i got this from my friend's posts

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said,
"How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was
a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your
husband?"

In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that
it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.
EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with
your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked
their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a
completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO
anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... because it's
happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the
imagery of that __expression. It implies that you were just standing
there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened

TO YOU.

Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.
But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the
natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls
become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome
(when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being
cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you
think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference
between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or
even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry
the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria
of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with
someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse
for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is
the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, a
friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this
dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else.
You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the
same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):
THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S
LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER
just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make"
it day in and day out. That's why we have the __expression "the labor of
love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly,
it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage
work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific
things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your
marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity),
there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and
exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your
relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and
effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable. ..
you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision".. . not just a feeling.
-o-

*for those people having problems with their marriage, this will give you a new sense of direction.
for those who aren't married yet but plan to marry soon, this maybe helpful to you just as much it is to those who are already in it. Learn it. Love it!
*and lastly, to answer the question above, i would say that it is actually up to us to make that person we married the right one. It’s our Decision!

happiest and proudest mommy in the world!!!c",)

Its almost the end of the first semester.. it means half of the year is done... it means, i only have half of the year to push through with my plans.

I feel the pressure. I almost want to just dive into my new project. I only have 6 months to turn it into reality. Will it materialize? I haven't even started to work on it. I hope I can cope. I have been contemplating it for six months now. And within six months, I should find myself out of this lousy job. Its actually the work place that's making it much worse.

I want to be out of here, before the start of 2009. That's such a short time to prepare. But... I can do it.

No more bosses, no more papers dirty looks!!! Goodbye office.. by 2009

I have been in this Department that I work with for only more than two years now. I prayed and prayed so hard that I be given a chance to prove myself in this organization. Despite being young in an arena of much older people, I know i have done my part. I have performed my duties well, I know I have.

God has been good to me all these years. When I look back, I cannot recall any prayer left unanswered. I am amazed by his power and might! He has held my hand and has shown me the way. For if not for Him, where could I be.

Now that I am about to leave this position, I ppray for more guidance. I pray that my father shall bless every decision that me and my husband have to make. I pray that he leads us to where he wants us to be. He will be our guide. He will show us the way. The Lord God never fails and to HIm I entrust all that I have to do, now until the rest of my days.

Thank you Jesus for your shining presence in my life.

Saturday, May 31, 2008 a perfect day

What was expected to be a stormy weekend turned out to be a glorious day! The sun was shining and the weather was perfect for a family gathering. It was my sister's birthday celebration.

Bryan and I started early for Loakan. I was aiming to take a jeep but I decided against it. Pollution was my primary consideration. I wouldn't expose Bryan to polluted air, as much as possible. Baby boy was elated to be out after a week's incarceration at home. He was excited to see plenty of cars passing by.

We tailed a funeral convoy on the way to Loakan. At at turtle pace, Bryan fell asleep in the cab. The slow journey caused my tummy to rumble. We reached our destination after an hour and to my frustration, the host was nowhere in sight when we arrived. But this failed to ruin my day. To disregard utter starvation, my mom and I enaged in idle talk. Exchanging tales of what transpired in our lives during the week. My mom was also happy to see Bryan.

When at last the celebrant arrived, the food was served and all devoured on the simple feast, for all were hungry. After lunch, my other sister, decided, a birthday party wouldn't be complete without ice cream and cake. And so, with the children, my brother drove to town to buy the so called must have. And again, we feast on the dessert.

The day day ended with everyone picking lola's sayote. It was such a gorgeous day! The weather was just perfect and we all had a bagfull of sayote's.

It was a perfect family day indeed!!!

Thank you Lord for my family and for this bounty!

gloomy friday

Last Friday started as an unpleasant day. I had an argument with Tony. A petty one that made me irritable the rest of the day. I left the house without breakfast. I also had to travel for an out-of-town meeting. Which of course, turned out to be as dull as I expected. Fortunately the venue was a little refreshing located along a river. And of course, the food was also delectable, which compensated my boredom....

Interestingly, I saw the reason why I had to be in that meeting. I saw God's hand at work again for he allowed me to come to my colleague's defense. It was an issue of promotion. And the odds are against her. Luckily, I was there. I didn't hold my piece. I had to be heard, and I knew, what I said was noted. After a day of blabbering idiocities, the day came to an end.

Without a word from Tony , I also didn't bother to text him the whole day. Which of course I knew hurt him. But I wanted him to feel that I too was hurt by our early morning argument. I arrived home much later than I promised I would. My son was already sound asleep. Poor little Bryan! He actually got tired of waiting for his mommy to arrived. I didn't get the chance to say good night to him.

As I lay my weary mind to rest, many thoughts came to me. I was confused and was upset for no pleasantries took place as I arrived. Just a cold stare. I contemplated of my life ahead of me. Am I still willing to give my all? What if there is nothing left to give? What if my body gets tired and my bones grow too weary to work? How do I expect to be treated by people I expect to protect me?

I lay sleepless throughout the night as usual, for not even sleep can rest my weary mind.Only Bryan can give me the strength. Only Bryan matters.