Sharing my faith and my life one day at a time.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

School of World Missions Year-End Class Party

Graduation from Every Nation Leadership Institute is coming up soon -- April 4th. Robert's class had a year-end party to celebrate the completion of a 10-month-long grueling academic training.

To see the pictures of the party held in Victory Pioneer, please go to Rob's Multiply Album.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Thank You for the Easter Presents!

Today, we received a package from one of my very best friends -- Michelle. She sent us and our friends Easter presents.


One of life's wonderful pleasures is a friend going out of her way to let you know she thought of you today. It truly is.


Michelle, thank you so much for putting a smile on our faces today. I admire how always think of others before you think of yourself. I am grateful to have a friend like you!

Carried To Completion

Robert and I just started a new blog that will chronicle our journey and experiences in ministry.

When you get a chance, please visit http://carried-to-completion.blogspot.com/.

Please Save These Dates: May 3rd and 4th

We are keeping a lot of our stuff (especially the wedding gifts our friends lovingly gave us) but we are also selling a lot of things we have been meaning to get rid of. That means on May 3rd and 4th, we will be having a small sale in our place.

So if you are interested in checking out previously owned clothes, shoes, bags, home items, kitchen items, books and magazines -- please mark these weekend dates on your calendar. If you leave a comment or send me an e-mail, I will update you on the details of the sale.

Please pass on this message to your friends who you think will be interested. Thank you!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Panera Bread

Now that we are leaving in a couple of months (official announcement soon) and bringing my work with me to the United States, I have been looking for a WiFi-ready place in Bellevue, Nebraska where I can set up "office" for the first couple of months.

I saw Panera Bread and looks like I will be right at home here. Look at the WiFi information page on their website:

"Yep, it's free. Just sit down, open up your laptop and you're ready to go. Send an email as you munch a warm bagel. Read the news as you sip a latte. It's a nice alternative to the office, isn't it? Please relax, do what you need to do, and stay as long as you like. The Wi-Fi's free all day long."

How exciting!! They have a cafe in Bellevue, NE.

10503 S 15th St
Bellevue, NE 68123
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Now I need to come up with a game plan that will help me stay off the white bread :P
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Your Wardrobe Essentials for Fall and Winter

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you InStyle's essentials for spring and summer. As promised, I am sharing with you this time InStyle's essentials for fall and winter.

Little black dress


Jersey wrap dress


Turtleneck sweater


V-neck sweater


Crew neck sweater


Cardigan sweater


White shirt


Silk blouse


Boot-cut black pants


Flat-front wool trousers


Chinos or cords


Dressy jeans


Casual jeans


A-line skirt


Pencil or straight skirt


Wool blazer


Seasonless wool pantsuit


Classic long winter coat


Casual all-weather jacket


Black pumps


Knee boots


Roomy work tote


Structured handbag


Evening clutch

Redeem The Airwaves 3.0: Upload!

Do you believe you can reach out to millions of people through your blog, music and/or videos? Do you feel passionate about telling other people how Jesus Christ changed your life?

I would like to invite you to a three-day conference called "Redeem The Airwaves 3.0: Upload!"


Redeem The Airwaves: Upload! is a three-day media conference on tapping the effective potential of various types of traditional and digital media for Jesus Christ.

Running from April 10 to 12 at the Lighthouse Christian Community Building along Buencamino Street in Alabang, Redeem The Airwaves: Upload! is the ultimate starting block and the ideal stepping stone for Christians and their communities seeking to use social media networking to their best advantage: to honor God and make disciples.

