With my niece Sofia
Mood:  happy
My Hubby and I are in an internet cafe right now, with my beautiful niece, Sofia Belle F. Acebron. She looks a lot like me, only fairer. And when I was her age, I wasn't as tall. :) She's eating her fingers right now... okay she stopped. :) It's her birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Sofia!

Life after "nakunan"
I am in Manila today with my Husband, he and I attended the worship service in Ortigas. I am brave enough to go travelling long distances again. We left Batangas around 9:00am, which is very late for traveling to the worship service in Ortigas (it starts 10 am). We had to wait a long time for the right bus ride... at one time I almost gave up and told Arnold that I thought it would be better to stay home than travel for 2-3 hours and still be late for the entire service... Because of the traffic, we might not be able to be there in time for the sermon. But Arnold answered, "Don't worry--why not allow God to do what He does best, to do the impossible? Let's see how He'll help us get there on time."

Frankly speaking, I don't know how God made the bus fly, because we were able to arrive in Ortigas at 10:30am, just before the main sermon! I truly thank God for my Husband's faith! That's another lesson for me as a wife--to trust my Husband's decisions when it comes to matters of ministry and serving God. It was a wonderful service, the speaker expounded on Biblical stewardship (that Jesus is coming soon, so we ought to be good stewards in our lives, and that we can only do that if we have Faith in God's promises and in His nature). The worship ministry director also asked me to give some offertory music, and I sang "Hungry" (a Vineyard song) because that song really applies to me right now, especially with what happened to me and Arnold in the past few weeks...

"Hungry, I come to You, for I know You satisfy.... I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry... So I wait for You, yes I wait for You... and I'm falling on my knees, offering all of me... Jesus, you're all this heart is living for... Broken, I come to you for Your arms are open wide... I am weary but I know Your touch restores my life..."

Last night when I practiced singing this song, I could not stop my tears from falling. It reminds me of my inadequacies, but at the same time assures me that God is MORE than enough to fulfill all my needs...

A few days ago I learned that a former officemate here in Manila, who got married just last September, is now on her third month of pregnancy and she seems okay. I often wonder why for some women it's so easy to have a baby, and why I am not like that... To comfort me, some of our church brethren have shared their stories about some pastors' wives they know who confined themselves to a 6-month bed rest just to make sure their pregnancy pushed through... Even my mother told me about a friend of hers who did the same. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone in my predicament, but it also pops a question in the back of my mind-- that perhaps, if I had only been more careful, would I still be pregnant now? The only thing that comforts me is what comforted Job thousands of years ago: that it is the Lord who gives, and it is also He takes away. I don't know what will happen in the future, or what is happening in my body right now, but I DO know God knows what is best for me. PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Shopping
Topic: Life
Today I'm shopping with my Husband. Ofcourse, he stayed in this internet cafe while I did the shopping, hehe. It's fun to have him around, though. He keeps me safe. Things are okay now after having experienced a miscarriage a week ago. I thank God that He has healed me quickly, and my Husband is always there to help me get through this painful time. God is good.

New year, a new friend
Mood:  special
Now Playing: S.O.P on TV
Topic: Life
Wow, it's 2005. Meet Mark K., a Canadian friend of mine since 2000. He and I became friends through a church youth camp. He was once my bestfriend's fiance. When they broke up last year I was so disappointed, and hoping that they would reconcile at least and become friends or something like that. Anyway, that didn't happen. I'm a loyal friend to both of them, and I'd like to think they know I love them both despite what happened. It's complicated, because they're still not talking to each other, but I'm talking to both of them...

I saw on Friendster last year that Mark had a new gf in Cebu. She looked fantastic... So that's when I got excited that perhaps, my Canuck brother has finally met the woman of his dreams! On January 10, I heard that my Canuck big brother Mark got married (surprise, surprise!) in Cebu. I haven't met the girl in person, but after emailing her a couple of times and receiving wonderful text messages from her, I think she's a gem of a friend. I'm glad to know her. My Husband thinks she's the break Mark has been looking for all his life. I pray the papers push through quickly, it must be so hard to be married and yet be apart... I mean, I can't imagine my Husband not beside me at night.

Which brings me to today.... I have to go meet him in an hour. Gotta go.

Tabernacles - Sukkot
Mood:  happy
Topic: Life
It's been a while since I "blogged." Today is quite a significant day, since it's the 3rd day of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. We just came from a church celebration of it at the Jade Valley Restaurant in Timog Ave. My husband was the Powerpoint/projector overseer while I assisted him in my subtly irritating ways. hehe. :) Our godmother directed the celebration, and it was she who recruited us to the production team. There was only one glitch during the start of the program, but the rest went fairly well, glory to God! :)

My Song and I are tired, but we're here at the office because he needs to make final prints for a souvenir programme with a looming deadline. Pray we make it through the night.

God bless you all, happy Sukkot!

Cross-country trip
Mood:  bright
Topic: Life
I think I'm going to have a fever, but that doesn't dampen my mood a bit. My husband and I just came from a blessed trip to Sorsogon Province (a 12-hour drive from Manila) during the weekend.

