“With all of the radiation that you incurred including the x-rays, there is absolutely no way that you will ever have a normal baby; even if the baby came full-term, she will be severely deformed. We really recommend termination."
At 19-years old, newly-wed Sandy Jobe couldn’t believe the report she heard from her physician. After recovering successfully from a major surgery that removed a tumor in her head, Sandy’s doctor gave her the ‘bad news’ - she is pregnant and that she will never have a normal baby. Furthermore, abortion was recommended as an immediate action.
Still, Sandy held on to her faith and found a christian doctor who gave her hope amidst her pain.
The child reached full-term and on the day of her delivery, friends and family members flocked outside the delivery room praying for her and her child.
Kari Jobe was born on April 16, 1981.
She was a healthy baby girl - not deformed and not mentally-challenged.
Kari Jobe is one of the most gifted worship leaders today. She has won three Dove Awards and leads worship at Gateway church in Southlake, Texas.
God can do what medical science cannot do.
Kari’s life is a testimony of what great faith can do.
Things may not always go the way we want it but God will always make it up to us one way or another.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Sharing with you a relevant quote I came across with today. I hope we all become strong and not fall for the trap of courting acceptance from everyone.
—-
I was recently ‘promoted’ to lead a Bible study group in our church.
At first, I was truly hesitant because I didn’t really see myself leading a Bible study group although I’ve seen visions of myself preaching to groups of people.
Several times, I asked the Lord if I am fit for the job.
I told myself, maybe I am. But what if I’m not ready for it?
My elders agreed it is time for me to take a leadership position after my 'exponential growth’ in 2016.
A painful experience led me closer to the Lord as I began attending all conferences and worshops in church. I just felt an insatiable hunger to get to know the Lord and to serve Him in that season. I purposely intended not to let unforgiveness and bitterness set in despite the hardship of the trial. I devoted my time in growing in faith and learning the truth about forgiveness.
Today, I heard a podcast where a man gave his testimony on how God 'divinely appointed’ him to lead a Bible study group in their local church. Hearing his testimony made me realize that this is God’s divine appointment too! And that I shouldn’t doubt when he says I’m ready to lead.
Are you going through the same dilemma? I suggest that you continue praying to the Lord and He will give you the answer to your question.
On our third day in Germany, we trooped
to the countryside region of Vogelsberg which can be reached a little
less than three hours from Frankfurt.
On the way up to this mountainous district where the weekend home
of my sister’s in-laws are located, we were greeted with beautiful
rows of lush greens and a line of huge white windmills perfectly in
contrast against the greens. I apologize for being unable to take a
photo of the windmills as I was not able to get out of the car when
we momentarily stopped to allow others to take a photo of it. I
freeze quite easily and suffice it to say that the jacket I wore that
moment couldn’t seem to give me the warmth I needed. Missing on this
part of the ascend were the cute sheep that I saw when I was here
last time. I was reminded of the animated series Shawn the sheep when
I saw them some time ago.
We passed through the brickroad and on to the old town that is
almost deserted if not for the few locals and curious tourists like
me. This is my second time in Vogelsberg and I am loving it even
more.
Vogelsberg is known for its museums, timber-framed houses,
medieval towns, castles and yes, the volcano. We were not able to go
to all the tourist spots because the cold weather strongly
discouraged us to venture outside the house. Nevertheless, we were
able to see much of the beauty of this place by taking a long
walk in its nearly-deserted town and attempting to go hiking err
‘attempting to check out the hiking trail’ since we would not go
hiking anyway due to the thick fog and the biting cool air. We only
reached the tourist information booth and stayed there for a good 30
minutes, each of us taking a respite from the cool autumn atmosphere.
Did someone say deserted town? *cue twilight zone music*
Locals have conveniently left Vogelsberg for other regions where
there is work and more income.
Red door. I have always been fascinated with beautiful European
doors such as this one from the Rathaus or the Vogelsberg municipal
hall that was originally built in 1520.
