What Matters Most ...

Keep the Love Alive ♥

2010-11-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

Courtship does not end in the altar of marriage. It should only be the beginning.

When was the last time you went out on a dinner date, just the two of you?

Most likely, if you have kids, and you’re working hard, going out on dates was a thing of the past. Besides, you always tell yourself the money could be used to pay for your bills.

Maybe you have a baby and you don’t have a baby sitter; or you simply don’t have enough time with all the work that needs to be done; maybe you’re too exhausted after having done all your laundry and house cleaning and cooking the whole day; or maybe you just don’t like nor see any significance of going out anymore.

You should be alarmed!

Second to money issues, couples who take their spouses for granted are more likely to end up unhappy, miserable, then separated or divorced. This is because there is truth in the saying that if one can “fall in love”, one can also “fall out of love”. Hence, if you want to “stay in love”, you better do something about it!

To keep love burning, married couples have to take their commitment to marriage seriously.

How?

Make romance a part of your continuous courtship efforts.

Romance is a necessity and not a luxury, therefore it is essential to make romance a lifestyle. It can be fun and exciting, and just like all of the other aspects of marriage; it requires thoughtfulness, communication and attention from both parties involved.

Here are 7 Tips on How to Nurture Romance in Your Relationship

1. A Romantic Picnic

Get to know each other all over again! And do it with style!

Use your imagination. Find an excuse to spend an evening together, just the two of you.

Stop by a grocery on your way home from work: buy some "chichirya", or a pack of hopia, or potato chips (be sure to include dips like mayonnaise or cheeze whiz ;D),or fruits if you like. Pizza would be okay too! Then, once you get home, light some scented candles, load up the DVD or Mp3 player with some great jazz or your favorite love songs. Spend the evening dancing or simply talking like you may not have in a long time.

2. Speak Love for 30 days (as a starter)

Send a different sexy, loving message each day. Mix it up. Send a text message one day, call the next day.

3. Do Something New or Different Together

Once a week or as often as you like, do something else, do something new and different, anything, as long as you do it together. You may, for example, give each other a foot massage. Take an evening walk. Take turns doing it.

Or go on short vacations, just the two of you.

4. "How Do I Love Thee?" or Try "Why Do I Love Thee?"

Write each reason on a separate piece of paper. Put them in separate boxes and pull a different one each day, to brighten your day and remind you of your love for each other. You can secretly put these love notes in between his shirts, or on the table top for her as you leave to house for your office. Anywhere, as long as the element of surprise is there. It’ll surely bring a smile in your face, and will keep it there until he comes home from work.

5. Remember Letter's to Juliet? Never under estimate the power of a Love Letter!

Write a love letter and share something you are really proud of your mate for. A few ideas you can write about are: an accomplishment, a selfless act of kindness, what you love the most and why. Ladies seal it with a kiss and a dash of his favorite perfume. Guys, a spritz of her favorite cologne will do.

6. Read Together

Turn off the TV, computer and phones. Take turns reading poetry or anything that interests you both. Just be sure it’s not about someone killing somebody, or something that would invite negative vibes. In short, make sure your reading materials are inspiring and will bring in happy thoughts and feelings.

7. Flower or Green Leafy Vegetables?

Of course this is just a joke. But hey! Inside every married woman, 17 to 99, is a lady and a girl ... who wants to feel she is special ... still.

So bring a different kind of flower home each day for 30 days. Trust me, it‘s not difficult.

What Makes a Mother a Mother?

2010-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

I hope you're not confused with the question.

Really, what makes a mother a mother?

Oh, you carried each of your children in your womb for nine months, that makes you a mother all right!

You gave birth to all of them ... normal delivery!

Remember the pain when their heads "crowned"?

Or via CS, and you had to be careful for months because of your operation ...

Or you may be someone who did not literally nurture them in your womb

but nonetheless is a Mother to them in all other aspects ...

When they were small, you bathed them every single day,

until the time arrived when they could do it themselves.

Then all you had to do was prepare the towels and the change of clothing ... and pray that they rinsed their hair well, or that they scrubbed their elbows and knees and heels ...

You fed them every time they cry!

You either had to wash your "automatic baby bottle", if you know what i mean,

or you had to make sure that the bottles were sterilized ...

and the water was sterile ...

and the milk, that it's not too hot nor not cold ...

You had to hold the bottle while they sucked, which took a few minutes to an hour ...

sitting up so they won't choke

and watching and waiting till they're finished

so they won't suck in air

and suffer from colic pains.

You did this morning, noon, till night time

even when all the rest of the household are asleep;

Many times you find yourself alone in the house

carrying the baby everywhere

for you can't just leave him or her lying in your bed alone

while you try your best to do your chores at home

while he sleeps - which he does so irregularly ...

Remember the time call of nature came, and you just had to go?

You had to leave the door open so you can hear the baby ...

Day in and day out

you smell like sour cream or spoiled milk because you just did not have enough time

nor the motivation

to change your house dress into something more fashionable;

Who needs to be that trendy anyway? So you tell yourself!

You smell of "weweee" and of "pawis" and of "dul-ay" all mixed together.

As they grew older ...

It was normally you who stayed late when the children were sick ...

When they started to crawl ... and as they took their first steps ...

When they fell off the chair, or the table, or the bed, or the stairs ...

You cleaned wounds on knees and elbows

kissed them with your lips

whispered sweet assurances so your children will know

the pain will soon be gone...

You sang to them all sorts of songs, English or Visayan

written or invented (hah!)

You recited the alphabet with them ...

Told them stories - true and make-believe ...

Taught them how to fold their socks, how to tie their shoe laces, how to tuck in their shirts ...

You woke up early to prepare their breakfast, iron their uniforms, shine their shoes ...

Simultaneously while cleaning the house and preparing yourself

so you can bring them to school on time,

and wait for them outside their classrooms when they were in Nursery, Kinder 1, Kinder 2 ...

Praying that they will participate ... cooperate ... and stay awake ... and not quarrel with their

classmates;

You took time to face teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences ...

took in wholeheartedly reports of them misbehaving in school ...

of your boy reading his favorite book during classes;

or your daughter punching the class bully in his nose

(and you find yourself silently saying to yourself ...YES! that's, that's my girl!)

and a million other things you did (and still do even today)

... day in and day out ...

What makes a Mother a Mother?

All these and so much more ...

The sacrifices, the heartaches, the fears, the excitements, the worries, the anxieties ...

the joy, the happiness ...

and a million other things that make you as you are ...

Selfless ...

Sacrificing ...

Hoping ...

Praying ...

Who fed me from her gentle breast;

And hushed me in her arms to rest;

And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?

My Mother."

~Anne Taylor

♥Evelyn and Leila ♥

Crumpled White Shirts ...

2010-11-20T08:10:00.001-08:00

Two young men blessed the Sacrament; four young men passed it … seven priesthood leaders sat in front … and more than 30 men – fathers, brothers, ward leaders – together with almost 30 women, young and old - participated reverently in the special sacrament meeting aboard SuperFerry 20 that beautiful Sunday morning.

What made the occasion very meaningful was the fact that all these men wore crumpled white shirts to attend to their priesthood duty – with honor and dignity.

I felt so blessed as I sat beside my daughters and my husband, as I looked at my son who was seated in front preparing to pass the sacrament. I could not help but feel a sense of joy knowing that he is growing up well. He knows who he is, his duties and responsibilities, and he has his Dad and his priesthood leaders who loves him dearly and who teaches him how to become the best that he can ever be.

I felt tears swell in my eyes as I looked around at the men who were either sitting or standing, all dignified looking, snappy in their Sunday clothes, despite the fact that their shirts and their pants all came from the bags crumpled and maybe smelly after being used for two days. You see, we never expected to hold a special sacrament in the boat since we were supposed to arrive 7 hours earlier.

Nonetheless, all went well.

It was a wonderful and very spiritual special sacrament.

Now I know ... that white shirts, even crumpled ones, can look immaculately pristine, when those who wear them stand dignified and honorable, knowing that they are doing the Lord’s work … at all times, and in all things, and in all places.

: Young Men in White Shirts

A Child's Prayer ...

2010-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is a very beautiful story written by a doctor who worked in Central Africa…

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts.

One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).

‘And it is our last hot water bottle!’ she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst waterbottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

‘All right,’ I said, ‘put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.’

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby.. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. ‘Please, God’ she prayed, ‘Send us a hot water bottle today. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon..’

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity ofthe prayer, she added, ‘And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?’

As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say ‘Amen’? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.

Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the porch was a large 22-pound parcel.

I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly… Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys.

Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas – that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the….. could it really be?

I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried… I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, ‘If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!

‘Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly.

Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked, ‘Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?’

‘Of course,’ I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child – five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it ‘that afternoon’.

‘Before they call, I will answer.’ (Isaiah65:24)

After reading this, please say a prayer. Pray for someone who’s in need.

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

There is no cost, but a lot of rewards.

Let’s continue praying for one another.

I know Heavenly Father lives …

I know He listens to all our prayers …

And I know He answers our prayers!

♥♥♥

And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive …

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT *CDO Stake in Partnership with The Philippine Society of Pathologists, Northern Mindanao Chapter

2010-10-18T02:33:00.001-07:00

The Cagayan de Oro Philippines Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In Partnership with

The Philippine Society of Pathologists, Northern Mindanao Chapter

Community Service Project

October 16, 2010

The Cagayan de Oro Philippines Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in partnership with the Philippine Society of Pathologists, Northern Mindanao Chapter, conducted a Community Service Project at the Macasandig Elementary School, Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City last Saturday, October 16, 2010.

Participated by members from the 5 Wards of the Stake, the community service project started with a short program organized by the school administration. After the opening exercises, the feeding program followed. 100 underweight elementary students who were pre-qualified by the school administration were given Chicken Congee prepared by members of the Relief Society of the Stake. Youth, single adults, primary children, stake and ward leaders, members of the Relief Society, and missionaries helped serve the food to the participants.

