sorry i’ve been such a turtle in putting up updates,… people have been asking ’bout the honeymoon, my sis’ wedding… among many other events…. i’m still recuperating from all the wedding hoopla… but in a good way…. and then learning to do house-wifey stuff…. =P so please be patient as updates will be coming up… it’s really on my list of things to do- after all the house stuff….hehe… =)pix are slowly being uploaded on fb…. =) 

it’s been one full week that i’ve been a mrs. and i must say it’s been nothing but bliss =) i wasn’t able to blog the week of because it’s been busy in the household… esp with moving things and trying to finish wedding plans…. plus having a house full of guests at a house that needed to be cleaned and organized….i’m just so thankful for my family and my relatives who have helped us tremendously even in the small span of time that they’ve been here prior to… and of course my second family whom He sent my way to help…. in big and small ways…. 

the wedding day was something i definitely did not imagine…. =) you see growing up, i wasn’t like one of those girls who imagined their wedding day, what i would wear, what colors i would want, etc…. during the whole year of planning, i “discovered” my way through the process…. and i’m thankful for people who were kind enough to remind me what i need and needed to do…. it was a tough year considering i had to plan wedding preparations around full time work with part time school, plus ministries (i wanted to accomplish a lot before getting married but to sacrifice ministries was definitely something i didn’t want to give up)… 

one helpful person was definitely my fiance… it’s funny because we both like to plan things… whether it’s a simple day outing or a night out with friends… we both like to make decisions together and have each other’s inputs regarding important (and sometimes even trivial…hehe…) details… unless, of course, one person gave the other the green light to make an executive decision…. mes of course had his requests for the wedding-most of which were granted…hehehe…. (i.e. harp player, ice sculptures, tux with tails…etc…) and of course i had mine- (the father daughter dance with the family performing, the dirty dancing number that i’ve wanted to do since 8th grade’s talent show- what better time than during the wedding!…)

someone asked me “what’s your favorite part of the wedding?”… i honestly cannot say there was one specific one…. because everything ‘bout that day to me was my favorite…. like the way mes teared as he saw me walk down the aisle….or the time when i heard the congregation sing “unfailing love” accappella…. or the time i cried when thea sang “more of him”… or how choked up i was getting when i was saying my vows… or the time i bawled when i hugged my parents (and i still get teary eyed thinking ‘bout it)- i heard so many people sniffling when we knelt back down at the altar =)….i loved the laughter behind the closed doors after each bridal party’s introduction at the reception (people had complimented how our wedding party was the most entertaining group they’ve ever seen!)…. i loved our first dance even though my train kept getting undone…. i loved our special salsa performance…. adelphia’s food presentations…. the decorations at the church and the reception… even the bouquet presentation to my grandparents who are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary this coming july 15th- how my “tatay” knelt down to my nanay in her wheelchair as he placed the blue garter on her leg…. hehe…

ok, maybe there was one… the part when we were pronounced husband and wife =)

i’ve had many people say that it was the best wedding that they have been to, — how they loved everything from the beginning to the end….=) as much as i love to hear words of affirmation, my only hope is that it brought God the glory He rightfully deserves…  the entire week of, when the stress levels were high and almost anything and everything went wrong, i would just start singing that song “Be Glorified”… because although it is mes and i who people see, we want to honor the Guest who we can’t see…. the One who made everything possible and crafted it so beautifully- more than we ever imagined….. thank you Lord!

one more week to go and still have a lot to do =)… but a lot has been accomplished too….

pre marital counseling

we finished out pre-marital counseling two Tuesdays ago (after how many sessions of the last couple of months).. i must say this is highly recommended for those who are engaged =) definitely gained valuable insights…. there were definitely some tear jerker moments and of course uncomfortable times where we had to be openly honest with our emotions to each other in front of our pastor (not that we aren’t)…. but to see where we can adjust as an individual to be a better couple for God’s glory…. i will try to elaborate more on this with another blog but hopefully this abbreviated version will suffice and hopefully entice those newly engaged and soon to be engaged couples out there about pre-marital counseling! (btw, here’s where i plug a CONGRATULATIONS to NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLE! OUR BESTMAN JEFF to fiancee MARY!!!)

