God's Birthday Gift to Lyca

 Even before Lyca's 12th birthday last July 24, God's birthday gift for her was already waiting to be picked-up in a warehouse. It was a wheelchair custom made for her special needs.

Lyca's stroller doesn't fit her anymore, a pillow has to be placed on the seat to lessen its "C" curve that caused her scoliosis, and the strap of her bag serves as its head rest.

At last, a new wheelchair though large to be brought inside the car, was custom fit to correct Lyca's scoliosis and the thigh position she got used to which is prone to hip dislocation.

The wheelchair has fixed thin pads under the arms
 to keep her from leaning on one side..

A foot rest based on the length of Lyca's legs 

And a pad at the middle of the seat to
correct the position of Lyca's hips and legs

A head rest measured exactly for Lyca's head...

Dra. Maria Regina Cunanan-Espinosa did all the measuring.

The wheelchair has harness and table top too

How we wish we can bring this wheelchair with Lyca 
wherever she goes !

Thank you Dra. Espinosa and UCP Wheels for Humanity!

Thank you Latter-Day Saint Charities!  Thank you Lord!!

Learning TCM

As far as education is concerned, the best thing that ever happened to me was to learn about TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). This study focuses more on the causes and prevention of diseases than the cures. Although it of course includes the supplements that were studied and proven thousands of years ago, it also includes very natural remedies that has nothing to do with the supplements.

TCM is holistic, so it covers the relationship of each organ to the rest, also the effect of the emotions to each organ. Prevention of an illness involving one organ will usually involve another organ or several organs. A cyst on any part of the body for example, is usually caused by an imbalance of energy in the liver, so if you want to prevent its growth or make it disappear eventually, take care of your liver by avoiding anything that will make the liver work hard. For example, softdrinks will make the stomach acidic, so the liver will work hard to make it alkaline. Anger will affect the liver, so avoid it!

I will surely share more about TCM in my blogs, but it will take time for people not used to its principles to absorb everything. To learn about TCM faster, keep an open mind because your health is at stake! TCM is in because of the economic crisis. Yesterday in Dr. Dela Cruz' training about thyroid in TCM, it was a good thing it was the end of his lecture when there was an emergency because a patient was rushed to a very popular hospital nearby, while the closest relative rushed to him to consult him about the TCM side.

25 things about me

I was tagged by my daughter to do this "25 random things" about me in Facebook. At first I said 25 is too many, but when I reached the 25th no., I felt there are still a lot I'd like to include, but I have to stick to 25 since I'm also supposed to tag 25 people to publish his or her 25 random things. Since I don't have many friends in Facebook yet, I'd like to include some bloggers because I also would like to know what can be the 25 random things about them. Here are the 25 random things about me:

1. I want to be all I can be but time is just not enough.

2. I want to continue my Interior Design course but I also want to have enough time for Lyca, my special needs child.

3. I also want to continue learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). So far, it is the most enlightening field of study that interests me.

4. I also want to study web designing and SEO.

5. I’ve removed some of my wrinkles in my profile’s photo using Adobe Photoshop. My goal is to remove them through TCM so I won’t have to edit my photo next time. I’ve already seen an improvement.

6. I joined a singing contest when I was 6 years old. I was supposed to sing a song titled “Maybe this year”, but many contestants ahead of me sang that song so I changed my song to “Sampaguitang Mahal”, a 30-second Tagalog song.

7. My talent in drawing was discovered by my aunt when I did my “Birds” project when I was in Grade school. My aunt was so glad with the drawings that she volunteered to paint them with watercolor.

8. In my very first school card, my name was “Marilu”, which was really my nickname. The people in our house gave me another nickname, Lulu, which became Lulubelle, because of the yellowbell flowers we had beside our door.

9. My given name is really Maria Luisa but my birth certificate was burned together with the municipal hall in my birth place, Kidapawan City, (Philippines' "City of Fruits"), so registration of my birth was repeated before I was enrolled in college.

10. In college, I introduced another nickname, “Malu”, which I’ve used until I was employed in San Miguel Corp. (SMC), my last employer.

11. My interest in Feng Shui increased when two mechanical engineers of San Miguel Corp. conducted a Feng Shui seminar in SMC and told stories how Feng Shui improved their lives from the time they were students in Mapua Institute of Technology. They decided to develop expertise in Feng Shui even while working as plant engineers.

12. Based on the number formula for names of the two Engineer-Feng Shui experts, they recommended that I change my nickname since “Malu” or “Malou” is not so favorable with my marital surname.

13. My airplane board pass always reflected the name “Malui”, obviously the first 5 characters of Ma Luisa, the name the airline always type every time I book a flight. Because of that, an officemate called me “Malui” which I thought sounded good, so I introduced this as my new nickname.

14. It was my grandmother who taught me how to sing, maybe when I was 3 or 4. We were in the garden one evening and there was a firefly so she taught me the “Firefly” song.

15. I learned to play the ukelele when I was 6 and I think it was my aunt who taught me.

16. I also learned to play the guitar, when I was in high school.

17. I was forced to join a singing contest during my first year in college and I played the guitar while singing. I won the “Most Promising Singer” award.

18. While in college, I joined our neighborhood’s choir, “The Samaritans”, together with my first boyfriend, who became my husband (Lauren’s father).

