Marie

We had a "controversial" warm up question at the Fort today.  It brought a lot of laughs and loaded comments.  I thought of blogging about it so you too can add your two cents worth!


Question:  The Thing I don't understand about the opposite sex is...

Here are some answers that came up:
from women: 

 The thing I don't understand about the opposite sex is ...
1)      ...where are they?!?  haha
2)      ...how they can easily walk away.   (loaded!)
3)      ...how they can be so clueless.

from men:
The thing I don't understand about the opposite sex is...
1)      ...why they say one thing but mean another  (aray)
2)      ...why they expect me to read their minds.  (we forget about #3)

So send your comments.
And let's see what men and women really think!

Ever since Pugsy came, our lives have not been the same.  Pugsy is the wisest dog that ever lived.  He may even launch his own website called "The World according to Pugsy".

 He's the only Blogging Dog I know.

Here is Pugsy's guide to understanding the difference between
Human Males & Females:

Pugsy: "Humans are fascinating creatures.  Much more complicated than us dogs.
What's interesting is watching the Human Male relate to the Human Female.
If you see the Human Male scratching his head, it's not because he has fleas.
It means his Male brain is trying to understand the Female brain. Again.
 He will not succeed."


1. Q. What's the difference in the way Human Males & Females communicate?

     Pugsy:  In a conversation, Human Males go from Point A to  Point B. And the sooner, the better. Period.
       Human Females , on the other hand, go from one point to             another too.  From Point A to Point Z. But they don't mind passing   by Points BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY along the way.

2.  Q.  What is the safest answer to the Human Female question
     "Do I look too fat/ thin/ old/ ugly/ weird etc." ?

     Pugsy: Say  'Arf!!! '
    (This is the safest answer you can give. Any other answer may put you in the     doghouse.  With me.)


3.   Q. What should a Human Male do when  the Human Female cries?

    Pugsy: The Human Female's tear ducts open when they are:
     sad, glad, mad, inspired, tired, excited,bloated, furious, worried, thrilled,etc.
     Or all of the above. Or none of the above.

     You must silently decipher which mood she's in.
     Unfortunately, that mood changes
    as soon as you thought you figured it out.
    Safer yet, just hand them a clean hanky or kleenex and make appropriate purring sounds.

     Grown up Human Males, on the other hand,  cry after eating too much wasabi or kimchi
     or watching their high school  basketball team lose. (Yes, even men in their 40s).
     Do not hand them kleenex.  These are manly tears.

Q. Who do you think are smarter?  Human Males or Human Females?

Pugsy:  Arf!!!

 Valentine's Day 2007 was the day  Angelina Boni gave roses to Blog Pitt.
  Click here for that story.

Here's another tale:
As I was raising my 3 young sons, I didn't like the focus of Valentine to be romantic love.  I was wary of Hallmark brainwashing them into some premature romantic notions specially as impressionable boys.  So I would use the day as a time we could express love for a variety of people we cared for.

Many times we would have dinner with the Murrells, us 2 sets of parents and 6 boys, and Deborah and I would take turns holding it in each other's houses.  There was a time I'd invite couples and all the married people would come in matching husband & wife outfits.
Other times I would invite Joey's family or my relatives over.  I'd have pink & red motifs and infllatable lips as decor.

But always I'd put heart shaped, candy sprinkled donuts on Joseph's, David's, Joshua's breakfast plates and sneak little bags of Valentine candy(Nerds, pop rocks) and chocolates in their lunchboxes with little "I love you" cards.  Joshua always enjoyed gummy worms, bears,  Joseph,Starburst and David always preferred something sour like sour gummies or strong mints.

  For us, Valentine's was never about jewelry or pricey hotel dates on the 14th but the focus especially with younger kids was more on us as a family.

  Joey and I also had cards and little gifts for each other but not big ticket items which was fine. Honestly, I don't find it very romantic to be caught in traffic trying to be romantic with a million other people.  But maybe that's just me.  (Actually even when I was single, I would rather go out on the 13th than the 14th! Weird.)

Well, here's the story...One year when the 3 boys were still young, I talked to them about Valentine's Day:

Marie to 3 boys:    "You know, some people think
                             you need to have a girlfriend or a boyfriend on that day. 
                             But that's not true at all.  You can use Valentine's to express                             love and thanks to people you care about very, very much.
                            Aha!  I have an idea! Why don't you guys  think of a person                                                who took care of you ALL year
                            and write that person a card.  Like...like... uh, Papa!

3 boys with innocent, wondering faces:  "Papa???"  "Why, Does Papa want a card?"

