It was September 7, 2010, when I volunteered to teach my native language (Tagalog)  to  six  spouses of expatriates.   Women of different nationalities – Chinese, Swedish, English, Indian, Japanese , a Canadian and myself – met regularly every Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 in the morning which was later moved from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The ladies  took turns  in hosting the class.  I drove to their place in the enclave of the expats which is like a secret garden in the heart of our town. A sumptuous merienda was prepared by the host every meeting, while I brought  my white board and marker, together with my desire to share…

“A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted”.

Ecclesiastes 3:2

God  appointed the birth and death of every living creature.  But between birth and death is the work of God in us, accomplishing His purpose in our lives. If we are with God, our lives will slowly blossom  into  full fruition for God’s glory.  If not, we are like sheep led to the slaughterhouse.

Between life and death, we can actively seek for solid happiness. In the Lord we can find it, outside of God, we search in vain.

That productive gap between life…

The thrill and delight I see in the faces of children as they play computer games and play stations bring  back precious memories of my fun-filled childhood years.  When we were young, we didn’t have money for toys, and having a television set was beyond our imagination. But out of sticks, tin cans, and stones, we were able to build a world of our own. A world of fun and laughter a thousand miles apart from the electronic games of today.

Patentero, luksong tinik, piko, taguan, habulan, sikyo and tinda-tindahan, were some of the games we used to play. Tinda-tindahan was my favorite. We arranged various kinds of leaves, stones, and seeds on our makeshift stores. Our specialty was green…

My good friend passed by while I was parking my car. In my excitement to greet my long-time friend, I carelessly locked the door of my car. And lo and behold… I left the key in the ignition!  After a brief chat, I had no choice but to go back home and get my spare key.  Riding the pedicab was the easiest way to get back.

In no time, a young man was pedaling my way back – a whole 15 minutes  of non-stop, muscle-powered ride. As the pedicab moved slowly along a narrow path, I felt a wonderful, unique feeling as the soft wisp of breeze cooled my face. I experienced a sense of closeness to nature as cogon…

Thirty three years ago, after my husband and I graduated from college, we decided that I should stay at home to take care of our then, one year old daughter. It was in obedience to the design of God for mothers to “be keepers of home” as stated in Titus 2:4-5. I also read a little green book on child training which said that formative years are critical in child’s development and that they imbibe the values and manners of the person who spends more time with them. To leave them in the care of a yaya or helper was not a good option for us.

That decision, l learned later on, was not a walk in the park. I…

Facts and figures about violence in women is heartbreaking. Globally, about 70% of women in their lifetime have experienced physical or sexual violence, ironically, from their husbands or partners. In the United States alone, 1/3 of women murdered each year are killed by intimate partners. Of the estimated 800,000 people trafficked annually, 80% are girls and women, and majority of them (79%) have been sexually exploited. These are just a few facts cited by Saynotoviolence.org. It is a glaring but painful truth. The men who are supposed to take care of women have become their oppressors.

Failure of men to protect and promote the well-being of women contributes largely to the rise of feminism. Women are asserting…

Modesty in dressing is becoming a rarity these days. I and my husband attended a recognition ceremony and I was aghast on how ladies were dressed during the event. Only a few were donned on what I would say as modest. Most clothes were body-hugging, and bared more skin than what is proper. Welcome to the 21^st century dressing!

In the school campuses, in the streets, in the malls, there is an impression that women dress primarily to flaunt their sexuality. The feminists may contend that they can dress in whatever manner they want and no one has the right to question them. But they fail to realize that these sensual manner of dressing lead to acts of immorality (in…

As a wife, I am not in a position to give tips to the husband. But the following describe how my husband of 33 years deals with me. It is the grace of God in Him, and I praise the Lord for a happy and fulfilling relationship we share.

1. Treat your wife like a queen! Consider her as your most precious treasure. Remember she is a gift from the Lord designed perfectly for you.
2. Love your wife with all your heart and might. Do not think that you be loved first. In the end all will return to you because she will respond with the same kind of love you are giving to her. (I feel specially loved…
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Grace has taught me two important principles in marriage, submission and being a help-meet.

First is about submission: With 33 years of marriage, grace has taught me the meaning of the word “Submission”. Submission without the grace of God is like quantum physics to a 3 year old. It so hard to submit especially if you know you can also make it in the career world. It is like going against the current of a rampaging river. But it is the grace of God that shapes the heart to submit and cling to what is commanded. By submitting, and therefore by obeying, the heart becomes still and at peace. The grace of submission quiets…

1. Stay fit and beautiful. Dress well, which does not mean extravagant or expensive clothes but enough to make a good statement for the husband. Consider our husband’s preferences in choosing clothes and our looks (some like their wives to have short hair and wear skirt and dresses rather than denim pants). And since we are the glue that holds things together in the family, we need to be strong and vibrant all the time. Exercise is important, and take those vitamins too.
2. Call your husband “sweet names”: honey, darling, sweetie…the possibilities are endless. This gives the feeling that you enjoy your husband so much that calling him by his name is not enough. (Though you may do that when…
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