19. While a member of “The Samaritans Choir”, I began to sing the songs of the Carpenters and since then, I became a copycat of Karen Carpenter. The Samaritans Choir also sang songs of the Carpenters, with me as soloist.

20. After sending my children to arts classes, I felt that maybe I should also enhance my talent in this area, so I also attended art classes later. My real talent is in sketching portraits.

21. I’ve encountered a lot of miracles in this lifetime. The first was when I passed the competitive scholarship exams at Centro Escolar University. Nationwide, less than 20 students passed and were given four years full scholarship by this school.

22. The second miracle was when I passéd the Medical Technology Board exams and got high grades in the exams. I can remember some items in the exam that should be answered in essay form but I had no idea about the answers. I tried anyway and was surprised that what I had answered were correct and can be found in the book

23. The third miracle was after taking the Board exams, I passed another scholarship test for computer courses at the National Computer Institute, a government funded institution located in Camp Aguinaldo at that time.

24. The fourth miracle was when I was experiencing a midlife crisis. I conversed with God and He proved it was He who was conversing with me by answering my question “what is His message to mankind?” through the number of stones I was cleaning. His answer was 143.

25. The fifth and perhaps greatest miracle I experienced so far was when God proved how much He loves me when I asked for a child when I conversed with Him in item 24, because after a year, Lyca was born inside our house.

If you feel you'll also enjoy doing this 25 random things about you, consider yourself tagged and then please include your link to your 25 random things through the comments portion of this post. I'll be very eager to know about them!

Be all you can be!

When I was younger, I tried to be everything I can. I wanted to follow the footsteps of my mother who called herself "a jack of all trades, master of none". Like her, I tried to be a good cook, baker, dancer, singer, actress, painter, artist, writer and more, though her achievements in some of those areas mentioned were on a professional level. On the other hand, my profession was focused in Information Technology until I handled the computerization of my employer's medical department meaning I had to focus on two entirely different fields of study. Because of that, I failed to gain enough expertise in a specialized area in IT, which I believe is the main reason, aside from my age, why it is hard for me to land in another IT job. I then realized that there is a disadvantage in being a jack of all trades and master of none.

From a different perspective however, I and the rest of "jacks-of-all-trades" should be very thankful for their God-given talents. God must have a purpose but at this very moment I'm wondering if I need those talents just to relay His message to mankind, the main reason why this blog was created. I have a small book by John Maxwell titled "Be All You Can Be!", but there were just a few pages that I've read so far. It tells about a much deeper meaning of being all what you can be, and that is the challenge to stretch to your God-given potentials. I am now again wondering if I will need all those potentials to take care of a special child, which came after His message. Maybe a bigger challenge will come and maybe God has given me gifts that are more important than those talents that I can show off. Maybe I can be more patient, more generous and more compassionate. Believe me or not, I've thought about that only while typing the last two sentences before that.

Now I get the point. "Be All You Can Be!" includes everything you can be, and you have to stretch yourself every time until it becomes easy and you are able to stretch again. With a special child beside me, maybe I am more patient now and more persevering, but those qualities can still be stretched far. I believe that is what the trials and unexpected undesirable events that we encounter, are for.

Start of the year thoughts

I can say that this is a good start of the year because I can tell that most of my worries will be over before the first quarter ends. Maybe this will be a good year for me but this time I have to be smarter and be prepared for the coming years. I'm no longer worried about being jobless since that is already given. Companies will prefer the fresh graduates who are more worried than me about getting a job.

I just wish that more opportunities to earn will come my way this year. That will include my blogging, my membership in Tiens, and maybe more computer tasks involving writing or designing. I'm not sure however, if studying web designing will be a right move, if an extra income will come.

A lot of people hate credit cards but ours had saved us from extreme financial problems last year, through these cards' installment schemes. The result was of course debts to pay for the next 12 or 18 months, but what I've appreciated about that is I can plan ahead to pay for them as long as they are kept to the minimum (not bigger than Php10,000 per month). What made that planning possible was the assurance that we will be able to sell our townhouse unit. A month from now, we're expecting to get the proceeds from the sale of this townhouse unit which I will use for the payables for the next 24 months. I cannot invest on anything from that sale, except for the Tiens health mattress that will surely help me and my husband avoid the hospital.

The best development that made me feel good is we will now be able to get the finality of the court's decision for our adoption of Lyca, our special needs child. No more cash needed to get that finality, thank God!

The Modern Three Kings (with Two Queens)

Christmas is not complete without the symbolic giving of gifts by the Three Kings to Baby Jesus. A photo of some family members that I shot last Christmas Day reminded me of the Feast of the Epiphany or the story of the Three Kings, but analyzing the photo further even gave me a more symbolic picture – a modern picture of the Three Kings, but this time with two queens.

Women now play very important roles in the society and that explains why my symbolic photo includes the Two Queens. Here’s how I’d like to interpret the photo:

As an offering to Baby Jesus, the First King brought a dog. Perhaps some animals can be more taken cared of by women and that’s how I want to explain why there is a Queen who brought a cat as well. The Second King brought a special child, but perhaps women are more caring as far as relationships are concerned, so the Queen at the back brought her sweetheart. The Third King brought some special food like Yam Jam, Christmas Bread Pudding and Russian Salad.

