Roxanne Needs Us!

I am not one to judge a book by its cover. But when I first saw a picture of Roxanne, the first thought that came to mind was Beauty. That was over 6 years ago, when I first met her older sister, C. C and I were part of an e-parenting group and shared parenting tips and secrets over emails. We eventually found ourselves closer friends than ever when we got together to help out a "friend" who was then starting out in show business. Today, C is one of my trusted and closest friends.

Roxanne is anything but ordinary. This chinita lady has features that make young men take that second look, and rightly so, as she is a beautiful girl. You'd, however, be surprised to find out that Roxanne has autism because her beauty overwhelms the beholder. Yes, she was diagnosed at age 3. Since then, she has been schooled at Teacher-Mom, a special school that caters to special needs. It was in school that they saw bowling potential in her. Thus, she was taught proper form and technique. The rest is history.

Today, Roxanne is a top bowler in her field. She has represented our country in special bowling tournaments, and have taken home medal after medal.

2010 SPECIAL OLYMPICS NATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP (Starmall, Mandaluyong City)
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
GOLD MEDALIST - Team

2010 EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER’S FOUNDER’S CUP

Champion

2009 SPECIAL OLYMPICS NATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP (Pangasinan)
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
GOLD MEDALIST - Team

2008 FIRST UNIFIED INVITATIONAL GAMES (Baguio City)
GOLD MEDALIST - Team

2007 SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD SUMMER GAMES (Shanghai, China)
SILVER MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
BRONZE MEDALIST - Team

2006 SOP NATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
GOLD MEDALIST - Team

2005 SOP NATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
GOLD MEDALIST - Team

2005 SPECIAL OLYMPICS SINGAPORE NATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP
SILVER MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles

2004 10th SOP NATIONAL GAMES
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
SILVER MEDALIST - Team

2003 WORLD SPECIAL OLYMPICS SUMMER GAMES (Dublin, Ireland)
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
GOLD MEDALIST - Doubles
GOLD MEDALIST - Team

2002 4th SPECIAL OLYMPICS ASIAN INVITATIONAL COMPETITION (Malaysia)
GOLD MEDALIST - Singles
BRONZE MEDALIST - Team

Rox or Bruski, as she is fondly called by friends, will be representing the Philippines once again at this year's World Special Olympics Summer Games, happening in June and IN GREECE! Sadly, our country's special athletes receive NO FUNDING from government (if there are funds, Roxanne hasn't received a single centavo). Although Roxanne and her friends are members of SPABA*, we have learned that the athletes need to raise funds on their own, as monetary help from the Philippines' Special Olympics Organization trickle, if at all, to their subsidiaries. Rox has even resorted to making and selling special paper cards to fund her participation in competitions! One of her supporters is Arnold "Igan" Clavio, who once organized a special Wish Ko Lang event to support Roxanne's endeavors in bowling.

In order for special athletes like Rox to represent the Philippines in Greece, they have to seek help from private citizens like you and me. Funding is no joke, especially since we are talking about airfare amounting to approximately $1,200! Yes, and that's just for the plane tickets and travel taxes alone.

Let us not forget our special athletes! They bring home the gold and make us proud!

To support Roxanne Ng, you may get in touch with Cinderella Ng-Choa via email. Or contact Roxanne's head coach, Ma. Cristina Gacuma (Director, SPECIAL OLYMPICS PHILIPPINES) at 0917.8377092 or via landline at 824-2851. You may also email her through spaba.phil@gmail.com or through teachermomspecialschool@yahoo.com. Please indicate that you are sponsoring Roxanne Ng for the 2011 World Special Olympics Summer Games.

To get updates on Roxanne Ng, check out her Facebook Page here. To know more about Teacher-Mom Special School, visit them on Facebook here or check them out on Multiply here.

* SPECIAL ATHLETES BOWLING ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (SPABA), INC. is an organization devoted to promoting the sport of tenpin bowling among special athletes, among other things. SPABA is under the umbrella of Special Olympics Philippines, Inc., an affiliate of Special Olympics International founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. All organizations are non-stock, non-profit, humanitarian organization created to help individuals with intellectual disability achieve their potentials through an organized year-round program of sports training, athletes' competition and recreation and its affiliate.

Be Encouraged!

This made me tear up. Charlyne Cares Weekly is a free devotional from Rejoice Marriage Ministries. To subscribe to their devotional, sign up at www.rejoiceministries.org.

