Christmas 2009 Newsletter

Christmas is here!

just like to share all the gifts that we got this Year 2009...

newsletter page 1

newsletter page 2

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a Blessed Year Ahead! 

December 13 - The Unspeakable Price

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

To all who did accept Him and believe in Him He gave the right to become children of God.  John 1:12

While we lived in Rio de Janeiro, we met several American families who came to Brazil to adopt children. They would spend days, sometimes weeks, immersed in a different language and a strange culture. They fought the red tape and paid the large fees, all with the hope of taking a child to the United States…

Hasn’t God done the same for us? He etered our culture, battled the resistance, and paid the unspeakable price which adoption required. Legally we are his. He owns us. We have every legal privilege accorded to [His] child. We are just waiting for Him to return. We are, as Paul said, “waiting for God to finish making us His own children”. (Romans 8:23)

December 12 - God Isn't Hard To Find

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

What a surprising way to describe God. A God who pursues us. 

Dare we envision a mobile, active God who chases us, tracks us, following us with goodness and mercy all the days of our lives? He’s not hard to find. He’s there in Scripture, looking for Adam and Eve. They’re hiding in the bushes, partly to cover their bodies, partly to cover their sin. Does God wait for them to come to Him? No, the words ring in the garden. “Where are you?” God asks, (Gen 3:9) beginning His quest to redeem the heart of man. A quest to follow His children, until His children follow Him.

December 11 - Just Pray

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Anyone who is having troubles should pray. Anyone who is happy should sing praises. James 5:13

Do you want to know how to deepen your prayer life? Pray. Don’t prepare to pray. Just pray. Don’t read about prayer. Just pray. Don’t attend a lecture on prayer or engage in discussion about prayer. Just pray.

Posture, tone, and place are personal matters. Select the form that works for you. But don’t think about it too much. Don’t be so concerned about wrapping the gift that you never give it. Better to pray awkwardly than not at all.

And if you feel you should only pray when inspired, that’s okay. Just see to it that you are inspired every day.

December 10 - Prepared Like A Bride

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. John 3:29

John’s description of the future [in the book of Revelation] steal your breath. His depiction of the final battle is graphic. Good clashes with evil. The sacred encounters the sinful. The pages howl with the shrieks of dragons and smolder with the coals of fiery pits. But in the midst of the battlefield there is a rose. John describes it in chapter 21…

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband...

In this final mountaintop encounter, God pulls back the curtain and allows the warrior to peek into the homeland. When given the task of writing down what he sees, John chooses the most beautiful comparison earth has to offer. The Holy City, John says, is like “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

 

December 9 - Grace Upon Grace

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. Philippians 4:11

Test this question: What if God’s only gift to you were His grace to save you. Would you be content? You beg Him to save the life of your child. You plead with Him to keep your business afloat. You implore Him to remove the cancer from your body. What if His answer is, “My grace is enough.” Would you be content?  

You see from heaven’s perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain?... Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?...

If you have eyes tor read these words, hands and fingers to use to type on the keyboard, the means to have a computer and internet connectivity, He has already given you grace upon grace.

 

December 8 - Prayer Reminds Us

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Prayer Reminds Us

When a believing person prays, great things happen. James 5:16

Prayer is a recognition that if God had not engaged Himself in our problems, we would still be lost in the blackness. It is by His mercy that we have been lifted up. Prayer is that whole process that reminds us of who we are.

I believe there’s great power in prayer. I believe God heals the wounded, and that he can raise the dead. But I don’t believe we tell God what to do and when to do it.

God knows that we, with our limited vision, don’t even know that for which we should pray. When we entrust our requests to Him, we trust Him to honor our prayers with holy judgment.

December 7 - No Worries In Heaven

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. Revelation 21:4

What have you done today to avoid death? Likely a lot. You’ve popped pills, pumped pecks, passed on the pie, and pursued the polyunsaturates… Why? Why the effort? Because you are worried about staying alive. That won’t be a worry in heaven.

In fact, you won’t be worrying at all. Some of you moms worry about your kids getting hurt. You won’t worry in heaven. In heaven we’ll fel no pain. Some of you fellows worry about getting old. You won’t in heaven. We’ll all be ceaselessly strong…

We are not made of steel, we are made of dust. And this life is not crowned with life, it is crowned with death.

