Wedding Dreams And Reality

Patient Love

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 11:40:00 +0000

Is your love patient enough to love?

Love Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:35:00 +0000

What is Love? Some people say, 'I love you' but they hurt the feelings of their loved ones. Some people say, it's a feeling...it's an emotion, somehow, it's true but love is....(watch the video below to see what love really is...

Pray And Expect That God Will Answer

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:06:00 +0000

Prayer accomplishes much. So, pray and expect God to answer your prayers.

Love And Justice

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:59:00 +0000

Love and justice? Check out this video below and you will learn more...

Choose To Love

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:08:00 +0000

To some, love is a feeling but what if you don't have that feeling anymore to your husband or wife? Will you be out of that marriage? Nope. I haven't been married yet but I said no to those questions because love is a choice. God gave us even a choice to love him or walk away but of course, if we are going to choose to love him, blessings will follow, so choose to love and not walk away from your relationship with the Lord or from your marriage. It's all about choice. Choose to love.

Are You Tired of Loving And Never Received The Love You Were Longing For?

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 13:38:00 +0000

When you love someone, you long to be loved with the same level of love you are offering but what if that person doesn't reciprocate the love you are giving him or her? It's frustrating , right? But God's love never fails. He's the only one who can love us without fail. Check out the video below to learn more of his unfailing love.

Have You Been Broken Hearted?

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 10:40:00 +0000

Have you been Broken-hearted? How did it affect you? Where did you go and what do you do during your heart break? Here's a special video for you to watch and you can learn something from this. Happy Heart's Day!

Check Out The Daily Supplement For Your Life's Journey In My YouTube Channel.

noreply@blogger.com (Mariah Gadapan) — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 06:17:00 +0000

It's been a while since I last posted here.

As a comeback, I started this Daily Supplement For Your Life's Journey playlist on my youtube channel last Monday. Please check it out. I hope you can subscribe to my channel and hit the bell notification so that you will be notified when a new video is uploaded. Thanks!

Is It Lack of Love or Lack of Friendship?

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 09:00:00 +0000

photo courtesy of google.com

I read this quote from a philosopher that said,

“It is not a lack of love,

but a lack of friendship

that makes unhappy marriages.”

Is that true? Well, i can not answer that question from a marriage perspective because I'm not yet married nor have been married before but i know that the Bible can answer that question.

In Ephesians 5:25 (New Century Version), its says there,

Husbands, love your wives

as Christ loved the church

and gave himself for it.

We can also read in Ephesians 5:33, J.B.Phillips New Testament Translation:

Men ought to give their wives the love

they naturally have for their own bodies.

The love a man gives his wife is the extending of his love

for himself to enfold her.

Nobody ever hates or neglects his own body;

he feeds and looks after it.

And that is what Christ does for his body,

the Church.

And we are all members of that body,

we are his flesh and blood!

‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’.

The marriage relationship is doubtless

a great mystery, but I am speaking of something deeper still—

the marriage of Christ and his Church.

In practice what I have said amounts to this:

let every one of you who is a husband love his wife

as he loves himself;

let the wife reverence her husband.

It also says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Love is the greatest. It surpasses faith and hope and how much more friendship. So if love is the greatest, love should be the main ingredient or the main reason why one is married. Love should be the reason why you want to marry and why you want to be with that person the rest of your life. Friendship is just a fruit of that love.

Love was also written first as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, among others.

But what is love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (New International Version) define love this way:

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

Love never fails.

New Century version says,

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.

Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others.

Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.

Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth.

Love patiently accepts all things.

It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.

Love never ends

I love how J.B Phillips New Testament Translates it,

This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—

it looks for a way of being constructive.

It is not possessive:

it is neither anxious to impress

nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.

Love has good manners

and does not pursue selfish advantage.

It is not touchy.

It does not keep account of evil

or gloat over the wickedness of other people.

On the contrary,

it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.

Love knows no limit to its endurance,

no end to its trust,

no fading of its hope;

it can outlast anything.

It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands

when all else has fallen.

(emphasis mine)

I love that, "Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.

And from those passages, love is an action word. If its action and you get tired of loving, then you need to go to the source of love everyday to refresh that love for your wife or husband. God is the source of love and i believe that if the husband and wife have their personal relationship with the source of love...the lover of our soul..the Lord Jesus Christ, they wont fall out of love and won't look for someone else to love because that love for his/her spouse will just be renewed everyday as they spend time to the Lord- the giver, the source and the author of LOVE.