The feeding program was then followed by a clean up drive. The school vicinity was swept clean and the fence posts, the concrete benches and tables were repainted.

For many of the members who participated, it was a great way to usher in the Family Day celebration which followed immediately that same day, in the afternoon, at the Ramon Chavez Stake Center.

Happiness is a Choice ♥

2010-10-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Happiness Formulas:

o Being happy is a choice people make right here and now, by living joyfully. It is not a place to reach in the future.

o There are ways to measure subjective well-being and thinking about what such formulas mean for us is even more important than the numbers we get out of them;

o We get happier by making other people happier

o There are several "fringe" benefits to living joyfully:

§ Happy people are more sociable, energetic, more caring, and cooperative;

§ They are better liked by others;

§ They are more likely to get married and stay married;

§ They have wider social networks and receive support from friends;

§ They show more flexibility and creativity in their thinking;

§ They are more productive at work;

§ They are recognized as better leaders and negotiators, and so earn accordingly;

§ They are more tenacious when times are not pleasant;

§ They have stronger immune systems;

§ They are healthier both physically and mentally, and

§ They live longer.

Now, the choice is yours.

I hope it's not that difficult to make.

After all, you are the "navigator of your life"and the "captain of your soul"!

Keep the Love Alive ♥

2010-10-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Courtship does not end in the altar of marriage. It should only be the beginning.

When was the last time you went out on a dinner date, just the two of you?

Most likely, if you have kids, and you’re working hard, going out on dates was a thing of the past. Besides, you always tell yourself the money could be used to pay for your bills.

You should be alarmed!

To keep love burning, married couples have to take their commitment to marriage seriously.

How?

Make romance a part of your continuous courtship efforts.

1. A Romantic Picnic

Get to know each other all over again! And do it with style!

Use your imagination. Find an excuse to spend an evening together, just the two of you.

Stop by a grocery on your way home from work: buy some "chichirya", or a pack of hopia, or potato chips (be sure to include dips like mayonnaise or cheeze whiz ;D),or fruits if you like. Pizza would be okay too! Then, once you get home, light some scented candles, load up the DVD or Mp3 player with some great jazz or your favorite love songs. Spend the evening dancing or simply talking like you may not have in a long time.

2. Speak Love for 30 days (as a starter)

Send a different sexy, loving message each day. Mix it up. Send a text message one day, call the next day.

3. Do Something New or Different Together

Or go on short vacations, just the two of you.

4. "How Do I Love Thee?" or Try "Why Do I Love Thee?"

5. Remember Letter's to Juliet? Never under estimate the power of a Love Letter!

6. Read Together

7. Flower or Green Leafy Vegetables?

There's a joke that goes around married couples. Early on in the courtship, would-be boyfriends shower the lady love flowers of every color imaginable. After marriage, things change. Husbands would say: "let's buy vegetables instead"!

Of course this is just a joke. But hey! Inside every married woman, 17 to 99, is a lady and a girl ... who wants to feel she is special ... still.

So bring a different kind of flower home each day for 30 days. Trust me, it‘s not difficult.

What Makes a Mother a Mother?

2010-10-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

I hope you're not confused with the question.

Really, what makes a mother a mother?

Oh, you carried each of your children in your womb for nine months, that makes you a mother all right!

You gave birth to all of them ... normal delivery!

Remember the pain when their heads "crowned"?

Or via CS, and you had to be careful for months because of your operation ...

Or you may be someone who did not literally nurture them in your womb

but nonetheless is a Mother to them in all other aspects ...

When they were small, you bathed them every single day,
until the time arrived when they could do it themselves.
Then all you had to do was prepare the towels and the change of clothing ... and pray that they rinsed their hair well, or that they scrubbed their elbows and knees and heels ...

You fed them every time they cry!
You either had to wash your "automatic baby bottle", if you know what i mean,
or you had to make sure that the bottles were sterilized ...
and the water was sterile ...
and the milk, that it's not too hot nor not cold ...

You had to hold the bottle while they sucked, which took a few minutes to an hour ...
sitting up so they won't choke
and watching and waiting till they're finished
so they won't suck in air
and suffer from colic pains.

You did this morning, noon, till night time
even when all the rest of the household are asleep;

Many times you find yourself alone in the house
carrying the baby everywhere
for you can't just leave him or her lying in your bed alone
while you try your best to do your chores at home
while he sleeps - which he does so irregularly ...
Remember the time call of nature came, and you just had to go?
You had to leave the door open so you can hear the baby ...

Day in and day out
you smell like sour cream or spoiled milk because you just did not have enough time
nor the motivation
to change your house dress into something more fashionable;
Who needs to be that trendy anyway? So you tell yourself!

You smell of "weweee" and of "pawis" and of "dul-ay" all mixed together.

As they grew older ...

It was normally you who stayed late when the children were sick ...

When they started to crawl ... and as they took their first steps ...

When they fell off the chair, or the table, or the bed, or the stairs ...

You cleaned wounds on knees and elbows
kissed them with your lips
whispered sweet assurances so your children will know
the pain will soon be gone...

You sang to them all sorts of songs, English or Visayan
written or invented (hah!)

You recited the alphabet with them ...

Told them stories - true and make-believe ...

Taught them how to fold their socks, how to tie their shoe laces, how to tuck in their shirts ...

You woke up early to prepare their breakfast, iron their uniforms, shine their shoes ...
Simultaneously while cleaning the house and preparing yourself
so you can bring them to school on time,
and wait for them outside their classrooms when they were in Nursery, Kinder 1, Kinder 2 ... Praying that they will participate ... cooperate ... and stay awake ... and not quarrel with their classmates;

You took time to face teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences ...
took in wholeheartedly reports of them misbehaving in school ...
of your boy reading his favorite book during classes;
or your daughter punching the class bully in his nose
(and you find yourself silently saying to yourself ...
YES! that's, that's my girl!)

and a million other things you did (and still do even today)

... day in and day out ...

What makes a Mother a Mother?

All these and so much more ...

The sacrifices, the heartaches, the fears, the excitements, the worries, the anxieties ...

the joy, the happiness ...

and a million other things that make you as you are ...

Selfless ...

Sacrificing ...

Hoping ...

Praying ...

Who fed me from her gentle breast;

And hushed me in her arms to rest;

And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?

My Mother."

~Anne Taylor

♥Evelyn and Leila ♥

OfnRain ... Friends ... Family ... and Pure Happiness ...

2010-09-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday ...

It rained so hard we didn't have anywhere else to go but inside the cultural hall.

Lightning and thunder roared loudly outside. A few of the kids found delight in it. Some attempted to get themselves wet in the rain.

But not Andrie. He hugged his Mama tight.

So finally we decided to get inside the hall, otherwise we'd get ourselves soaked wet.

The cultural hall was like heaven ... bright lights, clean floors, and it was dry!

So in we went, like cattle finally finding refuge from heavily pouring rain.

Inside the cultural hall, the primary kids were there -

ages ranging from less than 1 year to 11 (they had an activity the whole afternoon);

the RS sisters were there (we had an activity);

the youth were there (they too, had activities);

the Primary leaders were there (they just finished their leadership meeting);

the men adult leaders were there (some presided over meetings earlier in the afternoon, the others nanglimpyo sila sa chapel with the YM) ...

But here's the catch: we all were talking at the same time!

And to top that, the young children were all shouting.

After a few minutes, someone started to cry ...

It was either Handsome Ecko or Quick Smart Andrei ...

Mikki and Lalai were laughing together with Josh and Alecs and Jay and Ether and Drian and Arjun ...

Children were RUNNING AROUND everywhere... going that way, or this way, or round and round and round...

Then add to that some more the youth playing badminton in the middle of the hall ...

O'neil, Dave, and other young men were practicing dance moves in one corner ...

Zsanine was seated with other young women watching everything ...

On the far end, on the stage, a few young men and a number of leaders were playing table tennis ...

Yes, there was noise ... even too much noise!

What with all the crying Ecko and Andrei did when they were fighting - first- for the shuttle cock;

and then later on for the ball ... 3rd and fourth and fifth ... for the same reasons, over and over again ... and again hahaha!

WHAT AN AWESOME SATURDAY THAT WAS FOR ALL OF US ! ♥

Silently, as i looked, listened, and took everything in, I came to appreciate what it really meant to belong ... ♥♥♥

to have friends ... ♥♥♥

the challenges, the pains, but most of all - JOY - of having children and Motherhood... ♥♥♥

the beauty of church service ...

The privilege of serving in the church ...

I looked at Dottie, and Goldy, and Jen ...

at Mikmic, and Omega, and Neneng

How grateful I am to have sisters in the church - friends to talk to and laugh with ♥♥

I looked at all the children present ...

I looked at my own kids: Myco who was having fun taking pictures ...

Ella who was guiding Mikki and the other primary children ...

April who just finished a full day of practice with her church and school friends ...

Sarah who just came in with her Dad ...

Romelson who was with the other young men ...

Then I looked at Joel and Carlo

and Bishop Sacay ...

and finally, at Romel ...

I smiled and said a silent prayer ...

Grateful that we have a Heavenly Father who really loves us ...

He ... ever so mindful ... forgiving ...

and I thanked Him for good friends to grow with in this life ♥♥♥

The Smell of Rain

2010-09-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

At the end of this story, it gives you two options. I think you will figure out what option I chose.

******************************************************************************

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.

Her husband, David , held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature..

Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.

'I don't think she's going to make it,' he said, as kindly as he could.

'There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one'

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.

She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

'No! No!' was all Diana could say.

She and David , with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four.

Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away

But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana 's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.

But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time.
And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.
Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.

She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving , Texas , Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.

As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby, when she suddenly fell silent . Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, 'Do you smell that?' Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, 'Yes, it smells like rain.'

Dana closed her eyes and again asked, 'Do you smell that?'