The next life , however is different. Jesus urged the Christians in Smyrna to “be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelations 2:10).

 

December 6 - A Heavenly Affirmation

Grace for the Moment

I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18

Each of us has a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons, an expectation that our dearest friends will be our next of kin. Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how he defined his family: “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants” (Mark 3:35).

When Jesus’ brother didn’t share his convictions, he didn’t try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could provide what his physical family didn’t…

We cannot control the way our family responds to us. When it comes to the behavior of others toward us, our hands are tied. We have to move beyond the naive expectation that if we do good, people will treat us right. The fact is they may and they may not – we cannot control how people respond to us…

Let God give you what your family doesn’t. If your earthly father doesn’t affirm you, then let your heavenly Father take his place…

[And] don’t lose heart. God still changes families.

December 5 - God's Thoughts

Grace for the Moment

Lord You have done such great things! How deep are your thoughts! Psalm 92:5

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor are they even like ours. We aren’t even in the same neighborhood. We’re thinking, Preserve the body; He’s thinking, Save the soul.

We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. “I’m going to live before I die,” we resolve. “Die so you can live,” He instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions. We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, “Be like Mike.” God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and torn side and says, “Be like Christ.” 

December 4 - The Soul Killer

Grace for the Moment

When people sin, they earn what sin pays – death. Romans 6:23

Sin does to a life what shears do to a flower. A cut at the stem separates a flower from the source of life. Initially, the flower is attractive, still colorful and strong. But watch that flower over a period of time, and the leaves will wilt and the petals will drop. No matter what you do, the flower will never live again. Surround it with water. Stick the stem in soil. Baptize it with fertilizer. Glue the flower back on the stem. Do what you wish. The flower is dead…

A dead soul has no life.

Cut off from God, the soul withers and dies. The consequence of sin is not a bad day or a bad mood but a dead soul. The sign of a dead soul is clear: poisoned lips and cursing mouths, feet that lead to violence and eyes that don’t see God…

The finished work of sin is to kill the soul.

December 3 - The Cure for Disappointment

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

The ways of God are without fault. Psalm 18:30

When God doesn’t do what we want, it’s not easy. Never has been, never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than  we do about this life and He will get us through it.

Remember, disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it.

The next day, the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to fee the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he’d been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

“What do you want,” the store owner responded, “a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?”

Good question for times of disappointment.

December 2 - God Is For You

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

He will rejoice over you, You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you. Zephaniah 3:17

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.

God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If He drove a car, your name would be on His bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, He ‘s carved your name in the bark…

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” God asks in Isaiah 49:15 (NIV). What a bizarre question. Can you mothers imagine feeding your infant and then later asking, “What was that baby’s name?” No. I’ve seen you care for your young. You stroke the hair, you touch the face, you sing the name over and over. Can a mother forget? No way. But “even if she could forget,… I will not forget you,” God pledges (Isaiah 49:15).

December 1- The Winner's Circle

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. Ephesians 6:8 NIV

For all we don’t know about the next life, this much is certain. The day Christ comes will be a day of reward. Those who went unknown on earth will be known in heaven. Those who never heard the cheers of men will hear the cheers of angels. Those who missed the blessing of a father will hear the blessing of their heavenly Father. The small will be great. The forgotten will be remembered. The unnoticed will be crowned, and the faithful will be honored.

The winner’s circle isn’t reserved for a handful of the elite, but for a heaven full of God’s children who “will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NIV)

Remembering Rody - invite, prayer, and pix link

Sorry guys, I forgot to include these in my previous blogs . Some have been asking for copies, so I thought of posting these here. Better late than never?!!?

Want to see the pix taken last Sunday at Holy Cross? Click me 

Y Grace 

Say a little prayer for you....

Last Tuesday night, July 21, my sister Emmie texted me (and probably everyone in her phonebook who knows Kuya Rody) to light a candle and say a prayer for Kuya Rody.

Earlier that day, I was able to compose and finish my blog about last Sunday's get-together for Kuya Rod's 1st year in eternity -- but actually had a hard time uploading it here on blogger together with the pictures. I didn't want the pictures bunching up together -- but they keep on sticking like glue to each other! I wanted to have the words, then a picture, then words, then a picture, but I just couldn't get it that way. So I tried and tried. And after much trying, succeeded. 

