When You're Just Pissed Off

Almost two months since my juggler role: balancing time during weekdays producing news, writing web content, trying to be a mom, and (surprise!) being a Master in Public Administration student. Forego my online courses for now... fortunately, the institution allows me to enroll for my preferred courses and check them out later when my time admits. 

Just really frustrated recently. I wasn't able to go to Mass, even if my heart tells me so. Maybe this is why all these things are happening.

What things? I and the kids getting sick. And yeah, the hot temper I've always been praying so hard to extinguish especially when I'm tired and stressed out is flaming up again. Making me feel like the worst mom all the time. And now, my left eyesight, which used to be the clearer one, is starting to have some clear, dotty things in it (Read that it might be due to this). God....

For now, a little positive vibe is key to harking back to my fighter self....

[Love it.]

Stop the Stigma!

Hi, mga kapatid! ;) Just passed by para i-echo ang sentiments ng ating Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach re: AIDS lolz. But... seriously.


A friend recently died kasi. He's just 24. As young perhaps as some of us in the community, and as young as most will probably will be until they move on to head the community or to marriage or an adult-oriented community. Basta ang point dun, he's YOUNG! In fact, he can join Corinthians pa sana. But he succumbed to that disease.


But guess what? It can be treated na! Pero early start is key. Kasi pinahihina nito ang immune system ng tao. At pag tumagal pa, gaya ng nangyari sa friend ko, you could succumb to iba't ibang klase ng sakit like pneumonia, TB, which supposedly ay magagamot pa pero sa kasong ito nga ay hindi na. In just two weeks, his progressed even when he was already confined because his immune system has already weakened so bad...


We all know naman siguro how we could get AIDS. HINDI SIYA NAKAKAHAWA unless alam niyo na. If you think you're at risk, get tested ASAP. Philippine AIDS Institute can guide you, and provide you FREE meds for maintenance.


We may not be aware but so many of our age is getting the disease already. If there's any who's a member of this community, PLEASE DO NOT BE ASHAMED to share about it, so we could also help and pray for you. If you're engaged in activities that expose you to this disease, HINDI PA HULI ANG LAHAT PARA MAGBAGO. Repent and pray. And do not forget to ask for help.


BONUS QUOTE! Always remember that God loves you! He will never leave you hanging around there without a friend or two. ;)

My First Ever Product Review! (Kapal Muks LOL)

SOOO... wala lang, I was just inspired to write a blog kasi medyo I'm just feeling good about myself... like I said, MEDYO! :))) Will try to share more about that, but for now, lemme share about you one slight obsession I have as of the moment: MOISTURIZERS.

[Read: Kebs kung outdated na ang porma. Basta merong moisturizer. :)) Pero I stick to the drugstore types, the affordable ones. Saka na 'yung mga Elizabeth Arden, ekek. Yes, I'm slightly keen on using them in the future. He he.]

[image courtesy: piathought.com]

This is my go-to moisturizer... my fave as of the moment. It's light and non-sticky, and while I don't really need whitening creams, I just liked the sort of radiant glow that it gives me. I apply it twice a day - after taking a bath and upon arriving at work (I clean my face first of all the commute grime and then apply). And then, 'pag sinipag, I also use it as a night cream wahaha. It costs mga P80 lang yata sa Mercury Drug Store (will go back and update once I have confirmed) and I finish a tube and replenish every two weeks. 

However, just this Monday, my kids ransacked my office bag. To my horror, I lost it. Yes, the tube. It's horrible because the twice-a-day application is already a habit. But I don't want to spend extra kasi I know the tube's just somewhere sa bahay. So I decided to look for a sachet na lang to compensate. 

'Yun nga lang, I wasn't able to find a sachet. What I decided to buy is this:

[image courtesy: Ebay]

This tiny wonder's worth only P20, and it works WONDERS! First time I used it... after maybe an hour, I saw my reflection on a dim mirror and I was like, wait, namumula ba 'ko? I checked sa bathroom CR and found out that... oo nga, I'm pinkish white! Truela ang promise na may makikita ka nang effect sa unang gamit pa lang. Ang comment ko lang siguro is two days lang tumagal sa 'kin 'yang unang sachet ko na ganyan LOLz. Pero check ko uli dito sa bagong sachet... baka kasi 'di lang talaga ako marunong gumamit wahaha.

