I married a super hero, not a prince charming

Growing up, I totally skipped Barbie, Disney Princess, and other girly fairy tales. I was just not interested in them. I remember that my most loved tales were The Little Red Riding Hood, The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Three Little Pigs. Haha! I found Snow White and company cute but not as interesting as the stories I mentioned earlier. I jumped into the happily ever after and prince charming bandwagon when I was in Grade 5 or 6. Still, I didn’t find the idea of having a prince charming so charming. I didn’t wear a tiara when I was young except for one school parade when I had no choice.

Hero in waiting

Judging from the tales I liked back then, I realized that if I’d be in a fairy tale I would probably end up being an adventurous yet accident-prone female character who still needs saving. I would definitely not be a damsel in distress nor would I want a pretty prince charming coming to my rescue with his pearly white teeth. My fairy tale would probably involve an unconventional super hero who will sweep me off my feet with his otherworldly abilities. Lo and behold, I was given one.

The fanboy

When I first met Omar, I knew that he was more than just a pretty face. Yes, he was and still is prince charming-esque but it was his character that made him more attractive. He was the authentic Mr. Nice Guy with the word KIND tattooed on his forehead. Everybody knew that Omar was dependable and responsible. He was very much like “Superman” in that sense.

With my Man of Steel

He also treated everyone equally so it was very hard to determine if he liked you or not. I guess he knew that about himself so when he took me out on our first date he immediately told me his intentions! He dropped the words commitment, marriage, and love that caught me off guard in a blissful kind of way. That bold move made all the difference because he unknowingly addressed my fear of being misled. I knew that it took a lot of courage for him to say that. He took the risk of “going too fast” with confidence and determination, fully aware that he could stand by what he said.

We’re engaged!

To cut the short story even shorter, we became a couple two months after that first date, got engaged four months after, and eventually tied the knot seven months later. He is pretty much identical to “Flash” in terms of the way he led and steered our relationship to marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Guerrero!

We also became parents early with our honeymoon baby, Timmy! As a husband and father-to-be, Omar balanced his leadership and nurturing role to his preggy wifey. I had a complicated pregnancy and Omar never left my side through it all. When Timmy was born, he took the role of fatherhood with fun and focus. I adore seeing him play with our baby, change Timmy’s nappies, and accomplish other daddy duties. He made career and ministry decisions that showed how he is prioritizing us more than anything. For me, he was and still is like a married version of “Captain America,” a great leader, planner, and undeniably selfless.

My superhero boys!

Our marriage is not perfect.  We have miscommunication issues every now and then. Voice tone misinterpretations also come up once in a while. Overall, I can say that we live by the 80/20 principle. It’s all good 80% of the time. The other 20% comprise the minor arguments, long talks over unresolved issues, and gentle rebukes that help us both become better spouses to each other.

I am so grateful that our marriage is boring (in a good way). It is drama-free with no roller coaster mood swings and stress-free with no unreasonable demands. It is a great blessing to be married with Omar who is also peace-loving like me. God knew I could not bear the stress of being with someone who thrives on arguments. Haha!

Valentine’s Day date

Today we celebrate our 1,095 days of being married. Three years may seem like a short time but the trials we’ve been through made it look like we have a thirty-year-old marriage. Haha! My recent health bout with Ischemia made this anniversary even more precious. God made us more appreciative with every waking day we share together. Seeing how my husband took care of me and Timmy while doing most of the chores at home while I was sick is like seeing God’s love in action. This is what a super hero husband is—someone who knows what to do at the most crucial time, keeps his calm in the midst of a raging storm, depends on Someone greater than he is, and gives his everything without questioning so much what is left of him.

Honey with his superhero cake for his 40th birthday

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MY SUPER OMAR! Human language is not enough to express my appreciation and love for you! You are God’s sweetest blessing to me! I am humbled and privileged to be your wife. My heart is full of thanksgiving to our great God who gives us nothing but the BEST. You are my BEST FRIEND and the no question, hands down the BEST HUSBAND in the world. I look forward to more years with you, inclusive of a lifetime buffet of laughter, long walks, movie and series marathons, NBA finals, reading and praying together, family bonding, homeschooling and parenting, lazy afternoons, shopping and window shopping, casual conversations, irrational jokes, sweet surprises, and overdose of hugs and kisses—till we’re both wrinkly and gray. I love you, my super hero husband! Happy Anniversary!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I LOVE YOU!

