A day with Francis Kong

Its no secret, I am a fan of author and inspirational speaker, Francis Kong. In a world where the technology has evolved in leaps and bounds and where anyone could write a book, Mr. Kong has been one if the few that have actually lived what they preached.

When I found out about his seminar on "Call To Personal Leadership" at the Venue, it was not a tough decision at all.

With Roman, who gave me my first Francis Kong book, Agnes Buday and Olive Abing, it was a day that I looked forward to. Stating it mildly, it was more than I expected.

The topics flew from all aspects of life and it was a wholistic approach to the way we percieve life and others.

Witty, animated and profound. From 9am to 5:30 pm, it didn't matter. The time just flew while our minds and soul were nourished. God was praised in every point. He is a very powerful witness to the Word and love of God. Thats what makes him someone I look up to.

A bit pricey even at discounted prices, but forums like these are worth every penny and time spent.




"We are what we repeatedly do. EXCELLENCE, then, is not an act but a habit" - Aristotle

"Many people live lives of quiet desperation. It's not because life is unfair. It us because they lack an excellent awareness of themselves." - Henry Thoreau

"Losers let things happen. But excellent people make things happen." - Dennis Waitley

"Integrity simply means consistency. We walk our talk, we live our lips. What we say we do and what we do we say."

"What makes a master in his or her craft is an accumulation of 10,000 hours of work and practice." - Malcolm Gladwell

"Because you and I are created in the image and likeness of God, there is a God-shaped vacuum only God can fill." - Blaise Pascal

The added whoop moment was when Francis Kong used Tito Nick in his example of integrity. I had goosebumps and my grin was as wide as my very chubby cheeks. What a wonderful moment! Proud of Tito Nick and the things he had to go through and overcame. All by God's grace!







As Mr. Kong often emphasized often, we never should stop learning. Our life is a constant step forward. Lets not let it overwhelm us and make us go backwards. We trip and fall, but we have to get up, shake it off. And when everything become too much, we have God's loving hand always upon us.

Humility take 2

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. -Proverbs 18:12

Humility

The most effective defense against personal sin is humility. All the other godly virtues flow from it.
- Rick Warren

Wait...

Tune your anxious heart to patience,
Walk by faith where sight is dim;
Loving God, be calm and trustful
And leave everything to Him.
—Chambers

Patience means awaiting God’s time and trusting God’s love.

Happy Valentines Day!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Creativity & the Creator

God created you and I as originals. But many people go to their graves as cheap copies. They never lived creatively, they never thought creatively, they never did things creatively, and they simply were never creative. Without creativity one becomes a commodity. - Francis Kong

Love

My favorite part of the day, sleeping next to my little one.

From Francis Kong's blog, just wanted to share:

Someone sent me this material:
The Supervisor’s Prayer:
Lord, when I am wrong, make me willing to change; when I am right. make me easy to live with. So strengthen me that the power of my example will far exceed the authority of my rank.
If only every “boss” in the work place would exhibit humility the work place would have been a more wonderful place wouldn’t you agree?

Flower girl(s)?

Thrilled to experience another wedding of my cousin Ana and her long time beau of 13 years (yes, 13 years!), Watson. It was a wedding the whole family has been waiting for years!

It was another milestone for us because it was Dani's first flower girl stint! Unfortunately, it akso meant my first flower girl stint. Never was a flower girl. Only a bridesmaid (too many times!).

At a year and 7 months, you couldn't exactly expect her to walk down the aisle on her own.

She was the only one without make up and natural curls. Personally, I prefer children to be children. Their already beautiful as they are. Why put on make up? To make them look older? What for?!? Adults even use make up to look younger. The ironies of life!




She wasn't thrilled with the dress. She's not exactly into princesses so it was hard convincing her. She also found it heavy so she was squirming and asking us to take the dress off.

But she was a trooper and was actually excited to go down the aisle! Until she saw Tita Bombing (who has been gifted with a very loud voice and startles her every time). Thats when she scrambled to me. Oh well! 5 steps was not bad.

My little mouse is growing up so fast. She's my walking, talking, screeching miracle.









She has the funniest cat smile, too. What a joker! The naughtiest sense of humor!

The audience were giggling when we a got together and she smiled. I didn't need to look at her to guess what she was doing for the cameras.

Feb. 10, 2013 will be one for the books.

To be a wife...

Last week was a zig zag kind of week.  I was left, right, up and down and no where to go.  No thanks to the flu I caught.  To make matters worse, a fight with Bryan was the last straw.

