Blessing 109 - To Read

Benicia Library...A Beautiful Scene

Trying to drown out every single noise surrounding my parameters , I couldn't, except one. The voice of one man reading each word so intently captured my ears. It was such a beautiful scene to see and hear a mentor and her student reading. His determination to accomplish a page at time, a sentence at a time, and a word at a time had truly blessed my heart. I heard struggles within his voice. But I also heard the support and encouragement from his mentor. Here I was, not thinking twice about how easily and effortlessly reading and writing came to me, humbled every part where pride existed. The soft rays of light shown directly in front of them symbolized open doors of opportunities to accomplish dreams. It enlightened my eyes to see that there will always be hope and light for those who strive to better themselves. Someone's weakness will become a strong tower by a caring heart willing to share her strength. Praise God.

Blessing 108 - Free Samples and Childhood Cereal

This free sample of Starbucks' new coffee VIA was given to me by the district manager. It came out today but has been 20 years in the making. It is microground coffee...dissolves in hot or cold water...instant fresh ground coffee anytime and anywhere! (I think Starbucks should give a percentage for doing this blog!) It tastes just like freshly brewed coffee, because it is (just microgrounded...if there is even such a word!)

But my blessing is not so much about the coffee but the district manager, Ron, who recognized me from the other Starbucks. He actually caught me taking pictures for my blog and asked me what the pictures were for. What a wonderful way to introduce him to Blessings 365! He actually asked me how my blogs were coming along. That was pure joy! Intersections from God? I should say!!! A very nice man...a super district manager! Free samples and a nice conversation makes Blessing 108!


RAISIN BRAN

I'm the only one who likes raisins at home! I loved this cereal growing up! It's not very popular now, nor was it a big deal back then, but I used to pick out all the juicy sweet raisins from the box! I made sure that every spoonful of cereal had a raisin in it! Please tell me that I'm not the only one who likes Raisin Bran? COMMENT PLEASE and admit you like it too!

Blessing 107 - To Worship, To Listen

DO YOU NEED A STILL MOMENT WITH GOD? I discovered this wonderful place of worship on iTunes. A quite place of beautiful worship music...daily recorded...and absolutely free! It has been a huge blessing for me to worship God before my day gets crazy busy with life.

How do you arrive at this place of worship?
Go to your iTunes (account)
Search for Daily Live Worship by Bryan Clift
Subscribe (it's FREE)
Click on the Daily Episodes
Open your ears and heart and connect with God's heart...

Blessing 106 - Thea"s Bridal Shower

"B"cause God said that it was not good for man to "B" alone...
He crafted a beautiful and godly woman for a god-fearing man.

THEA MERCADO
JOSEPH BAUTISTA

Thea was pure delight! What a beautiful way to share a memorable time with all her close friends and families before she turns into Mrs. Bautista. So simple in her ways, so elegant from every angle, so perfect as a noble wife for J.D.! Here are some pictures of the great time with all had with Thea:

Chocolate tasting!

J.D.'s mom and sister-in-law.

Dear old friends!

...And new friends! (But not me)

Sisters in Christ

Mother and Daughter
(unchanging love)

Sisters...Best Friends!

I had the privilege of propsing a toast to Thea!
Cheers and Blessings!

Fashion Show for Thea!

Thea's Sponsors

One of her tamer gifts from the shower...
can't post the other ones!

To end the day, God couldn't have painted a nicer sunset sky for Thea. What a beautiful blessing Thea has been to all of us...and a bigger blessing to J.D. as his future wife! We love you, Thea Joy!

Blessing 105 - Jada Velasco

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY,
JADA!!!

Make a Wish, Sweetie!

Cone-Cakes!
(The kind that never melts! Very Inventive!)

What a lovely warm day that we all enjoyed with Jada! She had an awesome jumper, a fantastic cotton candy machine, delicious food, friends and families that love her, and a beautiful Little Mermaid cake! Every thing today was "great...down to the last bite!"

May God shine His goodness upon your life, Jada!
Ninang Lani loves you very much! Muah!!!

Blessing 104 - Monta

Today, Monta got his manhood taken away. "Neutered", I should say. My poor baby...he is not himself right now. Please pray for a speedy recovery. Sweet dreams, baby...=( just rest.

Blessing 103 - Aaden Almirol

It has been quite some time since a precious little life have been solely dependent on me. I have forgotten how demanding a little baby can be...but needy in a helpless and sweet way. Always wanting to be held, always wanting to be fed, always wanting to be given some attention. Irene and Ron went to see Casting Crowns in concert so I volunteered to watch Baby Aaden. He is such a joy to have.

