This is a true story that happened to me. Please take time to read. Actually, I posted this first in my other blog many months ago but I just want to share it here again. This is my personal testimony of how the good Lord had worked in my life.

Here is one chapter in my life that will always stay fresh in my mind. Sometimes I don’t want to think about it because it bring back a tremendous feeling in me but the Holy Spirit has been leading me to share it here in my blog. This experience in my life is a living proof that God is still the same yesterday, today and forever and miracles happen when we pray. I’m not telling this to glorify myself or anybody but to glorify the name of Jesus, my Healer. It was September 1995 when I felt a lump in my left breast while I was taking a bath. I got worried but I can’t go to the doctor at that time because I had no money, no job and my grandmother who had been supporting us from her pension just passed away. My sister Violy was the sole bread-winner at that time and life was not that easy. I was a college graduate but it was not easy to get a job in the Philippines. In my previous jobs, I was just a casual employee and my other jobs were just contractual. I tried my best to look for one and I applied in different offices but no luck. Then after a few months of searching the Lord had finally answered my prayer and I landed a job in a public high school in our town as a school clerk on March 1996. After I got my first salary I went to a doctor for a check up of the lump in my breast and he said I needed to have an excision for biopsy. I was so scared to go under the knife but with lots of prayers in my church and my own prayers and my family, I finally took the courage to go under the knife. My first salary just went to the doctor. To make the story short, after the biopsy, I was diagnosed of the Big C, breast cancer. I remember, I was with my aunt in the hospital and I cried and cried. I asked God "Why me Lord? There are lots of bad people out there but why me of all people?" I said I’m still young and I’m going to die soon. To have a cancer is just like having a death sentence. My mother passed away because of breast cancer when I was 16 and I’ve witnessed how hard it was for her to suffer this disease. I prayed hard to God, at that time I was still a baby Christian but I believe that God can do miracles. I wanted an instant healing miracle like what I watched in the tv but God had another plan. I just realized later that God deals with every individual differently. I didn't want to have another surgery because I was so scared and I remember my sister and I used to cry at night. I told her I'm going to die like our mom, she had undergone surgery 3 times but she still died. But Violy encouraged me and with lots of prayers I agreed to undergo another surgery because I wanted to live longer. It was really so hard for me financially, my mind was bothered with my illness and I was also tortured of thinking where will I get the money needed for the surgery. My sister Violy decided to get a loan so I can have the money I needed for the surgery. Also my brother Celso just got a job and he helped me too. My neighbors who are well off financially don’t even want to loan me money because they thought I won't be able to pay it. This time I needed a lot of prayers again from my church and for one month I was the subject of their prayer meetings and also they came and prayed for me in our house. I needed the courage to go under the knife again. Everything went alright after the surgery but it took some time for the wound to heal. Then I went back to work after a few days and I just took some medications which the doctor prescribed me to kill the cancer cells. But lo and behold, after almost 2 years I had a relapse in 1998, the cancer came back and it was inflamed. This time I went to see another doctor in Baguio General Hospital. He’s an oncologist and he was the doctor of my late mom. He still remembered my mom and he said mother and daughter. I cried at that time and he recommended to me to have a chemotherapy and radiation therapy as soon as possible. I had to remedy again the money needed for the treatment. I was so depressed this time. My salary was not even enough to cover my treatment each month and I needed to have the chemo every 28 days for 6 months. I prayed to God to take care of my financial needs. I told God that He owns the world and everything on it and I trusted Him that He will meet my needs and God has been so faithful. He provided all the money that I needed. He used other people to help me. My distant relatives here in the US learned what I'm going through had sent me money and also my college friends in Canada sent me money to help me. Just after my 1st chemo my hair fell out and it really made me cry. I was so depressed because It's hard for me to lose my hair. Also I always throw-up until there's no more food in my stomach and I was worst than a pregnant woman because I don’t even like the smell of certain foods. It made me throw-up too. My youngest brother Albin accompanied me in my treatment alternately with my aunt and my BF in Baguio each month. After my 2nd chemo, the worst happened. The effects of chemo and radiation therapy is worst than the cancer itself. I can’t eat and I can’t sleep for almost a week and I felt so weak. I didn’t even want to look at myself in the mirror because I saw an ugly woman whenever I look at the mirror due to the effects of the therapy. I was so thin, so dark and no hair and my fingernails were black. I was even ashamed to go out when other people came into the house. I hid in my room. I used a hat then I bought a wig to cover my bald head. I almost died after my 2nd chemo. It felt like there was a heavy stone in my chest and I can’t lie down for even straight 5 minutes. When I sat down I got tired so I really didn't know what to do. I can't eat because my throat was sore due to my throw-ups. I knew my immune system at that time was so weak because of the chemo treatment. It killed the good and bad cells in my body. My room was upstairs and I can hardly go up there. I remember I even asked forgiveness from my father who was still alive at that time and all the members in my family because I thought I won’t live long. I really cried and I know they had a hard time seeing me suffer. My sister and her husband took me to the hospital to have a dextrose to make me stronger but it didn't really helped a lot. Still I didn't feel any better. When everybody were all sleeping at night I was wide awake sitting down on my bed and looking at the sky talking to God and pleading my case. Then that memorable night happened. I was really so weak and can’t sleep for many nights already. I kneeled down beside my aunt and I cried out my heart to the Lord. I told God that if it’s His will to take my life, then take it now because I already suffered a lot and I can't handle it no more but if it’s His will that I will live, then He will heal me. I told God that I know that all people will die but I pleaded to Him to please extend my life so I can help my family and also His ministry. I claimed His promises in the Bible, like “I am the Lord that healeth thee”, “Ask and it shall be given”, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it and will be yours”, "I will never leave you nor forsake you", “With God nothing is impossible”. While I was praying, my aunt kneeled down too beside me and we both prayed and cried to the Lord to heal me for almost half an hour. I made a total surrender to the Lord. After that I laid down and I focused my thoughts on Jesus. I kept telling myself, Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me, then I drifted off to sleep for the first time after almost a week of not being able to sleep. When I was sleeping satan came to disturb me because I dreamed about my mom having a lot of lumps in her body and I woke up. I rebuked satan and told him to leave in Jesus’ name. I told him that greater is He who is in me (Jesus) than he who is in this world (satan). I really said it out loud. Then I went back to sleep and when I woke up in the morning I decided to go back to work. I had to fight my illness and won’t let the enemy win. From that time on I slowly regained back my strength and my healing has been slowly and surely. Until now I’m cancer free. It's been almost 9 years since this incident happened and I thank God I'm still alive. Jesus Christ has healed me! The Lord is really amazing! He’s the greatest physician in this world and I give Him all the glory, honor, praises and thanksgiving. He had also transformed me from glory to glory and I’m not ashamed to tell the whole world that Jesus Christ is my Healer, Provider, Comforter, Savior and Lord of my life and I belong to Him. Jesus Christ is also my coming King. This trial in my life had deepen my faith in God and I developed a closer relationship with Him. This was really a test of faith and I am a living proof that Jesus Christ still heals today as long as you have faith. To anybody who is reading my testimony, it's my prayer that you'll be blessed and if you have any problems in your life, just go to Jesus and talk to Him through prayer. Nothing is too difficult for Him. What He has done for me, He can do it for you for He is no respecter of person. Just have faith. To God be the Glory.

