Before I Do (Part 1)

Now I'm not going to pretend that I am a great example of how to be a perfect bride-to-be, nor am I claiming that my relationship with Marc is immaculate. I am far from pristine, and our relationship is a perpetual work in progress. For me, that's the exciting part: we get to experience God continuously working in our lives and our marriage.

What little I know about being ready for marriage, I'm about to share in this part 1 post, as I am currently in that state of my life. After that, I'll do a part 2 on what the Bible says about it. Then next week or sometime around that, I'll be doing a part 3 wherein I'll be adding on and/or correcting what I wrote on parts 1 & 2. This is after Marc and I attend CCF's "Before and After I Do" workshop seminar on May 10.

For soon-to-be weds and newlyweds, I'd like to invite you to attend this. It's at CCF main in Tiendesitas, on May 10, 2014, 8:30AM - 5:00PM. Registration on the day is at 1000Php per couple. For more information, you may check CCF's website: www.ccf.org.ph

Marc and I are about to tie the knot on January. Before deciding to marry, we had a few of "the talk". Basically, there are the negotiables and the non-negotiables. I'm focusing on the non-negotiables because, well, they're the important ones. Here are ours:

1. We had to both be Christians. When we became girlfriend and boyfriend, he wasn't a Christian yet. Although I stressed the importance of my faith even before, it was a disobedience on my part at the time, and I wouldn't advice the same to anyone. It was sheer grace from God that he became a Christian, December of 2013. An important note: A Christian not only by words, but by walk.
2. Before getting married, we have to prepare ourselves: Physically - we wouldn't be able to take care of each other if we're sickly or weak, would we? Emotionally - we had to make sure we didn't have any emotional baggage from past relationships. Spiritually - in such a way that we have strong morals; our hearts being in tune with Christ's. More on that on part 2. I'd like to add also, just to clearly state the obvious: Absolutely no sex before marriage. Financially - not necessarily millionaires, but enough so we don't start our married life in debt, and we have enough not to be dependent on other people, i.e. parents for our survival. Maturity - are we ready to leave our single life and prioritize the welfare of each other over our own?
3. We have concrete plans. Not the typical we fall in love, get married, live happily ever after. More like, how much do we budget for the wedding, how much do we need as start up for our future, how much emergency fund we need to maintain, where do we live after getting married, how do we support ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually in our marriage, etc.
4. I almost forgot this very important part. When I prayed about getting married, the passage God gave me was about honoring my parents. With this in mind, we had to make sure both sets of parents were on board with this. Marc talked to his parents, and when they confirmed that they approved of me, he asked for my parents' blessings before proposing to me. (I know, I have a wonderful husband-to-be. All thanks and glory be to God.) Imagine not having to deal with monster in-laws! Bliss!

The point is that, getting married is not only about the wedding, but the marriage. It's not a one day thing that you plan for. It's an everyday decision to keep loving your spouse and your kids; an everyday effort to learn, love, and grow together. It's being sensitive to your future family's needs more than ever, every single day... and on that note, I'd like to end with Gary Chapman's The 5 Love Languages. 

I've had the pleasure of reading the short version and it gave me so much helpful insights and I've been trying my best to apply what I've learned ever since. I'm planning to buy the paperback copy soon.

Updating #100books

1. Dan Brown's Inferno
2. Ally Condie's Matched
3. Ally Condie's Crossed
4. Ally Condie's Reached
5. Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel
6. Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Prince
7. Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Princess
8. Cassandra Clare's City of Bones 
9. Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes
10. Cassandra Clare's City of Glass
11. Cassandra Clare's City of Fallen Angels
12. Cassandra Clare's City of Lost Souls
13. Nicholas Sparks' The Lucky One
14. Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl
15. Eoin Colfer's The Arctic Incident
16. Eoin Colfer's The Eternity Code
17. Eoin Colfer's The Opal Deception
18. Eoin Colfer's The Lost Colony
19. Eoin Colfer's The Time Paradox
20. Eoin Colfer's The Atlantis Complex

Woohoo, 1/5 of the way. ^_^
 

#100books

I miss reading. I miss those afternoons I spent walking through the halls of my high school then across the wide field near the gymnasium under the afternoon sun with a book under my nose. I was never the popular kid, and I often preferred the comfort of a good book and my imagination. Sure, I do have select wonderful friends so I'm not exactly the high school nerd either. 

Anyway, I have recently decided to get that "me time" back, and enjoy a few good books to reconnect myself with the joy of reading. I have then decided on finishing a hundred books before the year ends. Why a hundred? Coz it's the number I feel comfortable with that won't make me feel rushed, allowing me to enjoy each and every riveting tale of fantasy, suspense, mystery, and whatever else I may find.

For starters, here's what I've read so far:
1. Dan Brown's Inferno
2. Ally Condie's Matched (Book 1 of 3)
3. Ally Condie's Crossed (Book 2 of 3)
4. Ally Condie's Reached (Book 3 of 3)
5. Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel (Book 1 of 3) - on-going

Thank heavens for kindle apps!

Christmas Comes but Once a Year

I don't know what it is, but there's something about doing wishlists...

Here's mine for 2012:
1. I currently have an awesome Fossil watch already, but since I've recently revived my running, I would like a sporty one with a timer. G-Shock GR-8900-7DR or G-8900A-7D:

They'd probably be too big for my flimsy wrist, but hey, me want!

 

2. Now that I have more time for myself, I have been reading tons of books lately. I want the old Kindle. I don't really know if this is still available, or which version this one actually is, but here's a pic:

 

3. I want to go hiking. I've been wanting to since last year. Maybe it's time. 

 4. I want a vacation, peferably by a beach. A quiet place to relax and stop worrying about everything.

 

5. Additional 3 more checks on the list. (items 3 & 4 also here)

 



Asparagus to Studded Heels

was reading one of my old cookbooks and came across benefits of opting for organic food. tried researching nearby organic food stores, failed miserably, ended up browser shopping for heels. epic fail. how i ended up looking at studded heels from researching food products boggles even my mind. go figure.

so why was i leafing through my old cookbooks? once upon a time, i had the balls (pardon the term) to wear sleeveless tops to work everyday. today, a pair of flabby arms shamed me and i immediately regretted wearing my old black sleeveless top.

where do i start? the skinny bitch recommends having meatless mondays, or some other day for a start. this i am willing to try. which day though? thursdays? other than that, organics are always always better than the regular thing. unfortunately, because of our fast food dependent generation, almost if not all organic stores are extinct.

the plan is to get off my lazy bum ass and plan 2-week healthy meals, and stick to it without cheating. not exactly depriving me of anything, just making better choices. at the moment, i'm still a complete stranger to what i'm about to do. baby steps. real cute, tiny, baby steps. that ought to get me started.

if i don't post anything about losing a couple of inches and/or pounds for the next month of so, alam na! lazy bones > vanity. ^_^

Archie

lookie what i got on kindle... ^_^