Yummy Sunday

Fried Breaded Shrimp- Isabelle's favorite appetizer. For more photos of yummilicious food check out Yummy Sunday here...

They, too, Love my Hubby!

When I had the "seasoned" ladies at our church over for a luncheon a few weeks ago, they told me how they admire my husband for his being a responsible, hard working, kind, pleasant and godly young man. One of them even said that he is her favorite young man at church. That was not the first time I heard that same comment for my my husband. Some older ladies before told me that Paul is every woman's dream for a son-in-law.

Last summer, Paul and I had a dinner date in St. Paul downtown. Next to our table was an older couple (we found out later that they were siblings) who started talking to us. We started a long conversation with them, especially when they found out that I am originally from the Philippines. It so happened that both of them grew up in the Philippines when their father was in the US navy. Our conversation became more interesting as we covered politics. The lady was a strong Democratic supporter. Paul reasoned with her with kind words. Then the lady said, "I can't believe I am even talking to a Republican supporter! You (referring to Paul) are the first Republican supporter I ever talked to. There is something about you that I really love! Your personality is beautiful! Oh, I love this guy!" Hearing that line I said to myself, "Wow! And he is my husband! I married a noble man!" The next few minutes were spent evangelizing the couple.

Here's more... You'd think only older ladies admire my husband. No. Last week, our next door neighbor told me that her little 3-year-old girl really likes Paul. She would go to their window and check if Paul's van is in our driveway. Then she would say, "Paul isn't home because his van is not there." Our neighbor across the street also has a 3-year old girl. She comes and plays with Isabelle from time to time. When she was over last week, I had a little conversation with her when she asked me where Paul was. I told her, "He is still at work." "What time will he be home?" she asked again. I said, "In thirty minutes." Her little face looked sad and said, "It's going to be my bedtime. I have to see Paul. I have to." I think it was cute how these little girls also love my husband.

Yummy Sunday

What can be yummier than a chocolate fountain! My little girl gets excited every time we set this sweeeeet fountain but when it comes to eating time, she only eats marshmallows without chocolate coating! How funny is that! For me, there is nothing more deliciouso than chocolate coated banana or pineapple chunks!

Anger

Last week, I was angry. I was angry because my sincerity was questioned and my offer of sisterly love was turned down by someone who I truly wanted to consider me as her friend. And I'm sure I was angry because I felt rejected. My human nature wanted that I would indulge in angry bashing to even the score. It demanded me that I would go an-eye-for-an-eye-and-a-tooth-for-a-tooth with her. It needed me to hurt her back. I was angry! But thank God for this special occasion! It turned out to be the special time to know how I deal with anger.

I used to have issues on anger. When I got angry, I usually wouldn't stop talking until I mow people down with my hurtful words. It is by God's grace alone that I've learned to stop doing that. It was when He put me in a place where everything around just made me angry that He taught me to learn to be quiet and to pray instead. If I didn't learn that, I would have become an ugly duckling! No, seriously, God placed me to work for an angry ugly woman. She was always angry and she was super ugly! Being that I shared an office with her a year and a half, I became her anger target. I was hurt! So hurt I promised I didn't want to do it to others! She was so ugly I didn't want to become like her! She had a chronic hostile attitude on anything and on almost everyone. She was angry at the whole world. She was angry at God! But God has used her life to cultivate an important character in me... SLOW TO BECOME ANGRY!

I want to be beautiful and knowing how anger can make a person ugly and sickly, I pray that I become slow to become angry everyday. I feel sorry to see many angry and ugly women. They usually are the ones who are overly opinionated, loud and not happy. I feel for them and pray that God will begin to do a make-over in their lives, just as what He has done in me.

Here is a short test if what you have is a sinful anger or a righteous one...

1. Do you get angry most often about personal slights or over injustices against others?
2. Would your family members call you an angry person?
3. Would your family members say that you can't control your temper, that you tend to argue all the time, and that you lash out at the smallest criticism?
4. When someone offends you, does your response match the crime?

