In a Race that Matters

"Mommy, karga me." (Mommy, carry me). "Mom, please make my milk", " mom, please remog (remove)my diapo (diaper)" "Mom, I want sunny-side up and hotdogs." "Mom, I want to watch Spogsbob and Dora. " Mom, what is a mirage?" "Mommy, o, away naman ako ni Kuya!" (My brother's starting a fight again)"No more fighting ha?, just loving, loving." Two pairs of sun-kissed hands tugging at my sauce-stained apron, two pairs of curious eyes,accompanied at times with creased brows , a pair of voices talking at the same time, vying for attention... It has been barely a month since I declared my independence from public service but I have come to the conclusion with nary a doubt nor an ounce of hesitation that nothing beats being a 24/7 mom in terms of workload. At the office,only my brain and fingertips are at work.And yup,I can still manage to look fresh and do a li'l chit-chat there). Now, I begin to wonder w

Today marks the first day of my one year sabbatical leave from government service. I am officially off the hook as far as the eight-to-five shackles are concerned. On the other hand, I feel kinda at a loss as to what I need to do first with the domestic concerns that have long been waiting to pounce on me, like a pup poised to welcome a returning master from a long trip. Well, the homebody in me has been itching to do the house spin and stretch both the physical and mental physique. Another year is fast approaching and I need to unload the cramped quarters with unnecessary stuff for other hands that might have use for them. The review for my TESOL final exam is a top priority, too, otherwise I'll be knocked down by mundane, less important concerns. I now have ample time to blog. I have no more reason not to jog. I will assist hubby dear with the paper works in his businesses. And of course, keep a focused eye on my kids' homeschool program! (Isn't it the primary reason fo

The battle that began in the cosmic arena rages in a believer's heart (mine in particular). For more than a decade, I have had countless inner struggles between the natural, old self and the spiritual, reborn man in me. I may have done such a fine job of looking together-- cool,calm and collected. Outwardly, I have managed to keep a tight rein on my deadly tongue, rebuked a fellow believer for some off-the-track dealings, turned a little preachy here and there and proclaimed all was well and good in my own sweet world. But in the dark of night, under my pungent blanket (thanks to my younger son's nightly response to the call of nature), the battle rages and overwhelms-like a breathtaking, action-packed movie scene that leaves me on the edge of my seat, ambivalent whether to sit still or take flight. Alone and uncovered before my maker,I finally feel the weight of this raging drama. I am no spectator. I am on center stage and my heart is the battle field. Forces from all

" We're together again, just praising the Lord we're together again in one accord Something good is going to happen, something good is in store We're together again just praising the Lord.." This was our theme song during the early 90s in the UPLB Navs -- a campus Christian ministry anchored on the mission of knowing Christ and Making Him Known. I was a nerve-wracked kiddo fresh from the province and an easy prey to opportunists lurking in the university when I found the Navs by chance (nope, it was Divine intervention.) On a rainy afternoon sometime in July 1991,infront of CEC building at UPLB, I chanced upon two cute(?) but promdi-looking (read: sheepish) guys on their way to attend a fellowship (I later learned they were Joey O and Kuya Rico P.) At that time, I was waiting for a friend who invited me to attend the Victory Christian Fellowship in the same building. I asked the two guys (there was nothing suspicious about them. They in fact looked as nai

Sometimes you can't help but rub on your children your own passions (or should I say,frustrations and unfulfilled dreams). Growing up, I had a thing for the arts -- acting, public speaking and writing. I would have ventured into dancing and singing as well had I not learned early on that I had gawky moves and my singing voice only sounded good inside a 2x2 square-meter john. Well, my acting landed me top recognition in 1988 during the talent night competition of the National Secondary Schools Press Conference in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. I competed with representatives from all regions and Region V (the one I represented) stole the night at that time. That was twenty years ago. I was a fifteener raring to show my 'brilliant' ideas in English Editorial Writing. Nope, I didn't land a spot in that tilt. What I brought home was the top honors in the talent show! I was afraid I would be swarmed with movie offers after I got off the stage. Thank goodness I still managed to bl

Just last week, I, along with other members of our cooperative came face to face with the investigator who went on a fishing expedition in our institute prompted by a letter-request from an ambitious, griping officer. The one-sided report of this grammatically-challenged, claiming to be infallible snoop became the basis of our agency head to issue a cease-and-desist order in the operations of our coop. The run-of-the-mill report caused the spur-of-the-moment decision causing undue injury to the entire organization my husband and I helped build up in its infancy stage. Lessons learned? I am not lawyer (I could have been one had I pursued my collegiate studies at UNC where I traded intellectual swords with brilliant minds, chanting “Excelsior! “) but you don’t have to be one to identify a true-blue Perry Mason. If you want to be a laughing stock of an investigator, take the following pieces of advice:  Be emotionally involved in the case. Do not detach yourself from what you a

Last Saturday, Rovik surprised dad and me when he informed us that he already organized the kiddie members of his Sunday School for a swimming class. We were even more surprised when just a few minutes later, the kids started to arrive complete with their back packs and 'baon', all set to go swimming. Caught flatfooted, Jing and I decided to go to Walter to buy a pack of spaghetti and some food stuff as instant baon to feed the kids after swimming. We brought the kids to Laguna Hotspring at around 2pm.Gosh, the boys scampered right away and jumped into the pool without bothering to change into their swimming gears.The girlie girls-- Kayla and KC, however, changed into their swimsuits and put on borrowed floaters before they frolicked. My boys, Rovik and Orvik who are both permanent fixtures in the pool (that the owner decided to just let them swim for free day in and day out) had a blast as well. Rovik showed his fine form doing the strokes he likes best --Breast stroke