Once again, her mother replied, 'Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain.'

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced,

'No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.'

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

Mama's Lullabys ...

2010-09-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

Looking back and remembering every word and every melody, I can not help but feel gratitude for this wonderful gift my Mama has given me.

I have sang these melodies to all my five children, to my nephews and nieces, to my friends' children when I was taking care of them, and now, absurd as it may seem, even to our pet dog Nessie ♥

Here's one simple song that I will forever remember and treasure.

A word though ... I do not really know where my Mama got these songs, or the other lullaby's she sang to us, but surely, whenever she sang or hummed them to my sisters Charry and Carla then, my eyes would close because of the feeling it brought to my heart.

"Ang Batang Buotan"

Ang batang buotan,

Garbo sa ginikanan

Sa sugo sila motuman

sa walay langan langan.

Dili maghilak

og dili magmanya

ang batang buotan

palangga sa ginikanan.

The words can be replaced ... to make it more fitting, i guess.

For instance, way back then I would, at times, change "ginikanan" with "Mommy" (because that's what my children call me) ...

When the kids were young, Romel also sang the lullaby ... he changed 'Ginikanan" with "Daddy" ...

Funny because I didn't really realize that he knew the song. I now realize that by hearing me sing it then, he became familiar with the songs.

Here's another one:

"Rosas sa Hardin"

May rosas sa hardin,

gitanum ni Quintin;

makawagtang sa kalaay,

sa dughan maglipay.

Ang iyang katahum,

wala nay makatupong;

maanindot, maanindot

sa kanunay.

Of all the lullaby's though, the one I remember the most is Dandansoy.

I remember very vividly, every time Mama would sing it to my younger sister Charry, Charry would cry ...

Maybe because the song is about leaving someone behind. Maybe in Charry's mind then, Mama was literally saying goodbye, hence the tears (would you believe as I am writing this and recalling the words/lyrics, I too am crying?).

"Dandansoy"

Dandansoy, biyaan ko ikaw.

Pauli ako sa Payaw.

Kun galing, ikaw hidlawon,

ang Payaw, imo lang lantawon.

(I am not really sure if the lyrics are correct, but that is how I remember the song ...)

Last but not the least of Mama's lullabys is the song composed by Tito Vic Barreto entitled Kudyapi.
Mama used to sing this when she was still with PANAMIN.
The words may not be perfect, but still, it's how I remember it.

"Kudyapi"

Give me my kudyapi,

for I will sing a song;

for my beloved Bukidnon,

where life begins, and ends for us.

Give me my saluray,

for I will play a tune;

for my beloved Bukidnon,

who cares and lives for us.

Music beats deep within my heart,

the call of birds and falling rains;

the sound of living forest,

becomes a melody.

Come now my dearest one,

rest and forget your fears;

for my beloved Bukidnon,

.... (now I have forgotten the last part ... )

Oh the beauty and blessing of parenthood!

Though it's so unfortunate that there's no formal school for parenthood,

and that we only "learn the ropes" as we go-

Suffice it to say that with all the heartaches and pains and hard work involved;

Bearing and rearing children is still the most rewarding of all the undertaking there is in the world.

To Mama, thank you very much!
We live so close but we seldom see each other. This makes me so sad.
Work and family duties keep me on my toes most of the time, and so mostly, when I miss you, I just think of you and sing your songs ... and of course send you a text message or two.
I love you Ma, and I know no amount of words will be enough to make you feel how much I truly do.
I LOVE YOU ♥♥♥

And so even now, when my children are grown up and they don't really need me to sing to them anymore,
I still sing these lullabys to them ... to remind me of so many wonderful things in my childhood -
the warmth of my Mama's embrace ... the feeling of safety and security .. of being loved ...
My hope is to pass on to them something that is of great worth -
for soon they too will become mothers, and Romelson a father.
I sincerely hope when that time comes, as they hold close their children, they will remember me ... and what I taught them.

More importantly, they will remember how much I love them. ♥

Grandfather's Table and the Wooden Bowl

2010-07-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in- law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather’ s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in- law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather, ” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.” Therefore, the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’ s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?”

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’ s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

———————————————————————

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb.

If they see us patiently, provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child’s future. Let us be wise builders and role models.

The Art of Marriage ♥

2010-07-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage is something that needs working on.

In the art of marriage, the little things are the BIG THINGS...

Like ...

It is never being too old to hold hands ...

It is remembering to say "I love you," at least once a day.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is at no time taking the other side for granted; the courtship shouldn't end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings like an angel.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding, and a sense of humor.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which both can grow to become their best selves.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit, a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is not marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

It is discovering what marriage can be ...

at its best ...

As expressed in the words of Mark Twain

used in the tribute to his wife:

"Wherever she was, there was Eden."

~~Wilfred A. Peterson~~

What Do We Value the Most?

2010-07-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday."

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him, he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package.

There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filled his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most...was...my time." Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.

"Why?" Janet, his assistant, asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," Jack said. "Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"

~Author Unknown~

While You Can ...

2010-05-29T18:44:00.001-07:00

Here's something worth reading ... I hope this will touch your life as it did mine ;D

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. “I want a divorce...” I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, “why?”

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, “You are not a man!” That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning... I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions.... She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully...

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time... I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead... Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until deaths do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run upstairs, only to find my wife in bed - dead.

The small details of your lives are what really matters in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, nor the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive to happiness. But they cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse's friend. Start now to do those little things for each other that will build intimacy.

Work to make your marriage eternal. For families can be together forever.

Happy Mother's Day ♥

2010-05-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall
upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who
rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around
us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and
counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return
to our hearts.

~Washington Irving~

♥♥♥ Happy Mother's Day! ♥♥♥

Family ♥♥♥

2010-04-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

" 'The home is the first and most effective place for children to learn the lessons of life: truth, honor, virtue, self-control; the value of education, honest work, and the purpose and privilege of life.

Nothing can take the place of home in rearing and teaching children, and no other success can compensate for failure in the home.'"

Family ... Heaven on Earth ♥

2010-04-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

What Morning Holds ...

2010-02-13T01:37:00.001-08:00

Start the day right and end it right! I know this to be true. This is the reason why I strongly believe in Early Morning Seminary. Just like scripture reading and prayer, it helps set the days’ tone – what one does first thing in the morning. As my daughter April Ann said, it can be likened to the First and Last Song Syndrome. Whatever we hear first and/or last, it stays in our minds practically the whole day. Plus, I learned from Church lessons that the mind is like a stage, it can only accommodate one thought at a time.

It has been more than one month since I started teaching Early Morning Seminary. Sad on my part but I have sort of “lost” two students this early. Their parents decided to let them stop attending because of one incident where the kids decided to skip class intentionally, and they blamed me and seminary. They said kids cannot be trusted to make wise decisions and that as adults we must make sure that we don’t give them any reason to do so.

I was hurt, and I felt bad and sad. However, I said to myself I have other seminary students who happen to have the same class schedules as them, and they even live farther away, but they’re able to come on time and attend our classes just fine. I will be there for these my beloved students.

Getting up early and preparing myself to teach, it does take a lot of discipline. Every time my alarm clock rings at 4 am, I always have this feeling of wanting to stay in bed. But then as I reflect and think about O’Neil and Louie, Pearl and Apple, and my two daughters April and Sarah, as I think about how early they too have to wake up, I tell myself I should be ashamed of myself. These young fellows - they wake up early, take a bath, dress themselves for school, miss breakfast occasionally – just to make it in time for my class. I have to be better …

For any other reason, I would never leave the warm comfort of my bed and my husband’s warm arms and embrace. Days are long for me, and I treasure all the resting time I can afford. More than being a wife and a mother of five, I also am a homemaker – I clean the house, cook, do the laundry, and clean. To add to these, I teach in a local university and do consulting and training and workshop facilitation. Then, I have church callings to attend to. Not that I am complaining. I am just saying that I love what I am doing, and I believe that if we want something bad enough, and we know it to be true, there is always a way.

I miss my two “lost” students. Every time we have seminary class, my thoughts are turned to them. It is my hope and prayer that their parents will change their mind and allow them to come, not for me, but more for the sake and welfare of these two young fellows.

I love my students; they’re now more like my own children. My prayer for them daily is for them to always remember the lessons we discuss in class, and that they will use them to make wise decisions every minute of the day, as they face a world that challenges their values and standards.

A Son's Love

2010-02-10T23:45:00.001-08:00

I was 2 plane-rides away from home, and it was fast and testimony Sunday. I was in Bacolod for a series of firesides and I sincerely began feeling melancholy thinking about my family back home. Good thing that Church is practically the same everywhere, and with that knowledge came peace in my heart. I know that we will all be attending our Sunday services, listening to the same lessons, feeling the same sweet spirit.

And so my friend Met and I went inside the Sacrament Hall. She asked me where I prefer to sit. I told her way back home, my family and I, we have a special place, a spot we have chosen ever since we became members of the church 18 years ago. I motioned her towards the front of the hall on the right side, and we sat on the second row, exactly the same spot I will be had I been in my home ward – beside my sweetheart, together with my children.

Waiting for the meeting to start, we looked around, trying to see if we knew anybody. Church is actually one great big family, and it is normal for one to see someone familiar. In our case, we have met the previous day a good friend from CES who used to serve in Cagayan de Oro – President Ric Cobing. Just in time, the whole Cobing family came in: President Cobing, his wife Lolit, and their beautiful children. How the children have grown!

Then came the Nang family. I recognized Aying. She’s still as beautiful as ever! I looked at her children. I counted: six! Six beautiful children. Aying and I visited for a while, in hushed tones. She made a comment about my incredibly and ridiculously short pixie hair, and we laughed a little.

Then the meeting started.

Came the time for members to bear their testimonies. Met whispered to me that we should bear our testimonies, so that our sins will be forgiven. I smiled at her and I said I probably would need all the will power I have just to stand.