This experience opened my eyes in how demanding and restless I can be in my relationship with God. I can be so demanding in wanting to be held, to be comforted, to be loved, to be acknowledged, and my list can go on and on... And at times when I cannot feel Him or sense Him near, I fall back into my doubts and insecurities. I just praise God for His crazy love and patience towards me. I am thankful that He understands and embraces my undesirable ways in spite of everything. This time with Aaden has taught me to praise God more and "demand" less of Him. I know that God desires to bless His children, but He also desires to be worshiped. It should never be about me, but how often my flesh gets in the way of what should be lived out in this life I have in Christ. If I can just see more of how God looks at my life from His perspective... or just the mere fact that I AM COMPLETELY COMPLETE in Him at all times. What a wonderful Father I have!

Hmm...It's 10:35 pm. Where are your parents, Aaden? =)

Blessing 102 - Discipleship and Coffee

Before Coffee and God's Word

After Coffee and God's Word

What a beautiful blessing to have spent some time in a cafe studying God's word this morning! Some of us rely on a little caffeine to wake us up to start our day. Blood starts flowing, mind starts thinking, and eyes get wide open! Dar and I were just blessed to share our personal devotions with one another and we actually dug a little deeper to really get the entire truth of certain passages. God's word truly WOKE us up today (eyes wide open) with much wisdom and guidance that we needed to start off this Wednesday. No COFFEE needed...just our spiritual TEAcher!

Proverbs 20:27
The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man ;
it searches out his inmost being.

Blessing 101 - Health

So uncertain...looking for answers.

Sometimes doubtful...and overwhelmed.

But today...I will choose to TRUST and REJOICE.

Hello! I got my test results in from my doctor. My E.K.G test came back normal. My lab work results came back normal, except for my glucose level. They said that my glucose level is a slightly elevated. Other than that...I praise God that I am feeling a little better. About those dizzy spells, I will just have to trust God that He will in fact take care of me. Are my worries over? Maybe, maybe not. I will just surrender them over to God. So thank you for praying for me. Don't ever stop...please. I will always "B" grateful to you.

Blessing 100 - A Quiet Day with God

I spent the first half of my morning reading verses and commentaries online. I have to admit that it felt so nice to be quiet before the Lord and to listen to Him speak. Being still created a hunger for more of Him. We have no excuse to be without Him. He has provided the iPhones, the laptops, and the good old fashion Bible in the flesh for us to know Him.

Have you found God today?
It's never too late.
Enjoy Him today!

P.S. It's encouraging to know that my 100th day of Blessings was spent in His Word.

Blessing 99 - Overwhelmed (revised)

I'm overwhelmed with You.

Your blood of redemption

Is covering my shame

Your voice that shakes the heavens

Is whispering my name

As You catch my tears with Your nail-scarred hand

I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed with You.

I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed with You.

I was awestruck when we sang this song during worship. Just knowing that God can make Himself known to me in the biggest way by simply gazing upon a single flower, it's beyond my comprehension. In its petals, I see God's awesome creativity in that no one can ever duplicate the color or texture. In its stem, I see God's provision for its life source and strength as the water goes up its vein. In its leaves, I see God's loving ingenuity in that He is able to creative food for the flower (photosynthesis). All this is so overwhelming! What a Wonderful Maker!

Wow, to know the Voice that shakes the heavens....whispers my name.!

Blessing 98 - Worship Practice

THE BAY

Amazing how a simple worship practice can really make a significant impact on a weary soul. As I was trying to sing the words of one of my favorite songs, I couldn't help by think of how majestic our God truly is. Every time He invites me to gaze upon His creation, I can't help but STAND in the midst of its beauty...Like today. I look forward as our hearts worship together in Spirit and in Truth. Until tomorrow...Have a God Evening.

THE STAND

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

Blessing 97 - VW Passat

CONTENTMENT

Ashley: Mom, why can't we get a new car?
Me: So that you can attend a private school.

I have to admit that a brand new VW GLI Jetta would be pretty awesome to drive home one day! But my 1999 Passat will have to do for now. The broken light, broken door locks, cracked windshield, and an alarm that keeps going off automatically can all be fixed and replaced. Some things in life are far more important and worth the sacrifice...like sending Ashley to North Hills Christian School. So Ashley learns a lesson of priority and contentment. (Maybe she's a little embarrassed when I have to pick her up at school with it....Hehehe....Oh Well!)

As long as it runs...it's all good.

Blessing 96 - Heart Leaf

I am thanking God today for this Heart Leaf.

