As promised, Marriage and Beyond is giving away $20 when we have reached the 1,000 mark on our Marriage and Beyond Facebook Page. We are thrilled to announce that we now have 1,008 likers as of this writing. This $20 giveaway cannot be more timely for our very own Thanksgiving celebration.
We were hoping to have all likers fill out the Marriage and Beyond’s Likers Form, just so we can have a database of all our likers on Facebook. Sadly, only 54 have filled out the form. We used random.org to do the electronic raffle and we came up with the number 47. If chances are the result was a number higher than 54, then will will count away from our FB Likers that we can see from our Page on Facebook. The screencap of which is the one below. The list scrolls down to give or take 500++ names. Read the rest of this entry »
It took a while before I got hold of the copy of The Blessing by John Trent and Gary Smalley. I have been waiting for it for months until I decided to contact Thomas Nelson and opted to have the E-Book copy instead since there was no hint that the hard copy was to arrive anytime soon. It must have something to do with our local postal system and its infamous inefficiency. The Blessing is one of the best books I have read to date. Definitely another book to add in my growing list of favorites.
It was in our first year of marriage when we read Gary Smalley’s If Only He Knew, The Language of Love and another book on marriage which I forgot the title of. We lost them to Ondoy three years ago. The books were part of the library my pastor uncle shipped to us from the States. Reading through those marriage books during our devotional time as a young couple helped us a great deal. It allowed for a sturdy marital foundation that we both were not privileged to know growing up.
After several years of not reading Smalley, here he comes again impacting my heart through The Blessing. I have cried quite a bit of times as I read it, not because it was a tearjerker of a book. More than that, I was able to relate to the insights Gary Smalley and John Trent shared. Unlike the previous marriage books we have read by the author, this one is more of a parenting one. How parental approval easily becomes the driving force to do the things we do in our lives. Unconditional love is what every person longs for. The lack of it can bring about a whole lot of unresolved issues in our humanity. While we can surely depend on God’s unconditional love any day, we are encouraged to give it to the very people that the Lord has given us… starting with our children.
Not only marriages, but individuals – and particularly children — suffer from the lack of a verbal blessing. Without words of love, acceptance and encouragement, children often grow up traveling one of two roads that lead to unhealthy extremes: The Road of Overachievement or the Road of Withdrawal.
Marriage and Beyond is celebrating its 4th anniversary before the month ends and we’re raffling off prizes to 4 winners! It was in 2004 when I started blogging via Multiply. But it was not until Nov 2007 when Marriage and Beyond was born. Thanks to our blogging mentor, NeilMaranan.com for ushering us to the world of monetizing websites and internet marketing. Now, we not only get to document our family’s milestones, share our advocacy and faith. This has also become a channel that God uses to provide for our family.
Before we head on over to jotting down the contest mechanics for MarriageAndBeyond.com’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Contest, here are the prizes that 4 of our readers will receive by mid December. Since Marriage and Beyond’s anniversary and our wedding anniversary are less than a couple of weeks away from each other, we’re holding this contest until our 10th wedding anniversary, December 8, 2011.
He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 13:24
Even parents should know that we do not have the liberty to just spank our kids on a whim. This is something that we do not take advantage of. There are guidelines for spanking that we should take care to heed to. Here’s from the spanking spoon that I recently bought to be included in Marriage and Beyond’s 4th Anniversary Giveaway.
1. Before spanking, consider the place and circumstances. Do not publicly embarass the child.
2. Ask “what is our rule?” or “What did daddy (or mommy) say?” –> You are making sure the child understood your instructions before you correct the child.
3. Ask “What did you do?” –> You are asking the child a personal responsibility for his or her action, THIS IS IMPORTANT!
4. Explain that your love with correction, say, “I love you and want to help you learn to do the right thing next time.”
5. Spank the child, give a few swift but painful swats on the buttocks. The child’s anger or mad cry should change to a softer “giving in” cry.
6. Comfort the child immediately after spanking. do not make the child feel rejected. Hold the child close and reassure him or her of your love. The parent/guardian who spanked should do the comforting.
7. If necessary, have the child make the restitution for the damage done.
The spanking rod’s handle reads “applicable for preschooler and gradeschoolers only” and the other side reads, “Guaranteed Butt Friendly.” Read the rest of this entry »
As soon as the hubby got hold of tickets for LA Galaxy and Philippine Azkal’s Friendly Game set on December 3, 2011, we immediately inquired about the Football Clinic that LA Galaxy is holding the day before. After learning that only the first 150 children would be accommodated, there was practically no deliberation. It was to be an experience of a lifetime. Yes, we are probably more excited than the little guy. Haha! Registration cost is P14,000/head, which is inclusive of LA Galaxy equipment (jersey, shorts, snacks and a soccer bag).
