Christmas 2013

I can't believe it's almost Christmas.  How time flies!  I just celebrated my birthday, then we were just preparing for our Christmas party... And now it's almost Christmas.

Before I share some photos with you, let me just share the beautiful message we had at our service.  I was again reminded that God moves beyond the natural. Oftentimes, we tend to focus on what we can see in the natural.  Oftentimes, we get discouraged by them. The link between the natural and the supernatural is called a miracle and God still performs miracles!

If you are facing impossibilities in your life today - maybe you received a bad report from your doctor, maybe you're facing a mountain of debt or maybe you need restoration in your relationship... Whatever it is you're facing today that looks impossible in the natural, let me encourage you...  God can make the impossible situations possible.  God works miracles for His promises to be fulfilled ON TIME.

I was very encouraged with these messages I got from church last night. I hope you are too.

Now the photos...

 Red Willow Unit

Betty Boop & Princess Belle / Betty and the Men in Black

(✿◠‿◠) Merry Christmas!!! (✿◠‿◠)

I Got a Miracle

I was so sure that something was wrong because I can still feel a little bit of pain on the mid section of my back where the kidneys are and lower back too.  I had UTI before my blood test yesterday. I knew my test was not going to be good.

I prayed.  I told God my concerns.

Lord, with how I'm feeling right now, I know something is wrong. But I know you can turn this around.  It's clear that I need a miracle to make the results favorable to me.  So Lord, I'm asking for a miracle.  Not my will but Yours be done.  I'm asking all these in Jesus' name.

And this was His word to me:

"No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone." Joshua 1:5

I went to the hospital for my blood test.  Got the results last night.

I couldn't believe my eyes.  My creatinine level was normal.  My urynalysis' protein level which is also an indicator of my kidney function says "trace". That's better than having a positive number next to it. With a positive number, it means my kidneys are leaking protein which shouldn't be the case.

Now that my kidneys are doing much better which I have to maintain, the goal is now to make the lupus go in remission away for good.

God is so good!  He's amazing.  He granted me a miracle.

Thank you, Lord!

How Has Your Year Been?

In two days 2012 will be gone.  How time flies.  

Today I asked myself this question - How has 2012 been to me?  There are definitely so many challenges that happened this year, but I've also received so many blessings and miracles.  

Dad left this imperfect world to be with Jesus last April... I got sick two months ago, but I'm recovering pretty well. I received miracles after miracles of healing and divine provision... I deleted "friends" from my life who are toxic; turned out to be a blessing in disguise... This is also the year when I became debt free.

I didn't see the beauty in these seemingly tragic events while it was happening, but now I do.  

God is good.  

Although 2012 is marked with tears and sadness, it is also marked with joy and happiness. God sure knows how to balance things. 

So, how has your year been?

Here's looking forward to a year of abounding blessings, grace and favor as we welcome 2013 with great expectancy and hope.  

Jesus My Healer

I am in awe of God!

Today began with a miracle.

October 15, 2012 / October 17, 2012

See that?  My feet are no longer swollen. Praise God!

In my post before this, the doctor said that this condition was kind of scary. The medicines that would be administered to me would be so costly. I wasn't afraid though. So I prayed and humbly submitted myself to the will of God.  I spoke to this mountain of illness to be healed in the mighty name of Jesus.  Sang praise and worship songs then went to sleep.  I believed in my heart that God would heal me as He promised and this greeted me this morning.

Next would be the result of my albumin test.  I went to the lab and got the results.  Praise God!  They all turned out normal.

My pulmonologist cleared me.  All tests were good.

My nephrologist was surprised to see how much I've improved.  He checked my vitals and said all good.  He checked the results of my albumin test and said they're good. I showed him my CBC results and he said good. Then he looked at me and said, "What on Earth did you do? What shall we do now?  You're okay! Just repeat urinalysis 2 weeks from now then see me again."

Those words were music to my ears.  Who else is able to turn things around in an instant? It's only JESUS!  Jesus, my Healer!

I still have to continue the steroids for lupus as prescribed by my rheumatologist until I repeat CBC, also 2 weeks from now.

I'm jumping for joy for this miracle I received from Almighty God. I believe I've already received my complete healing as Jesus has promised.

By the way, this was the song I kept singing last night.