house stuff

so what have we been doing besides wedding stuff? you got it! house stuff…. and can i just say a piece of advice for couples out there: do NOT buy a house while planning a wedding at the same time…. wedding plans are stressful enough but having to worry ’bout moving things from one house to another is another stressor in itself…. i am finding that out within the last week…. but i really not complaining cuz it really has been such a great blessing,…. just hopefully advising future engaged and/or  soon-to-be homeowners out there….

well, just for fun, i wonder if anyone can guess what i moved first from the rents house?… if you guess right, i’ll treat you to a suprise!=P

bridal dress

so after much postponing, my mom, sis and i finally picked up my bridal and MOH dresses on tuesday!….after soo many weeks of waiting (it took about 2 months for the whole process- so brides-to-be be warned…. you do go for at least 2 fittings)…. but boy the end product- can i say, is worth the wait!…. it’s sooo pretty!… even my seamstress couldn’t wait to see it on me!!! she says she loves how pretty and how simple it is, not too busy but elegant at the same time….and yes, i LOVE it too =)…. i still went the traditional way of having white for my gown because of what the color represents (weird how people are shying away from the typical white… not even off white but pink or mint green bridal gowns)…..but yea, i still went with white even though my mom and sis liked the off white/ivory color of the same dress i tried on back in early september before i ordered it (was never worn yet at that time!).. it’s true they say that you’ll know “your” dress when you try it on…. =) and yes, i believe that!..hehehe…. (i’m such a visual person can you tell?…LOLz)

work stuff

the PT staff finally rotated last week, and might i say i like my new service: cardiothoracic surgery…. nothing like evaluating/treating a doctor to rattle your nerves… lolz…. =) but it has been a challenge in the beginning getting used to a new service but now, slowly getting the grooe on with the new service….

i’m really blessed to be given the opportunity to work at such a prestigious hospital…. i can honestly say i LOVE my job…. helping people and seeing the changes in them day by day… one of the best rewarding moments in life…. i’m also thankful how supportive and fun my coworkers have been… especially my boss whom i prolly submitted multiple vacation requests with regards to the wedding plans… changing it from a couple of weeks to 1 week here, then back to work for a week, then honeymoon…. to back to work for a couple of days then to a couple of extra days off, etc…. the last month and a half i’ve been getting “I can’t believe it’s THAT close!” from the lovely co-workers….. sometimes i catch ourselves reminiscing about how it feels like i just got engaged and now the wedding day is only a few days away!!!…. i’ve found it very sweet and very endearing….

marriage license

so this was one of the things i actually wanted to finish two mondays ago but it didn’t go as planned because of lack of communication… but we finally did it yesterday…. did you know that you need to allot about 72 hours at least prior to the wedding day for the application process?… certain cities require you to make an appointment (i.e. cherry hill)… while others usually don’t… but check your city’s requirements at least a month before (as advised)…..

hair appointment

so i’ve been perusing so many hairstyles for gosh, i don’t know how long,…. but i finally had my hair trial appointment yesterday… it was initially a very irritating experience as my hairdresser was 50mins late (she had another client before me)…. 50 minutes that i could have devoted to other wedding things… but alas, 50 mins that i cannot take back…. anywho, turned out pretty cute… maybe still need some modifications here and there….

fiance

i must say, i’ve been getting alot of “You’re VERY lucky sarena! Mes is so involved with the wedding planning… most guys usually don’t” and i must say that yes they’re right!… i trully am blessed to have such a wonderful man who really takes his weight when it comes to planning probably one of the biggest events of our lives….. he has been very supportive and compliant…. not much complaining LOLz…. but it’s been so much fun so far… and we still have 1 more week to go!

 “keeping in the Kingdom perspective”

probably one of the most insightful advice i’ve gotten from anyone…. and that one was from a co-worker of mine….sometimes brides can totally get lost all in the little and big details of the wedding, that they miss the REAL meaning of the day….. kind of like how people have diluted the REAL meaning of Christmas during Christmas time… people get wrapped up in presents, in the parties, being with friends and family that they miss the TRUE meaning of it….. one thing for sure that i’m thankful for are those mini reminders that speak volumes to the heart….

amidst all this wedding planning, God gives you defining moments- whether it’s a comment from a random person or a phone call from a long time friend-to affirm your upcoming union…. i’m really thankful through out this whole process how much He definitely reminds me of that…. God you are trully awesome…. and we thank You!