[Tip: Put a medyo generous amount on your palm and apply LIBERALLY! Mas magastos kapag pa-utay-utay at mala-commercial model mo siyang inilagay, 'cause parang super bilis niyang na-a-absorb!]

Other Brands I Use:

[image courtesy: frufus.ca]

This one I pick 'pag walang-wala na talaga (I mean, 'pag walang ibang brands, kasi this one's available EVERYWHERE!). I don't like the pink, powdery finish one kasi it breaks me out. This one - sakto lang, and I like that it's detox (so TITA). Though hindi ganun ka-pronounced ang effects compared dun sa dalawang nauna (that's just me, maybe may different kayong palagay. ;p)

[image courtesy: heygladz.blogspot.com

So far the priciest in the bunch, higit P100 isa. I purchased just one and never bought another again. It's just a basic moisturizer para sa 'kin. Mas marami pa 'kong benefits na nakukuha sa ibang mas murang brands. Pero if you have sensitive skin, pak na pak 'to sa 'yo. ;) Maybe next time I'll purchase 'yung brightening variant, pero 'pag may pinaghahandaan akong event. ;)

[image courtesy: anneclutz.com]

This one I miss! Hindi lang ako nakakabili pa uli kasi hindi ako makadaan ng Watson's, where it's exclusively available as of the moment. :o It's not necessarily a moisturizer - it's something to finish your makeup with. Minsan nga, eto na lang solo ginagamit ko. It instantly smooths flaws and makes skin look dewy na as if nakapag-powder ka. Last time I bought, it's P80 and sa ganitong packaging lang available. But I swear it's for any occasion, whether nagpapa-cute ka lang sa crush mo o sa asawa mo o may pupuntahan kang job interview, gimmick, or even formal event.

FINAL WORD:

[image courtesy: icytales.com]

PRAISE DAY: Christian Community

I was asked to do a talk for the Corinthian Youth Movement's Praise Day on Sunday, July 3, about Community, while considering the fact that they just had their latest batch of new members! :) So I decided the topic should be Christian Community, not just any mere community. ;)

This is just a very simple, no-brainer kind of talk. I have just one aim - that the members, especially the fresh batch, will get to know ano ba itong pinasok nila. Simple answer - it's a Christian Community.

Like I said, a Christian community is not just like any community. Well, it's similar in the sense na it's also a group, an affiliation. But what sets us, a Christian community, apart from any other community out there is that we are CHRISTIAN. By Christian, we mean we are OF CHRIST... we gather FOR CHRIST.



[PERSONAL SHARING from someone who has experienced both ;)]




A Christian community has three basic elements. By basic, we mean these are MUSTS that need to be fulfilled para ang isang community ay matawag na Christian community. These elements are as follows:


1. Profiling or Spiritual Autobiography of the Members 


Activity: Get a piece of paper and form it into any shape you want. Divide the group members into groups. Each group would look into the shapes their members have and form one big "anything" from those shapes. :)

Profiling works in a similar way. During the weekend, people of various "shapes" answer the call or invite to join. Of course, you need to get to know each other. Sino ba 'tong mga kasama ko? Anong pinagkakaabalahan nila? What do we have in common? Only then will you be able to get your acts together and determine how you will actually serve God.

Simple example:
Teatro Ebanghelyo's profile of members is, naturally, mga bihasa sa performing arts. So they serve God through the performing arts. 'Yung makikita nilang magaling kumanta, kakanta; 'yung magaling sumayaw, sasayaw; and then at some points, may overlapping kasi ganun ka-generous si Lord that He gives us more than one talent! They serve God through stage and street plays especially 'pag may malaking religious events like Christmas, Holy Week, etc. 

If that's the case for Teatro, what will it be for Corinthians?


