Finishing the race...whatever it takes!

My eyes were wet with tears because of the video clips that were shown yesterday during our Sunday service. Our pastor's message was about finishing our life race. He showed three clips in connection to his message. The two clips were about two athletes, Derek Redmond, who fell during the 1992 Barcelona Spain Olympic because of hamstring injury and John Stephen Akhwari who was the last athlete to arrived during the 1968 Mexico Olympic. Both were determined to finished their races despite the injuries they faced along the way. Both were brave athletes who finished their race for their countries.







This other clip however is about a team of father and son. A realy inspiring story. The story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Rick is the son who had cerebral palsy but desires to join the Ironman Triathlon and Dick, the father who showed his love for his son, who did everything to make his son happy. It's a picture of how God love us so much that when we are so determined to finished our life races, and He sees our determination, He will be there to support us. He will never leave nor forsake us.

Hope you'll be inspired as you watch these videos...

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Locate them!

For women out there who were prone to stalking, sexual harassment and the like…there’s good news. There’s a newly launched project in the US today that will help you track sexual offenders even in your neighborhood through the Sexual Predator Search. This site has a complete list of sexual predators of each state just by entering your zip code. Where did they get that? I don’t know. But at least now, you’ll be more aware who among your neighbors and how many are there in your community. You can now locate get rid of them.


Friday Fill-Ins #91




1. More working Holidays are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I am overly preoccupied with online tasks that I'm not able to give my full attention to my daughter at home..I feel guilty.

3. I was able to finally leaned how to drive, I was able to faced my fear, and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I talk to friends or listen to music.

5. In the kitchen of our house is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for a hot soup while cuddling and snuggling.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching my fave TV show, tomorrow my plans include general cleaning and going to SaveMore to buy groceries and Sunday, I want to relax!


More entries here. Happy Friday!


The Complete Web Hosting Directory

Having your own blog or website is really fun and challenging. There are lots of people who are now reaping the benefits of having their own website running. So if you’re not yet IN, you should be working on it now. There are a lot of web hosting companies out there who can help you start your own blog or website. {Mine is not yet my own domain but I’m planning to acquire it because I believe having your own domain is much better than free hosted ones.}

But, you may ask, “Okay, there is really a long list of web hosting companies out there but which one is the best? How will I know who’s on top and how will I know if that is the one for me”. Well, you’ll know the answers at Web Hosting Ratings. Here, you will be able to see a list of all the web hosting companies and their profile complete with all their plans, promotional and discount coupons. You can also check from the ratings they provide for their customers to see {I guess the ratings is based from the unedited reviews from their various customers and other criteria}.

Web hosting ratings is really a great tool for website owners and starters. It’s good that there’s a site like this so that people will be able to have firsthand knowledge of a particular web hosting company prior to getting their services. Planning on getting a web hosting service? Check their directory to find out if they’re included in the list. If not, better see who’s on top. ;)





What is Melamine?

When I first heard of the word "Melamine", melaware plates and kitchen wares were the first thing that popped on my mind.

According to Wise Geek:
Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Melamine resin is a very versatile material with a highly stable structure. Uses for melamine include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters. Melamine can be easily molded while warm, but will set into a fixed form. This property makes it ideally suited to certain industrial applications.

...then, why on earth is it found on milk?

According to the latest news, even candies from China {particularly the White Rabbit brand} were being recalled for suspected melamine contents.


(Photo grabbed from Wikipedia)

Thousands of babies and children were now suffering from serious illness, kidney failures and even deaths (I think the reported casualties were three). How sudden that China just rose among the nations for hosting the 2008 Olympics. They were standing tall and proud with the Olympics' success, but now became the chaotic subject for poor QI procedures. How sad. But I hope China will be able to rise up again from this worldwide issue.

For mom's like me this news was threatening. When I heard about this I immediately checked the internet about MeadJohnson’s response on this {my daughter’s milk is a Meadjohnson brand} and thank God that they already announced that their line of products were safe from melamine.

Let's pray that all the contaminated products will be recalled and nothing will be left to the public so that the spread of it's harmful effects will be stopped immediately.