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I like to shop online. Why not? It's more convenient and hassle free. I just shop in the comfort of my home and I don't need to go to a crowded store to buy the things I want. To top that off I save gas and time shopping online. I just surf the internet and search for the things that I want to buy. I can also compare the prizes by going to different websites and also I can read the consumers' reviews. It's that easy to shop online. I just add those items that I want to buy in the shopping cart, check out and pay with my credit or debit card and they will send it to me. It's that easy. I just found out that Ashop provides shopping cart software to those websites that sells online so that online shoppers can easily purchase the things they want to buy by using their shopping cart in their online stores. It is easy to use, no installation needed because it is web based and it's good for small and medium-sized business. Ashop provides security, hosting, email accounts, and ongoing upgrades and technical support. It's search engine is fully optimized and you can also customize your design so your website will have that unique and personal look. For a low monthly fee, anyone can set up an online store with the help of this ecommerce software. So to those who are planning to build an online store, this software will definitely be of great help to you.

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I don't know why on cold days I felt like just staying in the house and just watch tv and blog of course. One thing that really annoys me is my very slow internet connection. I can't do a lot of blogging because of this problem. I wanted to have a DSL connection so my PC won't take that long to operate. My, the waiting time alone is killing most of my time. I spent many hours infront of my PC because of the slow internet connection. I'm having a stiff neck already because of it. I definitely would apply for a DSL so I can blog more.

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Pretty Sarah tagged me again. I like this meme because it's about my hubby and of course I can tell you here a glimpse of our love story.

This tag is simple. If you feel comfortable and your better half does too, you can post a picture of him in your blog ( but if not a description will do). May it be a baby picture anything that you like with the following:

1. First name: if he doesn’t like his name plastered all over the internet, a pet name will do.
2. How and where did you meet?
3. Characteristics
4. Your plans 20 to 30 years from now.

1. My hubby's name is George. Sounds popular? Of course it is, because he has the same name with the president here in the US. He even has the same middle initial (W) with president Bush. I fondly call him "Honey" but when I'm teasing him, I call him Georgie. He doesn't mind at all.


2. My hubby and I had a whirlwind romance. We met in the internet at christian cafe in May 2002. I was the first who e-mailed him and I just said Hi, how are you doin'? I didn't thought that that simple "hi" will turn into something serious. He e-mailed me everyday and then called me very often. And then he told me to call him collect whenever I want to. I told him no, because a collect call will cost him much in his phone bill. He said he doesn't care even he will spend a lot in his phone bill as long as he can hear my voice. I said to myself, hmmm, this guy is not stingy. Stingy guys turn me off you know. In June 2002 he proposed to me. So fast huh! I prayed to God and seek His will for me. I asked God if this guy is the one he wants me to have. I've been in through heartaches before and I don't wanna experience it again. I felt peace in my heart after I prayed. July 2002 I answered George's proposal thru e-mail. He was so happy, me too. August 2007, he went in the Philippines to meet me. Then he asked me to go to the US Embassy in Manila to get the legal capacity for marriage. I thought we will just meet each other, because we didn't talk about getting married before he came to see me. I didn't even have enough time to get to know him. But one thing I've learned, if that person is God's will in your life, even you've just known him in a short period of time, it felt like you've known him all your life. God has sent me my soulmate at last. We only had 10 days to prepare for the wedding. September 11, 2002, we got married in our church. Lots of people attended our wedding, especially the reception. My hubby was surprised to see a lot of people coming in. He didn't really mind, he was just fascinated, they're not used to that here in US you know. Only the people you invited will come. In the philippines, invited or not they will come to eat, he-he-he!!! Four days after the wedding, hubby flew back to US and left me with a lonely heart. I missed him so much. December 1, 2002, hubby returned to the Philippines and spent Christmas and New Year there. He stayed there for 2 months and flew back to the US January 29, 2003. March 12, he returned again to the Philippines for the 3rd time because he missed me so much. He stayed there until my visa was processed. September 30, 2003 we got here in the US. Thank you Lord!!!

3. My hubby is so loving and has a big heart. He always say "I love you" to me everyday. He said if he forget to tell it, I can kick his butt. Never done that yet. He love me unconditionally and he do everything for me as long as he can.

4. Our plans in the future is to live in the Philippines and help in God's work by reaching to the lost souls and share the gospel to them so they too will be saved.

Okay friends, you've read my story, it's your turn now Rissa, Liza, Lira, Irel and Ging.

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I baked pot pie because hubby had been wanting to eat a home-made one. He likes the pot pie that Toni gave me last time but the problem is I don't have the recipe. I've seen the way Toni made her pot pie but I don't know the measurements and all the ingredients. I tried to make one by memory but it turned out to be a disaster, gosh! It was edible but not good, too dry. So what I did I searched the internet and got this recipe for a home-made chicken pot pie. I cooked it and it turned out good. Hubby and I loved it and we ate it all. Here's the recipe for a delicious chicken pot pie made from scratch:

Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubes
1 cup slice carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 (9inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Most people now just go online to buy something they want and that includes me. It's a lot easier and no hassle to drive to a crowded mall. I just search the websites and choose what I want. Then I add those items that I want to buy in my shopping cart, check out and pay with my credit or debit card and they will send it to me. I was really wondering how easy it was to use those shopping carts when I purchase online. I had no idea how those websites created it? I thought it's really hard as I'm not really good in computer myself. I was surfing the internet and I came across Ashop commerce, a website that offers a ecommerce software that will guide you to build your online store. It is easy to use, no installation needed because it is web based. It's search engine is fully optimized and Ashop also give full technical support in case you have any problem. For a low monthly fee, anyone can set up an online store with the help of this software. You can also customize your design so your website will have that unique and personal look. So to those who are thinking of building an online store, you better check out this software. It makes it easy to shop online using those shopping carts. It's not really that hard to become a merchant online nowadays with the help of this shopping cart software. They also offer a 10 day free trial so you can try it yourself before you buy.

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Last weekend, hubby and I went to visit the kids and grandkids in Alvarado and Cleburne. We were so glad to see them except Sherry, my youngest step-daughter. We haven't seen her in a good while. She was always busy working but everytime we stop by at her work, she's not yet there. I hope to see her next time we go there on Thanksgiving. We spent Friday night in Alvarado with Stacy and her kids. Steven and his kids were also there. We spent Saturday night in Cleburne with Shelly and family. We were supposed to go to Traders's Village in Grand Prairie last Saturday but then hubby decided to postpone it next time. Saturday night, Robert and Shelly treated us to dinner at El Chico in Grandbury. Boy! I like their food there. We were all so full afterwards. We had a good time this weekend and came back home Sunday night. The only thing we don't like is the heavy traffic in I-35 in Fort Worth. Where did all those cars came from?