The conference features the following topics and speakers:
Making Sense as a Communicator, Francis J. Kong
Blogging 101, Joey Bonifacio
Radio 101 and the Future, Mike Pedero
Podcasting, Jim Reyes and Arnold Gamboa
Making Videos for the Internet, John Tan of CBN Asia
The Role of Christians in Media, Julius Fabregas
The Long Tail Economy, Dr. Chuck Quinley
Media Values vs. Christian Values, Kata Inocencio
Organizing Life-Changing Events, Ardy Roberto
Song Composition, Jungee Marcelo
Launching Your Band, Roca Cruz

Here are the conference channels:
1. Pastors and Church Ministries: case studies, blogging, email, podcasting, social networks,

2. Radio: podcasting, scripting, basic equipment setup, voice acting, social networks

3. Video: how internet video is different, technical excellence and special considerations, winning video ideas, video on a budget

4. Music: launching and selling online, social networks

5. Professional Media Persons: Leadership, the power of social networks


I am very excited to participate in this conference because Internet marketing is what I do professionally. If you need more information and registration details:

1) Please send an e-mail to redeemtheairwaves@gmail.com

2) Visit the conference website at http://www.theedgeradio.net/rta3/home/

3) View the video below.

Find more videos like this on The Emerge Network

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! Robert and I will be at an undisclosed location from now until tomorrow morning. Will be planning and praying for a couple of important things.

Have a blessed week!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

An Instant Photo Booth

I always wanted a photo booth at my wedding but it was impossible to do so on a beach. Now that we had our second ceremony, I thought it was a perfect opporunity to have the booth I did not have at my first wedding.

Clique Booth is the best option but extremely expensive (starts at P15k). So I got one of my old Martha Stewart magazines and saw her D-I-Y version of a party photo booth.

She suggested on putting up a big piece of fabric that will serve as a back drop and put it against a wall. I got our bright yellow, queen-sized flat bed sheet for the back drop.

Kris and Malou brought a tripod to securely set the camera for photo taking. I got a lightweight printer from Cheya.

The photo booth is now up! The pictures are so cute don't you think?


Important tip: IRON the fabric and starch it! Mine was very wrinkly.

A Sweet Celebration

Robert's School of World Missions class are trained on how to officiate weddings, home dedications, child dedications, and funerals. The class decided to hold a "mock" wedding ceremony to complete class requirements for Pastor Luther Mancao.

Only it's not really a "mock" wedding. They decided to make it more real by holding a Reaffirmation of Vows ceremony for me and Rob :)

March 19th was the date -- close to our first year anniversary. We had one week to pull off a nice wedding :)

Therefore, me, Rob and classmate Shawie Milan got our heads together exactly a week before March 19th. A decided on a theme "A Sweet Celebration" -- an afternoon of love and desserts!

I promise to blog more on the details of the wedding, simple tips on pulling off something nice last-minute (yes you can!).

Everything was so pretty!! Rob's classmates did so much in making the theme come to life. I was blown away on how they can put so much love into this. They are the best! And I am so grateful :)

On top of that, I was so happy to see friends -- Kris, Malou, LJ, Anna, Miro -- who took time out from their busy Holy Week schedules to spend time with us. It meant the world to us!

We also learned a few new things from Pastor Luther. He is amazing! His passion for God has always inspired me from day 1.

Did not really expect to cry but the vows kinda choked me up (for those who missed it -- will blog the vows in a future post). I really really love my husband more today than ever. The love truly grows everyday. I am humbled on how Our Father can give me and Rob extraordinary grace to work out a marriage every single day.

Please view the slideshow below for pictures.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Robert Graduates From Asian Theological Seminary

Thursday, March 13th, Robert received his Graduate Diploma in Intercultural and Urban Studies from Asian Theological Seminary.

I am so proud of him!

To view pictures from the graduation ceremony, please go to Robert's Multiply Album.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Can I Pull Off A Wedding In One Week?

Let's wait and see...

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Happy Birthday Harvey!

It was Harvey's birthday last night. It was a great time catching up with people I haven't seen in a long time.

He is one of the nicest guys we know.

Harvey's Birthday (March 15, 2008)

Monday, March 10, 2008

Your Wardrobe Essentials for Spring and Summer

My friend Lynn gave me this fantastic book on my birthday entitled Instant Style: Your Season-By-Season Guide For Work and Weekend. It is authored and published by the editors on InStyle magazine.

