Another great story for you, people!

My husband is a Bank Examiner by profession. I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit that I am getting tired of it.

My reason for loving him before has now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness. I am sentimental and extremely sensitive when it comes to relationships and feelings. I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy.

My husband is my complete opposite. His lack of sensitivity and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage have disheartened me about love.

One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce. “Why?” he asked, shocked. “I am tired; there are no reasons for everything in the world!” I answered.

He kept silent the whole night. He seemed to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only increased - here was a man who can’t even express his predicament. What else can I hope from him?

And finally he asked me, “What can I do to change your mind?”

Somebody said it right; it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him.

Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered, “Here is the question. If you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind. Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death. Will you do it for me?”

He said, “I will give you my answer tomorrow . . . . .” My hopes just sank by listening to his response . . . . .

I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with his scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front door, that goes . . . . .

“My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further . . . . .”

This first line was already breaking my heart. I continued reading . . . . .

“When you use the computer you always mess up the software programs, and you cry in front of the screen. I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore the programs.

“You always leave the house keys behind, thus, I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you.

“You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city; I have to save my eyes to show you the way.

“You always have the cramps whenever your “good friend” approaches every month; I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy.

“You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom.

“You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes. I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails, and help to remove those annoying white hairs so I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand… and tell you the color of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young face . . . . .”

“Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do… I could not pick that flower yet, and die . . . . .”

My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting . . . . .
and as I continue on reading . . . . .

“Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk . . . . .”

I rush to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face, clutching tightly with his hands, the milk bottle and loaf of bread . . . . .

Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I have decided to leave the flower alone . . . . .

That’s my husband, Dario, showing off one of his ‘macho’ poses.

And this is me giving him a ‘come hither’ smile

January05 is our anniversary date. And as if God was trying to send me a message, the Daily Bread story for that day was entitled The Waiting. All my readers know that I share some good reads here from my Our Daily Bread 2008 diary which was given to me by a friend. The reason why I was not able to post this on the day of our anniversary itself was that this blog started on February – a month later. Anyway, if you have read this post, you will understand what this is all about.

The Waiting
(Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis15:6

Any mother can tell you that waiting to give birth is an experience that builds patience. But pity the poor mother elephant. It takes about 22 months for an unborn elephant to mature to birth! The shark known as the spiny dogfish has a pregnancy duration of 22-24 months. And at elevations above 4,600 feet, the Alpine salamander endures a gestational period of up to 38 months!

Abraham could have identified with these examples from nature. In his old age, the Lord made a promise to him: ‘I will make you a great nation’ (Gen12:2). But as the years passed, Abraham questioned how the fulfillment of the promise was possible without even the basic bulding block of a son (15:2). So God assured him, ‘One who will come from your own body shall be your heir’ (v.4).

Despite his advanced age, Abraham believed God and was called righteous (v.6). Yet he waited 25 years from the time of the initial promise for Isaac to be born (17:1,17).

Waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled is part of trusting Him. No matter how long the delay, we must wait for Him. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, ‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful’ (Heb10:23). – Marvin Williams

Not so in haste, my heart! Have faith in God, and wait;
Although He seems to linger long, He never comes too late. – Torrey

God always performs what He promises.

(Also read: Genesis15:1-6, Genesis13-15, Matthew5:1-26)

This is a set of Jeff’s school uniform. No, he is not taking up a medical course. In fact, he is only in 5th grade. The school was founded by a doctor; this may be the reason why from pre-schoolers to grade schoolers to high school students and most of the college students wear white. Well, whatever the reason is, whites are hard to keep whites, aren’t they? That’s why my battle against stains seems endless for years. Here’s a tip I read from my RD which I want to share with you. Enjoy reading!

Stains are inevitable but there’s no need to resort to harsh chemicals to deal with them.

1. Take immediate action. The faster your act, the better your chances of completely removing the stain.

2. Mop up the excess. Try to blot up as much of a spill as possible with a clean rag and paper towel. Lift off solids with a knife blade.

3. Don’t let the stain dry out. If you can’t deal with it straight away, sponge the stain with cold water, spray it with soda water or cover it with a damp towel.

4. Re-lubricate a dry stain. If a stain does dry (or you find an old one), rub it with vegetable glycerin before removing it.

5. Don’t use hot water. It ‘sets’ many stains, making them much more difficult to remove. Always use cold or tepid water when you first tackle a stain.

6. Start with the gentlest approach. Quite often, all you need for removing a stain is soda water or a soapy solution.

7. Always move from the outside in. To avoid leaving a ring, start from the outer edge of a stain and work towards the center.

8. Don’t scrub at a stain. Instead, place an absorbent pad beneath the stain and dab it with the remover solution, forcing it through the fibers. Change the pad frequently.

9. Work from the back of the fabric to the front. If possible, place the absorbent pad on the stain itself on the right side of the fabric and apply stain remover from the wrong side of the fabric.

10.In the case of stain removal, more is not necessarily better. If a cleaner is not working, don’t increase the strength of the solution. Rinse it away, and try something else.

source: Reader’s Digest June2008 issue, pg140

With school back in session, here are tips from Oxford Learning to get your kids through school and dreaded exams.

Kids

1. Listen and hear. Pay attention in class. Jot notes on the main ideas. Don’t understand something? Make a note and ask someone to explain it to you.
2. Ace your homework. Use a planner to enter your homework as soon as it’s assigned. Pick a comfortable place to do homework and study.
3. Study effectively. Divide material into units and assign each unit a day. Give yourself a three-day break before the test. Study in short bursts – then take a five-minute breather to exercise and re-focus. Use Oxford’s SQRCRC method to study:
Survey introductions, headings and summaries for main ideas.
Question: “What do I hope to learn by reading this?”
Read for details.
Cover the work.
Recite what you’ve just read.
Check how well you have done.

