This month marks the 5th year since I became a US citizen. I can't believe it's been that long. I still remember, there were 634 people who got to swear in as US citizens that day, October 2, 2008 at Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, TX. That only shows that a lot of people really wanted to become US citizens. The place was really crowded. Hubby told me that maybe there were around 1500 people at the venue and that includes the friends and relatives of the candidates for citizenship. When they announced the candidates by country, we had to stand and waved the little US flag that they gave us. The candidates were from 89 different countries and Mexicans were the majority, followed by the Arabs and Vietnamese. There were only 5 of us who are Filipinos.

There was a short program and hubby was my photographer. He also took a few short videos. BTW, Sherry, my step-daughter went with us and I really appreciate her presence. When it's time for us to take the Oath Of Allegiance to the United States Of America, I had mix emotions. I was sad because I was renouncing my native country to take a new identity. On the other hand, I was happy because after waiting for 8 months since I filed my application for naturalization, finally I am now a naturalized American. I love the US. I never thought I would become a citizen in this country when I was young. It was my dream to see this country but God gave me more than what I asked for. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," Ephesians 3:20 KJV. 

It's been 5 years since I became a US citizen. I am still a Filipino and I love my country. I applied for dual citizenship 4 years ago. I'm proud to be a Fil-AM!





 

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It's more than two years already since my sister Violy went to be with the Lord. The pain I felt is not as intense as before when she just passed away. I can say that time heals the wound with the help of the Lord. I still do remember her most of the time but the heaviness in my chest is gone every time I think of her. Unlike before that I used to cry each time I think of her. This will be the 3rd Christmas that she's not with us no more. I know that Violy is very happy now in heaven with no more sickness nor pain. Her husband and 2 boys have moved on I believe. He had remarried and I can see he's happy now. The two boys have their second mom and she takes care of them well. Life goes on and God takes care of His children. Someday, we will see Violy again. I still miss her so much.

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This month of September brings back a lot of sad and happy memories. Hubby and I got married ten years ago in the month of September and it's one of the happiest moments of my life. It was also in the month of September when I first stepped foot in the US nine years ago. Those are memorable and happy moments that I won't forget.

Now the sad memories. It was in September when my grandpa and my mom went home with the Lord just a few days apart when I was 16 years old. My mom had never seen me graduate in high school. I am the oldest in the family of 4. Two years ago, my beloved and only sister went to be with the Lord and it was too hard for me to take. She was praying and hoping to see her oldest son graduate in high school but it never happened. She and I were very close and I love her to pieces. Until now she's always in my mind and in my heart. 

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Hubby and I have been traveling most of the time while we are here in the states. We’ve been going back and forth from one city to another city. Summer here in Texas is so hot and my eyes needed sunglasses to protect it from the UV rays of the sun. I own one but it’s already old and a little loose on my face. I’ve been wanting to buy a new one but we had lots of expenses lately so I had to put it off and had to be contented with my old one. One day, I was going through my FB when one of my friends there posted the website where I can get a nice, stylish and free sunglasses by writing an article about their site in my blog. By the way, the website’s name is firmoo.com. Most of my blogger friends had already got their free sunglasses and wrote about it in their blogs. 

So I contacted Firmoo, submitted my blogs and when it was approved, I requested the sunglasses that I wanted. I was so excited when I got my 4 free wrap around sunglasses. It look fashionable and chic and they are light. I tried it all and it really fit me well. I love the colors that I got, green, turquoise, black and blue but I will just post the green color here. You can see the other colors that I posted in my other blog by clicking here. I never had green nor turquoise nor blue sunglasses before and I’m happy I have these now and it’s free courtesy of Firmoo. If you want to have one but you don’t have a blog to write about it, just go to their website and order the sunglasses that you want. If you’re a new customer, they will give it to you for free. Just pay the shipping. They have nice and affordable prescription eyeglasses too. Check it out and don’t miss out their great products. 

