URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PHILIPPINES

As of yesterday, Metro Manila has been declared in a state of calamity. A couple of nights ago, it was raining hard. But this rain was different. It had started early evening and didn't cease until the next afternoon. What you are about to see is the aftermath of typhoon "Ondoy":

I've lived in Metro Manila for half of my life, and it has NEVER EVER flooded this bad. Houses have been lost, people are stranded on rooftops, lives have been taken away and etc. Those are the only pictures I can handle posting because, quite frankly, it makes me cry. It makes me cry very hard. Its heartbreaking. My heart and prayers go out to all those who are suffering and are in need of relief. But at the same time, I would like to thank God for keeping me and my boys safe. The flood waters only reached the outside of my garage gate. Not a single drop touched my property. It was like there was an invisible wall holding back the water because my neighbors houses got flooded. All the heartache I've been experience the last few months is nothing when compared to this. Let us pray for all the victims of typhoon "ondoy". If you would like to send donations. please leave a comment and i will get right back to you. Thank you.

Update: it has been reported that two tropical storms are headed our way. Please everybody, please pray for the Philippines. I am genuinely terrified. I know that the Lord never gives more than we can handle, but please.. we need your prayers!

Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on the homeless. Have mercy on the people who, for nearly 48 hours, are still trapped in their cars with no food and water. Lord, please take care of the friends and family that I haven't been able to get in touch with. Lord, I know that in times like these, it pays to have unwavering faith in You. But Lord, Im scared. Lord, have mercy on us all please. Please Lord. Please. Amen.

The Kindness of Strangers

It's true that there may be people in your lives that you've known for a while but have never really made an impact, but there are those who are with you for literally minutes and you carry them with you forever.

When I was a new mom, I didnt know that your son falling off the bed wasn't much of an emergency. So when my 8 month old fell off the bed and onto the floor, I dropped what I was doing, and rushed off to the emergency room. Take note that I was still in my pajamas and that I hadn't even bothered to lock up the house or garage. That's how panicked I was. After letting the doctor see him and being reassured that my son would be okay, I opened my purse to pay the hospital bill when I realized that it was EMPTY. I had brought out the wrong purse! I embarassingly asked if the doctor would allow me to leave the hospital premises so I could withdraw money from the bank. He looked at me, then he looked at the form that I had filled up earlier, he said, "You live on the same street as I do, come on, I'll pay for you".

I was shocked.

I'm sorry, but it's not everyday that someone offers to pay your bills. Let alone your own doctor!

As we were standing in line to pay the bill, I found out that the doctor literally lived 2 houses away from me. GOD IS GOOD!!!! He blessed me with such a caring neighbor in a time when I needed kindness the most!

It's been two years since that incident, he's dropped by to visit one time and of course, I paid him back even when he refused to accept. What the doctor did for me will always be in my mind. Im making it a point to visit him by the end of the week. The kindness of strangers is a very powerful thing. Something that may seem so miniscule to you may have a great impact on others.

Who have you helped out today?

What's next?

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26)

I've been spending the last few days contemplating as to how I'd generate income for the family. Being on my own has forced me to think of things that I was so used to letting my ex worry about. The bills, my schooling, schooling for the boys and etc. Coming up with money for gas and groceries alone are already proving to be quite the headache. Sometimes I open the fridge and wonder how we'll get by. I've already applied for jobs and am waiting for a call back, I'm keeping my hopes up. But I won't lie. I'm scared.

No, let me rephrase that.

I'm terrified.

Understand that I would do anything to provide my boys with the best that I can, but how do I do so? I have no sense of direction. I need help. And just as reality was beginning to overwhelm me, I came across the passage above. I couldn't help but cry. It's funny how God communicates with us when we need Him the most. I'm now in the process of learning not to worry about the future and to depend on Him daily for strength and for everything else. God is good and indeed He will never leave our side. God will provide.

Welcome Home, Alexis and Nika.

