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Backtrackin’ V-Day 2014

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When nostalgia hits you, all you’ve got to do is press rewind and off you go to reminisce mode. Thus, this post. 😉

Before starting this article, I have one thing to ask:

Will the celebration of Valentine’s Day ever be possible without it being commercialized?

I can neither say I am guilty of that nor do I disapprove of it. For the sole reason that I intend to mash-up both ways in celebrating Valentine’s Day: the traditional and the contemporary. The genuine and the commercialized, so to speak. 😀

Let me enumerate why.

The common a.k.a. commercialized Valentine’s Day celebration include but is not limited to flowers, chocolates, gifts, and lavish dates. It involves meticulous and extensive planning weeks prior to the “big day.” Not to mention that it also requires resources: money, time and effort. What is good about them? It is considered a good investment in the relationship synonymous to this – the happiness of your significant other matters more than anything else. The only reason why it should be celebrated in such a manner – never because it is the fad and never because everyone does it. Deviate from the norm by regarding it differently. Remaking the ordinary to make it extraordinary as I put it. 😉

Which leads me now to the  traditional way of celebrating it, way back when our ancestors have no other means to celebrate it with their loved ones except through a simple but meaningful time spent together devoid of any material gift and lavish dates. I would like to stress out this word in this portion of the article – meaningful. Yes, that is far more important than anything else in every date. 🙂

So to backtrack….I found myself wondering. Was I successful in combining the two in celebrating Valentine’s Day with my special guys? YES. And I have God to thank for the opportunity as well as the provisions. He made it all happen. I dated two guys – Him and him.

God gave us the opportunity to spend Valentine’s Day in a very meaningful way, commercialized too but only to a minimum. 😉

It has been my tradition to watch any of the UP Feb fair concerts which usually falls on the week of Valentine’s Day. I was more than glad when our Managing Editor, Ms. Anj, gave the writing assignment to me to cover the event for When In Manila, an online publishing company where I am currently a writer. But the fun never stopped there, because the host of the Valentine’s Day concert was a Christian organization in UP, the UP Students of Destiny and Brian was free to attend the event with me. I don’t call it luck, I call it God’s plans. 😀

Read more about the concert and our superb time there here:

http://www.wheninmanila.com/kontrakultura-3-born-for-love-set-the-hearts-ablaze/

Tin Ginete

Brian and I with our couple hoodies at the Kontrakultura 3 concert grounds. 🙂

Surprises are never my thing, but I am getting used to it and loving it especially when they come from God and from the person you love. Yihee! 😀

Kidding aside now, before the concert, Brian and I met up and he gave me a rose, a very pretty one. But not only that. Along with it he handed me a work of art – a love message in the form of a poem. Though I must say he is trying to imitate my being a poetess. hahaha Kidding. 😉 (You’ve done such an amazing job by the way, baby! I love you to pieces. 🙂 )

Tin Ginete

Roses are red and poems are the sweetest.

The day after, February 15, Brian asked me if I can have a post V-Day dinner and movie date with him, to which I said yes of course but I also thought that something is lacking. I was looking for that real essence of what Valentine’s Day is really all about – selfless, meaningful love, a love that is not only revolving between Brian and I. I prayed to God and I asked for guidance and for answers. Then the answer came – spend it with the people who are close to you and who need your utmost love too. The first person who crossed my mind was Ate Daisy. She is the mom of the family whom I serve as a Family Support Volunteer for the Victory QC Community Outreach Ministry.

My admiration for Ate Daisy is beyond words. A mom of 4, raising her children on her own as her husband passed away two years ago, she is indeed the true modern “superwoman.” She carries that heavy responsibility of being both a father and a mother to her kids (2 of them are in college already), working 6 or 7 days in a week doing laundry to earn money and provide for her family. It was my first time to volunteer and I have a lot of apprehensions. My first question to God was this: how can I help them knowing that I don’t have the means sufficient enough to help them (financially, new in the faith, not enough experience, etc.)?

And yet, came His answer: your presence is enough. 🙂 

So there it was. When a message is being delivered from up above, I do nothing but follow. And I was surprised even more: I was given provisions to buy Valentine’s Day gifts for Ate Daisy and her family, the free time, and a willing companion – Brian. I was nothing more but the happiest. It was my first visit and yet it was the most memorable. We were able to visit Ate Daisy, who greeted us with all smiles, talked with her and asked her how she’s been doing. We left her feeling happy and grateful making us happy and grateful too. After the visit, we ended our Saturday with a dinner and movie date which Brian promised. (Thank you, thank you, baby.)