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Making money online is a lot of fun. I enjoy it myself and I don't encounter the hassle of having to go out everyday to work. I just stay in the comfort of my home and type infront of my computer. Getting up early especially during the cold weather is really so hard for me as I'm not used to very cold weather. So I'm really glad that I don't have to do that and just work at home. One website that pays me to blog is Smorty. This website connects advertisers with bloggers. I just have to write my opinions about the advertisers' products linking their website in my posts and I get paid to blog. Ain't that cool? Smorty pays bloggers to advertise on blogs about those products being offered by the advertisers. One thing I like about Smorty is that they pay bloggers weekly through Paypal. I don't have to wait for a month before getting paid like what other websites do. So what are you waiting for? Get that blog, sign up to Smorty and blog for money. I assure you it's really fun.

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This is a tag from Lira.

THE RULES - List of 7. Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their blog. People who are being tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

1. I am the oldest of 4 siblings in the family.

2. I got saved and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior 19 years ago.

3. I have a strong faith in the Lord and I firmly believe that with God nothing is impossible.

4. I had 2 BF before I finally met the man that God wants me to have and that is my husband George.

5. I am loving and affectionate and I really care and love my husband and my loved ones very much.

6. I am a homebody but I also love going to places I've never been before for sightseeing and nature tripping.

7. I always talk to God in prayer. I tell Him all my cares and plans for the future and I commit everything to Him. I love God and His Son Jesus Christ who died in the cross for my sins.

Now I'm tagging Nancy, Sarah, Janine, Rose, Ester, Merydith and Ging.

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It's cold, gloomy and windy today. The lowest is in the upper 30's and the highest is 57. It's like winter already. I hope we would still enjoy fall temperatures before it gets too cold. I always like spring and fall seasons. I told my hubby if the temperature is always in the 70's, I would prefer to live here in the US. Knowing my hubby, he wants to live in the Philippines and stay there for good. I really won't mind because I want to be with my family also. I miss them very much. Well, I have to dig in our blankets and warmer clothes for tonight because it would be cold according to the weather forecast.

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Just been busy these past few days. I didn't even have time to update this blog of mine. My hubby and I will be out of town this afternoon and we'll be back Sunday afternoon. To my co-bloggers who tagged me, sorry guys if I can't do it. Much as I would like to, but just don't have the time right now. I hope you can excuse me for not being able to do it. I'll make it up one of these days. See ya all and God bless.

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Do you need a new garment today? I’m not talking about a physical garment. I’m talking about what’s covering your mind and emotions. Are you clothed with despair and disappointment? Are you wearing “heaviness”? If you’ve gone through a hurtful situation, the Bible says there is a time to grieve, and it’s important to release that hurt to the Lord. But the Bible also tells us that God wants to give you a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. You can put on a garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened spirit. What’s holding you back today? Are the garments of yesterday weighing you down and holding you back? The garment of praise is light and filled with peace and joy. Don’t carry those heavy burdens around anymore! Today is the day for new garments! Forgive those who have hurt you and begin to praise Him! Thank God for life today. Thank Him for the beautiful sunrise. Thank him for restoring you, even if you don’t see it yet. And this verse says, you will be called an oak of righteousness, strong and secure, and you will display the splendor of the Lord all the days of your life!

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they maybe caled trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)

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I did manage to put again my widgets and links but it took me a while. I had to do it manually, one by one and had to go throught the websites where I got my widgets. I really can't figure out how to put back the widgets that I saved before trying to edit my template's HTML. I was worried I can't put back my blog links. What would my co-bloggers say? They might thought I deleted their links. Well, I won't touch again this HTML or else I would encounter the same problem. Waaaahhh, it really sucks....

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I'm sorry guys if you can't see your links here now. I was trying to customized my template and then when I pasted back the widgets like the blog links, leave me a message, etc. it says error. I've been here until past midnight but still can't figure out how to put back my widgets. I saved my old template and all the codes but my problem is when I pasted it back, it won't appear. Pasensiya na, di marunong ang lola nyo. I'm a newbie here in blogspot. If anybody knows how to customized profiles and put back my widgets, I will appreciate very much your help. Till then and I'm already sleepy.

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I got this tag from Sarah. Thanks for tagging me my dear. My apology because it took me a few days before doing it. Just been busy.
1. Name one person who made you laugh last night?
my hubby
2. What were you doing at 0800?
- still sleeping
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
- watering my plants
4. What happened to you in 2006?
too many to mention
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
- "don't tickle me" coz hubby's day isn't complete without him tickling me
6. How many beverages did you have today?
- 2 glasses of water
7. What color is your hairbrush?
- i'm just using combs color pink and orange
8. What was the last thing you paid for?
vitamins
9. Where were you last night?
- in my room
10. What color is your front door?
-white
11. Where do you keep your change?
- wallet or purse
12. What’s the weather like today?
- sunny
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
- butter pecan, rocky road, vanilla
14. What excites you?
- going to places I've never been to, sightseeing, shopping
15. Do you want to cut your hair?
- i only want to get my hair trim
16. Are you over the age of 25?
- yes, thank God for giving me all these years in my life
17. Do you talk a lot?
-yes and no it depends who i talk to
18. Do you watch the O.C.?
-never
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
-yes, my step son
20. Do you make up your own words?
-sometimes
21. Are you a jealous person?
-not really it depends on the situation
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.
-Ann
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.
- Kenneth, my nephew
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
- my hubby George
25. What does the last text message you received say?
- How are you and George, Hope you're doing ok. We miss you both.
26. Do you chew on your straw?
-no
27. Do you have curly hair?
-just a slight natural curl which makes my hair fly away
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
- to attend our church banquet tonight
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
-can't remember
30. What was the last thing you ate?
-egg sandwich
31. Will you get married in the future?
-I'm already happily married.
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
- I haven't watch movie these past 2 weeks.
33. Is there anyone you like right now?
- my Savior Jesus Christ, I just don't like Him, I love Him
34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
- This morning after I ate my breakfast
35. Are you currently depressed?
- not depressed but a little bit sad coz I miss my family and I want to be there on Christmas
36. Did you cry today?
-no
37. Why did you answer and post this?
coz Sarah tagged me and I want my readers to know more about me.
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey.
I am tagging Garf,
Janine,Thira,Tess, Shabem

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Making money online is really cool. In fact I know a lot of people now are into this paid blogging business and of course I'm one of them. You don't have to go out everyday to work. You can earn money by just staying at home and of course you need to have a blog site. One website that pays you to blog is Bloggerwave. You submit a post to them and once it's approved they pay you and the minimum pay is $10 for each post. This is really cool. In fact, just by writing this will earn me 10 bucks. Sign up to Bloggerwave and start earning money.

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Yesterday I baked banana nut bread. Hubby bought some bananas a few days ago and they are already very ripe now. He's been eating some of it but he doesn't want to eat them now that they are very ripe. He said it's too soft for him. So it's best to make a banana nut bread. I often make banana nut muffins and bread but this time I opted to just make banana nut bread. Both hubby and I love eating it for our snacks. It's really good...yummy. I want to share the recipe. Try it, it's worth the effort.

Banana Royale
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ cup flour (all-purpose)
1 cup pecan nuts chopped (optional)
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp baking powder
2 mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1. Mix butter (melted), sugar, eggs, nuts.
2. Dissolve baking soda in sour cream.
3. Add baking powder, mashed bananas, vanilla.
4. Stir in flour.
5. Bake (muffin) 15 mins.
(loaf) 45 mins/40 mins.

