posted by Jennie on Feb 13
THE STORY:
At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter’s adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.
Growing up, Catherine Holt always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter…just like her daddy. Now, after seven years of marriage, Catherine wonders when she stopped being “good enough” for her husband.
Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks.
As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb’s father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment: “The Love Dare.” Wondering if it’s even worth the effort, Caleb agrees-for his father’s sake more than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the book’s daily challenges are tied into his parents’ newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened.
While trying to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father, “How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?”
When his father explains that this is the love Christ shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. Andwith God’s help, he begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.
But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever…rescuing his wife’s heart.
We are inviting all married couples this coming Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 6 P.M. for a free Valentine movie date. It will be held at Sumulong Baptist Church-Makati.
Jeff and I are thrilled to be able to open this opportunity for all married couples to further strengthen their marriages. A strong marriage is the foundation of a healthy and thriving family. We look forward to building a community of believers where we serve but more than that we love that as a church family, we continue to work towards what God has purposed for a family to be, to begin with. It was just timely that the Lord spoke to our hearts and gave us this movie in time for Valentine’s Day. You can learn more about the movie in FireProofMyMarriage.com.
Please know that whether you belong to a Christian community or otherwise, you and your family are welcome to join us this coming Sunday. Â We will be more than glad to see you there! 
posted by Jennie on Feb 11
 Beth and Me
posted by Jennie on Feb 11
The above template ran for more than one year. Boy was it hard to let go of old habits! I often toyed with the idea of changing themes but it was not until was a nights days ago when a fellow blogger gave us real valid reasons for us to make the change. What could be neater than a tutorial via Plurk?Thanks Itot! Please know that we super appreciate your help and for indulging our every question. ou rock, bro! After all the several things that he taught us how to better handle our website, I did not waste a minute and worked with the hubby until 4 A.M. that day (we started late by the way). The first theme we chose wasn’t working so we had to work from scratch and we couldn’t just leave this site overnight (even just for a few hours with all the widgets and posts in disarray!)
After having been attached to our former template, we officially welcomed this new look. I hope you would too. 
I still miss the old look but this one is friendlier in more ways than one – if you know what I mean.
posted by Jennie on Feb 10
I was tagged by SugarFree Maui!
Here are the rules of this tag:
1. Write down who tagged you.
2. Answer these:
-your name / username / pseudo
-right-handed or left-handed?
-your favorite letters to write?
-your least favorite letters to write?
- Write The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
3. Tag five persons.
It has been a while since I last used pen and paper to write. I so got used to typing messages, letters and articles either via keyboard or my mobile’s keypad. I even list my grocery items via My Grocery java software installed in my phone. I was so thrilled to have received a PM from Maui this morning that I got tagged and I have not done memes in a while as you must have noticed.
Have fun with this tag as I did!
| Polly| Beth| Mhel | Franz | Irish|
Beth
posted by Jennie on Feb 10
After having finished a number of tasks this morning (most of them simultaneously) virtual and otherwise, I cannot help but be relieved but then again a little wrung out. I still choose to celebrate this day, as we should always. God’s mercies are new every morning. Despite the many distractions and boxes that are yet to tick from my to do list, I choose to celebrate. Even the celebration of life is meant to be intentional, we all know how easy it is for us to get bent and swayed by our circumstances.
Anyway, as I was doing one of my domestic tasks this morning and at the same time on the phone getting free insurance quotes (we’re hoping to have our current hospital insurance provider replaced), I remembered that this day is no ordinary day for the hubby and me. It is our 11th year as a couple! I suddenly felt giddy and whatever stress that came from the busyness around me, popped like a bubble. :D
With the Part 1 suffix at the title of this post, obviously I am hoping to post a part 2. 
Maybe some photo essays of the years that passed. Eleven years is eleven years! That’s a total of a hundred and thirty two months. Although you wouldn’t wanna go see the first few years that we were together! Â I was a major headache of a girlfriend to my now husband, Jeff. (LOL) Now, I would like to think that as much as I am still a work in progress, I have blessed his life one way or another.
posted by Jennie on Feb 9
Jed is watching Madagascar 2 from the hubby’s mobile while munching on his favorite cream cheese sandwich for merienda as he waited for us to leave church.
Admittedly, a mobile cartoon movie can be very handy for parents who have toddlers. But as much as I allow this, I still limit his watching time whether from mobile or the television.
posted by Jennie on Feb 7
More than the thought of our exclusive celebration of Valentine’s Day, the hubby and I are both excited to cook up something for the married couples in our local church where he pastors. After having seen Fireproof a couple of nights back, we knew that this year’s Heart’s Day for the married couples in our church is going to be extra special- a movie date! We’re thinking of jazzing up the auditorium with valentine’s flowers and some romantic soft lights around the room.
We look forward to have the moral of the story get across and impact their hearts commit to give the best to their respective marriages while they continue working on it on a daily basis. This is the first time we’re doing a couples movie date in the church. We’ve always had Valentine’s Banquets the previous years and this is something new and exciting, not to mention really special.