Boy, was I so thankful to have composed that blog and didn't grow tired of trying to publish it -- most of the people who have read it made them reminisce their good times with Kuya Rody. If not moving them to tears, they felt emotional and suddenly missed his presence.

To everyone who joined us in lighting their candles and saying their prayers for Kuya Rody last July 21, your gesture is sincerely appreciated! 

  

Remembering Rody on his First Year in Eternity

Today is Kuya Rody’s first death anniversary. I can’t help but look back on this day last year – our exchanges of texts in the morning and throughout the day -- to calling him to have a short chat, and our last exchange of ‘goodnight’ texts a couple of hours before I got a call from my sister Malou informing me that Kuya Rody was rushed to the ER of Chinese General Hospital. It’s hard to forget those. And then the hospital scene. And the funeral. And now, everything’s been a year.

         

Together with my 2 sisters Emmie and Malou, we organized a simple yet memorable get-together remembrance for dear Kuya Rod. It was held last Sunday (July 19) at his gravesite in Holy Cross. Years ago, Kuya Rody gave us the name the G.E.M. Team – of course those letters stand for Grace Emmie Malou – and gratuitously flattering us with, “because you guys are truly a gem”. So in our invite, we decided to sign our name as that.

The get-together was a success. We had a very nice breezy overcast weather – with just a drizzle of rain – blessing each one’s arrival.

 It was a potluck picnic and most of the food shared was Kuya Rody’s favorite chow. There was dinuguan, misua, mango-tomato salad with bagoong, itlog na maalat and tomatoes, Korean beef with cream sauce, chicken cordon bleu, fried spring chicken (ala Max’s), spaghetti, bringhe (similar to paella), chicken macaroni salad, minatamis na saguing saba, and for drinks, we had gulaman, soda, coffee and of course water. Fresh fruits like ripe mango, watermelon, bananas were also served. So you could imagine how full we all got!

After lunch chow, we gathered for the prayer. I read the Bible Reading from 1 Corinthians 15: 35-44. Then Emmie led the Prayer for the Souls, Malou led the Prayer for the Dead, and Ate Aurie led the Closing Prayer. 

For our finale, we sang the Family Power Theme Song – the Arceo clan theme song - whose lyrics were composed by Kuya Rody in 1982 (upbeat melody given by Kuya Rolan). We haven’t sung that song in ages! And we were moved to tears as we sang – each word gently melting our hearts, each of us being touched by its message. Truly, everyone felt Rody’s presence.

Then it’s time for some laughter. After all, it’s a celebration of Rody’s 1^st year in eternity. I prepared 2 trivia games about Kuya Rody. 

The first one is a word game, wherein the answer will be taken from the letters of 

R-O-D-O-L-F-O  A-R-C-E-O. 

And the second game is a question and answer game wherein each of the 2 teams race in writing the correct answer on a white board. The games turned out to be hilarious as each participant ‘contests’ each other’s answers. Haaayyy, naku, si Kuya Rody talaga. After the game, everybody got a treat from Manong Felix --  a bag full of chichirya! Whooppeee! I grabbed the Caramel popcorn and some flavored pulburon. Yum yum!

Well, as it turned out, the belly laugh made everyone hungry. So at snack time, we munched some more – of what’s left on the buffet table – and some started ‘hoarding’ for their ‘take-along’. While snacking we chatted away, and the topic? “What were you doing/where were you last year of July 21, and what was your reaction when you found out about the passing away of Kuya Rody? “ The scenes are still vivid for a lot of us – especially Manong Felix, Ate Aurie and Roma, who were one of those who rushed Kuya Rody in the hospital.

It was indeed a day full of fun, food, family bonding, and fitting tribute to Rody. We were savoring the moment -- we all wouldn’t want it to end.

To everybody who came and joined us, brought their share, and helped to make it a success, maraming salamat po.

And to you Kuya Rody, maraming maraming salamat sa magandang alaala na iniwan mo. Hinding hindi ka namin malilimutan. Mahal na mahal ka namin! 