 

When God Created Mothers

A special tribute to all the wonderful moms I know.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mama! I LOVE YOU! You are the best mom God ever created!

“When God Created Mothers”

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of “overtime” when the angel appeared and said. “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And God said, “Have you read the specs on this order?” She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts…all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands.”

The angel shook her head slowly and said. “Six pairs of hands…. no way.”

It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” God remarked, “it’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”

That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel. God nodded.

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. ‘I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”

God,” said the angel touching his sleeve gently, “Get some rest tomorrow….”

I can’t,” said God, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick…can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger…and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.

But tough!” said God excitedly. “You can imagine what this mother can do or endure.”

Can it think?”

Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.

There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model.”

It’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

What’s it for?”

It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”

You are a genius, ” said the angel.

Somberly, God said, “I didn’t put it there.”

― Erma Bombeck, When God Created Mothers

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

When the Heart Fails

Our family is no stranger to health challenges. For a barely three-year-old married couple, our health bouts can rival that of an old couple. From a complex pregnancy to our baby’s operation to his asthma attacks to my pneumonia confinement, these health hurdles had been nothing but a testament to God’s faithfulness and deliverance. By now, we should’ve figured out how God works. Then again, nothing can prepare you for what life throws at you.

Family love

A month ago, I experienced terrible chest pains. Being a patient with a high threshold for pain, I endured it for more than a week without saying a word. God was gracious to heal me but was also firm in convicting me to confess this to my husband Omar. One night, I told him everything and apologized for not telling it to him sooner. My husband felt sad and terrified because I could’ve had a heart attack during my silence. I felt worse because that was a stupid decision not to tell my husband what I was experiencing.

We then decided to see a cardiologist. We were given requests for an ECG and a chest x-ray. By then, the chest pains were gone. I saw my rheumatologist for a check up and was given an A for my good health. We were rejoicing and praising God for this news because it meant that my Lupus is inactive and being steroid-free is working for me!

A couple of weeks after, I started to notice the frequency of my shortness of breath. My palpitations were becoming more evident and small activities wore me down easily. We decided to have lab tests done—C3 to check Lupus activity, CBC, ECG, and chest x-ray. We had these done on a Monday. It’s important that I relate how that week unfolded for us.

On Wednesday, I had work and a presentation to deliver. During my presentation, I found myself catching my breath between sentences. Thankfully, I was able to finish it smoothly but I was so tired after. I was still at work when my husband sent me a text message saying that the results were out already. I checked it online and texted it to my Lupus doctor. She replied saying that it was okay no need to bring back the steroids but she added that I should see a cardio for the “septal wall ischemia” result of my ECG.

Being Google-dependent, I searched for the meaning of that phrase and found out that it meant that my heart was not getting enough oxygen. The next day, we went to the cardio my mom and sister recommended. He told us that it was not only “septal wall ischemia” but “anteroseptal wall ischemia,” meaning it was not only a wall but my entire heart is not getting enough oxygen. Simply put, it was bad news. He added that it was a precursor to a heart attack and I was given an emergency medicine to take if ever I experienced severe chest pain.

I was not given any medicine until I had undergone a battery of tests, which were all ordered to be done immediately. We had the 2D Echo done on Friday and the treadmill stress test on Saturday. I was scheduled to see my cardio again by Monday. With simply the emergency medicine in my wallet, I was like a walking time bomb. My husband couldn’t leave my side. When he had to go to the clinic to have my name listed, he had to lend the spare keys of our house to our neighbor in case I had a heart attack or extreme chest pain and I needed to be brought to the ER while he was away.

My boys

In our minds my heart was failing by the minute. Spiritually, our hearts were close to failing, too. It was a gruelling week full of unanswered questions and anxious waiting. One afternoon, my husband and I had a heart-to-heart talk (literally and figuratively) and we poured out all our fears. It broke my heart to hear how difficult it would be for the two of them if I’m gone. How hard it would be to explain to a two-year-old why mommy can’t be there when he cries out for her. How hard it would be for my husband to raise a toddler alone.