Marie:   "Uh, well... it could be Papa!
            What's important is that you write down how much you appreciate that person                          then give the card to that person as a surprise!"

3 boys: "Okay."

On Valentine's Day, Joey had 3 cute handmade cards on his desk and I had... zero.

3 boys to surprised Papa: "Happy Valentine's Day Papa! Did you like your card?
                                        Uh...Papa... why is Mama's face like that?
                                        ...Mama, where are you going?"

Papa to puzzled boys:  "Uh... guys.....girls are just different,
                                when you're older, you'll understand. "

 

As a UP Broadcast Communication student, I spent many sleepless nights cramming on homework, scripts, commercials, productions or just plain hanging out.  7 of us girls would camp out at my parents home or Annie's home and "work" the night away.Those all nighters were great!   That must be why up to now I sleep so late.

As teenagers, the night would go this way:
 talk/talk/ munch/ munch/talk/ laugh/ talk/TALK/TALK/ TALK/TALK LAUGH/MUNCH/MUNCH/goof around/ LOOK AT CLOCK/ realize it's 2 am/PANIC/ WORK/ scribble/scribble/SILENCE/tick tock/tick tock/talk/TALK/TALK/ LAUGH/ MORE LAUGHS/Talk of why there are no real men in UP Broad Comm/ scream/more screams/talk/talk/ TALK/laugh/share secrets/  cry sniffsniff/analyze why guys are the way they are/ talk/ talk/TALK/laugh/ cry sniff sniff/ talk/talk/TALK/ look at clock/realize it's 4 am /PANIC/ silence/ scribble/scribble/ tick tock/ tick tock/ talk/talk/laugh/munch/ munch/ talk/talk/TALK/ laugh/ more laughs/ munch/munch/ analyze why we are the way we are/ talk/ talk/ TALK/analyze/ analyze/ munch/talk/laugh/ talk/talk/talk/ TALK/LOOK AT CLOCK/ PANIC/ realize its 5 am/rush/rush/shower/make-up/school /report!

Amazingly,I kept my KBP scholarship.

Well, in honor of the good ol' days days, some of my college friends and I are going to hold another "slumber-less party" in a hotel. My good friend, Chepi Wigant, who hasn't been back in the country  since UP days is coming soon for a visit.

 It'll be interesting to see what things change and what things remain the same...

In the past I nicknamed Joey "Blog Pitt" because of his handsome looks (naks) and blog habits but little did I realize that another member of my family was going to be an Angelina Jolie look-alike.

 Well, after Joshua's basketball injury last night that required 9 injections (1 on each shoulder, the rest inside the mouth and lip area OUCH!) as well as 7 stitches, his lips have reached double Angelina Jolie's lip  proportions.(correction: 6 shots and 9 stitches).

Joshua got accidentally head-butted in the mouth in a Sunday night basketball game.   Because he wears braces, the metal cut him on the inside  too (oooo). So there was a lot of blood.  He was not wearing his mouth guard this time.

 Amazingly, the doctor that attended to him in the ER said that it was a good thing he wasn't wearing his mouth guard.  Because of the angle and the way he got hit, the mouth guard would have even added more serious complications to his head.  I thank God for small mercies like these.

Joshua's propensity to endure pain is amazing.His adversity quotient (AQ)  is very high. After coming home past ten pm from the ER, this morning he drove off to school, stitches and all even without food or pain medicine.

I think I'm going to file a protest declaring basketball illegal and punishable by date nights with their mother.

I finally can post this because it's Day 7 of our fast! )

Call me a masochist but one of the "funnest" activities I enjoy during a fast is to look at food blogs or colorful, picture-filled recipe books.

This week,  my nightly ritual has been to log on to YouTube's Japanese Iron Chef's reruns.  I absolutlely looove them...the  overacting, flashy dressed host who looks like he overdosed on sake, the abundance of fresh ingredients, the lights, the set, the whole drama of it all.

  Watching those costumed chefs work up a storm in the kitchen,  wrestling with live monstrous lobsters, roasting duck , steaming translucent-skinned dumplings, stirring pots of fragrant  risotto like there was no tomorrow, make my stomach growl in noisy appreciation. The episode where they were making sushi almost made me wrap the white laptop last night in nori and dip it in soy sauce and wasabi.

I drool-fully anticipate the part where the panel of judges get the enviable task of sampling the works of the 2 contending master chefs. And because there's often an actor or actress in their midst, one spoonful of creamy bird's nest soup to their lips results in a paean of melodic praise  complete with ecstatic  facial expressions.  Ooo I lovetttt!!!!  It almost feels like I'm eating the dish myself.