"Stop Looking At Your Circumstances!"

Are you tired of all the turmoil in your life? Are you tired of all your marriage problems that you are facing today? How often are you tempted to throw in the towel and give up on your marriage ever being restored, since the circumstances seem impossible? Do not be afraid. Trust in your Lord. God can bring good out of your marriage problems, trials or tribulations that you are going through if you will obey the Lord.

Today I was very distressed when I was reading our email. It seemed that every email I opened the bottom line was: "My circumstances are unbelievable." I read email throughout this week that says: "My pastor or associate pastor or counselor or pastor's wife or attorney say that I need to let my spouse go. One pastor said, 'I do not see a future for you and your spouse.' Another pastor said: 'Get a divorce, your spouse has committed adultery. You have the escape clause in Matthew 19.'" I read the next email which said: "I don't think I can handle much more pain and rejection. I was the one that caused our marriage problems so my spouse feels 'justified' and is carrying a lot of unforgiveness." Other standers this week have been saying, "I hurt too much. My spouse says that they are happy and never coming home. My spouse is going to Divorce Recovery. I am too wounded and tired to fight any more. When do you just listen to everyone else and give up? What should I do?"

My prayer is that you will learn to "Stop looking at your circumstances and listening to everyone else, except the Holy Spirit, the greatest Counselor!" I learned at the beginning of my stand it was all about the power of God and God's plan for my marriage and family.

Do you know our testimony? I divorced Bob. I went to my pastor and told him "everything." I told him from beginning to end, even though Bob had repented previously and I had forgiven him. I brought everything back up! I listened to my pastor as he said Bob was never go to change! Yes, my pastor said that. Why? I believe all pastors hurt for the husbands and wives who are going through so many horrible circumstances of marriage problems. Instead of believing for sinners' hearts to be touched and changed and then for marriage restoration, they are giving the hurting spouses an easy way out. They are not living in faith, hope and believing in God's Word for daily living. May you and I always pray for all the Men of God who have such a huge responsiblity being the pastor as the spiritual leader for God's children in God's church.

In reality, Bob did not want the divorce. He was trying to speak reconciliation, but I did not believe him anymore. My heart had become hardened. I had an appointment to go back and speak to our pastor. Bob arrived and our associate pastor told Bob he would have to leave. Bob was devastated. He wanted to talk to both the pastor and myself to work out how we could restore our marriage. The enemy had now blinded me to not believing Bob's heart had softened and was repentant. Just imagine if the associate pastor had taken Bob into his office and opened up God's Word and ministered God's mercy, grace and forgiveness to him. Our divorce may have been stopped forever in 1985. Divorce is still an epidemic in our churches! We need to continue to proclaim to others every day, God does heal hurting and dead marriages!

How was our marriage restored? Bob started dating and going on with his life. But God! Two months after our divorce and me crying out to the Lord every day for the pain in my heart, God sent a couple to our church with a restored marriage. They spoke their testimony to our church family for two services. God is so faithful. He knew my heart and knew I had been deceived by the lies of the enemy, satan. That night my spiritual journey started.

What is the answer for your marriage, your future, your fears, and your hopelessness? Let me share a scripture that the Lord gave me at the beginning of my stand:

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:22-25

What I learned and still teach now is that you personally must "Let go and let God" move your mountain of circumstances. You cannot move or beg or manipulate any of your circumstances. Your response is living a life of faith and obedience in what you know you must do by praising and praying daily. Start each day by reading God's Word. Then put the Armor of God on yourself, your husband or wife and children. Always be sensitive and ready to be obedient to what the Lord may tell you to do. For the Maker is your husband for this season of your life.

"Let go and let God" deal with your husband or wife and all your marriage problems you may be facing right now. May I suggest that you lay all your problems at the foot of the Cross and surrender everything to your Lord for Him to handle them in His perfect will and way daily. Then ask the Lord to help you be a lighthouse wherever you may work or play.

What does the Lord say to you right now? Did Jesus die on the cross for all sinners? How can we ever forget about all the miracles our Lord did here on earth? Have we forgotten about the prodigal son and Saul who was touched by the Lord on the Damascus Road and he was changed and transformed into a man of God to preach the Gospel who was previously torturing Christians? (Acts 9). Is anything too hard for God? Our ministers, priests or rabbis are God's messengers to present the Gospel and to minister God's Word to their flock of sheep. Due to their lack of knowledge of marriage restoration, there are some who have accepted divorce in their churches and are putting your marriage into a casket when the Lord is speaking marriage restoration, love, faith, hope and trust to you personally!

