The Thank You Post

Nine days?

I couldn't believe that it was only nine days ago when I bade 2008 farewell and said hola, 2009! 2008 had been a wonderful, wonderful year for me and here are just some of the reasons why I am thankful for the past 365 days (in no particular order):

1. delectable breakfasts, lunches and dinners (courtesy of Aning) and a hot cup of Kopiko or Nescafe 3-in-1
2. the privilege to drive a manual car (courtesy of my super bait Kuya Ron) and the hassle-free procedure of taking the licensure and practical examination at LTO San Juan (thank you, Lord!)
3. great disciplers who are honest enough to tell me when I am in bad (spiritual) shape, and who are my noisiest cheer leaders, too
4. great friends who think of the most heartwarming ways to express how they value and love me
5. an ever-supportive mom
6. an equally-supportive sister and thoughtful sister-in-law
7. protective brothers and brother-in-law
8. endless supply of hugs and kisses from my cuddly nephews and niece
9. that weird Balucanag/Sanchez/Viernes sense of humor I witness every reunion
10. my trusty two-year old laptop
11. the Internet ---- and how it bridges the gap between two continents and so much more
12. Christian music that always reminds me to behave the way a Christian should
13. the diary that Crystal gave me a few years back and which I currently use to write my thoughts and my prayers
14. my ever-reliable one and only black office bag which I am supposed to but wouldn't want to retire
15. a church that is committed to Christ
16. ministry partners from Campus Crusade from Christ who always uphold me in their prayers
17. the privilege to study God's Word through Bible Study Fellowship
18. my cellphone, and how it keeps me connected to everyone else
19. answered prayers that encourage me to keep on believing and praying to a God who delights in answering me in ways I couldn't have guessed
20. great Bible verses that are being texted just when I need my verse for the day
21. the exciting prospect of discipling ladies, beginning with a girl who walked into my office last Monday
22. iTunes, and how it makes listening to mp3's easier
23. Windows movie maker, and how easy it is to learn to use it
24. my current pairs of office shoes (cos it's so hard to find comfy pairs that are reasonably-priced)
25. the honor of introducing Christ to young people and sharing my life lessons (though it's sometimes embarrassing to confess and share about things I did before)
26. my eyes, which have been more cooperative this past year compared to the previous ones
27. my talkative and highly intelligent dermatologist, Dr. Jay Nunez, who not only manages my allergies very well but who also inspires me to be the woman that God designed me to be (and oh, how he challenges me with his Biblical insights every time I visit!)
28. a great team / department that understands my working style and standards
29. a boss who gives me his 101% trust
30. colleagues who appreciate my strengths and helps me in my areas of weaknesses
31. neighbors who constantly look after our house and who are always ready to help us in time of need
32. seemingly endless days and nights of trainings for competitions, and winning in them (hehehe)
33. the desire to learn how to cook, and being highly appreciated for whatever I whip up in the kitchen
34. cakes from Red Ribbon that satisfy my sugar cravings
35. KFC and how after all these years their chicken and gravy are still numero uno
36. the excitement of springing little suprises on family and friends
37. the gift of discernment and how it grows stronger and stronger as I become older
38. pedicures that make me feel squeaky clean every time
39. great-looking blouses that are being sold at affordable rates in tiangges
40. nature spots and how they remind me that God makes all things beautiful in His time
41. working at a job I've dreamed of since I was little
42. the possibility of shifting careers when I finally made up my mind to do so
43. MS Access and SQL, and how I quickly learned how to use them to make my tasks easier
44. my current special assignments that force me to be a little more creative
45. the God-given ability of knowing what to say at the right time
46. former students who still stay in touch
47. being mistaken for a colegiala when I am in jeans and when I was a bit thinner (hehehe)
48. great books given to me as presents
49. naturally straight hair that cooperate very well everyday especially since I do not know how to fix it
50. the ability to support missions and extra church projects
51. the feeling that I am ultra rich even though I am just a five-digit earner
52. a plan on how to save up money this year so I can spend them on some surprises I plan to give to some people
53. Dove Beauty Bars, and how they are taming and keeping my allergies at bay
54. the promise of greater and better things to come
55. free websites like this that make it possible for me to blog
56. my 7.2-megapixel camera, and how it's been capturing great moments
57. the beauty of being still, being alone and being quiet and just sharing this moment in communion with God, knowing that He honors this sacred time
58. the eureka moment of understanding a particular Bible principle or theological issue without the aid of commentaries or notes
59. testimonies of couples I heard from my church this year, and how they convince me that a great and lasting love story can only be made possible when two people are Christ-centered
60. God, who loves me unconditionally

My dream bookshelf, a snapshot and a trip down memory lane

I've been way too busy the past few days. But anyhow...