ALEXIS TIOSECO (1981 - 2009) & NIKA BOHINC (1979 - 2009)

"In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Devastating situations come into our lives for a reason, most of the time we will never understand why. Yesterday morning, I recieved word that a former teacher and his girlfriend were shot dead in their own home. Understand that we were never close, but the brutality of the killings was enough to drive me to tears (you may read about it here). It's hard to accept that truly horrible things happen to good people, but as sad as I am over such senseless loss of life, I take comfort in the thought that they are in a much much better place. Maybe it is true that once you have served your purpose on earth, God calls you to join Him, regardless of your age and the manner in which you go.

Despite the disgusting display of evil, it's hard to ignore the goodness and love that pours out of this situation. The media attention, support from friends, family and the general public are overwhelming. It is obvious that these two individuals, despite their young age, have made quite an impact in society and in the lives of countless people. As for Alexis, his legacy as a film teacher and lover of our country's own film works will live through his students. His legacy will never die. We won't allow it.
Dear reader, may I ask that you pray for their souls, for their families and that justice be served!

Forgive Yourself

I just finished reading an entry from one of the many blogging moms that I have. The entry from Kat's "heart2heart" can be read by clicking here. It talks about forgiving those who hurt you. A topic of which unfortunately all of us are oh-too-familiar with. But as I was reading, it struck me. We talk about forgiving others so much that when it comes to us single moms, we forget to forgive the person who matters the most, ourselves.

When going through seperation, our initial reaction is to point fingers at the other party. But then again, there are some of us who'd rather blame ourselves. We suffer from the "If only" syndrome. We wallow in our regret in not doing the things we should have done or feel guilty for not having taken the initiative to prevent the relationship from falling apart. We feel worthless. We feel that we are failures and that we don't deserve to be happy or to be given a second chance. We just want the world to swallow us up rather than to allow us to carry on living our "shallow existence". We've temporarily forgotten that as Christians, our devastating circumstances can be used by God just as much as He uses our values and gifts.

Like with any other broken relationship, if we want to be healed, we must first confess our sins to God and fully accept His forgiveness. You see, some people do confess their sins and pray for forgiveness, but rather then lifting it up to the Lord and feeling a sense of peace, they keep their sins buried in their closet and continue to walk around with unnecessary guilt. They continue to look back at their mistakes failing to realize that as soon as God had forgiven them, He had forgotten their sins. In fact, if you were to look back at your mistakes, it should be for your benefit. Use it for personal reflection to gain wisdom and healing. Otherwise, don't look back at all.

God would never harm you, that's why He uses whatever circumstances you're in for your benefit. However, it doesn't mean that the enemy isn't busy at work. He's that little voice in your head that fills you up with guilt and anger. He badgers you with the notion that your a failure and uses that against you so that instead of moving forward and growing, your stuck in reverse. DO NOT LET THE ENEMY WIN! Know that when you prayed for forgiveness, God washed it away with the blood of Christ! Just as Satan uses your failures to discourage you, use Christ's blood and God's love as a means of defense!

Forgive yourself. Allow God's love and forgiveness to surround you. Say sorry to yourself and to the other party. I know that it's easier said then done, but in the end, you're the one who greatly benefits from it. You take responsiblity for your actions, and you have peace in knowing that you did the right thing. Only then will you truly start to grow in God.

Good Night

My eldest son in one of his many adorable sleeping positions.

If there's one thing I like doing at night, it would be sneaking into the babies room and just watching them sleep. I love hearing them breathe and I love seeing how peaceful they are. So peaceful that they manage to contort their bodies into the cutest positions yet not wake up. Sometimes I envy them. They go to bed without a worry on their mind, perhaps thinking "Which toy will I play with tomorrow?", or "Should I eat my vegetables or not?". But that's pretty much it. No bills, schooling or future to worry about. Lately, I've been pushing my bedtime later and later into the wee hours of the morning. It doesn't matter how physically exhausted I am. If my mind is ticking, I won't get any sleep. However, it is a comforting thought that no matter how dire the situation, God will never leave our side. Through the Bible we are constantly reminded to be at peace because we are in His hands. I've been reflecting on this and look forward to a good night's rest tonight!