May you love your spouse until Jesus comes. Enjoy your marriage!

(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)

By the grace of God I am what I am

Love Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:14:00 +0000

courtesy of google.com

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

(New Living Translation)

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way.

It is not irritable,

and it keeps no record of being wronged.

It does not rejoice about injustice

but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up,

never loses faith,

is always hopeful,

and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages

and special knowledge will become useless.

But love will last forever!

(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)

By the grace of God I am what I am.

From Womb To Tomb....

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:36:00 +0000

courtesy of google.com

Motherhood is from womb to tomb...

(a quote from a former beauty queen)

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am

A Painter Meets Mr. Painter

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:25:00 +0000

Mrs Painter's Love Inspired Painting

I love love stories. I love the word LOVE.

I love these verses regarding love...Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ( the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].And so faith, hope, love abide [faith—conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.- I Corinthians 13:4-13 Amplified Version.

Love is not blind, it sees more not less but because it sees more, it is willing to see less...and this is one of my favorite love quotes since i was in elementary. I read it from a christian book during my early christian life.

Now, talking about love and love stories, let me share this wonderful love story that i really like. I happened to interview a co-blogger and a friend who found her love. She's a blogger and an artist at the same time. She paints so i call this love story as, A Painter Meets Mr. Painter (the last name of her found lover, whose last name become now hers).

Mrs Painter's other Love Inspired Painting

Here's my interview with Mrs Theresa Flores-Painter.....

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

What was your dream wedding?

Theresa Flores Painter:

My dream wedding had always been a simple one, very intimate and private, only 50 very carefully and picked out guests composed of family and long time friends but memorable and elegant. And that's what Russell gave me.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

Have it ever occured in your mind that you will not be able to get married

and stay single forever? If so, how did you overcome it?

Theresa Flores Painter:

Yes it had. I dreamed of getting married someday but I feared getting involved again because I've been hurt before. It took a lot of prayers and a great amount of understanding from my husband who was then my boyfriend and best friend. I was single by choice. I wouldn't let anyone in until I was certain this was the one. I have so much love to give and I'd only give it to someone I'd fully trust and he has to prove his worth.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How did you meet each other?

Theresa Flores Painter:

We met 12 years ago on the net. Our love story is one for the record.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How long did you wait for him to meet you in person?

Theresa Flores Painter:

Three years ago, he asked permission to visit but I didn't let him. I knew if we got together he could fall for me as he already expressed interest then but I was still hurting from my previous broken relationship. I thought it wouldn't be fair to him if I would let him come and I was only half-hearted about the visit. Even though I thought I wasn't in love with him then yet, I cared for him very much and was very careful not to hurt him because I know how it felt to be rejected and hurt by someone you love.

We continued to be friends despite that. I still cared for him, he still cared for me and our friendship continued to grow, Finally sometime in August 2011, he tried to get my permission to let him visit and this time I said yes .

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How long were you engaged before you got married?

Theresa Flores Painter:

We got engaged Feb. 23, 2012 and got married August 3, 2012. 5 months and 11 days

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How did he propose marriage to you?

Theresa Flores Painter:

Russell knows me too well to know how to do it in a way I might prefer it to be done. I won't go into details but it was very private and quiet which was what I liked.And after I said yes, we went to talk to my parents and asked their blessing.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How did you know that he is the one?

Theresa Flores Painter:

You just know.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

Can you tell more about Mr Painter (His civil status before you met him)?

Theresa Flores Painter:

Russell was married when I met him. He introduced me to his wife who was also handicapped and it was her that I was initially close to. She died in 2006 and our loss ( he lost a wife and I lost a very good, close friend) both affected us so much and found comfort in each other as we both have good memories of her.

Mr. Painter and his son from his late wife

Russell is into woodwork. He makes bowls and pens and candlesticks out of different wood materials as a hobby. He is also a motorcyclist and used to be a very active member of "Christian Motorcyclists Association" (CMA) in Australia. He's still a member but he lives here now.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How did you prepare for your wedding?

Theresa Flores Painter:

With a lot of prayers and help from friends.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

You are a blessed woman, i can say. What can you tell single people who want to get married yet still single and already reached their late 30's or 40's? What encouragement can you give to those who are physically challenged who want to settle down?

Theresa Flores Painter:

If it's God's will, it'll happen. Just pray, trust God and Choose wisely. Don't rush! Wait for the right person.