But I know that this is only the beginning of more meaningful moments, of sharing to the people we care about the beautiful promises of God. We have a faithful God and I will continue to be grateful to Him for that. 🙂

I was planning my next visit to Ate Daisy for this month but I couldn’t decide the exact date yet. I thought I’ll just pray to God and wait when will be His perfect time for it. I prayed that He would equip me. Two days ago, I received the answer, The Crossroads training for Family Support Volunteers will be held starting this week to equip us, volunteers, to better help the families assigned to us. The best part is that God arranged and cleared my schedule though I have several commitments so I could attend them all.  God makes things perfect in His time, indeed.

Oh, Father God, thank you so much! May praise and glory be given to You always. I cannot speak of anything else except that. You are my greatest blessing. 🙂

I am grateful to Him too for giving me my partner in my mission to help spread God’s greatness and His message. Just to share a little bit of the love message that Brian gave me (I can’t share everything as it is far too special. 😉 ) which became my prayer too by the way, here it is:

Tin Ginete

“Embrace us, oh Father, as we walk with You in our journey together.” – J. B. G. R.

And because it was a very memorable Valentine’s Day for me, not only because it is my first Valentine’s Day with Brian but because I intend to make the ordinary as extraordinary, I have thought about preserving one good memorabilia of that day: the ROSE. 😉

I have received roses before but not once did it cross my mind to preserve them. Not until now. So I looked up over the internet how to preserve them which includes hanging the rose upside down, and letting it dry for a couple of weeks. When completely dried, spray with a little bit of hairspray to keep the petals from falling off. I am planning to put it inside a glass container to keep the dust away from the petals as it is hard brushing the petals off without damaging any single one of them.

And here is a picture of my special rose before and after. 🙂

Tin Ginete

BEFORE and AFTER

The single rose, if you have watched The Phantom of the Opera, is a symbol and a reminder of the Phantom’s love for Christine (the leading lady in the movie).

This rose, for me (being Christine too), is my memorabilia of Brian’s love for me and a promise of my God’s amazing love too. Awww, I know. Please don’t kill me for being extremely mushy. hahaha 😀

Seriously, here is what I have to say, start loving my God too and you will never, ever regret you did that. 😉

It All Started at Sonya’s Secret Garden

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Brian and I @ Sonya's Secret Garden

Brian and I @ Sonya’s Secret Garden

 

The romance that started in a secret garden. Do read ahead to find out how our love story started. 😀

Coffee table book.

Coffee table book.

 

I met him when I was selected to be one of the study patients of a research at the Asian Eye Institute. It was an answered prayer – for my eyesight to be healed. I have God to be extremely grateful for with this blessing. And yet, the “package” did not stop there. Little did I know that I am soon to be partnered with my nurse in this thing which we call “love.” Ah yes, the Lord our God is indeed the great matchmaker and composer of everything.

Okay, now this is the part where it gets cheesy and cheesier. You might as well grate me or just allow yourself to be melted away. 😀

I waited for 2 years before God orchestrated I meet him. But the wait never really mattered because I was passionately driven in pursuing a personal relationship with God and in serving Him in those two years that I was not in a relationship with anyone.

I am in love with what I am doing so to speak. That should be what comes first – serve God, find your mission, and then find your mate. I got saved, I started sharing my faith in my blog, then I met my bf.

But did you know that I turned Brian down the first time he asked me out on a date? 😀 Yes, I didn’t feel it right at that moment. Because hubby dear just got out of a relationship and I don’t want to be a part of it because I made it clear to him that if he intends to pursue me, then he should do so with a clean slate. 🙂

So I told him that no, I can’t entertain him romantically at that point because he should make peace with his past first. I went home to my province and I stayed there for more than a month. At that time we constantly communicated but I was firm that we can only be friends. And I challenged him that if he is not patient enough to wait for me, then it is all fine with me if he pursues someone else.

I was also straightforward in telling him that I do not wish to be in a relationship with him if his intention was to forget his old flame. He assured me that it is because he loves me. In fact, he professed his love for me right after our first date. Unbelievable, right? lol 😀 But my brother told me that you can never really tell when you will fall in love. It doesn’t have a time period, nor an exact moment, and it can just hit you out of the blue.

Well, that is love in its emotional state. But love is a decision. And I am after the latter that is why I never rushed my feelings for him. I have restrained myself to wait even though the attraction was already there the first time we met back in AEI.