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Many, many years ago, I was diagnosed of that dreadful disease, the big C- Cancer. I went under the knife and everything went well after that. But 2 years later, I had a relapse. The cancer came back and it was inflamed! I had to undergo radiation and chemotherapy. I was so depressed. I felt like heaven and earth had closed on me. To have a cancer is like having a death sentence. I cried and cried until there were no more tears to shed. There was fear in my mind that I was going to die soon like my mom who died of breast cancer. I knew very well that cancer has no cure and the therapies I had did no good to me. They just worsened what I felt because of the side effects. Chemo is worst than the cancer itself. It made me very weak and thin and I can't eat and I can't sleep. I can't sit down for straight 5 minutes and when I lie down, I just can't breath. I really felt that I was going to die. My hair fell out and my nails were blackish due to chemo. My immune system was very weak that time. I asked forgiveness of my sins from my family and especially from the Lord because I felt that I would not live any longer. In case the Lord calls me home anytime, then I would be ready to face Him. I knew I was heaven bound because I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

During those times that I was battling the big C, I had many prayer warriors. My church family was praying for me. During Sundays and also during prayer meetings, I was the subject of their prayers for one month. Some pastor friends had visited me and prayed for my healing. My family and I prayed very hard because we believe in miracles. Day and night I cried to the Lord for my healing. I believe in my heart that with God there is nothing impossible. That was the time that I exercised my faith in the sovereign power of God. During those nights that I can't sleep, I went down on my knees for many hours, crying, praying and pleading to God for my healing. I said to the Lord that I know all people are going to die and if it's His will to call me home then I'm ready but if it's His will that I will live then He will heal me. With prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, I pleaded to the Lord to extend my life. I made a covenant with Him. I had also claimed His promises in the Bible like "Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find" Mathew 7:7, "I am the Lord that healeth thee" Exodus 15:26, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mar 11:24, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" Hebrew 13:5. These verses, I said it back to Him and the Lord honored His WORD. Slowly, I gained back my strength and my health. Jesus has healed me! He is really the God of miracles! He restored me physically. The good Lord had showed me that there is no problem too big for God's intervention and there is no person too small for God's attention. Satan wanted to defeat me and be angry with God and to give up my faith in Jesus but He did not succeed. JESUS CHRIST is my Healer.

Now I am a living testimony of how the good Lord has worked in my life and He really answers the prayers of His children. My prayer warriors and I were victorious. Cancer has a cure and it's faith in Jesus Christ. He is the greatest physician. What happened to me was a test of faith. When everything else failed, I turned to Jesus. I unloaded all my burdens to Him. Man's knowledge is limited, what is impossible to man is possible to God. I didn't get angry with God, instead I considered my affliction as a blessing in disguise because my faith in Jesus Christ became stronger. Maybe if my faith in Him was weak and wavering, cancer would have knocked me down 6 feet under the ground. I believed that God had allowed this thing to happen so I would be closer to Him more than ever and to depend on Him and trust in Him when things become confusing.

The trial in my life didn't end there. Satan tried to defeat me again in another area of my life and that was my love life. My boyfriend of 4 years had joined a cult religion. He was brainwashed just by watching it on TV everyday (Ang Dating Daan). Later he attended their church, studied their doctrines and was baptized. He then wanted me to join him there. I asked what are their doctrines and I got the shock of my life when he told me about it. It was the first time that I heard of a religion that don't believe in the doctrine of original or inherited sin and they don't believe in the Holy Spirit either. They are not allowed to eat during any occasion if the celebrant belongs to another religion. Also their false teacher was very arrogant, cursed on TV, had twisted the meaning of the verses in the Bible. His members were blind followers and that included my boyfriend. I said to myself there's no way that I will join that cult religion. My BF and I began having arguments regarding our opposing beliefs. He said he's the man and I should follow him. Our once smooth relationship became sour. We often had arguments regarding our opposing beliefs. I couldn't give up my faith and religion for a cult religion, neither one of us wanted to give up. I loved my BF but I can't accept his beliefs. I knew that was a ploy of the enemy. I was on spiritual warfare. My BF said he was praying for me so later on I would change my mind and join him in his cult religion (he didn't believe it was a cult, he even said his religion is the true religion founded by God an all other religions are not).

Before this thing happened, we planned to get married on January 2000 but he wanted me to marry him right away at that time but it will be in their church and to be officiated by their false teacher. I prayed to God for direction and guidance. Then the Lord told me that I should give up my BF. It hurt me to do so. It was not easy for me because I love him. Satan had reminded me of how my BF had stuck with me during those trying moments in my life. He had accompanied me to the hospital during my treatments of the big C. We've been through good times and difficult times together and he said no sickness or problem could break us apart. It never came to my mind that it would be our opposing beliefs that would separate us. He was so kind, understanding, caring and sincere. I thought I would never find another man like him. When I broke up with, I felt like I died a thousand deaths. When I was alone in my room that was the time that I released all the heartaches that I felt by crying. I never forget his facial expression when I broke up with him. He was very, very sad, hurt and he went home right away. My heart told me to retract what I said but there was a small voice within me that said I should not. It's the voice of the Holy Spirit.