To the physically challenged, don't lose hope. We have as much right and chance as everybody else. The challenge is to find someone exceptional who can see past the physical defects and love you for the person you've become.

Thank you for giving me the chance to share my story with you. God bless!

****

Thank you, Thess for sharing your wonderful love story.

God bless you and your husband, too!

Keep on loving God...keep on loving each other and stay happy!

*******

NOTE: photos courtesy of Mrs Thess Flores Painter. You can also visit her blogs here:

http://thessmuseum.blogspot.com/

http://women-ish.blogspot.com/

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am

Women...We Are Not A Taste Test!

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:53:00 +0000

" as a woman, you are are not a taste test either. No man should be able to sample you and then decide if he wants to pay the cost associated with claiming you as his own. Neither should he have the freedom to sample and discard you in pursuit of something that he thinks might taste better or have a lower price. You are priceless- fearfully and wonderfully made. God shaped and molded you in his own image. You were created, redeemed and deeply loved and valued by God. Therefore, the man who wants to be involved with you should have to count the cost. Understand your worth and know your value. Realize that your value does not decrease if you are alone. Your value increases according to your depth of character. Having a man is not what gives you value. Your value is established and stated by God before the beginning of time."

-from the book, What Women Dont Know (and Men Don't Tell You)

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Something To Ponder On

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:44:00 +0000


courtesy: Google.com

Just a thought to ponder on and i believe there's truth in this:

"Never marry a man who hates his mother,

because he'll end up hating you."

- Jill Bennett

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Unfailing Love

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:07:00 +0000

always remember, God's love is unfailing...

courtesy: youtube.com

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

No Greater Love

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:45:00 +0000

photo courtesy: google.com

Today, as we celebrate the Lenten season, let's be reminded of the sacrificial love God has for us. There is no greater love than His.

No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection]

than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.

-John 15:13 Amplified Version

Take time to spend time with Him and let your heart be open to the love that He is offering and giving you. He loves you so much and his love is greater...greater than your lover's love...greater than your dreams...greater than your past...greater than your present...greater than your future...greater than anything else.

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

A New Look Of Wedding Dreams And Reality Blog Site

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:11:00 +0000

Three days ago, i created a new design for my other blog site because of its second year anniversary and today, i created a new look for this blog site, not because of it's anniversary (it would be in October) but because i just want to give it a new look.

Me on the background picture (taken last February 25, 2012 at Camaya Coast, Bataan)

May all our wedding and marriage dreams come to reality in God's time...

God bless!

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Their First Kiss Happened On Their Wedding Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 04:30:00 +0000

courtesy of Faye Villanueva-Chelabian

I've been wanting to share her love story story since last month but i didn't have much time to do it. I was blessed with it especially when i watched her and husband's prenuptial video (which was supposed to be posted here but for some reason, i couldn't upload it here, so i will just share this interview.

Her name is Faye. Faye is one of the contributors of Young Women On The Journey book which i just recently reviewed on my other blog site. She is also a blogger and the Marketing Officer of CSM Publishing. She's a nice woman. I happened to meet her personally during the Manila International Book Fair at MOA last year but prior to that meeting, we were already exchanging emails because of my book reviews (since October 2010).

I hope you'll also be blessed by her love story.

Here's my interview with Faye and some of their pictures:

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How long have u been engaged before u married?

Faye:

We were engaged for six months before we got married. But prior to that, we were in a relationship for eight months. But then prior to the relationship we were praying to God for about five years (we haven’t met each other yet) that He would give us the right person at the right time.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How did u meet each other?

Faye:

A common friend, Relly (his church mate who happened to be part of my team during a Music Workshop series at CSM), has known Aria as someone whose first priority is to please God. He always desired that Aria would finally find "the one" he has been praying for, if it was not God’s will for him to be single.

For some reason, while I was at the hype of being busy in serving the Lord through being involved in various ministries in and out of the church (one of which is this Music workshop tour where I taught in churches, its about Worship leading), Relly saw something in me that he thinks perfectly matches his friend Aria’s taste. He tried to introduce Aria to me through a phone picture (gwapo siya) and wondered if I could have lunch with him (kasi his office is just a block away from ours). I am so not into those match-making set ups ( I’ve experienced the hassle before) pero sabi ko bahala yung guy kung gusto niya. Ako, bahala na si Lord kung ano ang gusto niyang mangyari kasi I trusted that whatever He will lead me into will be the best. So hands off ako sa sarili kong buhay. I’ll just go with God’s leading.

courtesy of Faye

Aria went to our office one day to get a DVD which Relly asked him to get from me (a set up). I was so shocked at how well-mannered and good-looking he looked like. He asked me for lunch, I said, no. And he smiled and said “OK” and walked away. Natawa ako kasi parang natuwa pa siya that I turned him down. Later on I found out that siya mismo ayaw niya rin pala ng match-making stuff and was glad I turned him down. But it was a first time that a girl turned him down agad. It got him curious.