Besides, I wanted to ask God first and make sure the relationship I am going to enter is the one that He wants for me. I wanted to do exactly that during the Prayer and Fasting in our church come the first week of January. I was still in my hometown during this time so I got to ask God clearly what are His answers and without distractions.

Would you believe that one of the signs that God sent me was through a friend and sister in Christ who texted me out of the blue during the Prayer and Fasting that she dreamt about me wearing a white gown? 😀

We were both confused about what it meant at that time and then I just had the realization later on. And nope, none of my friends knew Brian yet at this point because we’re not yet dating. But I knew the sign was not enough in making a decision, so I continued praying.

My failed relationships in the past, which was the reason for my salvation and being born again, taught me to never seek for love at the wrong places and with the wrong people by waiting for God’s perfect best. 🙂

Brian though is never perfect. He has his own weaknesses and personal struggles same as me. We are all a work in progress when it comes to being the persons that God wants us to be. But we both rejoice in what is good, in what we have learned, in learning and where we are happy the most – pure and genuine happiness because we know it makes our God happy too.

We both share some interests and I know that if I am to list down all the qualities, it will be endless. But just to name a few that really stood out when we were just getting to know each other, I’ll give a brief rundown:

  • We both love the color blue.
  • We love viands that are not sweet.
  • We prefer communing with nature than spend long hours at the mall.
  • We love the simple things.
  • And lastly, we enjoy each other’s company.

Now, that last part is the one thing that I love the most. Why? Because it only means I could get to be who I am when I am with him. We don’t care if we look silly at times or if we crack the silliest jokes mindless of other people who would think we are being overly “corny” or hilarious. No pretensions so to speak. He accepts my eccentricities (mildly put, not exactly the medical term) and vice versa. The same as our relationship with God. We have to be as sincere and as open to Him as possible, connecting every single moment of our lives with Him from the moment we wake up until the time we lay our heads down the pillow. A personal, loving, and lasting relationship – that is how we got to know Him more.

And that is how I got to know Brian more – a personal moment at a secret garden (that is not so secret at all because it is well-known among the locals and tourists alike). 🙂

 

Lovely blooms.

Lovely blooms.

The entrance to Sonya's restaurant.

The entrance to Sonya’s restaurant.

One of the lodges.

One of the lodges.

Morning Glory garden. The other two are The Conservatory and Sunflower.

Morning Glory garden. The other two are The Conservatory and Sunflower.

 

The place is very memorable to me. I have always been in love with gardens. They are my places of solace and comfort. I feel calm, at ease and more at peace with myself when I am surrounded by the best that nature could offer – simplicity.

 

Flower in bloom.

Flower in bloom.

Feeling like a princess. *wink*

Feeling like a princess. *wink*

The photographer taken by the photographer too.

The photographer was taken by another photographer too.

 

Though I dressed up too “colorful” for the date making me look like one of the flowers in the garden and making me wish I’d never worn something as vibrant as that, I pretty much enjoyed the ambiance of the place. It is very RELAXING. I didn’t skip the opportunity to take more photos of literally anything I could lay my eyes on.

 

Sonya's chair.

Sonya’s chair.

Coffee table book.

Coffee table book.

Birds of paradise.

Birds of paradise.

Superb drapery for their banquet hall.

Superb drapery for their banquet hall.

 

And yes, though they offer their menu in buffet style, you won’t feel too full afterward nor feel guilty for having eaten too much. They serve vegetarian dishes. Most of their dishes are very light and their pastas are not heavy on herbs and spices. Just a little bit of them to tease your palate. You have an option if you will have white or red sauce. Of course, how could I forget how Brian and I made fun of the chamomile hand wash/sanitizer because I thought it is just for decor of some sort or I will wash my veggie food there and I had to ask the waiter what is it used for (oh if embarrassment could kill, I’d be dead already. 😀 ). But it smells SOOO GOOOD!

 

The Menu.

The Menu.

Buffet corner.

Buffet corner.

Lettuce and arugula.

Lettuce and arugula.

Garnish your salad with a selection of fruits in season like mango and pineapple.

Garnish your salad with a selection of fruits in season like mango and pineapple.

There he is with his jicama/singkamas.

There he is with his jicama/singkamas.

Fresh flowers in a vase centerpiece.

Fresh flowers in a vase centerpiece.

Relaxing ambiance.

Relaxing ambiance.

