People, I haven't been blogging. I took a break from everything. As in everything. Even BentoMommas took a back seat, and I closed my kitchen for three whole months. Imagine that! I needed a breather. And yet, a breather I did not get.
Took two wrong turns in life, and found myself drowning in self-pity and what-not. But you know, God is good. His grace is forever sufficient, and today, I know exactly why those events had to happen.
So anyway, I am was AWOL. But you are hearing from me today, because I miss writing. I took an almost two-week trip to Sydney last month. Attended the Hillsong Conference and nursed a bad back. Came home with a cold, and a very bad case of acid reflux and IBS. Ouch.
Hillsong Church!
Day 2 of Conference!
Baking at home with my honorary godson, Marcus. Thanks, Maris, for this photo.
Obviously unwell, but loved bonding with KY.
But all is well and yes, I am eating well again. Oops. Today, I got back to BentoMomma duties, and I must say I am a tad rustyyyyy.
Back to bento-making. This one is a Pinkie Pie party for Katniss!
It's been pretty busy at work, and I need to prioritize. Unfortunately, the blog has been on the receiving end of time deprivation. :(
I hope you check back from time to time. And while you're at it, I hope you take time to follow my page on Facebook (and stay updated!).
Hello folks, I am back. I have been away, and I will tell you why.
OZ
I took a vacay. Well, not exactly since it was a working vacay. Flew to Australia for the Hillsong Conference and what a blessing it was to have been given this chance!
Harbour Bridge, Sydney. Taken from the Train Station at Circular Quay.
I wasn't prepared for the cold though. It is Winter in Australia, but the forecast all showed 13-18 degrees, only to find out it went down to even -3 degrees while I was there. Crazy!!! But what an experience it was!
Bondi Beach. Would you believe there were actual surfers and people in two piece bikinis that day?
The company I work for has been the exclusive distributors of the Hillsong brand since the 80s and this is the very first time we've attended their annual conference. Usually, during the June-July period, we fly to the US for a Christian Retailers Convention, but this year, after the Hillsong Worship concert, I had the desire to see and experience Hillsong for myself. Good thing my boss agreed and allowed me this opportunity. I am forever changed.
Hillsong Church has been holding conference for 30 years (it's their 30th next year). And wow. When over 20,000 people (plus a lot more online) come together to worship God in one place, it is more than amazing. I have no words, as words cannot fully grasp what my heart is trying to say. But it was awesome. It is awesome. I still have a hangover.
AllPhones Arena at Sydney's Olympic Park was full!! Amazing experience!!!
Imagine 5 whole days of worshiping with Hillsong? That's like attending 5 worship concerts - all day, everyday.
Next year, the conference in Sydney is happening from July 5 to 8. If you seriously want to go, we are looking at forming a group. I have yet to confirm this, but do stay tuned.
SICK
I came home to a sick little boy. The first weekend I was home, RL didn't seem like his usual self. We even went to catch the Minions Movie, and he wasn't excited at all. Turns out, he had contracted Chicken Pox! Where? When? How? I have no idea. We called his school, his school bus, and no one recently had it. So we kept him home for the next two weeks. He is back in school now, and his blisters have all healed. He hardly has any on his face, thank goodness. He did miss a few vtrs. Boo, but we know God has something better planned for him.
My poor little boy with his babies. Hehe.
While RL was sick, I came down with the flu. Oh what perfect timing to get immunity down right when a highly contagious virus is present at home. But all is well, since I got the pox as an adult in college (I know, late). So I've been in and out of it since that Oz trip. But all is well now, and like I said... I am back to the daily grind.
Going through a ton of homework, tests and activity sheets he had missed! A TON!
RESPONSIBILITIES
Work has been crazy, and that is an understatement. We are planning something big at the office, and I have had to put the blog on standby. But I want to write! And all my blog drafts are in my head. Argh! But I can't quit my dayjob, nor can I sidestep my responsibilities at BentoMommas. Plus my momma duties are crazy! RL's daily homework and weekly tests have taken a big chunk out of my daily me-time. Sniff.
Seriously, someone find me a partner, I am drowning here.
First off, thank you for joining my Hillsong Giveaway!
Now, on to business, as I am sure you are staying up to find out who won.
Our Ticket winner was picked from the pool of those who shared the Facebook post and those who left a comment on the original Hillsong Giveaway blog post. Our winner won via his comment on the blog. Congratulations to...
Jerry, you just won two (2) Lower Box tickets to see Hillsong Worship tonight!
Jerry, you must be at the MOA Arena on or before 8PM tomorrow. Please send me a message via my Facebook page. I shall try to message you as well with my mobile number, etc. Please check your "others" folder as we are not FB contacts.
Remember, you must be able to watch on April 10, 2015; Friday at 8PM. Ticket winner must be able to claim tickets from this blogger at Mall of Asia Arena on Friday on or before 8PM. Please do not sell the tickets.