As Niko and I were walking back to our car from the library, he suddenly stopped to pick up something. He then handed me this heart leaf and said, "Here, Mom. I found something for you." A feeling of sadness and joy came over me all at once. For this precious fragile leaf had a significant message for me.

Today, I had an E.K.G. done on my heart. The occurring dizziness and imbalance that I have been experiencing may have led my doctor to decide to do one on me. I am waiting for the results to come in...and I am trusting God with all my HEART that I will be fine. How fragile life can be. How fragile my heart might be. But I am holding on to God's hand. He will be the strength of my life...

So I wait...

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Blessing 95 - The Greatest Kid!

I am so proud of Niko for writing a little paragraph about himself. Although it took him 40 minutes to brainstorm and write, it was thought out very well. We have to start somewhere, right?

"I am proud to be Sean Pagmanua. I am a short person with black straight hair. I like wearing hats and graphic shirts. I enjoy playing sports like: baseball, basketball, and football. I also like playing the drums. I play the drums for a band. I think I am a great kid, because I am nice to people and I love my family."

Blessing 94 - MY 50mm f/1.4

Everyone...Meet Mr. 50mm f/1.4 Lens!!!

You wanna see what this bad boy can do?

Isn't she a beauty?! One of my very first shots!
I'm going to enjoy this new relationship with Mr. 50mm...
We will be taking beautiful pictures together!
All for God's Glory!
(Big Smile!)

I feel so undeserving with all these blessings coming my way. I have been praying and waiting for this lens to come for it has been on back order since May. I called Camera West in Walnut Creek just to have my camera cleaned. I inquired about the 50mm and they said 3 just came in. Not only did I get my Canon thoroughly cleaned, but God gave me my long awaited lens, and a used camera back pack for only $25! God is beyond good........=)

Blessing 93 - My Photo Experiment

What a beautiful blessing it was to take pictures of the Carquinez Bridge at night! This was my very first "night shots" experiment. With my tripod and Canon at hand...I went to work.
With a manual setting, I adjusted my aperture until the light meter indicated f/11. I chose a shutter speed of 8 seconds. How pleased I was with the results.
A huge truck passed my way and this awesome picture appeared! I wanted to exploit the motion of the traffic as it flowed across the bridge. What a great time I had!

I praise God for just letting me have fun with what I really enjoy doing. I have been so preoccupied with my dizziness and health. This was a nice moment to just walk and breathe in fresh air! I didn't feel dizzy or tired one bit! So even for this one moment, I was worry free and just happy to be me.

I live for the moment...God will take care of my tomorrows.

Blessing 92 - And The Two Shall Become One...

Erick and JJ are now husband and wife! It was a beautiful wedding! God was in total control of the weather. A few sprinkles of rain came down, but they were only to remind this beautiful couple that God will be showering His Love and Blessings upon their marriage.

I forgot to bring my camera, so I took this picture of their invitation. An actual invitation to receive Christ was beautiful blended in their ceremony. That was such a blessing! Another unique part of their wedding was the "sand ceremony" where two different color sands were poured into a glass to signify their "Unity" in Christ as husband and wife.

...And at the bottom of that sand glass laid this heart rock that they borrowed from me. It was such a special sight to see them unite their sands on top of my heart rock. I know that their love will always remain "solid as a rock" as long as they continue to place God in the center of their lives.

ERICK AND JENINA SIOSON
September 13, 2009

Blessing 91 - Rehearsal Dinner Desserts

It's no secret that Erick and JJ will be getting married tomorrow! We had a lovely rehearsal dinner for them at church and some of their dearest friends and family made such beautiful and delicious desserts! I am so thankful for our church family! As family, we express our love by our servant hearts and helping hands. My prayer for Erick and JJ is that God will bless them with a beautiful day for their perfect wedding day. They are already blessed...they have God's Unconditional Love within their hearts. Praise God!

1 John 4:18
"There is no fear in love...But perfect love drives out fear..."

Blessing 90 - Niko's First Week of School

We survived the first week of 4th grade! It has been pretty touch trying to put away "SUMMER" for the both of us. But praise God we got through the first week of school! I have been homeschooling Niko ever since Kindergarten and it has been a great privilege to be able to do so. He has changed so much! God has molded both of us for such a time as this. His biggest challenge this year is to be able to write great essays! Umm...we're just starting to learn how to write great paragraphs! It's mommy's favorite subject (writing) and I hope to be able to convince him that it's not all that bad =). But at the top of our list this year is to be able to read the whole New Testament of the Bible, memorize verses from each book, and make a devotional book with the lessons that God will teach Niko.