Wake Up Call...

I went early to bed last night. Reasons..got stomach cramps and headache..Result..woke up so early today. My husband usually wakes up early around 4am when he go to work. As my husband's alarm rang this morning, it also woke me up. I tried to go back to sleep again but I can't any more.

He just told me last night that he was never been late in his whole life in going to work. I was kidding him that I will give him an Early Bird Award. He just laughed. As I don't feel like sleepy any more, I grabbed something for reading. This is now what I want to share to you. It's very nice and worth sharing as this is also happening to me.

Tried by Fire
Read Psalm 66:1-12
---------------------------

You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined....Psalm 66:10

"The main end of life is not to do but to become," F.B. Meyer said. And for this we are being prepared everyday. As silver is being refined by fire, the heart is often refined in the furnace of sadness. The psalmist said in his sorrow, "We went through fire". (Psalm 66:12)

The refining process maybe painful, but it will not destroy us, for the Refiner sits by the furnace tending the flame. He will not allow us to be tried beyond our endurance; it is for our good.

We may not understand why we have to endure such misery year after year. The ordeal seems endless and pointless. Our days are wasted, or so it appears. We feel as if we are doing nothing of lasting significance.

But God is doing what matters- we are refined. He is placing us into a crucible in which we acquire patience, meekness, humility, compassion and the other "quite" virtues, our souls naturally lack.

So don't be afraid and don't fret, Your present trial, as painful as it may be has been screened through God's wisdom and love. The Refiner sits beside the crucible tempering the flames, monitoring the process, waiting patiently until His face is mirrored in the surface. - David Roper

"The fire of testing can produce a shining testimony"

TWENTY THINGS TO REMEMBER

I want to share this to all of you...guess this gives some insights on our day to day living.

1. Faith is the ability not to panic.

2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you prayed, don't worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kinda like calling home every day

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so he can untangle the knot.

6. Do the Math. Count your blessings.

7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.

9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

10. Laugh every day - it's like inner jogging.

11. The most important things in your home are the people.

12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
(Preach it!)

13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. Come on in.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16. We do not remember days but moments. Life moves too fast so enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise it's just hearsay.

18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

.......adapted from Mountain Wings

Jesus Will Rule in Our Hearts!!!

picture I took inside the St. Johannes Church in Neumarkt

A Belen, the Holy family statues in Neumarkter Christmas market

May He rule from sea to sea....Psalm 72:8

Each December, Santa reappears, and children wish that Santa ruled "from sea to sea". Each Advent however, those of us who are older and hope for more than the fulfillment of our Christmas wish-list renew our longing for Christ, the Son of God, the King of Justice, the Hope of all Humanity. Eagerly we wait for the day when "there will will be no harm or ruin," when Jesus will rule in our hearts, in laws, in customs, in education, in politics and most of all in our families.

The One who can truly bring the peace and love of the Christmas season doesn't have a North Pole address. He is much closer and more faithful than Santa Claus, who only appears once a year. He is found where we least expect him, every time we need him- in the mangers of our lives.

But don't let His poverty and hiddenness fool you. "He shall rescue the poor man when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him......The lives of the poor he shall save." (Psalm 72:12-13)

What a Nice Day today!

shopping stores in Neumarkt..very colorful!!

back of St. John's church, built in 1586

the altar of St. John's church in Neumarkt

Gothic style ceiling...see that very big post..really magnificent!!!

The altar of Hofkirche in Neumarkt

The Hofkirche, built in 1418

Last Sunday, my Brazilian friend called me that she want to meet me in Neumarkt. We agreed to meet today, Tuesday. She wanted to show me the house they had just purchased. It is located in the center of Neumarkt where a lot of businesses are. She wanted to make a Bistro or somewhat like a Fast food in the first floor.That was also a furniture store before. It is a big house where the second and the third floors are also apartments. I really felt happy for her.

We also went shopping around. Everytime we meet in Neumarkt, we always go eating in a Chinese buffet restaurant there. Not a bad idea because the buffet only cost 7 Euro excluding drinks. Of course compared to Philippine buffet, this is quite expensive. In Germany, this is I guess the cheapest buffet I always go into.

Josi, the name of my Brazilian friend have to hurry going home because she still have to take care of her two sons after school time. We really had a nice day since the sun was also shining even if it was very freezing cold.

