Comfort and prayers

It's another season of trials and waiting.

I feel that I am most inspired to write when my emotions are in a rollercoaster, or my situation is either at a plateau or low. Recently, it is that way.

I am overwhelmed with a situation. I have 2, actually. One concerns my mom. I feel half guilty that I am not always there for her and in this time of trial, she chose not to tell me. Its either she knows I am that busy, or I let her feel I am THAT busy. I have had time for others' problems, and now I feel sick that I am not the first person she goes to for these. I don't blame her. I am at fault.

You see, my mom is not young, or getting any younger. She's in her prime years. And after all these time, I feel that I haven't been there for her as much as I would want to and should have been. I wasn't a touchy-feely when I was a young girl, then I married young. All throughout the years I have been married, most of the time, I may have just disappointed her. She has seen me fail over and over, and yet continued to love me. She is my mother after all. I haven't been with her on days that I celebrate or days that I am extremely happy. I feel guilty. As I type this, I know I am surrendering this to God, and asking for forgiveness. I also pray that He gives me the strength to comfort my mom now and tell her of God's goodness in her life. I pray for the courage to start. I pray that I won't condemn myself for the things I have been and not. My mom needs me. And I honestly don't know how to act on it.

I pray that God Himself embraces her. I have prayed over and over that He call upon her, like He did me. I hold on to the promise that He will save my household, and everyone that I love. It just takes time. And I need to wait.

In this season of waiting, I pray that I will come out stronger and have better testimonies of God's great faithfulness and love.

The lyrics from Kari Jobe's song Love Came Down, greatly express what I feel now :

If my heart is overwhelmed
And I cannot hear Your voice
I hold on to what is true
Though I cannot see

If the storms of life they come
And the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe

3 Day Stress-ings and Blessings

Time to recap the days that were.

Friday.
It wasn't a good day. I was starting to worry about things that concerned finances. Why you may ask, since it's only 2 days after payday? Well, simply because Ive only had one of my (two) clients pay me (actually, it was a day after). If you must know, as a mom who takes care of the household budget, our finances are scheduled and carefully allotted on our daily needs, bills and even our recreational activities. For this payday, even before the actual day came, I had counted every single peso would go somewhere. So yes, it was quite a stressful day for me.
One more thing about me : I reboot my system and purge when things start to get taxing. So that Friday night, I told the hubby I was craving for a Mint Chocolate ice cream from Caramia (yes, I soooo love Mint Chocolate ice cream!!!). And he had this idea that all of us would watch a movie. Exodus (movie review will follow). So yeah, of course I would want that. If he had suggested just about anything that would make me leave the house (working almost 20hours a day is no joke, I tell ya!), I would've gladly said yes.
Things didn't exactly end so happy that day, but I got one wish, which was to go out. And then some :)

Saturday.
I didn't go to work the night before so I had a good rest for the day's activies. Day out at S&R with the fam.
My mother-in-law asked us to accompany her and do some shopping for our monthly and Christmas supplies. I gladly obliged since it has been more than a year since I last went. Original plans were to go their BGC branch, which the hubby would have a hard time finding, since I am his GPS, if I didn't go.
There was a debate as to what S&R branch we'd go to when we boarded my hubby's uncle's new Trailblazer. As soon as we reached the highway, it was no contest that we'd go to the nearest one since traffic was piling up and it looked as if we had no choice. S&R experience post will also soon follow. All I can say is that, this was a day full of blessings. The only money I had to shell out was my renewal fee.

Sunday.
Day for the Lord.
We had to go to the mall first to have lunch (Church starts at 3PM), buy candies for the kids' Christmas party, and a cake for the birthday girl, Alyssa, my cousin-in-love.
By this time, I was definitely stressing out about my pay from my other client. I haven't received it, and the email I sent Saturday morning was only answered a day after, saying that it is top priority, but didn't have a set time or day when it will be sent. I have stuff to pay and bills are piling up. I know we have some other things we need to spend what's left of our money on. And my loan for my Macbook would need to be paid too. Ack, stress!

I am hoping for a better day tomorrow. Our househelp (she used to work for me and will work again for us now) will arrive tomorrow (hopefully), looking forward also to a stress-less work day and of course, PRAYING that I will be paid finally by tomorrow.

That was my 3-day recap. You?

Amidst the typhoon Ruby

As I write this, my family and I are watching and waiting as to what happens when the typhoon Ruby reaches Metro Manila. It's around 5:30PM and its super dark outside. Currently experiencing just some rains and a really cold weather. Yes, winds too. But so far, that's all we have. Still praying that it won't be as destructive as it's predicted to be. Here's what has been posted on Pag-Asa DOST Facebook page :

https://www.facebook.com/PAGASA.DOST.GOV.PH

Here are pictures of the street where we live : (thank you Instagram)

About 2 years ago. The help, baby T and kuya Ju.

On regular days :) 

The hubby looking onto the foggy distance

As you can see, we live on a really high area. If I can only show you what that foggy distance looks like. You'll see the mountains of Bulacan and Rizal. So we are flood free, but definitely not free from flying roofs and trees.

Still thankful that even during storms like these, I feel (my family does too) very tranquil and serene. I know that it's because we prayed for it and God knows me too much to let me worry, that he has sent his Spirit of Peace in this household. Thank You Jesus. 

This morning, I sent this bible verse to my Mom-in-law and Tita-in-law :

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208:24

This is something so powerful from the Bible especially during these times. We are reminded not to worry about things that we can't handle. Surrender them all to God. And He will take care of everything. 

