Day to Day Miracles

He Tickles my Heart

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Oh, I love how my li'l boy adores me! He's truly one sweet thing who can give me a thousand hugs and kisses a day. I'm actually enjoying all these now, including his constant praises and 'flattery' words, like 'You're the best Cook' and 'You're so pretty!' Yeah, I'm not sure if there's a need for me to go for Regency Beauty Schools if that's the case. LOL! Yeah, he sure does now how to tickle my heart.

Anyways, I'm relishing all these moments while he's still young. I know that a stage will also come when they don't want to be seen kissing their parents and etc. Oh, I just hope that stage won't come and my boy will be as sweet as always... :)

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Tricia's 'Poetry'

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:39:00 +0000

My li'l girl loves to writes poems and stories these days. Here's a sample of her poems. I only corrected a couple of spelling mistakes and the rest is in its original form.

The Young Boy Jude

Young boy Jude

messed up all his food.

He tried to clean the mess

But he had little success.

So he gave it up

and got a free pup

who ate the mess up.

The Fawn in My Lawn

As I cleaned my lawn

I find a fawn

that is very cute

with eyes as black as soot

looking at my lawn

as it becomes dawn.

I can make a lawn

but only God can make a fawn.

God Made Me

I have a pretty face

my dress is made out of lace.

I like to wash dishes

and I hate eating fishes.

I wish I have a cat

and God made me like that.

The 'New' Old Skates

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:33:00 +0000

My li'l girl has loved skating ever since she learned how to skates. She was skating quite regularly the past months but stopped for awhile because we were away for a few times.

But last week, we have learned that the men who rent out the skates at the park were selling 2nd hand skates at a very cheap price. Oh, before that we've looked around for brand new inline skates and found our that they're quite pricey unlike those kuat bike racks so we never bought a pair for our girl. Anyways, the 2nd hand skates looked a bit old though still in a good condition. But, Hubby washed and repainted them purple and this is how they look like now.

Yeah, it looks new right? My li'l girl on the other hand was so happy for another answered prayer!

Happy Birthday to my Precious Girl!

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:12:00 +0000

It's our little girl's 8th birthday today! At 12 midnight we surprised her with a birthday cake and gifts here in our family friends' house. And later this morning, we will be going to their 'dream place' Kidzania. Oh, going there will really be an answer to my kids' prayers. For months, they've prayed, saved money and talked about this place. And praise God that finally the day has come for them to go.

I'm sure it's going to be an exciting day for my daughter and my son ( who's also claiming that it's also his birthday). Thank your Lord for the blessings and the opportunity to celebrate my daughter's birthday here in Malaysia.

A Guide to New Bankruptcy Laws: How to Qualify for Bankruptcy

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Image via Flickr

Things are beyond tight in your life, whether you’ve lost your job or found that the costs of living far outweigh your current paycheck. If you find yourself struggling financially, you may consider filing for bankruptcy, which may be your best option to climb out of debt.
What are the new bankruptcy laws, how do you qualify?

The New Bankruptcy Law

As of 2005, the New Bankruptcy Law has been in effect. This has made qualifying for bankruptcy under the new laws a bit more tricky; albeit not impossible as a way of starting over and getting the stress off of your back. The new law was designed to decrease abuse within the system. It protects people who have had a job loss, have huge medical bills they can’t pay, or have had some other catastrophic events that keep them from paying their bills. Bankruptcy helps families keep their home and most of their valuable assets. It also gives people and families an opportunity to pay back their creditors.

Basic Guidelines

Consult a Bankruptcy Attorney

It is imperative that you contact a well-experienced bankruptcy attorney. A bankruptcy attorney will help you to decide if you're eligible for bankruptcy and what sort of bankruptcy you qualify for. He will know what’s the best option for you depending on given circumstances: Chapter 7 is designed to help you to eliminate unsecured debts, while Chapter 13 allows you to efficiently manage your debts and protect your assets.

Evaluate Your Current Financial Situation

Your financial situation hasn't changed, and it's been a few years.

Under the new law, a means test will be given to determine if you must take out bankruptcy or if you can, in reality, handle the payments without bankrupting the debt. This is a two-part test that will offer, through formula, the amount of money you can afford to pay for unsecured debts like credit card bills. Your income will also be compared to your state's median income.