Listen to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you over and over again. Seek the Lord for His personal answer for your own covenant marriage. Will you remove all your doubt and unbelief and choose to believe for your marriage, your financial problems, for your teenagers' problems and even for your own health problems?

Do not give up on your Lord God! Do not grumble and complain to your Lord about all your circumstances. He knows and sees everything. May you and I never forget the Word of God as we glean wisdom, knowledge and guidance that we need to apply to our daily lives from its pages. Allow Him to fight your daily battles by you praying and "letting go and letting God" turn your circumstances around to good. You need to believe and deepen your faith, trust, knowledge and understanding of God's mighty power which will help you pick up your cross and follow the Lord all the way to your marriage being restored.

Today do not give up on your Lord God. In fact - stop looking at your circumstances! Yes, you may be hurting and bleeding due to the attacks of the enemy, but cry out to your Lord. Choose to surrender your will and way to His divine plan and purpose in your life and marriage. Never give up on what the Lord can do for your marriage or someone else's marriage you are praying for. Pick up your cross and follow your Lord's instructions. There is victory in Jesus Christ! He will direct your steps into victory. In the future, you will be able to share the power of your Lord Jesus Christ in restoring and rebuilding your marriage to many others if you will wait for your miracle of marriage restoration!

He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:3-4

Piso for Your Thoughts

I am thinking I should re-publish all those blog posts I hid back in 2009. I mean, looking at my blog history on the sidebar, parang how sad naman that I only have few posts up for view. I have tons hidden - due to privacy, controversy, bitter and anger content, etc.

So should I? What do you think?

A's Lunch Today

A has been asking for Spam. It's been a while since she's had any. We try to limit our processed food intake to a monthly treat (but yea, more like a weekly treat in my house O_o). So decided I was going to be nice and give in to her wish.

I wasn't able to make her bento lunch yesterday. We were running late. RL has been having a hard time sleeping at night, due to odd nap hours in the office. He should be napping by 1pm, but lately, he's been staying up 'til 4pm, napping 'til past 6pm. So it takes a while (a long while!!!) to get him to sleep at night. Tuesday night, he was awake 'til 230am of Wednesday (nyar).

So yea, the early-morning-bird in me was JUST A PHASE. LOL! I'm back to the night-owl-K.

Today, I tried to make her lunch extra special. I still need to dig out my new bento stash (still in boxes from the move). I was thinking of doing a Hello Kitty-themed lunch. I have bread presses that are fun to use. So I used the small bread cutters on the Spam slices to make silhouettes of Kitty and her friend Bear.

Hello Kitty and Bear Spam slices. Cute, no?

I planned on doing just bread and Spam. But my daughter is a rice person. When I mentioned I was making her Hello Kitty bread, she looked at me and said "But mom, I want rice!" LOL. So I made Spam Fried Rice to go with her extra Spam pieces, and limited the bread to a few pieces (for extra cuteness lang, hehe).

2-yolk egg for the Spam Fried Rice.

So there. Hello Kitty Spam on a bed of Spam Fried Rice, with a few pieces of Hello Kitty and Bear bread for extra cuteness. LOL!

RL thinks Bear is Special Agent Oso. Pwede!

Close Up. Sorry, old phone cam again. (Must get an S95 soon!)

5 Things I Need Right Now.

I need a break.

If I could get away, I'd want to do these things:

1. Go on a vacay.

2. Get a massage.

3. Go to the beach and sleep.

4. Stay in bed the whole day and watch Junior Master Chef.

5. Snuggle with someone special. (guffaw!)

I need a nanny.

If my old nanny comes back, or if I find a new one, I'd be able to:

1. Watch a movie with my girlfriends.

2. Go shopping with A! (I wanna go to Divi, too!)

3. Finally go on that road trip to Clark.

4. Go Klang-Klang with my godmother, B. :)

5. Sleep.

I need a raise.

Well, not necessarily at work. I just need to up my personal budget because of all the things I've been doing lately. Haha, read: overworked and unappreciated. If I had more moolah, I'd be...