 

I also love how they kept our bread warm. They rolled it in a piece of cloth (linen, I presume) and served it in a basket along with the spread and other spices. I love their salad dressings and spread, too! They offer quite A LOT of greens in their dishes which I absolutely relished. I am a veggie lover so I enjoyed making that munch and that crunch in my every bite of their salads. And to end it all, a nice serving of chocolate cake and tarragon tea.

 

Whole wheat sesame bread.

Whole wheat sesame bread.

Sonya’s Secret Salad Dressing, Balsamic vinegar/extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese.

Sonya’s Secret Salad Dressing, Balsamic vinegar/extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese.

Basil pesto, white cheese, anchovies, tomato salsa, mushroom pate, black olive tapenade, and fresh green peppercorn in olive oil.

Basil pesto, white cheese, anchovies, tomato salsa, mushroom pate, black olive tapenade, and fresh green peppercorn in olive oil.

Homemade choco cake.

Homemade choco cake.

Tarragon Tea

Tarragon Tea

 

Overall comment? It was a very happy and relaxing experience indeed. I adored every nook in Sonya’s garden. Aside from the restaurant, they also have the Panaderia and a store where you could buy goodies, memorabilia, and pasalubong for your friends and family. It is also a very suitable place for wedding receptions as they have a separate private venue for that near the restaurant.

 

The way to the comfort rooms.

The way to the comfort rooms.

Chandelier.

Chandelier.

Native finds.

Native finds.

Capiz hanging decor.

Capiz hanging decor.

Organic scents, trinkets and other good finds.

Organic scents, trinkets and other good finds.

For Wedding Receptions

For Wedding Receptions

The Walkway

The Walkway

The Panaderia

The Panaderia

Me trying the hat.

Me trying the hat which I have practically no use for. lol

 

I wished for my own home someday to be surrounded by lots of greenery too just like what we also have in our home in Bicol. I believe it is what makes every home a home – it looks natural, no too much synthetic ornaments.

Just like our relationship with God – you are more at ease with Him when it is genuine. 🙂

Every love story is created differently. But the one thing that they should all have in common is this – God at the center.

I believe I have to end this “date” on this note, for now, to save some memories for Brian and me to cherish. And this too, a poem which I made especially for him.

And this ends our cheesiness. 😀

 

A Blanket of Love by Tin Ginete

A Blanket of Love by Tin Ginete

P.S.

We ended the date by watching Ronin 47. Yes, how could I ever forget the last lines. Just the perfect cheesy but romantic lines to end this cheesy but romantic article. 😀

Kai (Keanu Reeves): I will search for you through 1000 worlds and 10000 lifetimes!

Mika (Ko Shibasaki): I will wait for you in all of them.

(Thank you so much for the wonderful time, for the lunch treat and movie date, Hon! I love you so much!)

“B” for Burping at The Buffet on a Blessed Bountiful Birthday

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Another late post. 😀 The part 2 of my previous post: A Birthday Like No Other. 🙂

I can boast of nothing else except of God’s greatness. I never asked for anything prior to my birthday. And yet, He surprised me with gifts that are irreplaceable by any material gift – to bless others and to spend my birthday with family and friends.

I would like to thank my family, first and foremost, for spending my special day with me. Though my parents are not here as they are in the province, I know they celebrated it with me in spirit. And we have a new member (Hi, Heather! Welcome to the family!). 😉

Thank you, Ate Ayn, for giving me this birthday gift/treat! 🙂

Family love!

Family love!

Where's the missing boy? Oh there you are!

Where’s the missing boy? Oh there you are!

 

Thanks as well to my VG mates and soul sisters for these lovely birthday cakes (you know who you are ladies)! 🙂

 

Thank you my dear Victory group mates! I love you!

Thank you my dear Victory group mates! I love you!

Thank you my dear soul sisters! I love you!

Thank you my dear soul sisters! I love you!

 

And of course, to all who wished me a happy birthday on Facebook, over the phone, and anywhere here on social networking sites. Oh, how I love God and how I love everything that God has given me. I could not ask for more indeed. I will continue praising God for His LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY – I am extremely GRATEFUL.

I was given the privilege to choose where I will spend my birthday and we just found ourselves seated at the comfort of the superb interiors and great food of The Buffet International Cuisine.

 

The "sea of food."

The “sea of food.”

 

The Buffet International Cuisine serves in buffet style not 1 but 5 kinds of international cuisine: Filipino, Western, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Now, that is a whole lot of options to choose from. Gaaaah, gastronomic!!!! 😀

 

Fishes, fishes, fishes. That is, fish decors. ;)

Fishes, fishes, fishes. That is, fish decors. 😉

Asian cuisine corner.