He kept texting me after that. Sabi niya sanay naman daw siyang ma-turn down. For some reason, his honesty made me interested and we realized that a friendship was being born out of the exchange of text messages. Later, I was told that my blog posts spoke to him kasi he had same experiences like mine, only that he was a guy.

Ayoko sanang mag-invest on friendships with the opposite gender. I’ve had my heartaches before. But we had a lot of common things to talk about. Lalo nung nalaman ko that he was also discipling young men as I am discipling young women and we’re both involved in the music ministry, I felt a bond between us. Yung text eventually landed on friendly lunch dates. We had a lot to talk about, our passion for God, struggles at work, and in our ministry. I was happy I had a new friend who was like an old friend who understands me so much.

We did not know that at the middle of this budding friendship, we were looking in our checklists (we had our separate list born from our years of praying for “The One”) and were asking God about it. When I knew that he has the characteristics of that guy in my checklist, I only asked God to give me the grace to wait for Aria to move. And if hindi Niya will, ok lang. At that time, I was not yet that romantically involved but I trusted where God was leading me regardless of what I feel.

Aria on the other hand, asked God for signs, other than the confirmation on his checklist, if I am the one. Nung confirmed na, he gained courage to tell me. We prayed for it, asked for counsel and eventually, after our parents’ blessings, we got into a formal relationship.

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

What were your struggles in your relationship before you got married? How did you overcome it?

Faye:

Our major struggle in our relationship was yung pag-resist sa temptation. Since both of us were already living away from our parents (we both rented different places near our workplace), there were a lot of chances to be alone. But by God’s grace na-overcome naman.

When we entered a relationship, we sat down and talked about our boundaries. Aria asked if it was ok if we don’t even kiss until our wedding day. Nagulat ako kasi long ago, after I ended my last relationship, I asked God for a love story like Donita Rose’s. Yung tipong first kiss niya sa altar with Eric despite the past mistakes she has done. And behold, it was happening to me na! Sabi ko siyempre, that’s the wisest thing to do. Yun pala, based on his experience also, dun (sa kiss) nagsisimula ang mas matinding struggle. So better yet, don’t start it there.

We’ve learned from experience that we should decide on the boundaries before the temptation occurs. Kasi when it gets in and we’re not in our right mind, mahirap magdecide to stay away from it.

We also had other struggles like wanting to get married already but we didn't have enough funds, pero basically this and the above struggle were the major ones.

Faye And Aria Before Their Wedding

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

How long have u prepared for your wedding?

Faye:

We prepared six months to get the wedding done (after nilang mamanhikan). Sabi ng coordinators short time daw yun. For us it seemed just the right length of time to prepare kasi if it was longer than that, mas matagal yung agony and worry of getting the event done. If it was too short naman masyado ring cramming. I think 8-6 months is just right.

courtesy of Faye

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

What are your tips for making your wedding successful and organized?

Faye:

Be realistic with your budget, always decide together, and always be sensitive to God’s leading in every step of the way.

When it comes to the program flow and venue, always consider the convenience of the guests and do something that they will remember or learn as they go home. For us, we held the ceremony and reception in a venue which was in the middle of the metropolis and since it was during rainy season, we disregarded yung desire namin for a garden wedding instead we made a garden-inspired set-up inside a function hall.

Then, we did a lot of non-traditional things that made our wedding unique, fun and contemporary. We also made sure the central theme of the wedding was for God’s glory. We were able to inspire our relatives and friends to seek God first and the joy of life will definitely follow!

courtesy of Faye

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

Now that you're married, what are the advantages / disadvantages? What are the adjustments that you are making?

Faye:

We appreciate each other more now that we are married. One of the advantages is, hindi na ako ihahatid at susunduin sa Marikina, while he’s coming from Cainta, and then we work in Parañaque. We cut down on the time, energy and fare because now we don’t travel around the metro weekly. Magkasama na kami (sa Cavite) in one roof so we don’t spend for separate rentals.

We also finally are able to do things that are prohibited to those who are not married to each other yet.