Slowly, one after the other, members stood and shared their testimonies.

Then, much to my surprise, one tiny person walked bravely towards the pulpit. He was Aying’s son. I said to myself he must be around 5 or 6 years old. We could barely see him! I guess all of us smiled as he fumbled to hold the microphone.

He began by telling all of us that his Mom tells them a very special story – his Mom’s favorite story - during bedtime. He began by narrating to us what the story was all about – of a Mother and her son and a rainbow. In the story, the mother told her son that should she die, she will turn herself into a rainbow so she can watch over him. Then, Aying’s son said: “So I pray everyday that my Mom will not die. I don’t want her to die, because I won’t be able to do anything without her. I love her so much and I want to be with her always. “

We all cried. I saw Aying’s husband wipe his eyes. I could not help but look around. Mothers in the congregation were all teary-eyed. I was busy rummaging my bag for a tissue. Metmet too, who was sitting on my left, was also crying. The young woman on my right was crying too! And even now, as I recall what he said in that meeting, I still could not fight off the tears.

Aying’s son gave me an unforgettable gift that beautiful and spiritual Fast and Testimony Sunday - innocence, pure and sincere love – expressed!

After the meeting, I went to the boy who was sitting closely to his Mom. I asked Aying for permission and then gave the boy a hug.

I wanted to comfort him, to tell him not to worry so much. I wanted to give him the reassurance that his Mom will be with him for a long long time ...

So i hugged him tight, and gave him a kiss.

Maybe in his young mind he was puzzled by my action, for he never even knew me.

He looked at his Mom, and then he gave me a smile. His eyes was still sad.

And as we all walked out the hall, I looked for him one last time.

There he was - still holding on to his Mom’s hand.

A child's love - pure, sincere, true..

♥ Kenchii Cuyong Nang ♥

♥ Kenchii (wearing the red tie) with his brothers and sisters ♥

♥ Vanessa with her girls ♥

♥ The Nang Family ♥

Please click this link to view the video

"I'll Build You A Rainbow":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2do-v36CEbw

**************************************************

On Loving ...

2010-01-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

You love someone;
You open yourself up to suffering, that’s the sad truth.
Maybe they’ll break your heart.
Maybe you’ll break their heart and never be able to look at yourself in the same way. Those are the risks.
That’s the burden.

Like wings, they have weight;
We feel that weight on our backs.
But they are burden that lifts us.
Burdens which allows us to fly.

~Temperance Brenan, Bones, Last Episode, Season 4~

Leadership by Example in the Eyes of a Child

2010-01-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

Iam (read as Ai-yam) is just five years old. The second and youngest son of our dear friends Joel and Charisse, this young boy continues to amaze us with his charming and sweet ways. Every time he sees me and my husband, he would always shout my name – “Mommy Tina”, and he would run towards us to take our hands for the Filipino tradition of “mano po”, a gesture showing respect to the elders. This he would do anytime, anywhere, with practically anybody.

A story was shared by Iam’s Mom about a particular event that made me appreciate gospel teaching by example and the faith of a young child.

One day, Iam’s uncle Paul got sick. Paul asked Joel, Iam’s Dad, for a priesthood blessing. Joel got his vial containing the oil and asked Paul to sit in one of the low chairs in the living room. During this time, Charisse and her two sons Ghy and Iam were also in the living room. Paul sat himself and waited for Joel. Normally, Iam would sit on Paul’s lap and start a chat with him. On this occasion however, knowing that Paul was not feeling well, Iam sat quietly and watched as his Dad went about preparing himself to administer the requested priesthood blessing. It was unusually silent for all of them.

Ready to give the priesthood blessing, Joel glanced at his family and smiled. Together, they all closed their eyes for the prayer.

Joel administered the oil on Paul’s head. With his hand on Paul’s head and his eyes closed, Joel started to say his prayer. Suddenly, he felt something warm in his hand. Slowly, two tiny little hands were laid on top of his’. He smiled and continued with the prayer.

With the priesthood blessing administered and the prayer ended, Joel opened his eyes to meet Iam’s innocent smile. The little boy felt proud and happy. Iam, in his excited voice explained how he wanted to help. Then, in his sweet voice he said: “you needed someone to help you Dad, so I did.

Teaching by example, teaching it at home, is still the best way to teach gospel principles. Iam and his Kuya Ghy saw their Dad exercise his priesthood authority in their home. They were recipients of priesthood blessings when they were sick or when they needed comforting or a father’s blessing. They saw their Dad give priesthood blessings to their Mom. They were taught during Family Home Evenings about the gift of healing by the laying on of hands.

I’m sure that as long as Iam will stay close to the church, and with the constant care and guidance of two wonderful goodly parents, this sweet little boy will one day grow up to be a great man - a responsible priesthood holder, one who will not only bless the lives of his immediate family, but will definitely bless those who will have the opportunity to know him and be associated with him.

Ike William is the 2nd and youngest son of Joel and Charisse Marcaida. He is named after his maternal grandfather, Daddy Ike.

His parents are Joel Fabre Marcaida and Charisse Porpor Marcaida and his eldest brother is Ghy.

Joel currently serves as the 1st Counselor in the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Stake Presidency while Charisse served as a Counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency.

Iam is the grandson of Patriarch and Sister Julieta Marcaida and Rodulfo Broñola (Ike) and Fe Porpor.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You’re Looking Forward in 2010

2010-01-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

1.Cebu Temple Opening
2.Attending classes in the Graduate School
3.A slimmer me
4.Construction of the new CIT Buildings in the new campus
5.A hundred engagements or more for MCIC Consulting
6.a new car for Romel
7.Romelson’s transfer to the Young Men Organization
8.a new business for me
9.JS Prom for my April and Sarah
10.Our 25th Wedding Anniversary

Thoughts On Christmas

2009-12-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself...

~Norman Wesley Brooks~

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

~Norman Vincent Peale~

Christmas Gift Suggestions

2009-12-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

Written in Early Spring

2009-12-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

Written in Early Spring

I heard a thousand blended notes

While in a grove I sat reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What Man has made of Man.

Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,

The periwinkle trail'd its wreaths;

And 'tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopp'd and play'd,

Their thoughts I cannot measure,—

But the least motion which they made

It seem'd a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature's holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What Man has made of Man?

~William Wordsworth~

In Sickness and In Health

2009-12-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

See how faith and love can remain strong through the challenges and the changing seasons of our lives.

(Please click the link below or copy and paste in your browser to watch a very beautiful video about true love in action ...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_yOAHISi8I

What Really is Christmas?

2009-12-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

A young girl with true Christmas spirit quietly teaches her preoccupied family the true meaning of Christmas.

President Thomas S. Monson, Prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ, shares his testimony of how to put Christ back into Christmas.

(Please click the link below to watch the video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXXwtFWpAI8

May the Spirit of Jesus Christ dwell in our hearts and homes this Christmas season!

How Do You Keep the Music Playing?

2009-12-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

How do you keep the music playing?

How do you make it last?

How do you keep the song from fading too fast?

How do you lose yourself to someone?

And never lose your ways

How do you not run out of new things to say?

And since we know we’re always changing

How can it be the same?

And tell me how year after year

You’re sure your heart will fall apart

Each time you hear his name.

I know the way I feel for you

It’s now or never

The more I love the more that I’m afraid

That in your eyes I may not see forever..

Forever…

If we can be the best of lovers

Yet be the best of friends,

If we can try with everyday to make it better as it grows

With any luck, then I suppose

The music never ends.

I know the way I feel for you

It’s now or never!

(How do you keep the music playing?)

The more I love the more that I’m afraid

(How do you make it last)

That in your eyes I may not see forever

Forever…

(How do you keep the song from fading, keep the song from fading too fast)

If we can be the best of lovers

Yet be the best of friends

If we can try with everyday to make it better as it grows

With any luck, then I suppose

The music never ends.

Beautiful In My Eyes ...

2009-12-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

You’re my peace of mind in this crazy world.

You’re everything I’ve tried to find, your love is a pearl.

You’re my Mona Lisa, you’re my rainbow skies,

and my only prayer is that you realize

you’ll always be beautiful in my eyes.

The world will turn and the seasons will change,

and all the lessons we will learn will be beautiful and strange.

We’ll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs.

My only prayer is that you realize

you’ll always be beautiful in my eyes.

You will always be beautiful in my eyes.

And the passing years will show

that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.

When there are lines upon my face from a lifetime of smiles,

and when the time comes to embrace for one long last while,

we can laugh about how time really flies.

We won’t say goodbye ’cause true love never dies.

You’ll always be beautiful in my eyes.

You will always be beautiful in my eyes.

And the passing years will show

that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.

The passing years will show that you will always grow

ever more beautiful in my eyes.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Great Things About the Holidays!

2009-12-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

1. Remembering and celebrating the reason for the season – the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ!

2. There’s peace and harmony between family members and friends … even in the office. People tend to be more patient and understanding towards others.

3. In the spirit of gift-giving, giving is more important than receiving ...

4. Food!

5. Vacation!

6. Meeting old friends during reunions and gatherings

7. Making new friends

8. Seeing family members from afar

9. Bonus!

10. Shopping!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Want, But Would Not Buy For Myself!

2009-12-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

This is really interesting! … because I know I want these ten things, it’s just that I want someone else to buy them for me ha ha ha!

Paging Santa Claus! It’s almost Christmas =)

Here goes my list:

1. A Diamond Ring – I want my hubby to buy me one, and give it to me on our 25th Wedding Anniversary … That’s November of next year ha ha ha!