i must have had a brain fart for not including a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY greeting in my last blog…. to all the wonderful godly fathers out there including my dad, my grandpa, my future father-in-law…. wishing you a wondeful year of celebration!… you definitely deserve it! thank you for all that you do!

wedding stuff

still lots of things to do… and here i am blogging.. hehe… i wished i could have blogged the planning process more often, so that others can see how great our God is with so many blessings He keeps pouring out on this celebration of our upcoming union…. but alas, time is not always conducive to blogging…. but i will try my best to blog the next few weeks….

i’m definitely getting excited with the wedding just days away…. i took the day off yesterday (last minute decision) to make sure that certain things that required attention during business hours were completed.. but accomplishing 2 out of 3 tasks wasn’t bad =T…. though i did hemmed and hawed for a bit cuz i wanted to take care of ALL of it in one day… but it’s all good, mes and i still got a lot accomplished…. definitely thankful for a patient fiance who always wants to work everything out together…. even the “trivial” task such as writing thank you cards =)…. our family living room was cluttered with so much paper the last few days: me on one end, writing away and he on the other end glue dotting away….LOLz… well, glad to say that those are done! as well as the simple ”wedding notes” which included the wedding rehearsal/rehearsal dinner invites… and other pertinent information for the bridal entourage =)….. my friends say i’m going to drive myself crazy with all the small details i put in, but i feel that sometimes it’s the small details that count =)

i want to thank my future in-laws for taking care of the rehearsal dinner details, my future mother-in-law for helping us out with the details for flower arrangements (one of her favorite hobbies), my mom for offering to help put away a roomful of wedding shower gifts….

we’re still waiting on a handful of RSVPs so will concentrate on those the next few days as well as finalizing details with the vendors and ceremony program =)

16 more days!!!!!

so we’re only about 18 days away and there’s still so much to do… but first things first: MORE THANK YOU’S!

to the staff of WHES:

i want to send my sincere thanks for throwing my fiance (and i) a surprise “groom” shower on june 3rd!… the gifts were so thoughtful, ingenious, and interestingly hilarious!….. especially the “if you really want to impress her” gift! (haha)….can i just say he showed me how he opened it in front of you all and the clueless facial expression was still there!…LOLz…. and of course, much much thanks for the very generous shower/house warming gifts!… we’ll definitely be putting it to good use especially with many house projects coming up!

i also want to thank you for being an extended family to my fiance… for helping him with proposal suggestions and the ever so needed “woman” advices (haha) through out the course of our relationship….in less than 3 weeks, those advices will become a reality!…. we can’t wait to see you on July 3rd to celebrate!….

to the lovely Ladies:

you know who you are!….. thank you for yesterday’s festivities!….it was a perfect “birthday” celebration!…. it captured exactly how i would celebrate it!- Spa, Shopping, Eating, and well, Dancing!……thanks for everything! especially to those who sacrificed some family time to celebrate my last few days of singleness!!!…. only just a few days to go!!!! (18 to be exact)….hehehe….

to the Gentlemen:

thanks for taking care of the fiance =) we hope you guys had fun especially being a hectic weekend with Father’s day…. 2 and a half more weeks and we’re almost there! 

more updates:

thank you cards from the shower are almost done, so should be on the way by mid week…. it was a process to get them done (for those who know me, you know how it is…hehehe…) especially with more generous gifts pouring in almost everyday!…. it’s like Christmas in June!

we’ll be finalizing more things the next few days: finalizing flower arrangements, applying for marriage license, vendor arrangements, and final head count =) so it’s definitely crunch time!…. i hope i don’t go bonkers by the end of this week…

something that i pray my generation and the generation that follows will continue to be convicted about…. 

Your Lifestyle Matters

Written by Keith Manuel

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)–I forgot to set the sleep timer on our television once and awoke the next morning to a rerun of “Law and Order.” In the span of a few minutes, I was reminded of a great truth: Your lifestyle matters.

Character Makes a Difference

The lesson, as I recall it, came from a scene where a senior law partner is meeting a client in a restaurant to discuss a case. While they are in this normally reserved atmosphere, some patrons begin to get very rowdy. One woman even jumps up on a table and starts to dance.

The senior law partner turns to look at the commotion. To her amazement, she recognizes the woman as a junior attorney in her firm. The senior partner excuses herself, walks over to the table and glares at the dancing attorney.