Asian cuisine corner.

 

They also offer a wide range of desserts from cakes, ice cream to pastries. I just could not try all of them as they are far too many. 😦 But that is reason enough for me to go back to The Buffet, right? 😀

 

Dessert corner.

Dessert corner.

Colored drinks (lime and red tea).

Colored drinks (lime and red tea).

 

I also would like to thank the management of The Buffet for my free share (wink), for the live birthday song performance by their ever talented group of singers as well as for this cute birthday cake. Awesome!!!! I, indeed, am all smiles! 😀

 

Birthday Cake!

Birthday Cake!

Birthday Singers

Birthday Singers

 

I particularly love the place with its high ceilings and spacious dining areas. It is a buffet restaurant so expect a lot of traffic from people going here and there to get food. But that wasn’t a problem at all as the food was carefully arranged and set in places that allow eaters to move around without bumping anyone.

 

Food counter.

Food counter.

 

Their lights were also superb! Chandeliers are everywhere giving you that mellow, romantic and really classy feel. They have a grand staircase leading to the function hall for special events.

 

The grand staircase going to the function room.

The grand staircase going to the function room.

More chandeliers downstairs.

More chandeliers downstairs.

Sparkly chandeliers.

Sparkly chandeliers.

 

Oh and yes, their comfort room is sooooo clean and they have free valet parking too. We are indeed having one of the great treats in our lives. I thank God for that! 😀

 

Ladies' comfort room.

Ladies’ comfort room.

Free valet parking.

Free valet parking.

 

If I am to rate it from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest, I’ll give it a 5. It was a blessed, bountiful birthday, indeed! 🙂

 

At the staircase.

At the staircase.

Happy Post Challenge: A Birthday Like No Other

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My apologies if this is a REALLY LATE post. The month of December is just the busiest. 😀

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

Birthdays, Christmas celebration, season of giving…

They are just some of the reasons why we had this Jollibee Kiddie Party for the children of Christian Light Foundation last December 14. My sincerest gratitude goes to my dear friend and sister in Christ, Frances Joy Reyes, for sharing this wonderful opportunity to me and sis Nina. I would like to congratulate her and her friends who organized the event making it such a huge success. May God continue to bless you, my dear sisters! 🙂

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

It was an afternoon filled with fun, prayer, and thanksgiving all centered on God, His teachings and the birthday of His son, Jesus Christ. I would like to share too how God has been so generous in answering our hearts’ desires. My friend Nina and I have long been planning to celebrate our birthdays (December 17 and December 22) with the children from a foundation instead of just having our own usual birthday parties with friends/family. It even came to the point wherein we thought about going to Samar and Leyte to help those affected by the super typhoon Yolanda. But our schedule didn’t permit us to do it, thus, we settled for a location near us.

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

At this point, please allow me to boast of God’s greatness and how we can really say that He makes everything perfect and beautiful in His time. I never failed praying about what Nina and I have planned. Until time came when Frances told me about the Kiddie Party for the children of Christian Light Foundation. I was more than thrilled, excited, grateful…everything, to be part of it! It was an ANSWERED PRAYER! 🙂

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

God cleared our schedule, He gave us the provisions to be able to help through the storybooks that Nina and I bought for them (thanks for preparing them, sis) as well as a free time to be with the kids. The experience was amazing and very fulfilling. More so when we saw during the party how the kids are having so much fun, how receptive they are in listening to Frances sharing about the gospel and even joined us in sincerely praying to give thanks to Jesus Christ and know the essence of celebrating Christmas Day. Nothing is indeed greater than giving, sharing and making other people happy through God. 🙂

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

It was one of the best birthday celebrations that I had in my entire life. And yet I intend to make it as my first of the many birthday celebrations with a cause. I pray to God that this will be a lifetime commitment and that He will continue to guide us in this endeavor.

© Frances Joy Reyes

© Frances Joy Reyes

I guess what we all need is to just continue having this mantra when we do things: it is all for God – for His honor and His glory. May praise and worship be showered upon Him and Him alone. 🙂

(Thank you sis Frances and friends for the opportunities, for the giveaway, for the photos as well as for the great time!)

(Thank you sis Nina for coming along and for preparing the gifts!)

My Very Own Pizza @ Project Pie

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Since I intend to make this blog as versatile and as diverse as it can be, I am doing this food review (not sponsored) and of course, to share the experience that me and my siblings had at Project Pie. 🙂

Project Pie PH (Mandaluyong)

Project Pie PH (Mandaluyong)

Design. Build. Eat.