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This award was given to me by Thira. Thank you very much for this award my friend. I appreciate it.

This award was designed by Mike at Ordinary Folk and was originally offered by Christy of Totally Fabulous. She says the award is for “bloggers who are fun, cool, and of course Totally Fabulous!”
I would like to pass this award to bloggers who are simply totally "Fabulous"

Rissa
Garf
Janine
Sarah
Merydith

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I woke up late today, around 9:30 AM. I really had a good night rest. After eating my breakfast, I went outside and I noticed that a lot of leaves were scattered in our yard. It's really fall season and the leaves of the trees are starting to fall. I don't like seeing our yard so messy so I took my broom and swept the yard. Yup, I used a stick broom which my friend Malou gave me which she brought from the Philippines when she went on vacation. After sweeping the yard, I pulled out the weeds which grew in our backyard. This task of mine made me sweat and it's a good workout for me. Boy! Was I glad to see our yard clean but it won't be long that it will be full of leaves again. Can't help it, fall is kicking in...

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There's not too much to say this time. This blogging business took much of my time lately. Just been busy updating my two blogs, my friendster and my scrapbook website. Oh my, it's kinda addictive just browsing the net and also blog hopping. My cross stitch that I started long time ago is not yet finished until now. Just a little stitching to be done though and it will be finished. I will post it here later the outcome of my work. My crocheting hobby had been put aside too. I started to crochet a scarf for the winter but since I've been busy blogging I didn't have time to do it. Oh well, maybe one of these days, I will have to continue all those projects of mine so it will be done and I will see the outcome.

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I decided to bake the pears that one of my friends gave me. They're already ripe and before they rot I better make a pear pie. It's my first time to cook this recipe and surprisingly it turned out good. Hubby was the first one to eat a slice of it then I sliced one for myself. Hmmm...it was so good!!! Hubby requested another slice and also I got another one for myself. After tasting the outcome of my pear pie, I will cook some again next time because I still have some pears left. I asked hubby to buy me more pie crust at Wal Mart tomorrow. Here's the recipe for the Fresh Pear Pie:

Ingredients:
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup white sugar (I used brown sugar instead)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
5 cups peeled and sliced pears
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
1. Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and lemon rind in a mixing bowl.
2. Arrange pears in layers in a 9 inch lined pan, sprinkling sugar mixture over each layer. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll out remaining dough; cut slits for escape of steam. Moisten rim of bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge.
3. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an addtional 35 to 40 minutes.

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Fall season officially starts today. Time really pass by quickly. I'm thankful to God that this past summer was just really a mild one. I didn't just stay in the house all summer like what I did last year. In fact this past summer I've been to summer camp in Oklahoma, Colorado, Six Flags in Arlington, Creation Evidence Museum in Glenrose and Balloon Festival in Oklahoma. So my summer was really filled with exciting activities and I've been to places I've never seen before. This fall season, I've been requesting my hubby to take me to the state fair in Dallas. I really wanted to see the fair ever since I just arrived here in Texas but hubby doesn't want to drive to a traffic city like Dallas. Now I've been requesting him again and hopefully we can go there next month because the state fair starts on September 28 and ends on October 21. I really did my research on the net and so I know the duration of the fair. The entrance fee is $14 per person, not bad.

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I personally stopped using microwave almost 2 years ago since I read about the dangers of using it. Eating microwaved food on a regular basis weakens your immune system and cause depression and anxiety. Parents who microwave baby formula are poisoning there children unknowingly because when you microwave anything, it becomes energetically toxic to the body. Oh well, people perish because of lack of knowledge. So when I read all about these articles, I tossed out our microwave and just reheat our foods on the stove just like we do in the Philippines. Only few people there own a microwave unlike here in the US wherein 98% of the people use microwave. Read further below.

Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:

1. Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2. The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.

3. Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.

4. The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5. Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6. The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

7. Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.

8. The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9. Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10. Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

Perhaps many of you won't agree with this article, but it's up to you. It's your life and your health anyway so take charge of your own. I'm just sharing what I learned.

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Toni and I had a cooking session today. This was our 2nd time to cook. Last time I showed her how to cook pancit and she showed he how to cook chicken pot pie. My hubby took me to her house which is about 12 minutes drive from our house at around 2:00PM. Then he just came back to pick me up after we're done cooking. I showed Toni how to cook our native cake "puto". I brought all the ingredients except the eggs because it might crack on the way. I mixed all the ingredients of the "puto" and then cooked it. When I'm done I told Toni and her kids to come and eat. All of them love the "puto". Then it was her turn to show me how to cook apple pie. She made a crumbly Dutch apple pie. My husband love apple pie and I took it home and just baked it in our oven because hubby came to pick me up before we had time to bake it.

a picture of the "puto"


Ducth apple pie before it was baked


Toni and I

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Today I baked blueberry muffins but this time it was a ready made mix from the box. I used to bake muffins from scratch but I just got lazy this time. My hubby and I just love to eat muffins and everytime I baked he ate most of it. Sometimes I give away to my friends. I just love to give something to my friends especially my friends in the church. Hubby knows this characteristic of mine. I want to bless other people with the foods that I cooked and it made me happy to see other people happy whenever I give them something to eat. I think I got this from my grandma who when she was still alive, she loved to bless other people by sharing whatever foods she had to our kins who were poor. It's really good to be a channel of blessings to other people.

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It's Saturday and my hubby is off from work. He mowed the yard today while I cooked our breakfast. After breakfast, I went to pick up the squash flowers and string beans in my garden. Then I went for a walk just around the block. Walking is a good exercise and helps me to lose some of those excess pounds.

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Just been busy these past few days doing chores in the house. Yesterday, Toni and I went to the store to buy some baby stuff for the baby shower of the 2 ladies in our church who will be giving birth soon. The baby shower will be this coming Saturday for Joan and on September 5 for Elizebeth. Another lady, Alicia will be giving birth on January. So there will be three babies to be added in our church soon and that's a blessing. I've been busy cooking today. I cooked banana nut muffins after lunch and then I cooked the veggies from my garden for our supper. Yesterday after I got home from the store, I made some lumpia so I can stock up my freezer with it. I run out of wrappers so I asked my hubby today to buy 3 more packs of lumpia wrappers. I will continue making lumpia later. We were not able to attend midweek service today because hubby's back is hurting, tired from work. I gonna give him a massage tonight to relieve him of that soreness in his back.

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I'm in the mood to bake banana pecan bread and muffins today. I have to use the bananas before they rot or else they'll just go to waste and I don't want to waste anything. My parents and my grandma used to tell us when we were kids not to waste anything. So today we have a lot of snacks and my hubby would be glad when he comes home and see all the muffins and bread that I baked. He's always happy when I baked muffins and bread. He loves to eat them.

