Coffee Moments with Sam

Whenever I think of my own married life, I think of it as a journey towards becoming the person I am meant to be. I’m not perfect, sinless, spared from trials and temptation. My life is not always happy, nor problem-free. Life with my spouse can be challenging, but that’s what makes the journey worthwhile. The reality is marriage will always be a work in progress. A person cannot do this on his own; it takes two to make it work and three to make it last. Yes, there is always a third party to any marriage and that is God. Read full article:  On Marriage and Fidelity

Let’s face it! We all desire to find our one true love. Many times, we think finding true love will guarantee us a fairy-tale ending. But this is only the beginning of a long and winding, even sometimes, difficult road to happiness and fulfillment. Falling in love is a moment in our lives which can suddenly make our world a beautiful place to live in. Having someone to love and someone who will love us back will give our life more meaning and essence — reason enough to believe that life is indeed worth living! But before we begin this journey, there is that period of searching…of waiting…of hoping… READ MORE:  What to Do while Waiting to Fall in Love Live Free column - Tapat Catholic News

Moms and dads definitely have different styles when it comes to parenting, but this doesn’t mean that the other party is doing something wrong.  As moms, we tend to compare how our partners do things with how we handle our children’s needs. But rather than trying to “perfect” our partner’s parenting ways, we should rather encourage and support them into being the best father they can be. In fact, we moms could learn a thing or two from our partners: Read my special Father's Day article in www.smartparenting.com.ph Link to full article:  5 Things Moms can Learn from Dads about Parenting

The stress and busy-ness of the holiday season can cause a strain in many marriages, as it is often a time for major decisions: what to give the children, where to spend the holidays, his parents or yours, how to go about budgeting your finances, who to invitehow to squeeze in a reunion with friends and family in your already packed schedule, etc. It’s ironic how the supposedly merry, magical season can also be a difficult time for couples. is the holidays are meant to be a season of love and joy for the entire family, but our tendency to focus too much on the things we need to do rather than the true spirit of the season can take the fun and meaning away from it.   In the midst of juggling all the responsibilities and major decision-making, it is important for spouses to work together towards celebrating a meaningful season. Here are a few simple ways to do that: Read full article via www.smartparenting.com.ph 5 Tips to Strengthening your Relationship with y...

image source: telegraph.co.uk Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage the little things are the big things… It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; The courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It i...

I personally believe that marriage is a gift given to two imperfect individuals so they can share perfect moments together. My husband and I recently celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.  We went to the concert of one of our favorite bands and had a nice time reminiscing our so-called “perfect moments” through the years. It actually felt like we were going out for the first time, just having fun and enjoying each other’s company. For a moment, we were two best of friends sharing one life together.  It was definitely far from how we were days before our anniversary. We were arguing a lot, stressed out over every little thing, be it working out our schedules, finances, house chores, parenting… we were definitely getting into each other’s nerves. But spending quality time – just the two of us – was exactly what we needed to de-stress our married life and it benefited us both. It suddenly felt like we were newlyweds once again!  It’s probably difficult to imagin...

 Our Wedding Day ... 8 years ago - September 18, 2004 When I first met my husband, Noli, I felt nothing!  In fact, I didn't even gave him a second thought.  I was obsessed with finding my "ideal" man and he certainly didn't fit my criteria... (at least, not at that time!).  I was 24 and never had a relationship (no-boyfriend-since-birth, as they say!).  I knew that part of why I never really got into a serious relationship in the past was the fact that I was too idealistic.  I was extremely difficult to please.  I wanted the "perfect relationship" with the "ideal" one.  Until came this point in my life when I told myself that I have to stop living in my fantasy world.  Instead, let go and let love take its natural course.  I decided to make the most of each day as it comes until true love will finally come knocking at...

SIDE A Band: our favorite band 6 days from now,  my husband and I will be celebrating our 8th Wedding Anniversary.  A few days back, we were blessed to celebrate this in advance by watching the concert of our favorite band, Side A.   Being based abroad for the past 6 years, it's been a while since we watched a local Philippine band.  And what made it even more significant was having our favorite band come to Dubai and perform their classic hits.  My husband and I missed having perfect moments like this - going out on a date and having time out from the stress of work and home responsibilities.  No thoughts or even worries about anything else, just enjoying each other's company.  It was a perfect "coffee moment" for us... reminiscing our "girlfirend-boyfriend" days, talking about plans for our future and simply just having a great time.  It's amazing how you can fall in...

BLESSING FOR A COUPLE ABOUT TO GET MARRIED: Heavenly Father, Bless this couple who have manifested their intention to unite in marriage in the future. Keep them close to You and to one another, deepen their spirit of prayer and love, and lead them to receive the Sacrament of Marriage with joy and happiness. We ask this in the Name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. photo credits: wedding rings - wikipedia A COUPLE'S PRAYER (About to Get Married): O Lord, we thank you for this wonderful gift of our love which You have generously granted us and which allows us to build a true communion of persons between us ---provided we remain ever open to You, the Source of all love. Help us to continue to love each other and accept each other unconditionally, as we get to know each other better. Make us generous in giving and humble in receiving. Enable us to communicate to one another all our joys, sufferings, and desires and all our hopes, sorrows, and difficulties. Give us the pow...

photo credits: Funaholic A good relationship is not when two perfect people come together.  It's when two "imperfect people" learn to enjoy their differences. 