Dear friends, God is true to ALL His promises.  He is faithful! Thank you for praying for me.  Thank you for believing with me.

While I was going through these trials, Mom was always praying for me. I know how much she wanted me to be well again. I know because she often cried while praying for my healing. Thank you, Mom. I love you very, very much.

All praises to God!!!

7-Days of Prayer and Fasting

It's 12:30 in the morning and I'm still wide awake. I guess it's the hot cocoa I had after dinner.  

We just finished our church's annual seven-day prayer and fasting.  As a church, we begin each new year with this. It is our way of humbling ourselves before God and consecrating to Him the upcoming year. It is also the time when we corporately come into agreement and believe together for breakthroughs in our personal lives, families, finances and churches.  I'm very excited for what God is going to do next in my life and how God is going to unfold the miracles I've been believing for.  

As early as January 2, even before we started fasting, God began showering me with blessings in the area of my work.  He has once again proven Himself faithful in His promise.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  Malachi 3:10

Fasting this year was difficult for me though.  It was really a struggle.  Because of the nature of my job, I had to exert much effort to bite my tongue and zip my lips when it was all too easy to let out ugly words than to simply smile.  We were all warned that as our body adjusts while we fast, there would be temporary bouts of mental annoyances like irritability.  Sometimes it felt more like it was beyond irritation.   But I thank God for His strength and His grace that I was able to make it to the finish line.  

If there's one thing I immediately got from this year's prayer and fasting, it's embracing the entirety of who God is.  Simply put, He is my everything.

Lord, thank you for the victory.  Thank you for my breakthroughs and miracles. I give you all the glory and the honor... Lord Jesus!

A Promised Suddenly

Wow, how time flies.  I was busy trying to finish uploading some photos since last week and it seemed endless.  Part of the reason was that my internet connection was acting up again.  Well, now it's done! Whew.  That's one work out of the way.  Next is I have to finish some cut outs that will be used at Kid's Church sometime next month.  Gotta move fast, it's almost November.

Anyhow, I would like to share once again something from Charlyne Cares Devotional written by a fellow stander, Terri from Minnesota.  I'm sure everyone will be able to relate to this as I did.

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"'Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,' says the LORD of Heaven's Armies." Malachi 3:1 (NLT)

Many of us have been fasting and praying for our marriages to be restored, waiting for God's "suddenly" to take place in the form of answered prayer. The word suddenly, by definition, means coming or happening quickly, in an instant, without warning. In other words, when you least expect it.

Living in a world of instant gratification, our definition of "suddenly" might be closer to "right now!" We pray and expect God's answer - NOW. Praise God, sometimes the answers do come that quickly...I believe He does that so we don't lose faith. Other times, the "suddenly" seems to happen about as quickly as the fulfillment of the promise in the verse above, which - by the way - took 400 years or so!

Make no mistake. From the moment we utter a prayer, our loving Father hears and responds. What we don't always understand are the things taking place in the spiritual realm in response to our prayers. As we intercede for our spouses, children and other loved ones, God is moving on the other side of the mountain working to accomplish His perfect will in the lives of the ones we're praying for. Looking at our side of the mountain (circumstances, etc), it appears as though nothing is happening, or maybe even as if things have gone from bad to worse as we watch those we're praying for fall deeper into sin, further into debt, more sickly...

Remember in Daniel 10:12-14 how Daniel's answer was delayed for 21 days by the enemy? Our enemy does the same to us. He wants to derail us, discourage us and bring us into despair so that we will give up and quit. If we could only see through God's eyes we would see that God is allowing things to happen in the lives of the ones we're praying for so they will become sick and tired of living in the pit and will finally come to their senses, repent and turn to God seeking His forgiveness.

That's when the "suddenly" happens. When we least expect it. When it seems like there's no way for our prayer to be answered. When the one we're praying for seems more lost than ever. Suddenly, God moves. Suddenly their heart is softened and ready to receive. Suddenly the scales fall off their eyes. Suddenly their ears are opened. And suddenly we realize that God has been working all along.

We must persist in prayer for our loved ones. Luke 18: 1-8 is the story of the persistent widow. I love the story. This woman simply refuses to give up. And Jesus says, in verses 7-8:

"...So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly (suddenly)! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?" Luke 18:7-8

Don't despair. Don't become discouraged. Don't buy into the enemy's lie by believing that your circumstances are your reality. Wait for your promised suddenly!