To summarize my interpretation, What the Three Kings and Two Queens are offering to Jesus are their love for the things they brought, like the love for animals or pets, love for the partner, love not just for the ordinary child but for the special needs child or people as well, and last but not least, love and gratitude for the graces of God, like the special food we were able to serve last Christmas. I think that was the best interpretation I’ve given so far, about a very simple photo!

Happy Modern Three Kings !!!

The most versatile gadget

I guess you'll agree if I say that the most versatile gadget a person can own should have something to do with his or her wellness. I'm talking about the Comb Massage Gadget of Tiens that sells like hotcake! Even in times when it is out of stock, it is still selling as an IOU item. Can any product beat that? That only shows that most people are health conscious because they fear pain, and the most used feature of this product is to eliminate pain that can be felt in any part of the body. That is probably the main reason why anybody buys this product, though it is technically called Apparatus for Blood Pressure Reduction, a gadget whose main function is to regulate the blood pressure of hypertensive people, through bio-electricity.

The product was designed by Gao Jiajun who won 8 prizes for his design in international technology invention design, with applied biotechnology medical theory to cure hypertension, and is patented. Among the prizes won by Jiajun were international golden awards from United States, France, Switzerland, Singapore and China.

The following is a summary of the scope and functions of this gadget:

Heart and brain vessel - reduces high blood pressure, balances blood pressure, reduces rate of incidence of diseases of heart and brain vessel, eliminates coronary artery convulsion and lightens heart load.

Brain clearing - clears brain and freshens thinking resulting to enhanced intelligence, eliminates tiredness and insomnia, also resulting to a clear, beautiful face. Pimples may be cleared as well by touching the metal teeth of the comb, also called cogs, on the face for 3-5 minutes, and wrinkles removed by touching the back of the comb, which is a smooth metal ring used for conduction when holding the comb for regular use, also for 3-5 minutes.

Pain - eliminates pain due to headache, omodynia, arthritis, toothache, stomach, liver, kidney stone, pancreas inflammation, pain of waist and back, pneumonia, asthma, etc.

Hair protection - controls hair loss, graying of hair and alopecia or dandruff.

Commonly known as comb massage gadget because it is used like a comb, this gadget follows the same principle of ECG and EKG where abnormal heart rhythms are detected through bioelectricity. The only difference is after the comb detects abnormal currents (positive ions also caused by radiations from cellphones and computers}, it passes though the VIC of the gadget which is an integrated circuit, bringing back negative ions that will balance the body's ions. A faster effect was found in coincidence with acupuncture points, so for hypertensive patients, combing from the top of the head to the nape where there are acupoints at a slow rate of 2 strokes per minute, and also pressing the fingertips of one hand to the cogs, one finger per cog, are highly recommended, both procedures taking 3-5 minutes each. The VIC is working properly if the light indicator is on, otherwise, conduction might be absent due to clothing or absence of touch, or the 2 AAA batteries are not working properly.

The metal teeth of the comb or cogs, cover a big area when combing, so that it is not necessary to identify the exact acupoints of the body. It is lightweight and can be brought anywhere, just like bringing a hairbrush inside the bag. I carry one all the time, and it functions as my hairbrush. I no longer take medicines for headache because this gadget does the job of eliminating my headache, which in the past cannot be removed by paracetamol.

This gadget was the start of it all, the reason why I became a member of Tiens or Tianshi Phils., and I've already told that story in my previous post "At peace in the midst of China scare". The retail price of this product may vary if the member or distributor like me, can give it at a lower price, but at present, the recommended retail price is 3,960 pesos, which is much cheaper than the deposit to be paid in most private hospitals before a patient can be admitted. The gadget has one year warranty and lifetime service warranty.

At peace in the midst of China scare

I am now at peace for the longest time. The irony is I owe this peacefulness to products made in China that is scaring the whole world! What I can say is we are now faced with the challenge to listen to one another, especially to people close to our hearts, and the bigger challenge is when two people closest to us have different opinions. Now is the time for each one of us to have an open mind and heart, because each one of us has his or her own story, just like the children who were victims of the melamine found in milk.

Here goes my own story. Before the China scare, I’ve accepted the fact that I can no longer be employed in any company because of my age. I also stopped waiting to be hired by a network marketing company supposedly as their HR Manager in their Philippine branch, and the reason is a long story. I decided that I was free to be seen in the offices of other network marketing companies, which included Tianshi Phils., where I bought a comb massage gadget months ago. This gadget made me curious because the doctor who introduced to me this comb gadget was able to save a stroke patient inside the plane by just combing the scalp of the patient for 5 minutes. This gadget is technically called Hypotension Apparatus, but also relieves arthritic pain or any pain in any part of the body.

I started to attend the trainings in Tianshi Phils., which is only one of the branches of the company also known as Tiens, and which has offices in 110 countries. It has 9 factories worldwide which include one in Spain, one in Russia, one in U.S. and another one in Malaysia or Indonesia. The biggest factories are of course within the 1,000,000 sqm. area owned by Tianjin Tianshi Engineering Co. in China. The company received several awards for its modern biotechnology, from different organizations like United Nations, and has all the certifications for high quality, food safety and pharmaceutical safety like HACCP in 2007, updated ISO 2000-2005 only last September 7, 2008, Halal, Kosher,etc. It has partnerships with American Pfizer and French L’oreal to maintain products at high quality and world-leading level. Tiens has introduced leading manufacturing equipments from Germany, U.S., France and Japan.