1. Buying a new bag.

2. Getting those books from Fully Booked that I've been grabbing and putting back (how sad).

3. Buying that S95!

4. Enrolling in James' Editing Class.

5. Upgrading my Vaio.

I need a long-term plan.

I've been dealing with the here and now, and keep putting off things for the future. Seriously, I need to be...

1. Tithing correctly (toinks).

2. Setting aside at least 10-20% for savings.

3. Looking at getting a place of our own.

4. Setting up another business for extra income.

5. Putting up my kids' college funds!!! Argh!

I need to get my things-to-do list off my back.

I am up to my neck with work. I have to do the following at work:

1. Put in my US and UK orders.

2. Get out the new photo catalog and product information manual.

3. Placing that DVD order with IMA!!!

4. File! File! File!

5. Send out the contracts for HMA and IMU.

Argh!

How about you? What do you need right now?

ps. I was gonna say "I need a man" but I thought otherwise. I don't need one right now. Too stressful. LOL!

My Little Office Boy

3 weeks. 4 weeks this Saturday. That's how long our nanny has been away. She has hives all over, from a dwende curse, she says. Who am I to question what she says? I've tried talking her into seeing the doctor, but noooo... she prefers a faith healer. She's been to three already, spending thousands, and yet, she is still not well. One confirmed it to be a smitten dwende, while another said it is Kulam. I've told her to pray, that she should fear only God, and that He is omnipotent in power, bigger than any dwende curse, but nope, that didn't convince her either.

So anyway, because I have no other helper at home to watch the little boy (that, plus no hubby to help me out, duh), I have no choice but to take RL with me to the office. Poor baby, he's been at it for over 3 weeks now - waking up earlier than necessary, naps at odd hours, no Playhouse Disney (except the occasional, if a PC is available, and very limited videos on YouTube), no decent meals (wait, who am I kidding? but this is another story), no afternoon baths, late work hours, no toys, etc. etc. It's been a struggle, I'm telling you. It is one thing to be a work-at-home mom, and another thing to be a full-time working mom with baby in tow. Sigh.

Here are some of pictures of my little office boy.

Watching Pocoyo (with A) on YouTube on his first day.

Filing... (Can you guess what he was really doing here? LOL!)

Cleaning... (actually, playing with the new broom an officemate got for me on his last Baguio trip)

Playing Sneezies on the Touch during Business Lunch.

Odd-hour naps on the old couch.

Taken today: Seriously watching Timmy Time on the Touch.

Sigh. Someone find me a nanny!

ImBENTO... Again.

So today I woke up earlier than usual. Yes, again. 545am and I stared out the windows to check out the sunrise. Then went back to bed, played a little Freecell and found myself awake. They say there comes a time in your life when your clock goes all wrong, and I think I'm at that "time". I'm a night owl and I like, nay, LOVE to sleep in.

Ok, so maybe this is just a phase.

So I made A a bento lunch once again. No creative juices this morning. Just plain Tyson Breast Nuggets and Rice (ok, I slightly burnt one side, shhhh).

Decided to make her a sunny-side-up, but the 2-yolk eggs were too big for the silicone mold. The yolks broke pa, so I had one and a half hearts. LOL!