Beautiful sidewalk cafe. No customers though.
I’ve always wanted to try this interesting obstacle race but the
terribly cold air totally discouraged me. Next time though. See you
again, Vogelsberg.
Liptint review: Etude House cherry tarte and Skinfood jelly Tomato lip tint
Skinfood tomato jelly lip tint
The Skinfood tomato jelly lip tint is such an amazing lip balm /
tint that I found myself reaching for it every so often. I’ve never
seen myself so in love with a lip product not since I became
acquainted with Revlon cherry tarte. The Skinfood tomato jelly lip
tint reminds me of Revlon cherry tarte for its smooth texture with a
hint of color on the lips. Also, it glides softly on the lips which
is an added delight to the user, ME ^_^. It’s a lipbalm with a
hint of color that amazingly stays put for a good number of hours.
Being on the oily/combination side, I am quite used to having makeup
products slide off my face after an hour or so, including lip
products. But the Skinfood tomato jelly lip tint is totally anazing
because it stayed on my lips despite a cup of coffee and water
thereafter. I’ve never encountered a lip product of such texture with
a staying power that like before I saw the Skinfood tomato jelly lip
tint.
More importantly, it is not heavy on my lips and it is definitely
good for daily use.
I bought it on sale at Skinfood Trinoma in Quezon City abouy three
months ago. I ’m sorry I forgot how much I bought it for but it was
something like 350 pesos with a 10 percent discount.
I like this product and I am definitely going to repurchase next
year.
Etude House Fresh Cherry Lip Tint
This is also a good everyday lippie and I couldn’t help but rave
about its milky, unscented formula that delivers a smooth hint of
color on the lips.
Packaged in a cute, small red tube with a doe foot applicator, you
could discreetly carry it inside your pocket during toilet trips for
quick touch ups. But in my experience, you wouldn’t need much touch
ups anyway, because it clings so much on the lips and the color lasts
long. Suffice it to say, I found another product I would gladly go
back to every once in a while.
But I must say, the Etude Dear Darling lip and cheek tint is still
more economical compared to the Etude House Fresh cherry tint simply
because of its dual nature - a lip and cheek product at the same
time. I used most of this product when I was in Europe. I needed
something simple during quick touch ups. It gave me the color that I
needed on those cold autumn days.
Loving this new music
By the way, I discovered this beautiful song by the equally
beautiful Daphne Khoo after watching a video by Wong Fu productions
in youtube. There is even a beautiful piano rendition of the song.
I love how she said that ‘there’s strength from the fall, it’s not
weak to be weak at all.’
Listening to the song, I remembered a phase in my life when I also
took one day at a time until I was strong enough to dream again; to
believe again.
With
my head still pounding from apparent jetlag, we headed to Main tower the next day.
From
Hessen station (which is conveniently located just a few steps from
my sister’s house), we took the train and alighted at Hauptwache and
walked patiently to reach this 56-storey high skyscraper erected near
the Main river.
Information
obtained online said the Main tower is the highest observation deck
in Frankfurt.
It
is described as a 656-feet tower with five underground floors and two
public viewing platforms. It is the fourth tallest building in
Frankfurt and the fourth tallest in Germany. It was built between
1996 and 1999 and serves as headquarters for Landesbank
Hessen-Thüringen or Helaba and the television studio of Hessicher
Rundfunk.
The
structure was built between 1996 and 1999, and serves as headquarters
for Landesbank
Hessen-Thüringen (Helaba commercial bank).
Other tenants are the German Offices of Merrill
Lynch and Standard
& Poor’s and
a television studio of the Hessischer
Rundfunk.
The first tenants moved in on 5 November 1999, and the official
inauguration was 28 January 2000. During weather reports by the
television station, the weather reporter stands on the top of the
building.