So much can be said about the company, but people who have used their products have much, much more to say. In the Philippines, probably the most amusing anecdote can be heard from Tianshi Davao who treated a girl with brain tumor and the brain tumor was gone after 3 months, just by using supplements like High Calcium Brain Tonic and Cordyceps but I guess they also used the third generation of acupuncture gadget (no needles). Yesterday, we gave Kuya Danny, my brother-in-law, the High Calcium Brain Tonic as a birthday gift. My training in Tiens include modern acupuncture and my husband and I intend to attend a more intensive training next month, where we can be licensed therapists afterwards, if we pass the written and practical examinations.

I see to it that my learnings from Tiens are supported by my researches for reliable materials from the internet. I found a very nice research material which included scientific studies about Cordyceps and which I also sent to most of my friends and relatives. I am now taking Cordyceps so it will inhibit the growth of the benign cysts found on my breasts during my last scheduled sonogram. I no longer fear the possible onset of breast cancer later. If ever there is a gift I’d like to give my mother who is now in Las Vegas, I’d like to give Tiens Cordyceps, because it will also give me peace of mind about her health.

By the way, I’m not yet perfectly well as of this writing. Almost two weeks ago, I was exposed to the rains and changes in weather and almost caught a flu. But I followed the testimonies of others who have tried halting a flu or colds with Tiens Cordyceps, so I took 5 capsules between 9-11 in the morning and another 5 capsules from 7-9 in the evening, with an almost empty stomach, and with warm water. I knew that the Zinc of Tiens can be a big help in my battle with the bacteria, but I wanted to try Tiens Cordyceps alone. It seemed like a long battle, but only a few thick threads of colored mucus came out, I couldn’t even call them phlegm, and my cough was caused by the occasional itchiness of my throat, as if bacteria were trying to pass through my lungs but could not. The itchiness is gone after I finally sought the help of Tiens Zinc but only for one day. I now have reduced the number of Tiens Cordyceps capsules to just two each time. I have to always include the brand “Tiens” just to be fair to all brands available which might have varying effectiveness.

Two weeks of battle with the bacteria and I’m glad that just through natural means I emerged as the winner, my throat the only “injury” as manifested by the short-lived itchiness and some mucus. Why am I doing this battle anyway, if four days of taking antibiotics can also halt the cough? I’m doing this for my liver. I’ve learned in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) that the root cause of cysts or breast cancer is imbalance of energy in the liver. It is a known fact that drugs can damage the liver. In TCM, just an imbalance in energy can cause damage.

It is not just me who can be affected by the negative effects of drugs but my own special child Lyca, who really is very much exposed to drugs to alleviate the symptoms of her Cerebral Palsy. She now has a lump on her left breast though it could be an early maturation of her breast, but I just cannot remain complacent. Too bad, I cannot try Tiens Cordyceps on her yet. Maybe when she’s older. My only alternative now is to try the modern acupuncture on her, but using only the third generation gadget, the Tiens Acupoint Treasure which is a gadget with a magnetic point to be pressed and rubbed on acupoints that will disintegrate breast lumps. The fourth generation gadget uses electronic methods and is not advisable on her or any patient with tumors.

Now that you’ve read my story, I know you’ll understand why I am now more at peace than ever. It is just too bad that all of us cannot be at peace at the same time. Maybe that is the real essence of heaven. It is the only place where everyone can find everlasting happiness and peacefulness at the same time.

Whatever happened to the rest of my problems? I gave them all to God, of course not forgetting to thank Him everyday for willingly accepting them.

Child adoption is a process

Today I wish to share a lesson I learned from a seminar on child adoption. This blog will not be complete without this and I should have shared this a long time ago, but since my own adoption case was still pending, I didn't think I was credible enough to share it.

You guessed it right, the favorable decision for our special child's adoption by our family was finally released! What is left for us to do now is the registration of her new name to the Civil Registrar. Our special child's new name will be Lyca Louisa Taa Venida.

Child adoption is a process that is ideally accomplished within 9 months, depending on the case. The adoptive parents are evaluated based on home studies conducted by a Social Worker. In our case, we had no intention to adopt a child at first, since we are a complete family with a daughter and a son. The special child was born inside our house so the best support we could give was to be a foster family for the child who cannot be supported by her mother who was our house helper. The child was already 3 years old when my husband and I decided to be registered as foster parents of the child, at "Kaisahang Buhay Foundation". In this organization, we learned that fostering a specific child should last only for a year. After that period, we should decide if we'd like to adopt the child, or foster another child. That was how we decided to adopt Lyca, to give her the identity of a family because we learned to love her dearly.

The subject child of the adoption process is the adopted child, so when the process is completed the child becomes your child. So from now on, I will no longer say that Lyca is my adopted child because the adoption process is over. She is now my child, my special child.

The process of adoption should be explained to the adopted child when he is around 6 to 8 years old, the age when he or she will be old enough to understand. It should be emphasized to the child that adoption is just a process just like a mother having a baby, and when the process is over, he or she becomes your child.

