God is awesome

I can't help but open my mouth and praise the Lord.  God is good all the time.  I am overflowing with love and praises to the Lord. Not a lot of people visit this page but I still like to express my thoughts here. 

So it happened

I like weddings because it is a celebration of love and life. I love seeing couples in love tying the knot as am such a firm believer of long lasting union of love. of course, I would love to see myself walking the aisle and marrying the man God has predestinated to be my companion in life.

The youngest sibling of my mother got married last April 18 in Manila.  It was a long distance love affair that started in internet and ended in marriage.

Although I love to witness weddings, I hate to join the throwing of bridal bouquet ceremony.  I know am past the marrying age and I don't like to be reminded that I should get hurry in meeting Mr Right.  I don't believe in the belief that when a girl catches a bouquet she is the next in line to walk the aisle. So, last Monday the thing the I hated most happened to me.  I got chosen to play the game.

The wedding coordinator made a twist to the traditional throwing/catching of bouquet.  The bride and groom distributed roses to men and women they wanted to play the game. We were not aware of the real purpose of the game.  All the participants thought we will just give our wishes to the couple.

The bride throws red roses to the six female participants and the one who catches the rose gets eliminated in the game.  The girl who does not catch a rose is the girl of the evening or the lady whom the bouquet will be given to. To make the story short, I was the girl of the evening or the center of distraction. heheheh. I selected my partner through a game. 

snap taken before the ceremony

Oh please spare me!

Be a good sport Katie! Play the game.

here are the male participants in the game



and here are the female participants

 go girl! catch a red rose and sit back :)

girl, just give me the rose please?

i was the unlucky girl in the game :)

i got blindfolded to select the lucky guy of the game.



Weekend Trip

The long drive was worth it! We went to Castillejos and Infanta last weekend. Castillejos, Zambales is the hometown of my uncle's fiancee.  After meeting the future in-laws of my uncle, we headed to Infanta the hometown of my mother. We feasted on fresh seafoods daily. Early morning of Sunday we went to the wet market and bought fresh catch of dorado, anchovy, seaweeds. Early morning of Monday we bought fresh milkfish, anchovy, shrimp and page. Yummy! Have not eaten these fresh fishes for quite a long time.

Had also fun in taking pictures in Castillejos and Infanta and learning how to ride a single bike.  It was in my to-do list this April to learn how to ride a bike.  I can balance the bike but for fear of getting scratch or injured, I can't ride longer than a meter.  :) Will continue to ride the bike when I visit Infanta again maybe next week.

Monday afternoon, we went back to Manila.

I thank God for these simple pleasures in life.

taken at barangay Lucap, Alaminos. behind me is hundred islands

 

Dining at Maxene's resto in Lucap with my aunties and uncle

No more a Corporate Slave

These past couple of days, I kept going through my blogs' design and profile (yes, it's really blogs coz I got more than one blog). My profile states am a Corporate Slave but am no longer one for five long months now. Gone are the days of working 10-14 hours a day and working 6 or 7 days a week! Done with foregoing breaks and lunches due to report deadlines or calls queuing.  Now, I am nameless and faceless number that adds up to the statistics of jobless people.

I am thinking if I should remove that description in my profile. However, I chose to retain it because it will be a reminder of how I once cease to live a real life. I have neglected so many things at that time particularly my spiritual life.

For someone who is a hard-worker I must admit I missed working and the pressures at work. I am bored and there are days that I just keep on refreshing the homepage of FB just to keep me preoccupied ( I stopped doing that because its gets boring now.  I have turned to checking the Page View stats of my blogs this time like a stockbroker!).  Do I regret resigning from my work? Sometimes I feel like regretting my decision to leave the company without a new job yet but the good things that happened to me in the past five months overshadowed my regrets.  My heart says it was a wise move. Someone told me on the day I quit my job that there was never a bad timing or right timing.  It will always be the perfect timing. Sometimes I worry about the future but as a child of God I believe He will take care of the future.  I have to stop worrying and stop thinking about the future.

Nine months back, I sometimes wonder why I don't have challenges in life.  I began to doubt whether am His child. I guess I was thinking aloud and the Lord must have heard it so here I am a jobless now. :)  If I will be given a chance to turn back the time and undo my decision five months back, I won't change my hasty decision. I will still leave the company. This joblessness state has given me an opportunity to enjoy traveling and rekindle my first love that has gone sour.  My first love is my personal relationship with God. 

The five months that I wasn't working are not wasted time.  They were spent productively.  Took a Photoshop CS5 tutorial, learned new recipes, rode an elephant, rode bike with friends, gained new friends, flew a kite, trekked in Chiang mai, gained 3 kilos weight, to name a few stuff I did.

Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good...

Today I woke up with a nice feeling that something good is going to happen.  I am happy over nothing in particular. I thank God for this challenge and other challenges am going through.

Cool advert!

wow, cool ad! i wish i could get my hands on one soon!

