What Do We Have For Christmas?

24 days before the day of the world-known-belief Jesus’ birth was the day I learned to breathe on my own outside my mother’s womb. I just turned 25 and I still have a hangover from the Halloween weeks ago. Days fly by like buzzing bees so eager to finish the time’s workload and off again for the next busy schedule. I need to count, less than 26 days from now the 2011 calendar will be out from every person’s sight. Actually, when the last two quarters of this year began, 2012 calendars already started to come out from printing machines. Here in our town, cooperatives, buildings and houses are now in full bloom every night with blinking Christmas lights, Disneyland and the manger landscaping themes and all. Whew! Christmas!

Our boys in the house

Just this November I had thought of decorating our rented house with something colorful that would remind me of the 'ber' months. Not glam or fab, I just wanted it purely simple. Luckily, I found a 3-foot green Christmas tree at only 99.75 Php that comes with a free golden star top and bought sets of red and golden Christmas bells and balls and some trinkets for hanging around the symbolic tree of the season. The familiar greetings in colored foils I found very cheap at 25 Php suited our brown plywood walls in our tiny living room. My husband’s starting collection of deer skulls and horns enhanced the effect so it’s already fine for us. We just added three red Christmas sacks (yes, sacks not socks) for our three kids where we put treats and goodies every morning before they get up from bed. I believe Christmas is the time to overeat sweets especially for children. Let them be. The rest of the year they still can fill their tummies with sugar but not on a regular basis. Hehe.

Our 2-yr old Reese hugging and kissing our first-ever Christmas tree!

Simple as it is! ^^,

My husband so proud of his deer skull collection. He's not for  the season. lol

For our friends, we have prepared books simply tied in red ribbons. Books. They make a lot of sense. Our two helpers at home will surely receive Christmas bonuses. The kids are excited of their coming Christmas party in school where I already bought Santa’s hats for the twins and a reindeer head suit for the youngest and only girl.

For myself, I am planning to have a hair rebond before December 20^th. My husband wants to have a weeklong rest in Bukidnon.

And, prayers. For people I won’t be able to see and greet personally this season, because of my limited resources, prayers will be my gift. Wishing you all a blessed life with your love ones and may you all grow well in the Lord. Merry Christmas!

Music, Books and Be Merry

November 20, 2011, Sunday in the afternoon, I with my husband, two of my church friends and a classmate in Mindanao Regional Bible College (formerly AGBIM) volunteered to participate in OMF GenSan’s Pre-Christmas Sale Caroling. After church service, we eagerly prepared ourselves for the three-hour experience.

My husband & I

Robinsons Place was packed with people doing their shopping and dining with  friends and families. The mall held Jollibee's Jollitown activity so kids were seen everywhere in their fairy tales and cartoon character outfits. The movie house was fully booked due to the first Sunday of the much awaited Breaking Dawn Part I of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. And, in trend for the Sunday’s happy commotion, the well-fired up staffs and volunteers of OMF Lit GenSan also have their own event inside the bookshop. When we arrived, book lovers already conveyed their own stations inside, scanning and reading the front, back and few first pages of what they have in hand then proceeding to the cashier for the final buy. We were served personally by Ms. Nenet Daguro, OMF Lit GenSan's Bookshop Team Leader with coffee and cookies. We also have  company from the UCCP City Church where one of them served as our program master who looks much alike of our famous young female singer Charice Pempengco. Customers gave her minute-long-stare because of her ‘borrowed’ famous face, even her voice and her tone resembles to Charice’s. Hehehehe.

    

Our host started by giving a welcome address, few lines of introduction and acknowledgements. A brief praise & worship (I and my husband tandem) followed, singing the famous old songs “We’re Together Again” and “Great Is the Lord (We Want To Lift Your Name on High)”. While a pair was singing, others were rummaging through the bookshelves. It was the last day of the 20-30% day sale and customers were buying in heaps. Books were sold at 75 Php from 225 Php! Even my husband got an 86% off on the book he eyed for almost four hours, the Surviving Financial Meltdown was priced at 575 Php but he just paid 75 Php for it! And, FYI, that same night, he finished the book.

Coffee, I mean for free were also offered to OMF Lit customers. Almost all of them meant to stay inside the bookshop for an hour while listening to the songs we played and sang, mostly from Hillsong and lyrics and songs composed by a friend. People inside (even not knowing each other personally) made conversations with each other regarding comments and information of the books they intend to read. I had observed that people who believe in God even if belonging to different religious groups and doctrines still unite when it comes to Christian music and Christian Literature. And I am one of those who are very grateful to OMF Lit for being an instrument to bridge the gap and help diminish divisiveness we have in the Christian community today – through its ministry.

There was this loyal customer (according to Ms. Nenet) of OMF Lit named Ms. Ellen who purchased thousands worth of books that afternoon. God bless her more. I believe this so, when you buy any books from OMF Lit, you are helping missionary works. And you are helping yourself too with the books you read. OMF Lit Special Sale events are great privileges to everybody especially since Christmas time is here. Books are great gifts. Some of my friends who had read my post in Facebook about the OMF Lit GenSan’s Sale also came to visit the bookshop. We, the volunteers even the staffs felt overwhelmed seeing people engrossed in reading. That’s why we were groomed that afternoon wearing the I READ shirts. Thanks, OMF! Not just that, before we prepared to go home, we were given the much anticipated freebie-time of being a volunteer – BOOKS! It took my friends almost an hour to choose from the different OMF Lit published titles. Words of gratitude were exchanged thereafter promising to inform our friends that when it comes to Christian Literature in GenSan, South Cotabato, Sarangani and even for those who are visiting, we will have OMF Lit GenSan in our directory.