I wonder if I'll be up early enough to cook her lunch tomorrow... we're coded. That plus, I'm running out of ideas (lest I want to make her a spam lunch, she loves that).

~~~

We've been on our own for over 3 weeks now. The nanny has hives all over her body due to some dwende curse and she hasn't been in touch this week (last time she texted only to ask how we were and to tell me she wasn't well just yet). I'm thinking of finding a replacement already since she also informed us she was leaving by May to take care of her kids. Where does one find good help nowadays (my last 3 nannies were sisters)? I dread to get one from the agency. The last time my mom got one from an agency, she was my brother's nanny from hell.

Speaking of which, there is a photo circulating on FB. A warning on a nanny who stole things from her employers all the 5 years she was with them. I am thinking of posting that photo of RL's former nanny, G (not a sister, but a cousin of A's nanny. yes, this is the one who got the pox, and yes, the one who took RL on her date with that textmate boyfriend of hers). Hmmm, I have to go and find a decent pic.

ImBENTO

I have no idea why I woke up at 6am today, earlier actually, if you consider that my phone was set 15 minutes ahead. I tried playing Freecell on my phone to get myself back to bed, but that didn't work. So I forced myself out of bed, washed up, and decided to start preparing A's school lunch.

She had wanted scrambled eggs with cheese. When she told me this Saturday night, I realized we were out of eggs and made a mental note to get a dozen before the week started. But I found those cool 2-yolk eggs at DEC yesterday when K and I got the folks some fresh lumpia takeout (about 100pesos a dozen, I think). So scrambled eggs it is.

Check out the size of these eggs.

Seriously, they don't even fit those ready-made egg holes in the fridge.

I was so awake, I decided to go creative and made her a bento lunch. Yes, J, no maid and I decide to make imBento. Crazy energy at 7am. Must be the early morning sun.

Thinking of doing another simple bento tomorrow, but it's hard when the nanny isn't around to do the prep. Haha, I'm such a lazy bento maker. LOL!

(Photos taken using my old phone camera. Yes, that's an AA battery, crazy big egg huh!)

The New Tracker At Work

Apparently, someone downloaded my picture. Twice. Why so? I dunno. Please, if you wish to download personal photos of yours truly or of my family members or of any photo from this blog for whatever reason, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU ASKED ME FIRST. I'm not selfish. I know this is a public blog. But if your intentions are to attempt "kulam" or what not, know that my God is OMNIPOTENT and He is bigger than small, little you. Thank you.

Watch Out For This Girl

Maria Lourdes Aragon is a 10-year old Filipina, born and raised in Canada. She loves, loves, loves to sing and is quite talented! I've already watched over a dozen of her videos on YouTube and I can't stop watching!

Makes you proud to be Filipino, no?

Yesterday, Lady Gaga tweeted about her.

Heard from the grapevine that she'll soon be on Ellen. WOW.

Add Maria on Facebook here.

Blue Eagles!!!

The GETBLUED SALE in 3-D! Best DEALS. Huge DISCOUNTS. All in three DAYS.

For more info, check out the GetBlued page on Facebook here.

Seasons of a Woman's Life

February is love month, but I'd like to think we should celebrate love everyday :).

To celebrate the season of love, the series in church is all about, yep, you guessed it, LOVE. Yesterday, Pastor Dennis and his wife Thammie talked about marriage.

I got to church early (right after the 230pm service) and got RL to sleep while waiting for the next service. I was really, really tired and sleepy. I was trying so hard not to doze off. After praise and worship, Pastor Jason and his wife Kat led the congregation in prayer (and I asked God to keep me awake!). The feeling after was quite a surprise. I felt so hyper after the prayer, it was like drinking 3 cups of coffee! Thank you for that quick answer, Lord.

I guess the Lord wanted me to hear the message yesterday. And I know it was indeed for me. Pastor Dennis started the message and half an hour later, he had Thammie talk to the women in the theatre. It was Thammie's first time to give the message (not the first time on stage as she regularly leads Worship), and she's quite a good speaker.

SEASONS

Anyone goes through different seasons in life. A woman's would be single-hood, courtship, engagement, married life, motherhood with little kids, etc. Different seasons. Some stay in a certain season for years. Others breeze through seasons! I remember attending a talk by Kay Warren (wife of Rick Warren of Purpose Driven Life) many years ago at CCF and she talked specifically on this. She shares that regardless of the season of life you are in, God is in control. The way to get through each season is to find joy regardless of the season you are in.

