Friday, August 27, 2010

a heart for a single mom

August 26, 2010

A happy birthday to my dear friend and sister in Christ- Carmie Soriano.

You are a blessing to me in so many ways! And may I just say that I admire you...
-for being a strong woman raising your dear daugther Charlize on your own, by God's grace
-for being very patient as you wait upon His timing
-for being very kind to the people around you, even if they are unkind to you
-for being sweet, thoughtful, gracious and humble in ways I do not think you are aware of
-for being faithful to the Lord and for wanting to grow in your relationship with Him!


I Thank God for everything that you are...

And as I always tell you, I pray that you will continue to delight in Him, seek His will, submit to His Lordship, obey His commands, and He will will give you the desires of your heart according to His perfect timing...

"YOU will keep in perfect peace him (her) whose mind is steadfast, because he (she) trusts in YOU." -Isaiah 26:3

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." -Psalm 27:14

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." -Proverbs 31:30

I love you sis! I'm so glad that I have you-- my prayer partner and shock absorber sa office! Hope you enjoyed your special day... Mwuahugs!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Thanking God

26th Rajsh - 08/25/10

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." -Jeremiah 1:5

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:13-14

Today I'm officially 26 years old... It really is and has been a roller coaster ride but I'm loving it! Kasama ko si Lord eh... at Sya ang nagbibigay ng meaning sa buhay ko... So I really thank Him for His faithfulness to me over the past 25 years and for my 26th year on earth.

Happy new year to me!

Allow me to share to you the highlights during my special day:

Time stamp! I woke up as early as 3am (I've been sleeping since 1pm the previous day and nito lang ako bumangon from my bed.) Hehe.


Thanked God for almost everything... Hirap alalahanin ng lahat eh! Pero alam naman ni Lord lahat yun. Hehe.


Approached Him through His Word... I was moved, convicted, encouraged and challenged sa quiet time ko. See Jeremiah 42.


And then took my first picture as a 26yr old lady! Yey!


After enjoying time with Him, I prepared to leave and went to John (he lives in Quezon City while I live in Mandaluyong. Mga P150 max ang taxi fare ko. Yes, medyo malayo sya. Hehe). He's been sick since Monday and so I thought that I'd visit him and have breakfast with him here:


It's just few blocks away from their house. We've always wanted to have a date here, pero never natuloy until today. So yey! Nakakatuwa!

Remember I said in my post last month, na sa Maitre kami? Since malabo kaming matuloy, dahil nga sick si John, dito na lang. Di naman kami na-disappoint. Yeah! Check their site at: www.xocolat.com.ph.


Very satisfying ang aming experience. Super sulit. I super enjoyed our time and our food, and yes, the chocolate! Php350.00 lang ang total bill namin! John ordered french toast (chocolate dipped, syempre) with maple syrup, country sausage and fruits. I ordered mushroom omelette with toasted bread and fried large tomatoes.


Two hearts: Mine and John's (Wahehe! Angkinin ba?!).


Hahaha! Kulet nito!


Ako na pa-cute mode. Medyo madilim lang sa place at walang flash ang cellphone ko, sorry naman.


My beloved was not feeling well kaya sya walang gana mode.


Ako naman, hyper and excited for my day mode. Hehe.


After our breakfast date, we went back to their house and watched two movies (DVD) "Letters to God" and I forgot kung ano yung isa. Haha! Tamang Bonding time lang. Then after eating lunch with him sa bahay nila, I went to Ortigas to buy something for my bday treat that evening...

I was able to drop off in Makati late in the afternoon where my Kuya and Diko lives, to see, hug and kiss my pamangkins! Bumili ako ng ice cream for them and I gave kids loot bags (see the pics below later). At ang naging bonding time namin ng mga bata ay, ano pa? Picture taking! Hehehe!


With my eldest pamangkin, Iya.


Now with the sisters Dayaw and her ate Diwa.

Si Diwa po ay number one fan ni John. As in love na love nya si tito John nya... Kaya nung dumating ako ang bati nya sa akin ay: "betdey ni tito John?" Hahaha! Sabi ko: "hindi po, ako po may betdey!" LOL


Eto magkapatid din: baby Yari and her diko Kajel. I can't remember kung saan or kanino kami nakatingin nito! Hahaha! In fairness, uniform kaming tatlo. LOL.


With almost all of them (missing dito sina Dayaw, ewan bat di nakasama, si baby Kaya na kasalukuyang natutulog, at si Nonggie na nasa Laguna). I love them all! Kahit wala silang pakialam sa letrato, busy sila lahat. Hahaha!


After Makati, back to Ortigas uli ako. 5pm kasi ang call time ko with my Connect family for an early dinner treat. Medyo maaga kasi may mga pasok pa ang karamihan sa kanila that time. I was so blessed to have them join me and celebrate with me... I gave them small cards with personalized photos (na hindi ko pala nakunan ng picture) to express my appreciation to them. Nagulat sila kasi ako na daw ang may bday ako pa ang nagbgay ng cards. Hehe. I'm glad they liked it!

At syempre, eto ang ilan sa mga pictures namin:


This was an answered prayer. Hiniling ko kasi kay Lord na sana may bumili sa akin ng bday cake. Thanks to my Connect sisters! Effort yung candle, wala daw kasi silang mabili na number kaya hinugis na lang nilang 26, ahehehe! Hindi ko sya napansin until I saw the pic.