Facebook + Farming = Fat *ss

It has been a while. A year to be exact. And here I am publishing my first blog in  a year! I actually have tonsquite a number of blogs that are unpublished/unfinished due to my being a facebook addict very busy.

My name is Grace and I’m a Facebookaholic. I admit, it’s the first thing that I do in the morning, and probably the last thing I do at night, well, yeah, apart from yawning. I  must admit that I’m currently crazy with farming – maintaining farms at Farm Ville and Farm Town. I have recently been intrigued by my niece’s Barn Buddy – but I had to constrain myself from getting hooked started. FT and FV was introduced to me by my Super Kumareng Vangie – and the rest is history.

Anyways, I have only been farming for barely a month now and the levels that I’ve reached so far is no comparison to some of my ‘neighbors’, but I’m extremely enjoying it thus far. Hence some points that I’d like to share:

Virtual farming is a lot like how you deal your life. The cliché ‘you will reap what you sow’ is exactly true here. If you carefully plan / decide what you plant, you will make a good harvest and earn ‘coins’ for you to be able to ‘afford’ things for your farm. You have to choose which to plant among the ‘seeds’ that will grow on a given time period. Let’s say you want to plant strawberries which will grow in 4 hours. You really have to make sure that you will be able to check on it after 4 hours or it will wilt and go to waste. To enable myself to do ‘something else’ (in my non-virtual world), I make sure that I plant seeds that will take days to grow – especially if I will be busy for the next couple of hours or days. Planning is essential in planting. In real life, planning directs your life to the better path.

Sending gifts to your neighbors is a very good feature of FT and FV – as you may send out various farm essentials to your friends / neighbors -- free! This include trees, flowers, animals, etc. which they can use in their farm. This reflects your generosity and thoughtfulness and that of your friends. Since gifting is free, you may only do it once a day to each friend, or you may send one again until that friend has sent you back a gift. I know this is only a virtual world and a game at that, but I noticed that my friends who are really generous and thoughtful in real life -- are the ones who make an effort to send me gifts to my farms. (You know who you are. I love you a bushel and a peck! )

In Farm Town, you could bless other people by hiring them to work in your farm as they can earn extra coins. What’s even better is that harvested crops generate more value when you let other people harvest it for you. This pretty much encourages players to ‘help’ other people earn more coins. Most of the people you hire are very appreciative – as they make additional money from you that enables them to buy more virtual thingamajigs for their farm. If they are already your friends, you feel happy when they hire you -- your bond becomes stronger. But some total stranger playing the game may also hire you, and you end up being virtual buddies. Much like being an entrepreneur – you bless people with work, you gain numerous rewards, one of them is  having a steady income for you and your family, not to mention your workers’ respect, good service and loyalty.

Magtanim ay di biro. Maghapong nakaupo. This is the downside. I have spent countless additional hours sitting in front of my mac for Facebooking. This doesn’t help my attempt to gaining back my shapely *ss from the not so distant past. I typically do office work, so my job usually requires me to sit in front of a computer most of the time in a day for 6 days. Sogetting addicted playing Farm Town and Farm Ville robs me of the time to at least do some stretching and exercise like walking. And not to mention my laundry almost walked out on me to go to the nearby laundry shop. And what about my reading backlog? And my blogging backlog? And this list will be endless.

So I digress. This blog also serves as a warning. A warning that is maybe too late to come. If you are reading this, you are, I’m sure, a citizen of the internet. And you probably have a Facebook account. And you probably play virtual games and do a lot of stuff in there too. So I guess this is more of an advice. DON’T OVERDO IT. Like life, if you overdo and overstuff yourself with anything, you reach a point of breakdown. Systems crash. So after reading this, go and find yourself better things to do than sitting. Hug your mom. Offer your dad a cup of coffee. Play or walk your dog. Tend your garden (the REAL plants this time!) Get up and move your *ss! And I mean NOW!

It Will Never Be The Same Again

this blog was written last year, after my dear kuya (older brother) rod passed away. i first published it in my multiply website. almost a year has passed, and i still miss him. and i will probably miss him all the days of my life.... 