I was feeling miserable since the day before.  My head was heavy and spinning and had a very sore throat and sniffles.  So when Bryan told me some guys were coming over to fix something in our room, at first I had the patience to go downstairs, thinking they were going to do it that moment and a few minutes later I could go back to the room and bury myself in pillows.

An hour went by and I kept asking him when they were going to the room.  Bryan wasn't giving me a clear answer.  I found myself in the terrace couch but it was not exactly a comfy sofa.  Rattan and too small for me to stretch my legs.  So I was miserable even more.  I called Bryan who was downstairs and asking him about the progress.  He kept stalling and I just blew my top.

I fumed as I went back to bed and, of all the worst timing, a few minutes later Bryan comes in because it was time to fix what needed to be fixed.  It was a mix of a lot of things and I was really hurt because Bryan wasn't considering my situation.  This was not exactly the kind of house I could take temporary shelter anywhere.  I didn't want to crash at Dani's room because I didn't want her getting sick.  But the guys were also fixing up her room, too!

Reluctantly, I just exploded.  What happened next was not pretty.  Bryan, who never gets angry, also got mad.

My head was throbbing and I was at my lowest and angriest I have ever been in such a long time.  Its heart breaking and your head spins like theres no tomorrow.  Well, it felt like there was no tomorrow.

After 30 minutes of waiting in the bathroom (since I had nowhere else to be to sulk and cry my eyes out), the fixing was done and Bryan went with the men who had to go fix something else.  Was able to go back to my bed and fall asleep.  

Lets just say, Bryan did his best to make up for what happened.  But I also had my own share in the battle.  

This was probably our 2nd fight ever.  It wasn't much of a big deal but as funny as it may sound, we needed the fight.  All that pent up emotion wasn't helping us much.

Why am I sharing this very private moment in a very public blog?  Because for those who still think that marriage is like a fairy tale, its a very real fact that fights do happen and they happen for the most shallow reasons sometimes.  It doesn't have to be major or earth shaking.

I always knew Bryan was not exactly the confrontational type nor combative and perceived it as a plus.  Later on, I found it more of a struggle since I didn't know what he was thinking or feeling on very important issues.  Frustrating on my part and felt like we weren't going anywhere.

Asking forgiveness was tough.  But it needed to be done.  I've always been strong and very defensive.  Marriage does that to you, I guess.  Makes you do things that kick you in the gutt but also a lesson learned that pride has no room between me and my husband.  

A lesson, I recently learned and really struck home for me and what it means to be a wife:

• DUTIES OF, TO THEIR HUSBANDS
  • To love them Titus 2:4
  • To reverence them Ephesians 5:33
  • To be faithful to them 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 1 Corinthians 7:10
  • To be subject to them Genesis 3:16 ; Ephesians 5:22 Ephesians 5:24 ; 1 Peter 3:1
  • To obey them 1 Corinthians 14:34 ; Titus 2:5
  • To remain with them for life Romans 7:2 Romans 7:3
• SHOULD BE ADORNED
  • Not with ornaments 1 Timothy 2:9 ; 1 Peter 3:3
  • With modesty and sobriety 1 Timothy 2:9
  • With a meek and quiet spirit 1 Peter 3:4 1 Peter 3:5
  • With good works 1 Timothy 2:10 ; 5:10
• GOOD
  • Are from the Lord Proverbs 19:14
  • Are a token of the favour of God Proverbs 18:22
  • Are a blessing to husbands Proverbs 12:4 ; Proverbs 31:10 Proverbs 31:12
  • Bring honour on husbands Proverbs 31:23
  • Secure confidence of husbands Proverbs 31:11
  • Are praised by husbands Proverbs 31:28
  • Are diligent and prudent Proverbs 31:13-27
  • Are benevolent to the poor Proverbs 31:20
  • Duty of, to unbelieving husbands
    1 Corinthians 7:13 1 Corinthians 7:14 1 Corinthians 7:16 ; 1 Peter 3:1 1 Peter 3:2

(source is from http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/torreys-topical-textbook/wives.html)
 
Its a long list but very understandable and should be a constant reminder to myself included.  If I didn't want to do these things, I shouldn't have gotten married in the first place.  

 Its a bigger picture than any pocket book or romance novel can ever paint.  But its an adventure I said "I do" for.  Bryan is worth it.  Danielle is worth it. 

 This is what I signed up for.  For better for worse, 'til our hands look like theirs.  This is it.