I am currently in a season where I am going through all my clothes, shoes, purses and accessories. I have three piles named: To Keep, To Sell and To Give Away. I plan to have a little garage sale next month. Will keep you posted on that later on.

In the book is a cute bookmark that serves as a checklist of a female's wardrobe essentials.

In this entry, I would like to share with you the Spring + Summer Essentials. I believe this is most applicable in all-year-round Manila weather. If this is a purging season for you, then this checklist is for you.

LOOK THROUGH YOUR CLOSET, BUY IF NECESSARY, THEN CHECK!

Versatile sundress


T-shirts in neutrals


Cotton tank + camisole


Short-sleeve blouse


White jeans + khakis


Cropped pants


2 shorts: 1 dressy, 1 casual


Feminine, fitted blazer


Short casual jacket


Lightweight cardigan


2 A-line, straight or full skirts for work


Denim or tiered casual skirt


Trench coat


Evening wrap


Updated sneakers


Flat sandals


Open-heel or peep-toe pump


Lightweight work tote


Straw bag


Summer evening clutch


2 swimsuits


Cover-up


Coming up, wardrobe essentials for Fall + Winter!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Do You Have Twitter?

I have Twitter and I wish all of my close friends have one too. Because sometimes I have random thoughts that are not important to blog but I want to write down anyway. It would be really nice if I knew the thoughts of people I cared about.

If you want a free Twitter 101 lesson, here is a cute video you can watch:


Do you already have a Twitter account? Follow me here.

And The Winner Is...

I saw this video last night and I could not even blog about it because it was too painful for me to watch. And even more painful for me to know that she won. It was like watching a Filipino version of that Miss South Carolina Teen USA disaster.

But guess what, Janina San Miguel's infamous pageant interview is now circulating the Hollywood blogs! She is going to outshine Miss Keys Me!

I have to give her props for her realness though. If you haven't seen it, here is the clip from YouTube.

Earth Hour on March 29th

My boss encouraged me to participate in this. I have been educating myself lately with global warming so I am making a decision to participate in Earth Hour 2008.

The e-mail that has been circulating here in the Philippines says:

On 29 March 2008 the Philippines will join countries around the world as we literally "turn the lights out" for Earth Hour - an event that will fuel awareness on climate change and prove that when the people of the world work together, they can make a difference in the fight against global warming.

Earth Hour will take place throughout the Philippines from 8 to 9 pm on Sat, 29 Mar. 2008. WWF invites you to participate by shutting off lights for 60 minutes, organizing your own "lights-out" event or by forwarding this mail to your friends, workmates and family.

Launched in Australia on the 31st of March 2007, Earth Hour moved 2.2 million people and 2100 businesses in Sydney to turn off their lights for one hour. This massive collective effort reduced the city's energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour. With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.

Today's buildings account for:
12% of world's water use
40% of world's greenhouse gas emissions
65% of world's waste output
70% of world's electricity consumption

Green Buildings save:
30% in energy
35% in CO2 emissions
30–50% in water use
50–90% in waste costts

YOUR participation will go a long way in spreading the message that we, as individual droplets working collectively – can create an impetus far more powwerful than the mightiest of rivers.

If you want to learn more about how else you can help make Earth Hour in the Philippines a success, drop us a line at (632) 920-7931, (632) 920-7923, or (632)920-7926.

If you are curious about this and need to know more, please go to Earth Hour's website.

Are You Looking For A Weekly Women's Meeting?

Do I have a weekly women's meeting for prayer and discussion? This is question that I have been asked quite frequently.

The answer is YES, a few ladies and I get together every week to discuss different life topics, look at Scripture, talk about personal concerns and take time to pray for each other.

We call this a 'small group.' Why do we do this? We don't stop being a church when we leave the building after our Sunday gatherings. Small groups provide a great opportunity for ladies to get re-connected to God and to people who desire to live lives that honor Him.