As the dancing attorney gets down from the table, she says to her employer, “This is my personal time. It has nothing to do with work.” The senior partner replies sternly, “I’ll see you in my office tomorrow.”

In a following scene, the junior attorney is sitting before the senior partner. The senior partner stands leaning against her desk and begins a brief monologue (paraphrased here): “Don’t ever tell me it is just your personal time. When you meet someone for dinner or anywhere else, in the course of conversation, the question arises about your employment. You proudly reply, ‘I am an attorney. I work at Kevich and Wiel.’ When you are making a fool of yourself, others say, ‘That girl dancing is an attorney.’ Moreover, as they laugh, they say, ‘Yeah, she works at Kevich and Wiel.’ Your personal life is a reflection on this firm.”

Isn’t the junior attorney’s view on life the way some in the church think? “I’m in church on Sunday. Everyone knows me here. But what I do with my personal time during the week, it’s nobody’s business.”

As you participate in the gossip at work, frequent unwholesome establishments or pepper your words with the vulgarities of the world, it reflects poorly on your church and the body of Christ.

The people who are around you know your background. Somewhere in a conversation about what you did last weekend, you mentioned you went to church. “I’m a member of First Baptist.” Then behind your back, those who are watching your behavior say, “Can you believe Joe is a member down there at First Baptist?” While they are laughing, someone else will comment, “Yeah, he’ll also tell you he’s a Christian.”

Your lifestyle is your personal witness of the character coming out of your heart. Your personal time, during the week, is a reflection on Christ and His Kingdom.

When you count the cost of becoming a Christian, you recognize that Jesus is going to change your actions, your lifestyle. You now live in great freedom. When you are free in Jesus, you are free indeed. Yes, you are free to live as a responsible refection of the personality of Jesus Christ. You claimed the title “follower of Christ.” Now accept the responsibility that goes with it.

When I married my wife, Wendy, I gave up the right of singleness, choosing to be committed to her for life. I did so because I love her. My new identity is as a husband and eventually as a father of three. I accepted the title and the responsibility.

As a follower of Christ, I gave up my lifestyle focused on self, to live for my Savior. I embraced my new commitment to Him, because I love Him. He gave me a new identity as the “child of God.” I accepted the title and the responsibility.

Your lifestyle matters. It is a reflection on Jesus and His Church. Make it count.

Keith Manuel is an evangelism associate on the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s evangelism & church growth team. 

1 month to go…

23 months ago, on july 3rd, 2006, (on our 2nd monthsarry… yes, we celebrate it…hehe… =P…)… i was returning from chicago after attending Regen 2006… that was the first time mes and i had been apart since our courtship …

i was beaming with joy when i saw him nonchalantly leaning against the wall, his head turned towards me and his handsome face beaming with a big smile as i exited through the terminal….

we went straight to swanky bubbles in philly to celebrate my return and of course, our 2nd monthsarry… during dinner i gave him a card… and unexpectedly, he gave me a letter he had written over the weekend when he cleaned out his room at his rents house… he wrote it on a piece of loose leaf paper that is probably “as old as our friendship” (haha)….. you see, he hadn’t cleaned out his room since he left home for college…. all the papers and books since high school were left stacked mile high in his room… and i guess my organization skills (at least which was present until the wedding stress) had rubbed off on him causing him to finally go on a cleaning tirade…. (haha)…. and during his cleaning breaks he spent some quiet time…reflecting… which resulted in the formulation of the letter….written on a piece of old high school loose leaf paper….

i found this letter just a few months ago in my binder of “us”… and i’ve been meaning to blog ‘bout it but i guess this is the most suitable time…

without going into so much gushy romantic details…. he wrote of events that had transpired those two months since “us”: the things he noticed about “us”, our striking similarities- how much we think alike, our differences that complements us, the things he loves about me, how many new things he still is learning ‘bout me despite many years of friendship…. but my favorite part was when he shared what he had been praying for; never had i received such a loving letter from a significant other…. written was a promise that, with God’s blessing, he longed to fulfill…  and indeed, two years later on July 3rd 2008 (coincidentally on the same date) that promise will come to fruitition…. 

i guess you can say it was his “unofficial” proposal….lolz…i’m glad i keep sentimental things like this… it’s funny because i had forgotten ‘bout it until recently…. hopefully it will be something to show our future family (God willing) one of God’s wonderful miracles in our lives…. we praise You Father for You have made everything beautiful in its time (ecclesiastes 3:11a)…. =)

30 more days to go!!!!!!!!