We surrendered all our fears and worries to the God whose heart never fails. One of the most important things we’ve learned from our past experiences is that our God has a steady loving heart that never falters. If there is one thing constant about God, it is HIS LOVE. His love for us moved Him to heal and deliver our family time and time again. This new ordeal is no different. We knew in our frail and failing hearts that we can only count on Him who loves us unconditionally.

My little angel

We embraced the situation knowing that God already had the answers and He is in full control of our lives. I had peace knowing that our God is unchanging. The same God who has sustained me for 15 years with Lupus is the same God who will sustain me with this lifetime Ischemia. If 15 years is not enough as proof of His faithfulness then I don’t know what is. We went to the doctor confident in the fact that our God has already prepared the way before us.

Upon seeing my cardio, we were given the best news we could ever ask for. My 2D Echo was normal indicating no sign of Lupus activity in the heart. My stress test was normal, too! Yes, I still have Ischemia. It is a heart injury that does not heal. But God in His grace and mercy made it a non-threatening one. I was given maintenance medicine to address my palpitations and shortness of breath. This medicine will open the blood vessels in my heart and allow more oxygen to flow. The blocks are still there but they are manageable.

We let out the most audible sigh of relief upon hearing the results. We rejoiced and thanked God for His goodness and faithfulness. We knew that although we were concerned with my physical heart, God was more concerned with our spiritual hearts. He held our fragile hearts and enveloped it with his peace, assuring us all the time that He is sovereign. God did not allow our hearts to fail, He strengthened it even more. We are still in awe at how God delivered us from this ordeal.

I am grateful to God whose love knows no bounds. I am grateful to my husband who supported me all throughout this trial. Being married to him is a daily expression of God’s grace and unfailing love. This experience brought us closer together and it made me fall in love with him even more. I am grateful to my little boy who makes me laugh in the midst of pain. I am grateful to our family and friends who partnered with us in prayer. Above all, I am grateful to be alive. In those moments of waiting, God made me realize that He truly holds our lives in His hand and it is the best place to be in.

That week, God comforted me through His Word in Psalm 16:

Psalm 16

¹ Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
³ I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.

⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

ALL GLORY AND PRAISE TO OUR GOD WHOSE LOVE FOR US NEVER FAILS AND WHOSE MERCIES ARE INDEED NEW EVERY MORNING.

When Men Become Event Planners

I think my opinion about Valentine’s Day is a bit schizophrenic. There are times when I think VDAY is such a great occasion to celebrate one’s love for another person. There are days when I feel it is overrated. Nonetheless, I still look forward to this day every single year. When I was still single, I love celebrating Valentine’s Day with my parents and girlfriends. When I got married, this occasion became magnified a million times because my husband is a true blue romantic.

My romantic hubby

To give you a quick background, we are blessed to have neighbors who are also young couples like us. The ages of our kids are not from each other. Reiner and Melissa have two pretty daughters ages two and three. Kelvin and Lara have an adorable baby boy who is turning one soon while Omar and I have our two-year-old Timmy. This year, the boys decided to give us a surprise Valentine’s Day treat! We really had no idea what they were planning to do. Everything was kept under wraps with an intense brainstorming meeting that lasted for hours.

Our wonderful neighbors!

Truth be told, I was getting concerned already because my hubby had been sleeping late almost the entire week. On February 13, I woke up around 2:30 a.m. to feed Timmy only to find out that Omar was still doing highly classified stuff downstairs! Well, I didn’t peek or anything. I just assumed that it was something related to the surprise.

The big day has finally arrived! On a side note, I believe that Valentine’s Day is the only day in the year when pinks and reds rule and I love it. Haha! Going back, I woke up earlier than my boys as always. Not long after, Omar woke up and surprised me with a big box wrapped in red. It was heavy! I had a hunch on what the content was but I also had another guess in mind. Much to my delight, I was right! It was a bunch of chocolates!

Chocolates from my honey! Actually, the card was the sweetest of all.

In fact, I even got more before our lunch date! When I saw it, I knew I died and went to MINT heaven.

Mint Mania! Plus more chocolate madness!