Why Project Pie?

From the name itself, it literally means working on a pie. Yes, as simple as that. But the only difference is that you get to create your own pizza by choosing your own ingredients.  Which could be pretty tedious and tasking, by the way, if you are the type who needs a long period of time before you decide (like me). Good thing though that at that time, the queue for placing orders was a bit long. I had ample time to decide which is which.  😉

Making our pizzas.

Making our pizzas.

Red or white?

Red or white?

They offer a wide array of ingredients from various types of cheese to a whole lot of meat and vegetable toppings. They also serve your pizza in a thin crust with all its crispy goodness.  Oh and yes, you get to choose what sauce you prefer for your pizza like white or red sauce. Isn’t it fantastic?

And what my siblings and I did is that we “exchanged” a little portion of our pizzas so we get to try all different combinations. Aha! Now, that gives you an idea. 😉

Here are our Project Pie pizzas!

Here are our Project Pie pizzas!

Thin crust, pepperoni and olives.

Thin crust, pepperoni and olives.

The pizza with the blue cheese.

The pizza with the blue cheese.

And their tea, which is your own preference if you want it iced or hot, complements just right with the pizza. 🙂

I prefer it cold, thus, iced tea.

I prefer it cold, thus, iced tea.

Additional orders.

Additional orders.

So, what else am I missing out…

Ahh, yes. The interiors. I pretty much love the cozy, and yet very modern design of the restaurant. It is not lavishly decorated but will surely capture your attention with its mellow lights. These little hanging bulbs look just like tiny fireflies to me. Though I also contemplated if it is possible to adopt this design to my own home someday. Hmm..

Modern artistry.

Modern artistry.

The cozy, red sofas/benches.

The cozy, red sofas/benches.

And yes, the “scripted wall.” This is that very interesting wall of quotations which made me laugh amusingly as most of them are very ironically written. Just the right optimistic/pessimistic/as-a-matter-of-fact/practical way of analyzing things. 😉

If I can just stare at that wall oblivious of the people around me, I would. Just so I could read all of them. They have like a hundred of them, scriptures! Tsk, far too many. But you can read some of them below. Enjoy! 😀

"Wall of Scriptures"

“Wall of Scriptures”

OH and before I forget, JAPHET AGUILAR, LA TENORIO and other PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) basketball players were there too. I am no high school/fan girl but I can’t help but feel so head over heels, admirer mode when I saw Japhet. He is simple, very cute and absolutely TALL! A 7-footer is indeed a head-turner, plus good looks – that is enough to make you swoon. *faints*

Japhet Aguilar in the house!

Japhet Aguilar in the house!

 

Okay, I think I’ll stop here for now because this is a food blog post, not a showbiz article. *teehee* Just sharin’. 😉

 

Ate Ayn and Ate Abeden.

Ate Ayn and Ate Abeden.

Me and brother.

Me and brother.

Flowers and Hearts – Love is Enough

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Sonya's Garden

Sonya’s Garden

This pot of flowers is not your ordinary pot. Why? Because what makes these flowers fascinating to me and special is the idea that they have stayed fresh though they have been picked out from their stems and now floating in what I call a temporary life support system – the pool of water. 🙂

Which made me think of love.

“How can you love if you are afraid to fall?” 

Nah, I am not going to talk about the sweet moments just like how love articles are all about. I am going to talk about the other side of love – when you fall. That is, the pain in loving caused by none other than the conflicts.

Conflicts are experienced by all who is in a relationship. Even married Christian couples go through conflicts. I, for one, experienced a conflict at the onset of our relationship. Well, the enemy does not choose a particular timeline nor a particular couple to attack. Everyone gets their own dose.

But I will not be talking of conflicts here in a manner wherein I regard them as a failure. In fact, I just want to share how these conflicts helped me and my boyfriend build my faith in God and establish trust in our relationship.

Now, TRUST is my biggest waterloo. I feared it. I have no courage to have it. Most especially in relationships. Doubts are my greatest enemy.

I almost came close to giving up because of constantly having doubts and not having trust. The reason why I came close to giving up is because I did not trust God fully that He will always be there to guide us in the relationship.

Until I came to a realization whether I should let the conflicts ruin or build my faith. God has a reason why He gave you that person to love. It is up to you if you are to accept it as something good or bad. Differences will always be present because no two persons are ever the same. There will be personal struggles in keeping the purity and holiness intact inside the premises of the relationship. Temptations will be on the rise.