2. A nice new Car (preferably a black Honda CRV =>) I can drive when I go to work or when I do errands …

3. 10 Louis Vuitton Bags - I think more than the fact that I can’t afford it, even if I have the money, I wouldn’t …

4. A gun. Or better yet, guns! Like a sniper rifle and a 9 mm he he he ...

5. An iPhone

6. A Mac

7. Expensive jewelries

8. A Water Bed

9. An original Gucci Watch

10. A liposuction ha ha ha!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I’m Thankful For!

2009-12-01T07:38:00.001-08:00

1. My Savior
2. My Husband Romel
3. My children Myco, Ella, April, Sarah, and Romelson
4. My parents Alex and Cora
5. My Sisters Charry and Carla
6. Mama Meling and Merolyn
7. my church
8. my friends
9. my talents and skills
10. the blessing of good health for me and my whole family

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You Wish You Knew How To Do …

2009-12-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

1. Play the piano

2. Tap dance

3. Yoga

4. Mental Math

5. Sew dresses

6. Gymnastics

7. Figure Skate (HA HA HA!)

8. Taekwondo

9. Fencing

10. Swim like a pro!

I have a choice today.

2009-11-04T20:15:00.001-08:00

The past few days had been hard on me.

For no particular reason at all, there persists this dampened feeling ... sort of like a lonely emptiness ...

Day in and day out, the same feeling ...

Have you ever experienced hearing a song and crying while listening to it? That feeling!

I knew I had to do something.

So I decided to read again my self-help books on depression.

There was a time more or less three years ago when I felt the need to read about depression. I just lost a cousin during that time, and I never expected that I would be affected as I was.

It happened again when my sister lost her youngest son almost Christmas day two years ago ...

Those were my saddest days ...

As I opened one book, I noticed a folded piece of green colored paper that was neatly pressed in between two pages. I opened it and there, written in black ink, was the answer I have been longing for.

It was a talk my daughter Ella gave during Sacrament Meeting years ago while she was still in the Young Women Organization. I am not sure where she got it, but I have this insistent feeling, a want to share this to as many, in the hope that this will help them (and you) the way it helped me get over the "sinking" feeling.

It did not miraculously remove the mist of darkness, but it did give me the right perspective, that I have a choice. I can either wallow in sadness and loneliness for reasons I can not explain, or I can choose to put all my efforts towards getting past the negative feeling, and face the day with a better resolve to focus on the good things, like "counting my blessings ..." and being grateful for what I have. I know for a fact that our mind can only accommodate one thought at a time. And I prefer good, positive, happy thoughts.

So here it goes ...

I have a choice today.

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.

I have responsibilities to fulfill today and I am important.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy, or I can be thankful that the grass is being watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I do not have more money, or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health,

or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents did not give me when I was growing up, or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns, or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends, or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work, or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school,or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework, or I can appreciate that I have a place to call home.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.

And here I am the sculptor who gets to do that shaping.

What today will be like is up to me.

I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Every day we have a choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything!

And by the way, regarding the depression ...

Maybe time is telling me something ...

That I am getting there he he he ... old age is just around the corner =)

Estrogen levels going nuts ... that sort of thing!

Well, I am thankful still ...

I don't really look that old yet ...

I hope =)

To my dear daughter Ella, thank you ♥

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Movie Moments

2009-11-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

I used to watch a movie once a week with my husband. That was before we got hooked with House, Numbers, Psych, Myth Busters, and CSI.

I tried hard to remember my 10 Favorite Movies, and here they are:

1. A Walk to Remember (2002; Mandy Moore and Shane West)

2. Sweet November (2001; Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron)

3. Message in a Bottle (1999; Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn and Paul Newman)

4. Sleepless in Seattle (1993; Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan)

5. Shall We Dance (2004; Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Jennifer Lopez)

6. 50 First Dates (2004; Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler)

7. Nights in Rodanthe (2008; Diane Lane and Richard Gere)

8. Ice Castles (1978; Robby Benson and Lynn-Holly Johnson)

9. The Bodyguard (1992; Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston)

10. Serendipity (2001, John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale)

Re the moments, to write them down here would be tantamount to writing every story of every movie. Suffice it to say these are my all-time favorites … these movies tugged on my heartstrings, and made me cry a bucketful.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Guilty Pleasures

2009-10-24T06:53:00.001-07:00

1. A pedicure every week
2. A Facial every two weeks
3. Siesta every day after lunch
4. Foot massage before bedtime
5. Blogging
6. Photography
7. Coke Float
8. Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti …
9. Shopping
10. Leche Flan

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things That Make You Feel Old

2009-10-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

1. Tiny cute blouses in boutiques! They all look like they’ve been designed for teenagers … as if they have the purchasing power!

2. Rubber shoes! I like them especially if it’s white. But I don’t feel comfy in them. It feels like PE way back in high school and college.

3. The latest dance steps (like “Nobody, Nobody”). In my mind I can do the moves … but in reality, it actually feels like watching YouTube and it’s buffering … buffering … loading …. Loading … t o o s l o w ha ha ha!

4. Painting my fingernails with 5 colors! I did already, many times. But honestly, I feel too old for them.

5. Argggggghhhhh! Seriously, can’t think of anything else! Besides, I am really not that old, too! Maybe we should wait 15 more years, and then I can complete the 10!

CdO 1st Ward Community Service Project

2009-10-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are in the service of God."

(Myerna, Mikmik, and Connie)

Smile!

(Glory, Mikmik, and Connie)

(Jeffrey cleaning the pathway)

(The Stake President and Our Bishop)

(Glory, Mikmik, Pearl, Connie, and Oniel)

(Glory, Oniel, Pearl, and JB)

( with Louie)

(changing the CR's roof .. Bishop, Rey, Carl, and the PTA President)

(Repainting the wall)

(Mel showing the others how it should be done ...)

(in action)

(putting up the ladder so they can climb the roof)

(on his way up ... Mel)

(Rey, Carl, Bishop Sacay with a parent)

(almost done ... books arranged neatly)

(DONE!)

Cagayan de Oro First Ward

Community Service Project
South City Central School
Grade 2 Classroom
October 17, 2009

photos by: MommyTins ^-^

One Saturday Afternoon @ the Chavez MeetingHouse...

2009-10-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

(Beyond the Spire ... white clouds and blue sky...)

(Kids)

(Lavender Flowerettes)

(The Spire)

(Basketball - Favorite Sports of the Filipino Youth, despite the height disadvantage)

(Beauty in its perfect form)

Ten Things You Want But Can’t Afford

2009-10-05T20:55:00.001-07:00

1. A humvee or hummer for my hubby ha ha ha! We often joke about why we want one!

2. Trip to the US with my whole family. I’d love for my kids to enjoy Disneyland while they’re still young. We’d also love to travel from NY to Salt Lake City and see the sights and visit LDS temples

3. A brand new 4x4 for Romel. For him to use going to the farm.

4. A DSLR for myself

5. Another DSLR for Myco

6. A baby grand for Ella

7. A diamond ring ha ha ha! Every girls dream I suppose (although I am no longer a girl … I’m an old woman!)

8. I’d like to send my folks abroad for an all-expense paid trip (by me)

9. A liposuction (HA HA HA!)

10. My dream business … I need investors!

The Mirror and You.

2009-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

By Ma. Christina Itchon-Concepcion

The mirror stands majestically in the hallway, just near the doorway, where it has always been. As a newly married couple, you and your wife decided to place it there so every time you leave the house, you looked your best. It has been the silent witness of how the children have grown over the years, how you gained weight and lost the same, witnessed the times when you looked into its depth with sad eyes … or with a smile.

Now, standing tall peering intently in the image that is staring back at you, it finally dawned on you how things have changed, how you have changed. There are now creases in your eyelids, and in your forehead are lines and folds where smiles have been. Gray hairs cover your head.

Today is your 65th birthday. You’re accomplished, fulfilled, complete, retired and happy.

Your children are all grown up. They have their own families and are themselves pursuing their own career paths. You have a few grandchildren, some live near, some in far distant places. Occasions such as Christmas and birthdays are wonderful reasons to meet together, but lately, it has become a rare occurrence. Work is taking much of their time, and again you remember yourself when you were their age, so you understand. How time has flown. You recall how you felt when you were in similar situations a long time ago, when it seemed then that what mattered most was meeting deadlines and accomplishing goals and plans. It was for the family, all your sacrifice, your hard work. You said to yourself you had to do it, t’was your responsibility. Only the best for them.

You looked at your spouse. Still beautiful even with the years that has passed. However, somehow you know time has changed her. Still elegant in stature, the years have mellowed her personality. Now, she’s most of the time silent in her thoughts, reading the day away, or just simply doing her chores and then retiring in her own thoughts. She looked up, saw you staring at her, she smiled at you, that same sweet smile you fell in love with…

The house is silent now. No more children laughing, dogs barking, ordinary sounds you used to love.

Accomplished, fulfilled, complete, retired … you told yourself you’ve had a good life. You are happy.

Are you?

The moment you said “I do” in the altar of marriage, you took upon yourself serious responsibilities that required not only your might, mind, and strength; it required every bit of your person.

In the hustle and bustle of life that followed, you juggled work, family, church, friends, and a gazillion other things, desperately trying to fulfill all obligations and expectations, with all your best intentions. Literally you got lost in the process as you occupied yourself day in and day out.

That went on for years and years. Of course along the way you enjoyed yourself. The accomplishments, the promotions, the multiple salary raise, your climb in the corporate ladder boosted up your morale and motivated you to work harder. Overall, the feeling was ecstatic.

And then, one day, you realized that the time has come for you to slow down …

And now, here you are, facing the same mirror, just like the way you’ve done every day for 45 years since the day you got married.

You smiled at yourself. You’ve reached the summit. You told yourself you’ve done your best.

This morning, as you finally left your office of more than 40 years, you said your goodbyes. It was a weird feeling, what you felt. You will miss your desk, the phone, the view from your window, the coffee, your staff, even your boss. Looking back one last time, you convinced yourself you are excited with the future. It will be a brand new chapter in your life.

What will the future hold?

Many of us invest most of our time in our careers, our businesses, and our employment. It all started as a means to meet our family’s needs. We work to earn a living, all for our family.

