Celebrate joy!

Hiiii! Isa na kong ganap na ina! :D I haven't posted for awhile because alam nyo naman, motherhood.. lol! Our little bachuy, Sophia Zayn, is turning 2 months this Sunday, ambilis! Here she is! What a cutieeee! Syempre anak ko yan!   But before that cuteness came into this world, we were in for an adventure -- every trimester while I was pregnant, I was on bedrest so it wasn't the smoothest pregnancy... and the worst happened just right before Christmas, Christmas Eve to be exact.  With Covid-19 on the rise and making us all panic and worried, I thought it would be fitting to share what happened to us on my 8-month of being pregnant and hope this encourages you! For this one, my husband, Dennis would tell you guys what happened and how that was the scariest moment we had as a couple...  Hubby, pasok! Dec 23 last year, my wife Joy asked me a personal question, "kamusta kayo ni God? " And after she asked me this question, it ...

Here’s a scenario: You find yourself seated beside your college friend whom you haven’t seen and talked to for years, what types of questions do you ask? “Where do you work now?” “What do you do?” “When did you move?” I am not a fan of small talk but you have to start somewhere, right? So when I found myself in the same scenario a few days ago, I began asking the questions above. The answers were quick to come from my friend, stating each statement in a matter-of-fact fashion. But then I asked her: “Why did you decide to resign from your previous job?” She had to think about it for a few seconds before finally answering me. And it was an awkward and almost-uncomfortable silence because I knew I was getting deeper into her life. She answered anyway, and somehow I was able to see far deeper than what the eyes can see, and I start to see her heart and her needs.

I thought of writing a short article for the newly-engaged out there! Yes, you! If you just got engaged, congratulations!  Maybe you're probably just like me, sometimes hysterical, sometimes overwhelmed with the things that need to happen before you walk down the aisle. "No to this, yes to peace" -- repeat 10x

Hello! It's been more than a month since we got engaged, and the month that followed the engagement was a "suyurin-mo-ang-lahat-ng-venue-baybeh" escapade that got us going around Tagaytay, then Antipolo then back to Tagaytay...just because I was looking for that "wow Lord, this is it" feeling upon setting foot on the God-appointed place. Whahaha! Daig ko pa si Moses! :P Our 125th venue, charot! Mga 25th lang naman! :P I guess for most bride-to-bes at this day and age, the choices can be very overwhelming.  What started as a simple celebration decades ago has now became a million-peso industry and has  spiraled into an extravagant affair. It only takes a scroll on our IG feeds for us to keep pointing at this and this detail at Coleen and Billy's wedding at Balesin for us to get into a whirlwind of confusion between needs and wants.  Well, of course, they are celebrities so they have the money and the connections, so go lang sila, but what bro...

Do you still love me? You asked I blinked Opened my mouth to say, of course But my heart stopped me. Do you still love me? You repeated I swallowed the lump in my throat And asked myself Have I forgotten You my King? Have I replaced You with other things? I closed my eyes Held back the tears And imagined myself sitting at Your feet I miss you, my Lord I miss the place where I met you The place where it was just me and You The place where I can answer you without a doubt  That yes, I still love You As guilt and shame flood my heart I took a step back But before I can even take another step You say You're forgiven, my child. Then You held my hand Lifted my face And showed me the cross. The cross made me pour out the tears  I was trying to hold back Then You held my face Wiped away my tears Then You said with the gentlest voice As if to silence the doubt that has been filling my mind Yes, my child, I s...

Ligawan Stage So this is the part where Dennis already laid down his intentions, and I said yes to courtship.  I’ll share here the things we learned and what God taught us during this season. Hope this encourages you! Dennis told me to share his insecurities in this blog because he thought that it would encourage the men out there. Some of his insecurities were:

HE SAYS In January 2017, Dennis started praying for qualities he is looking for in a girl: Christ-centered, adventurous, maputi, mahaba buhok, chinita, sweet, caring. Come February, he felt that God was calling him back to kids ministry so he signed up. It was during the Volunteer orientation that he first saw me. So he didn't sign up because he saw me, but he signed up THEN he saw me :P (Pag nagobey ka talaga, may blessing… charaught :P) He said that it was the time that he first noticed me and had a crush on me since. Spot us on the opposite ends!

