These Days

Part 3 of church preaching series at VCF entitled Abraham's School of Finance.  I wasn't able to post this sooner because I misplaced my notebook.  Needless to say, I found it yesterday!  The complete series list is: Week 1: Covenant Week 2: Stewardship Week 3: Tithing Week 4: Generosity The verse for this lesson is Genesis 14 . Abram heard that his nephew Lot and has been taken captive by invading kings.  He pursued the captors, routed them and recovered all the people and goods.  He was met by the king of Sodom who offered him all the goods (but wanted all the people back).  Abram declined to take anything from the king of Sodom.  Melchizedek king of Salem also met him, with bread and wine.  Melchizedek blessed Abram and God for the victory.  Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything...  This was the first mention of tithing in the Bible. Spirit The spirit of the tithe is: I am blessed by God.  I will bless God.  I will be a blessing to others. The reason

Distrito Makati is the newest market from the same team that put up Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio Global City.  It opened on November 25, 2011 at the parking lot of the Makati Medical Center.  It's near the office so I was really looking forward to checking it out.  I am a fan of community markets and there was a time when you can find me at the Salcedo market every Saturday! A lot of the items at these markets are a bit pricey but I still like to go just to see what unique items are purveyed, and maybe try a thing or two.  Unfortunately, Distrito has ended in December and will not be coming back.   Here are a few photos from our only visit on November 30.

11.29.2011 Update The championship game was on November 13 at 10AM.  We rushed to the court right after church and got there just in time.  I won the game. =) What was I doing here? =) 11.06.2011 We're having inter-department games at work these days and I signed up for badminton.  The last time I played/practiced was over 3 months ago so I'm hardly in good game shape.  Also, I used to just play doubles but was assigned to play singles this time.  No conditioning for an event that's not really my forte.  Ok lang! I wanted to win, of course, but given the conditions, I decided that representing the team and doing my best should be enough.  Still, I was anxious on game day (slept less than 4 hours :S).  Richard and I were at the venue earlier than my scheduled game so I was able to warm up a bit.  We volleyed for a few minutes but I didn't push too hard so I don't run out of steam for the real game. I had one game each on November 5 (10AM) and November 6

11.11.11. I attended the 5th National Conference of the Operations Research Society of the Philippines on November 11 at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel.   In case you didn't know, OR is one of the loves of my life and I just appreciate being in this field.  This is one day in the year that I get to immerse myself in all things OR and reconnect with colleagues as well. This year's theme was OR: Towards a More Competitive Philippines .  For the morning plenary sessions, we had speakers from the AIM Policy Center and the National Competitiveness Council. Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza of the AIM Policy Center Representative of Guillermo Luz from the DTI We were shown statistics and reports from the World Economic Forum and the International Finance Corporation about the state of Philippine competitiveness and economic progress relative to the rest of the world. My key takeaways from the plenary session: Progress has to be inclusive.  As much as possible, all members of

This was a medically memorable week for me.  I saw 5 different doctors, several lab tests done and a major procedure ( relative because I am not sick often, thank God ). The story.  I had on-and-off bladder related difficulties for a week so I decided to finally consult the doctor last Monday.  After a couple of tests, I found out I had UTI, and so started medications Monday.  There were also echoes found on my kidney so the doctor recommended I see a urologist.  So I did that on Tuesday and I was told they were stones.  Hmmm... I could either take daily medications for months or undergo ESWL (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy), which I had no clue about.  The doctor showed me a simulation of the procedure on her iPad and it looked simple enough.  It's non-invasive and uses shock waves to break down the stones so that they can be passed with the urine.  I was scheduled for ESWL 8:30AM on Saturday.  I got instructions from the nurse about needing to fast 8 hours prior

Interesting finds around the internet. PAPERFASHION .  This blog is a treasure!  I am so glad to have stumbled upon it.  Katie Rodgers is a very talented artist/illustrator.  And she uses watercolor which, in my opinion, is a difficult medium to master. Donna Downey .  I love her collages.  Now I want to got to the bookstore and get supplies! The Hunger Games  in 2012.  This is a really great teaser.  I'm excited for the movie! Shake Up Christmas music video by Train.  I watched it then realized I was smiling. 