2. Listening


This is basic in all groups, more so if the group happens to be a Christian community. After profiling kasi, siyempre you need to determine how the group is going to last the tests of the changing times. 

As we have learned during the weekend, our community has a motto. It's "Pass it on... God's love." This is not just a quote that's meant to impress. It's not just for inspiration. It should also serve as a basis, a gauge, a requirement in all the things we do for and with the community. We should always ask ourselves, when I say or do this, am I actually passing on God's love?

Thus, the importance of listening. Syempre, to what our fellow Corinthians have to say about it. But you know what, you don't necessarily need to be in a conversation to listen. There's also what we call listening to ourselves. And then syempre, there's listening to God.


3. Prayer 


Syempre, the most important! What is a Christian community if the members were not praying? We know it's our communication with Christ. Therefore, importante siya, kasi 'di ba, kay Lord ang grupo natin, eh! So we can say prayer is not just a form of communication, it's also an acknowledgment that our group is for Christ.



Like I've said earlier, these three are just the BASIC elements. 'Yung iba pang elements, I should say, diskarte at time-tested principles na rin ng community. Here are some na na-glean ko from the Corinthians, which has actually been around for 30 years already:

• REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN. Gaya ng sinabi sa inyo nung weekend niyo, you were called to be part of the community... and then after that, God will choose who will do certain tasks at hand. Refrain from judging your fellow community members na parang hindi siya fit, parang dapat, hindi kanya ang task na 'yan, kasi in the first place, it's not you who decide, it's not the members who decide, it's not even the secretariat or the adult couple that decides, but it's God. How do I know? Eh 'di ba nga, we pray? We talk to God. You may not notice or you may not think it's evident, but we actually have a direct line to Him. Trust that you have a direct line to Him, because YOU ARE CHOSEN.

• DO NOT WORRY IF THE NUMBER OF YOUR PM ATTENDEES IS NOT HUGE. You don't determine that. It's the leader of the group who does! He picks who goes and who does not. Even then, we should not judge those who does not go, because it only means that God has a different plan for them. And it also doesn't mean that if God has a different plan for them, it means they are no longer Corinthians. Sinasabi sa atin during our weekend - ONCE A CORINTHIAN, ALWAYS A CORINTHIAN. Therefore, it only means that they (we, kasama ako, kasi hindi na rin ako regular attendee) are an extension of the community... kasi hindi naman tayo bonded by physical lang, eh... we're the spiritual kind - we're bonded by the spirit. So while you may be a small group physically, out there, you have tons in the spirit with you. But even then, we cannot make this an excuse to NOT attend prayer meetings, lalo kung ang reason ay tinatamad ka lang. We may laugh at this, but it's actually a subtle way of the Devil trying to sneak you out of the community. Pray that you will be shielded from this, and pray that your brothers and sisters in the community will be shielded, too.

• KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS GROUP IS GOD'S. We do not run it. You do not run it. He owns this group. He FOUNDED this group. He may not have physically founded the group, but He founded it through the Spirit, through the people who always come to Him in prayer - to the people he's always in a communication with. And, He will be the sole authority to decide whether this community is going to continue or will start ceasing operations. He always has reasons. The examples don't have to be profound... sabi nga ni Lord, 'di ba, we're just like Him? It's just like us when we're running our own business - syempre gagawin niyo lahat para hindi 'yan malugi o magsara. Trust, have faith, that God, our Founder, will always have that instinct, that SOP, in mind. Let go and let God all the time.

Finally, sana lahat kayo sa bagong batch, mag-active. Kasi if God can work such wonders in a community, chances are, He's also going to work wonders in your lives! 

Right now, you are receiving the call of confirmation that God is choosing you to work for Him in this community. You may ask, paano? Mamaya, your community leaders will tell you how. :) 

God bless and keep passing it on... God's love. :)

Saying "Hello Once More" to Essays.ph :)

September 10, 2013. It's just almost six in the morning.  My little son has just gone back to sleep after checking out what his parents were doing at this time of the day (his dad, who's a teacher, is preparing for work; I prepared his breakfast).  And it's just a day since I "officially" took my maternity leave (we don't really have maternity leaves since we're contractual employees... but at least, you got a job to go back to).