GOD Bless, OMF Lit and long live! We are still waiting for more of your books, fun-filled events and a lot more of your sale and freebies! ^^,

I READ in GenSan

Almost seven months ago, I still can picture myself with my husband, three kids ages 5 (twins) and 2 and a helper making our new nest in South Cotabato a place to live comfortably and to have it as a starting hive for my partner in life in his profession. Looking for new friends, adapting to the new place, in good faith to find a good church (actually we are Assemblies of God and they have two in town so it was a decision to make), seeking information about the good schools around, checking grocery stores and the local market, enrolling myself in Mindanao Regional Bible College (AGBIM) and window shopping in malls in the nearby city, General Santos, 25 minutes away from where we stay. I first went to Robinsons Place in Lagao. My instinct was not mistaken; I’ve seen books neatly arranged in shelves stuck on walls and on the center space inside one of its store. I am a book lover and a book shopper. I always read but suddenly changed when I needed to work years ago.

Here now is OMF GenSan. I was overwhelmed during my first stop inside. The ladies who were there accommodated me nicely as well as with my inquiries. They treat people who come by not just as customers or clients but as friends. Also a plus, the colors of the walls and floor blend to the hues and sizes of what are on display making the whole setting of the bookshop relaxing and one of the nicest stores hosted by Robinsons. My first purchase at OMF GenSan was on my first visit and that first purchase made me the first or ‘grand’ winner of their R.O.B. Us 2011!

I prayed for this! This is now my daily Bible. A very help in my theological studies.

After a few weeks, I became a member of their Pastors’ Exclusives Program. Books are really great for me especially when I get discounts! (Lol) This is a privilege since my husband and I are very fond of reading. We always read. My father and my father in-law are both ministers and my mother and mother in law are both teachers, we are grateful to our parents for our early knowledge through the Bible and Christian Literature. Inspirational, theology, for leaders, church growth, love, children and marriage – books – they are a must for our family. And books are priceless possessions we can hand down to our kids, to our grandkids and to their grandkids. Books are still the best form of learning in hardcopy, moreover if they enhance and nurture us spiritually in accordance to our textbook in life – the Bible.  

Priceless! ^^,

Once or twice a month I visit OMF GenSan to buy Christian books, check on some new titles and to make chit chats with the staffs. I like the books of Gary Chapman, Max Lucado, John Maxwell, Stormie O'Martian, Philip Yancey and the Tomo series. My kids would gather around me every night as I read to them the Hiyas Series.  There will be times, I can be spotted in the bookshop once every week or if I happen to be in Robinsons Place – OMF Lit will either be number one, two or three on my list to go to along with Mandarin and the mall’s supermarket. If I’m in GenSan and my husband will text or call me to ask my location, it’ll be either school or Robinsons. And when my answer is the latter, he will then know where to look for me. I also give credit to Robinsons Place for having a roomy area for mall lovers to roam around. And the mall was also given compliments for having hygienic and clean comfort rooms and facilities. If you are planning to visit General Santos the Tuna Capital of the Philippines or if you are now in the area, get the chance to visit OMF Lit. GenSan and grab some copies of what’s hot for our souls!

my Yancey books

Waiting for Tomo 8, 9, 10 .....

I took photos inside the bookshop during one of my visits:

Don Hen’s in Baguio

It was my first in the coldest city in my country, the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio City. We arrived around three in the morning riding the ever trusted Victory Liner from Manila. After seven hours of sleep, my husband and I jumped out from our bed to scrape the limited time we will be spending in Baguio. My husband is a frequent in the place long before so it was I who’s cramming to savor our stay.  But, the weather did not cooperate. Rain was pouring and the temperature was at 14 degree Celsius. We stayed at my uncle-in-law's house along the Fairview and we ate brunch: tilapia and Pampanga’s Best Longanisa.

We waited until the rain came to a halt; we went outside and decided to go straight to SM (where air conditioning is not a must, hehe) through a taxi cab. The freezing cold made me shiver and caused me headache so I requested that we find a place where it is warm, where we can have a heavy snack with a hot drink. My cousin in-law brought us on the other side of the mall, at Don Henrico’s place. Well, I just wanted to try other pizza aside from Greenwich, Shakeys and Pizza Hut (anyway, these pizza stores can be located nationwide). Don Hen’s pizza and all its concoctions are in American servings. A fourteen inch pizza could already feed four hungry lions. Believe me, the slice was already a huge slab for a regular sized human. Fried chicken and pastas are also in their daily menu but what I like most (when we dined) was their chocolate drink – of course hot. I was just feeling so cold anyway.

If you’re in Baguio and you crave for pizza, forget about our ‘common’ pizza stores. Try Don Henrico’s.