Mes and I want to personally give thanks to God for the wonderful wedding shower held last Saturday at TCGSV church… we are humbled and blessed to have so many people care and support us as we approach our wedding day… and boy, did we see ALOT of RED that day… =)

We want to thank most especially the Ninangs (A. Ching and A. Agnes) and the Bridesmaids (MOH: Thea, BMs: Vicky, Justine, Joanne, Melissa, Steph, Marchesa, and Michelle) for all the effort in planning this gathering. We know it was hard to coordinate such a big event being scattered all over but know that your loving efforts are not unnoticed and will not be forgotten (Matt 25:40).

We also want to thank our parents for their unconditional love and support from day 1, for being our spiritual counselors and guides, being our #1 fans through out our lives- each of us independently, and together in courtship, and now as we enter a new season in life…. We are forever indebted.

And of course to our guests, who came both near and far, and for our guests who weren’t able to attend but shared and sent thoughtful messages…. we want to thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedules to celebrate with us…words cannot express the gratitude of how much your support means to us. 

The raves about the food, the decorations, the cake, the presentation, and of course, the program are more than enough to compliment the success of the event. We are very, very thankful to all of you. We hope you got to know a little bit of who we are to each other and of course, our God whom we owe everything to- especially for bringing us together. 

To all of you, a heartfelt thanks from us and our families. God will not forget the love and kindness you’ve shown us through this hectic and exciting season of our life! (Hebrews 6:10).God bless and we will see you on July 3rd!

some pictures from the event (many thanks for BM joanne and her hubby mike for the pix!) 

yup… you got it… it measures a year! =)….

 just one year ago, didn’t think that the word “Yes” could change everything…. but alas, it has… because a year ago from today was the time i became an ENGAGED woman. 

new season, new outlook, new plans…. but the same GOD…. =) i’m thankful for all the things He has continued to reveal and teach me this past year…. it definitely has been very enlightening….. i’m still trying to soak up as much as i can…. and hopefully continue to put it into practice as we near the BIG day…. and carry it through into another new season called married life….

just wanted to share one of the most memorable lessons i’ve learned (so far, among many, many other things) ….

…”When writing to the Corinthians hundreds of years ago, Paul said, ‘Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others’ (1 Corinthians 10:24). And that’s the motto of a selfless bride. In a culture that breeds selfishness, she looks out for others first. She considers how her actions affect the people around her. And she’s more intersted in giving to others than in seeing what she can get from them….. But most importantly, the selfless bride remembers that she’s not the only star in the show-her heavenly Groom actually plays the leading role. She embraces her supporting role with the words of 1 Corinthians: ‘Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God’ (10:31).” (ABH, 98)….

passages such as these just places all of this wedding planning into perspective….=)

401 days later, we will be married…. we’re now only 36 days away….

(mes says i have this thing with numbers-must be the mathematician in me….. i guess this blog proves it…hehe)

my last 525,600 minutes?…. definitely measured in LOVE…. not just through my fiance, or my family and friends…. but most importantly through my heavenly Father =)

 ”The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” (psalm 126:3)  Thank you Lord for all that You do=)

You are Everything
by Matthew West

I’m the one with two left feet
Standing on a lonely street
I can’t even walk a straight line

And every time you look at me
I’m spinning like an autumn leaf
Bound to hit bottom sometime

Where would I be without someone to save me
Someone who won’t let me fall

You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can’t believe is happening
You’re standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
‘Cause You
are everything that I believe for
And I can’t help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart

I’m the one with big mistakes
Big regrets and bigger breaks
Than I’d ever care to confess
Oh but, You’re the one who looks at me
And sees what I was meant to be
More than just a beautiful mess

Where would I be without someone to save me
Someone who won’t let me fall

You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can’t believe is happening
You’re standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
‘Cause You
are everything that I believe for
And I can’t help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart
You’re everything good in my life
Everything honest and true
And all of those stars hanging up in the sky
Could never shine brighter than You
You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can’t believe is happening
You’re standing right in front of me
With arms wide open
All I know is
Every day is filled with hope
‘Cause You
are everything that I believe for
And I can’t help but breathe you in
Breathe again
Feeling all this life within
Every single beat of my heart
You are
Oh You are
Jesus, You are
You are everything