. In other words, TELL HIM! Tell the heavenly Father your requests.. and don't just whine and whine and whine all day... hehehehehe...

So let's focus on those two simple points...
1) Do not Worry--be anxious for nothing.
2) Pray--tell God your requests.

I think I can do that.
Can you do that?
;)

On the 11th of April 2011

Is my mother's birthday.

Happy birthday Ma!

She turns 58 today.

And my memory verse for the week is:
Philippians 4:6-7
(NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

:)

I wish the world would stop.

Sometimes I wish the world would just stop.
I wish my world would take a halt so I can have time to breathe..
So I can have time to cry..
So I can completely mourn over my loss..
So I can see what else is still here..
So I can enjoy some time alone..
So I can be ok.

But our worlds don't stop.
It just keeps going.... and going... and going...
The world moves.. and in my moments of grief, I'm not sure if I can move with it.
But I have to...

So I keep at it..
Fake it til I make it.

Sometimes we think its easier to deny sadness or grief..
For the most part where you drown yourself in busy-ness--its easy.. until it hits you..
And you realize, you're not ok... I'm not ok..
I am grieving.

As my friend tells me.. it comes in waves..
I hope the next wave doesn't hit as bad.

----
Philippians 4:6-7
(MSG)
Don't fret or worry.
Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

In my weakness

"God loves to use weak people."
That is what I read today...
And how appropriate it is at this time of Lenten Season.

It's so true that usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them and even resent them. When what God wants us to do is to accept them, be content with them and honestly share it with others so that God can use our weakness for his glory.

So in my continuing journey with God, here I am before you accepting, being content and honestly sharing my weakness.

1. I hate waking up early. I really do. Sometimes even when I purposely want to wake up early in the morning, I end up waking at 9am, 10am or even worse 11am! And because I know I have a hard time waking up early, when I have a very important task to do or a function coming up or an early morning meeting.. I stay up as late as I can so I don't have to sleep at all... haha.. talk about solutions huh... (Today however, for some reason God woke me up at 3am and won't let me go back to sleep.. So here I am writing this entry at 5am..)

2. I am not a "home" person.. something my mother's not so happy about.. I don't normally cook, clean, do the laundry, iron clothes etc.... haaysss... its just not my normal self and I am sometimes ashamed of it. I usually defend it by saying, I work all the time and don't have time for it... when in truth it's really just my weakness. Because I'm sure there are tons of people in the world who can work hard and do home chores too..

3. I am equally guilty of not working out my relationship with my ex-husband. Now, here's something that's hard to admit, be content with and honestly share with others. But yes, ladies and gentlemen, i am equally responsible for it. My short lived marriage (barely one year) has been a big bump in my head that made me realize that relationships take a WHOLE LOT OF WORK! I've realized how selfish I can be and how impatient and unforgiving I can be too. I've made myself look good to my family and friends by telling them all the ugly things about my ex.. when in truth, i was equally ugly myself.

In my weakness I ask God what his purpose is.
In my weakness I lift up my hands and surrender.
In my weakness I shut up and listen...
In my weakness I allow God to work through me.

In my weakness, I manage to put a smile in my heart.. cause I know I'm in good hands... (with metrobank.. haha.. joke) With God of course. :)

If you are reading this, I hope it has caused you to think about how God is going to use your weakness for his glory too..

Maybe next time I'll write about how my honesty has helped others too.

This is it for now.. till my next entry!

Forgiving in order to be forgiven.

Today I was just talking with my friend Ellen about relationships and how sometimes its so hard to forgive and forget. We were just casually talking and then she said that God said something about forgiving others so that He will forgive us also..

Then tonight, while I was doing my book reading with Joey... Voila! In Mark 11:25, the verse she was talking about was right there! hehehehehe.... Wow... isn't that amazing?! So as soon as joey fell asleep, I texted her right away the exact verse that I read... "And Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your father in heaven may forgive your sins."

Ang galing talaga.. na-aliw ako.. hehe.. I'm sure that's no coincidence.. Meant to be talaga na mahanap ko yung verse na yun para ma-ishare ko kay Ellen.

Here's the other verse that struck me while reading. Which is, incidentally, the verse right before the one that I just wrote. It says, "Therefore I say to you, whatever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24

ASK-BELIEVE-RECEIVE-HAVE.... what powerful words.

So, Lord, I ask, believe, receive and have a worry free Boracay Vacation.. hehehehe :)

I know and I believe. :)

'Till my next post!

PS. No, that picture above was not taken today.. haha... It was taken during Mai's Wedding last February 2009.

Happy Birthday Joey!

A few hours before June 26, 2009.. so technically its advanced Happy Birthday Joey! hehe..
Joey is turning 5 years old tomorrow and we are having a simple birthday celebration in his school. I'll be bringing some spaghetti and cake for his classmates and teachers :)

It's ironic for a party person like me (who've had fabulous birthday celebrations year after year since 7 until I was 21) not to mention our family having a catering and events company... to be having such simple parties.

But I realized now that I'm all grown up (hehe..) and with a son to raise, that we do not need to spend unnecessarily. Especially for kids who would probably hardly remember how their birthday was at 2-3-4-5 or 6 years old.. I feel its not practical to be spending too much. (Kaya pala sabi nila pag 1yr old, 7years old and 18years old lang bongga ang party... hehe)

A birthday has always been a special day for you to feel special. And for you to feel special, its not so much about having big parties.. but rather having special people tell you that they love you, care for you and wish all the best for you.. The Big Hugs and Big Kisses are the main event.. hehe.. You can have the biggest and most fabulous and most expensive birthday party and yet its still possible that you won't feel as happy or as special.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying I'm against parties.. haha.. of course not.. that's our business diba?! I'm just saying I'm pro practical and pro quality over quantity.. hehehe...
Tumatanda na rin siguro ako, kaya nai-intindihan ko na ang mga bagay-bagay na'to.. hahaha...

Let's not be one day millionaires, but instead spend and save wisely. :)
And that my friends is what I hope to inculcate in my son's mind as well.

Thank you Lord for giving Joey another year.
I pray for continued protection, good health, mind and body.
We praise and thank you Lord for your great great Love.
Lord, help me raise Joey according to your plans.
In Jesus Name, We pray AMEN!

PS.
I'll post his picture here tomorrow. :)

'Til my next post!