After checking in at the Fernando's Hotel, Sorsogon City, we went to San Mateo Hot Springs Resort to go night-swimming. The hot mineral water soothed our bodies tired from the long trip. We slept deliciously well that evening.

The next day, we traveled around Sorsogon City and took pictures of greek-inspired government buildings and the "Rempeola," a mini-park along the city's mini-port. Then we went to visit the Twin Falls. What we saw took my breath away! Two rushing bodies of water, falling side by side and surrounded by a well-preserved forest: from one flows hot mineral water, and the other flows cool, refreshing water. Amazing! And that's not all. In the next day and a half, we saw pink, grey and white-sand beaches, a historic coral-stone church built during the Spanish colonization of the country, a mountain lake, more virgin water falls, ate king crabs and fresh shrimp as big as my husband's fist and so much more. I'll be putting up a website to showcase these beautiful features of Sorsogon province soon.

But now we're back in Manila. And we'll be going home to Batangas later.

Blog
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: Thoughts (Random)
I read other people's blogs, perhaps to comfort me that I'm not alone... They made me think about why I created this blog. Honestly, at first I was just curious about that strange word?"blog." What does it mean? Can it be used as a verb, as in "blogging" or "blogged"? I checked our Webster's Collegiate dictionary, but the word isn't there. Did a Brit create the word? Anyway, when I saw my first blog made public, something happened... the sight of my "published" words on the Internet browser got me hooked on this...this... "blog" thing. Or maybe its therapeutic effect hooked me first. So there.

Songs
Mood:  special
Topic: Glimpses
Arnulfo woke me up with the sweetest of kisses, and declared that he would continue washing the remaining laundry this morning. My mother once advised me to enjoy this honeymoon stage to the max (or did she say "till it lasts?"), so I gratefully accepted his dictate.

*Backtrack*
When we became an official couple, I suggested he think of a more creative term of endearment?I didn't want to be called Babe, Honey or Baby. To this he replied, "I've always wanted to call my future wife 'Song'. It's quite unique, don't you think?" He explained that he got the idea from King David of the Old Testament, who always had a song in his heart for everything that happened to him. Then there is also the passionate "Song of Solomon." As images of the Beloved and the Bride came to my mind, I heartily agreed to his term of endearment. We've been calling each other "My Song" for two years and ten months now.

*On track*
When we got married, we agreed to make every Saturday a Family Day. We decided to spend the day at home?no trips to the mall or anything that required going out of the house. While waiting for my Song to finish the laundry, I tried sketching an Asian boy's face in Adobe Illustrator, just to see if I still have it in me to do so. He says I made a pretty good illustration, considering I haven't done that for more than three years. Satisfied, I proceeded to read the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. In the middle of "The Naval Treaty", my Song cut short my reading bliss. I didn't complain, because he transported me to greater heights... We fell asleep after the hours of exhilaration.

After dinner, he had an urge to browse the internet. Since we don't have a phone line at home, he and I broke the "no going out rule" and went to my parents' place.

Sanity
Mood:  happy
Topic: Life
Doing the laundry can be fun if you know how to play with soap. I do, so washing half of our dirty clothes by hand was a breeze. Even though it took me all morning, I still had time to cook lunch. I'm starting to get the hang of this "housewife" business...

My husband the Graphic Artist kept himself busy on his iBook. Or so I thought. Turns out he had other plans in mind, which he carried out after lunch. Ahh... the way he led me inside the room like a lamb... What a delicious two hours we had! It made me loathe having to go out and pay the electric bill.

A lot has happened since I left Batangas City two years ago. I didn't know the electric company moved its main office, and so my Arnulfo and I walked through the streets of Batangas City lost and frustrated. Thank God we found a "Bayad Center" (literally, a "Payment Center") inside a mall, so we paid the bill on time. Our legs ached after almost an hour of traveling (mostly by walking), but all's well that ends well.

For dinner I cooked pasta. After that, Arnulfo unleashed his frustrations during our search for the electric company on me... Lovingly, of course. ;-) He says the thought of coming home to my arms kept him cool the whole afternoon. Otherwise he would have sulked till evening.

Then I happened to read an article in the Reader's Digest, stating that more married people are mentally healthier than most single people. That's because they are more emotionally secure, provided that their marriage is a well-nurtured and loving one. Unlimited and legal intimacy is a plus, too. And sex is a great de-stresser, especially when you and your partner have made a lifetime commitment to be faithful to each other. Which confirms why I'm happy. :-)

Cats and Dogs
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: Now it's really pouring
Topic: The Weather
Thank God we're indoors. I don't see it because the office blinds are closed, but I hear the rain outside and it's really mad. And the wind is just as crazy. Anyway, I'm waiting for our godfather's call. Earlier, I had a tele-conference with another godfather (my Husband and I have five of them). I talked with Dad, too, he said he's in Dusit Hotel waiting for Cousin Alma. Please, God, don't let Dad be caught in the rain.