I must admit that when I was younger I never appreciated adopting a child. When God gave us Lyca, I could not differentiate my love for her and my own children. I realized how the love of a mother can be so great. An unconditional love will not discriminate, and it can be offered to any child who is not from your own flesh and blood.

Selling an excellent healthcare product!

With a mission to help mankind maintain healthy bodies, I’m very glad to introduce a unique and excellent healthcare product. This product is a fusion of state-of-the-art medical technology and Traditional Chinese Medicine, which was a result of 5,000 years of study. It is now a trend to combine Western Medicine with Traditional Chinese Medicine so this product complements Western Medicine. This product's high quality can be assured because it is manufactured by a multi-awarded and ISO certified global company, Tiens Group Ltd., which has 9 big factories, mostly in China and one in Washington D.C., and 110 offices worldwide.

The product that I am introducing is an Electronic Acupuncture Healthcare Apparatus, called Acumagic. “Acu” was derived from acupuncture because this product simulates the actions and benefits of acupressure and acupuncture. “Magic” because it doesn’t use any needles, instead it uses low-frequency electric impulses. It is effective and each procedure can be completed in 15 minutes. The product comes in a package of 8 parts or gadgets and can be operated with the use of 3 AA batteries.

The main gadget of this product is the Healthcare Apparatus which has several functions. One is to control the mode or action of the sticking plate electrode, which is the gadget that gives low-frequency electric impulses and simulates the action of acupuncture needles or other modes like massage, scraping, etc., so it is applied on acupoints. The package contains a manual that will guide you on how to use every gadget on the package and how to find the acupoints, and three recipes per condition or diagnosis, of the combination of the use of gadgets. These conditions with recipes include neck and shoulder pain, pain in waist and lower extremities, migraine, strain and contusion of soft tissue or myofibrositis, sequelae of cerebrovascular diseases, facial paralysis, cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma, cerebral arteriosclerosis and sequelae of brain trauma, hypertension, chronic pelvic inflammation disease and appendagitis, and hyperlipidemia.

Another gadget in the package is the magnetic needles-cups. There are really no needles, just a magnetic point at the middle. These cups will tell if there is stagnation of blood and energy in your body, and remove that stagnation which causes the pain. With the use of a rubber pump, the magnetic cup is placed on top of an acupoint creating a vacuum, and cause air to be sucked from the skin. After 15 minutes, remove the cup and check the appearance of the skin. The normal result is just a pinkish area, so when it becomes red like the one on the photo, or violet, it is an indication that there was stagnation of blood in that part of the body and is now alleviated by the procedure.

One of the best gadgets in the package is a diagnostic pen that detects problem areas in the body through the palm of the left hand. The package comes with a diagnostic chart of the palm as guide. A plate electrode is placed on the right palm for grounding then the diagnostic pen, after connecting to the output plug gadget, should be touched on the palm and fingers of the left palm only. Where there is pain, then that is the part of the body that has a problem, based on the chart. The magnetic needles-points or plate electrodes should then be placed on the acupoints related to the problem areas to remove stagnation of blood and energy and eventually preventing those areas from developing diseases. Supplements that will protect the affected organ should also be taken in.

Every family must have Acumagic as part of the first aid kit, so I am encouraging you to get this product. The regular price of Acumagic in the Philippines is 16,200 pesos. Tiens have other health gadgets based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as supplements like powdered zymolitic bone calcium (95% absorbable), zinc, cordyceps, spirulina which Tiens supplies to NASA, and many others.

Wow! Selling to the world is surely an awesome experience! I wonder if I will do this if I'm not in a tight financial situation. Now I believe, that even in the biggest of problems, there are opportunities, like calling out to the whole world, of course with an underlying mission!

A special birthday cake

I baked delicious chocolate cakes for our special child’s sixth birthday, which was celebrated in 3 places as planned, as mentioned in my post last July 23: our home on July 24, at the hospital on July 25, and at my brother-in-laws home on July 27. Of course there was a cake made for each location, but I reserved the one for our house, which was a small round cake and the only one with decors, for the blowing of the candles in all three locations mentioned. That made the cake special and aside from that, the decor was changed a bit every time it was moved to another location.

From now on, I'll make small birthday cakes instead of big ones. Why? It's easier to make it special since it will have more icing thus more delicious, and is more flexible to decorate. It's easier to fill up with decors since it is small, and it's easier to put one on top of another, for added height.

Recognition versus Income

This year’s Feng Shui prediction for Snakes like me is “recognition will surpass your income”. The problem is it is quite hard at my age to look for a job so I don’t have an income yet since the start of this year, though there are still 6 months left for this year in the Chinese calendar. I’m seriously thinking now about monetizing this blog to earn some income though of course I know earning big cannot be that soon. I'd like the readers, and even myself, to enjoy the contents of all my posts, including the sponsored ones.

At first I was happy enough about the prediction because recognition cannot be bought. Only very recently, while searching for my name in Yahoo! and Google just to see if this blog will come first, I was surprised to see “Hall of Fame” beside my name in one of the search results. That recognition was from Toastmasters Club and I think it’s about time I pay back this club the good things it has done for me, even through my blogs. It was not really me but the whole Makati Toastmasters Club that was included in Toastmasters Int’l Hall of Fame. The past officers of that club tried very hard for our club to always get the "President's Distinguished" award. Until I became President, and had to do my best for the club to be “President’s Distinguished” again because that was the fifth consecutive year it will get that highest award thus could be included in Toastmasters' Hall of Fame.