Taking a quick break from the devo and travel posts lately and just letting my thoughts run and pour over this (digital) space! I feel like 2017 went by too fast, don't you? We are now on the last two months of the year! But I take it as a good thing, you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun! It was my first time to go to Prayer Mountain last Wednesday and as I was sitting there surrounded with the lush forest and bamboos (and many mosquitoes lol! it's part of the experience), and I was going through my faith goals for the year... I am amazed how God has been so faithful in my life.

Connect Have you ever seen someone so passionate for Jesus? We say we're passionate but then you look at Paul and we start to rethink our answer to that question. What was the craziest, most passionate thing you did for Jesus? For Paul... he who was beaten, put in prison, faked death his way to go to yet another missionary journey... all the while writing letters to the churches, never failing to correct, encourage and build them up in the faith.

Connect When we look at the life of Paul, we are quick to see a man who is so passionate for Jesus, who lived a life worthy of the calling of the gospel... but it wasn't always like that for him. Paul (previously known as Saul) was probably the last person you'd think would follow Christ -- he was a Pharisee, a Roman nonetheless, who persecutes Christians for a living... But then God chose him, and when God chose him, there was no turning back... Word Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.... As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied." "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9: 1,3-6

CONNECT Trivia: Esther is the only book in the Bible that made no mention of God. Gasp!! Really? Yes!  So who is Queen Esther and what makes her so special? When I read Esther's story, it reminds me of a Disney movie -- the plot and the characters are all there -- a simple Jewish girl, a coronation waiting to happen, a supportive cousin, an arrogant villain... and in the thick of it all, is a God that weaves everyone's story to showcase His power and glory to save His people.

Connect When I was a little kid, my parents promised that we will stay in a nice hotel as a family and I was so excited as I waited on the fulfillment of that promise. Days and weeks passed, and no matter how much my parents really wanted to fulfill that promise, they just couldn’t find a common schedule to make that short trip a reality.

How can someone  so powerful Hold someone so small How can someone  so good Embrace someone so evil How can someone  so beautiful love someone so unfaithful I hope to someday understand the breadthe the width the depth of Your love I hope to one day grasp Your infinite goodness Your immense strength Your magnificent power I see specks Shadows Hints Of Your love for me Right now It is enough My heart is settled It is finished I am complete. Words by Joy Buena Illustration by Donna Tan

Connect We have heard the story countless times before and sometimes our familiarity on the gospel strips it impact in our lives. “Yes, I know the story” “Yes, he died and rose again after 3 days” – we know these things and we can recount it to others without a moment’s thought, but really what is the implication of Jesus’ resurrection? How do we live out this truth in our lives daily?

Connect The light turned red and the little girl, without even looking at the incoming traffic, crossed the street with confident strides. Seconds after, she emerged to the other side holding her lollipop with her right hand and her father's hand with her left. She didn't need to look at the traffic lights, she just follows where His father will go and she knew that she will be alright.

Connect In a sea of billions of people, it is amazing how God sees and cares for us in a personal way.  He has taken so much care in the details of who we are, even before the moment that we were born. The way we talk, the way we see things, the way our personalities are wired, who are parents are going to be, the people we will meet along the way... So it makes one wonder, how is it that the creator of the universe would care for a speck in the universe like me?

Connect What do you consider the most important thing in your life? Which is the one thing that you fear losing the most? One way to arrive at an answer to that question is to think of the things that we spend the most time on... and those that we work so hard to keep because losing it isn't an option. For most, it may be  work  or their  business which provides for their basic needs and even luxuries in life. For some, it may be their  family  who has been a source of motivation for the things they do. For others, it may be their  name  -- the legacy that has been passed down to them from the earlier generations so they try really hard to keep that name honorable.