So I end this post by saying.. Stay safe and dry. Pray. Be at peace. 

God bless us all!

2 jobs and an expired license

Yup, it's a tough world. So having 2 jobs, for now, is but the most sensible thing I can do. While the hubby waits for a more stable gig, I do these. Oh please don't get me wrong. The hubby plays an important role in all of these. If you've read previous posts, I may have mentioned that we are yaya-less, so in other words, all the tedious and stressful work in our household, including taking care of the kids, are all done by my beloved hubby.

I won't lie and tell you that it has been a bed of roses for us. We've had our ups and our downs. Usually brought about by the stresses of our "jobs". But I would rather prefer this lifestyle, where we have our own money to spend, at whatever things we want, especially if we want to go places together. I can smell freedom here.. in a way.

I am still learning the trick of the trade, having 2 full time jobs and a few hours for sleep. And while I'm at it, I have noticed a big change in me, both professionally and mentally. I have learned these things :

1. Be patient - I have been working at home for many years now, and most of the time, when I feel that I am too stressed and that its not even worth my while, I do the easiest way out. I quit. Now I feel that I've come to a point that quitting is not part of my top 3 solutions for when things get bad or worse.

2. Be resourceful - When you have a limited source of funds or stuff you need for work, you must be resourceful. And its not always easy. Sometimes you have to ask.. yes, ask! Asking has been one of my peeves. I really don't like to ask, especially if I feel that it would cause discomfort (somehow) to the one I'm asking. These days I realize, its not a bad thing to ask. If they say no, then okay. Just don't expect. Not everything you want, can and would happen.

3. Be forgiving - Yes, you need to forgive. Whatever wrong that has been done to you, big or small, you have to always forgive. Just like how Jesus did and commanded. As I've said previously, things don't always go your way. And sometimes, other people cause this. They may or may not know that they did/do. Still, forgive.

4. Better things are coming - Yes, I believe this. It's not always raining. It won't. There will always be sunshine at the end of each storm. I know I have weathered a lot, but better and bigger things are coming my way! And for this, I am forever grateful to God.

In light of all these, its really about being thankful. Always.

My DL renewal dilemma

Today was not what I expected. Long story. Deserves a separate post. 

I was looking into renewing my Driver's License today, since weekends are my only free days. And this is what I find :

List of government agencies and their schedules in Robinson's Novaliches

So there goes my license!

:) I hope this info would help any of my readers out there!

JuiceLuv PH : The Most Affordable Juice Detox in the Metro

The husband and I put up a small juicing-slash-detox business. It's been up for a few months now and have a considerable following even though there's not much marketing and yes, capital for ads. Now, I'm writing it here just for a quick info on what it is exactly that the company does.

We are called JuiceLuv PH. We started sometime around July of 2014 and have had several extensive research and brainstorming done for all the aspects of the biz. So what exactly is our company? We provide RAW, healthy, fresh, natural juiced fruits and vegetables nicely bottled up for a detox program. We offer The Most Affordable Juice Cleanse in the Metro. By most affordable, we mean to say that our prices are fairly low compared to others out there. And no, our produce aren't cheap. We get our fruits and vegetables straight from suppliers who provide us with freshly picked crops.

Where did our name come from? We had a small SouthBeachDiet meal delivery company a few years ago, named FoodLuv. We decided to somehow get it from there since our last names (my maiden last name and our last names now) both have "Amor" or Love/Luv in it. So there! Yes, yes, kinda cheesy, I know.

What programs do we have? Currently, we are offering the following (prices included*):
1Day Detox - 1,200php
2Day Detox - 2,200php (October promo says its just 2,000php for the whole month this 2014)
3Day Detox - 3,200php (promo says its only 3,000php for the whole month this 2014)

What are included?
1Day - 6 bottles of 350ml juices, 1 free thermal bag, 1 instruction sheet (and for this month, 1 FREE SALAD)
2Day - 12 bottles of 350ml juices, 1 free thermal bag, 1 instruction sheet (and for this month, 2 FREE SALADS)
3Day - 18 bottles of 350ml juices, 1 free thermal bag, 1 instruction sheet (and for this month, 3 FREE SALADS)

For more details on our products and promos, and YES for orders too, please message us at
0977-210-7000

Thank you for reading! Have a healthy, blessed day! Hugs, Luvs!

Now is...

Today is one of those days AGAIN that I'm feeling so frustrated about how things are going for both our businesses and our family. It's not going the way I've been expecting it to be. And there are things that I've delegated to people, expecting them to finish it at a particular time, only to find out that it hasn't been even started. I know I need some quiet time. But when you're at the stage that you're building a business and building a career for your future, time is just not enough and you have no luxury to even rest. I am overwhelmed by work and house chores. It has been a few days, and yet I feel so burned out. Its probably my lack of sleep or the changes in my timezone. Is it possible to have a jetlag when you haven't even gone out of the country? I wonder.

I need rest.

I know I need some time out. As I write this, I'm imagining myself at a park, with lots of trees and plants and fresh air, doing nothing. Probably some meditating, reading the Scripture, having my one-on-one talk with God. How I would love to do just that.

I have a few projects up my sleeve now, one major is for my Manila Assistants business. I'm also waiting for another full time work by a property management client. If everything pulls through, I will be so busy, I may not even have time to blog. I'm procrastinating right now.

The hubby is feeling what I'm feeling too. So sad.

This too shall pass.

I declare it, in Jesus' name.