Then, in the succeeding years, we dedicate our whole beings into giving our best and doing our best to reach the pinnacle of success in these undertakings. It has reached another level. No longer is it purely for earning, it now provides the need for security, belongingness, self esteem, and ultimately, self-actualization, as taught by Abraham Maslow.

Much of our productive years we devote to helping our employers and organizations accomplish targets, reach quotas, maximize profits, and organize expansions and mergers. In the rush of things we feel needed, important, significant, contributing. Day in day out we repeat the routine: we set goals, accomplish them, succeed, and then the cycle begins again. This time we set higher goals, we identify resources, we interact with these new and higher resources, and then we succeed. Then another cycle begins again, one level up. It seemed never ending.

But just like everything else in life, somehow it ends.

So here you are.

One question lingers in your mind.

Am I happy?

The answer? It’s within you. Are you?

One thing I know for sure. The only institution that will give us genuine and lasting happiness is our family.

Work, business, employment, civic and social organizations … these are all temporary. Somehow, time comes when we say goodbye to them. But never to your family. You never say goodbye to the most important people in your life. It is where everything begins, and consequently, it is where everything ends.

So how’s your family? Are you successful in and on it?

Look at the mirror and ask.

Your eyes will tell you the answer.

I hope you can honestly say yes.

Mirrors never lie.

And we don't lie to ourselves.

I hope not.

A Place to Teach and Learn ...

2009-09-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

I love going to school, for two reasons. One, I am a teacher, and I am very passionate about my profession, and two, because I am a student too, and I love learning.

Here's where I teach and learn ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Athletes

2009-09-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Even if I'm not an avid sports enthusiast, completing my list was not that difficult. The list follows, the athletes arranged not in any particular order:

1. Tiger Woods - Golf
2. Manny Pacquiao - Boxing
3. Pete Sampras - Tennis
4. Kobe Bryant - Basketball
5. Larry Bird - Basketball
6. Paeng Nepumuceno Bowling, Philippines
7. Efren "Bata" Reyes - Billiard, Philippines
8. Peter Gade - Badminton
9. Michael Jordan - Basketball
10. Martina Navratilova - Tennis

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You Think are Cool!

2009-09-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

1. the Internet
2. cellphones
3. computers
4. Microwave oven
5. Washing machines
6. mp3's and mp4's
7. automatic transmission
8. liposuction
9. contact lenses
10. painkillers (especially for childbirth, migraine, arthritis and tooth extraction)

can i add antibiotics?

Ten On Tuesday: Ten Things You Need to Plan For

2009-09-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

10 Things You Need to Plan For

I am complicating this a bit ha ha ha! I have categorized the things that I need to plan for: 5 for short-Term and 5 for long-term.

Short Term:
1. Weight-loss program
2. Three Business Plans for my 3 dream businesses
3. My Dissertation Proposal
4. Next summer's family vacation (where?)
5. Type/kind/color of car we will buy

Long-term:

6. My next post doctorate degree
7. Retirement
8. Full Time Mission as a couple
9. My Children's marriages
10. Grand parenthood

I'm tempted to add My Last Will and Testament and my funeral, but i guess that's a little morbid, so I won't!

Love and Marriage ...

2009-09-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Someone once pointed out that love is a living thing. It is not a piece of stone than can be set in a corner to be picked up again when convenient, nor is it a vessel, which, once filled, can be capped and set safely on the shelf. Love is a living thing. Living things require nourishment, or they begin to die. Living things respond to stimuli, either moving towards those things, which bring growth and pleasure, or avoiding those things, which hurt or damage. Living things can suffer pain or injury; and if the injury is too severe, they can be crippled or die.

Could this partially explain the soaring divorce rates around the world? Can this be why within the months of emotional heights present in courtship, some couples find themselves tumbling into deep chasms of bitterness and disenchantment? Is it that their love before marriage was weak and artificial? Or is it that they have assumed that love, when finally won, was theirs with no further effort?

Too often, we nurture love during courtship with a thousand little sacrifices. We worry and fret over its growth, we protect it with fierce devotion; but then, when the plant has matured and bloomed, and we give it no further thought except to view with growing dismay until the time its leaves droop and its flowers wither and die.

There are numerous reasons for the neglect of love. Children come, occupations are pursued, habits form, bills accrue, problems mount, the image of marital joy fades.

How easy it is to put the things, which are most important at the mercy of things, which are less so. Too quickly, we lose sight of the priorities of life.

Harold B. Lee once said that the most important thing a man could do for his children was to love their mother. And he added, "A woman happy with her husband is better for her children than a hundred books on child welfare."

Marriage presupposes total allegiance and total fidelity. Each spouse take the partner with total understanding that he or she gives totally to the spouse all the heart, strength, loyalty, honor, and affection, with all dignity. Any divergence is sin; any sharing of the heart is transgression. As we have an eye single to the glory of God, 'so should we have an eye, an ear, a heart single to the marriage and the spouse and the family.

How then do we then maintain the power of love after marriage? How do we 'keep the fire burning?"

Love even as Christ love.

Express love in what we say and do.

Sense of humor brings smiles and laughter in marriage.

Love begets love: Courtesy begets courtesy.

Love answers love.

Understand that marriage is the beginning, and not the end, of courtship.

Don't let a day pass without saying "I Love You …" Say it while you can ... while there's still time ...

Give 100% to marriage.

Be Selfless.

Sacrifice.

These are easier said than done. But, if we truly want the best things in life, the pursuit of it will never be easy. However, as a saying goes ... it will be worth it!

My Hopes and My Wishes as a Mother ...

2009-09-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

I wrote this reflection three years ago when we were in Ozamis City to attend the Regional Youth Conference ... and as I read it again, I realized nothing has changed in terms of my feelings towards my family, my children, my sweetheart, and motherhood.

I'm sharing this to all the Mothers out there ... But specially to my children... Myco, Ella, April, Sarah, and Romelson.

Thank you for everything! For the chance to bathe you, feed you, tell you stories, study with you, go places with you ... for simply being my friends and my confidantes ... for being my cheering squad ... for being my strength and reason to try harder and be better ...

As The Day Ends Here In Ozamis …

The day is about to end here in Ozamis. Here in Naomi’s Botanical Gardens the wind has begun to transform from humid to cold, and as I looked at the hazy surrounding of Timothy’s Hall, I said a little prayer of thanksgiving. The young people are enjoying themselves in their dance socials; they’re meeting old friends, as well as forging new ones. As Mother to three beautiful young women who are dressed in red, seeing them dance gracefully as swans, I was all these: proud, elated, glad, nervous, and sad. Sad because somehow seeing them grown up and knowing they have crushes to some of the equally handsome young men inside made me feel like one way or another, in the not so distant future, their Dad and I would be bidding them goodbye. That would be the day both Romel and I would be sad and glad at the same time…

It’s sometimes difficult to imagine what life would be like without the people I truly love.

Back to our hotel, as I was preparing for bed and looking at my son sleeping in my bed, I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving to the Almighty for giving me the chance to be a mother. I have with me my whole family in this trip, Romel and our four ladies in Naomi’s, I and Romelson and Mommy Chang here in our Hotel. Occasions like this are always cherished because I find these rare opportunities a great means to bond together and create my reservoir of memories.

It is also on trips like these that I have come to appreciate my family the most. I have come to realize, for instance, the truth that food is not as delicious; the beds are not as warm, the scenery not as enjoyable, in the absence of the people I hold close to my heart. Life indeed has become lovelier and full of meaning with them, my sweet husband and my precious children.

So as I lay my head in my pillow tonight, I will be thinking about how blessed I am. And as I close my eyes after saying my prayer, I would be thinking of Romel. He looked very handsome tonight. In fact he looked handsome the whole day. One of the things I like about him and made me crazy over him is the fact that he always smells as good as he looks. I know how tired he is at this very moment, having had a hard day trying to guide restless and over excited 70 young people. But as always, he never ceases to amaze me because even after all that, he still ends up handsome as ever. That’s why I often tell my kids how every time I look at him, I fall all over again ha ha ha!

I would also be thinking about Myco, Ella, Ann, Sarah, and Romelson.

Myco has turned into a very responsible young adult woman. Intelligent, smart, very talented, she is a true Ate. She can be depended on to take good care of her siblings. She cooks very well too! She’s multi talented, loves computers and acoustic music, and plays the guitar. At 21, Myco has grown to a full woman of strength and determination, and I am proud to be her Mom!

Ella is the darling of her Dad. She’s his junior, named after him and me. Pretty and sweet, Ella is very talented as well. She’s a good dancer, loves to sing (especially in the choir), plays the piano, and is very artistic in drawings and designs. A young woman at 17, she loves to dress up, and just like me, a certified Kikay ha ha ha! We both love the same clothes, likes almost the same shoes, loves fashion jewelries, and is a natural piece of art work. She loves taking pictures of herself and is always bubbly and free-spirited. That’s my Ella. When she marries? That would be the day her Dad’s gonna cry a bucket-full of tears ...

April Ann is sweet! She loves young children, and would definitely make an excellent teacher, nurse, pediatrician, and mother. At her puberty, April is undergoing a lot of changes. Many a times I feel she still loves to be a child. Awkward because of her height, she still manages to play with her cousins Jay, Lex, and Elaine. She runs around our house to play hide and seek, jumping rope, or act as a teacher in a play-school. She sleeps a lot, as what can be expected from growing young people. She loves cartoon characters, TeleNovela actors and actresses, and Animé characters. Ann is enjoying herself now, and that is what matters most to me. And so I allow her to be a child just now, because I understand someday soon, she’ll be a young woman in its truest sense, and when that times comes, her concerns will be different, will be a lot more challenging. I hope and pray when that time comes I’ll be prepared to be by her side to guide her through life’s ups and downs …

Sarah is practically a young girl who loves sports and playing guitar. In so many ways she is like me ... independent, an optimist, a go-getter!