With the help of God and with lots of prayers I was able to recover from that break up after a few months. A couple of years later, God gave me my life partner that He wanted me to have for the rest of my life. He accepted me inspite of the illness I've been through. I won't trade him for anything else. He loves me unconditionally and spoils me rotten. He is a Texan and a Baptist preacher. He came to the Philippines in 2002 and we got married the first time He came here. We both flew to the US a year after. Now we're doing missionary works in the Philippines. God is good and God is right all the time and I praise God for everything that He has done and He's going to do in my life and in our ministry.

Being a Christian doesn't guarantee that there will be no trials and tribulations in life but the bottom line is how should we respond to those trials. I have proven to myself that God will not give us trials beyond our endurance. I obtained strength to overcome those trials by acknowledging my weakness and relying on God. He gave me the strength to endure circumstances beyond my human capability.

Brokenness characterized my life, my health, my plans my heart and my mind. Yet there is no despair. I bring my broken body, broken dreams and broken heart to God. He is the source of wholeness in life. Whatever our condition, He can touch our mind, heart and soul and heal our inner being when we ask Him sincerely. By His power and His grace I now live with peace that previously seemed unattainable, a joy that is hard to understand and a hope that seems impossible. I am experiencing the best of life in God especially with my hubby in my life now. This relationship becomes meaningful because Jesus makes the difference. He gives purpose to all my endeavors. Everything that happens to me He transforms, making every situation an opportunity for growth.

With God I have found that life even in the midst of problems, turmoil, pain and loss can be satisfying and meaningful. Without Him, a life crowned with success, power, wealth and health would remain lonely and empty- a chasing after the wind.

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I haven't been able to update my blogs since we came here in Texas because I've been preoccupied with other things. I am glad I got the chance to update it now. I would try my very best to post here more often so my readers would have something new to read here every time they come and visit.

It's the month of June and summer 2012 officially started yesterday. The weather is still okay and it hasn't hit 100s yet. It is in the 80s and 90s in Texas and I'm glad because the past years, I heard this time of year was already in the 100s. This is the reason that I dread the summer in Texas. It's too hot for my bones. Even though I came from a tropical country, summer in Texas is way hotter than in the Philippines. So when I bought our tickets in coming here, I wanted to be out of Texas before the end of June. But here we are, we had to extend our stay here as per request of our new pastor. He wanted us to stay here in our church to be able to reconnect with old members and get to know the new members as well and of course him (our pastor). This is our sending church in the mission field and the only church supporting us. In a way, it's a blessing because it gives us more time to visit some churches and present our ministry. We just pray that God will lead us to those mission-minded churches so we can raise support for our ministry. So far, we had visited 3 churches but nothing positive yet. I don't lose hope. We are doing this for the Lord and I believe He will bless our efforts. We need funds to construct our church building in the Philippines. Our church bought a land but no money yet for the building. If you are reading this and you are being led by the Lord to help our ministry, then just contact me. The Lord will bless you for that.

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When hubby and I went on vacation to California many years ago, we never had the chance to visit Disneyland. We've been to different tourist spots in CA like the Golden Gate, Universal Studios, Sea World, etc. but not to Disneyland. I told hubby I wanted to see it but he told me we were already low on money that time so he promised me that he will take me to Disneyland next time. Many years had passed but until now hubby's promise still remains a promise. I've been dreaming to see that place one of these days. I've seen some photos of my friends in Facebook who have been there and the more I wanted to go there.

I'm not losing hope. I believe that sooner or later, when hubby will have the money that he will fulfill his promise to me and buy some disneyland tickets and take me to Disney. I understand our situation right now that we have to do what we are called to do and that is to do the works of the Lord. We have our ministry and our service to the Lord comes first before anything else. Who knows, one of these days when we will have our furlough, we will go to Disneyland. The Scriptures says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

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I remember my flowers in Wichita Falls when we were there a few years ago. I was so delighted everytime they come back on spring. In fact I always take photos of my flowers when they bloom. I even made a scrapbook of my plants and as I was going through my files, I happened to see these photos. It reminds me of my garden in Texas 4 years ago. My daffodils were the first flowers that bloomed and also in the other photo is the peach tree that was blooming for the first time.

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