My Blog Pitt Hubby thinks I'm crazy to watch these during a fast
and often moves to the other room when he hears Iron Chef is on again.
The sound of all those "oohs"  and "aahs" and food descriptions are too much for him to bear.

 But I guess, fasting does weird things to people.
 To think it even made Joey a dog lover!
 (Rather a Pugsy lover). So if he can have fun with a virtual dog,
I enjoy my virtual food (and its virtual pounds).

I love how fasting heightens your senses
and increases your happiness level for even the smallest thing . 
You become more grateful and appreciative about things
you normally take for granted. 

Even the sound of that wavy -haired host
dramatically crunching a raw yellow bell pepper in every opening segment, sounded like music to my ears.
It made me want to munch a bell pepper too. 
(Something I'd rather live without.)

 I pray that  I may be just as appreciative and observant as those judges were.  That when God hands me His recipe for this year, I can openly be grateful for the work He's doing and savor it to the max.

 Even when life gives me an unexpected  meal
with ingredients I don't want...like bell peppers.

Haha! What a title!  But at least it got you reading ; >

I've got a beauty secret for 2008
 and I'd like to share it with you.

When my mom passed away some years ago, all those long months
in and out of the hospital, the grieving and sleepless nights
 all took an emotional and physical toll on us siblings.

 I was staring at the mirror after still another late night
and I said
"O God, I sure feel old and tired!!!"
Well this may sound weird but I got this reply in my heart :
"Just like everyone, you'll grow old
 but you don't ever have to worry about looking young."

It couldv'e been God or maybe wishful thinking or too much dope (NOT!!!)

So, believing that God cares for me soul, spirit and body,
I know He's got some tips for us.
Here's the latest one:

1) Say Thank You 3x a Day

When you get up in the morning, when you eat lunch and when you eat dinner, pause ,
 take a deep breath and think of what recent things you can thank God for already.
You can even do it while brushing your teeth.

For example, after lunch I think of what happened that morning and I thank God for that.
After dinner, I think of what transpired that afternoon and again I thank God for these things.

Whether it was a good day or a stressy-day,
you become more aware of the hand of God upon your life.
You're not going thru this day alone.
 It takes the weight of the day off your shoulders.

Even in the worse days of your life,when you can't seem to find
 anything to be grateful about,
 develop the habit of looking for something good.
There have been many a time when the only thing I could pray was
 "Because of your great love, we were not consumed.  Great is your faithfulness."

 In the Book of Daniel, it says Daniel prayed 3x a day
even when his life was in mortal danger.

(Who knows? Maybe in the morning he prayed
 "Thank you Lord, I get to see another day".  At lunchtime:
 "Thank you God,,, I'm still alive!"  At dinner: "Thank you Lord, still breathing!")
Whatever he prayed, it sure worked...even in the lion's den.

A cheerful heart is good medicine.  And Thankfulness is good
for erasing the wrinkles in our souls, spirit and body.

 Check out what Proverbs 17: 22 says:

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one's strength.

Bible in Basic English
A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry.

Have a Healthy, Happy, Thankful New Year ; >!!!

Two pesos and fifty cents.  That was all it cost.. 
So we bought 40  of these empty plastic bottles.

It was the 2nd  Christmas season in Joey & my marriage.
  My "mad scientist" husband had been tinkering with chemical formulas in our factory next door and together with his team had come up with:

 1) a toilet bowl cleaner ,
2) a laundry liquid detergent  and
3) a liquid hand soap.  
All pretty good.

When you come from a family as big as mine (Antonios),  Christmas can be pretty costly.  That's when creativity kicked in.

Hmm... I mused, "This year we will give personalized gifts."
 Each sibling will get his/her own set of soaps and cleaning products! 

So we got in touch with a plastic bottle supplier and
told him our need for empty bottles. 
Unfortunately, they had a minimum quantity (300 pcs and up)
which was way over our needs and budget.

They did have some spare bottles that were someone's "rejects". 
We gladly got them at two pesos and fifty cents a piece, sight unseen.

Words can't describe the colors of those cylindrical bottles when they arrived.
The plastic top was a virulent shade of  absolutely fushia pink and the bottom was an insult to the color violet.
Now combine them together and you had our bottle.

Undettered, Joey began mixing and filling these containers with his concoctions while I began the laborous process of labeling each and every bottle, letter by letter, using transfer graphics.