I really consider them a family, the Connect - Call Center Ministry. Thanks to the Pizzahut staff who took this. ;-)


Connect Ladies (L-R): Lea, Janet, Oliv and Mich (not in this pic: Anne, ang pinaka-last dumating).


With Connect Guys (L-R): Sai, John and Abe


A complimentary bday cake from Pizzahut. Unlike sa Pizzahut bistro na kinakantahan ang bday celebrant, dito they just gave it. Pero oks lang naman. I appreciate it. Saka sarap nung cake ha! Etong smile ko dito, signature smile ito ni John eh nagaya ko lang. Hehe.


My beloved was after the cherry, favorite nya kasi yun... Pero love, bat kailangan sinapian mode ka na naman?! Hahahaha!


With Strong. Pilit ang ngiti. Pero ganyan tlga sya ngumiti. LOL. Pinapunta ko sya kasi marami pang food! Hahaha! Eh pero, papunta rin naman sya Ortigas nun. LOL.


Now, with my Sister Haraya, who came in very late! Fresh from her finals. Hehe.


After this dinner, nagpasama ako kay John sa office, pumunta ako sa clinic namin para magpa-check up, sobrang sakit kasi ng left ear ko (will be posting a separate entry regarding that)...

At eto pala yung pinamili ko sa Rob Galeria:

My bday treat for my colleagues--- loot bags! At ang laman: old school goodies! Elementary pa ata ako nung huli akong kumain ng mga 'to... Hehe!


I was able to sort out total of 65 loot bags. Yey!


I enjoyed my sorting out moment, as in! Wala pa dito yung finished product nyan, gusto ko kasi personalized at medyo marami so it took a while bago ko natapos... Nakakarelax ang pag-sort out nito. Nakakaaliw! I'm excited how my colleagues would react upon opening this... Hehe. :-D


Ayun lang muna, like last year... I will work on updating this entry some other time for my birthday reflection. Pardon me at medyo bangag pa ako sa ngayon.

And oh...nasabi ko na ba? I'm now 26!!! Yehey!!!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Excited for more

...months and years to come that I'll spend with you!


Greetings and cheers to both of us love! Hehe.

And as always, thank You for Your faithfulness to us and for Your unfailing love!

Spell B-U-S-Y?

Yes.

Medyo "busy" nga po ako lately.

Look oh, ang dami ko ng nakasave as draft entries ko pero di ko pa sila natatapos until now:



Hahahaha!

Pinakita ko ito kay dear friend Mark, at eto ang sabi nya:

"Hahahahahahah~~~~
Puro drafts?!?!?!
Ako nahihiya nakong may isang draft sa blog ko, pero ikaw na reyna ng drafts!

Your draft highness…
Hahaha!!"


LOL!

Anyway, share ko na rin bakit ako "busy"...
-Wala kasi akong net connection sa bahay. Di ko muna binayaran, tingnan ko kung may impact sa meralco bill na sobrang tumaas nung mga nakaraang buwan.
-Naghahabol ako sa stats ko kasi ilang months na ako di nakakakuha ng perfect score kaya focus muna in hitting my numbers and getting 100% QA. So kahit break, work mode pa rin.
-Walang 'no work avail' mode lately.

Hehe. Nami-miss ko na ring magsulat dito. Antabayanan nyo na lang mga kaibigan (as if maraming readers eh noh?! hahaha!)

So, sorry tlaga busyness kasi eh. Ayun lang. Bow.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ate Iya and Daddy Mamet


August 14, 2010 was Aliya Marga's 6th birthday. Ang aming panganay na pamangkin. Mahal na mahal namin yan! Happy bday ate Iyah!

August 16, 2010 was her daddy's (my brother Magat Sandulag) birthday. Ang diko ng aming pamilya! Happy bday diko! Mahal ka rin namin.

Hugs and kisses to both of you and to Kajel na extra sa picture!

Trivia: Marami kami sa family na August ang birthday. Hehe. Wala lang.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Customized

A quote from a friend: "Delayed obedience is disobedience."

Have you ever found your self customizing your obedience to God?

"I will obey You in this area but in this one, that one, and the other one You cannot touch, that's mine to handle, okay Lord?!"

I know it's hard and it's frustrating. I've caught myself in that situation for a couple of times and I still struggle... Just like the apostle Paul:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do..." -Romans 7:14

But thanks be to Him because He is always faithful in picking me up in His mercy and grace when I fall...

♪ A thousand times I've failed

Still your mercy remains

And should I stumble again

Still I'm caught in your grace ♪

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" -Romans 7:24-25

See also: Did God Really Say?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Strong

August 11, 2010

Lakas Bisig Sabio
a.k.a. Enlok (to us in the family) and a.k.a. Strong (pinauso nyang nickname nya nung 2001 ata). ang Kapatid kong happy go lucky na parang deadma mode lang lagi sa mga pangyayari at isyu sa buhay...

Maligayang bati. Kahit hindi kita nakita ngayon kasi umalis ka na naman ng bahay. Ni hindi man lang kita nayakap or na-kiss.

Pero ayun na nga, gaya ng sabi ko sa text--- Love ka ni Lord!

Ang panalangin ko ay sana as you grow old, mag-grow ka rin in your knowledge of Him and that you will be more and more like Jesus. Grow up as you grow old... Wag na nating sayangin ang oras kapatid ko.

Mahal kita, sana ramdam mo yun. Hope you enjoyed your day.

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." -Phil 1:6

(Umay-GASH! bakit magkamukha tyo sa pikstur?!?!?! LOL)