Category: X-Archives

525,600 minutes

Rhiza5 Comments

It’s been a year since that day. Being in a long distance relationship for so long, we used to count days ’til we’re together again. But now, we’re counting years together. How amazing is that? More so, how amazing is This God who brought us together; who’s continuously making all things beautiful in His time? Our gratitude is beyond words.

I don’t usually embed videos in my blog, but this one is worth the exception—a beautiful remembrance of our wedding day:

Rhiza and David SDE:) 13.08.11, made by the awesome Marvin Barbarona.

Every time I watch this video, I still swoon like it was just yesterday.

Last Sunday we dined out with my family to celebrate our anniversary. And last night, our simple home-made dinner for two became a small celebration with our disciplers, our Pastor and his wife, who dropped by to surprise us.

But the week has just begun, and something tells me this is going to be one long week of celebration and thanksgiving. :)

Week 24: August is Made for Beautiful Weddings

Rhiza1 Comment

So we went to this beautiful wedding last weekend and love was definitely all over the place. I’ll post more photographs later, but for now, here are some instagrams:

Just some of the things I loved about that night: (1) the beautiful flowers; (2) the smorgasbord of yummy desserts; (3) the couple’s beautiful love story; and (4) my charming date who seemed to have enjoyed getting a chance to wear a suit ala Harvey Specter, at least for a night.

(Top-right photo: no cocktail drinks for the preggy though, I’ll have water thankyouverymuch.)

Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone wearing the same dress. I wore it proudly with my huge bulge, went back and forth the buffet and dessert tables with no guilt whatsoever (what, I have to eat thrice as much!), and danced the night away with everyone.

While it was my friends’ wedding, my husband and I couldn’t help but have our own sweet moments here and there, remembering how it was like a year ago, also on a rainy August night, when it was our turn to tie the knot. We’re celebrating our anniversary in less than a week! How time flies.

On a hunt for a new journal; Thoughts on Psalm 86:15

RhizaLeave a comment

Where’s a Peter Pauper Press Journal when you need one? I haven’t seen any in the usual places lately, much to my frustration. And just now I find myself browsing PPP’s online catalog and daydreaming about getting my hands on the journals, specifically these two designs:

Yellow is such a happy color, yeah?

My last journal ran out of pages, and I’ve been using this non-PPP notebook for a while now. And it’s affecting my writing rituals! The paper is too thin, the lines are too thick.. Or I could just be lazy and simply finding excuses. I haven’t written long journal entries lately, and have been merely jotting down verses and quick notes here and there. I miss being absorbed in paper and ink and letting my hand speak for my heart.

When will I ever have the time? (And the journal? Hah!)

I have so much going on in my list, not to mention the house is still a mess, and I’m killing myself for not being able to keep up with everything. It’s a horrid habit of mine, putting my standards up too high—on others, and mostly on myself. Then I end up feeling disappointed about not meeting my own expectations.

And then words like this hit me hard in the head, and I’m amazed once again how God knows what I need to hear/read when I need them:

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. ~Psalm 86:15

Our Lord understands our limits. He realizes our struggles. He knows how much pressure we can take. He knows what measures of grace and mercy and strength we’ll require. He knows how we’re put together.

Frankly, His expectations are not nearly as unrealistic as ours.

When we don’t live up to the agenda we have set, we feel like He is going to dump a truckload of judgment on us. But that will not happen.

So why do we fear it could?

~Chuck Swindoll

I heaved a sigh of relief, thanking God for being merciful, and gracious, and forgiving, when others, or even we, can’t forgive ourselves.

I grabbed a pen and a paper to write these words down. And I thought maybe that’s why I suddenly miss having a journal—I remember things better when I write them down.

And these days, these are the kind of stuff I need to remember.

Chasing Dreams, Year 3: What I was doing exactly a year ago

Rhiza1 Comment

I’ve been blogging for almost a decade now, but it’s only been 3 years since I registered Chasingdreams.net and made a permenant residence in this space. I’ve jumped from one domain name to another all these years, and from various blogging platforms too, but I’m happy to report that I think I’m staying here for the long haul. :)

And yes, I’ve been practicing.

It’s always good to celebrate milestones, yeah? And since we’re halfway through the year, I thought it’s time to mark June and July in my blog calendar too. For this purpose, let me answer this question my husband and I had fun asking ourselves as Year 2012 was about to begin:

What were you doing exactly this time last year?