( Now for those born after this prehistoric era: transfer graphics or "letrasets" were these sheets of abc's.  You rubbed each letter carefully until it "transferred or stuck on your chosen area. If you made a mistake, you had to scrub it off and start again.)

So bottle by bottle, I balance those letrasets and rubbed on each white font, one laborious letter at a time..." M-a-m-a-'s  T-o-i-l-e-t  B-o-w-l C-l-e-a-n-e-r."  "R-e-g-g-i-e-'-s  H-a-n-d  S-o-a-p... "J-e-n-n-y-'-s  L-a-u-n-d-r-y D-e-t-e-r-g-e-n-t."
I ended up doing 3 bottles per recipient which we bundled up in cellophane and tied with a ribbon.

Christmas Day arrived at the Antonio Family home and
here we came laden with our Violently Violet bundles. 
Everyone gave the appropriately polite "oohs and ahs"
as I, the youngest, gave out our gifts.

Many, many years later, when I was in my mom's place, I had to go get something from her bathroom cabinets.  As I dug around, I saw some familiar shapes gleaming in the dark.
 Lo and behold, it was the Violently Violet Trio! Still untouched!

 It turned out, my mom was too scared to use them. 
They ALL looked alike (really ugly) on the outside.

 She had thought, "what if  Marie made a mistake in labeling  and instead of washing my hands in hand soap, I washed in toilet bowl cleaner instead?"  Haha!  I was scared to open the bottles myself, because several years had already gone by and I might unleash a Toxic mushroom cloud.

The irony is, these same formulas became popular Barclay products
 (a company we once had). 
We designed much prettier packaging and labeling
 ("Clean Scene" Toilet Bowl Cleaner; "Happy Habit" Hand Soap, "Bright Days" Laundry Detergent) they became nationwide best sellers even.

 My mom happily used those Barclay products
but never the ugly though identical purple ones.

Which goes to show you the importance of packaging.  The inside is what's important.  But to the world out there, what they see on the outside sort of  sells what's on the inside.

It's almost Christmas and the activities have begun!  I always want to try something new so I thought instead of having dinner in our usual dining room, what if i did a dinner party in the garage and convert it into an 'authentic" manger theme?  Pile on some hay, borrow (!) a cow, donkey, goat, pig(dress it up like a sheep) and put a manger there?
 Have everyone come in Bibleish head gear then have dinner by candlelight under the stars? (Have pita bread, hummus dip, kebabs,etc...)

That idea had to be scrapped the moment it was born. 
Hay and candles don't mix! (fire hazard) ,the neighbors might complain with all the mooing and the oinking, plus it seemed kind of cruel to have a cow and or pig watch us eat their fellow bretheren. 

So back to the real manger scene and the original Christmas Story...

The truth is, if I were in Mary's shoes (I mean sandals), I'd be offended.  Here I am, a godly teenage girl, living a godly, peaceful life about to marry a godly guy,minding my own business, then God comes along and changes EVERYTHING.  Now people are talking and saying nasty things about me and my reputation.

Not only that, I'm 9 months pregnant with my first baby and I have to travel and give birth in a strange land, away from the comforts of home, without the reassuring presence of my mother beside me.  The only one with me is my husband who is not even the father of my baby!

God really turned Mary's life upside down. Her life didn't turn out the way she expected it to be.

How easy it is to take offense, especially when you're a Christian.  You follow God diligently and in a way, you expect life to follow a certain formula.  And when it doesn't, we get mad.  It becomes tempting for us to look at other people's lives and think "God, you're unfair."  "Why did my life have to turn out this way?" "Their life is easier."

While Mary and her tummy were tumbling up and down the road to Bethlehem, her fellow teenagers were single and carefree. Not only that, God  had all the power to  wake up the shepherds and light up the skies with His heavenly angels, which He did, so why couldn't he  wake up just ONE innkeeper, put the fear of the Lord in him and tell him  in a booming voice, "Reserve the best room for my Son!!!"   Then Jesus didn't have to be born in a stinky cow barn.

Surely He knew when Mary was due.  Surely He knew the destiny of this child she carried.
Why did He have to let them go through all that trouble?

 If I were God, I would have  told Mary, "It's ok. You're excused from the journey.  And because you've been so obedient, I'm going to give you a problem-free life. And you know Herod and all those people who wrote and spoke all those nasty things about you?  I'll just zapp them with lightning right now." (KABOOM!)

Nope, God didn't do any of that.  He allowed Mary & Joseph to experience their unique struggles. Some,even life-threatening ones.  All the more does Mary's response become all the more amazing : " My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.."