The Way You Look Tonight

 I love this song of Frank Sinatra, it made me want to learn ballroom dancing.  I heard this song from the movie "First Daughter." The song makes you feel like you're the most beautiful lady on earth and it makes you feel really special.

Michael Buble sang a version of this song but I haven't heard it.  The original will always be better I guess.

My question is when would I get to dance with this song? I don't think they still play the old dance hits in the parties and I don't attend parties unless it is a company sponsored event.

Tech Support

I think I overused my laptop when I was in Singapore.  Battery won't charge if the laptop is on. I tried to plug it in different electrical outlets in SG and when I got back here (Phils) but it won't work  like before. I was hoping it was just an error and it will be fixed but no it remained that way. It's either I fully charged the battery before using the laptop or I use direct current (remove the battery before plugging it).

Last week I went to SM north to buy a replacement battery.  They told me they don't have ready supply and I have to order and wait for 1-2 months. I didn't buy because I can't wait for 1-2 months.

I said a little prayer before I plug the charger tonight that battery will get fixed. I was using the battery and it was emptied so my laptop went totally dead.  I charged it for few minutes and then opened my laptop again while I was charging it. I checked the system tray and pointed my cursor to the battery icon.  It says "battery plugged, charging." I might be mistaken so I removed the cable and put it back. Still battery is charging even though laptop is on.  While typing this, I tested again to make sure my battery pack works really like before. Well, it really does.  :)

God is also my Tech Support. I thank God for restoring my battery pack.

Some people inspire you

Have taken this from my old blog.
*****

Some people inspire you to be the best you can be, some brings out the worst in you.  Either way, each person you meet in life has a purpose. Whether the influence was good or bad, the end result is a better YOU if you know how to turn that negative influence around. 

Letter to the Graduates of the Twitter Era

I am publishing here an article of Wilson Lee Flores from his Philippine Star column. These are good thoughts and have added my comments as well.

Dear Graduates:

Congratulations.  However, graduation is not your achievement; it marks a a new beginning in your exciting but not trouble-free journey.  Here are few suggestions, some of which this writer and part-time college teacher tells my students at La Consolacion College Manila:

1. Never stop studying, because life should be a never ending quest for  self-improvement.
2. Read often in order to enrich your mind, expand your thinking and elevate your language
3. Education is not only from books or college degrees, but from embracing new experiences, listen travel often, learn from all people and be open to positive influences from our exciting world. (This is why I love to travel :) )
4.  Twitter, Facebook and Youtube are fun and can be empowering, but those are not all that life and our world has to offer. Play real sports and plant real flowers—not just the ones in online games. 
5.  Good manners and correct conduct in the real world should also be our guide on twitter and the internet, perhaps more so because online mistakes are often immortalized and can spread virally!
6. In this era of fast-paced tweets, instant messaging, instant coffee instant stars from reality show, let us not forget the virtue of patience and the importance of the long-term
7. In this age of exhilarating and also bewilderingly vast range of mass media and social media choices, do not lose sight of the power of focus and the importance of concentration.
8. Do not be afraid or too shy to ask questions—often it can save you lots of trouble
9. When you want or seek something, ask, or else the answer shall always remain “NO.”
10. Silence sometimes can express more than words can say. Silence is often good for the soul.
11. Do not be afraid to take risks, for the worst risk in life is not ever taking any risk. (This is part of learning process in life)
12. Do not be afraid to lose.  There is nothing shameful in loss, but the worst is never trying.
13. Do not let your youth or inexperience impede your dreams or limit what you can do.
14. Money is not the most valuable resource we all have, it is time. Avoid frivolous pursuits and vices; make the most of your time.
15. Instead of wanting to change the world, let us first conquer the self with discipline. (Yes, change starts with YOU and when you have conquered yourself you set a good example to the world for others to follow)
16. Crisis is like fire, it can either destroy or strengthen us, depending on one’s character and attitude, for the same fire that melts butter can also strengthen steel.
17. Crisis not only brings us opportunity, according to ancient Chinese wisdom; it can often also help purify, cleanse and purge our lives!
18. Forgive others, but do not forget their names.  Seriously, forgive: life is too short to waste on ill feelings. (Forgiving is easy but forgetting the deed is not ;) )
19. Do not take revenge, just remember that the best revenge is success. (But don't let it define your success)
20. Justin Bieber is correct in his song "Never Say Never," for we should never ever give up!
21. Remember the last Batman movie with Joker asking " why so serious?" Let us learn to laugh often and even at laugh at ourselves. Be of good cheer! Smile always! (The best accessory you can wear daily is your smile. The bible says a cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine.  Think Happiness all the time)
22. Perseverance is often more important than talent or intelligence in the quest for success.
23. There is no substitute for hard work, but we should not only work hard, we should work smart too!
24. Do not be afraid to dream big, it is more exciting and empowering.
25. List down your dreams and target deadlines, or else those will remain not dreams but fantasies. ( I created a vision board yearly of what I want to accomplish in life and it motivates me to work hard and achieve my dreams. I look at my vision board as often as i want to motivate me)