Happy Cream Puff

"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts! Coincidence? I think not!"

Tried the best sellers: (cw from top) 

Dark and White Cream Puff

Original Cookie Cream Puff

Caramel Cream Puff

Chocolate Cookie Cream Puff

with my favorite Food Buddy... Che

Hearty Paws

A touching movie about a dog stolen by a boy to give to her sister as a birthday present. A story about love and loyalty. The part I loved the most is the Hearty's perseverance to find Chan, and his loyalty and care for him even when he was rejected and blamed for the death of Soi. Hearty has been more than a dog, protecting Chan and Soi. A must-watch for every dog-lover. 

Serenitea

Tried out Serenitea's Hokkaido and Okinawa milk tea.

Year-End Recount!

Before the year ends, it's good to look back and see the many things that made my 2011. There are a lot of things to be grateful for: accomplishments, new experiences, new friends, breakthroughs!

JANUARY

Get together at Cabalen with college batchmates.

FEBRUARY

It's Taylor John's Christening. 

Speaker: Pastor John del Rosario. I'll be posting my notes on this talk soon. (^__^)

We also met Tyler, Karla's fiance'. We ate at Pamana, Tagaytay

MARCH

 Birthday month. But I wasn't able to celebrate because it's the same time Japan was hit by a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami. It's a good thing Mama, Misaki, Miyuka and Tito Katchang live far from the coasts. They weren't affected by the tsunami, but the results of it. Fukushima's radiation leaks is still an issue. We watched the terrifying news all day, waiting for a call and assurance that they're safe. It's one memorable birthday. 

APRIL

The last time I did something for the first time... I don't like the beach and its salty water and hot sun, but I loved surfing. It was fun, and I had sore muscles the next days after. Now I understand why it's a workout for beachbodies. I was with Che, Karla, Mark, LuAnne, Joel, Doc Arni and Jester. Thanks to Mahdox Surf Shop instructors' patience with us, Haha! Especially Jerome, my 16 year old instructor. =)

MAY

Kuya Mark's 27th birthday @ Presidio

I also met one of Juele family's relative, Esther Juele.

JUNE

- Roilo, my highschool bestfriend, went to Oman to work as a nurse.

- Emjei went to New Zealand to study and work

- I started Victory Group

JULY

Karla had her tonsillectomy, I attended the leaders convergence in VCF, I made Fruity float with Nicole, and Typhoon Juaning hit Luzon. A lot of other happenings, but I don't have pictures to show it. =)

AUGUST

We tried Amici and Caramia. Loved it!

SEPTEMBER

Singles' Retreat at Flushing Meadows, Bohol

We've seen the beach, the Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, and tried the Plunge.

and enjoyed Cebu! We also tried the Zubuchon and Skywalk.

OCTOBER and NOVEMBER

Not much picture these 2 months. I started applying for jobs, enrolled in UP-Open University for Professional Teaching Certification and attended the orientation, and took the IELTS.

It's a great year overall, ending it with My DECEMBER.

I am so blessed. Just when I thought nothing much happened 2011, I was wrong. Discouragements and setbacks can really change one's perspective. Now I'm looking forward to 2012. A lot of things are already set. I will soon be working in CCK as a Medical Transcriptionist after the training. I also have to pray about my plans to study and work in Australia. Karla will leave to America and marry Tyler, Che has an application in Middle East and might be leaving soon as well. Changes. Elevation. Moving forward prayerfully and with heart set for God's glory.

Life Goals

A new year is about to come. It's always great to review this year, accomplishments and failures, new experiences and idle moments, and see what needs to be changed and get rid of the things that hold us back from living life to the fullest. It's time to set Faith Goals for 2012.
Reading some of my notes, I came across with a few guide to making life goals. I wasn't able to note who wrote it (it's not mine), but I just want to share it here.

 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals 

 "A grandmaster makes the best moves because they are based on what he wants the board to look like ten or twenty moves in the future." - Garry Kasparov

(most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than they do planning their life.) You can set goals that are absolutely unspiritual & you'd be better off spiritually if you didn't accomplish them.
"One of the primary reasons most of us don't accomplish more for the kingdom of God is we didn't have any God-ordained goals we're going after."

Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is being sure of what we hope for." 

 You know why most of us never get what we want? Because we don't know what we want! We're more sure of what we're afraid of than what we're hoping for! 

One of the greatest shortcomings in most of our lives is that we don't know what we want. 

 Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish." 

 Vision is a preservative. Goals keep us young. You start dying when you have nothing worth living for. You start living when you find something worth dying for. 

 1. START WITH PRAYER. 

"Dreaming is praying." - Catherine Marshall 

Dreaming is a form of praying and praying is a form of dreaming. 

There is no limit to what this combination of dreams and prayers can achieve. 

If all you do is set selfish goals then you'd be a better person if you don't accomplish them. 

Goal setting is a stewardship issue. 

2. CHECK YOUR MOTIVES

Make sure you're going after your goals for the right reason. 

The Creator wanted us to explore His creation. God couldn't wait until people started exploring planet earth so they could see everything He made. 

Travel can be one way to worship God. 

Here are some motives that "I" think are healthy and holy: 

 a. To honor God

 b. To maximize your potential. It's about taking care of the temple.

 c. To make a difference

 d. It will bring you joy

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. 

3. GET IDEAS FROM OTHERS 

Goals create what psychologists refer to as "structural tension" in your brain. The brain wants to close the gap between your current reality & your goal. The brain is a goal-seeking organism. If you don't set godly goals, you'll pursue goals of lesser importance. 

4. THINK IN CATEGORIES 

 • family goals • travel goals • physical goals • experience goals • influence goals 

All of them are spiritual 

Physical discipline helps me be more disciplined spiritually. 

5. BE SPECIFIC 

Make goals measurable 

God doesn't answer vague prayers because they don't require any faith and God doesn't get the glory 

I think we're vague because we don't want to hold ourselves accountable. Or we're afraid. 

Goals are dreams with deadlines. 

6. WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS 

Habakkuk 2:2 "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets." 

The first step to accomplishing a goal is simply writing it down. 

The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory. 

7. INCLUDE OTHERS 

It is about shared experiences. It is about creating memories! 

8. CELEBRATE ALONG THE WAY 

The best memories were once goals 

"Ebenezer" means 'hitherto the Lord has helped me.' 

When you accomplish a goal, it is an Ebenezer moment. And you need to celebrate it an commemorate it. 

Celebrate everything you can as much as you can! 

9. THINK BIG 

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it; but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo 

You need some goals, and they better be conceived in prayer, that are absolutely ridiculous. 

By faith you set the goal. 

Work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God. 

"You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process you become someone worth-becoming." - Jim Rohn 

You need a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention because it will force you to get on your knees and seek God. 

Big dreams are the best thing for us spiritually. They make us pray. They make us seek God. they force us to love the way we ought to live - in complete dependence on God. 

Big dreams make you into a big person. 

We tend to overestimate what we can do in 2 years and underestimate what we can do in 10 years. 

Think long term! Think big! 

10. KEEP DREAMING 

It's never too late to be who you might have been. 

"One of the best things about aging is being able to watch imagination take over memory." - Harriet Doerr 

Year 2012 will be a great year full of Ebenezer moments! I am expectant an hopefully and prayerfully ready to elevate!