Today is October 20, exactly two weeks since I last posted. Whew, in just that span of time so much transpired already particularly in my work life.If I were to describe the events that took shape as I allowed my encoding fingers their two-week respite, it would be -- dramatic! And why not? I made a life-changing decision, I stood up to what I believed in, and in doing so even shed a tear or two.The future is still uncertain but I know, there is nothing to be afraid of at all. Just a brief narration of what I went through. I had my application for a one-year vacation leave (without pay) approved by no less than the undersecretary for public safety. After securing the signature of my agency head, I had to tag along with my former boss to get to the Department head to finally unseal the last nail of the coffin. No major questions asked (well, he asked me if I was going abroad to work. And I shook my head. I was tempted though to say, I might be -- but not to work but to have a gra

Every Sunday, after attending his Sunday school at the VCF Church in Sta Rosa, my eldest makes it his personal commitment to open up our garage to the neighborhood kids to hold his own version of Sunday school, with him as the teacher. He opens his class with a prayer, then he tells a Bible story laced with lessons kids can relate to. After each story is a question and answer portion for the kids, followed by some parlor games he leads. Of course, the class ends with a prayer. The kids, around seven of them, ranging from two to five year-olds seem always excited to attend “Teacher” Rovik’s class. They huddle and sit together on the carpet Rovik lays out in the garage every Sunday afternoon. Aside from enjoying the games, the kids also get to showcase their “talents” in singing and dancing during the talent time/portion allotted in the ‘class sked’. As a mom, my contribution is to prepare the kids’ snacks and from time to time, I pitch in the story-telling time when my son asks

So much has happened this week. I have been bombarded with yokes one after another--all trying to weigh me down. Business hangs in the balance. Office life has turned mayhem with all shameful squabbles and issues challenging the soldier in me. Mundane concerns try to knife healthy passions. Businesswise, we have not received any good news from Jing's "business partners" whose transaction we hoped would change the entire landscape of Jing's businesses.We have been waiting and praying since June all along keeping our faith that everything would turn out as we hoped. Well, the waiting is still on, but one thing I am thankful for is the fact that the process we as a family went through and still go through is making us appreciative more of God's timing. How He has taught my hubby to wait patiently and trust everything to him is what delights me inwardly these days. Patience is a virtue that does not happen overnight and this was one area I was so pissed off with

--> Kids have a way of saying things that amuse us no end. My eight-year old son who is on his 2 nd year of homeschooling under the umbrella of the Victory Christian School has lately been utering quotable quotes that sometimes make our thinking caps spin. At other times his ramblings would unexpectedly elicit chuckles from both Dad and me, with him as clueless as ever of his wit. An incident happened a few months ago, just weeks after Dad and Rovik arrived from a week-long vacation in Singapore . We (Dad, Rovik and me) were inside our L3 van on our way to Crossing Calamba. Rovik was unusually quiet and seemed absorbed in his thoughts. After a while, he asked the one question that both scared and thrilled me. (Let me take you in on that conversation) Rovik: Mom, how can one become the President of the Philippines ? Mom: (surprised) Why are you asking son? Do you want to be the President of the Philippines ? (Talk about answering a childish question

I have been on pins and needles lately. I haven't felt like this for quite a long time--it's a cause for concern. Could it be that I have not been walking in faith, as I should? Could it be that I have been trusting much on the flesh? Or could it be that we are in for a test? What ever it is, I feel my defenses starting to crumble. I am (and we all are) at my Father's mercy. I need to unload this burden within, to experience once more the peace and joy that come from walking in close communion with my maker. Yup, I realize this race is hard, indeed. I need to be on my toes, with undivided and uninterrupted gaze on the cross -- the symbol of my strength, of triumph over evil. Oh, Father, you know what we are into right now. in whatever situation we may be in, please keep us in your fold always. You will never ever give us a load we can't bear. Grant us your heart that we may fervently seek your leading in our lives. We lay down on your feet all that we are, all that

It's been almost two weeks since our team-building activity at Dalampasigan Beach Resort. Gosh, my head's still spinning and reeling from the fun (a.k.a. enjoyment) of having to sing my heart out and savoring the soothing waters at 3am with my brainstorming pals. After eight years of being myopic with the hubby and kids, I finally got to mingle in school-girl fun with fellow aging work buddies. Away from domestic concerns (thanks for a considerate hubby!), I felt like an eagle that's been trapped in a gilded cage, raring to flap my wings and soar up the limitless expanse. Oh, I didn't realize there could me much fun outside of my homeschool environs. I felt like I was thirteen again complete with the giggles, sighs and excitement especially during the videoke session where, I learned, after 13 years, FNTI has so much talent in the entertainment department. I swooned over mr. balladeer, laughed at lyrics-swallowing mr.tipsy, turned jelly-eyed with the singing c

Wasn't it only yesterday when I was excitedly charting out my life? Gosh, I didn't realize it's been over a decade since I got off the well-adorned UPLB stage with a huge grin on my once pretty face, silently chanting every fresh grad's mantra, "Hello world, Here I come!" Armed with tons of confidence, I barged in every available job opportunity hoping against hope I would get the nod so I could get out of the alarming statistics of the unemployed. I even resorted to borrowing clothes to don for job interviews. (oh, what do you expect? UP never trained us to wear something fit for the corporate world.She encouraged us just to be ourselves!) But, oh, where did such haste lead me? Here, in a rather obscure jungle of the narrow minded, the snoop and busybodies who relish nothing than to kick other people's butts.I 've allowed 12 years of my life to just pass by in an environment that did not awaken my passions for the best. I kinda drifted along, ne