Realize Your Lack of Control Over Money

If you find that the reason you are applying for bankruptcy is from "lack of control" of your money and not specific "out of your control" issues that are causing you problems, under the new law, you will have to have some counseling to file for bankruptcy.

Sure, some people say that the new bankruptcy law is more stringent, and perhaps in some cases it is. But the new law does something else: It allows for the person to make some changes in his life to avoid what may become a serious financial setback.

During the 'Silent' Times

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:03:00 +0000

As the wise man said in Ecclessiastes, ' There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens:.. '

Sometimes, we just want to relish on the beautiful times and seasons in our lives.. If possible, we just want to stay there and 'wish' that the other seemingly 'undesirable' times would never come. But it is during those 'undesirable' times that we learn and hold on to the things that are more important things in our lives.

If you ask us now, we are in the 'silent' times in our lives. Everything seems to be going so slow, everything seems so quiet.. But as we are in this season, I'm realizing that we are also building stronger foundations with our relationship with God, our family and focusing more in discipling our kids. It is during these times that we as a family pray and long for God like never before. It is during these times, that we couldn't afford to decide and settle for anything less than God's will. Though waiting may be very difficult, but God promised that He will renew our strength and let us mount with wings like eagles.. and yes we will wait, Lord... even if it means being on the 'silent' season for a longer period of time ....

Imagine, if we never have 'silent' seasons... we might still be going on and on in a flurry of activities, be swallowed in our busyness and forget the things are more important and the reason for it all.

Indeed God makes everything beautiful in HIS Time....

Praying for Our Journey

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:49:00 +0000

We'll be traveling this week. It's going to be quite a week since we'll be attending a wedding, baking brownies (for the wedding) , renewing my visa and 'celebrating' Tricia's birthday. It's going to be an exciting trip, yet I can't help but be a bit concern over a few things. Aside from my visa renewal process, I'm quite worried on whether our car can manage to travel the long distance. It hasn't been on its perfect condition for the past weeks. But anyways, we'll just have to pray for a pleasant journey, apply for Malaysian car insurance at the border which is different from liability insurance quotes , and maybe look for a good car repair shop in Malaysia.

Praying for a fruitful and exciting week for me and my family.I hope you can pray with us too.. Now, I'm excited.. :)

The Savings for Kidzania

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Finally the coin banks have been opened and it was time for the kids to count whether they have enough money saved for Kidzania for Tricia's birthday. And yes, they they have collected and saved up 1,300 baht worth of 1,5 and 10 Baht coins over the months.

The kids were so excited since they've been praying and 'dreaming' to go to Kidzania for months now. What's with Kidzania? It's actually a sort of an educational theme park in which the kids can become 'grown-ups' by playing different careers and professions. Like for example, if they want to be a pilot, there's a kid size cockpit and they can fly a plane. There are fire stations, hospitals and Restaurant Systems that are manned by the kids and for the kids. We saw a few photos of Kidzania and it really looks like a fun and educational place for the kids.

And with a few extra money from the coin bank, I'm sure the kids can buy a few souvenirs from there too.

Homeschool

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:57:00 +0000

I got this photo from a friend and I find it quite amusing especially the first photo. I really think that our neighbors must find it quite weird for our children not to go to school and just be in the house especially since everyone leaves for school before 8 am. For other people, they might think homeschool to be just all fun ( or maybe it is, since my kids are enjoying it) and no work. But in reality, our homeschool looks more like the last photo since my kids are so much into books especially at this time.

On Contests and Games

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:38:00 +0000

There was a time ( during our 1 year break) that I was joining in a lot of online contests. That was also a time when I won a lot of prizes too. The biggest prize that I won was a free package 8 day trip to North Thailand. We also won free air tickets for 2 to Jakarta, Indonesia and free hotel accommodation in Bangkok which we were not able to claim because of our busy schedules. But anyways, I guess the saying is really true that 'the more you join contests, the more chances you have of winning.' You see, if one doesn't join any contests then of course, he or she won't win any prize, right?

Anyways, I could still remember the very first thing that I won during my elementary years. You see, my parents were members of a 'club' that organizes annual bingo games every summer. So, we were kinda 'forced' to participate but as for me at that time, I wasn't expecting to win anything because the hall was just so full of participants. But guess what, I one one of the minor prizes - a photo album. :) Bingo games were quite popular during my younger years and I never thought that this game could survive during the hi tech era. Well, I was surprised to find out that it still exists now and there are even online versions of it. It's so easy if you want to try it out, because you can just go online and play bingo (sign up now).