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I've been to Oklahoma several times but this short vacation we had is really an enjoyable one. We went there with Bro. Hugh and Ms. Mareta who invited us to attend the Balloon Festival in Tallequah, OK. What I really like most in this trip is the cottage house that we stayed for 2 days. It's an old house but it's been renovated and it's really cute and clean and it's situated in a very peaceful and quiet town in Cookson. Infront of the house is a 102 year old pear tree. It was also my first time to see all those big, colorful balloons and I enjoyed seeing them at night when they had the balloon glow wherein they lighted the ballons and had it twinkled. We also went to see the classic car show and the extreme wheelin show. But most of all, I enjoyed our meals that we had at Pancho's mexican buffet restaurant in OKC, at Charlie's Chicken restaurant in Tallequah and at Mazzio's Italian eatery in McAlester. We really enjoyed this trip.

balloon glow


the cottage house where we stayed


underneath the 102 year old pear tree

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My sister Violy called me today and told me that they just received the balikbayan box that we sent them last month. She asked me to go online so we can see them on the webcam while they open the box. So I logged online but there was a problem. I can't see them on the webcam because they are still using the older version of YM. I asked Jhun, my brother-in-law to download the latest version of yahoo messenger and it took about 15 minutes. I patiently waited and when it was already downloaded, I was able to see them on the webcam. My hubby and I both watched while they opened the box and all of them there were so excited to see what's inside. I put names on most of the items in the box so they know whom to give it. My youngest nephew Mak-Mak showed the toy gun that he got in the webcam and when George saw it, he went to get his pellet gun and showed it to Mak-Mak in the webcam. It amused me to see my hubby playing with Mak-Mak online and showing his pellet gun too. When they got to see all the contents and each got their share, each of them showed what they got in the webcam and we chatted for a while. We saw all their smiles on their faces and they all said "thank you". George and I were so happy to see them all happy and they appreciated all the things that we sent them. Seeing all of my family in the Philippines on the webcam makes me homesick and want to go back there soon.

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Did you ever marvel of how great and awesome our God is? Everyday of my life I can’t thank Him enough for all the things that He has done and all the things He’s going to do in my life. As I look back in the past, I remember my life before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I had big dreams, like I wanted to finish my studies, find a good job to help my family and also get married and have a family of my own. I also wanted to get rich, have a nice house and go abroad. My parents have no riches to give us except our education. My mom passed away before I graduated in high school and my dad had no stable job but I thank God that we had a grandma who was so loving, generous and willing to support my education and also my siblings. I can say that I really did good in my studies because from elementary up to my high school years I was a consistent honor student. I wanted to prove something that even though I came from a poor family that I can be recognized in the school because of my achievements. Then when I was in my college years, the Lord had began to deal with me. My great aunt had been inviting me to go to church with her but I always had an alibi not to go. Then I asked her to sew a blouse and dress for me because she was a dressmaker. She didn’t want to charge me but she just wanted me to go to church with her on Sunday so I went with her. I remember that I was even ashamed to carry my Bible. I went there a few times but my heart was hardened and not yet ready at that time to receive Jesus in my life. I just went there just to return the favor that my great aunt did for me. It was a few years that I went there on and off. Then they had this revival and I attended it and that was December 1987. I was touched by the message of the preacher and during the invitation, the Holy Spirit convicted me to go to the altar. My heart was pounding, then I walked my way in front of the altar. I kneeled down and right there and then, I repented of my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was there at that moment that I realized that even though I have all the talent, intelligence, education and achievements in life, they are all void and meaningless if I don’t have Jesus in my heart. I realized that everything here on earth is just temporal and life without Jesus is void and empty. I thank God for He has waited on me. I was lost and He found me. There has been a lot of trials and temptations in my life but I thank God because He used those trials to transform me from being a baby Christian to a mature Christian with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that I will be free from all these things. The Scriptures tell us in 1 Cor. 10:13 that God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Looking back now with all the trials I’ve been through, I’m amazed that God has been so faithful to carry me through. His grace is sufficient for me, because it’s when I am weak that I am strong because He is my strength. There were also times that I committed mistakes and sinned because as long as we are in this human flesh we tend to commit sin but I went to God and ask His forgiveness. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Our God is a loving God but he hates S-I-N. I thank God for He has given Jesus to die on the cross for my sins so I will be reconciled with Him. I thank God for all the trials in my life because it increased my faith in Him. I thank God for He has changed me, my outlook and priorities in life. I thank God for the joy of my salvation. I thank God for I know that I’ll be with Him in heaven someday where there will be no more trials, no more sickness and no more tears. The Lord ain’t done with me yet. I believe He has more plans in my life and I asked Him to use me and my hubby to share the gospel to the lost. The Lord knows our hearts’ desire. We want to magnify the name of the Lord and serve Him all the days of our lives. Nothing can compare with the joy and peace that comes in serving God. God is awesome! God is great! No one else like Him.

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It was my birthday yesterday and praise God for adding another year in my life. God is the source of my existence and without Him I am nothing. Wasn't it only yesterday when I was just a kid and don't have many problems because mom and dad took care of everything? Now I'm a grown-up woman and over the past years I faced many trials and problems in life. Mom and dad were not around anymore to lean on during those times of trials in life because the good Lord had called them home. But one thing I'm thankful of, I have my Heavenly Father who is always there for me when I needed Him. I just call on Him and talk to Him through prayers about all my problems and trials in life and He's always there to listen. He love me so much that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus to die for me so I could be with Him in heaven someday. I am so thankful that despite all the disappointments in life, God did not leave me alone. He's seen me and carried me through during those times. Life is not always fair, but God is always faithful. Bless the Lord O my soul!

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How time flies! It's already August. This is the month of my birthday, on the 5th to be exact. My late mom was born on the 3rd and my aunt on the 16th. It was in the wet season in the Philippines when I was born. But during this month, it's summer here in the US. In fact, this is the hottest month here where the temperature hit the 3 digit mark. Hmmm...It's good that this summer is just mild compared to last year. It was soooo hot last year that I stayed in the house practically all summer. I didn't like to go out because of the heat.

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It's Sunday, the day of the Lord! It's just great to be in the house of the Lord today and worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Lord is pleased if we sing praises to Him and give Him thanks for all the great things that He has done. Without God this world and the people will not be in existence. He just spoke the word and all the things in this world came to existence and out of the dust God created man. So I want to shout and declare the goodness of the Lord. I wanna sing praises to His name. Halleluia! You are worthy to be praise O God. Great is thy faithfulness!

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I was busy this morning handwashing some of my clothes and I had no time to cook. George got hungry so he cooked our lunch. He likes to experiment in cooking and he cooked potato stew (my first time to eat this) and macaroni with cream of chicken. I was surprised his recipes turned out good. Hmm... yummy. This afternoon, I cooked pinto beans and George baked Mexican corn bread. While I was cooking the pinto beans I checked my e-mail and my friendster page. I forgot all about the beans and it's good George was there or else my beans could have been burned. I did that a few times before, shhh...As I get older, my forgetter is getter better, LOL! Anyways, the mexican corn bread of George was the best corn bread that he has ever made. It really taste so good! And yes, my beans was superb too. George said I cooked good pinto beans. We're a good cooking team. Hurray!!!