Her soul, which could have easily been offended by unmet expectations, burdened by God-given cares and hardened by the insensitivity of people, chose instead to magnify the Lord and not her problems. "Let it be done to me, according to Thy Word."

Mary's difficulty was part of her testimony. 
And so do the struggles we face, become part of ours.
Life is a journey we live, and God promises to travel the road with us.
He is always in control.  Despite the Herods of this world. 

When others see us respond in faith in the midst of our  personal troubles, the opportunity for Christ to be born in their hearts becomes very real.

God interrupted Mary's life and she responded in faith.
 Her  Savior had come.  It was well with her soul.


"And blessed is she that believed;
for there shall be a fulfilment of the things
which have been spoken to her from the Lord."

Luke 1:45

It was going to be our 1st Christmas as husband and wife.

  I was 23 yrs. old and 5 months preggy in our tiny "John & Marsha" railroad track home. We had a bedroom up the stairs and a mini kitchen/ living area below. The only bathroom was out of the house, so any middle of the night visits meant going down those rickety stairs, out to the laundry area ("over the river and through the woods "!)

Joey and I had agreed that because of our financial situation (we had plunked all our savings and all our wedding money to help pay the Massacre mess),  we would buy our families presents but not give each other gifts anymore.

December came and we had a little starter Christmas tree, a tabletop version with twinkly lights.  On Christmas Eve, our small pile of wrapped gifts for our families surrounded that tiny tree. 

While fixing the house, my eye saw something hidden.  It was a big cube of a gift , more than 1 and a half foot high.Carefully wrapped in green and red.  On the card I saw my name and recognized the handwriting. Joey's! On it was written..."This is not really a Christmas gift but I thought of you when I saw this..."

"Why that sneaky guy!" I thought. "he got me a present after all!"  And what a big present it was!  Curiosity got a hold of me so I held the box in both hands and shook it. As I held it to my ear I heard a muffled, metallic, clanking sound.   What could it be?!?  My imagination started to fly..."Maybe, he got something for the house!  It's too light to be a stereo...but he got something special for me!"  In panic, I realized I had nothing for him.

In my parents home, my mom had a "Gift Closet".  Somehow you could walk in there and find something to wrap and give away.  Even my sons when they were little, loved going in there,make believe it was a fortress, turn off the lights, scare each other, etc.  So I made a hurried visit that Chrismas Eve and came home with a free, pricey men's cologne for my hubby.

I decided, I was going to really surprise him by pulling out that gift at the very last minute.
As the 2 of us hunkered down to enjoy our little dinner for 2, I relished my little secret. Our surroundings were depressing, but we were just happy to be together.

When I couldn't resist it any longer, I hollered "Surprise!!!" and brought out his nicely wrapped gift.  Bewilderment crossed his face as he unwrapped his cologne.  "But I thought we had agreed not to give each other presents?"   "Well, you broke it!  " I laughed.  "I know you hid something for me so don't pretend anymore!"  Gaily, I brought out the big box from it's hiding place.

Brushing off Joey's flustered protests, I started opening my present.  How exciting! My 1st christmas gift from my hubby!

 As I tore off the wrappings and opened the box, there it lay...

 A pee-pee pot. My very own urinola.
I still can see the gleaming, white metallic pee-pee potty with the red edge on its lid.

I had no idea then what it was for. Joey had to describe to me how to use it. When it finally dawned on me that my first ever Christmas gift from my hubby was an unglamorous pot to sit and pee on in my bedroom, I'm not sure if I laughed 'til I cried or I cried 'til I laughed.

Through my tears, I heard 25 year old Joey's earnest, hurried, explanation, " I heard when you're pregnant, you go to the bathroom more.  I thought of you going down those stairs and out in the dark and didn't want you to get hurt..."

In the beginning, that urinola was a symbol of how depressing, miserable and discouraging my life had become.  But God showed me the other side.  He showed me a husband who cared for my welfare and gave me his best.

The years have gone, and we have moved house 7 times. I took that urinola (still unused) along with us til it died of old age. It became a symbol of Hope and a reminder for me.  That despite the discouragement and the weariness of life, I  should pause and see the other side.  There is Hope.  Problems are temporary. Someone cares for me.

God comes with an unexpected Gift.  He's come to give you Hope.

He gave it in the darkness of that first Christmas night.
Today, He gives it still.

   It's almost December.  And if you live in Manila, pretty soon your calendar will be filling up with activities as families, loved ones and friends gather to celebrate. There'll be traffic galore, malls and tiangges will be crowded. A busy time for a  busy season.  Frankly, most of it will have nothing to do with Jesus' birth.