I AM IN A SEASON OF SEPARATION. HOW DO I FIND JOY IN THAT?

Thammie, in her message yesterday, shares the same thing as Warren does, but goes further by quoting John 10:10. Regardless of the season you are in, God wants you to experience life to the full. "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus came for that very reason - that we may live our life to the fullest! The bible does not say "when you finally find the man of your dreams, you will live life to the full," nor does it say "once your husband finally changes and comes back, you find fulfillment." Find Jesus, and eventually joy, in your mess of a marriage!

Two things struck me the most in Thammie's message.

1) WE MUST BE READY AT ANY GIVEN TIME. The Lord spreads out opportunities for us in a given lifetime. We must always be ready, regardless of the season we're in. Sometimes, the opportunity is there, but we miss it, because we are not ready to receive it. Case in point: R's brush with death circa August 2009. It was a chance for him to change. A chance for us to get back together. However, now that I think about it, I WASN'T READY. Look at how we still bicker at the trivial stuff. I haven't changed. The change has to come from me first. Why so? Because I am the Christian and I should know better. Sadly, I missed the boat. I praise God for making me realize this during Thammie's message!

2) BEAUTY COMES FROM A HEART OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE. This was a footnote Thammie mentioned. She talked about how people in love "bloomed". How brides seem to glow, and how this all boils down to the high feeling one gets when "in love". I take it as the best beauty advice I've ever heard. I remember when R and I first got together, and how our officemates would comment on how I glowed. I suppose the best glow would come from the One who gives beauty at its best. I vow to find that glow in falling in love with my God.

I may be in a season of melancholy (well, that's the popular emotion that goes along with separation), but I choose joy over sadness! Follow me on my journey as I find beauty and purpose in the season God has blessed me with.

HE IS IN CONTROL.

OJT (Part 2)

Ayos din sa OJT, nagpa-part-time janitor din pala! Sulit sa P10/hour allowance rate! LOL!

Success!

Look who conned her folks into having Pepper Lunch for Sunday Brunch yesterday... ME! When I posted my previous entry on craving for Beef Yakiniku, I knew I was being psychic. LOL! True enough, the next day, the folks made us choose between another Rockwell resto and Pepper Lunch. Pepper Lunch won! Reason? My mom was craving for some Yakiniku as well. Teehee. The place was packed! At 1030am! I guess everyone was thinking of having the same thing. I've never enjoyed Pepper Lunch as much as I did yesterday.

Doesn't this Beef Yakiniku Rice look nom? I am wanting it again, just by looking at this pic. Sorry, too lazy to lug the Canon around, so took a photo with my cheap phone cam. :P

My mom ate up her whole order. She filled up too soon, so she wasn't able to eat any of the Kani Salad. Her solution? Take out not one, but 3 orders for dinner! LOL!

I ♥ Pepper Lunch!

Beef Yakiniku

I am craving for Pepper Lunch's Beef Yakiniku (yes, I just had dinner). The last time I had it was two sundays ago, at their Rockwell store.

I love their Beef Yakiniku over the other Pepper Rice offers. I am not much of a pepper person, unlike my brothers who love it all over their food. The Yakiniku is sweet (like korean bbq!) and the fat beef makes it one very tasty dish. No need for the garlic sauce, I say. I love it the way it is. A usually shares this with me, and we also share a side of their Kani shake! shake! salad. My little boy loves the udon in this, so lately, we've been getting two orders.

Tomorrow is Rockwell Sunday for the family. I shall con my folks into doing Pepper Lunch lunch again. Yes, just so I can have my Beef Yakiniku fix. ;)

http://pepperlunch.com.ph/

Check out the Pepper Lunch Philippines Facebook page here. For updates on promos and new offerings, follow them on Twitter here.

Bitter Melon

Feeling a tad bitter with the previous post on R's "friend", but from now on, I am holding my tongue and not allowing the devil to use me in this battle.

R has been quiet lately and I can only guess why. But I will not bother him with questions. Instead I am letting God handle it. He works even when I cannot see or do not know, so He knows what's best.