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I did most of the household chores today. This morning after I picked up squash flowers, string beans and tomatoes I cooked our lunch. Then I cleaned and washed the squash flowers, cut the string beans and put them on the freezer. After that I had to wash the dirty dishes that I wasn't able to do last night because I got lazy. While I was cooking I loaded the dirty clothes in the washer and took out the clothes from the dryer. Oh my, I had to fold them too and put in the cabinet. How I wish I'm in the Philippines now so I can have somebody to help me do all these chores. My hubby came home for lunch and we ate together. After he left for work I had to clean the house too. Then I had to cook the string beans for our supper and made some vegetable salad too. Geesh! I'm like a superwoman doing a lot of things. I just pray to God to give me more strength everyday so I can tackle my everyday tasks.

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Last Monday we went to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington together with the teenagers, kids and some adults in our church. My husband was not able to go because he has to work. We left at 7:00 AM and it was a two and half hour drive from Wichita Falls to Arlington. The park opens at 10:00 AM. I thought that there will not be a lot of people there because it's not a weekend but I was wrong. There were lots of people there. There were different kinds of rides there but I just chose to ride the smooth rides. I'm chicken when it comes to riding those thrilling and adventurous rides like the Superman, Coobrila and the roller coaster rides. Oh my! Just looking at those rides makes me feel dizzy and weak. I just rode the train rides and the boat ride. I enjoyed riding the Boomtown Depot train because I was able to have sight-seeing around some parts of the park. It was hot and humid at noon and in the afternoon (maybe the highest was mid 90's)but it's a good thing that they have those fans with mists all around the park and I like to stay near them when I feel hot. It made me feel better. After roaming around the park and had picture taking my feet became sore in the afternoon. So my friends and I just sat down across the Superman ride and watch the riders there. We left Six Flags at 9:30 PM and I got home about past 12 midnight. I really got tired because of too much walking and my husband said that I look darker now because of too much exposure in the sun. I really don't mind if my skin become darker as long as I have fun.

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I woke up today and went to see my vegetable garden at the backyard. I was glad to see that my squash got lots of flowers and they're making a lot of squash now. I harvested a lot of tomatoes in my garden and also a bunch of string beans. My cucumbers have a lot of flowers and bear some cucumbers already. I harvested some okras and also a few of my lettuce. I gathered some bitter melon leaves a few times already. I water my veggies everyday and I am so happy to see them growing so green and providing me food on my table. I really enjoy gardening and it's a good theraphy for the body too.

at my back are the squash

cucumbers

string beans

lettuce

bitter melon (ampalaya)

tomato

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My husband and I had a good time in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Even just for two days that we stayed there, we've seen a few of their tourists spots like Seven Falls, Garden of the Gods and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I can say that nature has it's best at Colorado with all the mountain views and cool weather there. The rocky mountains are so spectacular and all we can say is "What a view!" God is really so powerful to have created those rocky mountains, falls and other scenic views in Colorado. My husband and I would like to go back there again one of these days to explore more of the beauty of Colorado.