We’re also starting to build our dreams together now. Most of them are childhood dreams that we were not able to do kasi wala kaming partner to support us before. We do the ministry together na rin now that we’re already serving in one church.

The disadvantages may be that we both miss our parents and they miss us too. Yung mga perks of being in the parents’ roof, on my part (free food, free fare, free board and lodging, free laundry), wala na. But we still see each other in church naman so nabawasan lang talaga yung stay ko with them. Our house chores take most of our time when at home. Walang ibang gagawa kundi kami.

Another is that, I don’t decide by myself anymore. I always have to seek for his approval (and vice versa) on schedules, expenses, and decisions. If not kasi, this is where a marriage relationship starts to fall apart. So kahit medyo tedious talaga, it has to be done. We have to be accountable to each other at all times.

during their honeymoon (courtesy of Faye)

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

What tips can you give to the newly weds?

Faye:

We still consider ourselves newlyweds and we still have a lot to learn in our married life. But so far, the things that we have learned (and that we want to impart) are:

Have a lot of patience. You’re two very different individuals living in one roof already. In many ways, you are different from each other. One’s a man and one’s a woman. Dun palang malaking pagkakaiba na. You need to always understand where the other is coming from kasi magkaiba ang thinking talaga ng man sa woman.

Prioritize your spouse next to God. That means he/she is now above your family, friends, and work.

Remember, a man needs his wife’s respect and a woman needs her husbands love. Again, magkaiba kasi tayo ng pagkakagawa ni Lord kaya we also have different needs.

Above all else, put the Lord at the center of your relationship kasi Siya yung glue to keep the marriage strong and harmonious.

courtesy of Faye

Wedding Dreams And Reality:

Thanks!

Faye:

Thanks also Mariah!!

Faye, thanks again for sharing your love story. I pray that God will bless you more and that your marriage will always be a blessing to you and to your husband, and to others as well. I wish you all the best in your marriage and career!

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

What A Man Wants

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:40:00 +0000

"It is the spirit of a woman that a man senses.

He wants a woman who every man wants but every man has not had...

A man does not want a woman he has to question or worry about.

If a woman gives her body to a man too soon,

he will always wonder how many other she has given herself to."

From the Book

What Women Don't Know

(And Men Don't Tell You)

read also my review of this book here.

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

The One Thing That Still Stands When All Else Has Fallen...

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:35:00 +0000

photo courtesy: google.com

I Corinthians 13:7-8

J.B Phillips New Testament

Love knows no limit to its endurance,

no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything.

It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.

[ All gifts except love will be superseded one day ]

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Friends Or Lovers?

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:16:00 +0000

Valentine's day is around the corner. Everyone is excited about it especially those who are in love. In line with that, I wanna share some thoughts from the book I've read a few months ago (I'll post a review of that book soon on my other blog site).

In the meantime, here are some interesting thoughts there which i totally agree of:

A woman may have a platonic friendship with a man-and that's all it is. Yes women see circumstances differently from men. Women see things a man does not see. Just because you are great friends with a guy does not mean he's planning to marry you. He may be really nice to you, he may say wonderful things about you, he may even tell you that you would be a wonderful wife-all without ever intending to marry you. Friendship with men can confuse women. However, you should still be a friend first. Your relationship should start out as friendship and progress to courtship and then to matrimony. But how can you avoid the situation where the friend you hoped to marry calls you one day and tells you about this wonderful woman he met? He just wanted to call you, his friend, to tell you about his happiness.

Learn to listen. Are you foreseeing and imagining a future with someone who hasn't discussed having a future with you? Listen to what the man says. In some cases, men lie and deceive you, but in most cases, women deceive themselves. Men tend to commit to their words. Just because a man is nice to you, friendly, caring, and helpful, don't assume he loves you in a way that will eventually lead to marriage. Protect your heart by really listening to what he says.

From the book

What Women Don't Know (and Men Dont Tell You)

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Walking Her Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:44:00 +0000

This is a great song...one of my favorite christian love songs. My favorite line on this song's lyrics is this, "He wandered through the best days of her life. 60 years together and he never left her side." I wish every man is like that.

video courtesy of youtube.com

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Wedding Vows That Can Touch Your Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:02:00 +0000

I've been wanting to post this video mid 2011 but since I also wanted to post here the vows in words, i waited for an available time for me to transcribe them. Now that i already transcribed them (i hope i did a good job in transcribing them accurately), here's the video of the wedding vows I've been wanting to share on this blog site.