Admission
price is Euro 6.50 for adults and is open from 10 a.m. To 7 p.m.,
Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. To 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
My
only decent shot on top of the Main Tower. I recognized Palais quarter and Jumeirah buildings from the map installed on the lower observation deck.At the back of these two tall buildings is the train station with its humped roof. Do you see it?
I realized now how busy I
was looking at Frankfurt in an aerial view that I failed to take
shots of the observation deck itself not to mention the so-so photo
of myself on top of this tower. Oh well, I guess it means I will be
back here for a second time.
As
I stood there and gazed upon the beauty of the city, I was reminded
that the world is vast and bigger than my imagination. Because I have
been living in my comfort zone for so many years now, I became
confined with the ‘small world’ I was in; often feeling self-pity for
the occasional negative things that are happening to me. God is so
good because He opened my eyes to see the vastness of His creation.
As I said before, I am no longer a goldfish swimming in a small bowl.
I now have bigger dreams to conquer and new plans to pursue.
It
was not too crowded when we got there which made it easy for us to
choose spots for our photos. This circular observation deck provides
360 degrees of amazing Frankfurt view.
If
you are planning to go to Main tower, I think its best to visit in
the morning just when the sun’s rays are kinder to the skin. Also,
visualize the shots that you want before you head on to this
skyscraper so you won’t get lost in amazement like me. Lastly, wear
your best smile and don’t forget your sunglasses.
After
an hour or so, we headed back down again using the same compact,
steel elevator that took us all the way to the 56th floor.
As
we opened the door to exit the building, the chilly wind promptly
greeted us and reminded us that we are overseas and this isn’t Manila
where it always seemed to be summer.
Pizza after a long chilly stay at the Main Tower. We contended with bees who wanted to devour every last bit of our pizza.
More of my visit to Germany and Italy in my next posts. Thank you for reading my blog. If there is any Korean or American beauty product that you want me to review, please let me know.
Eurotrip (Italy and Germany) Part 1 and realizations
Sorry
for the short hiatus. I was abroad for quite some time and I truly
cherished every bit of it. My feet ached from all the walking in
Germany and Italy but, hey, I ain’t complaining. ^_^
In
one of my idle times, I was reminded that the world is bigger than
the fishbowl I have in my mind. I thought I already have grandiose
dreams – that I am already living those dreams but then I knew that
there are more terrains to explore and new dreams to pursue. I have
been telling myself all over again, I came back a different person. I
no longer patronize the fishbowl mentality. Rather, I look forward to
going to more places and doing more things in the future. I could
possibly be living in a different country in the future!
In
my quiet time, God spoke to me and told me this:
The
LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.“
Exodus
14:14
Lying
on my bed at 11 p.m. on that cold Autumn night in Germany, I poured
out my heart to God and told him about a persistent concern, an
unfair situation that has been happening to me for over a year. I
asked him why my friends and I should suffer; why we are being pushed
out of our dreams. In the middle of my prayer, I felt peace in my
heart as I was led into that scripture. I heard a small voice telling
me how I confined myself in a dream so small but God has bigger
things in store for me.
That
message jolted me into a different reality. Indeed, I confined myself
into one dream when there are other territories to conquer.
Today,
I am no longer afraid of the people who are tormenting me and my
friends. I already heard the answer from God and I trust Him.
And
we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Spending the day at the Riechstag, Berlin in Germany in September
How to treat pimples and my Interlook Salon experience
I fished for my ipod and saw a small pimple popping out on my face again. Worrying about it, I took out my large mirror and aimed it on the dreaded spot. As I looked into the mirror, I saw a girl at my back who had acne in her face. Her acne crawled from the upper portion of her cheek down to her chin. My heart ached thinking about her agony. I turned my eyes away from her and returned my gaze on the small pimple on my cheek. I silently thanked God for giving me good skin but I also prayed for God to heal the girl at my back and let her see how beautiful God made her to be.