Meanwhile, whatever the hubby and I decide to do to celebrate Valentine’s, I’m sure we are going to enjoy. This is our eleventh Valentine’s Day together. One year short of a dozen sounds long already but I still feel that the love we have is brand new – no credit to ourselves but to the Lord who showers us with grace despite our weaknesses.
Watch out for the post on our Valentine celebration with the couples in our church family next week. :D
posted by Jennie on Feb 5
This entry is almost a week late, but given that this is my first post for Mommy Moments, I hope I get away with it. Feb 6 Mommy Moments is all about the first smile of your kid/s. I still have a day before the next to its sequel.Â
This was taken on July 6, 2005. My son’s first conscious smile. We all know that babies smile for a handful of different reasons. All those baby books explain that it is but natural for babies to smile in their sleep, even hours after the baby’s birth and so on and so forth. Possibly one of the most precious milestones of a baby’s growth is when s/he begins to respond to you through smiling and even cooing.
Read the rest of this entry »
posted by Jennie on Feb 4
“Mama, ‘Ano’ is What!” This is what he proudly announced after having spoken the phrase “ano is what” to himself a couple of times. He was so thrilled to have realized that translation. When he was sure about it, he caught my attention, as if I was not listening all along. Sometimes I try to help it because he gets conscious and stops talking in Filipino/Tagalog altogether. The very few times he does, people around him can’t help but chuckle with his slang Tagalog. This is a puzzle to us, because we definitely speak straight Tagalog to each other around the house, how could it be that our little boy speaks slang Tagalog? Our theory is that the dynamics of how the tongue moves around the mouth to pronounce words is so different when one speaks in English compared to when one speaks in Tagalog.
Our son’s primary language is English. But even if this was so, he was never a snob. He almost always initiates, without thought on the language barrier with kids who only speak Tagalog. No parent would probably label him as a snob.
These past few weeks the hubby and I are teaching him how to talk in Tagalog and construct sentences. He understands Tagalog all right, but it has always been a struggle for him to speak it. You can talk to him in Tagalog and he can carry a conversation, but he is going to answer in English. At least he will not give you anymore, “what are you talking about?” questions, like he used to.
It is fun to see the kids from the church be amused over how Jed tries to talk with them in the vernacular, despite the struggle. Kids sometimes would ask him to talk in Tagalog instead, because this little guy talks a whole lot and they just cannot keep up. There was this one time in McDonald’s play area, when Jed was trying to make friends with a couple of kids and one of the kids said, “Di ka maiintindihan niyan, Hapon yan eh!” (He won’t understand you, he’s Japanese!) I could not help but chuckle in my seat as I write with one of the stores promotional pens while I watch them play.
This is yet again another milestone for our son. This little chatterbox is already bilingual at three years old. It thrills him to hear himself speak in Tagalog/Filipino and that he is able to communicate in our native tongue. It amuses both me and his father that he is learning all these things.
posted by Jennie on Feb 4
Ten days to go and the world is to celebrate Heart’s Day once again. I’m sure department stores will be flooded with chocolates and long stem roses once again. The hubby has started to bug me from days ago what I wanted for a Valentine gift and I can’t think of any- until now.
I am thinking of exchanging my touchscreen TFT dual active phone for another brand. The reason is not because I’m too techie side to be ever satisfied with a phone, but because this dual active sim phone that I use cannot read e-books and I am used to read my Bible, devotionals and other e-books via my mobile. My cheap flip phone mobile is now being used by the hubby for his landline prepaid sim.
Now that I’m certain what I want for Valentine’s, I hope he swings over this blog and reads this post.
posted by Jennie on Feb 4
posted by Jennie on Feb 2
It has been a while since I last recognized this site’s top Entrecard droppers. To start the year right, it is only fitting to give credit to whom it is due. Thus, this list of Marriage and Beyond‘s Top EC Droppers for January 2009. Thank you for the constant visits. I understand that with EC dropping, it is easy to just drop and go. Whatever the case, whether you are amongst who drop and go or linger for a while or two, allow us this appreciation for those faithful drops.
1. Parental Instincts - 31 drops
2. Mr. Soleh’s Outburst -31 drops Read the rest of this entry »
posted by Jennie on Feb 1
After having changed a couple of our pin light bulbs recently, the hubby and I wondered if all those claims from light bulb manufacturers are ever true. We bought one of the bulbs that supposedly lasts three years at least and it did not even last us six months!
With all the talks of going green, anyone would understand why we, in our household try to patronize all natural products that do not harm the environment.  Incidentally, I have read about  Green Torch. This company was featured in AlterEco , Discovery Channel’s planetgreen show. Definitely one of its kind in the United States. They provide the most sophisticated but green LED Lighting. LED Light Bulbs from Green Torch surpass the energy efficiency of the ones available in the market. It is guaranteed unlike all those that we have bought.
Green Torch uses LEDs that are pigment infused that allows better color quality that is rather not possible from your common energy efficient light bulbs. This explains why all those that we formerly bought claim of a particular brightness but never seem to deliver.
What is sweet about patronizing Green Torch’s products is that you get to do your share in saving our environment because the lights that they manufacture reduces energy consumption significantly, even waste production and CO2 emissions. It is the little things we do that count a lot.
