There are scarecrows in the best gardens.
Faith is a bird that loves to perch on scarecrows.

Expectation is the key to faith. If you can see the invisible, God will do the impossible.

Take heart, God is going to show you joy like you've never seen. The spirit of depression and encouragement is being broken. God is going to release a new happiness and passion that you've never experienced before.

The Snake in my washing machine

Ann suddenly rushed inside the house. She saw a snake coiled inside the washing machine.
Initially, I thought,"oh, if Carlo were here, he would take care of it!" But of course he is miles away.
"Close all windows and doors!"
Then I thought, even when everything is locked, how are we going to deal with that snake tomorrow?
So I went out, hoping that the boys in our neighborhood are still awake.
Then I told Ate Daisy. While we're talking, Alvin and his brother knocked...at 8 in the evening. They're supposed to be sleeping, they're 14 and 9 years old. They have a class tomorrow! But they were there, right there, asking me if I have some plastic bottles to give them.

Alvin is the ever reliable boy in my neighborhood - he sells balut, chicharon, sayote, collects plastics, and does all stuff just to earn some money he's going to use for school.
So I asked him if he can do some snake stuff. And he does. And he did!!!
He killed the snake, got rid of the snake!

Automatically I thought, wow! God is so on time. His provision is never late.
He has protected us from that snake, and knowing that Ann and I cannot do it, He sent somebody to do it for us. I am so amazed.

Scary night indeed. But what a blessed night too. God is always good.

What makes a Mom?

Love, strength, and selflessness.

God never performs His greatest feats in your yesterdays. - Joel Osteen

I made a stand.

I joined the Million People March today.  It was more than the pork barrel that enraged me - the lack of transparency, rent seeking behavior, apathy, and injustice. 

For more than ten years, I worked with the government. And I tell you, most of the government employees I know are committed and honest. Whatever idealism I had when I graduated from college is still the same until the time I resigned from government service five years ago, because I worked with people who stay in the office until 2 in the morning just to get things done, and report for work just the same at 8am, without expecting and receiving any overtime pay.  Supposed to be an 8-5 job, but turned out, the boss can always make you stay until everything gets done, like there is no tomorrow.  But, I cannot also deny the fact that there are irregularities.  

I have seen and experienced how hard it is to lobby funding for training and education.  And you cannot also imagine the time spent for research and planning just to come up with a proposal, only to  be denied and rejected, because it is not part of the priority project. And what was the priority?  

It pains me to see people who are stripped off of their retirement pay because they have to answer and suffer for the fault of others. When in fact, they have worked hard for a good name for years, only to be held accountable for something they did not do because of technicalities. 

It also pains me to see someone go to jail, just because he killed a person in exchange for money just so he can provide for his family, while the mastermind go free.  I cannot understand until now how human rights works, because I experienced first hand how they can protect the rights of the killer more than the family of the victim, and how the latter's family cannot be represented by any lawyer for fear of getting involved.

I am also saddened how the youth can be used to add up to the population of protesters, not knowing what they are really fighting for, but are encouraged to be around because of the promise of extra points. 

Now that I am in the academe, I do not teach my students to hate the government.  But I want to influence them to do the right thing so there will be change, no matter how small it may be. 

And instead of speaking death, it's high time that we start speaking life for the country. 

I am still very hopeful that there is a future for the Philippines, and God's promises will come to pass.  The best is yet to come. 

  

Make pleasing God your highest priority and all the forces of darkness cannot keep you from your destiny. - Joel Osteen

Stronger: Mandisa

Hey, heard you were up all night

Thinking about how your world ain't right

And you wonder if things will ever get better

And you're asking why is it always raining on you

When all you want is just a little good news

Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather

Oh, don't hand your head

It's gonna end

God's right there

Even if it's hard to see Him

I promise you that He still cares 

When the waves are taking you under 

Hold on just a little bit longer 

He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger

The pain ain't gonna last forever 

And things can only get better

Believe me

And things can only get better

Believe me

This is gonna make you stronger

Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger

Believe me, this is gonna make you...

Try and do the best you can 

Hold on and let Him hold your hand 

And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus 

Oh, lift your head it's gonna end 

God's right there

Even when you just can't feel Him

I promise you that He still cares 

Cause if He started this work in your life 

He will be faithful to complete it

If only you believe it 

He knows how much it hurts 

And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this 

When the waves are taking you under 

Hold on just a little bit longer 

He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger 

The pain ain't gonna last forever 

In time it's gonna get better

Believe me 

This is gonna make you stronger 

I am still wearing the smile you gave...
and it's definitely hard to shake it off.

Thank you stranger, you definitely made my confidence and esteem level up to ten times more.

Of mountains and eagles...to the ends of the earth...

Then I climbed mountains;
now I'm soaring high like an eagle.
But I will never forget the difficulty I had in climbing those mountains,
for without them, I can never soar high in the sky;
and without them, I wouldn't be able to see the nations.

"Right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing." - Joshua Harris

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

I have only good days and better days

Complaining only delays better days.  But when you praise, God steps in to fight your battles for you. - Joel Osteen

I have a big challenge.  I have a big destiny.

Jonah

In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers swept over me, I have been banished from your sight;
yet, I will look again toward your holy temple.
The engulfing waters threatened me
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.  
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered You Lord,
and my prayer rose to You, to Your holy temple.
Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed, I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord.

Fear always tells you what you're not, what you don't have, what you can't do, and what you never will be. (Romans 8:15)

What a pleasant Friday evening it is.  My boys singing their favorite song. =)

First day "high"

Officially, I am the most excited mom for June 2013. My two boys are both in school already.  My eldest is in Grade 7, started out great, and my youngest is in nursery.  Today is my Aa's first day in school, and I woke up at 12:35, can't sleep, looking forward to  bringing him to school later. And to top it off, Kuya Rhyss was giving him last minute instructions last night - how he should conduct himself in school, training him how to introduce himself, his meryenda, and the things he will get to see and experience in school. 

That makes me a true blue stage mom, and my Rhyss a certified stage Kuya. 

Aa on our Apayao trip:

Mama, the bus was not cool.
Why?
We stayed there too long.

(11 hours)