If I don't watch it, it's easy for me to develop a crowded mind and a crowded heart. 
Almost like that first Christmas.  Too busy for Jesus to come in.

So at the start of the Christmas Season, it's good to do some housecleaning.  Both literal and spiritual.  I want there to be room in my heart for Jesus when he knocks and asks to come in.

Here's some Advent activities I plan to do:

1) Throw away  Discouragement, Make Room for Hope
2) Get Rid of  Envy, Get New Faith
3) Scrub off Hurts & Offenses, Repolish the  Love

In my succeeding Christmas blogovelas, I'll be focusing on these 3 points as my personal Advent meditation.  Perhaps my parties won't be perfect, the gifts not complete, other plans yet undone. 

But I'd rather put all these in the stable and let Jesus have the Living Room instead of the Garage in my heart.

 After all, it's His Birthday anyway ;>

This blog in a way, is for “adults only".  Mainly because this question is addressed to people in their 20s, 30s,40s and beyond:

Do you remember how you were  at 13?   Or how you looked or behaved in high school ?

I remember being a scrawny 13 year old  wishing I could be as “developed” as my other friends. 
My mom would say, “ Just wait til you get older, you’ll develop.”  (Well Ma, I’m STILL waiting!)

I remember wrestling with all my monumental, life and death issues such as:

 ” What Will I Wear?” “What if I don’t fit in?” “Who will my prom date be?” “What if I flunk Algebra?’ “What if  the whole world comes to an end?  “How come my friends can go but I can't?”  “Should I cheer for Ateneo or La Salle?”  “What if I don’t succeed?” “Will my sister really kill me if I ‘borrow’ her stuff again?”

Imagine all that time and energy I wasted on things that were so temporary!

Inspired by an Oprah(!) magazine, I met with a group of ladies of varying ages and walks of life and decided to make this my warm–up question :

IF you could write a letter to the young person you were before, (teen and below)
What words of advice would you give yourself?

It turned out to be an interesting conversation.  One pretty lady softly smiled and  said “I would tell my 8 year old self  ‘God made you beautiful and special.”  She  shared how she grew up feeling unattractive,  unloved and unfavored even as a little girl.

Another shared. “I  would tell my OC student self  “Don’t be afraid.  It’s not the end of the world, if you make a mistake.”

One single mother sighed “ I would tell my teenage self  ‘Listen to what your Dad  is saying.’" It was a wonderful, sometimes teary-eyed time of sharing.

Here in a nutshell were some of those words of advice we would give our younger selves:

1.    Dream Big. Pursue Big Goals. God Can Do More than You Think He Can.
2.     Don’t Worry. The Cares that Seem Big today won’t be as Big  Tomorrow.
3.    Find Mentors who Can Help You Succeed.
4.    Read the Book of Proverbs Daily.  It  has the wisdom you’ll need on how to relate to people.
5.    Choose Your Friends.  
6.    Listen / Don’t Listen to Your Parents.
7.    Live to Please God.  Have a Christ-centered Life.
8.    Enjoy  Life.
9.    You’re More Special Than You think you are.
10.  Don’t be Afraid of what Others Think of You.

Wouldn’t it have been great if while going through our angsty, insecure years, we  all had a letter filled with advice and encouragement at the time we needed it the most?  That  sure would’ve made life simpler.

 However, the other question is …  if someone did give me a letter like that, would I  even  have bothered to read it or believe it?  Hmmm…

We may not have had our  letters then (that’s why our lives went in so many different directions)  but we all have  our very special Letter now.
It’s called the words of God.  

Think about it.  See that List of 10 Advice Tips up there?  

Amazingly, they’re all found in the Bible.  So even if you’re young and all alone, with no adult to encourage you, if you read  your Bible on a daily basis, you still win.

The Bible has no age limit and no expiration date.
 Anyone can read it and benefit. It’s got the answers, the directions and even the love we need.  Whether we’re  Male or  Female.  Sure some parts are puzzling.  Even boring.  (“Begat…. begat…begat…”ang bigat!)  

But there are eye-openers rewarded to those who persist.  And they’re ours to keep.  Or to share as the need arises. That’s why I read mine . The way I figure it,  I have everything to gain.  Nothing to lose.

I end this blog with that same question I gave that group:

If you could write a letter to your younger self , what words of advice would you give YOU?

(I also wonder…How much of that advice would be found in the Bible too ? )

My only brother Randy has been in the ICU for 15 days now.