Even girls with the best skin suffer from breakouts. I’m sure most of us had to deal with pimples occasionally popping here and there, ruining important dates that entails lots of photo shoots. In my search for the best products to treat pimples, I recently discovered this Bench pimple patch and I must say that I found yet another ally in combating irritating pimples.
At first, I didn’t want to try another anti-acne product because it might do more damage to my skin. But upon seeing that it contains Salicylic acid, I was convinced to try I have put my trust in a facial wash (hyperlink) with Salicylic acid as its main ingredient. I place the patch right after cleansing my face thoroughly at night. Overnight, the strip would effectively dry out my pimples, although a large one, the other week, had to have a second round of treatment the following night. For two nights, I treated the nastier one and it dried up perfectly on the second day. The pimple was not reddish or dark when I removed the patch. It was just about the same color with the pimple, smaller and almost gone. I followed it up with my Lactacyd facial wash and I was good to go. I would buy more of these and keep them in my drawer for ‘emergencies.’ I think I have found another holy grail anti-pimple product.
Please click here to see other products I use to treat pimples
Keratin treatment at Interlook salon
Last Saturday, I had a keratin treatment at Interlook salon in Tomas Morato. I had been waiting for a friend who got stuck in traffic coupled with sudden heavy downpour and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time but to primp myself since I am set to leave for abroad soon.
The staff was so courteous and so helpful in explaining the treatment to me. There was no weekend crowd so the place was relaxing compared to busy salons on a weekend, if you know what I mean. But the best thing about my Interlook salon experience was that there was free massage, free coffee and even free pedicure and trim that came along with my keratin treatment!
Being a sucker for massage, I was totally able to appreciate the 15 minute foot massage. I was told that the adjacent massage house, Body Wellness, is being operated by the owner of Interlook salon. This explains why the staff at the salon are also experts in massage.
Pardon me for not being able to take photos while I was having the treatment at Interlook salon. I shall post a separate blog post on my experience when I visit it again later this year.
I just want to take this time today to
thank God for giving me a beautiful surprise.
It was so beautiful that I kept holding
my tears the whole time it was happening.
It was an unexpected event, one that I
thought would never come.
Many times in our lives, we want God to
change our situation. We cry out to him passionately; telling him all
the reasons why He should change our situation but He doesn’t do so.
Many of us remain in the situation and become bitter but some of us
live through the grace God has given and more often than not, the
second group emerges happier and more blessed.
I have been through challenging
situations last year.
The enormous emotional pain inflicted
by superiors and the physical pain I am feeling because of the
medical procedure has certainly tested my spirit; but I did not give
up.
Day and night, I would cry out to God
to spare me from the negative feelings I was in and I really hoped
that He would remove the biggest reason for my pain.
But He didn’t.
But I kept on trusting God.
One year later…
We’ve heard it all before, that God
orchestrates circumstances to happen in order to lift you up and
promote you. We’ve always thought that they would come in lovely
packages and that we would readily recognize that they are beautiful
gifts. But not everything happens according to our imagination.
Sometimes, an ugly situation is
actually a disguised gift that would set you free from what has been
hurting you.
This is exactly what happened to me
today. What I thought was another setback was in fact, a setup that freed me from the negative emotions I have been suffering from for
over a year now.
God did not change my situation but He
has made me grow into a better person.
Now, I have another testimony.
God is amazing.
***If you are suffering from
emotional pain, cry it all out to God. Also, tell a trusted friend or
a church member to pray for you. We tend to forget our prayers but
God remembers them. If God was able to do it for me, He can do it for
you. God can remove your pain if you let Him…If you put all your
faith in Him.
***Share your thoughts at twitter:
@I_will_flourish or add me in
Instragram: jennytravels
I
am silently laughing publicizing my need to have a coffee date.
Yup,
for a moment there, I wished I have a coffee date today. I wished I
have someone I could have a good conversation with.
It
may not be with a romantic partner but with a good friend. All my
friends seem to be busy today and second, I am yet to have a good
life partner. So there, I just spent time with myself.