Wives, here’s an example of a husband who listens and knows what you want. Last year, I told Omar that I’m not really a flowers person. I like flowers and I think they’re pretty. But I don’t get that much satisfaction staring at them. So I told him not to spend on flowers. Besides, they wither too fast and it makes me sad that I don’t get to preserve them for months. I told him I’d be happier to receive chocolates. Poor hubby, he had to cancel his flower reservation but that didn’t stop him. He instead brought me to sweet tooth nirvana by giving me my love day chocolate loot that year.

Guess what? He remembered it this year! Good job, honey! You made my taste buds do cartwheels again! In addition, he still bought me a beautiful pink rose. He is such a sweetheart.

Three books from hubby! (pre-Valentine gift!)

I just have to say this. My husband is the most thoughtful man in the planet, seriously. Prior to this, I already got my Valentine’s gift. When he saw me gushing over the three books you just saw, he immediately told me that he would get it for me already as his Valentine’s Day present. How thoughtful is that?! I felt that the three books spelled I LOVE YOU. You could just imagine my surprise when I got more presents on the actual VDAY itself! Honey, you are awesome.

Okay, around 4:00 p.m. we were at home and I received specific instructions that I was not allowed to go down. Timmy and I stayed in our room until we got the go signal from the event planners that we’re good to go. My hubby was so funny. When we were at the grocery earlier, he told me not to go where he was because he was buying stuff for the surprise. Then he called me asking for advice on where he could get pink tissue. Haha! He had some stuff exchanged because he found a better one but told me not to look at the direction he was going. It was really fun watching him!

So around 5:30 p.m. Omar asked for my help to look for my punchers. I’m a scrapbooker so I have lots. I found it so cute that they were actually using my girly punchers! He even asked me for pink papers! Good thing I still have some in stock. Oh, the perks of being a scrapbooker! Haha! I was itching to help them because I loooove crafting but I know I should leave it to the boys to do their thing. And boy did they do a great job. Unbelievable!

Our husbands’ masterpiece!

Around 7:00 p.m., hubby called me to say that I need to wear something white. By 7:30 p.m. we were ushered to our neighbor’s house which was transformed into a whimsical place filled with pinks and reds—flowers, hearts, balloons, and every cute detail you could imagine. My heart literally leaped when I entered the house. I immediately saw the labor of love of our husbands in giving us the ultimate Valentine surprise. They even covered the light with pink cellophane to set the mood! Isn’t that brilliant?!

Labor of Love!!!

The food was ready, the table was set beautifully, there were red and pink M&Ms on pink plates, printed tissues were in place, heart-shaped candles were lighted, a wall of hearts with sweet messages were mounted on the wall, everything was just PERFECT! My heart just melted and I’m sure Melissa and Lara felt the same way, too. I never thought that they could pull off something beautiful like that! I was floored, speechless, and totally overwhelmed.

Love is in the details! Those flowers are soft soaps!

Before we ate dinner, the wives eagerly documented all the details of the party. Haha! We were excited to show to the world the great effort our husbands had put into this amazing surprise. Everyone enjoyed the Japanese-themed dinner. The kids seemed to cooperate, too! They behaved well that night! Good job, kiddos! We then played the “find your husband’s message” game and we ended up having lots of sweet messages of appreciation from our hubbies!

Heartwarming messages from our men! Omar even beautifully placed my own set at home with balloons!

We were then serenaded by our hubbies with three or four songs. They are not professional singers, but they really looked like balladeers that night. Haha! Forget about pitchy parts, what they did for us that night completely overshadowed those singing shortcomings. Haha! We then played intense Guesstures and yes, as expected the wives won. I’m sure the boys are itching for a rematch. Haha!

Our awesome husbands!

The night ended on a high note, with everyone smiling and the wives with eyes twinkling. I was and still am super kilig (no English equivalent to match this feeling!) to the max galore with the whole experience.

Just when I thought the night was completely over, I got Valentine’s coupons from my hubby!!! I am soooo ready to redeem them. Haha!

The love fest continues with love coupons!

A big thank you to our hubbies for pulling off this surprise! We now see a new career path for the three of you. Haha!

And of course, THANK YOU SO MUCH MY HONEY OMAR! You just won my heart a million times over yet again. God showed me His overflowing love once again through you. I LOVE YOU, I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU, AND I AM COMMITTED TO FOREVER LOVE YOU!!!