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This is a continuation of my previous post. I can say that my life is very colorful, full of drama, joys and trials. Sometimes just thinking of making my life story open to others who barely know me make me feel uneasy but I am doing this just to show how the good Lord has worked in my life and that everything that happened in my life, God had a purpose. You have read in my previous blog how a very big trial has hit me and just more than a year after, another big trial fell upon me. I had a boyfriend whom I loved so much and he was very loving and affectionate to me. He had been with me when I was in my lowest moments in my life. He had seen what I’ve been through when I was battling the cancer and he had accompanied me during my chemotherapy for 4 consecutive months. During those times that I thought I was going to die, he didn’t leave me. He stayed by my side. I was even ashamed to face him at that time because I looked so ugly, no hair because of the chemo and I was so thin and dark. I didn’t want to face him at first but he insisted to talk to me. I told him I want to break-up because I didn’t know if I’m going to live or die soon. I told him that he can find a healthy and pretty girlfriend and I’m setting him free. He’s a good-looking guy and a lot of ladies had a crush on him in our town. He didn’t want to and he told me that he really loves me and he said that my hair will grow and that he already expected my hair to fall out after the chemo. So he has been with me through the bad times in my life. He’s seen me without my hair and he has witnessed the worst effects of chemo on me but he never gave me up. Whenever I was having a throw-up he was there massaging my back and giving me support. He went with me to the hospital every time I went for chemo and check up. I’ve seen his faithfulness and his love for me. Until I recovered everything went smoothly again but not for long. My BF has been watching in the tv this religious program and he got impressed with the minister because he seems to know a lot about the Bible. The audience asked that minister questions and he answered and quoted verses in the Bible from memory. So without me knowing, my BF went to find a church affiliated to that program and he studied their doctrines and got baptized. At first I was impressed at my BF because he read the Bible and has been taking notes in their doctrines. Until he told me about their doctrines then I got the big shock of my life. They don’t believe in the Holy Trinity and they don’t believe in the original or inherited sin either. They only believe in God the Father and God the Son but don’t believe in the Holy Spirit. So I started watching that tv program of that minister and I saw and heard how he twisted the meaning of the verses in the Bible. He also blatantly criticized all the other religions and he even cursed on tv. So I discerned that he is a false teacher/minister and that their religion is a cult. The Lord has really prepared me for this because during the time that I was in Baguio City having my radiation and chemotherapy, I read my Bible daily and I even highlighted those verses that really blessed and inspired me. God had been talking to me through His Word not knowing that my faith in Him will be put again to the test. So every time my BF came in to our house we always have an argument about our beliefs and I even brought out the Bible and read to him and explain it to him but he had another interpretation. It’s the interpretation of course of their false teacher. One time I got so upset because my brother had a birthday celebration and my BF came but he didn’t eat because he said it’s against their doctrines to eat if the celebrant is of another religion. How absurd! I even quoted to him 1 Timothy 4:1-5 but he won’t accept it. Then he wanted to invite me to attend their church so I can see how they pray and sing but I refused. He said that when I invited him to my church he came with me many times so I should go with him too but I declined. I said I’m already content with my church because they’ve been with me when I was sick and they prayed for me and they are my prayer warriors. Also it’s in my church that I got saved and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He said that he would be praying for me so I would join him in his church but I told him no need to pray for me about joining his church because I already cancelled all his prayers and it won’t be effective. He said he is the man and he should be the one to be followed. I was really in spiritual warfare that time. He even proposed marriage to me but he said we will get married in civil ceremony or in their church. I told him “No way, if I will get married it will be in my church and will be officiated by our Pastor.” He said he really wants to marry me even though I can’t have kids anymore because of the chemo and it really made me cry. I know that he really loves me. His mom was very fond of me too and she always cook for me whenever I would go to their house. I asked him one time if now that he’s been faithfully attending that church if he’s sure that he is saved and he said nobody knows for sure. That’s why he’s doing good works so that he might be saved. I quoted to him Ephesians 2: 8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” It just fell on deaf ears because he’s already been brainwashed by their false doctrines. I felt so frustrated. Then I had this dream that my BF and I were talking when I saw a sack and something inside it was moving. He went to open it and I told him not to open it because it might be a snake. But he opened it and it was really a snake. What puzzled me is that the snake crawled past my BF and crawled in my direction and tried to bite me and then I woke up. I told my dream to a pastor and he interpreted my dream. He said the snake is the devil and the reason he went past my BF because he was already his and he wanted to attack me because I’m not his. So I had to make a decision. Satan had reminded me all the good things that my BF had done to me especially when I was so sick and he didn’t leave me. Even my aunt told me that I can’t find a man as good as him and who really loves me. My father and my siblings are very fond of him too. He used to give my father haircuts so I when I told my father that I broke-up with my BF he felt sad. Satan told me that no man would love me no more because of my illness. But I have to stand on my faith and my beliefs. The Bible said in 2 Cor. 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbeliever: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what communion has light with darkness.” I prayed to the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. Though it hurt me so bad I decided to break-up with my BF after 4 years of our relationship. I told God that I love Him more than any man in this world and that when I will see Him face to face and He will ask what I gave up for Him, I will tell Him my boyfriend whom I love. My BF was really sad that night when I told him my decision. I saw the hurt in his face and he had to go home earlier than expected but what can I do? I can’t accept his doctrines and beliefs which are contradictory to mine. I cried and cried that night. It took me a few months to get over it. I remember my sister asked me that time why is it that I have a lot of trials in life. I really don’t know why but I only know that God won’t give us trials we can’t bear. A few months after the break-up, my father passed away in February 2000. So it was another trial in our family. But with God’s grace I slowly overcame the hurt and the pain of losing 2 people that I dearly love. I can’t handle it without the help of God. Life has to go on. In 2001, I met a guy in the Internet from Oregon and I corresponded with him for 9 months. He planned to meet me personally but it didn’t happen because he’s not God’s will for me. He met a Filipina in Oregon and decided to marry her. I was so hurt again and I felt bitterness and hatred in my heart because I felt cheated and broken-hearted. But the Lord has dealt with me and later on I forgave the guy. If God can forgive me, then I can forgive other people. It made me feel lighter and the burden in my heart slowly vanished. I prayed to God that if it’s His will that I get married, then He will give me a man who is a Christian, one who loves the Lord and who has the same beliefs as mine and also one who will love and accept me for what and who I am and despite the illness I’ve been through. I also prayed to God that if it’s His will that I will remain single all my life, then I would still be happy serving and praising Him. Every night I prayed to God for the right man to come along in my life. Then on May 2002, I met George on the Internet at Christian Café. He is a widower for 5 years and he’s a Christian. We corresponded for 3 months and I told him everything that happened to me, my illness and my break-up with my ex-BF. Before I emailed him about it I had to pray to God and to the Holy Spirit for guidance. I prayed to God that if George can accept me despite the illness that befell me, then he is God’s will for me. If he will get turn-off then he’s not meant to be. So after I prayed, I e-mailed George and told him everything and the title of my e-mail was My Personal Testimony. The next day I was in the school’s division office because I had to submit some papers there when my cell phone rang. It was George and he told me he had read my e-mail and was touched and he was even teary-eyed when he read it. I asked if he still love me and he said yes. I was so happy and I knew that time deep in my heart that he is God’s will for me. My world became colorful again and my heart was aglow. Here’s the e-mail he sent to me after reading my e-mail. I printed all his emails to me and kept it. I re-read them over and over and it really made me love him more. Here it goes, “My dearest darling angel, I read your letter and tears came to my eyes, it made me LOVE you even more and I knew you truly were sent to me by God. The LORD had kept you alive because HE knew that someday you could be an encouragement and uplifting, a very special person, a LOVING ANGEL for me. After I read your letter, I fell to my knees, prayed unto Him to forgive me for being so selfish. I had no problems, praise Him for giving you to me. My faith was restored by just reading your testimony. LISA I MOST DEARLY LOVE YOU. LISA you are the WOMAN I HAVE PRAYED FOR, THE WOMAN GOD HAS SENT ME TO LIVE OUT MY LIFE WITH. The LORD has given me life again. He forgave me for turning away from Him then accepted me back in the flock…LISA I LOVE YOU. I got to close for now. John 3:16. I thank God He also gave me YOU..." George. My tears were flowing down while reading this. They were tears of joy. The Lord has finally answered my prayers. He gave me the man I prayed for, one who loves me unconditionally. I love George very much next to God. On August 25, 2003 George came to the Philippines and met me and my family and on September 11, 2002 we got married in our church. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was a whirlwind romance so to speak. On September 30, 2003 I arrived here in the US with my husband. God is really amazing! He answered my prayers and had given me my heart’s desire. God is sooo good. I can't thank Him enough. God is awesome! God deserves all the glory, honor and thanksgiving from me. “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

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Actually, I posted this first in my other blog but I just want to share it here again. This is my personal testimony of how the good Lord had worked in my life.