Oh, writing about online contests now, makes me miss those days when I had so much of time to search and join contests. It's really an exciting experience to wait and see whether we've won or not. Maybe next time. As of now, I'm quite busy with the kids' homeschool.. since we have a lot of catching up to do.

Our Compassion Sunday Profile

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:27:00 +0000

I just finished writing our Compassion Sunday profile and you can find in HERE. I was only allowed to write our story in 800 characters (take note: characters, not words). I felt that it was too short because I still wanted to write so many things about it. And since I can’t write everything there in our profile, I might just as well, write it here. ;)

As mentioned in our profile, we started having the burden to sponsor someone in Africa after watching the news and including the people affected by the famine ( last year) regularly in our family prayers. We then felt led to give a portion of my blogging income to those directly affected by it. We searched for Christian workers and organizations working with them, and that’s when we found out about Compassion. We prayed and gave a one time gift, but then we felt that we have to do something more. That’s when we felt led to sponsor a child. It wasn’t an easy decision for us to make since it would mean that we have to consistently shell out a portion of our income on a monthly basis. That’s a huge chunk from my blogging income on the ‘good months’. And just like any other ‘businesses, there are also ‘low months’. But as what Hubby always tells me, God has blessed us and we must bless other people too and surely God will provide. And indeed, God has provided for us and we’re able to consistently give our monthly support to our sponsored child (reaching one year this July).

God just did not use as a blessing to a child in poverty in Kenya, but God has also blessed us much more than we can imagine. God has blessed us with a relationship with Haron, who is such a sweet and precious child. God has blessed us by making our children concerned about Haron and all the other children in poverty. Through our sponsorship with Haron and knowing more about his life in the village, we’ve realized that indeed there are so many things in life that we can choose to live without and still be comfortable. Indeed, God has blessed us in every way, that we might be a blessing to others.

That’s our Compassion story, we don’t have much but God has enabled us and blessed us… I hope you too can share your blessings to the other children in need.

Homeschool Room Revamp

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:25:00 +0000

We haven’t been regularly homeschooling for the past weeks because we attended a conference, traveled and went on a retreat. So, our homeschool room has been quite a mess since the kids use it to play and do their own craft works. But the other night, I had quite a surprise when Hubby cleaned and revamped the room. Now, everything is nicely arranged but I also notice that our books are increasing and we might need metal storage cabinets in the future.

Anyways, I’m happy with the look of our new homeschool room and we will be using it quite more often now as we have a lot of catching up to do for my daughter’s 1st grade curriculum.

Time to Let the Keyboards Out

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:23:00 +0000

My kids are not doing any music classes but I feel, it’s also important for them to be exposes to music. So, I’m letting our keyboards out again and maybe I can teach my daughter a thing or two. A few years ago, I tried to teach her a few piano exercises but she wasn’t interested at all. I’m trying it out again and this time, I’ll see which of my kids are more interested with music. If, they’re not interested at all, then maybe I’ll have to play and practice it myself. It’s been awhile since I last played the Avid Keyboards and maybe it’s not too late brush up a few of my ‘skills’ that I left dry for decades.

The Doctors' Network

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:21:00 +0000

There is this online network that is especially for physicians in which they can share vital information securely and privately with each other. It’s called Doximity and is proven to be helpful to a lot of physicians in the US. It has been reported that around 6% physicians all over US are already connected to this network. This free site is accessible through the web, iPhone or android based phones and tablets. So, if a physician in New York is looking for Thomas Dimatteo MD , he can surely locate him in this network and find out a lot of information in just one click.

I’m sure this site will be very helpful to the doctors worldwide as they connect and refer patients to each other.

On Articles and Readings

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:17:00 +0000

If not for my part time online ‘career’ which requires me to read articles on medicine, diet, supplements and even posts on how to increase testosterone , I would have never known that this hormone is essential in preventing osteoporosis. As for diets and weight supplements, I can only read about them and hope that I can lose weight just by mere reading. LOL!

Anyways, it’s also good to be well read and be informed in every aspect of life, isn’t?

Reflect and Refresh

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:24:00 +0000

Our family has taken a few days away from the city for a days. This long holiday has given us the opportunity to spend more time to reflect and be refreshed in every way. Thought we still have a lot of questions 'unanswered' but it's just amazing as to how God shows us what we really need to know and not what we 'want' to hear.