My answer: Holding our breath and being blown away by how God was answering our prayers one by one, is what we were doing exactly a year ago.

Thank you, Facebook timeline, for making my trip down the memory lane a breeze. I smiled and laughed as I browsed through my Facebook posts from June and July of 2011, and how full those months were. A new job, two months to prepare for a wedding, family gatherings and bridal showers in between long days at work, David coming back to the Philippines after more than 10 years living in New York, answered prayers here and there.

The days were so full, in fact, I only blogged once during that period, admitting that I was at the end of my strength. There was just too much happening that time I can’t remember now how God managed to pull it all off, but myy, did He pull it off so awesome-ly.

Looking back, I honestly don’t think I want to do those months over again! It’s the kind of feat that’s meant to happen only once in a life’s journey, I guess that’s why people are supposed to get married just once their whole lives. No, really.

Today I share the joy (and the stress, hah!) of my friends and loved ones who are  taking the highway to marital bliss these coming months. Jasper and Darlene. Kuya TJ and Tracy. Kat and Ish. Ivy and Angel. Robert and Tin. Jody and Vince. I’m rooting for you, guys! It’s an exciting adventure, challenging yet fulfilling, stressful but worth it. There won’t be butterflies and unicorns all over the place, you may even have to make difficult choices and go through heartbreaking situations, but trust me.. the best is still yet to come.

So yay, it’s been a year since our own pre-wedding adventure, and it’s been 3 years since www.chasingdreams.net started to exist. I think I’m getting myself a Banoffee Pie and a Grande cup of chilled milk to celebrate. :)

Mae’s Ikea-fied room; An Afternoon With My Girls

Rhiza1 Comment

Saturdays are for family, and friends, and love. And even though I decided to discontinue my 52 Saturdays Project (I shall not bore you with excuses and explanations), I’m still making the most out of my Saturdays, and taking photographs as much as I can. Last Saturday was spent with my girlfriends while the husband was away for our church’s Men’s Encounter. Ivy and I went to Mae‘s, and spent the afternoon hanging out at her newly renovated room.

And look at what a cozy little haven it is! If only her bed was bigger, I would camp out there for days! :)

Edit: Mae just finished blogging about the details of her room. CLICK HERE!

You bet I took more photographs than these, but I’d let her post it up on her blog herself.

Mae’s room reminds me of my blue room, back in its glory days. I remember locking myself up in my room for days, and investing so much time and money to prettify my little nook. No regrets, even though I only stayed there for less than a year, until I had to move out again.

Mae painted her walls all white which makes her room look bigger than it really is (there goes a tip for small spaces!), and used red accent pieces all over the place. Some of my favorite details in there are her vintage camera collection, her snow globes and souvenirs from her travels, and the Ikea items she collected while she was still in Singapore. Can I just say, I’m crazy about that wall print! Ahh, when will we ever have Ikea in the Philippines?!

Our private viewing of Mae’s room aside, spending time with my best girl friends is the highlight of my day, maybe even week. I’ve known them since we were in diapers, and I’m so blessed to have them around all these years, no matter what phase in life we’re in, and wherever in the world we are.

LOL. They touched my baby bump like it’s the fertility statue or something. I have such weird friends.

But that’s okay. That only means I can be my weird self around them. :)

Long, Exaggerated, Happy Sigh

RhizaLeave a comment

I posted this photo on Instagram and Facebook this morning, and I can’t resist posting this here too.

I was just about to leave for work this morning, it was drizzling, and I watched as my husband busied himself in that little corner we call our garden. Soon, he came back with a big smile on his face, a scissor on one hand, and this freshly-cut single-stemmed rose on the other. I didn’t know he was growing rose bushes out there until today!

What a sweetheart, this guy. I fall in love everyday!

I know I sound like a lovestruck wife in every blog post, but everyday I’m also reminded that surely something as beautiful as this married life has got to have some greater purpose than just making two people happy!

Gary Thomas said it best,

“What if God didn’t design marriage to be ‘easier’? What if God had an end in mind that went beyond our happiness, our comfort, and our desire to be infatuated and happy as if the world were a perfect place? What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”

I agree. I definitely agree.