My lover and best friend

Challenges, Changes, and Choices

Starting my new year will not be complete without looking back at the highlights of the previous year. For the record, the challenges and changes we faced in 2012 had nothing to do with the end of the world as the Mayans predicted. Haha!

Early Challenge

To kick off 2012, I was confined in the hospital for pneumonia. In fact, I was sick during the entire holiday season of 2011, which eventually ended in the confinement around first week of January. This was very challenging for me because it was the first time that I was apart from my baby for four straight days. My hubby even took my video so he could show it to him to assure him I was fine. Truth be told, I think I was the one who needed the assurance back then. Haha! That separation anxiety was gnawing inside of me! However, I knew I really needed that rest. I felt that God had to yank me out from all my home and work responsibilities just so I could rest and spend time with Him.

When you’re a new wife and a new mom, things can be overwhelming at times. One of the things that gets neglected but you desperately need is some down time. Yes, I was sick at the beginning of the year but I had the best quality time with my Father. He allowed me to have four straight days of down time with Him. You see, being treated for pneumonia just involved expectorating and having intravenous injections of third-gen antibiotics. Other than that, you could do anything like eat, sleep, read, journal, and pray—which were the very things I did.

 

Difficult choices

By the end of the first quarter, my husband Omar and I were faced with a decision regarding his career. It was clear that God’s direction to him was to leave his teaching job and pursue more flexible freelance jobs. This would mean not having a regular income from him, though we still had my consultancy job to keep us afloat but not enough to pay off our more than half a million debt from my complicated pregnancy two years ago. By faith, we made a choice to follow God. There were many opportunities that opened up but many also did not materialize. Until one day the option came for Omar to teach art to home school kids! The schedule and flexibility it offered was perfect for us!

However, Omar knew deep inside that this job was not enough. We both knew that this was something temporary. For the next six months, I partnered and labored with him in prayer for more job opportunities. When we were doing our year-end thanksgiving review last January 1, he told me that one of the things he was grateful for was that I didn’t nag him to just take on any job out there. He appreciated the fact that I respected his decision by choosing to wait and pray until finally God gave him the breakthrough job that could provide more than enough for us. It wasn’t easy, though. Early on, God made me realize that my husband has a specific skill set and he works best with his strengths. Sure he can do a lot of things but he won’t be great in those other jobs. By God’s grace alone, He gave me the patience to wait on Him. I trusted Him and my husband completely.

Major changes

Around the third quarter of last year, our new neighbors introduced us to oDesk.com. I already had an account with them years ago but I didn’t really pursue working in that platform. Back then, I felt that their rules were too restrictive for me. Much to our surprise, our neighbors told us that its webcam-must-always-be-on policy is not there anymore! It was the very reason why I didn’t like it back then. Filled with much excitement and renewed interest, my hubby and I created our profiles and took the skills tests needed. Omar then got hired for his first job for a Christian website and he also referred me to his employer afterwards. After that, he got his second job from a missionary group looking for help in a Bible Study curriculum and then his third job from an online school working on its US accreditation! God gave him the jobs that were tailor fit to his strengths and expertise! Since the school needed more writers, he even got me some writing gigs from his employer, too!

Before the year ended, we got news from the online school that they were officially absorbing him to the company! Praise God that all his hard work and staying up late paid off! He was given the job title, job description, and official email address all at once! His employer didn’t even ask if he wanted to join or not, he just assumed Omar would agree. And most resolutely agree, he did! It was so amazing to see how God worked out everything for us. He gave my husband a job that’s work from home, has a flexible schedule (that is not even in conflict with his art classes), and provides well for our family.

 

This career change was also very timely as our nanny/helper also left around the third quarter of last year. She, unfortunately, didn’t leave on a good note. I was traumatized, to say the least. We decided that we wouldn’t get any helper for the meantime. I told my hubby that we started our life with the two of us and I’m sure we’ll be fine with starting over with just the two of us again. Little did I know that I had no idea what I was talking about. Of course it was a whole lot easier when we were still newlyweds when we used to split the chores and all that. Taking care of a grown man is entirely different compared to taking care of him plus a little man running around, climbing stairs, poking at sockets, and so many teeny tiny explorations he could take on. Whew! Boy, was it tiring!