Who Is In Control?

I like what our pastor said last night. He said, "Whether you believe it or not; whether you accept it or not; whether you acknowledge it or not, doesn't matter.  God is still in charge."

"From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."  Isaiah 46:11

"He changes times and seasons;  he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."  Daniel 2:21

These verses illustrates clearly that God has the power to fulfill everything He says and that He has the power to change anything.  God is in charge.  He is in control.

"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut" Isaiah 45:1

He can use even a pagan king, King Cyrus, the appointed one, to facilitate His divine plan.  Here, it clearly illustrates that our unsaved loved ones can be used by God Almighty to carry out His righteous purpose.  God knows how to get their attention.  He is in control.

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9

He knows what He is doing.  He is in control.

As I reflected on these truths and pondered upon them,  I was encouraged to be reminded of these truths:

• God hears our prayers.
• He has a plan for us.
• He knows what He is doing.  He had everything planned out already.
• I can trust Him to do what He said He'll do.
• He is in complete control of anything and everything on this Earth including my life. He can destroy and restore. He has the power to do anything.
• He speaks not only to His people but to unbelievers and backsliders as well. 

Are you, like me, waiting for something you've been praying for for quite some time now?  Does it look like it's not going to happen anymore?  Does your situation look impossible?

Stand strong.  Keep believing.  Keep thanking Him because our due season is closer than we think. All those dreams and desires God wanted us to accomplish, those situations we are believing to see changed, will happen!  God can use unlikely situations or people to carry out His rescue.

Lord, I praise and honor you for what you have done and for what you're about to do in my life.  Thank you that you are in control.  Thank you that I can trust you with my dreams and desires you put in my heart to be fulfilled. I give you back all the glory.  In Jesus' mighty name, amen!

7... A Year Of Completion

Seven years ago this song was played while I was walking down the aisle. I specifically chose this because of the meaning of the song and it still stands true up to this day...

For my friends who don't speak my language, this is the English translation of the song. It's not in sync with the music, but I just want you to be able to somehow understand the essence of the song.

You

You are given by God (God sent)
The answer to my prayer
So that for all time
I'll love you every chance I have

You are the light of my life
The other half of my heart
Not for a moment will anyone be able to take your place
Now and forever, it'll just be you

You are the reason for everything I do
If ever I look forward to tomorrow
It is because of you
Forever is not enough
Because every moment, every second
I will love only you

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Fearless Friday

I'd like to share something that happened last night.

I was in too much pain yesterday, somewhere on my left side rib area, I couldn't pin point where exactly. It was a piercing pain. I couldn't get up and walk properly and I was having a hard time breathing. I felt like I was coming down with a flu. It was really bad.

After our prayer and worship, where some friends prayed for me, the pain remained even after I got home. But I kept saying, "By Jesus' stripes I'm healed." "I'm healed! You hear me, devil?"

I tried to ignore the pain and went to sleep. I didn't know which position to take to lessen the pain. After being asleep for four hours, I got up and went to the john. I noticed the pain was gone. But that's not what I wanted to share. I wanted to share how I felt after noticing the pain was gone. I felt so strongly that it was God who drove away the pain. My room was dark but it seemed like there was light all over. It was like I've seen things not with my eyes but with my spirit. It felt so much that God's presence was in my room.

I went back to bed thanking God over and over again.

God's Word is really powerful and it's our weapon to fight the enemy. I've proven it true once again.

"... The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

So, it's another day dedicated to praying for all our needs. Let's join together believing that God will answer our prayers because He does!

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

Please continue to pray for:

1. Denise - Complete physical healing.
2. Corry - Complete physical healing from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Peace and reconciliation in the family.
3. Angie - Financial breakthrough for her and her family.
   
4. Vicki - Her husband's complete physical healing and recovery from prostate cancer surgery.
5. Mel - Complete physical healing and financial provision for himself and his family.
6. Sylvia - Financial provision. Peace and reconciliation in the family.
7. Missy - Complete physical healing from Psoriatic Arthritis.
   
8. Sheila - Complete physical healing from Lupus and its complications.
9. Melanie - Her son Andrew's complete physical healing and recovery. There's a mass on his brain.
10. My mom - Complete physical healing.
    
