I delivered this sermon on September 20, 2015 when I was asked to preach in our local church. It's my third time already but I only retrieved this one in my email. I want to share this because I believe the message is still applicable today. Who knows, it might help to encourage someone today. *** September 20, 2015 Bible references: Ecclesiastes 12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 timothy 4:12 Good day everyone! This is the third time that I will be speaking of the word of God in behalf of the youth for the celebration of Youth Sunday. As always, it gives me so much joy because it means I can make myself of use in the ministry of the Lord. God be glorified! I pray that I will speak of what God wants me to share to you and that the Holy Spirit will be with me and to all of us. Our theme for this commemoration is, "Youth toward a spirituality of new creation." Our bible references are taken from the books of Ecclesiastes, 2 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. The book of ...

“But love, I’ve come to understand, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day.” -Nicholas Sparks            I was so pissed off with my husband this morning that I did not talk to him for a few hours. It all started with him waking me up to make coffee. It’s been my duty as a wife to make coffee in the morning every day and it’s fine. However, there are days when I just want to extend a few minutes sleeping especially that I usually sleep late at night because of my English class. Last night, I told him if he could do the morning preparation and he agreed. He even volunteered to do the cooking, he wanted to showcase his expertise in cooking fried rice. I was delighted, because it means I wouldn’t be waking up early to brew us coffee. But things didn’t go according to plan. He woke me up, asked for coffee, and played Mobile Legends...

My last entry was a week ago. I intend to post daily or at least three times a week. However, I didn’t have the drive to write something these past days. I just really have to finish an article for a job today that I find myself internalizing again on what to write next on my personal blog. Call it a writer’s block, or whatever. I was unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with it. I was so motivated in building up my blog and already jotted down list of topics I’d be covering. But whenever I turn the laptop on, I was shifted to doing other things. Writing, which is supposed to be my comfort became a burden. Maybe because I was so pre-occupied with the thought that I must come up with articles that will be of interest to my readers. I forgot the first reason why I started blogging again, and that’s to simply express my thoughts, whether someone will read them or not. I was also bothered with self-doubt and fear of being laugh at with possible grammar and syntax errors...

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 ESV Everyday, we struggle to make ends meet. Sometimes, what we have is not enough for our expenses. We often find ourselves wondering how to manage the little amount that we have. We wished we’re rich, so we won’t have to think about budgeting our money. Is being monetarily rich really the answer to financial difficulties? The answer is no. No matter how much you have in your bank account, if you do not manage your resources well, you would end up a pauper. When I decided to resign from my job, I only had a little in my bank account. Prior to that, I was not so keen with my expenditure. Not that I just throw money for nothing, but I no longer keep track of my expenses like how I used to do in college. So, when I quit from work I knew I must be mindful of the money coming out from our pockets. My husband is a thrifty person and wou...

There are times when you just find yourself completely dysfunctional. You don’t want to do anything. You just want to spend the day off. Especially when you are a work-from-home mom, the temptation to lie down in bed the whole day is inviting. However, you know you can’t just do that. So, you decide to pull yourself up and try your best to do something. What can you do to function well and be productive? Take note that being at work doesn’t necessarily mean getting yourself productive. Our goal here is to find ways to stay fruitful and be motivated to have the tasks delivered. These are six things you need to start ASAP: 1.        Look at the glass half full and not half empty. Be optimistic. A task is difficult only if we allow our mind to think that way. Start seeing things in a lighter way. Be a positive thinker. Do not entertain negative thoughts because it will only ruin your day. Pessimism only causes delay. 2.    ...

“One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen.” -Philip Wylie October 5th is considered as World Teachers Day as declared by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994. As I was scrolling my feed, I saw a lot of greetings for teachers. It’s good to know how students pay gratitude to the people who provided them formal education. I think we are all teachers, we educate in any way. However, teaching as a profession is something that is for me a very noble and distinct career. If you are a teacher reading this, you have my great appreciation. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of your students. I still get teary-eyed whenever I recall how my younger brother, who is a teacher would tell me how hard it was to go to school where he was a teacher for three years. From our place, he needed to travel by his motorcycle going to Lekda, a far-flung area in Agusan del Norte. He’d cross a river an...

This is the first time that I am writing a blog post in different tongues. I am a Bisaya, a Bisdak (Bisayang Daku) in particular. I try to improve my English communication skills that’s why I also often use English as a medium of speaking (Char!). Nagtatagalog din ako kasi meron na rin akong mga readers (as in?) na tagalog. But this post is not about me using different dialects, but me sharing some tipid tips to fight the kamahal-sa-mga-pamaliton-tabang-mga-langit! When I got married, I already welcomed myself with the fact that ‘di na gyud ko dapat mangayo’g pinansyal na tabang sa akong mga ginikanan kay ulaw baya sad. Getting married means being responsible financially. So, from being a nurse to medrep to becoming a financial manager ang drama ko when we decided to build our own family. At first, everything seemed to be sailing smoothly. Lami kaayo’g paminaw ning bag-ong menyo kay ang kakilig mura ug crush-crush sa high school level up version. Pero hindi maiiwasan na lil...

I was not into hair conditioners. I can live without it as long as I wash my hair with shampoo. Shampooing removes dirt and oil, leaving hair squeaky clean. However, it can also make your strands dry. I’ve been using organic shampoo for months and I noticed that my chemically-treated hair was becoming parched and frizzy. I don’t blame the organic shampoo though. Any shampoo can really make your hair dry.   I felt the need to use conditioners. Weeks ago, while I was searching for the best fit for my hair, I came across Sample Room’s website that offers free samples of different hair care products. I opted to try Cream Silk since it’s one of the most popular hair care products in the Philippines when it comes to conditioners. Last week, I got my free samples and tried it immediately. Brand: Cream Silk Dry Rescue Hair Reborn Conditioner The label claims it has customized solutions designed for Filipinas which got me because some products work differently to different ra...