Read that previous sentence. That was exactly the reason why I'm truly grateful companies like Essays.ph exist. Essays.ph provides a haven for moms like me who, in blunt terms, don't have anything once we take breaks from work. Even students could apply! I honestly wished I discovered this when I was still in college.  I remember bugging my parents way back to allow me to apply for odd jobs but they weren't letting me. If I've just learned about this in the past, maybe Mom and Dad would not have any qualms about me wanting to have my own money!

APPLICATION IS A BREEZE!

On the Essays.ph homepage, just click on Apply Online. Yes, you don't have to go elsewhere and wait in long queues just to tell 'em you want the job. Just fill out the form with your credentials, follow the instructions, and you're good to go!

TAKING A JOB ORDER IS JUST LIKE ANSWERING AN ASSIGNMENT IN SCHOOL

That's basically the reason why they don't call it job orders, they call it assignments.  And you don't need any special skill for those.  As long as you could write decently and you know basic computer and navigating skills, you'll be all right.

And unlike school, you don't have to bother about doing assignments you don't like. You choose from a myriad of choices, like this:

BEST OF ALL, YOU GET PAID!

And you choose how you get paid.  You can open a bank account especially for this purpose, or you can choose to get the payment through one that you already have.  You can also get it channeled through LBC. You can even get paid through G-Cash!  Very convenient, indeed.


HOW ESSAYS.PH HELPED ME

I just can't stress this enough.  This has been my savior all through the times when I'm out of work for maternity leaves.  You see, I have two kids (one is already in heaven).  With the first one, Marky, our family really relied heavily on my earnings as a web content writer, especially when I took my leave.  My husband's earnings back then were so measly all we could afford through that money were diapers and milk.  Through writing web content for companies such as Essays.ph, I earned enough, even more, to tide us through the "dry" months.

And there's not even a loyalty issue if you stopped for a while because you're back on your two feet and your regular job. Essays.ph accepts that most of the people who apply for them do so because they have time on their hands, because they would want to do something out of their free time.  And yes, the best thing about spending your free time with Essays.ph is that you get to WRITE! You really get to be called a WRITER, no matter how young or old you are!  And yes, best of all, YOU GET PAID for the assignments you do!

The best time to apply is now! Go to http://www.essays.ph to find out exactly how! :)

God speed! :)

Will This Be Another Unfinished Blog? :)

During my school years, I've been keeping a diary, and some entries were unfinished, most often because I was already too asleep and tired, and when I woke up again, I find myself no longer in line with what I have been writing the night before. Now, I try to keep a blog, but well... things have been keeping me off our personal PC, Marky being first on the list. :) Not that I resent my son being the disturbance. He was actually a pleasant distraction. :)

Anyway, I'm now seven months pregnant with our third baby. :) Still haven't brought stuff for him, save for the onesie and bib set, and the lavender baby wash I've brought from Avon. How I wish there's more baby stuff available for babies out there! (Hmmm... a business idea?)

Still doing direct selling business, but I'm honestly not contented. :o It's still not under my name. My lack of a permanent address deters me from doing it better. :o I feel that I can do it best if I have my own say in the business. Anyway, I hope I can find more options in the future.

That's all for now. :) I would like to write some more, but the washing machine cycle just stopped. :) Time to go back to mommy duties.

God speed. :)

Promotion... The Fight... The New Baby! :)

June 14, 2013. That was the date when my boss told me that, starting Monday, I'll be the new Executive Producer for Aksyon Breaking morning shift. 'Twas my first ever REAL EP stint! It left me enthralled, but not quite. My son was sick. And it might be another bout of TB.

Went through three gruesome weeks because Marky's down with fever that goes up, down, up... colds, cough, headache, and sore throat. I and Daddy almost had no sleep. We also contracted colds and cough. But we stuck through it. Now, Marky's fever-free. And it's his last day now for medication.

Just remembered what my mom-in-law told hubby in the past: "Ang anak, dapat pinaghihirapan 'yan."