He has known me all 36 years of my life. He saw the day I was born, my growing up years, and he’s one of the many people who truly cared and loved me. We have shared many memories, memories that I will forever keep and treasure. His remarkable traits have taught me a lot, just by his show of example.

He is very creative

I remember in 1980, he spear headed what would become our annual “themed” family reunions. He coined the name FAMILY POWER (6 years before the Philippines’ PEOPLE POWER), initially to refer to our annual family gathering, but more aptly to describe the enormous power each of the members of our clan emit whenever we unite in every activity, event, or situation. Tasks that needed to be accomplished, or any problem that needed a solution, family power would be there. Our first FAMILY POWER event was a costume party, with almost 80% of the costumes created by him, marvelously transforming scrap materials into a mermaid’s tail, a gladiator’s shield, or a head dress full of plastic fruits. His talent for singing, script-writing, and stage designing is a staple in every Family Power event. He would lead us into planning, and regardless of age, he would welcome the ideas of the young ones, encouraging us to participate in creating a fun-filled show for our clan to enjoy. His overflowing creative juices even propelled him into writing the meaningful lyrics of the “Family Power Song”.

He is everybody’s sweetheart

His ”very-fun-to-be-with” character made him a favorite companion by everyone.  I mean EVERYONE. As far as I can remember, he was always our grandmother’s companion to church. They will visit San Roque church and he will patiently hold my grandmother in her arms and they will slowly walk around and pray and light a candle to each saint or statue around the church. In our clan, he was a popular (if not THE MOST POPULAR) person to every generation. He managed to be always there for everyone (for the grandparents, uncles, aunts, older cousins, relatives his age, down to the newborn infants). His uncanny ability to be always-there-for-you couldn’t be beat. He’s very easy to be reached. He’s the person to call if you needed company to go to Divisoria (a famous flea market/source of all supplies place in the heart of Manila, Philippines), or assistance in sprucing up your home (he could’ve been a terrific interior designer), or a restaurant buddy (he’s a food connoisseur, from Aling Simang’s to Spiral), or somebody to talk to (sensible to discuss anything under the sun), or a hand to hold in times of distress (even if his hands are trembling too, he would try very hard to put a strong front!). He was always there when I needed somebody to laugh or cry with. He was there in my childhood and teen years. He knows all my close friends and the guys I dated (well, not really, all, but maybe the guys that I went out with who deserved to be introduced to him). He was there helping me shop and decorate when I moved into my own house. He was very happy for me when I got married to Neil. He was there when I became a member of the Dead Dads Club. He was there praying with us when my mom underwent heart bypass, but unintentionally, I wasn’t physically there for him when his mom died because I was in the States. In spite of his busy schedules, he still was able to make his presence felt in my adult life. He would rejoice at all of my successes and adventures, and would always have a positive remark even at my low and sad points, especially at times when I needed it most.

He is equipped with a tremendous sense of humor

His amusing ways and witty one-liners complete with his animated antics would always result in guffaws, and his funny stories and jokes not only keeps us in stitches, but makes us pee in our pants. Everyone within earshot and viewing distance can die laughing. Seriously!

He is very loving and kind-hearted

He had so much love to give for everyone. Unconditional love at that. He sincerely sees the goodness in people. He was never a fault finder, rather he corrects mistakes constructively. I do not remember a time that he criticized me of any offense that I made either to him or to other people. He would imply that certain things were done wrong, and he will leave you with a better judgment to undo whatever error that you made. He will never impose. His tremendous capacity to love even the “not-so-lovable” is a hard feat to follow. But he has shown that it is possible, and that it can be done. And as I’ve said, I have learned so much by his show of example.

He is trustworthy and dependable

He knows almost all the secrets and problems of my own family. We have always trusted him with anything, from the mundane things to the very delicate and important. We could trust him with anything, be it money, valuables, or our loved ones, and we’re confident that he will protect and guard it with his life. He has always been somebody whom our family can depend on, and when he says he will do it, consider it done.