11. My heart's desire.

If you have prayer requests and you need somebody to stand in the gap for you, please leave a comment here and I will pray.

Link back to Angie at Free Spirit Haven for more Fearless Friday entries.

Truly Grateful

Something happened this morning that my heart is still brimming with joy until this very minute. God proved to me again that His Words are true and that He is faithful. For the past three days or so I was telling Him, "God, you know my bills are due next week and I still don't have enough funds to cover everything that I need to pay for. But you promised that you will provide, so, God I trust you will."

This morning, to my surprise, one dear bloggy friend who's one of my closest here in blogsville blessed me with $100. That's more than enough to cover my remaining payables.

Why am I sharing this?

I want to encourage all of you that indeed when we put our trust in God, when we operate in faith, when we obey Him, when we don't lose hope and give up... God will show up! He does provide and He's never late!

Are you, like me, facing something impossible in your life today? Let me tell you, DON'T GIVE UP!!! God knows our heart's desires. He knows what we need. He knows everything that's going on in our lives. He knows our every thought even before we think it.

"You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." Psalm 139:2

Dear friends, the God we serve is alive and He is faithful.

When God Winks

Do you believe in coincidences?

For me those are godwinks. I have many of those this year and I thank God for those winks.

These silent little miracles - messages of assurance that no matter what is happening in your life or how uncertain things may seem at the moment, God is with you and will help you move toward certainty." ~ SQuire Rushnell

Today is a very special day. It is special because this was the day my beloved and I said "I do" six years ago.

I opened my mail as I always do everyday and this is what I got from someone who knows nothing about my personal life.

Coincidence? Nah... I just got another wink from God. ♥

Am I Healed?

A dear blogger friend asked me this question:

You keep saying you know you are already healed. Do you mean that you don't have any lupus symptoms anymore or do you mean that you will be healed when you get your new body in the next world?

This is what I wrote her (Slightly edited):

I was diagnosed to have drug induced lupus at 2001. I had butterfly rashes around my eyes and cheeks. I thought that wasn't serious. I said to myself, "Well, that's why I'm taking these meds to drive it away." Then I got married and got pregnant. I lost our first baby. My doctor was baffled how and why the baby died when she was monitoring my pregnancy closely. Then she asked me to take these battery of lab tests. She said "Let's hope and pray that it's not APAS." My husband and I didn't know anything about that acronym or that sickness at all. She explained it to us and of course I did a little research on that too. I told my husband at the same time convincing myself that "No, of course I don't have that." But sadly, my lab tests came out positive. I was devastated. I had treatment for six months until I was given the go-signal by my immunologist that we can get pregnant again. I had another lab test done. It says my lupus was active although the level wasn't high, it proved that it wasn't just drug induced but it was actually lupus, the real thing. I was taking meds and shots everyday for treatment. I got really mad at God when I lost our second baby. I said that wasn't fair!

That was four years ago. I was praying, my husband's praying, my spiritual family were all praying for my healing. I don't have symptoms now.

I believe it is God's will for us to be healed of whatever kind of sicknesses and diseases. God wanted us to be whole not just on the afterlife but here, right now. I ask myself this question - do I believe that God will and can heal me while I'm still here on Earth? My answer is YES. And so I live my life believing that I'm already healed. Do I know for sure that I am healed? My answer is YES and NO. YES, because I know my God. He is my healer and our great physician. NO, because I have yet to get pregnant again and I haven't had any lab test done in years.

I cling on to God's promise that I will bear my husband children. I refuse to live in fear. It's not denying the sickness or pretending it didn't exist. I just chose to focus on what God can and will do for me as His child. If I believe God can heal people (He did it to others and He can certainly do it to me too because God is no respecter of persons) then I have to live a healed life. If my doctor tells me to take meds, I don't see why not because God can also use meds and doctors to heal me. But that wouldn't change my perspective of healing. I'd still believe that God had already healed me and manifestation is at hand.

Prayers we utter in faith are very powerful, that I believe. We may not see any manifestation yet but believe in your heart that it is God's will for you to be healed. I was once told that instead of talking about your problem, why not talk about how mighty and powerful your God is and that He can turn things around for you SUDDENLY.

It's not easy and people think we're in denial but you know, we need not please others just to look NORMAL in their eyes. It makes a whole lot of difference when we please GOD because He can and will certainly make us NORMAL inside and out.