Video Courtesy of KerygmaTV, featured episode, 2006  My husband, Noli, sharing his personal conversion in an episode of KerygmaTV back in 2006.  This is the reason why I knew he was God's choice for me.  Initially, I was stubborn to let go and trust in His choice.  My heart was filled with so much fear... fear of giving my heart to a man I am not sure I could trust never to break it.   But if there's one time I am thankful to God for not giving me what I wanted...  this is that moment.  I was praying for someone else but He gave me the person I never knew I needed to complement my life and inspire me to become a better person.  Indeed, God knows the desires of our hearts and He's ready to give us only the best! I honor my husband for his conviction to break free from sin, the boldness to witness and inspire others and the faithfulness to live a renewed life with God.  My l...

     photo credits: confessionzero.blogspot.com  “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” ― Paulo Coelho , The Alchemist

I am the eldest of 7 children.   My parents got married at a very young age – my dad was 18 and my mom was 20.   My mom gave birth to me when she was 21.   I could never imagine how life was for both of them back then.... two young people with so much of life ahead having to face the responsibility of parenting early on.   I’m quite sure they had their individual dreams to pursue and plans to fulfill.   Perhaps having a family at such a young age wasn’t part of it.   But they made a decision and that choice gave me life.   Not having a child would have been the easier choice, but despite both of them having to finish their studies and raising me up as their daughter at the same time, my parents decided  to have me.     Eventually, our family grew - from one child to seven.   Admittedly, my mom once shared that she tried taking birth control pills for fear of the responsibility of having more chi...

Indeed, a father’s role is way beyond simply providing for the family, and as his partner, we women need to devote ourselves into supporting him in this task. Fatherhood is a tough role to fulfill, but behind every great father is the encouragement, affirmation, trust, respect, love and full support of his family.   READ MORE... 7 Ways to Support Your Partner in Fulfilling His Role as a Father *Article published in Smart Parenting Philippines Online, www.smartparentingphils.com.ph , June 15, 2012

If there is one area in our lives which often deserves a fresh start, it is the area of relationships - this is true for most married couples. The New Year is one of the perfect moments to look into your relationship as a couple and consider areas which you feel you need to work on, what keeps you connected and aim towards developing your love and friendship even more. Aside from your own individual resolutions, make one as a couple. Here are some suggested resolutions as inspired by my own personal learning experiences, as well as shared insights from my married friends. Read more... 10 Resolutions for Couples Towards a Happier Relationship *Article for SmartParentingPhilippines Website, http://www.smartparenting.com.ph/ , January 2, 2012

A friend gave me this book, Hot Chocolate for Couples (Practical Ways to Sweeten your Love Life) . It’s interesting how the author, Cindy Sigler Dagnan , used “hot chocolate” as a title and metaphor in this book. “Chocolate as a dessert represents a sweet benediction to the substance that makes up the marriage meal” states the author in her introduction (page 11). Read More... Book Review: Hot Chocolate for Couples   *article for SmartParenting Philippines Website, http://www.smartparenting.com.ph/ , September 22, 2012

Discover how these 2 couples found the “pearl of great prize” in their spouses. ”We need a witness to our lives.  There are a billion people on the planet, what does any one’s life really mean?   But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything – You’re saying ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.  Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness’.  – from the  movie “Shall We Dance”. Indeed, amidst the billions of people in this world, it’s amazing how we are destined to be with one person through the gift of marriage.  A person we get to share everything with for the rest of our lives. But as most married couples can attest to, this is no easy journey.  In fact, making a marriage work and last a lifetime, requires self-sacrifice, unconditional love, forgiveness, never-ending romance and oneness of heart and mind. Unfortunately, modern times pose a lot of challenges and threats ...

August 6, 2008... It was an extremely hot summer in the Middle East.   But not even the almost 50 degrees Celsius scorching weather can beat the intense desire that was burning in my heart that day.   It was the day motherhood became a reality for me...  I gave birth to my first-born son.   From the time I was brought by my husband to the hospital, everything seemed to happen so fast.  One moment I was in the pre-labor room, then I was taken to have an ultrasound where it was discovered that my umbilical cord was tightly looped around my baby's neck.  Next thing I knew, I was already giving birth via emergency C-section.  My wonderful gift! At first, I couldn't believe that everything was happening for real and that the time I had long been waiting for had finally arrived.    ...

“The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast and the door was closed” – Mt. 25:10 It is every girl’s dream to have the perfect wedding.   Sometimes, things don’t always turn out the way we hoped for. But no matter what, we always end up having the best and most wonderful experience ever. When I was planning my wedding three years ago, I had so many ideas in mind.   Oftentimes, I would get frustrated when things don’t go my way during the preparations.   As I continue to make a fuss out of all the details, I realize I was forgetting to prepare for that one special wedding guest - God. All the physical preparations would mean nothing, if I was not spiritually ready to meet the VIP.   And as I prepare to greet Him, I made sure I was ready.   I prepared to walk down the aisle as a radiant bride by presenting myself to God whole and 100% pure.   I prepared each word in my vows to glorify God for a future life with my husband. ...