My baby boy Romelson is very talented too! I hope and pray he grows up like his Dad ... very responsible and one who honors God ... a real man of integrity with great leadership skills.

I am honored to be given the noble task of nurturing these wonderful children. My hope and prayer is for them to remember me when the time comes for them to start their own families ♥♥♥

I love you... Really?

2009-09-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

Oh really? How much do you love me? Quantify it!

What do you think will happen if you ask this question to your special someone when he/she says the three most abused words - I LOVE YOU! (ha ha ha!)!

In marriage, for it to work, couples should put forth great effort to continue applying the 5 C's - Compliment, Complement, Cooperate, Compromise, and Continuous Courtship.

Complimenting is saying something nice to another person with sincerity. Jeffrey R. Holland said each of us must exert great effort to look at the good, and not the bad, in each other... to accentuate or emphasize the good, and forgive and forget the not-so-good. Since we all make mistakes, we must be forgiving one with another.

Even in Management and Leadership it has been said that "more people develop to their fullest potential and become the best they can ever be in the spirit of acceptance and encouragement rather than in criticism and cynicism".

A good word or two never fails to put a smile in someone's face.

I have wonderful friends, Joel and Chang, who live this in their marriage, and it feels good to witness their beautiful love story ♥

Complementing each other means when you are the lock, the other is the key ... when one is grouchy and gloomy, you try to provide the sunshine...

To say you're 50-50 is not true, all the more the statement made famous by a movie which states:" You complete me"! Does this mean that when you're alone, you're only one half? Nah, that's not true! With or without another person, we will always be one complete whole!

For each of us is made complete already by a perfect Heavenly Father.

To complement means to give balance, to harmonize ... That's the true essence of marriage!

You are partners in achieving the best, in being the best.

Cooperating means a lot of things.

One, it may mean being enthusiastic about something the other partner is passionate about. This does not mean you have to "fake" liking or loving whatever it is. It simply means allowing the other partner to continue living as he/she is, respecting that uniqueness and individuality.

It means being happy for the other person, and giving support and encouragement.

In my marriage, my husband and I, we are very different from each other. Personality-wise, I am an extrovert, I can talk (and dance and sing all at the same time) for 10 hours straight (that's why people say I'm very good at my profession as a Seminar/Workshop/Training Facilitator and Teacher/Instructor). Romel on the other hand is an introvert. He prefers silence, reading books, listening to nature, being with few friends rather than many (that's why he has few but very good ones), and is very selective in the type of music he listens to (he likes James Taylor, Michael Buble ...)

Romel loves the outdoors, while I totally dislike it, although many times I compromise, especially when the kids beg me to go with them to the farm, to the beach, go hiking somewhere, or just plain road tripping with them. The heat makes me very uncomfortable; the sun destroys my skin (vain me he he he!)

He loves fast cars, and if only I would not complain so much and make so much noise while he's at it, our car would probably be speeding towards our destination. But mind you, he is a defensive driver, and a good one! But I still prefer to drive slowly ... don't want to die young and ugly ha ha ha!

Compromise.

How is this shown? As simple as helping out with house chores.

I know of men who, believing that it is the woman's duty to do ALL the household chores, just sits around and wait for the wife to attend to ALL his needs. To those who know and understand, this is not surprising anymore. This has everything to do with how each person was raised by his parents. Studies show that when father's just lounge around and wait to be served upon, there is a great tendency for his sons to adapt the same attitude, many times unconsciously.

But it is much better to improve on our lots, isn't it? Enough of the blame game. It won't lead us anywhere!

So it is my hope that if in any way this article has reached you, and you're now reading this, or someone told you about what's written here - that you'll do better, and become better, and improve your relationship with your spouse, by doing!

When a husband for example, helps the wife wash his denims, it tells the wife the husband cares, and is concerned about not tiring her so much. When a husband puts his soiled clothing in the laundry basket without being asked, or when he volunteers to take care of the kids and allows the wife to work on her blog (as I am doing right now, Thanks 'Dy!). .. or whatever it is that makes her feel relaxed and refreshed. That is the best expression of true love.

Wives, this works on a two-way street! As much as we "pray" for all these from our husbands, they too, deserve a sincere compliment or two from us. When they come home from work tired/exhausted, it would be nice if we greet them with a smile rather that a frowning face. A clean house is a welcome sight, how much more a warm, home-cooked meal ready and waiting for the head of the family.

We need to be pretty for them.

Children and house chores are no excuse for smelly, irritable partners! More than for the husband, we should do it for ourselves. Being pretty (or feeling pretty - who cares what pretty really means, as long as we feel good inside and out) makes a difference!

Little acts of kindness can go a long way.

My Dad is extra ordinary! Growing up, I saw him in the kitchen enjoying himself concocting delicious recipes! He didn't mind that he was a Police Officer ... He enjoyed cooking for us, and I am grateful for his wonderful example.

My Mom is a good cook too! But like many wives I know (me for example he he he), when our husbands invade the kitchen, we graciously give way, much to our delight ha ha ha! Let them be the Kitchen Kings, forever!

Romel too, loves to cook! When he does, the kids become excited because he is the type that experiments. The good news is, his recipes always turn out very delicious! The problem? No two "putahe" are ever the same ha ha ha!

Ah! Continuous Courtship. What does this mean?

It is said that courtship does not end at the altar of marriage. On the contrary, it is only the beginning.

Even if we're already 78 years old!

It means if you used to give her candies and flowers and chocolate before, don't stop!

Many would say that's no longer necessary. With the financial crisis everyone is experiencing ... with the stock market down (huh? DUH!) ... with the rising oil prices... the failure to implement the new minimum wage increase ... the slow growth of the GDP (ha ha ha! I'm exaggerating a bit!) the money can be used instead to buy food items, or pay bills ... What a pathetic excuse!

Romel used to give me a dozen yellow roses everyday for six months when we were still dating! That was 24 years ago. Today, he gives me yellow roses only on special occasions ... but that's alright! We agreed! Besides, I prefer food now than flowers. So what does he do to make up for the flowers? He brings me food! My Favorites! Almost everyday, when he'd come, he always bring with him my "surprise" ... my favorite cassava puto, or siopao, or banana cue ... or the violet rolled cake, or the triangle fig pie from Michael Ann's bakery...

Last night, while the kids were playing Chinese garter, he challenged me to join and jump. The reward, if I am able to successfully do it, would be spaghetti from McDo! (And it was 10 in the evening). You see, I've been craving for it for two weeks already. Of course, I failed (turned out it was too high, and I was too heavy ... my ankle's still hurting until now ... hence I had an excuse to sit and write this article without hearing any complain from anybody ... privilege given to the hurting and injured ha ha ha!) So, no spaghetti for me last night, sorry!

That was last night ... This morning was a totally different story. He came home with spaghetti, just for me!

Little acts of kindness...

I remember a line from a song...

“So wake up, and do something more, than dream of your mansions above. Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love."

Love is tested through time. And the best love stories are said to be those that have gone through a lot ... In sickness or health ... in wealth or poverty...

So for those who are still starting to make their own love story...
Start it right! and start now!

Weave a beautiful tapestry of memories to last a lifetime. Experiment on the 5 C’s...
For in the end, it is not how big your house is, or what model of car you're driving, or how many times you've gone abroad, or the position you hold in your office or your bottom line if you're an entrepreneur...

It all boils down to your relationship with those that really matter to you ... your family!

I believe strongly in the saying:

The greatest work we will ever do will be within the walls of our own home! For no success can compensate for failure in the home."

tina091109

Ten Bad Habits You Can't Break!

2009-09-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

Ten Bad Habits You Can't Break!

1. Drinking soft drinks, particularly coke!
2. Eating before bedtime!
3. Leaving home for school 3 minutes before my time!
4. Packing too many things when traveling. I just don't know the words "travel light"!
5. Putting too much stuff in my handbag; it's too heavy to carry around.
6. Being "addicted" to washing clothes. I can't stand dirty clothes and linen.
7. Having second servings even when I'm already full =(
8. Going to sleep late.
9. Siesta after lunch.
10. Buying two of every kind ... like when I can't decide which color I like best. I usually end up buying two ... or three ...

Motherhood ♥♥♥

2009-09-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

How time has flown so fast!

My babies are now ladies and a young man.

I can still remember singing them lullabies before they went to sleep ...

I can still hear the bedtime stories I used to tell them ...

Edna the little girl who doesn't like to take a bath ...

the Three Little Pigs ... and the three Billy Goats named Ting, Tang, and Tong ...

Pictures through the years ...

The Joys of Motherhood ♥

Flowers from Our Backyard ♥

2009-09-09T07:51:00.001-07:00

The beauty of nature ... God's creation!

My LIttle Cowboy ...

2009-09-09T07:39:00.001-07:00

John Romelson Itchon Concepcion

Taken during St. Mary's BarnDance!

AN OYSTER STORY

2009-09-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

Been complaining lately about how things are so difficult? Learn from an Oyster ... Read on ...

There once was an oyster
Whose story I'll tell
Who found that some sand
Had worked under his shell.
Just one little grain
But it gave him a pain
(For oysters have feelings
That are very plain).

Now did he berate?
This working of fate,
That left him in such a
Deplorable state?
Did he curse the government?
Call for an election?
Or gripe that the sea
Should have given him protection?

No! He said to himself
As he sat on the shelf,
"Since I cannot remove it,
I think I'll improve it."

Well, years passed by,
As years always do,
Till he came to his destiny,
Oyster Stew!

But the small grain of sand
That had bothered him so,
Was a beautiful pearl
All richly aglow.

Now this tale has a moral,
For isn't it grand,
What an oyster can do
With a small grain of sand?

And what couldn't we do
If we only begin
With all of the things
That gets under our skin?

-Author Unknown-

The Dash

2009-09-07T02:27:00.001-07:00

THE DASH by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the date of her tombstone
From the beginning to the End.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who love her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The house, the cars, the cash
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life's action to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they'd say
About how you spent your dash?

