Birthday today

Rudolf, our worship leader, our music ministry head and my dear husband turns 30 today. God knows I've wish for a grand celebration for him, a party with close friends and family, a dinner or a getaway for the two of us but sad to say none of that materialized.

Should I be sad? I guess If I see him unhappy I will be too, but I am blessed with a husband who have a good good heart. In spite that this day will be just an ordinary day he is thankful and happy. I didn't hear any complain or bitterness for not having something special happening today but instead saw him smiling and excited to go to work. He even said last night, I know God has better surprises for me. God bless him indeed.

Last Sunday, I was expecting the church will greet him as the usual thing we do every Sunday (greet those who celebrate their birthday for the coming week) but there was none, no one remembered I guess and that's fine. I'm bit disappointed but it's okay.

I bought him the 2nd hand Ipod dock/charger/speaker he's been wanting to get as my gift to him and he's very happy with that. I wish I could buy him all the cables, wire covers, usb hub, external drive and gadgets he wants because I know he would be happy with that but I am thankful that even if I don't he is still a happy man.

I am blessed and I am thankful

For more thankful entries visit Iris of Grace alone.

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.^{[c]  4} There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.
 ⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”
 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Thankful Thursday- Sushi and others

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

This is the day when I think of all the recent blessings the Father has bestowed upon me and write it in a post :) Thank you Lord for Thankful Thursday.

So here's my list for this week;

* Thank God for the gastronomic Sunday afternoon with friends. Thank you for the discount voucher. If not with that we could have not afford this Japanese restaurant that offers Sushi all you can!

* Thank you Lord for my Father's good health, he was able to travel alone and is now back home safe and sound.

* Again, thank you dear God for your GRACE- I am living day by day under your endless grace and mercy.

* Thank you Lord for all the provisions, for providing for our every need. You are such a great God!!

Join us over Iris blog for more Thankful entries.

Personalized

Don't you just love it when you receive gifts that are personalized for you? I love it! When I was a newly married, I received a note pad with my new name on it and I was so happy, as a matter of fact I didn't use all the pages and left some for keeps.

I also love giving gifts that are personally chosen or made for the recipient. Sometimes I use Personal Creations, I love their designs and I love how they personalized everything!

We do sell some personal creations too :) remember our t-shirts?

This Christmas, consider personalizing your gifts, I'm sure your love ones will appreciate it much!

Thankful Thursday - Parents

This week I have so much to thank for,

1. Seeing my parents and seeing them happy- priceless.

2. Being together, all of us siblings, my parents and nephews and nieces. Oh how I missed them all so much!

(see how they're all trying to squeeze themselves in one bed?plus us )

3. Enjoying the food prepared by my mother. She is a great cook and I love how she painstakingly prepare our favorite meal when we are with them.

4. Family- this week I kept thanking God how blessed am I that I have a close family and that we might not be as rich as others but our family is still intact and love each other.

5. I am also thankful for my nails done :) I do get pedicure and manicure very very seldom so I'm thankful i had it this week :)

God is good indeed and my heart is overflowing because of His goodness!!!

This week, Iris is hosting the Thankful Thursday meme, please join us there.

I had a happy weekend

My husband and I finally had the time and resources to visit my parents last weekend. My other siblings and all my nephews and nieces went home too because of the long holiday so we had a blast! My parents were truly happy to see us.

The company I am working for is a blessing (now, I realized that) I was able to borrow a car that would fit us all and we only shouldered the gas expenses. It's not a luxury car with mercury custom floor mats but it is a nice car and we traveled in comfort.

I am very thankful I chose to go home instead of the couples retreat. The happiness from my parents eyes were priceless.

And I've got to hear my sister who preach again. Last Sunday, she spoke in the church where we grew up as Christians. It was old and small but it was there where I met the Lord and we were called, all of us siblings.

It was a happy rainy weekend.

Thankful Thursday-Grace

Today on Thankful Thursday, Laurie of Women Taking A Stand talked about God's grace and love. And I can not agree more. I am so thankful that we  have a gracious God and that His grace is beyond human understanding.

He can love me even when most of the time I am not lovable at all.I walk each day and I sin and I stumble and fall but at the end of the day, He's there, waiting for me and welcoming me with His two big hands. Even now as I write this, I can feel him and hear him say, "it's alright my child"...

Without HIS grace, I am nothing. Thank you so much Lord!!!

And with that, I'm sharing one of my all time favorite song " GRACE ALONE"

Grace Alone
by Scott Wesley Brown, Jeff Nelson

Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace.

Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace

Strength unknown He will provide
Christ in us, our cornerstone
We will go forth
in grace alone.

Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace.

Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace.

Have a blessed Thankful Thursday everyone!!

Retreat and going home

There will be a retreat for married couples in our church this coming Sunday spearheaded by the housewives ministry.  I was informed It will be somewhere south (Los Banos, Laguna.)

A lot has already confirmed their attendance and much as I want to come I am uncertain. Monday and Tuesday next week are holidays here and my initial plan was to go and visit my parents whom I haven't seen for 3 months now.

Now, I am torn because we know Rudolf as the worship leader needs to be there and part of me wants to go too. But family should come first. I strongly believe family should be our first ministry.

Sigh. I wish I can be at two places in one time.

Anyways, we are going home and we will see my parents and aside from that, a nephew will be celebrating his 2nd birthday there in the province, so I am excited as well :) Rudolf will design the tarp again and I hope to make some balloon decors too. I just have to make sure we bring all our stuff, box cutter included.

I guess Rudolf and I should have our own retreat in my home province  so when we get back we're fully charged to do ministries again!

LJBC's Water Baptism 2011

Our church (LJBC Global Ministry, Inc) conducted water baptism last Saturday, after months of water baptism seminar, 34 souls from three areas decided to obey and follow Christ. Rudolf and I weren't suppose to come but the last minute we changed our mind. I'm glad we did, I was able to hear testimonies and as always we were blessed to hear how God changed the lives of these people.

There is this one youth who testified that before, he used to snatch stuff from passerby, one youth also said he is like a beggar in the street but now they are all in Christ and becoming his disciples. God is so good indeed and ONLY HIM has the power to change us.

Here's some of the pictures from that big event :)

For more pictures visit our facebook page :)

Raising Funds for our Scholars

Two more months and the first semester will be over, on October our college scholars will be needing huge amount again for their tuition fees. And 2 of them have 2 more semesters to go and they'll soon graduate! (excited much!)

I don't want them to stop schooling because we can no longer help them with their school expenses, so please my dear friends, readers, co-bloggers and passerby, help us raise funds for them for the two remaining semesters.

I created a chip in widget for those who have paypal account (it's on the sidebar of this blog) for easy way of donating. If you can spare a dollar or whatever amount, that would be of big help for sure.

And if you have friends and acquaintances who would want to help too, please tell them about this cause. Below is the poster I previously made for everyone to see who are our scholars.

May the Lord bless you a hundredfold in return!

 other related post about this ministry : Marvin, education