Here is one chapter in my life that will always stay fresh in my mind. Sometimes I don’t want to think about it because it bring back a tremendous feeling in me but the Holy Spirit has been leading me to share it here in my blog. This experience in my life is a living proof that God is still the same yesterday, today and forever and miracles happen when we pray. I’m not telling this to glorify myself or anybody but to glorify the name of Jesus, my Healer. It was September 1995 when I felt a lump in my left breast while I was taking a bath. I got worried but I can’t go to the doctor at that time because I had no money, no job and my grandmother who had been supporting us from her pension just passed away. My sister Violy was the sole bread-winner at that time and life was not that easy. I was a college graduate but it was not easy to get a job in the Philippines. In my previous jobs, I was just a casual employee and my other jobs were just contractual. I tried my best to look for one and I applied in different offices but no luck. Then after a few months of searching the Lord had finally answered my prayer and I landed a job in a public high school in our town as a school clerk on March 1996. After I got my first salary I went to a doctor for a check up of the lump in my breast and he said I needed to have an excision for biopsy. I was so scared to go under the knife but with lots of prayers in my church and my own prayers and my family, I finally took the courage to go under the knife. My first salary just went to the doctor. To make the story short, after the biopsy, I was diagnosed of the Big C, breast cancer. I remember, I was with my aunt in the hospital and I cried and cried. I asked God "Why me Lord? There are lots of bad people out there but why me of all people?" I said I’m still young and I’m going to die soon. To have a cancer is just like having a death sentence. My mother passed away because of breast cancer when I was 16 and I’ve witnessed how hard it was for her to suffer this disease. I prayed hard to God, at that time I was still a baby Christian but I believe that God can do miracles. I wanted an instant healing miracle like what I watched in the tv but God had another plan. I just realized later that God deals with every individual differently. I didn't want to have another surgery because I was so scared and I remember my sister and I used to cry at night. I told her I'm going to die like our mom, she had undergone surgery 3 times but she still died. But Violy encouraged me and with lots of prayers I agreed to undergo another surgery because I wanted to live longer. It was really so hard for me financially, my mind was bothered with my illness and I was also tortured of thinking where will I get the money needed for the surgery. My sister Violy decided to get a loan so I can have the money I needed for the surgery. Also my brother Celso just got a job and he helped me too. My neighbors who are well off financially don’t even want to loan me money because they thought I won't be able to pay it. This time I needed a lot of prayers again from my church and for one month I was the subject of their prayer meetings and also they came and prayed for me in our house. I needed the courage to go under the knife again. Everything went alright after the surgery but it took some time for the wound to heal. Then I went back to work after a few days and I just took some medications which the doctor prescribed me to kill the cancer cells. But lo and behold, after almost 2 years I had a relapse in 1998, the cancer came back and it was inflamed. This time I went to see another doctor in Baguio General Hospital. He’s an oncologist and he was the doctor of my late mom. He still remembered my mom and he said mother and daughter. I cried at that time and he recommended to me to have a chemotherapy and radiation therapy as soon as possible. I had to remedy again the money needed for the treatment. I was so depressed this time. My salary was not even enough to cover my treatment each month and I needed to have the chemo every 28 days for 6 months. I prayed to God to take care of my financial needs. I told God that He owns the world and everything on it and I trusted Him that He will meet my needs and God has been so faithful. He provided all the money that I needed. He used other people to help me. My distant relatives here in the US learned what I'm going through had sent me money and also my college friends in Canada sent me money to help me. Just after my 1st chemo my hair fell out and it really made me cry. I was so depressed because It's hard for me to lose my hair. Also I always throw-up until there's no more food in my stomach and I was worst than a pregnant woman because I don’t even like the smell of certain foods. It made me throw-up too. My youngest brother Albin accompanied me in my treatment alternately with my aunt and my BF in Baguio each month. After my 2nd chemo, the worst happened. The effects of chemo and radiation therapy is worst than the cancer itself. I can’t eat and I can’t sleep for almost a week and I felt so weak. I didn’t even want to look at myself in the mirror because I saw an ugly woman whenever I look at the mirror due to the effects of the therapy. I was so thin, so dark and no hair and my fingernails were black. I was even ashamed to go out when other people came into the house. I hid in my room. I used a hat then I bought a wig to cover my bald head. I almost died after my 2nd chemo. It felt like there was a heavy stone in my chest and I can’t lie down for even straight 5 minutes. When I sat down I got tired so I really didn't know what to do. I can't eat because my throat was sore due to my throw-ups. I knew my immune system at that time was so weak because of the chemo treatment. It killed the good and bad cells in my body. My room was upstairs and I can hardly go up there. I remember I even asked forgiveness from my father who was still alive at that time and all the members in my family because I thought I won’t live long. I really cried and I know they had a hard time seeing me suffer. My sister and her husband took me to the hospital to have a dextrose to make me stronger but it didn't really helped a lot. Still I didn't feel any better. When everybody were all sleeping at night I was wide awake sitting down on my bed and looking at the sky talking to God and pleading my case. Then that memorable night happened. I was really so weak and can’t sleep for many nights already. I kneeled down beside my aunt and I cried out my heart to the Lord. I told God that if it’s His will to take my life, then take it now because I already suffered a lot and I can't handle it no more but if it’s His will that I will live, then He will heal me. I told God that I know that all people will die but I pleaded to Him to please extend my life so I can help my family and also His ministry. I claimed His promises in the Bible, like “I am the Lord that healeth thee”, “Ask and it shall be given”, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it and will be yours”, "I will never leave you nor forsake you", “With God nothing is impossible”. While I was praying, my aunt kneeled down too beside me and we both prayed and cried to the Lord to heal me for almost half an hour. I made a total surrender to the Lord. After that I laid down and I focused my thoughts on Jesus. I kept telling myself, Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me, then I drifted off to sleep for the first time after almost a week of not being able to sleep. When I was sleeping satan came to disturb me because I dreamed about my mom having a lot of lumps in her body and I woke up. I rebuked satan and told him to leave in Jesus’ name. I told him that greater is He who is in me (Jesus) than he who is in this world (satan). I really said it out loud. Then I went back to sleep and when I woke up in the morning I decided to go back to work. I had to fight my illness and won’t let the enemy win. From that time on I slowly regained back my strength and my healing has been slowly and surely. Until now I’m cancer free. It's been almost 9 years since this incident happened and I thank God I'm still alive. Jesus Christ has healed me! The Lord is really amazing! He’s the greatest physician in this world and I give Him all the glory, honor, praises and thanksgiving. He had also transformed me from glory to glory and I’m not ashamed to tell the whole world that Jesus Christ is my Healer, Provider, Comforter, Savior and Lord of my life and I belong to Him. Jesus Christ is also my coming King. This trial in my life had deepen my faith in God and I developed a closer relationship with Him. This was really a test of faith and I am a living proof that Jesus Christ still heals today as long as you have faith. To anybody who is reading my testimony, it's my prayer that you'll be blessed and if you have any problems in your life, just go to Jesus and talk to Him through prayer. Nothing is too difficult for Him. What He has done for me, He can do it for you for He is no respecter of person. Just have faith. To God be the Glory.

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It's a beautiful day today because the Lord has made it! What a pleasant day to see all the plants and trees so green and also my vegetables are thriving. I got lots of tomatoes now in my backyard garden and I will harvest them soon. My squash have lots of flowers now and also my cantaloupes, string beans, and bitter melon. I already harvested a couple of my eggplants and cooked them with eggs. My hubby love it. Sometimes while I'm tending to my veggies, I talked to them to yield more fruits. My lettuce are now growing, also my broccoli, cucumbers, bell peppers, collards, radish and carrots. I'm glad that my labor of love for my veggies did not go in vain.

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Writing is one of my interests and I just want to write my thoughts and ideas. Also I love surfing the internet and I found this site so I just started this blog. Actually, I have another blog in another site and this is my second blog site. I am just having fun blogging and I just want to try this site. Blogging is a good way to communicate with my friends and kins. They will learn more about me, and also they will know my ideas and opinions. Since I'm away from my native land for almost four years now, I miss my family so much. So in order not to think of them most of the time and become lonesome, I have to have an outlet and one of them is blogging. Yes, blogging... My sister and my friends read my blog and I keep them posted with the latest news, travels and escapades of my husband and I. They've been enjoying reading my blog too. So I just keep writing and blogging...

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I woke up today and it's not raining. The sky is cloudy and gloomy though. I went to see my plants yesterday afternoon and I found out that the lettuce, collards, radishes and carrots were all bowed down on the ground and their leaves were covered with soil. We really got a lot of rain this time and according to the news, it's the first time in seven years that the lakes here are full of water. Rain is good for the plants and the trees but too much of it is not. There were some areas in Texas and Oklahoma that got flooded lately because of hard rain.

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It's been raining hard today. Compared to last year, this summer is a lot better because we have more rain. Last year was so hot and dry. Our pecan trees did not make any pecans at all last year because of the heat. We're hoping that we will harvest more pecans this year. According to the news, we have 70% chance of rain this week and next week will be back to summer temperature. We haven't hit 100's yet and I hope it will stay this way all summer long. It would be nice as we're planning to go to Six Flags.

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Summer had just started and I hope and pray that this summer will be a lot better than last year. It was sooo hot last year and the temperature was mostly in the 3 digit mark. Oh my! that was the hottest summer since I've been here in Texas. Most of the states here in the US had a heat wave last year. Even during evenings when the sun had already set, it was still hot. Gosh! The heat penetrated in my skin that's why I didn't want to go out during summer last year. I stayed in the house most of the time. My hubby was the one buying groceries because I didn't want to go out. Who wants to get sunburn and sweat?

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