But then, we all love happy endings and yet we know too that love stories are never complete without the trials and suffering. In fact, they are what makes the ending happy, when you come out victorious over them by constantly asking God for guidance and protection.

But the question still remains: Will you let the enemy win?

I cannot. I cannot let my doubts, the conflicts and personal struggles ruin the beautiful promises that God has for our relationship. I have to trust God so I can gain trust in the relationship. Believe that it is not you or your boyfriend/husband who will run the relationship but it is God who will be the center of it. Continue to grow and learn from mistakes and strive to be at the right path.

Most of all, choose God and choose love. If you love the person who is willing to do everything for you, you know what to do with that love as how God would want you to.  Cherish it. It is God’s love that saved us all through His son Jesus Christ freeing us from the chains of our sins.

I am extremely grateful to God for having this relationship. It is God’s blessing that I was given a man who has an open mind and a willing, teachable heart patient enough to understand. Who chose to encourage than condemn, who chose to be gentle than to offend, who chose to be relenting than be stern, who chose to accept than judge. But most importantly, a man who chose to love and follow God than give up.

(I will always be grateful to you, baby. Thank you and I love you so much!)

As I end this article, I would like to leave two quotations – first would be what I learned from the Love Series of Victory entitled It’s Not That Complicated and the other, a bible verse.

“Love will not be complicated if we understand that love is a decision and not just an emotion.”

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Like the flowers floating in a pool of water, loving requires the decision and the need to stay afloat though circumstances would posit you to be out of your comfort zone, out of your original life support system. The relationship is the flower and love is the water that feeds the relationship, that nourishes it.

Yes, decide that love is enough. That God is more than enough. 🙂

“Blanket of Love”

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Together

(Just another poem by yours truly for you. 🙂 )

Joy it was to know you,

Oh sweet you are it is true.

Such a thing of beauty,

Entranced by you so deeply.

Praise to Him for this Grace,

He has shown me steps to trace.

Back to an old feeling,

Racing heartbeats, never ceasing.

I wished it to be real,

A love to hold and to feel.

Now I’d have to believe,

Good things we are to receive.

Romance just has its thrall,

On you and me after all.

Made it right through that call,

Enough…enough to make me fall.

A Seasoned Life: My Past vs My Present

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@ Dads (Kamayan)

@ Dads (Kamayan)

Life is like a drink.

Sometimes it is too sweet, but sometimes it becomes too sour. Sometimes it is bland and sometimes it just has the perfect blend.

I grew up with a lot of fears. I grew up knowing too well what my weaknesses are. I grew up with a lot of insecurities.

I got out of that world. A hunger crept within me. I explored, soared – I am enjoying every single bit of it. That was my notion of “freedom.”

Danger was lurking the moment I stepped out and spread my wings. I soared high unwary of failures. I held on to what this world offers. I made a lot of mistakes, far too many I lost track of what is good and what is right.

Then I fell.

I felt an excruciating pain. A pain from a wound that is nowhere visible. I sobbed, sprawled in the bathroom floor, on my bed, in a corner. Endless gruelling fits of flowing tears that continued for days, weeks, months and years.

Then I surrendered.

I surrendered to His love. It was because of His love that I was saved. I repented and I accepted – my faith as my fate. That I am His daughter and that He is my Father and my Master. Obedience and service to Him who made what I have now and where I am now possible.

Did I ever think that I would be where I am now? No. I had no idea. But I had felt it. It was far too strong to dismiss. To heed to the calling of being where I truly belong – in His refuge.

My drink now? I must say it’s the four seasons fruit drink – a combination of different flavors. Not too sweet nor too sour, just the right flavor. I am just happy I am ending this year with just the right attitude, the right faith and the right spirit.

Now, let’s drink to that and be merry, shall we? 😉

You Just Have To Learn How To Say “NO”

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Red, Hot Chili

Red, Hot Chili

This red, hot chili reminded me of this word – NO. Some people like it, some don’t. And for most people whom I have offered this to who really, really hate chili, they just stood their ground and firmly said “NO” no matter how many times I have asked them to try it. (Well, I can really be VERY persuasive sometimes.) 😉

[You just have to learn how to say “NO.”]

My eldest sister used to tell me this way, way back when I was younger – my teenage years. Now, I found myself saying this to myself again and again.

Say “NO” to a job that does not make you any better anymore – forced to work beyond what you can handle, compassion is absent, profit is the main target and offering minimum wages.