We had a daily schedule in which more time was devoted to reading, prayer and worship both personally and as a family. We took turns in leading worship and prayer. I can't help but be amused when Lyle led with the song, "Here I am to Worship". So cute!

We really thank God for the opportunity to have this family retreat. The place where we went was also a conducive and quiet place for this purpose. It has a small man-made lake and quite a big place for the kids to run around. The resort was also clean and well kept without clevis pins scattered around. We will surely do this family retreat on a regular basis. It's not just a great time to bond with the family but a time to be still and get to reflect on the more important things in life.

Earthquake and Signs of the Times

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:48:00 +0000

I just felt the earthquake here ( Hat Yai, Thailand) a few minutes ago. It wasn't very strong but it was very long. I wasn't very sure whether I was just feeling dizzy or the earth was really moving but I called my Hubby to find out. It was only then that he also took notice of it too.

While all these was happening, I can't help but remember my devotions this morning which was on Matthew 24. The disciples were asking Jesus about the signs of the end times. But Jesus warning was very clear on Matthew 24 versus 42-44 that we must 'Keep watch... and we must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him...."

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

News update from CNN : Earthquake of magnitude 8.9 strikes off Sumatra, U.S. Geological Survey says.

Let's pray for the people affected from the earthquake..

She's Not Ready Yet

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:41:00 +0000

For the past couple of days, no matter what topic we talk about, we always go back to the 'bombing incident' that took place last Saturday and end up thanking God for His protection and safety. Then my daughter asked me, 'What if we really went to McDonald's? What could have happened to us?'. I was just blurting out my thoughts silently and said, ' If it's time to go.. then it's time to go. Our lives are in God's hands." I didn't notice that she just heard what I just said. Then she replied, " But I'm not yet ready, Amma!" I was surprised with her reply. I was already thinking of giving her a 'sermon' on assurance of salvation, faith, heaven (no more tears, no more pain) and etc. when I asked, " Why?". Then her answer surprised me all the more ... "Because, I have not shared the gospel to the people yet. I want to tell them about God!', was her answer. I was rendered speechless as I tried to hold back the tears from my eyes. I thank God for I know that it's Him who laid this in her heart at very young age. It is my prayer that God will indeed use her life to be a blessing to the others!

Good Bye Flashlight Phone!

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:27:00 +0000

I have been using this LG 'flashlight' phone for years (which I've passed to my Hubby after being contented with landline phone!) and it has really served us very well. I'm not a very 'hi-tech' person but when we went to the Philippines we were so surprised that almost everyone has smart phones, even the little ones! Then, we realized that aside from the 'pirated' (imitation) phones, smartphones, phone accessories and ipad accessories tend to be cheaper there too.

And then last week, my android phone from the Philippines arrived! Yehey! It's a blessing from God given to me by 'someone'. Bless this person Lord! Now, I'm completely saying goodbye to my 'flashlight' phone (sorry buddy, but you have a very good owner, don't worry!) and saying Hello to my cute new phone. Thank God for cute blessings! ;)

Hello, Anybody in Google Plus?

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:17:00 +0000

When I first heard about Google Plus, I really thought that it's the next Facebook. My friends have been asking me to make an account but I never did until many contests require Google plus accounts. But quite honestly, I seldom visit my account there because nobody's there. I mean only a handful of friends whom I regularly communicate with in FB.

But maybe, Google plus will soon be as widely used as Facebook, maybe its time hasn't come yet. I heard that I lot of other companies have Google plus such as sterkly Google+ . What about you do you have Google Plus?

Bomb Blasts at Lee Gardens, Hat Yai and Park Hotel Yala

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 08:46:00 +0000

Photo taken from Chubz C.

A couple of hours ago, a bomb exploded at the basement of Lee Gardens Hotel in Hat Yai and Park Hotel in Yala. There were still no confirmed reports on the number of people who were injured or died in Hat Yai, but as what we've 'heard' there were 7 casualties. In Yala, a news report of 40 people injured and 5 casualties.

