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Islands and Ferries

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At the beginning of the new year, I started making my travel plans, and booking my flights to conduct the BT workshops that are part of the implementation program of the organization. But being a Northern Luzonian, I am not that well-versed with the manner of transportation in the central Philippines. So I booked my flights thinking that from the venue of one seminar, I can just ride a taxi or a jeep or a tricycle just like I have done in the past in other parts of the country and I'll be able to catch my scheduled flight. So before I came to Bohol last week, my mind was operating on the assumption that after the workshop in Siquijor, someone would just take me to the airport to catch my flight to Manila, forgetting the fact that this is Visayas. This is the part of the Philippines where each province is an island of its own. So I needed to take a Ferry to get to a larger city to get to my designated airport. Well, thankfully, I have been informed a few days before it w...
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MY ANXIETIES IN SHARING THE GOSPEL

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The day before yesterday, I was invited by my ***Utol Norman S. Malcat to share the Word to the family and employees of one of his millionaire friends. ☺️   I was apprehensive to go as I never really had any experience talking in front of rich people, let alone teaching quite highly educated people. I did stand many times in the past before people more knowledgeable than I am, but it has been usually to talk about particular translation topics that I usually am knowledgeable about and for which I have truly prepared and studied. I also do speak almost every Sunday before an audience that may include one or two people who have more academic training than I have but they usually are my friends or they quite know me personally, so last Tuesday was truly a getting-out-of-your-comfort-zone kind of situation and so I was downright terrified. My mind was at 15% Okay-Whatever-I'll-go, and 85%-Ay-Uray-idtana! (NO WAY!) The schedule was postponed twice because of my health c...
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ADDICTIONS

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My addictions are weird but I think these are not unique to me.  I have three addictions and I am very glad that I have overcome one of them, at least for now.   #SUGAR_ADDICT  Over a month ago, I was probably one of the worst sugar/carb addict there is.  Since I was diagnosed with diabetes almost three decades ago, I went into a rollercoaster of dieting and fasting and binge eating.  I would weigh myself, get disgusted with what I see and resolve to eat nothing for a week. I would lose 10kg, then the following week, I would eat all the calories that I restricted myself from and more.  Then in April of last year I tried the ketogenic diet and it was working for a month or so until an aunt commented that I will get all wrinkly and saggy if I lose too much weight and my mind used that statement as an excuse to go back to my standard way of eating which has always left me feeling and looking bloated, inflamed, fat, and ugly.  It also aggr...
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of big shoes and lessons

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April 2001 I woke up early this morning and went straight to doing my weekend chores...like hanging a two-week worth of laundry under the sun (before the sun is up), afterwhich I went back to bed to do some reading. Three hours later, my mom came and said, "Men ina-no? Ollaw law!" (Are you ready? We're about to leave!") I was confused for a moment then I realized it's the first Saturday of the month and I need to be somewhere to teach. It totally slipped my mind as my mind was still all over the place from Xami's stay in the hospital and then traveling right after it and coming home again. I changed and put my things in my backpack and was gonna put on my shoes only to realize I don't have any appropriate shoes. I asked the hubby if I can try one of his and a pair looked not so bad as the others. So off we went with me looking like I have boats attached to my feet rather than shoes. I used the lesson that I prepared for a women's conferenc...
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No Room at the Inn

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For Sunday School at church this morning, we talked about how there was no proper room for Jesus to be born in the first Christmas, and how even today, if we are honest, our life is so full of activities and busyness that oftentimes we give hardly any room for Jesus in our everyday life, eventhough we say or think that our activities are for the most part "in the service of the King." And here am I, either too pain-addled or too busy with life that I have not even greeted anybody a Merry Christmas except for those who greeted me face to face and I uttered the same in reply. So here I am thanking all of you,  friends and family for your friendship, prayers and just thankful for your lives and for being a blessing to me.  Here is to praying also  that  all of you be blessed beyond measure this coming year and that our God will give us all plenty of opportunities to be joyful in Him as we worship and serve Him in our lives.  A blessed Christmas to all!...
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OF BIG BROTHERS AND ANSWERED PRAYERS

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Today, just like all days, if I know how and choose to recognize it, was a day of God's providence.  Hubby was on his way out of town so my morning was busier than most of my other mornings because I have had to mind my child who is an early riser, like his dad.  Usually, he and his dad are already ready for the day before I open my eyes in the morning.  I also had another thing to prepare for today, as I was scheduled to go to one of our villages up in the mountains for a day of fellowship with fellow Christian women who gather every month to study God's Word and encourage each other.  Since my previous days were riddled with health challenges and work, my mind has been telling me to ask someone else to speak at the gathering.  I am sure someone would have been willing, but I made a promise with my King that as long as I am able,  I will not miss this monthly teaching opportunity for any reason other than if I really am unable to talk, walk, or...
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MINIMAL TO ZERO STRESS POLICY

# MY_APOLOGIES BUT #NO_TO_STRESS When it rains it pours, they say, and it's true. I got rained on by too much negativity today. I am not making excuses, it is just that when you start feeling a tightness in your heart and you can barely catch a breath, you feel like at any moment, you'll start seeing your whole life in 4x5 frames just like how people say it happens when you're about to leave this reality. I'm telling you, it can really get to you. I have been getting harassed by text messages from a store in town demanding that I pay for a product that I have already settled a long time ago. Like I received lots of anger-inducing messages in the last few months and I and others have told them again and again to check their records because an auditor already came and made comparisons with my receipts and their receipts at sinabi pa niya na okay na, cleared na ako. Pero text pa rin sila ng text at paliwanag naman ako ng paliwanag ng katakot-takot. Tapos kanina ay nagte...
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