Monday, November 14, 2011 .  I attended Developing High-Trust Teams training with other team managers in the company.  It was facilitated by Ardy Abello of BusinessWorks .  It was from 9AM to 4PM and by the end of it, I had 7 pages of notes - a testament to how much notable content there was and my note-taking skills. =)  Seriously, I consider attending training as opportunities so I make sure I learn the most that I can, and remember them.  Thus, the notes.  And because notes on paper can be lost, here's the abbreviated version for (my) future reference. Photo by LA Adriano 4 Stages of a Team . I know this already but I got new insights from the training. Forming Adding members on the basis on competence, identify roles. Law of the Chain says weakest link determines the strength of the team. "If two people are exactly alike, there is no need for one of them." Storming Development of goals and strategies, bring clarity.  Team conflicts have very little

I was at Starbucks waiting for Neil's class to end.  I picked up a couple of magazines, on of which was Celebrity Living, October 2011 issue. There's an article on Barbie Almalbis and Martin Honasan's home in Marikina.  I love their house!  It has a lot of elements that I would like to have as well - art, music, books and a photo wall.  I took photos for future reference. Barbie has a collection of guitars and I like how they are functionally displayed in the space below.. (Side note: The neck of the old guitar I got in college broke months ago and it was irreparable so I had to let it go.  I want a new one.  Rich, are you reading this?) Martin is an artist and their house is equipped with a studio.  When this article was written, he was still working on his first one-man exhibit ( Digging in the Dirt ) which we were able to see at the Power Plant Mall.   (Side note #2: Art/painting another favorite hobby but I haven't engaged in it in years.  Not to say tha

We are learning about managing finances in this month's preaching series at VCF entitled Abraham's School of Finance.  Week 2 is all about Stewardship. Week 1: Covenant Week 2: Stewardship Week 3: Tithing Week 4: Generosity OIKONOMIA - from Greek; the management of household or household affairs; management, oversight, administration of others' properties.  ECONOMICS is derived from this word, and we know it is the production, distribution and consumption of limited resources.  Key word here is limited , which is why people hoard and focus on just getting. To understand stewardship, the following questions need to be asked. Who is the provider? What is the purpose? What is our part? PROVIDER --- The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1) --- For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (1 Timothy 6:7) God is the ultimate provider and God's resources are unlimi

Last Saturday (November 12, 2011), Richard and I attended VCF Fort's first Parenting Conference.  We bought tickets right when it was announced weeks ago because we knew we would learn a lot.  And so we did, along with this roomful of people.  Rich and I got seats at the back (delayed by Jollibee drive-thru) but I'm not complaining.  I was encouraged to see so many parents like us want to learn biblical parenting principles and do the best for our kids. The theme for this conference is from Deuteronomy 6. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. The plenary speakers were Pastor Steve Murrell, his wife Deborah and son William.  They shared their experiences about parenting and being parented.  Sometimes I

The 5th national conference of the ORSP was held at Richmonde Hotel in Eastwood City.  It was done by 5PM but I had to wait for Richard to get off from work so we can drive home together.  While waiting, I explored the Eastwood Mall .  I have probably been here only a couple of times before so the novelty kept boredom at bay. I like the public seating areas in this mall, very contemporary yet comfortable furniture.  They have also decorated the place for Christmas.  I was surprised that there weren't a lot of people given that it was a Friday night. Rich needed more time to get things done at work so he met me for dinner in the meantime.  We ate at Cibo and ordered the lamb and smoked salmon sandwich.  Sarap! Then Rich went back to work and I had more time by myself.  I was aimlessly checking the shops when I remembered that Go West was performing outside.  I just rained and there were only a few people watching.  I watched and stayed until the concert was finished.

If you live in the city, the easiest places to get to that both kids and adults can enjoy are the malls.  I would love to go to a park but there isn't a good one that's nearby.  So, to the malls we go, every single week.  Our usual hangout is Greenbelt 1/5 because it's a very short drive and has everything we need.  Neil used to have weekend classes at Gymboree and then we would spend time at Fully Booked.  He knows the way between these two places and goes straight to the kids' section where we can easily spend and hour or so reading. Bonifacio Global City used to be our mall of choice because of the open space, public art and pets.  Most of the restaurants here are too pricey for us though.  If we need to eat, it's usually at Krispy Kreme or some other coffee shop.  We used to frequent Fully Booked at BGC, too.  But ever since we started attending church at 8 in the morning, we haven't been there because it's too early for the shops to open. We&#

November 9, 2011 is special. Happy 9th anniversary, Nang Lani & Chuck! =)  We love you!  Thank you for all that you do for the family.  May God continue to shower blessings upon your family.  Rich got regularized at work.  Kain tayo ng masarap!