If you are interested in joining the weekly women's meeting that I help facilitate, we meet every Friday evening. For details of time and location, please send me a comment or a private message.

If Friday evening is not a good time for you, please let me know so I can recommend other meetings that are held on your preferred time.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Jon Peter Lewis

American Idol Season 3 was one of my favorite AI seasons of all time. I thought everyone was charismatic in the Top 12 of that year. There was Leah LaBelle (yes, even her!), Camile Velasco, John Stevens, George Huff (adorable Georgie!), Jennifer Hudson (look at her now), Jasmine Trias, Diana DeGarmo, and of course Fantasia Barrino.

I really liked Jon Peter Lewis. My favorite was when he sang Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." Simon Cowell told him he looked like pen salesman in his audition.

Glad to see he eventually released a CD. And recently started a blog with his friends -- which I will be visiting from time to time. If you like Jon, please show him some love on his blog!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Clique Booth

I saw the cutest thing at Rob and Hannah's wedding. There was a photo booth that allowed guests to have pictures taken and then put these pics on the couple's guest book.

This is an upgrade to the Polaroid guest book that I have always wanted. Here are the pictures we took that night:


For more information on Clique Booth, please go to its website.

My Cold-Busting Combo Might Now Be A Hoax

Last week, Robert was sick with colds and coughs and was feeling horrible. And then last night, just when Rob was feeling much better, I realized I was coming down with a cold.

After several uncomfortable sniffs, I asked our ever reliable Ate Lisa to go to Mercury Drug to buy me Neozep and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). I really wanted immediate relief because I had to sleep soon and wake up at 4am to go to work.

I also got my bottle of Airborne tablets, got 2 pieces and dropped them in 2 glasses of water. I also took 1 tablet of Neozep with my second glass. I totally forgot to take a tablet of Vitamin C.

I decided to watch an episode of Gossip Girl, and at the end of the episode I was really drowsy. So I set my alarm and went to bed.

I woke up at 4am and I was so happy feeling a whole lot better and my nose completely cleared up! I even made a mental note to blog about the Neozep-Airborne cold-busting combo because it really worked!!

And then I read this. Airborne settles lawsuit over false advertising claims for $23.3 million.

So, was it really just the Neozep?

To know more about the settlement, please click here.

Bowling On A Tuesday Night

Haven't bowled in 7 months. Seven months is a long time because we used to go bowling all the time.

I had so much fun! I think it's because last night was the highest score I ever had. I am a terrible bowler so my 90+ score is actually an all-time high for me :P

Here are the pictures from last night's bowling.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Sta. Lucia Wins PBA All-Filipino Finals 2008

Sta. Lucia Realtors beat Purefoods in Game 7 with 100-88. This was a great series played by 2 great teams. I am so proud of Kelly and Noy! It was a great pleasure for me to have gotten a chance to watch the games.

Congratulations on a job well done :)

Here are more pictures from Game 7.
Sta. Lucia vs. Purefoods (March 2, 2008)

Cheya's 30th Birthday

Cheya is one of closest friends from college. She was also my maid-of-honor. She had a lovely 30th birthday party March 1st. I had a great time catching up with friends from college, enjoying those delicious cupcakes and lounging around.


For more pictures from the party, please go to my Multiply album.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Robert and Hannah's Wedding

I have been friends with Rob Samala for years... maybe 13 years. We are not good at keeping in touch regularly but we do manage to stay in touch someway, somehow.

I am so happy to see him get married yesterday to Hannah. They are going to be here for about three weeks. I am hoping that we can take them out to dinner and spend some time with them.


The wedding was beautiful. My favorite element was the photo booth. I wanted this so badly at my wedding but bringing a photo booth to the beach didn't sound very smart.


Congratulations Rob and Hannah! :) Here are more pictures from the wedding.

David Archuleta Singing "A Thousand Miles"

A cute boy doing a really cute thing.
Listening to His Voice+ Blog design by labinastudio.