We were having lunch at Sugar Rock restaurant (Hat Yai) when we heard about the incident. We really had goosebumps all over since our friends were supposed to have lunch at Mcdonald's ( located at the ground floor of Lee Garden's) but it seems plans changed and everyone decided to go to Sugar Rock. We believe that's how God works to keep all of us safe. As for our other Malaysian and Singaporean friends, they were having their lunch at Sizzler's ( located at the 2nd floor) when the bomb exploded. They really felt the whole floor go up a few inches and down again. It's a good thing that the floor didn't give way and the glass windows didn't shatter. The staff immediately evacuated them to the fire exit and they safely escaped. But as of this time our other friends are still on the 33rd floor of the building and waiting for the smoke and the way to be clear before they can safely go down. I've heard that there are still hundreds of people trapped on the 4th floor of the building.

We're continually praying for the safety of the people in Hat Yai. Please pray with us.

The House With A Garden

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Our family saw a house for rent the other day, the good news is, it has a garden and it looks beautiful! If there's a good news then there must also be a bad news, right? Well, not yet..I mean, the price for the rent of that same house is a bit expensive for us (that can be the bad news), but then we still haven't negotiated with the owner yet as she's still in Japan. So, I won't conclude that there's a 'bad news' just yet.

Anyways, we saw the house from the outside and it really looks nice. There's a garden in front and a small yard on the side. The relative of the owner whom Hubby has talked with, said that the owner just did renovations with the house. I'm not sure whether she did kitchen renovations Brisbane, laundry renovations or bathroom renovations but it seems that that's the reason why they're making the rental much more expensive than usual.

Hubby will still negotiate while we pray for God's will. I'm sure that, if that house is for our family to occupy then, the rental can go low within our budget. If not, then it means God has other plans for our family. :)

Telephone Bill - Solved!

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:14:00 +0000

Phew! Thank God for hearing our prayers! Hubby went to the telephone company yesterday, brought our outrageously expensive phone bill and talked to the office manager. Though it seemed that the process for the complain was long but the TOT officers were very kind and polite and at the end, they crossed out the X,000 Baht bill! Praise the Lord!

The officer apologized and even explained that things like this happen because of all the cable lines (cable lines, phone lines, electricity lines and etc) triggering each other making the computer 'crazy' and 'confused'. Thank God that Hubby just had to pay our normal telephone bill which was just a fraction of the original bill. PTL!

Special thanks to Ate Lits for your concern and prayers too! God bless you Ate!

Moving Houses

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:49:00 +0000

Moving hasn't been much a part of my life until recently. Imagine, our family has been living in the same house for almost 20 years. Yes, I stayed in the house where I lived as an infant until my teenage years. That was our first move, and then our 2nd move was about 3-4 years later. Since I was studying in Manila during our first move and working in Cebu on our second move, I really didn't experience a lot of the packing and unpacking. I know it should have been very difficult for our family since 20 more years of accumulate stuff is no joke. During that time, we also don't have services and shops that sells cheap moving supplies. So, they had to pack everything from what was available.

Then, as I got married and lived here in Thailand. We've moved more than a couple of times too, in our few years of being in the country. Now, I can say that moving is not an easy thing. One would think that packing the things is the major job, but there's the unpacking and the rearranging. Oh, it took us months (!) to settle in our 2nd home. It was a great blessing that our brother's family came to visit us that time because they really helped us a lot in packing and transporting our stuff. Then a few years later, we have to move again here ( our 3rd house), since the houses (2nd and 3rd) are just nearby, it was much easier and we didn't have to bring in a lot of things too.

Oh, thinking about moving now actually stresses me out already. But... I could still consider moving into a new house as long as the house has a bigger yard and is affordable. Our kids have always prayed for a house with a yard or garden so, they can be free to run around and take care of pets. Hmm..we'll see..

Serious Conversation by My Kids

noreply@blogger.com (JLaine) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:11:00 +0000

My kids were having late breakfast today. So, I just left them eating on their own while I was chatting with my Mom. I was just in the living room so, I overheard them talking while having breakfast. I was quite amused as to how they were having a serious conversation.

My daughter has actually been reading the Book of Revelations for the past days. Yes, she had some questions about this book but she has understood it better when I told her that this book is full of symbolism and future things. Anyways, she has been sharing to my son who's only 4 years old about the end times, heaven and etc. My son is still so small and can't seem to understand a lot of things that his sister has been saying but it was amusing to hear them discuss and share. He asked a lot of questions and there are also somethings that he doesn't want to agree on like death and etc. but they were talking like grown ups.

Oh, time just flies so fast.. the next thing I know they are already grown ups and will have more serious conversations with each other and even with us. :)