Know when your rights are violated. We tend to reason and equate this to how Christ has suffered for us – that we, too, should suffer the same.  Yes and no. Yes, we should be brave enough to withstand any challenge.  But no, learn to know when it is not healthy for you anymore. You have to think more of yourself at this point and look after your own welfare. Not because you are selfish but because you cannot give your best if you are not at your best. Quality versus quantity. How can you help others when you are struggling to even help yourself?

Say “NO” to a relationship wherein the other half requires you to meet his/her demands that are not supposed to be given at the point of your relationship (not yet married).

When a relationship brings you nothing but heartache, tears, doubts, lies, rage, contempt and more sins, it is time to let go. Mishaps in relationships are a given. Pain in love is inevitable. Yet with all things, they should always be in a state of balance. Never is there a thing such as pure and absolute happiness and just that. Neither should there be anything such as pain and sadness all the time.

Say “NO” to an addiction/craving that brings you nothing but wasted money, effort, time and a cursing heart.

It is time to give it up if it makes you feel bad as a person, if it makes you feel less of a person, if it makes you pose more questions of self-doubt than self-fulfilment and satisfaction.  Idolatry is one of the worst sins ever committed. You are not aware you are doing more harm than good to yourself with your decision to stick through it, making excuses for it.

Easy for me to say, that is what you are going to say. 🙂

I do get you.

We value our jobs because we need money to survive. But here is what I have to say too. There are a lot of better opportunities out there. You have better chances of letting God make you to who He wants you to be out there than where you are now. Who am I to say this? Let’s say I just learned it from experience and from the habit that I will let go rather than complain how I hate my job, how it is making me unhappy, unfulfilled, and let the world know about it. If you don’t want to let it go, learn to love it and be professional.

It’s hard to let go of someone you have learned to love and shared so many memories with, sad and happy. It is hard to let go of a companion whom you were used to spending most of your time with. It is hard to move on. Yes, maybe that is the reason why you don’t want to let go. It is the fear of facing the pain, the loss and the burden of carrying bittersweet memories. I know because I went through the same. But you were crying everyday, you are always in a state of doubt, in a state of unsettling situations, complicated compromises – if you still insist on keeping the relationship, ask yourself these questions:

1. How secure is my future with my significant other going to be like?

2. What future will my children and grandchildren have if I opted to stay?

3. How long until I reach my breaking point? And when that happens, is it already too late to change my mind?

4. What consequences do I have to go through and bear?

Addiction is a bad habit magnified to a thousand. When it strikes, it kills, it destructs. It developed because it nurtures the gratification it gives us – a sense of temporary high. But the question is, in every addiction, what else did it give you aside from that temporary high? None. Because again, as I have said earlier, when it strikes, it kills, it destructs until you are left sapped out. Empty – inside and out.

I am leaving you with not so many choices, am I not? Yes, because that is my intent in writing this piece – you just have to say “NO” to anything and everything that takes the GOOD out of you.

I am not a preacher, I hate public speaking nor am I good at it. I am no counselor – I am just a concerned individual. I am not perfect – I have made more mistakes and sins in my past than most of you ever did. And lastly, I am no God – I do not know everything.

I just intend to share. Because I have learned to say “NO.” You still have a choice. You still have your free will.

Which should go second or be in accordance to God’s will. Seek Him first and obey. He knows better than any of us, anyway. In fact, He knows what is best for us. Pray earnestly, pray hardest. Then, you’ll have the courage to say “NO” when the right time comes for you to say it. 🙂

That Dragon Who Flies

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Dragonfly

Dragonfly

A dragonfly. 😉

Sinister-looking, definitely not. But folklore and culture have it that dragonflies signify danger. I haven’t seen one in a while and neither am I superstitious so please allow me to just marvel at this little beauty right here.

Next to butterflies, I am fascinated by dragonflies. They are one of the most delicate creatures to ever glide this planet. Look closely at their wings. I can’t help but think that they look like women’s stockings that will easily tear with just an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny tiny scratch.

I must admit though that I am guilty of keeping them as captives when I was way too young to value each and every creation on Earth. Now, I am even more guilty when back home, all I could see now is but just 1/3 of their population years back.

Tsk, that must be the danger that they signify – extinction of their breed come the future generations of the human race. What do we have to marvel at next?

Just like the dragons, our kids will only have their imagination of them flying around, spurting fire, evil most of the time – of which none of them can be proven true unless they came from a generation when to me all dragonflies are real, dainty, fragile and yes, precious.