 

Juggling wife and mommy duties along with my other freelance work as a consultant and writer was crazy. I had to pass up on most of my “me time” just to get things done but it seemed like there were so many things that were still left to be done. A part of me wanted to do those “me time” activities again such as journaling, reading, blogging, and other outlets for my creative juices. I needed my morning down time with my heavenly Father just reading His Word and journaling my prayers to Him. I needed to catch up on my personal reading again aside from reading children’s books to Timmy. I needed to write for myself through blogging so I can hear my voice again. When you are commissioned to write, sometimes you go auto pilot and write in whatever tone or style guide is expected of you. God knew all these things and slowly He allowed me, in partnership with my husband, to adjust to the new dynamics in our family. Before the year came to a close, God allowed me to establish certain routines that involved a balance between my daily responsibilities and my personal down time. God also helped me face the challenges at work when there was just too much to do over the last quarter of 2012.

Overall, the year that was showed me the faithfulness of God once again. He held me steady and secure, making sure that I didn’t fall into pieces and held my Lupus back from flaring up again. Despite the changes and challenges we faced, God prevented the stress from getting the best of my health, allowing me to have a flare-free 2012. Praise God indeed! This year also challenged my homemaking skills, which I admit got rusty when we had a helper. When I became the hands-on home manager again, I learned to rely on God even more from the most basic chore to the complexities of cooking. I’m still far from my mom and mother-in-law’s homemaking skills but I’m slowly getting there by God’s grace. I have an entire lifetime to live by “practice makes perfect!” Haha! My husband encouraged me and said it best a few days ago, “we may have a disorganized house but we have a well-organized home.”

I truly praise God that we share a great friendship and a drama-free marriage. We are still in the process of making an organized house with toys, books, and colored mats as our home’s main attraction. One thing I know for sure, there’s more to life than the creative mess in our household. I am beyond grateful to have a Father whose unending grace sustains me, a husband whose unconditional love overwhelms me, a baby whose joy fills me, a wonderful set of grandparents whose reliable support makes our lives easier, and a great mix of family and friends whose encouragement and prayers uplift us.

Without further ado, allow me to embrace 2013 with great expectations at our great God who will once again take us to awesome adventures, thrilling surprises, and faith journeys with Him.

The Giver and the Gift

People all over the world are celebrating the most wonderful time of the year. I admit presents are one of the things about Christmas that gives me the holiday cheer. I get a sense of fulfillment ticking off names of the people I’ve already bought gifts for. I love wrapping presents, distributing them, and of course receiving them! Haha!

Gifts

As much as Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the busiest in my book. The malls are crowded, traffic is horrific, parties overlap, and everybody’s rushing to get their holiday shopping over and done with. It is a holiday that is not as leisurely as summer vacations nor as meditative as Holy Week. Christmas is crazy and wild with celebrations and get-togethers. Houses are filled with laughter and conversations with reunions happening simultaneously. It takes a lot of time, energy, and money to celebrate Christmas and it always goes by oh so fast.

Christmas Shopping

After the food is gone, the decors are down, and the parties are over, we all go back to our daily routines. We eventually realize that we never fully grasped Christmas and we hope that next year Christmas will go a little bit slower than usual so we can savor it longer. All the holiday hustle and bustle got me thinking on how I can slow things a bit this Christmas. Hence, this blog.

The nativity scene

As I do my own reflection on Christmas, I am reminded that this holiday is festive and full of love only because of Christ. Take out His name and there’s no reason to celebrate Christ-mas. In reality, the birth of Christ was nothing but a joy-filled, stress-free event. In the most defining moment of mankind’s history, there were no parties nor people hurrying around shopping for gifts. When Christ was born, there was total peace yet there was a complete celebration in the hearts of those who witnessed it.

I can only imagine the joy and awe that filled the heart of Joseph and Mary when they finally saw Him, their Son and Savior. What a great honor it must’ve been to be Jesus’ surrogate parents! Imagine being chosen to bear the next King of England or the next President of the United States. Just thinking about the huge responsibility and scrutiny that goes along with it makes me queasy. In addition, this soon-to-be prominent leader in your womb would surely receive the grandest and most high profile welcome from the world, televised 24/7.