These vows are really touching and inspiring. I also posted my review of these wedding vows at the bottom of this post.

GROOM

When I say I love you,

I’m not just making you my wife,

I’m making you my best friend,

My last dance, my only hope, my forever lover.

When I say I love you,

I’m not just expressing a feeling,

I’m solidifying a commitment

And i know it'll take my whole life to show it to you

When I say I love you,

I’m not claiming to have all the answers,

I hope that when we are together

We can ask all the right questions.

When I say I love you,

I’m not just repeating “'til death do us part,"

I’m saying i'll be here for you forever

In this life and the life to come.

When I say I love you,

I’m not just voicing mere words

I’m telling you that I’ve been surprised, challenged, shocked, humbled—

realizing that soul mates really do exist.

When I say I love you,

I’m not just giving you human love

I'm attempting to pour out God’s unconditional, sacrificial love

Dying to self, in hopes that I can better honor and serve you.

Alicia, i don't know how to imagine it myself

an undeserved blessing, a gift from God

To most in the world, my life is closed

but to you I open my heart

I don’t know what the future holds,

but I know that I don’t have one without you.

Just know that when I say I love you, I love you.

BRIDE

When I say I love you,

I’m not just making you my husband,

I’m making you my stronghold,

The family leader, my heart’s protector, and my goodnight kiss

When I say I love you,

I’m not just standing before family and friends,

I’m kneeling before Christ our Savior

And praying that His grace will knit our lives together

When I say I love you,

I’m not just adding your last name,

I’m subtracting our loneliness, dividing our sorrows

And multiplying our joys so that two can become one

When I say I love you,

I’m not just asking you to make me whole,

I’m asking you to stay focused on God

And together with the strength and love

We will be made holy

When I say I love you,

I’m not expecting happily ever after,

I’m just preparing

But to the mountains and the valleys,

Swim through the joys and sorrows

Battle the good times and the bad

So together we can make a life.

When I say I love you,

I don’t want big houses or fancy cars

I just wanna live in your arms and touch your heart

So we can dream bigger dreams than we could do separately

Jason, you are the man of my dreams—

a real-life knight in shining armor.

And i never had such peace when i'm with you

I never felt closer to God than I’m with you.

I know i'm not perfect, but I believe that we fit perfectly together.

Just know that when I say I love you, I love you.

Just a review from me (the blogger): The vows are really touching and they are very inspiring especially from the statement of the groom that says:

When I say I love you,
I’m not just making you my wife,
I’m making you my best friend,
My last dance...my forever lover.

Every word would make you fall in love and would make you cry. It's like a fairy tale in a real world.

I just wanna review some of the statements like:

"I don’t know what the future holds,

but I know that I don’t have one without you."

We know that God holds the future even if someone is not with us, but i can understand that in a "lover's perspective". The groom and the bride in this video are godly so i believe they know that God holds their future.

I want to review this statement as well:

"I’m making you my stronghold,

The family leader, my heart’s protector..."

God is our stronghold, he should be the family leader and our heart's protector.

Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord." God is the head of the husband, the husband is the head of the wife, so God is the family leader. On the other hand, i also agree that the husband should be the leader of the family because God has given him authority to lead the family.

As the heart's protector, i believe in some point that a husband can protect the wife's heart but not all the time, so, God is still the ultimate protector of our hearts.

But, overall, these wedding vows are really inspiring and very touching.To all the married ones, may this video inspire you more to love your spouse and remember your vows and fulfill them. If you are single and soon to be married, may you find inspiration from these vows and may your heart be touched.

I would like to thank Jason Illian for giving me permission to post the video here. To Jason and Alicia Illian, may you continue to be blessed in your marriage life and continue to make Christ as the center of your relationship.

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

This Is Very Sad

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:41:00 +0000

Proverbs 25:24 The Message (MSG)

Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack
than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

Learn and Speak Your Love Language

noreply@blogger.com (Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" Gadapan) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:04:00 +0000

Being single or married

has nothing to do with whether you need to feel loved!

Everyone has a God-given yearning

for complete and unconditional love in the context of all relationships.

If you want to give and receive love most effectively,

you've got to learn to speak the right love language.

Different people with different personalities express love in different ways.

In fact, there are five very specific languages of love:

Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service, Quality Time, Physical Touch.

-Gary Chapman

from his book,

The Five Love Languages

(Singles Edition)

read also my review of this book here.

I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.

By the grace of God I am what I am.