Remembering My Lola Epang ...

2009-09-07T01:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I made a wonderful discovery about my dear Lola Epang. And I'd like to share it to everybody, especially to my dear cousins, in the hope that in so doing, they'll feel closer to her just like how I feel right now ...

I had the privilege of working in the Academic Vice President's Office of Xavier University as Assistant to the Academic Vice President. This office handles everything that has to do with the Academic Cluster of the University, meaning, all the Schools and Colleges, the Registrar's Office, and the University Library.

In one of my discussions with the AVP Staff, out of nowhere I suddenly remembered that I once heard from a member of my family that Lola used to teach in Xavier a long long time ago. Out of curiosity, I asked Ms Belle, the Administrative Assistant, if they still have the records of past faculty members . She nodded her head and said yes and asked me details about Lola. Then she disappeared for a moment and went into our conference room where we kept all the records.

After a few minutes, she came out of the storage area carrying a worn out brown envelope containing Lola's file. I was excited!

Inside the brown envelope were Lola's documents: her typewritten application letter addressed to the University President then; a copy of her transcript of records; a document showing her past teaching experiences; and a few more personal information. The papers were all worn and yellow, a sign of aging ...

True to what I heard, Lola did teach in Xavier! She did in June of 1967, 6 months before my birth. And I also found out she was the Chairman of the Rank and Promotions Committee.

I also found her school records, and lo and behold, I found out she had an MA from Manuel L. Quezon in Manila. She even wrote a journal for Philippine Normal College in Manila for her Thesis.

For someone like me struggling to finish my doctoral degree in education while teaching in college, her success is amazing! And come to think she did it when most women (that time) were probably not so much into developing careers. I was told she
was the first professional from her hometown.

I felt a pang of loneliness for my lola. At that moment I felt so proud to be her grand daughter. I told my officemates how I felt and I asked if I could photocopy her records as a keepsake. I did not only photocopy them, I scanned them and saved them in my notebook.

By the way, I discovered too, that during that time, Lolo was a Cashier of Philippine National Bank, Corrales Branch here in Cagayan de Oro City. That too, is a great feat for someone who ran away from his home when he was a boy, and who ended up here in Cagayan de Oro as a pulot boy at Nazareth's tennis court.

Reflecting on my own career path, I am glad I am following Lola's path. We may have differed in our fields of interest and expertise (for she was into Home Economics as an Educator while I am into Business Management/Entrepreneurship/Education), but we are both in the noblest profession of all, teaching.

I am proud to have been a product of one good educated lady, Lola Epang. And I love her dearly. I hope I am making her proud of who I am now, of what I have become, and by who I will be!

A New Discovery!

2009-08-28T03:50:00.000-07:00

Every night, as I end my day, I always resort to reading a good book or two at bedtime to relax myself. So far I enjoyed those moments and more so because I get to sleep thinking and wondering about how to apply the new learnings in my life. Experimenting on these newly discovered principles and theories have proven to be very rewarding, thus making reading a much anticipated activity for me.

By sheer accident, and much to my delight, I found a new "hobby"! So far it has de-stressed me (if there is such a word) wonderfully!

It all began when one fine afternoon after my class in XU CIT, my daughter Ella and I went to shop in a department store. As we walked, we came across a gondola displaying brightly colored nail polish. We call them "cutex" ... I really don't know why. Maybe that was the name used to refer to nail polish in general. Maybe that was a brand name before, just as we mistakenly refer to "toothpaste" as "colgate"!

And so I bought a few that first day ... and a few more the following day ... and a few more the next day!

I started doing my daughters' nails that very first night, and I never expected we'd enjoy coloring our nails. The greatest reward however was the bonding we've forged ... Me, their Mom, doing their nails while their Dad was watching Leverage and/or Numbers in the nearby computer station a few feet from where we were seated comfortably.

And so every night after that, after doing all my chores and my hands still wet and tired from doing the days' laundry and dishes, when everyone is done with their homework and chores, when most of them are in their rooms preparing for bed, and while I sit with my hubby in front of the computer while he watches a movie or as he surfs the net, I go about and color my fingernails.

One night I painted all ten in one shade; the next night alternately using two different colors. The third day was great! I painted each fingernail using different colors! Believe me, for no reason at all, I slept with a smile in my face ...

My hubby, a gentle critic, asked me one night if my nails would not be damaged by the consistent use of nail polish remover. He also asked, surely out of sheer curiosity, where I got the fashion sense, since I was using non-traditional colors like dark green and frosted blue and frosted violet. My daughters told him it's the "in" thing for most trendy young women. With that response from the trendy young women themselves, he looked at me and smiled ...

So there it goes ... a new and fun way to de-stress (is there such a word? I wonder ...) If you're up to the challenge, try it yourself! See if you'll have the same soothing and relaxing experience that I have enjoyed (and still continues to enjoy) until this day!

And by the way, I did not stop reading. Instead, now have to read longer because I have to wait for my nails to get dry before I can say my prayers, pull the covers, embrace my hubby, kiss him goodnight, and finally close my eyes.

Godspeed ♥

Marriage Success ...

2009-08-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Success in marriage will depend largely on our ability to focus on improving ourselves, rather than trying to reshape our spouse.

And it all starts way before the wedding ceremony.

Spencer W. Kimball said: “In selecting a companion for life and for eternity, certainly the most careful planning and thinking and praying and fasting should be done to be sure that, of all the decisions, this one must not be wrong. Why? Because in true marriage, there must be a union of minds as well as of hearts. And this can be very challenging.”

The choice of an eternal companion is up to each individual.

The decision of who to marry is the most important decision one will ever make in his entire life; more important that a college course, a career, or a business investment. Why? Because this decision will not only have an effect on the quality of your present life, moreover, it will greatly and significantly have a bearing in the quality of life of your children and their children's children.

Thus, this decision will have to be made with both your heart and your head. In other words, it has to feel right (heart) and make sense (mind).

On Valentine’s Day, there are billions of little candy hearts produced—you’ve seen them—with words on them like “my girl,” “kiss me,” “she’s cute,” and, of course, “I love you.”

What are you looking for in your sweetheart? If you could print your own candy hearts to describe the ideal man or woman, what would you look for?

The Lord said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). To love as He loved is different from the way the world loves.

The Lord, in 1 Corinthians 13, listed behaviors that should exist between sweethearts as a foundation for a strong and happy marriage.

True love—charity—suffereth long.

• Is patient instead of impatient and tolerant of imperfections instead of intolerant.

• Is helpful instead of being critical of weaknesses. Charity does not criticize, is not cranky, and does not complain.

True love is kind.

• Is happy, thoughtful, helpful, interested in others, a good Samaritan, merciful, and true love gives comfort.

True love envieth not.

• Is content, frugal, and grateful for blessings; is not covetous, resentful, jealous, or greedy; avoids unnecessary debt; and is a full tithe payer. Charity is not selfish or vain, and it lives within its income.

True love is not puffed up.

• Is humble and teachable, does not seek attention, praises others, does not murmur or belittle.

True love doth not behave itself unseemly.

• Is courteous, well-mannered, reverent, respectful, and mindful, as well as clean, neat, and considerate of other’s property and feelings; is not crude, indecent, or improper.

True love seeketh not her own.

• Is tenderhearted, caring, sharing, sensitive, compassionate, generous, and united; thinks we, not I; listens; seeks to please God; is not demanding, controlling, or manipulative; does not blame; and says, “I’m sorry.”

True love is not easily provoked.

• Is forgiving, patient, calm, gentle, and respectful; is a peacemaker who does not get angry, irritable, or vengeful; is not abusive in word or deed; does not swear or quarrel.

True love thinketh no evil.

• Is not judgmental but respectful and trusting, pure and obedient; does not think evil of others by gossiping or finding fault; is modest in thought, dress, and speech; is not deceitful, cruel, or dishonest; avoids inappropriate music, pornography, and dirty jokes.

True love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.

• Has a temple recommend and wants an eternal marriage; stays close to the Spirit through regular scripture study and prayer; is responsible; is not light-minded.

True love beareth all things.

• Is bold and patient with affliction and trials (this does not mean that abuse victims should silently bear cruelty or follow a spouse who is disobedient to God); is grateful; does not insult others; is not defensive, irritable, touchy, or grouchy; is not weary in well-doing.

True love believeth all things.

• Is cheerful; sees the eternal potential of a spouse; makes the least of the worst and the most of the best; shows by actions that there is a firm belief in eternal families; holds fast to the iron rod; has goals, dreams, a vision, and plans for a happy, successful life together.

True love hopeth all things.

• Is an optimist who looks for the best; praises, builds up, and expresses affection.

True love endureth all things.

• Doesn’t complain or murmur, is steadfast, accepts responsibility, and is industrious while showing initiative.

True love never faileth.

May we all try harder to follow all these, and find ourselves in a loving and meaningful relationship.

Project: Whatsit Wednesday

2009-08-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Whatsit Wednesday is all about saying one sincere and honest compliment to two persons close to me ... for one whole year. This project will conclude on the 3rd Wednesday of August, 2010.

I've decided to compliment each person using only a word. So here it goes ...

For tomorrow, Wednesday, August 26, 2009 ...

Sarah - Independent.

April Ann - Reliable.

10 Traits to Look for In a Romantic Interest

2009-08-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

10 Traits to Look for In a Romantic Interest

I found my love already, 24 years ago. But here's my list, and I'm making this as a tip to my four daughters who will someday meet that special someone ... and surely, this list can be very helpful to check them out ha ha ha!

1. Obedient
2. mature
3. loving
4. hopeful
5. grateful
6. honest
7. peaceful
8. thoughtful
9. sincere
10. positive

just wonderin' ...

2009-08-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm wondering why my entries/posts are always very lengthy .... I should try to write shorter ones ...

Noh?