He has COPD which is a chronic progressive lung condition although he never smoked.
He was rushed to the emergency room one evening  while Joey and I were in Japan.

 Although I was happy to be traveling, my heart was very torn finding out my only big brother was miles and mountains away.  By all accounts he ALMOST died that night as the doctors rushed to revive him.  I would have flown if I had wings as the only way I knew how to get out was by cable car which closed at 5 pm and it was already 10 pm.

By some miracle, my phone would have a signal now and then on that mountaintop in Japan while Joey's phone (exactly like mine, same server too) never worked.  That's how I found out and so began to pray as the rest.  I was so touched that  David & Joshua drove to the ER and stayed with my sister in law and my sisters on that crucial night.

By some miracle, as Randy's life hung on a balance, the doctor was prompted in his emergency procedure to probe deeper in his lungs than ever before  with his instruments.  That brought immediate relief and revived him.  Randy's condition is still critical (he actually needs a miracle to be healed) but has improved now.

We cut our trip shorter than planned  and its been daily ICU  visits for me since I've returned.
 
My ICU heroes awards go to my niece and nephew (Randy's kids) as well as to Nina, my only sister-in-law who didn't just have to face her husband's illness but also has to handle  6 sisters-in-law who come and go with all our different personalities, medical opinions and sage quack advice. (Remember my "Sukiyaki Sisters" blog? Well, think "Sukiyaki Sisters Go to ICU"). 

Sometimes we were just too many and too noisy together that we've been  kicked out of the ICU several times for overstaying. Hopefully he'll get moved to a regular room soon since he's more alert.

 I am thinking of getting us "fake doctors coats" so we look official. (Kidding of course.  Meron kaya sa Recto?)   We're also the only ones who got away with having a family pic taken at his ICU bed.

 Somehow there is laughter, faith mixed with tears.  God's grace is always there and we thank Him for it.  I also thank Him that my brother is His child too.  My brother's earthly future lies God's hands (as do all of ours)  but his heavenly future is secure.  Thanks for all your prayers.  Deeply appreciated.

Here's a song that's one of my favorites especially during times like this.
Hope it blesses your day too ; >
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw


Addendum:  Good news! As of Saturday Oct 20 my brother was tranferred to a regular room. Thanks to all the prayers and good wishes.  ;>
Although there are several hurdles to go through, I pray that God's amazing grace will always surround his family.

When we checked in our Tokyo hotel for our anniversary, the front desk said " Your room is all ready.
So is the bebecoht."

Bebecoht???  We were wondering what that could be.  Some room gadget?  Maybe a midnight snack?

Well, when we entered our beautiful room, there it stood.

The bebecoht came with a soft, pastel yellow blanket with cute rabbit designs and matching pillows.  And it stood right beside our bed.

The front desk said our  reservations specifically mentioned  a request for a crib!
On our booking was written "baby cot required".

Haha! God has a sense of humor.
 (Hmm, or could it have been Joshua?)

I met Joey by "volunteering"..  I was working for "Bank C".
 My  job as  Communications officer was to create and write a monthly in-house magazine for the branches to stay in touch.  Remember this was the B.E  era  (Before Email).  Prehistoric.

Fresh out of UP as a Broadcast Communication  grad, my first work experience was as a tv announcer in Binondo on a cable tv channel that aired only stocks reports all the time.  That was a short-lived stint.  My eyes would glaze over as i had absolutely no interest in numbers or what these stocks and share prices meant.

So, not being interested in numbers, I next applied...at  a  bank.  (Such is the logic of the female mind.)

When this dignified, upright, banking institution asked me for proof of any professional  written work I had done, I dug out an old notebook...my angsty collection of college poems.  My  writings depicted ramblings of love, heart ache and crushes with all the emotional maturity of teenage dramas.

That landed me the job!  Later on I would see that same notebook  passed around as some of the guys would come and ask, " Pakopya naman."  They wanted to copy some lines to help them write to girls!

I enjoyed my work and visited different  branches to get to know more of their operations and the staff.  One branch I was assigned to was the newest one, the Ortigas Branch along Emerald Avenue.

One day, a messenger called Mang Jim, came and said that his boss, who worked a few buildings away, wanted to meet the manager right away.

The Ortigas Branch was barely a month old, working with a skeleton crew and Laarnie, the Manager was super preggy and about to pop.  So the task of promoting the bank fell on me ...me with my number-challenged abilities.

  I've never been on a clent call before and didn't know what to expect.   But I wanted to help so I volunteered  and off I went.