Meanwhile, on to our consolation prizes...
The No Other Name Swag Bag winner was picked from Facebook. Congratulations to...
Prize includes a NO OTHER NAME doodle notebook, button, keychain and baller.
While four (4) consolation winners were picked from the comments section of the Giveaway blog post.
Congratulations, Zildjian, you won a No Other Name CD!
Congratulations, Jeany, you won a No Other Name Special Edition CD with Chords!
Congratulations, Melissa, you won a No Other Name Trax MP3 Library!
Congratulations, Kim Karen, you won a No Other Name DVD!
All six (6) winners were picked randomly with the help of random.org.
For the consolation prize winners, please expect a Facebook message or an email from me next week! Again, congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who joined this giveaway.
So it turns out I do have extra tickets for Hillsong Worship's No Other Name worship night. I normally sell VIP and Patron tickets, but had only ordered a handful because I knew I wouldn't have the time to handle the selling, et al. Anyway, I received 4 Lower Box tickets - 2 of which I gave to RL's teacher for her birthday - Happy Birthday, Teacher Inna!
And the other two, I had reserved for the blog. But I had to go on a trip and couldn't run the giveaway while I was out. Wasn't planning on running the giveaway anymore, given the lack of time, but how in the world do I choose who to give the tickets to? I have a ton of friends waiting. A ton.
Anyway, back to the point of this post. So, I have decided to just run the giveaway. Simple mechanics. Woot!
This is how you can win those tickets...
ONE. Like my Facebook page and share the post pertaining to this giveaway publicly on your timeline. TWO. Leave a comment on this blog post with the following details:
Your Name
Email Address
Facebook Name/ URL
Answer this Q: "What makes Hillsong click with you?"
(Note: Make sure you get past the captcha code so your comment gets published.)
That's it!
Ticket winner will be picked from the pool of those who shared the Facebook post and those who left a comment. If you did both, you get two entries.
Up for grabs! Two tickets to Hillsong Worship's NO OTHER NAME Manila Night!
*PLEASE READ: Ticket winner must be able to watch on April 10, 2015; Friday at 8PM. Ticket winner must be able to claim tickets from this blogger at Mall of Asia Arena on Friday on or before 8PM. Please do not sell the tickets. I have chosen to run this giveaway vs giving away the tickets to my friends, so please join only (ONLY!) if you really, really want to and can watch.
Additionally, one (1) consolation winner will be picked from Facebook...
Consolation winner from Facebook shares will win a NO OTHER NAME Tour Swag Bag.
Prize includes a NO OTHER NAME doodle notebook, button, keychain and baller.
... and four (4) consolation winners will be picked from the comments section of this blog.
One winner will get a NO OTHER NAME CD.
One winner will get a NO OTHER NAME Special Edition CD with Chords.
One winner will get a NO OTHER NAME Trax MP3 Library.
And finally, one winner will get a NO OTHER NAME DVD!
There will be a total of six (6) winners, all of which will be picked randomly with the help of random.org.
Don't forget to leave your deets on the comment section. And don't forget to share the Facebook post publicly. This giveaway will run until 11:59PM of Thursday, April 9. Winners will be announced after midnight on this blog. Bonne chance!
Tickets for any Hillsong event in the Philippines (or anywhere else in the world, in fact) tend to sell out within a matter of days from the time they put them on sale. If I were you, I would call and purchase right now. NOW. N-O-W.
HILLSONG WORSHIP
Live in Manila
April 10, 2015; 8PM
Mall of Asia Arena
About Hillsong Worship: Hillsong Worship is the congregational expression of worship from Hillsong Church - a local Australian church with global influence. This local church worship team has a commitment to continually resource the Body of Christ with fresh songs of worship and a deep passion to see people connect with the Living God in a real and personal way.Their music captures the heart and sound of Hillsong Church globally and represents the coming together of the Hillsong worship team from around the world; including Reuben Morgan, Joel Houston, Ben Fielding, Hillsong UNITED, and international teams from London, Stockholm and Cape Town.Looking to the future, Hillsong Worship remains committed to inspiring and empowering the authentic worship of Jesus and resourcing the Body of Christ, everywhere.
Tickets are now available! VIP (reserved seating) - P 2500 Patron (reserved seating) - P 2000 Lowerbox A (reserved seating) - P 1500 Lowerbox B (reserved seating) - P 1200 Upperbox (free seating) - P 600 Gen Ad (free seating) - P 300
For tickets and reservations, call SM Tickets, 470-2222 or Becca Music Tickets 910-5524/ 910-5352.
I never really had a knack for writing. But I kept a journal growing up and I wrote about anything under the sun. Blogging makes journaling easier. Only now, you have readers, and your secrets aren't kept under lock and key.