What Your Handbag Says About You

Women love bags. I guess you'll agree to that. When we shop our list would always include either shoes, dress, and bags. I guess like me, you have your own collection of bags {signature or not}. but what does your collection says about you?

I saw this quiz on Blogthings and had fun doing it. I agree with what it says about me :)



What Your Handbag Says About You



You tend to be relaxed throughout the day. You are naturally at peace.

You are a high maintenance person. You feel lost outside of your normal environment.

You are practical and down to earth. You tend to be a rather reserved and quiet person.

You are a very unique and special person. There's no one else who is anything like you.



Staurday Special


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~One Word To Start A Sentence Or Statement~
~Fill In The Blanks~

1. Yesterday was another great day.

2. Giving l my attention to my daughter when I'm at home is what I really have to do .

3. When will I get my dream Canon DSLR?

4. Never again will I wallow in self pity.

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More entries here :)

Friday Fill-ins #90



It's Friday once again :) and here's my fill-ins for this week:

1. There is no need to worry when you know that you can always trust in God.

2. Where in the heck did the good old values go?

3. Blogging is all I managed to do when I'm in front of my PC at home.

4. Prospects for a small business space is what my sister is telling me yesterday.

5. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good" is the message I'm seeing now.

6. Simplicity and tranquility are two of the things that will help us be satisfied in life .

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to attending an overnight prayer meeting (I hope), tomorrow my plans include a time of solitude at Prayer Mountain (I really need this) and Sunday, I want to visit our main church and replace the Dora DVD I bought after church.


More fill-ins here.


Jump-start your business with a website

Nowadays more and more people are considering if not really shifting from an 8-5 job to managing their own businesses, thinking and hoping in becoming successful entrepreneurs. And with the help of technology and the internet, promoting a business is as easy as ABC through websites. Yes, the trend today is to jump-start a business through websites. The internet is continuously developing and there is still a lot of space for new sites trying to penetrate possible group of clients.

Of course, when you decide to create a site you can either choose from setting it up from those who offer free hosted sites (which of course, you’ll have limited access) or you can choose to buy your own domain for a minimal fee so that you can have absolute control of the site. And if ever you’ve decided to own a site but you don’t have the time, creativity or the complete knowledge on web designs to complete the set up, you can always get help from various web professionals like Heritage Web Solutions.

In creating a website you have to consider the over all look of your site since readers or possible clients can judge your business or services by just looking at the site. Heritage Web Solutions knows all about it, and everything that can help in promoting and making your site pleasant to visit. They offer various web solutions and services . Their web, graphic, and layout designers are all professional and the company has been noted and considered as one of the best web solutions company all over the world with clients of about 30,000. The company has been trusted for years and had proven their reliability and strong expertise so you’ll be assured of an excellent output from them.

So, are you thinking of setting up your own website? At Heritage Web Solutions…you’re always in good hands.



On Deciding...

I was on my way to work this morning when I heard the radio DJ gave this statement: "Opportunity comes only once so when you got the chance, grabbed it at once..."

Earlier while I was preparing for work, I was listening to my favorite radio station and heard this from my favorite radio program. "It's easy to determine, choose, and decide between good and bad, but choosing between what's better and best is another story." And there are times that we're in that situation. Thinking, and thinking really hard to make the best decision. I've been there several times and it was really hard. The program suggested three things in making decisions.

  • Don't rush on major decisions. Ironically, the DJ's suggestion does not fit in this kind of situation. Yes, opportunity comes only once but if it's a big decision for us to make, we should be more careful..don't rush.
  • Consult with reliable mentors, relatives and friends because they know you and they will probably know what's best for you. Sure, you are still going to make that decision but decision making will be easy if you have suggestions to think about or weigh in.
  • Anticipate the long-term impact of your decision.Don't be lured with the beautiful things you can see or the benefits that is being presented by that opportunity, we should think of the long-term and not the temporary. We should think of it's long-term effect not only to our selves but to our loved ones as well.