I won’t deny that this absence of income is starting to make me very depressed but I was still blessed with this timely discovery of a past recognition because somehow it alleviates this depression.

I almost forgot that I’ve also gained more than enough recognition from this blog, at least through the comments in some posts and I’m really very thankful to the people who are mostly bloggers themselves, who have openly shown their appreciation and support. This world of blogging and bloggers has proven to be another blessing not just for me but to all bloggers so I’m hoping that my mother and brothers who are all writers will join me in this very fulfilling endeavor.

Confusion

Is there something you have been praying about for a long time? You know that your request is in keeping with God's will. ....... However, your request seems to go unanswered.

Those lines as well as the title of this post were taken from the June 28 page of "Enter His Gates", a daily devotional book by Charles Stanley. This book used to be on my desk when I was still working at the office so I had the chance to read it daily. I haven't read it since the day I brought home all my personal things from the office. Last month, I finally unpacked it.

Very early this morning, June 28, I felt a need to browse this book to be consoled. I opened the book twice in random pages, hoping I will land in a page that will appease my confused feelings, until I thought of looking at the page intended for this day, and there it is, the very exact words that will console me.

I am hoping I'll pass the job interview yesterday but what if I don't? There were 3 of us who were interviewed and I was the oldest. Late in October last year,there were two companies who contacted me at the same time, one scheduled me for interview while the other one asked me to submit some documents ASAP. I was confused because the two companies have entirely different businesses and job offered, but not one of them is close to sure in hiring me. I prayed for a sign, and after 3 days, one of the two companies called me up to tell me they want me to attend a training in Singapore. It can be the sign I prayed for so I said yes. The training lasted for 3 days only but we were given a homework that we had to submit by end of November. I was able to submit my output and was expecting to be officially hired by January. Unfortunately, last December, the participants in the training , which included me, were notified that implementation of the project was put on hold, as well as the hiring.

People would tell me, "it was the wrong sign!", but I know it is the right sign because I prayed for it, though it can have a different meaning, like maybe I should not pursue the other offer. So I am now waiting, but I wonder how long?

This is what the book says: God may give you a promise and then allow you to go through a time of waiting for Him to bring it to completion. That is when you face the greatest temptation to doubt Him. You wonder what He is doing, and you question His reasoning. Thoughts such as "Has God forgotten His promise?" run through your head as you worry over doing the right thing. Doubt is the breeding ground for confusion and fear.

Faith is the atmosphere in which hope and joy flourish. If God has promised to do a certain thing, it will be done. Never give up; with God all things are possible.

Special Child Caregiver

When I went to Greece with my son and daughter in July 2005, I missed Lyca, our adopted special child. A day before our trip back, I was thinking about her condition and began to seriously think about retiring from work so I can take care of her. We were back home on a weekend and when I reported for work the Monday after that, my officemates told me the bad news that our company has decided to outsource medical services through an HMO so all of us in the medical department will be retired before the year ends. It was a bad news, but as far as I was concerned it can be an answered prayer.

At that time, while I was still working, taking care of Lyca was assumed by her biological aunt who was still very young, had a very small frame and petite. I knew she won’t be able to take care of Lyca for a long time. True enough, she started to complain about her scoliosis and had to rest. I’ve decided to take over but I needed to look for a household helper and I was lucky to find a lady whose education has reached college level but had to stop for financial reasons. I later discovered that she likes taking care of Lyca and I have seen how patient and caring she was. Since she was not originally hired as a nanny or “yaya” (in Filipino term), I just refer to her as Lyca’s caregiver which is more appropriate because she does her job not only with love and care but also intelligently.

The above photos were shot only last month at a resort in Tanauan, a town in Batangas along Taal Lake. It has been almost three years since Lyca’s caregiver has patiently attended to all her needs, including some physical and occupational therapies learned from the professional therapists of Lyca.

My in-laws also had a caregiver for my late father-in-law who had Parkinsons and her main function now is to cook meals for all of us living in a duplex house. Whenever needed, she performs as a reliever of Lyca’s caregiver, a role she has performed since the year 2004. The photo at left shows her carrying Lyca on Christmas Eve of that year, when Lyca was only two years old, while the photo at the right is the duplex house where my in-laws live in the two-story half and my family in the bungalow type half of the duplex. Caring for a special child like Lyca becomes enjoyable when you know you are not alone in that noble mission.

Pearl Farm in Davao and Mission Impossible

I hope those who read my previous post The Special Child’s Rights will be able to read this post because it tells what happened before we adopted Lyca, the special child. I assumed the responsibility to care for the mother and child after birth and also brought them to the relatives especially the grandfather of Lyca who lived in a remote town in Davao, a province in the Philippines. The biological grandmother of Lyca stayed for a while in Manila to see this child so she was already with mother and child and a cousin, when we all went to Davao, my daughter Lauren also with us. My daughter and I stayed in the city of Davao while the grandmother, cousin, mother and child proceeded to the remote town where they lived. Lyca was already one year old at that time, her disabilities already known to many.

