It’s Lord’s day again! It’s one of the many things I am thankful for….being given the chance to worship our creator and to fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

 When I was still a child, I am so excited when Sunday comes not only because I can put on my nice dress and attend Sunday class (where we all enjoy singing, listening to stories and making crafts) but because my mother would buy me and my sister with our favorite juice and chips for our snacks. As a child it is what motivates me and my younger sister to attend Sunday school but later on, our perspective changed. 

Last year, for some reasons, my sister and her family missed to attend Sunday worship so does my little niece, she was absent from her Sunday school classes for many weeks. One Sunday morning, when she woke up, she whispered to her Mom, “Mommy, I want to attend Sunday class because Lord said ‘where is Ella? why is she absent?”. We don’t know if she dreamt of it or she just made the story but the good thing is, a child knows that she must be attending children’s class in church every Sunday.

I’d be a hypocrite to say that I did not miss to attend worship services. Times when life is so hard that I almost don’t care if it’s Lord’s day or not and it is a great challenge for me and my hubby to obey God’s command “Do not forsake the assemby”.

This is a picture taken during the holidays….as others are celebrating the “birth” of Jesus Christ, we are also celebrating the season being thankful for the love and presence of each other. Making fun of the moment, my hubby dressed up in a brown suit he has been keeping in the closet for so long. He got another one for my brother-in-law. Seeing that the two guys are having fun, my father-in-law went to their room and put on his suit. He even brought out neckties for them. So funny that we don’t know how to tie it. I already forgot my Girl Scouting lesson in knot tying, seems it is eight knot but I can’t figure it out. Since the men are already dressed up and my niece was in her santa costume , my mother-in-law brought out gowns for us….we were so excited as we are putting on the gowns. After a few minutes, presto! The mood of the night changed. Seems we are on the other side of the planet. It was so great that everybody enjoyed the moment.  

On my way home from the office this noon, I saw a man pushing his cart full of used bottles, newspapers, plastic containers and steel. This is what he makes for a living, roaming around the villages everyday to buy those things and sell it to the junk shop. The sad thing is, what he will earn from the cart full of used items may not be enough for his family. Everytime I see people like this, I always utter to myself, “if only I can help to make life easy for him and his family”. The least that I can do is to say a little prayer for them that may God will take care of them, provide for their needs, and give them the strength to go on with life despite of their situation. I see it more helpful than giving them a penny. Even before, I usually tell my boyfriend (now my hubby) that times when I saw people roaming around asking for penny or something, I am in pain, literally chest pain. I feel like my heart contracted. What can I do to help them? My resources are not enough and a penny may not make a great difference in their life. I remember one day my hubby said, “I pray that God will bless me financially so that many will be happy” because we will be able to help our relatives who needs help and others out there who needs assistance. 

With my experience early this afternoon, I am inspired to share one of the most inspiring experiences that I had. Many years back, my 4-year old youngest sister saw a man pass by our house pushing his wooden cart half-full of used bottles. My sister called my mother to ask for money. Thinking that she will buy food from the store nearby, mother gave her enough to buy a pack of bread and some candies. After given the money, my sister rushed outside the house and called the man who is now resting under the shade of a coconut tree. She led the man to the store in the neighborhood, bought bread and gave it to the man. Maybe she’s thinking that the bread is not enough, she went back home and get her share of boiled banana for our merienda, and a glass of water. Seeing that act of kindness from a child is one of the greatest lesson I learned in life. Surely, mother is so happy to see that her little child went out of her way to help. J  

Yesterday,

Yesterday, my husband, Ace celebrated his 30th birthday. It is such as a special day for him because it’s his first birthday being married. Though life’s not that easy, as we all have our share of ups and downs, I am so thankful for all the blessings that he received, and we received as a couple. It is not just an ordinary day for him as God answered his prayers….to have a new CPU (thanks to my parents-in-law for sharing with us the new CPU) and an internet connection. Yipee!!!! It’s such as blissful day :-)