J.Co ‘JCoccino’ and a free donut. Officially, my new obsession.
Okay, actually, I forgot the name of the drink. It should have a ‘ccino’ at the end being a milk-based coffee drink…But I could not, for the life of me, remember if it is JCoccino or Inoccino! ROFL
Why, hello there!
my
favorite local actress at the moment. Janine Gutierrez. So lovely.
Thoughts
of pity partying came to an abrupt halt when this idea came to my
mind: enjoy your ‘me time’ because when you get married someday, you
will always have someone to go out with – whether you like it or
not! Worse, you’ll never have time to go out!
Oh
dear, I do hope I’ll still have time to see my friends when that time
comes.
***
Bullying
'Nigel’
Last
Saturday night, I spent time with people I have not seen for a long
time.
Between
munching and belting songs, we came to the topic on bullying and to
one of our colleagues whom we shall call 'Nigel’ in this blog post.
Nigel
is a favorite subject of bullying by the people that I was with last
night.
I
came to know Nigel when I was starting out in my career. Back then, I
already have a clue on how people are enjoying bullying him. So
yesterday, while one of the people I was with was utterly enjoying in
telling the group how much she enjoyed bullying Nigel, I asked her
this question: what is it with Nigel that makes people want to bully
him?
The
girl was surprised with my question but I told her I wanted to dissect the
thought of bullying Nigel. There must be some reason why 'everyone’
is bullying him.
The
girl could not readily answer my question but one of the guys spoke
and said that Nigel seems to be enjoying the bullying sessions
because he is getting attention.
“At
home, maybe he is lonely because no one is bullying him or giving him
attention,” he added and the whole group laughed promptly.
Well,
except me.
I
felt uneasy with it.
These
people are my friends and they are good people.
But
I also felt sorry for Nigel.
If
only he knew how much God loves him; how much God cares for him, he
wouldn’t allow people to make him a laughing stock.
If
only Nigel knew that God loves him so much that He sent Jesus to die
on the cross for him, then his self-esteem would improve and he would
be a different person altogether.
He
would no longer allow people to call him names or to laugh at him
secretly. He would no longer allow colleagues to take any of his
personal belongings and to find them in the fridge later in the day.
He would no longer find dalliances over the internet.
Nigel
would become a different man.
This
morning, I said a prayer for Nigel before I went out of bed.
I
prayed for God to send a good person into his life who would make him
see the world in a better way.
Lastly,
I prayed for God to change the hearts of the people who bully Nigel.
I pray that they would see the good in each other so they could
really enjoy what it means to be friends.
***Are
you a victim of bullying? Please do not allow people to treat you
like a doormat. Tell a trusted adult or friend about your situation. Remember,
you are not alone. There are actually people who care for you if you will just be honest with your situation.
Send
me your thoughts on twitter: @I_will_flourish
I can’t believe its been a year since I overcame a huge obstacle in my life, through God’s grace.
To those who have been reading my blog for quite some time, you will know what I went through last year. It was a different experience, difficult and interesting at the same time.
In the two months I spent at home recuperating, I was forced to learn how to slow down and just take a break - something I am not really accustomed to.
I have a ‘Type A’ personality. It means I can beat the energizer bunny in doing several things in one day. Before I went to the hospital, I had planned to do a lot of things to keep me busy while I am at home. I was afraid I wouldn’t have anything to do for two months. I was afraid I’d get bored.
Well, two months went by faster than I thought. Sure, there were times when I really got bored but it was momentary and quicker than I thought. Most of all, I felt all the love that I needed, just when I need it the most.
Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite worship songs hoping it would inspire you the same way it inspires me.
‘Who Am I’ by Casting Crowns was also covered by Jayesslee and they, too, delivered the song so well, I cried the first time I listened to it. My favorite line here, goes “Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth Would care to know my name…
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin Would look on me with love and watch me rise again? Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea Would call out through the rain And calm the storm in me?
Would care to feel my hurt?”