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Never give up on God and He will amaze you. My question is this:

Do you have faith that God can and will heal you right here right now?

...According to your faith will it be done to you." Matthew 9:29

God Knows

I still feel sad and lonely even when my walk with God has improved tremendously. This has troubled me in the past because I thought I wouldn't feel sadness and loneliness anymore since I have God anyway. I realized that as ideal as that may sound, I'm still very much human. In as much as I want to lay in bed every night with a smile on my face and a light, refreshing thought that could lull me to sleep, tears still flow down my cheeks. No matter how busy I am with work, even if I put a happy face once in a while, God can tell what's inside my heart. God knows.

Yes, I'm thankful for the joy God has put in my heart as I walk with Him in the path He has chosen for me. Gone are the rough roads I painstakingly took in my own effort to find happiness. I've realized that there's no shortcut in the road God wanted me to take. I've realized that everything that's happening in my life has been predestined by my Father in heaven. God knows.

As I wait upon God's perfect timing to bring deliverance to my situation, I persevere. I PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens). I hold on to God's promises hoping to see "a cloud as small as a man's hand" (1 King 18:44) one day. I do get tired of waiting. I do get exhausted. God knows.

I have questions in my head, so many of them. People love to ask the why's, but I don't know the details. I don't have the answers, but... God knows.

All these will pass. Questions answered. Lives changed. God's promises coming to pass. Victory attained. This I know.

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." Psalm 108:13

Celebrate God's Healing

Yesterday's message at church spoke to my heart and I'm sure to a lot of others too. As Christians, we don't always understand everything that's happening in our lives. And we always try to find some explanations to it instead of just trusting God. I was guilty of that and I guess I still do sometimes. I'll give you one personal example. Both my husband and I are Christians and I'm sure that it was God who brought us together. If so, why then are we in this pit? Why am I experiencing such pain? Did I do something really bad that God is punishing me now? Or is my husband in some sort of a curse because of his family? The answer is NO!

Pastor Rico said this... "It's not the REASON but the PURPOSE." It's not because God is mad at us that we're going through this. That's not the reason. Maybe He's also trying to teach us patience and total trust in God Almighty. But more than anything else, He allowed us to go through this road because God wants to deliver us and for Jesus' name to be glorified. What seems impossible with men is possible with God and when He makes the impossible possible, His name will be glorified.

Next question is HOW is He going to deliver us from this? That's not our problem, it's His. Our job is to obey what God is telling us to do. Obedience to God's Word validates our faith.

Pastor Rico said this... "It's not the MANNER but the MESSAGE." There is no fixed formula that we can follow to get us through the other side of the mountain. God works in our lives differently. Just like how Jesus healed in the Bible times, it's different each time. God can heal a person instantly, but for another person he should probably take meds and go through procedures first then he will be healed. God uses doctors and medicines too to get healing across. The same is true for healing hurting marriages. The important thing is not the manner in which we receive healing but the message it brings about when we are healed. We point back to God as our miracle giver. The glory should be His and His alone. It's not the HOW but the WHO.

Reference: John 9

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Prayer & Fasting

I finished the book This Present Darkness by Peretti last night. Hit the sack at around 4 a.m. I know this sounds crazy but I just couldn't stop reading until I finished the remaining pages. Anyway, I enjoyed the book a lot.

Tomorrow is the start of our annual seven-day prayer and fasting. This is my first time to participate in this annual event in our church. I'm excited to what God is going to reveal to me. I'm also believing God for my breakthroughs. So last night, my friend and I made a list of our faith goals for 2008. Then we put it in a small box and tied it with a green ribbon. We prayed over it then I put it on top of my cabinet. It'll be opened on January 7, 2009 to see how many of our faith goals God answered. Sort of like a time capsule.

As a spiritual family, we begin each new year with seven days of prayer and fasting. It is our way of humbling ourselves before God and consecrating to Him the upcoming year. It is also the time when we corporately come into agreement and believe together for breakthroughs in our personal lives, families, finances and churches.

I'll be writing down what I have learned, what God has revealed to me and my breakthroughs in the coming days.

Lifting up year 2008 to God almighty!