Parents

1. Help your child prepare a study schedule, and review it together every morning.
2. Create a special work environment that encourages best efforts and makes it easier for your child to get into study mode.
3. Get involved. Your interest shows them that school is important.

source: Reader’s Digest Jan2008 issue, pg138

What more can I ask for?

This is my husband, Dario. A very responsible and loving father and partner. He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t get himself drunk (he only drinks up to 2 bottles of beer and only during an occasion), always gives what’s best for us. He never runs out of jokes and stories to tell, always has time for me & Jeff even if he is far from us, still surprises me with boxes of chocolates and flowers after all these years (the usual dozen red roses ). And when he’s here, he helps me with the dishes and we do the laundry together, which oftentimes leads to us sprinkling water to each other and laughing. He is one of the few men who still hold their wife’s hand in public, and is not shy of giving me a kiss in front of others. And how I adore watching him giving our son a bath, just like when Jeff was still small.

With him, I found the meaning of contentment and true happiness. He is a HUSBAND, a PARTNER, a FRIEND, a FATHER to our son. So what more can I ask for . . . . ?

Here’s a little something for our husbands this Father’s Day . . . . .

by Melanie T. Lim

Where do you find good ones? I’ve been asked so many times. Well, how would I know? I never found one for myself.

What’s a good husband, anyway? Someone who runs at your bidding? That would be your dog. Someone who lets you shop till you drop? That would be your father. Someone who listens to your never-ending woes? That would be your best friend. Someone who loves you no matter what? That would be your mother. Someone who knows exactly how to bring you pleasure? That would be you.

I think men who make good husbands abound. But what is good for one woman is not necessarily good for all. One man can make one woman, a good husband. The same man can make another, a lousy one. We grow up in different homes. We come from different backgrounds. And so we bring different expectations to a marriage.

One woman expects love and fidelity. Another expects financial security. Some women marry for love. Others marry for tradition. Some women expect bliss after the wedding. Some women expect sacrifice. Some women are forgiving. Some women are not open to compromise.

Different expectations conjure up different images of good husbands. Who doesn’t want a man who can cook, who can write poetry and who can move your furniture around when you want to? Well, I don’t. I want a man who can do what I can’t do. But that, my mother would say, is my biggest problem. But I don’t have a problem with a man not knowing how to do the things I can do. It’s he who usually has a problem with that.

There is no perfect man. But there is a perfect match for every woman. Most people think that like minds make a perfect match. But how much passion and excitement can you bring into a relationship when you both love pasta, salsa and Salvador Dali? If we thought, ate and dressed completely alike, how far could we really grow beyond ourselves and our common interests?

I think that a good husband is someone who does not necessarily love and like everything that you think, say or do but someone who endeavors to accept your eccentricities and experiences because his love for you is larger than his priorities and preferences. A good husband is a man who loves you for who you are and all that you hope to be in an imperfect world.

At different times in my life, I vacillated on the best reason for getting married. When I was young and starry-eyed, it was love. When I grew older and bitter, it became convenience. Now that I am yet much older but unexpectedly happier, I believe with all my heart that it should never be for anything but love.

So, where do you find good husbands? Well, every woman should know. Looking for a good husband is much like going shopping. When you know what you want, it’s fast and easy. But when you walk aimlessly through the mall, you mostly end up with impulse goods or nothing at all. If you want to find the man you want, you need to find yourself first. After all, it’s pretty easy to find what you want when you know what it is, even in the crowd.

1. my own website (done on Feb02)

2. digital camera

3. new pair of pants (at least 2) (done yesterday)

4. a pair of sandals/shoes

5. a pair of shorts

6. skirt (done on Feb01)

7. TV rack (done on Apr30)

8. office table (to replace our PC table) (I don’t think I’ll be needing this for now; we already had an alternative)

9. computer monitor (to replace the one I am using now which is having near death experience)

Today is my husband’s flight back to Riyadh. Jeff and I took him to the airport, and an hour from now, Dario is boarding his plane. Of course, Jeff cried again and was holding tight his Papa’s arms. He doesn’t want him to go just yet. He was not even talking the second we went out of the house, and then just started crying when we got to the airport and held tight his father’s arms. It is always like this every year (Dario is on his 10^th year working in Riyadh). Maybe you are asking now if I didn’t cry. Well, I did. Last night. I always cry the night before so our son won’t see. Dario always tells me to get use to it, but I can’t. I just miss him every day he’s not here. And so does our son. And looking around our quiet room now which was filled with laughter for the past few weeks, I feel sad. Two days ago, we went to the salon together for a haircut (him) and hot oil (me) and foot spa (both of us). Then yesterday, we went to the mall to buy a pair of hamsters for Jeff. He also bought me 2 pairs of pants. We had a great time though we forgot to buy our favorite choco frap from Starbucks. Anyway, we’ll see each other again tomorrow via webcam. And it will be like this again every day for ten months. Then Jeff and I will be able to hug him again when he gets back home next year. Haaayyyy! Being a wife of an OFW . . . . .

Btw, I chanced upon the blog of this lady who says ‘I need someone to review my blog‘. Jean is a fellow Filipina who lives in the US. And this lady has a lot to share. Go check her out, people!

It’s Jeff’s first day in school and he’s now in 5th grade! My husband and I took him to school this morning and before we left, we heard Jeff and his friends talked about the NBA finals. Have a successful 5th grade, son!