Nativity Scene

But Jesus is different. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords born in a lowly stable. To even call it low profile would be an understatement. The nativity scene, which we now use as a perennial Christmas decor, was a simple gathering of people from all walks of life rejoicing in the presence of the perfect, blameless, pure, and most holy Newborn they’d ever seen. The shepherds and the Magi were overjoyed at the sight of Christ, praising and worshiping God for sending the Savior of the world. They already found the gift they’ve been looking and waiting for. The Giver and the Gift came with no trumpets resounding, no commotion, and no social media coverage. Yet His birth reached every corner of the world and is celebrated yearly for thousands of years.

Jesus in a manger

In that humble manger, Jesus showed how accessible He was from the very start. No mediator needed, no VIP access, anyone can approach Him anytime. His birth was already an invitation for all of us. Later on, Jesus would show even more how accessible He is by initiating contact with people that are considered outcasts by society. He taught and fed multitudes. He healed the sick regardless if he’s a friend like Lazarus or a servant of a Roman soldier. Discrimination was never in Jesus’ vocabulary. He accepted all kinds of people. When He died on the cross to reconcile mankind to God, He did it for everyone. He knew that no one is sinless and no one will be good enough to reach God. Only a perfect holy sacrifice will suffice for a perfect holy God.

The Giver and the Gift

Christmas is not simply about Jesus the baby being born. It’s about Jesus the Savior opening His arms to all of us. In the same way, Christmas is also a good time for us to open our hearts to Him, to think about His abounding love, to thank Him for everything He has done for us, and to honor Him in our celebration of Christmas. Let us spend one unhurried moment with our Savior this Christmas, praising and thanking Him for being the reason for the season. Let us savor a moment with Jesus and celebrate His love by sharing His love not only today but also every single day He has blessed us with.

An Open Letter to My Terrible Two

Dear Timmy,

Today you reach the age that most people call as “terrible two.” I couldn’t agree more. You gave a positive spin to being terrible, sweetheart. Each day you are becoming terribly smart, terribly funny, terribly sweet, terribly joyful, terribly sociable, and so much more! You’re being terribly cute is a bonus to your already terribly wonderful personality. See, you really embody everything positive about being a “terrible two.”

My baby boy is now a toddler!

Going into your second year is a fun ride for me and your dad. It’s a year of precious milestones. You started to walk when you’re a little over a year old, around one year and two months to be exact. Most of your Sunday School classmates in the toddlers room “outwalk” you but when you started walking you “outran” them. You’re not a runner, my little man. You’re a sprinter! You leave me and your daddy breathless, literally. You have this bouncy gait whenever you run. Sometimes you just run back and forth in our house. Whenever you see a big space, may it be a mall or a vacant lot, you squeal in delight and run without looking back. I sometimes call you Timmy the Explorer because you are just so curious about everything! You explore the stairs, sockets, gadgets—anything you can lay your hands on. I guess it would be fitting that I describe further the terrible things about you that I mentioned earlier so that when you get to read this someday you’ll know what you were like as a budding toddler.

Timmy the Explorer!

You are terribly smart. You easily comprehend things. You’re already talking, by the way. Your first words are “dada” and “daddy.” You only say “mommy” when you’re crying or when you’re in distress. You can say “mama” casually, though. You say a lot of things now. You love to count! You love it so much you even count in your sleep! Hahaha! Your dad even used your love for counting to continuously brainwash you to love the NBA. You see, there are game highlights being ranked weekly. You love watching it because there are big numbers being shown before each highlight! Plus, the plays run for a few seconds only so it fits your short attention span perfectly.

Timmy watching NBA highlights

You can identify our immediate family, like your grandparents, titos, and titas. Aside from that, you can also identify the different parts of your face and body. You know your colors, too! You love the sensation of feeling things that are hot and cold. Every time I blow on your food, you will say that it’s hot. When you touch something cold, you immediately put your hands to your cheeks! You know the names of our family dogs—Yogi, Tito Jc’s dog; Rocky, our dog who recently passed away; Snowy, mommy’s dog. You love dogs but we couldn’t get one because of your asthma. Someday, sweetheart. When you’re old enough to take care of one, we’ll find a hypoallergenic dog for you. Right now, you just might end up treating him like your toys, tossing and throwing it around. Besides, I don’t think mommy can take care of two boys (you and daddy) and a dog—that will be I.N.S.A.N.E. You also hum and sing. You’re not much of a dancer, you don’t even groove. Your dance moves involve some jogging and skipping only. However, you can easily pick up tunes and hum them back.