As I was walking alone  on that breezy afternoon down the street to the Strata 100  building, I had this strong, quiet impression that said "You will never forget this day."  Huh?  Weird! " I muttered softly  and dismissed the thought.

As I went up the elevator , I reached the Red Ryder office.  I don't know if they were cutting costs or something but the windows were open on that high floor so the wind was super strong.  So i guess I announced my presence with a bang.  Tousled hair,  slammed door and flying papers!

Well, I finally sat in the cubicle with the VP, who happened to be Joey's brother. I tried to sit as "bankerly" as possible in my professional role and  "expertly" spouted off the bank "script" I had hurriedly put together in my mind.

All of a sudden, I see this head pop up above our cubicle door and peep over .   Then,  it popped up again.

  Without even a knock, this denim-clad, thin young scruffy guy with rolled up shirt sleeves just comes in unnannounced, pulls up a chair and joins us.

  He doesn't say a word but just sits there, arms crossed, legs relaxed with a little frown on his face.

"The nerve!" I thought, "Hummph, he may be cute,  but how kapal!  Who in the world is this guy barging in the VP office?" (Joey was then, the young President of that company).

 "Oh no..." I thought, " what's he staring at?  Maybe he can tell...that I really don't know what I'm talking about!  What if he tells me to crunch some complicated  numbers???  Yikes, I'm busted!"  Ok marie, keep the poise, keep the poise!

 After my visit, I walked back, absolutely relieved that that soo strange client call was over .  Phew! Someone else was going to follow them up. Great!

But I couldn't shake off the impression "You will never forget this day."

 True enough, up to today, I can still see myself walking down Emerald Avenue, the ourtfit I was wearing, the exact shoes I had on, even what Joey wore!  But I don't remember his brother's.

What I didn't know until later was this...When I  left his office, Joey turned to his brother and said, "That's the girl I'm going to marry."

He is also my first.  (You can stop holding your breathe now.)

We first got married at a Greenhills church called Sanctuario de San Jose on October 2, 1982.  (Yes, yes, we're ancient.  I know for some of you that's the year you were born.)  We liked each other's company so much we decided to further seal the deal by getting married again in Christian rites on October 5, 1985.  This turned out to be a smart move. If one of us  should ever forget the first date there's always the second date to celebrate.

This year we will be married for 25 years.  Hmm, maybe we should renew our vows at the Fort so we can say we first got married at  San JOSE then had our 25th at fort BONIFACIO.  That means we were united at ... Jose -  Bonifacio ! Ha ha!  How appropriate! (This is how my brain works at 1:45 am.)

My dad use to tell me this: "Marriage is like a dwelling ...with no Fire Exit. So you better make sure you build it right and you put out any fires as soon as they start."  That formula worked for them.  He and my mom were faithfully married to each other for more than 50 years and stayed together in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death did them part. Now they're together even in heaven.

How does a spouse stay faithful in marriage?  One strategy, wives, is to instill the fear of of the Lord.  I used to tell Joey, "Remember God is MY father.  So that makes Him  YOUR father-in-law. Wow, you've got an omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient father-in-law."

When Joey points out, "Hey, God is MY dad too you know."  I tell him "Sorry, I said it first so you can't use that line of reasoning " which, unfortunately,  reveals the maturity level of some of our conversations! ; >
 
When Joey and I reminisce about our single days, we realize how opposite we are. It was really a miracle that we even met in the first place.  And it is still the same miracle-working God that keeps our love faithful,  the laughter coming and the fights (oops, excuse me)... disagreements to end.

In my next blog, I'll describe that first meeting.  Or as those autograph books put it ..."How Did You Met ?"

There's something that happens to  women every now and then.  We go a little crazy.
Some blame it on the full moon.  But we know it's hormones.

My sons know better than to deal with their mom when she goes psycho.  Now they gingerly ask..."Are you about to have/ do you have/ have you just had...?  PMS is a mystery to men.   They don't know why the female species get weepy/mad/whacko all of a sudden.  (You try having one, bud).

Of course it doesn't happen all the time.  But it helps to be aware of it.
It's good for us women to know that these feelings are temporary. 

We don't have to live our lives riding on the roller coaster of our emotions. Our God and his promises are permanently with us regardless of how we feel.  Thank God for that. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us even when the rest of the family feel like hiding in the next room til the storm has passed.  Now that's a brave God.

So husbands:  Keep a stash of chocolates.  It could save your life, I mean your wife.

So the next time PMS hits.  Trust in the Lord not your emotions.  Keep in mind... "this too will pass."  Then go munch that chocolate. (I want mine dark with nuts.)