Friday Fill-Ins #89



1. I enjoy blogging and plurking these days :)

2. Entrecard is something I wonder about often lately.

3. In your heart, you knew .

4. Take a time out from a stressful day, add a little rest and pampering of self and you end up with an extra refreshing time to begin another work :).

5. Life has gifted me with good friends, a loving husband and a wonderful daughter.

6. All I need is an instant vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to finishing my tasks, tomorrow my plans include going to the dentist and Sunday, I want to just rest and read a book.


More fill-ins here :)


Extravagant Worship



It was raining hard kanina so I decided to stopped by St. Francis Square book store and see if I can find a good book. I saw this and read the summay, I think I'll love this book. I am really into seeking for reading materials that will help me in doing my ministry.

Will read this book and will post some of the things I'll learn. :)


Wordless Wednesday: Wait for a ride?

or should I just walk?


More of WW here.



Starting a Car

Because my driving lesson has just ended, I wanted to post this so I won't forget.

Many people drive cars with manual transmission simply because they enjoy shifting gears with a stick shift. While others prefer manual cars because they usually cost less than the same model with automatic transmission and when properly driven, may reduce fuel consumption. I think for those who do not know the basic of starting a manual-shift car, this might help, at least.

Steps in Starting a Car with Manual Transmission:
1. Make sure that the shifting lever is on N (neutral) position.
2. Check that hand break is set
3. Press the accelerator pedal lightly
4. Turn the ignition key to start and release the key as the engine turns
5. Check the gauge and warning lights

Now in order to make the car moving and keeps on moving, we have to follow these steps:
1. Press the brake pedal with right foot, press the clutch down tot he floor with the left foot.
2. Shift in first gear
3. Release parking brake
4. Check traffic in rear view mirror and side mirrors. Look over your shoulders to check blind spots.
5. Apply gradual pressure on the gas pedal
6. Slowly let the clutch up to the friction point. If the car jerks, it's either you release the clutch too abruptly or you pressed too hard on the gas pedal. If the car lurches and the engine stall out, you've not fed the engine enough gas.
7. Apply gradual pressure on the gas pedal to increase speed.

There you go....easy noh?


Online Shopping?

Do you shop on line or are you an active online shopper? Well, I guess the internet is the best friend of online shoppers. Nowadays, with the help of technology, shopping is made easy thru online stores and online store directories.

And speaking of online store directory, ShopWiki is one of the best, if not the best. Why? When you go through their website, you’ll see that items are segregated accordingly, which will be easy for shopper to click on the right link. And when you searched for a particular item, ShopWiki will give you everything, and that means every item a shopper could expect. It gives shoppers every store it can find in the internet by crawling on them, just like Google. ShopWiki have everything . Whether you're looking for a Spalding ball for your self or your team, a fashionable suits, or baby products, Shopwiki can give them all to you.

Aside from that you can check ShopWiki even on the go thru ShopWiki Mobile. Just go to mobile.shopwiki.com on your mobile phone's browser, and you’ll be ready to shop anytime.

So let’s start shopping now. Oh, just remember to draw the line. :)


Saturday Special


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~My Favorite DVD Movie Is~

1. In Drama? Message in A Bottle, 50 First Dates

2. In Comedy? Alvin and the Chipmunks

3. In Mystery/Suspense?
I don't usually watch movies like these but few of them that
caught my attention are The Six Sense and The Others


4. In Action/Adventure
? Lord of the Rings Three logy,
The Day after Tomorrow and The Chronicles of Narnia.


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More entries here.


Friday Fill-ins #88



This week, Janet use rather obscure song lyrics but instead of filling up with the correct lyrics, I'll fill them with my own words.

1. If I was to walk into your life, would you be thankful and happy?

2. Catch a bright star and place it inside a dark room, it will surely help lit the place :D

3. And you can send me gifts this Christmas.

4. I don't understand but I'm dealing with a memory that never forgets.

5. I'm the innocent bystander / Somehow I got stuck in the crowd.

6. What's keeping us apart isn't selfishness, it's your work and plane ticket prices. :D

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to our rehearsal with the worship band, tomorrow my plans include attend my last driving lesson and visit our developer to pay our monthly equity and Sunday, I want to go to the mall after church!