Pot Of Gold

I was craving for fettuccine last night while watching HBO. Good thing Jen just lived in the other building so she cooked for me and brought me some pasta. I really admire people who can concoct a meal from whatever they have in their cupboard. I always wonder how on earth do they do that?

An hour or so after feasting upon my pasta, Jen and I talked about her concerns in life. I was kinda surprised of myself when I started giving her advices. I mean, I can already sense some maturity in me which I knew never existed before. I shared with her a part of a preaching I've heard that morning. It was said that wherever we are now, even if we don't understand why we're going through whatever it is we're going through now is essential to where God wants to place us. We can be sure though that God only wants the best for us. If we want our pot of gold, then this is the route we ought to take. Along the way there would be lots of pruning. I remember the verse in Matthew 7:13-14 which says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." When the appointed time has come, we can be sure to be ready for the role God wants us to play in this life.

I know this is easier said than done but believe me, I know how hard this is because I'm also passing by the same road. One thing is for sure though I'm trusting a living God that can bring me to the next level.

Who do you trust?

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The Heavenly Man

This is the book I'm currently reading. I am in awe of God's greatness. His miracles were not just from the Bible times but still is happening in the NOW. This book clearly illustrates how God is in control. He weaves the events in our lives so perfectly to fulfill His very purpose in our lives.

"The Lord had put it all together as only He can. The Holy Spirit was working in such a wonderful way."

This gives me much hope in the events that are happening in my life now. I'm like walking in pitch darkness and the only "light" I'm holding on to are the promises of God to me. Brother Yun's story reminds me of how God CAN do what seems impossible to man. He can turn things around even for me.

I highly recommend this book. If you think you're losing hope, read this book and see how BIG our God is.

The Power In Jesus' Name

I copied this from a list of inspirational stories I was reading this afternoon. Miracles still do happen.

"A friend of mine was driving through an intersection one day and his little four year old son was in the car with him. The car door flew open and the little boy rolled out of the vehicle right in the middle of traffic coming from four ways.

The last thing my friend saw was a set of car wheels just about on top of his son moving at a very fast rate of speed. All he knew to do was cry, "JESUS!"

As soon as he could bring his car to a halt, he jumped out and ran to his son, who was perfectly all right. But the man driving the car that had almost hit the child was absolutely hysterical. My friend went over to him and started trying to comfort him. "Man, don't be upset!" he said. "My son is all right. He's okay. Don't be concerned about it. Just thank God that you were able to stop!" "You don't understand!" the man responded. "I never touched my brakes!"

Weddings & Memories

Weddings... This sure is one of my favorite occasion. My friend is getting married a few months from now. My best friend would want to get married so much that she daydreams about it, well, I guess whenever she can. This thought brings back fun and exciting memories during which it was us who were preparing for our own wedding.

It wasn't easy at all. There were the excitements, frustrations and other mixed emotions. The preparation was so exhausting! Of course, I wouldn't be able to do that on my own. Thanks to my friends, Jen and Vangie, who helped us from the beginning until the end. Thanks to my husband too who was just as excited as I was. From the selection of music, invitation, motif , down to the nitty gritty of my wedding gown, hair and make up and the photos... it was so much fun! There was also the frustrating part but turned out to be one of the best choices we made. I really wanted the church to be San Agustin because I love the place so much, the month should be December specifically before Christmas and the time should be in the afternoon. And so we got the church, the date and time. Perfect! When it was time for us to choose the reception venue, I felt like the world crumbled when my first choice couldn't accommodate us anymore because it was already fully booked. This can't be happening! I cried and cried for days until my tears run dry. My husband tried so hard to convince me to look around Intramuros for another venue. After that short lived depression, finally, I conceded. We went around Intramuros and we got so curious about this place with a big wooden gate that was half opened. We peeked and saw this beautiful garden. The guard told us to come in and the staff excused themselves because they were just finishing the set up for the wedding that afternoon. My face lit up! As we went in, I felt the surge of excitement once again. I knew right there and then that Patio Victoria was God's perfect choice for our reception venue.

As I walked down the aisle, my tears fell. After all the trials my husband and I went through, after patiently waiting for God's time, we finally made it.

Looking back, my husband and I would laugh everytime we're reminded of our planning days. It was a roller coaster of emotions. We got to know more of each other during those times.

God is really faithful in fulfilling His promises. He can give you the reality of what seems to be impossible. I should know. It happened to us.