Lyca’s mother had wanted me to adopt Lyca since birth, but I was ready for whatever can happen when they reach their home in Davao. I said I’ll stay in Davao City to wait for them to come back, but only for 3 days. Whether they come back to me or not after 3 days, I’ll go back to Manila.

In the meantime, Lauren and I had the opportunity to stay with one of the closest persons to me when I was a child, her name is Ningning and lives in Davao City, and also the opportunity to spend a two days and two nights vacation at the most popular resort in Davao, the Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Islands. At first I thought it was really a Pearl Farm so I expected to see shells with pearls but they said it used to be a pearl farm. It is now a resort that was initially exclusive for tourists until they opened it to the public. It has two white sand beaches and another two or more beaches at a smaller island.

That two days and two nights vacation at Pearl Farm Beach Resort felt like a gift from God. It was the first time I took a vacation leave from the office after 15 years, and it covered the eve and the day of my 50th birthday!

The video posted here was created by Ully Jerus, the President of Makati Toastmasters Club at that time, but it was just a series of photos that were of course shot by me, or Lauren if I was the subject. Ully used the "Mission Impossible" soundtrack which I feel is very appropriate because the only reason why I was in Davao was because of my mission to take back Lyca which seemed impossible at that time. I was also known as "Malui", and that explains the title of the video.

To make my story short, Lyca’s biological mother fought for her child to be brought back to me. Their place is not suitable for Lyca’s condition because it is a remote town two hours away from the nearest hospital by boat and four hours by bus, and there were limited facilities at the hospital. Worst was the grandmother couldn’t accept that Lyca has disabilities so she wouldn’t tell everyone about them. The latest that I’ve heard was the biological grandmother of Lyca has already accepted that the best for this child is to be under my care.

Transitions In Life

The past days, I and my only son, OC, have been busy testing several features of the upgraded network system at home since we finally got a router that will enable my laptop’s WIFI or wireless connection to the internet. The whole month of March, I monopolized the access to the internet since we didn’t have a router yet, allowing me to create this blog and to post several entries, but members of my family didn’t have the chance to read my entries.

OC will be 25 this year. That reminds me of the seminar about transitions in life that I’ve attended about 10 years ago. In that seminar I’ve learned that transitions in life will be encountered by a person during adolescence, mid-20s, midlife or 45-50 and 65-70. It is during this transition when a person is in crisis, and when questions to God are asked the most, like what happened to me in June 2001 when I was almost 48. I was very lucky that God gave me a very beautiful “I love you" answer intended to mankind, leaving me that mission to remind everyone about that. He already has proven His love through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, and He keeps on proving His love like what He did to me (Blogging post of this blog).

I am very grateful that OC lets me know the questions plaguing him nowadays, and maybe it is God’s will for him not to have read my blog, otherwise my answers to his questions will be pre-empted because they all came from this blog. In other words, my answers were rehearsed through this blog. (Photo shown is a self-portrait shot by OC).

When the prize of the Lotto reached more than 200 million pesos, both OC and I got 3 digits right, so I won 100 pesos for those 3 digits, while my son won 200 pesos because he had 2 tickets. One question in his mind was what to do with the money if he wins in the Lotto, but he said what is clear was a large percentage will go to charities. He really hasn’t read my blog because in my Dreams List in this blog, I had shared very specific plans what to do if I was the one who’ll win, but obviously, he doesn’t know anything about that plan.

My plans involving charities if I win the Lotto were very specific and maybe ambitious, but I also didn’t fail to consider what can happen if those plans were pushed through and I’m gone? In my mind I knew my children will be willing to take over but I don’t want to oblige them, so come what may. Anyway, God will not allow me to win for sure, if there’s nobody to take over my charitable project when I’m gone.

Dreams List

Have you watched the movie, “The Bucket List?” I guess those who did were tempted to make their own list after the movie. In my case, I have a similar list but it just remained in my thoughts, until today. I call it my “Dreams List”, and it never entered my mind that not only will I document that list, but will also share it to the public. Here is my list, from the oldest which started when I was just a teenager, up to the latest (photo at left was shot by Lauren Venida at the Cassope Ancient City in Greece):

1. To travel to Greece. FULFILLED.
2. To study Interior Design. HALF-FULFILLED.
3. To have my own family and a home with a garden. FULFILLED.
4. To be an announcer or an emcee. FULFILLED.
5. To be a soprano. FULFILLED.
6. To deliver a speech in public. FULFILLED.
7. To have a painting exhibited in public. FULFILLED.
8. While in Singapore in 1998: To be back someday. FULFILLED
9. To win in a photography contest. FULFILLED
10. To win in a singing contest. FULFILLED.
11. To win in a speech contest. FULFILLED.
12. To win a speech contest in the international category.
13. To write a book about life.
14. To have my own laptop. FULFILLED.
15. To have a smaller laptop.
16. To bring Lyca, our special child, to U.S.A. for a program at Elks.
17. To establish a “Life Every Artwork Foundation” (LEAF).
18. To build an art gallery for LEAF.
19. To win in the Philippine lotto.

