The Liam Experience

And I thought Danielle was my unforgettable experience! Liam's entry topped that list a month ago!

Giving birth was definitely the height of my courage level, so-to-speak. As someone who is such a wimp when it comes to hospitals, needles, doctors. Danielle definitely brought out the "best" in me. I couldn't wait to get her out! Not just with excitement but after 9 months, my body was ready to let her out :)

To give a bit of a side but significant story, we had really strong earthquakes and aftershocks on Feb. 5, 2012. Iloilo was shaking so much that I was sincerely freaking out. With Dani's room on the 3rd floor, you bet I was scared. Magnitude 5.2 is no joke.

As I was calling Joey to ask about the earthquake and if they felt it in Roxas, apparently my brother's world was indeed shaking and it wasn't because of the earthquake. It was time!

So amidst all the tremors and after shocks, we hurried back to Roxas just in time to be there for Vicky's big moment.

But seeing Vicky and what she went through for Liam (Jose Lucas Cristiano if you want the long version) was a wow moment for me. I delivered via c-section while Vicky was able to deliver the old fashioned way with a little help from our best friend, epidural. That girl was such an inspiration! I was there for majority of the time, seeing her push and contract. Vicky has strength beyond her meek physique. What a fighter! I was exhausted for her!

But as they say, it takes a village. Yup! The village was there. All we lacked was a powow! (I look like a mess!)



Just like that... There he was...

Just like that... My baby brother is now a father. What an angel! Dani is now a proud manang/achi!

If you don't think God exists

If You Don't Think God Exists

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and .....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm? (Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a
word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.

To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

That student, by the way, is Albert Einstein.

Ask God to help you get there

By Rick Warren Once you have found your promise in God's Word, pray and ask God for success, just as Eliezer did in today's verse. Is it really okay to pray for success? Yes! If you aren't praying for success, what's the alternative? Are you going to pray for God to make you a failure? Eliezer clearly shows us that it is okay to ask God for success in accomplishing a goal as long as the motive is right. When your success helps people and honors God, praying for success does not become a selfish act. So my question to you today is this: Are you praying about your goals? Are you praying about your future? Are you praying about your dreams or are you just kind of keeping them to yourself? Your prayers reveal a couple of things. First, they reveal how serious you are about your goals. If you don't pray about them, you really don't care about them that much. If you only pray about them once, they are not a desire, they are just a whim. The other thing your prayers reveal is how much you are depending on God to reach your goals. If you never pray about your goals, never pray about your job, never pray about your finances, you are not depending on God in any of those areas. The more you depend on God, the more you'll pray. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

God's promises

The Bible has over 7,000 promises from God to you - promises of success, confidence, health, prosperity, strength, wisdom and more. Why does God make these promises?
Because he wants you to learn to trust him.
The size of your God determines the size of your goal. And godly goal-setting always starts with a promise of God. Don't look at your limitations; look at the promises of God.
Good morning!

A thought for the day

An important principle here is that it is never too late for you to make a change in your life, even though making the change may take longer than you think. This is why you can't procrastinate. You can either drift through the next ten years or you can have direction over the next ten years. God wants you to have direction. - Rick Warren

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A moment of stillness and prayer

Dear God, this year has been tremendous. Beyond what I could every hope and dream of. It is your hand that has moved all things into being and here I am standing before you with such joy and happiness and love.

I fall and I stumble and I continue to do so each and every single day. My temper gets the best of me and my impatience is overwhelming. My mistakes are frequent and I often hold on to regrets and what-ifs a bit more than what is needed.

Father God, thank you for being so kind and gentle with me. Your forgiveness is more than I deserve but I continue to yearn for it knowing that in my stupidity You still have your reasons why You love me.

My prayer for this year is that in my journey through this life, I will always hang on to You as my one true hope. That all the things I pray and beg for will come to pass in Your right time and in Your right way. My ways are far from Yours and I dare not even challenge your wisdom, Oh God. Do as You will, my Father. Let me have your patience as I wait for my prayers. Let me have the strength and the courage at the right time and not be too strong willed when it is not the time yet. You know my heart, Lord and I do get stubborn for Your sake. But even then, that is not Your way. The thing I pray for the most is all because of my love for You. And You know my heart, Lord.

I pray for my daughter. May she love you with her whole heart and may she see how awesome and marvelous You are. Tears come to me as I recall your kindness and generosity towards me all these years. How you have held me close even during the times when I felt alone. May it be the same for her as well. I will do my best to raise her in Your ways Lord. That has been my vow from the beginning and it will be so until I take my last breath.

2012 holds so much already. I take each step with you before me, Lord. Let me not take a step without you. Hold my hand still, Lord, as I go by my days.

Thank you for the blessings, the healing and the hope that you provide. In your hands once more. May I make you proud.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Counting down to 2012!

Time for the annual list of New Year resolutions! Probably a reminder of what should and should not have been done during the previous year. But it is fun to look back at my previous resolutions. Thankful I've actuall improved somewhat.

1) More quality time with Dani and Bryan. Making family work and making things more meaningful, so to speak. Having a baby and still adjusting to living away from home, sometimes I find myself so sleepy and tired that its hard to appreciate and make the best out of the moment.

2) Reread the Bible again this year. Its been a while and this is probably my 3rd or 4th go. Its never enough as long as there is breathe in me. No more excuses.

3) try to read more in general. Not to mention I just discovered Audible.com for the lazy bum in me. Wuhu!

4) seriously have a healthier lifestyle. Watch my diet and EXERCISE! This is so cliché but it is such a big resolution if none of the shirts I have fit and my belly button starts showing. That fad was left in the 80s. Moving on!

5) More me time which equals pampering and making myself look more like a lady than a frumpy bag of ugh!

Surprisingly, I can only think of 5 right now. Maybe in the next few days I get to add to this list.

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My first Noche Buena spread

Stuffed baked chicken (actually practised this 2x beforehand).


Steak and mixed veggies made by moi! Paella by HDR.

Im just proud my cooking didn't come out as one big flop!

Its not yet over. We can still make a difference.

In closing the year 2011

Obviously its been one big ride of a year, 2011. Barely a few days left and it still keeps coming up with new and exciting ways to make my jaw drop. A blessed year indeed and looking forward to the new chapter that is 2012.

Top 10 high moments to remember for 2011:
1) My baby Danielle Beatrice is obviously my top highlight.
2) My brother and his long time love, Vicky got hitched in beautiful Boracay with family and great friends in attendance despite the nasty weather.
3) My brother and Vicky's expecting a baby boy!
4) Despite all the health situations our family faced, His face shines brightly and His healing is always near. Praising God that my father is doing so much better.
5) Rediscovering amazing friends who were with me through the last phases of my pregnancy. Their support and encouragement were with me all the way.
6) Special moments with me and Dani each day. A miracle to behold and I am still speechless with gratefulness.
7) Seeing Dani and Bryan together. Is there anything more simple and profound? A father and daughter together.
8) On the business side, it has been a lot of highs despite having some lows. But again, God provides and He has brought me to places my little puny, scatter brain could never would have dreamed of. Reaching new horizons and pushing forward with God's hand.
9) Trips with Bryan and Dani have been so fun and exciting. Its still a new experience for me and definitely relishing every single moment of it.
10) Finding out that Michael and Tina are getting married next year! I am so excited. Love these two dearly and wishing them all the joy and happiness they can dream of.

I prefer to look at the positive rather than the negatives. Life is so full of bad vibes to begin with. Time to look at the horizon and see whats before us rather than looking back and stumbling all over the place.

Hmmm... Time to get my resolutions in order.