The books and my dream bookshelf

In 29 days, 2008 will have gone by. Hello, 2009! Whew! In three weeks' time, we're having our Christmas party. We won't be having classes on the 5th, and work is officially off on the 19th. Yey! That means I have lots of days to spend curled up in bed, reading whatever I fancy at the moment --- something that I've been raring to do but just couldn't.

I felt so jurassic last week listening to my students discuss the merits and demerits of Stephenie Meyer's hit vampire series, Twilight (That book was turned into a movie. Doh! I'm the last to know about that.). My gosh, I think the last (and worst, if I may add) paperback I've ever held was Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (Eeks! This is one of our worst purchases. Mama bought this book for me out of curiosity, especially when there was a series on Apologetics being taught at CCF. Hay! My comment? Great writers take time building up the plot and giving life to the characters. I was really so turned off with how Dan handled the imagery and desciptions that after page 2, I put away the book.). Since then, my eye problem started acting up again, so my reading sprees were limited to just the newspapers or the devotionals given to me by Ying and Kuya Julius (Streams in the Desert by LB Cowman and James Reimann and Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby).


My friend Matthew just sent me a pair of magnifying glasses, so I thought I could use 'em during the holidays (reading can also be a good excuse not to overeat during reunions, hahaha!!). And my goodness! I have boxes upon boxes of books waiting for my eyes to even cast a glance at them! Claire lovingly gave me a hardbound copy of The Ringmaster's Daughter by Jostein Gaarder, and I promised myself that once I am well, I am going to read that book in one sitting. Paula Rineheart, author of the amazing tear-jerker of a book, Strong Women, Soft Hearts, has come up with yet another amazing book entitled Better than My Dreams: Finding What You Long For Where You Might Not Think to Look. I almost bought the New York Times bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom on a recent trip to National Bookstore-Sta. Lucia but I just felt so guilty about making another purchase when I still have unread material at home. There's tons of Max Lucado books, two Joel Osteen paperbacks, and a host of John Maxwell motivational and leadership softbound copies waiting for me. Have I also mentioned that there's a couple of Elizabeth Elliot, John Eldredge, Bruce Wilkinson and Les Parrot books in my reading list? Early this year, I made a vow to be a little bit openminded about my reading choices. So even though the title sounds so egoistical, I started reading chapters from Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power (devilish, cunning and manipulative!), which I plan to follow-up with Sun Tzu's The Art of War. And yes, I've always loved biographies (Whoever borrowed my Jackie O and Princess Diana biographies, please return them to me!!!!), so I hope I could squeeze in my two Go, Negosyo books this Christmas break. Theology has always fascinted me, and though I'm not the seminarista type, I would love to hold in my hands one of the N.T. Wright books Kuya Luis keeps talking about (Me? Read heavy theological stuff? Yes, it's so un-me. Well, let me try for a change!).

Okay, okay. I'm getting a bit giddy and excited here thinking of which book to read first. Speaking of books, I saw this beautiful bookshelf in Domino and I can't wait for the holidays to roll in so I can attempt to re-arrange my books to look something like this.




Cute noh?

Hay. In the meantime, please excuse me. I've got to read this research / reference book for my lecture tomorrow. :-)

*****

Shot on the spot.

My friend and schoolmate Enchie tagged me for this unique mini-entry.

The story behind the shot:

I was testing my newly-bought webcam's capabilities, and shot this pic one night while I was tinkering with the new gizmo (Say nyo? Di ko na kayang ulitin yan at ayaw na nya gumana hahaha!!!!). Well, as you can see, I've got shorter hair now (cut to shoulder-length) + bangs.

The siopao look is still there, though :-( Perhaps my reading fantasies for the Christmas break would solve the problem hehehe

I'm tagging Kate, Claire, Mavie, and all you bloggers out there. C'mon, it's just a simple write-up :-)

*****

A trip down memory lane: Coincidence?

There used to be a time when I would dream dreams or see some 'visions' which would eventually materialize. Or give hypothetical advice that would almost always turn out to be true. But that would only work for other people. It never worked for me or my loved ones.

And then I saw this picture in one of the folders in my laptop.

Can you see the guy third from left, beside the lady in dark pink gown? That's my dad. Yes, he was the one I was talking about in this blog, and yes, I rightly predicted / sensed / felt the exact day he was going to pass away.

I think I'm having goosebumps as I write this blog. I have been dreaming dreams again lately...