Although the LA Galaxy Football Clinic might not sound very cheap, I think with what’s included in the package plus the two chaperones who are allowed totally justify the cost. And it’s the LA Galaxy Football Club for crying out loud! It’s the cost we pay for being with the top team. How often do we get the chance to be with David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane anyway? Read the rest of this entry »
This is the first time I have heard about this Yellow Propaganda. Sure, for years and years issues about Hacienda Luisita props up from time to time. We barely watch the news – it is overall depressing. There are some questions in my mind, sure. But since the politics is probably the dirtiest thing in the world, my thoughts was to leave them be and just prayerfully hope for the best for our country.
But when I watched this “Aquino Conjuangco: Facts They Don’t Want You to Know (Yellow Propaganda)” over YouTube today, I can’t help but feel disheartened. Totally makes sense, sure. But I have no idea how accurate these facts are. Clearly, something I can no longer be silent about.
Scary and sad. What greed! —> These are my first thoughts as I was watching the video. But there is one statement that my heart refuses to agree with – Ninoy dying because of his ambition to become the president. But then again, my mind might just have been “set” from what could easily be a result of brainwashing via the media. I really don’t know. Yes, I am confused. If it goes back to so many generations before the current living Cojuangcos, can the evil legacy be so potent to this day?
Our son is really enjoying the time he’s been spending with his Ninong Ted and Tita Rose lately. Aside from their regular “tea times,” they’ve also been busy recording music this last couple of weeks. I have already synced a few of them to my phone.
Ted told me this is the first recording he and Jed did. They sure had fun recording this and they both were plenty silly.
When I thought about retracing how My Nuffnang Story started, I’d easily see myself transported back to my early years of “working from home” through blogging. After installing the codes across all my blogs, I basically just left them there. It was not long when I received an offer I could not resist. I was tasked to do a couple of advertorials with rates that only my international clients could afford to pay back then. From then on, I was pretty convinced that Nuffnang is one legit entity. I have had seven decent payouts to date. Yay!
While the income that I receive from Nuffnang is something – it does not wholly comprise My Nuffnang Story. In fact, the income part really is NOTHING compared to how Nuffnang was instrumental to impacting my personal life.
Trixie of Nuffnang contacted me in August to write for Philstar Unblogged. I deliberated with myself quite a bit. With already too many shoes I need to fill in, I had my doubts but went right along anyway. With regular blogging, we bloggers basically get away with just about anything – typos that we easily overlook, for the most part. With a mom for a grammar nazi and certified OC at that, there was no other person more qualified to proofread for me. For reference, I have archived articles contributed to Philstar Unblogged by Marriage and Beyond.
At the bottom of one of Mama’s proofreading feedback she sent over email reads…
That was the note I almost missed. Mama was proofreading my “Life in a Fishbowl” article. It was her response to my sentiments about my growing up feeling rejected. This is what vulnerability does to you when you blog.
Before our son turned two years old, Jeff was already set on having him enroll in Trumpets. I think they still had classes at Shangri-la Mall that time. Our leaning was always towards Trumpets as opposed to the more popular pop school because my husband wanted our son to learn about music and sing the correct way. Since it was already a given that our son is musically inclined from before he could utter a straight word, it was best that his inclinations be nurtured the correct way right from the start. I remember showing my husband a free workshop offered by a pop school and all I got was a frown. Teehee!
At 2 years old Jed can play the drums along his favorite Kids Praise songs and w/correct timing, at that.
As for Trumpets, we were not able to go beyond telephone inquiry and we decided to avail of the services of the very talented Teacher Pau of UST Conservatory of Music instead. It was very convenient that Teacher Pau does music lessons right at our home. But when my husband and I got an invite from Promil for its i-Shine at Acting Trumpets Playshop event, we just had to check it out. Another convenience of homeschooling is that we can call off our classes and go take advantage of things like this. The workshop was held at the STI Center of Arts in The Fort, Taguig.
Promil Pre-School and Trumpets Playshop and the Philippine Association for the Gifted, offered some tips for parents to help them hone their child’s potential at home. Cecile Tamura, Vice President for Parents of the Philippine Association of the Gifted, said that the pre-school age is the stage of development where kids begin to apply what they have learned in their earlier years, with emotional development beginning to partner with their cognitive development.
Trumpets conducted an intimate workshop for the kids who were present