Photo credit: dreamstime.com Ever since I started working, I've had annual physical exams every single year.  I don't look forward to it because of the hassle - getting tested and poked, waiting for doctors, collecting specimen, etc.  BUT I know it's important to get regularly checked just to make sure that the machinery is still in good condition.=)  I realized if we're keeping car maintenance appointments, we should at least do the same for our bodies, no? I had my annual PE on Tuesday.  This is a more stringent examination (ECU) and needed to be done at the hospital.  The new corporate health and wellness center at Makati Med has made the process more convenient because they've consolidated all the possible procedures in one area, unlike last year when I had to go to different floors/stations for tests.  PE this year covers the usual, plus cardiac workup (ECG and treadmill stress test), and ultrasound of liver, gall bladder, pancreas and kidneys so it took

It pays to be online at opportune times!=) I was browsing through Facebook last Monday and came across an announcement for Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's open house.  They were giving free Red Velvet hot cocoa and ice blended drinks from 10:30AM to 11:30AM.  It was past 10:30 when I read it but enough still time for Em and me to rush to the nearest CBTL.  Plus a quick shower! We got there and were surprised to find very few people around.  There was no queue we were attended to right away.  Cool!  The rest of the patrons were already enjoying their drinks.  I thought the cocoa was too sweet, but Richard liked it.  The ice blended drink tasted more like a smoothie and it was good! We found out that CBTL's charity partner for this year is REAL Life , which is affiliated with VCF.  Galing! It's an excellent cause that supports deserving but needy students with their education and personal development. CBTL at Convergys Ayala plus other cool offerings - laptop l

This week, VCF started a new series entitled Abraham's School of Finance .  It's a universally relateable topic because we all handle money and deal with concerns related to it, whether in abundance or lack.  It's beneficial to know the spiritual principles that will help us understand how to handle this resource better. The goal for the series is to recognize that God owns everything and that we are called to be faithful stewards of His resources for His purpose and glory. We are studying Abraham for the next four weeks and the topics are: Week 1: Covenant Week 2: Stewardship Week 3: Tithing Week 4: Generosity God wants to bless us and God's blessings do not bring trouble.  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  (Matthew 7:11) The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.  (Psalm 10:22)  God made a coven

I think 3-day weekends should be the norm!  If you work 5 days a week, 2 days of weekend are just enough for errands, no rest pa.  We are recently blessed by 2 consecutive long weekends.  I love it.=)  Here's a recap of our family's activities from the last 2 weekends, in pictures. October 29 - Trick or treat at work in the morning. October 30: Church in the morning, then groceries at S&R. October 31: Richard worked so the rest of us simply stayed at home. November 1: I worked in the afternoon.  Richard and Neil went to the cemetery in the morning.  We had dinner at Banapple in Ayala Triangle in the evening.  Everything was too salty. :(  

Image from Amazon It's been a long time since I read fiction.  I checked and the last one was Catching Fire back in April, followed by 3 books on business/self-help.  Em recommended The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, which she just finished. I've first heard of this book a long time ago because it was a selection for Oprah's Book Club.  Confession: I used to track down the books on that list in Book Sale.=) Ok, back to The Poisonwood Bible.  It is about the Price family's missionary journey into Africa in the 1960s.  The story is told from the perspective of the women - the mother and four daughters.  Nathan Price is a stalwart, unrelenting preacher who believed it is his divine appointment to bring salvation to Africa, even at the expense of his family's safety and welfare.  He took his hesitant family to the jungles of Kilanga to take over the mission.  This is where I appreciate Kingsolver's storytelling.  She sets you in Africa together

I participated in a study by VMV to test a new anti-acne product.  I've dropped by their clinic for the past 5 Thursdays and today was my last visit.  I'm officially done.  I agreed to participate simply because it's a new experience to try.  Also, it's VMV, a reputable brand.  I have used a couple of their products before and I liked them. After the initial consult to see if I was a good subject, I was given a tube of product to be applied 2x per day.  There were weekly consultations with the dermatologist to check for any negative effects.  The nurse then took pictures and measured four areas on the face for redness, darkening, oiliness and moisture loss using different equipment.  It doesn't take long... They then gave P50 transportation allowance per visit. I liked the product.  It goes on the skin very smoothly and is unscented (I don't like strong scents).  It lightened the acne scars on my forehead.  I also did not get any breakouts even with the