Timmy loves animals!

You can identify animals, too! This is the reason why for your second birthday we brought you to Manila Ocean Park where you got to see thousands of fish, colorful birds, a couple of sea lions, and some penguins! You went wild screaming and running in the Oceanarium. You kept shouting “fishie!” Your dad even said you might end up losing your voice for the day but thankfully you had a lot of reserve. You still love books and it’s the staple thing we buy for you regularly next to food. Haha! You can entertain yourself just browsing through all your books. I particularly love it when you bring your books to me and ask me to read them to you. I can only imagine how much joy you’ll have when you get to read on your own. Oh, the places you’ll go, Timmy!

Timmy enjoying Manila Ocean Park!

You are terribly funny. You have a knack for saying something random but fits just right to an ongoing conversation, making us wonder sometimes if you understand what we’re saying. You parrot certain words with precision just like when your daddy said, “Anak ng teteng” when the game he was watching was cut by a commercial. You immediately said the same thing with the same tone! Hilarious! When I said “gosh” one time, you kept repeating “gosh” after. You also love making funny and goofy faces. You can even make yourself cry for the sake of drama. You do it with tears streaming down your cheeks! Then you’d stop and do some goofy face again. Haha! You can walk like an old man which is really funny. You get jealous when daddy hugs mommy so what you will do is hug me or ask that you be carried or join the family hug. When we pray before meals, you always check on me and daddy (mostly daddy) if we already stopped what we were doing so we can pray. It’s both funny and heartwarming at the same time.

Our funny baby!

You are terribly sweet. You give random hugs and kisses to me. Sometimes you would even hold my face with both hands then kiss me with a sloppy wide-open-mouth kiss. Your daddy still has to ask you for a kiss. Haha! I think you know that you guys don’t normally do that. However, you don’t complain when daddy smothers you with kisses. You just don’t initiate that much with him. I get really “kilig” when you just hug me randomly and kiss me out of the blue. You still love sleeping on my chest although you don’t stay there that long anymore compared to when you were still a baby. A good 10 minutes is enough to put you in a deep sleep. You shifted the rest of the minutes snuggling on my side right under my armpit.

Such a sweetheart

You are terribly joyful. You easily clap in appreciation and scream “Yehey!” when you see something you like. You are so easy to please. Any bottle with a cap or cover is a treat for you. You just love to open and close it. Any ball, regardless of size, makes you happy. That’s the NBA and daddy brainwashing working, right there. I must say you really are getting good at playing basketball. You already know how to dunk and make jumpers. Yes, jump shots, little MVP. You are now moving farther away from the ring and you really are making some shots! It’s really awesome to watch!!!

Timmy is a happy toddler!

You are terribly sociable. What a great improvement! From being extremely shy and afraid of people you now blow flying kisses to salesladies! It doesn’t take long for you to warm up now. You are still shy just like your dad but you’ve come so far that I have to say that you’ve become terribly sociable from a shy person’s standards.

Our little trooper fighting the high fever.

You are terribly strong. You are a trooper. We’ve had bouts with asthma about four times this year with each one lasting a week for you to recover. That didn’t stop you from having the energy to play and scream even if you’re on crib arrest.   You also had a dengue scare but God in His mercy protected you from that sickness. In that small heart of yours is a fighter, Timmy. From the time you were born—two months early and two pounds heavy—you know how to keep going. Jesus created a warrior in you. I really believe that.

Merry Christmas!

There are so many terribly good things about you, sweetheart. We are excited to see more of them this year. Happy happy birthday, my terrible two. We are beyond blessed to have you. We are humbled and privileged to be your parents. Whenever I see you, I am reminded that we have a good, loving, faithful, and gracious God. We love you so much, Timmy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!!!

Much love,

Mommy