The last item, to win in lotto, is necessary for me to be able to fulfill the last three items before this, first , to bring Lyca to an Elks branch in U.S.A., second, to establish a foundation which requires a million pesos capital according to our Philippine government laws, and lastly, to build an art gallery for the foundation. My idea about the foundation came about a long time ago after I was blessed with scholarships. Originally, I thought of an educational foundation that will give scholarships in return to the blessings I received. However, when Lyca was born and we looked for government funded institutions for cerebral palsy patients, we discovered that these institutions seem to lack the necessary funds for personnel and building maintenance. If well taken cared of, the life of a cerebral palsy patient can be extended up to 40 years. Aside from the right to live, I believe that each cerebral palsy patient has missions, whether at his own home, or in the society where he belongs.

Every artwork in the “LEAF Art Gallery” will be dedicated to a cerebral palsy patient. The art gallery will benefit not only these patients but also the artists, some of them the street children who were developed by Fernando Sena, Philippine's Father of Art Workshop, through his Art Discovery and Learning Foundation, Inc. (ADFLI), where I am now an inactive member (photo at left with Mr. Sena and my "Birds" in pastel was shot by OC Venida).

Some big dreams on the list were changes from my original dreams, like the educational foundation that became a foundation for cerebral palsy patients, and “my dream house” that is no longer on the list because it was replaced by “a home with a garden” which is owned by my in-laws but an ideal home for Lyca. I believe that most unexpected changes are part of God’s plans, so instead of trying to fulfill all those dreams, I prefer to wait for His plans for me and my special child.

Blogging

After I realized that the 143 stones meant “I love you” and was God’s message to mankind, I was in a dilemma. How can I tell mankind and who will believe me? I was brought up as a Protestant in my toddler years, a Catholic in my school years, I had a Muslim best friend, and I believed in Buddhism as an adult. Does that make me credible enough or on the contrary? That was in June 2001 and I've decided that God will tell me the right time and way to tell mankind.

In 2002, God proved that He indeed loves me because He granted my wish to have a baby though I can't give birth anymore and was not ready to be a grandmother. The special child I told you about in my previous post "Count Your Blessings" was born on July 24, 2002. The more I was obliged to share these miracles, so I joined Toastmasters Club that year. I learned to speak and write better (special thanks to my mentors, Dina and Brooks Loomis), and I’ve delivered several speeches about God’s message and the child. I was not very good though to win in a speech contest in the international category so there were just a few who heard my speeches. It was not yet the right time.

The first time I read the word “blogging”, I did not only find it strange, it also sounded weird to me. That was maybe more than six months ago, until I’ve read several blogs and seriously thought that maybe I should also have one, and that "blogging" is just the short word for "web logging". It is now 2008, I am jobless, and for the first time in so many years I have time for something like blogging. It has been a long wait to find the right time and medium to share God’s message. I understand that this can be the right time for some, but not for all.

God's Message

Why I learned to always count my blessings is a true story I owe to tell mankind. It was June 12, 2001, I was cleaning the stones of our mineral water pot. There were several stones, maybe more than 70, each stone the size of a thumb and I was using a toothbrush for cleaning.

It was such a boring task that only reminded me of my disappointments. I was dissatisfied with a lot of people around me. I expected too much from them and because of that, I also hated myself! Whenever I feel that way, I talk to God and that was what I did, asking Him why these should happen to me. There was one question for every dissatisfaction or disappointment which was immediately answered in my thoughts. Until I noticed that the answers were all beautiful so I wondered if they really came from me. I thought that God might be answering my questions but why was I asking Him silly questions? "Why don't I ask Him a question that only He can answer?" So I asked Him this question: "If you have a message to mankind through the number of these stones I am cleaning, what would that message be?" I was wondering though, "How will I interpret God's message through the number of stones? If there were 75 stones, will that mean a seven-letter word plus a five-letter word like "PROMOTE PEACE"? Who am I to know what words can come from God?

Nevertheless, I counted the stones. I was surprised I counted 143 stones. "That means "I love you!"". My conscience spoke to me and said "Oh, come'on, you made a mistake, for sure!", but what if there were really 143 stones? So I counted again. I couldn't believe there were really 143 stones! God said I love you! Not only to me, but to the whole of mankind!

Count Your Blessings

The year I was involuntarily retired due to the inevitable closing down of our department, I knew what to do with my retirement pay, thanks to the entrepreneur seminar given by my last employer. I learned that I shouldn’t use all my retirement pay for business. I used a large percentage of it to buy real estate properties. These properties are now blessings to my family though we’re selling some of them now. The best blessings, however, will always be those that cannot be bought. They usually come unexpectedly, like the special child who was prematurely born inside our house. The biological mother of this child had packed up all her things and was ready to go home to her province because her mother wanted her to be home on her debut. A week before her scheduled trip, she gave birth on her bed, shocking everyone at home since nobody knew she was pregnant, and the baby was really very small they thought it was dead (one pound only). She was also shocked, at first thought there was a stone expelled by her belly. To make the long story short, the duplex house of my mother-in-law where we live at the smaller house, became one big home for this special child we have now legally adopted.

For this year, 2008, be prepared for the unexpected. It can be the best blessing you’ll receive in your lifetime, though at first, it can be disguised as a big problem. Continue trusting God completely, because He will always prepare you for it.