He is decent and respectable

I cannot end this blog without mentioning a bit about our love life. I consider myself one of the few (?) whom he has trusted with his romantic escapades and sexcapades. I, in turn, have shared with him a few, if not all, of mine (but cross my heart, I didn’t have any sexcapades to share). But let me just say that he is one person (aside from my doctor) who knows my ovaries (simply put, that’s how comfortable I am with him to discuss my reproductive health and seek advice even with my sex/married life). Though my love life is not at all colorful compared to his, I must say that the kind of relationship that he has is downright honest and true. He didn’t have to hide anything, but he didn’t have to tactlessly flaunt it too. Everything done in the realm of decency and propriety. He never asked for approval. He just needed acceptance and respect, rightfully so it was given to him. All because he was first to give it.

Fast forward to more years, we both got busy with our jobs, our own families, and me spending time outside the country, but we have managed to be in constant touch with each other. We have kept the bond that strongly bound us through the years. Lately as we grow older, and with our genes inevitably affecting our state of health, visiting doctor’s clinics and hospitals or free standing laboratories to undergo blood work have now been a regular “bonding” activity for us. We would discuss whatever we’re feeling, complain about certain ailments that we now have, and give advice to each other: from reminding each other in taking medicines, to taking time off to rest and re-charge from a hard day’s work.

July 21, 2008. Monday. Our usual exchange of text messages went this way:       

11:16 am/G : Hi, kuya rod! Musta ka na?Naalala lng kta kc 1 week na me di nkkainom ng gamot sa HB, kya ayan, hinayblad yta ako kgabi, takot ako, prang mga ugat sa ulo, gumagalaw!

2:20 pm/R : Nasa lahi na natin ang HB, kaya dapat maintenance na, ako, 3 or 4 inom ko sa puso, hb at para veins, nagpa-2^nd opinion nako and be back sa Dra. ko dis week at sana may gud result kaya inom na at ingat

2:25 pm/G : Ano yung para sa veins mo? Mukhang yan yata kelangan ko, kc nararamdaman ko, parang ung mga ugat ko nga sa ulo, prang gumagalaw La nman me pain whatsoever, pro weird lang. Dikya may katok lang ako sa utak? He he he! Nxt week pko balik sa doc, isasabay ko na lng lhat check-up ko. Kk-HB ang mga gastos!

2:37 pm/R : Captropil at vestan wag ka na kain masyado meat at more fluids or water dapat

2:50 pm/R : Pag nag-shower ka dapat head to foot na wag body lang para ang init di punta sa ulo, grabe mga gastusin, ang pinagwo-work ko yata para lang sa gamot ko, hayy

4:08 pm/G : More fluids ba dapat? Cge, thanks sa advice. Mejo stressed din cguro, work, etc. Nagre-relax relax nga ako, mas gusto ko gumastos pang relax kesa panggamot!

6:38/G : Kakainom ko lang ng gamot ko, dilahex 5 mg. Hopefully um-ok nako, ngyon pahinga nako. Asar talaga pag may nrrrmdman ka, no? Dami ko pang labahin!

7:33 pm/R : Palabhan mo na lang yang mga damit mo don’t exert much effort at nasa ugat yan ramdam mo. Ako parang hapo at mainit mga mata pag na ha hiblod

7:36 pm/R : Who told u about d gamut na dahilex?

7:37 pm/G : Dilahex? Bket? Si dra. Mendoza, ung cardiologist na pinuntahan ntin sa infant. Gamot mo din ba? Mas mura sya kesa lifezar 50 mg

7:38 pm/G: inaayos ko na (laundry) para dalhin sa laundry shop bukas. Mga underwear lang laba ko, pero tom na, babad ko lang ngyon. Gus2 ko ma2log ng maaga, kc dami ko gawa sa ofc. Haayyyy!

7:40/R : Okay, akala ko sabi lang sayo, rest ka na.

7:45/G : ayaw ko inom gamot basta basta ng di nagppdoctor.tapusin ko lang tong inaayos kong labada at magredi na me for bed.Thanks sa lhat ng advice mo at txts. Na-nyt!

I never knew that that will be our last exchange of text messages. I couldn’t believe it. It still is hard to believe. It doesn’t help because until now I refuse to. I just can’t bring myself to finally accept that I have lost one great person in my life. My dear Kuya Rody had a massive heart attack and got promoted to heaven that night. His “going home” has left a huge void in the lives of all the people that he has touched, a great loss to those who love him. And I am one of them. Without him, without his touch, things around here will never be the same again.