To burn up the foods I had eaten in the buffet, I went alone walking. I had been hundred of times in this city especially when I attended the German language course before. I used to drive here everyday to attend the course but had never been inside the churches. There are a lot of historical churches here in Neumarkt. I went inside today to the two big churches , the St. Johaness (St. John) and the Hofkirche.

They also have a small Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas market) there. Compared to Nuremberg's Christmas market, Neumarkt is very small but it was still nice there.

I attached here then, the photos that I made in today's escapades especially the churches there.

These Busy 'Days To Come'

* In days to come.....Isaiah 2:2

This is just what we're thinking about as Advent begins, isn't it? All of the "days to come" from now until Christmas. For many of us, the struggle will be the same we've gone through in years past: trying to hold the line against the pressures to entertain, to be entertained, to purchase gifts, to cook, to decorate. They are intense. We know we should be attending to our spiritual lives above all, preparing the way for the Lord in our own hearts.....but when???

In days to come.
Notice what Isaiah says will happen "in days to come." Not: you will do things that will please others. Not: you will achieve and accomplish. Not: you will earn God's favor. No, in "days to come" God will give a great gift.

Perhaps that clear a path through the busyness. In days to come, we might let go, listen and let God work wonders.

Lord in days to come, fill my heart with joy.

Important Reminders Before leaving the House!!

As I am writing this blog, I am watching at the same time, a German TV Program, Galileo. I just want to share to all of you some very important reminders especially before leaving at home. I really like this program since it gives the viewers very concrete information or happenings in relation to our day to day living.

To avoid burnings/fire in the house be sure to check all electrical equipments. Be sure to unplug it. These includes cooking machine, burning ovens, irons, etc. According to Galileo's test regarding the Top 10 cause of fire in the house is putting water to a very hot burning oil. So please especially to women who usually do the cooking, never leave oil in the pan when cooking. It can also cause fire.

It's Christmas time now, obviously most people have Christmas lights burning at home even overnight. Be sure to turn it off before sleeping. Do you know that the only daughter of Senator de Venecia in the Philippines was dead because of fire in their house. The cause of the fire were the Christmas lights. As much as possible, don't leave burning candles near the Christmas tree with Christmas lights. This is also very dangerous and belongs to Galileo's Top 3 cause of burnings.

To those who are cooking with gas tank, please always turn it off after using. This is especially during summer time, when people use it for grilling/barbeque.

I really appreciate watching the TV program Galileo as this also reminds me of very important things. That's the reason why I also want to share this to all of you guys especially to all my friends out there. I am hoping that I give you some insights to save your long earned investments and most especially our dear loved ones. Merry Christmas to all of you!!! Wishing you too a happy, bountiful and debt-free New Year!!!! God bless us all!!!

It's Freezing Cold Again!!

really very beautiful!!!..my Bromeliads before in Mindanao

me in year 2000. model of my plants kuno!!!

small garden of our house in cebu.no place for planting it's all water around

different plants like san francisco, orchids, roses,mayana,cactus etc. in my garden

euphorbias.. took this picture after the big ones were sold
since I am leaving midsayap
and will be assigned to epcibank cebu in 2002.

imported varieties of san francisco from bangkok,thailand

that's me again modelling my Cherub's garden (name of my garden before)

hundreds of varieties of Bromeliads, family of pineapple plants.
I had before thousands of them.

As usual, I went shopping for groceries today. This is already my routine every week. As I go outside the house, it was really freezing dry cold. I went inside my car, turned on the engine and saw that the temperature was -3 degrees centigrade. Oh well, I have to accept it that I already live in a very cold place. But I guess, the weather now here in Bavaria, Germany is very better compared to US and Canada where they are having ice storms.

I was a bit scared seeing tonight in TV Nachtrichten (news), Canada's weather situation. It is snowing right now very hard there. Even the vehicles cannot drive on the streets because of heavy snow.

As I went shopping, I saw some flowers in the grocery store. I really love these flowers as I have thousands of them back before in the Philippines. These are especially the Bromeliads family of flowers and the Euphorbias. Aside from my work before in the bank, selling plants and flowers is my sideline. That was my hobby turned into business. Won't you believe that I earned more money in my plants and flower business compared to my salary in the bank. Besides that I really had fun in doing it, I also earn money.

I also attached here the photos of my plants back before in Midsayap.
Got to go now, it's sleeping time!!!

p.s. will attach later the photos from the bromeliads once I upload it.