More entries here.


Blog Trip Day 4: Shop Around the City

As I've mentioned on my Day 3 entry, there are a lot of shopping malls in the Philippines. I think every city has.

Most of you may I agree with me when I say that women love shopping, right? I do. So If I have time, I go to the mall. Good thing that there are shopping malls near my place; Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, Robinson's Metro East, Bluewave Marquinton and Riverbanks Mall. There is also the new SM City Marikina which will be opened to public on Friday. I'm excited to visit that place for finally, we'll have an SM mall in our area. SM is I think one of the famous if not the number one shopping mall in the Philippines.

These shopping malls have their own specialties. But I usually do my groceries at Riverbanks Mal, commodities are much cheaper. When I shop for clothes and other personal items, I either go to Robinson's or Sta. Lucia East because there are lots of boutiques and outlets to choose from aside from their own department stores.


Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall


Robinson's Metro East and Riverbanks Mall



Blue Wave Marquinton


Blog Trip Day 3: Food Trip

We're on our Day-3 and the topic is food. :)

Here in our city, there's one place that we always visit when we crave for seafood. We call it "Dampa sa Riverbanks" or Riverside Grill. It's like the "Seaside Paluto" in ParaƱaque City but here, the food is much cheaper and you don't have to buy the seafood from the wet market. Everything is ready for you to choose and just asked them to cook for you.

My favorite is the Garlic Buttered Shrimp and Bake Tahong (clams), and grilled Tilapia or Tuna Belly.


The left photo is one of the store in Marikina Riverbanks Grill the second photo is the original seaside seafood grill in ParaƱaque.

There are also some restaurants in the nearby mall and some of my favorites are Gerry's Grill, Max's Restaurant and Bacolod Chicken Inasal.


Photo on left is the best seller Chicken Inasal while the photo on right are some of my favorite food. To include: Chinese Hotpot, Choice seafood plate, Pasta, Pizza, Grilled fish and for dessert, carrot wall nut cake topped with mango creme and wall nuts :)

Here in the Philippines, place to eat is not a problem. There are a lot of restaurants inside the mall and there are a lot of malls! :D. There are also a variety of cuisines to choose from, Italian, Mexican, Korean, Chinese, or Japanese. :D


You can read more entries here.


Wordless Wednesday



Seriously helping mommy ...

I also played here. And you can visit here for more WW entries.

Blog Trip: Day 2

Well, if you want to know how much is the gas over here, gas now ranges from Php 54.00 to Php56.00 per liter or around $1.2 per liters. There has been several rollbacks of prices since last week which is really good. Public vehicle drivers here are so affected by the fuel prices. When it goes up, prices of commodities increases as well.

I am a commuter. For the moment, I don't have to think about filling up a tank because when my husband went to work abroad, our jeep {we only have a jeep, but we're planning to buy a decent car maybe in the year to come, but I hope sooner :)} was taken cared of by my brother in law since I don' t know how to drive. But my daughter is growing up so fast and she's getting heavier so I thought of enrolling in a driving school. And finally, this Saturday will be my last session. I am planning to get our jeep from my brother in law and start practicing what I've learned. But I think it would still take a while for me to drive by my self.

I won't be able to give personal experience tip on how to save gas but in order to save money for transportation, I take public utility vehicles cheaper from a cab or taxi. I try to take the regular PUVs rather than taking special trips.

So that's it for Blogtrip's Day 2. Head on to mommycommunity for more entries.




Blog trip: Day 1

Hi! I am Mhay from Marikina City, Philippines. I lived here most of my life. I am a mom to one daughter. She's two years old. I am a working mom, struggling to live normally while the husband is working overseas. I love blogging as I am maintaining two blogs. My hubby includes digital scrapbooking, reading books, and I sing to my church.



This is Marikina River. The city's pride. It has been one of the city's greatest achievement...restoring it.



This is one of Marikina City's marks of identity


Marie created an exciting way for mommy bloggers to get to know each other during a week-long activity. It’s my first time to join something like this and I’m excited to participate on this week’s trip.