Little Self-Pity Party

I have been really tempted to hold a little self-pity party this past few days. It all started when I sent a text message to a friend (I thought she was) to ask her how she was doing. She had her baby through C-section about three weeks ago. I know how it is to be in that condition being that I went through the same process. I wanted to know if there's anything I could help her with and when we could come visit them to see the baby. She replied to my text saying that she would invite me once she sees the sincerity in me. I almost dropped! Well, my heart dropped, that's for sure! It hurt so bad. The worst thing was when I asked if she could tell me what I have done wrong, she just said that she'll tell me when the weather is good! I think she is being very mean! This was after all the letters, calls and gifts that I and my husband sent to her. And after the baby shower that I and other ladies had organized for her. We even tried to offer our baby furniture for them to use so they could save. Well, she was complaining about how tight they had been financially over the years. So we just wanted to help them out. But she turned down most of our offers. And that was fine. What's not fine was when she told me that all this while she hasn't seen any sincerity in me. It hurt! Not because it's true that I wasn't sincere but because my sincerity to her was also turned down. Yes, I finally realize it... it was a feeling of rejection. Oh, and that's the reason why it hurt so bad. I felt so rejected by someone I've been really trying to please!

I am just thankful that I was able to respond well to this effort to devastate me. Nice try, I would say. I am so grateful that I've learned to pray before doing anything important. After I got that text, I prayed and looked deep inside my heart of heart. I asked the Lord if I was being insincere to her. I looked for insincerity in me. The answer...

I admit I didn't like her since Day 3. On Day 1, I thought I found a really nice friend. Until she started gossiping about other women in our group and her own sisters. She also showed her true colors when she talked about the movies she liked, the kind of songs she sang, the books she read and when she said "God is not a 'demanding' kind of a god" to justify her worldliness. Day 2, I tried to gently and carefully stop her from gossiping and gently and carefully told her that I think God is pretty demanding of us to present ourselves to Him as holy vessels. But He, of course, gives us the Holy Spirit to have a freedom to live a holy life and full of joy. He demands that we become like Christ each day but is very patient and loving when we fail. Yes, He is very gracious to us and so we must not abuse that grace. Anyway, on Day 2, I could feel her distancing from me. So as I've said, on Day 3, I disliked her but I knew I had to respect and love her. I gave her space but reached out to her for love's sake when I got a chance. I know I've been sincerely reaching out to her. I would go past my not-so-good-feeling and love her just how God loves her. And I admit that my effort (by God's grace) to love her made a significant change in my heart. So sometimes, I wouldn't even feel that I didn't like her. No question about sincerity. I know that I've always been sincere.

I wrote about people pleasing, I think this instance is a perfect example. I've been putting a lot of work to please this girl. And I've not pleased her. She has rejected me and my sincere desire to be her friend. May God bless her. As for me, life must go on- pleasing God rather than man.

It Pays to Wait

I wrote about how I was at the edge of giving up with my desire to be a part of a certain team. And that I even started complaining but thankfully remembered that everything is beautiful in its time. Here is the link to what I wrote about waiting... Waiting

Anyway, the other day, the said team leader called me for a meeting with the whole team this coming Sunday. I am just glad I didn't give up and continued to wait upon God's perfect time.

Learn from the "Seasoned"

One of the blessings God has given me this year is the privilege to get to know and be close to the "seasoned" ladies at our new church. How I love these ladies! They are super sweet! Super godly women! I'm glad I decided to join their Bible study twice a month. It's such a great opportunity to learn from these women who have a long way in their relationship with the Lord. I treasure them all in my heart. I am very drawn to them, I think because my mother is some thousand miles away from me and I miss her.

Yesterday, after our Bible study, I invited most of them over to my house for lunch. I felt so honored to have them come and blessed me with their presence. For more of the story... Seasoned