~~~

Bob Steinkamp recently passed away, and although I am saddened by this loss, I know God has used him and Charlyne in more ways than they had ever imagined when they first started Rejoice Ministries (20 years ago!). Rejoice Ministries will never be the same, but Bob's legacy lives on! With that, in honor of Bob, I am posting The Stander's Affirmation for all you standers out there. God is on your side, NEVER allow anyone to push you towards giving up.

Fighting to save your marriage? Want daily encouragement from Charlyne and fellow standers? Check out Rejoice Ministries here.

Roast Duck and RL

Since the nanny isn't around, and I have to keep house... I've come to realize that housework is hard, hard work. I mean, I don't mind being a housewife, but I can't work full time and keep house at the same time. Nope, not with two kids vying for the TV and my attention (not to mention a hyperactive shih tzu). Alas, the mere thought of going home to clean AND cook dinner makes me sooooo lazy. Yes, I dread just the thought of it. Did I mention that I also do some of the laundry?

My mom tells me to just eat out for dinner. It's a price to pay, but at least I get to keep my sanity. We were supposed to go to a house party tonight, but my kids have colds (no thanks to the nanny who hasn't given them their vitamins all this time - the bottles are still full). So yes, it looks like we're eating out tonight.

~~~

I was looking through pictures and found K's pictures of our last homeland trip. I don't know why I didn't have my SLR then, so these are point and shoot material (have to save up for the S95). I have a little gourmand here. He absolutely loves Roasted Duck! But hey, hole-in-the-wall goodness... who wouldn't?

Hmmm... roast duck sounds good. Think we'll go get some for dinner.

Friend of the Month

Someone sent me an email with photos of the hubby and his new "friend" a couple of weeks ago. Not that I was interested, but I checked the photos out.

First pic shows hubby with a slim, chinita girl with her arms all over the place. Second is a group pic with them both doing who-knows-what in the background. And third is a threesome picture, showing hubby with another friend, but "friend" is still all over him, so it becomes a threesome pic.

Why do I even bother to look? Sigh.

Girl, first off, if you want nice pictures, make sure you wash and comb your hair. And I don't know if you read the newsies or know how to google, but man, you are in for the ride of your life.

Ok, ok, malay ko ba, baka true love na? Eto nalang, tan-tan-tanan, magpakasal kayo, tapos kita-kita nalang sa korte. Para bongga!

Seriously, why send me pictures? Ayan, para masaya ka, sisikat ka.

OJT

Our nanny is missing in action again (recurring bout of hives this time). So the little man is in the office with me.

How do you like our new OJT? LOL!

Double Timing

Yes, yes, it is expected. Each time I strengthen my resolve to stand, the devil double times. Pant! Pant! I am sure he is exhausted. I am not giving up.

I finally got a new tracker on this blog. A better one. Yesterday, on FB, one of my friends commented on how she remembers my "Tracker Sees You" post and how it felt so eerie to have me track who my readers are. But hey, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. I have stalkers. How I wish my stalkers were cute, handsome men. LOL! But no, I have none of those (none that I know of anyway) and many of the desperate women kind. The kind that check to see if I am good with the hubby, the kind that see if there is anything up my sleeve.

So last night, I got the brush from the hubby. Apparently, a "friend" of his has been reading my blog. And I suppose my recent post on "loving" him rubbed off the wrong way on the "friend".

What's so wrong with being friends with my husband? He is, after all, still MY husband - the father of my children, the man who calls me everyday to check on the kids, etc. And who are you, may I ask, but the clingy "friend" who expects the world from a man who can never be fully yours. Let me remind you, I am not the desperate-woman-seeking-full-attention here. I know where I stand. And I know that the Lord is on my side. Who, pray tell, is on yours?

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:7-9;

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Not Afraid to Shout It Out Loud!

I love my husband, and I am not afraid to tell the whole world so. We are no longer together -- been separated since 2009 actually.

This is my 2nd Valentines without him, but I am ok. We're good friends... well, at least, I'd like to think so. A lot of people have personally asked me how this is all possible, and why I haven't given up on this man... my constant answer is "my hope doesn't rely on him." My hope is in the Lord.

Ok, so it's a safe answer. I must admit that there are times I question myself as well. And dealing with the fact isn't easy. Here is this man I have loved for 10 whole years - a man I promised I'd love for better or for worse. And yet, the worse came, and we both chickened out. O_o

We were at opposite poles (and no, the rule of "opposites attract" did not apply to us). We were no longer on the same page. I was thinking about family, and well... he... let's just say, he wasn't seeing the same thing.

My friend, G, over dinner last Friday declared this fact about me "the family unit is so important to you, no?" And it dawned on me, he may be right, but that just isn't it. He's missing the point.

I am not some wife hanging on desperately to a man who doesn't want me. I am sure there were instances along the road that made me want to give up. And I am sure there were times when I felt so sure that is what I wanted. And needed. But I also believe in an omnipotent God who says "With Me, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE." That's where my conviction lies. People criticize me about it, telling me all sorts about how God doesn't want me miserable, how God has something good planned for me if I get out of my sad state of a marriage.

But I am not lonely, let alone miserable. There are times I feel alone, and I must admit that there are times I feel soooo out of it. So out of whack, my bestfriend would like to say. But God's grace is abundant. His mercies are new every morning. EVERY MORNING.

I choose to put my faith in Him who can do absolutely everything. I am limited by my own mind, but God's ways are higher than mine. My heart has God written all over it. There is no emptiness. No loneliness. In fact, I am overwhelmed by His love.

So I choose happiness today. The void has been replaced by something more than I could ever ask for.

And so, Valentines, to me, isn't some sad pagan celebration of some love lost, because the truth remains: I still love my husband, and I am not afraid to say so. One day I will look back and declare that I ran the race with no regrets.

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