And the rest, as they say, is History

On January 16, 2010, I committed myself to the love of my life, Mary Antonette Q. Cadimas, for life.

My vow: My Dearest Netty, No one would imagine that that fateful encounter three years ago will find us here today. I thank God, because I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but to be finally here and commit myself to you in marriage. You are God’s grace to me. You have been there through my victories and struggles. And I am ready to spend my life with you. Before our God, and our beloved family and friends, I promise that I will love you and take care of you as long as we both shall live. And even until our eyes grow weak and our minds fade, my heart will be yours forever. Mary Antonette Cadimas, I love you, and thank you for loving me.

Links:

On-site video by Raymund Vince Cruz
Brznf's Facebook Album
Richard's Facebook Album
Zarah Jane's Facebook Album
Yna's Facebook Album

Pre-wedding:
Pre-nup Photos @ La Mesa Eco Park
Surprise Wedding Pre-party c/o BFGFC Youth

Adding Value to Others

Jack Welsh on adding value to your direct report:

"The only way you're going to stand out is to grasp this simple principle: when your boss asks you a question, he already knows the answer he's looking for. He just wants you to confirm that what he believes is true. Most people do just that. But here's the different. You must understand that the question is only the beginning ... you must sink your thoughts into not only answering the question, but going above and beyond it. That means presenting three or four other ideas that he'd probably not considered. Your goal should be to add value to the idea by exceeding expectations. This is true not only with questions, but assignments, initiatives and everything else ever given to you to do. If you understand that the question is only the beginning, you'll get out of the pile fast, because 99% of all employees stay in the pile because they don't think."

Getting Married Today

I'm getting married today. Feels surreal. Am really excited to see Netty in the altar. Thank You Lord! :)

Start Your Year Right

I made this promo poster for the start of our Carecells in Makati.

Netty's Bridal Shower: Entertainment of the Night

Thanks to Zarah Jane for this ... it was all Ate Me-anne's idea :)

First Move

Tonight I started to move some stuff to our house. Our house meaning us Netty and I.

FYI, my parents' house is a three floor building/house, we stay on the third floor, the second has smaller space where the kitchen and dining area is, kinda like a mezzanine, and the ground floor is the car park. At the back of our house is another set of rooms where my grandparents once lived, and that's where we are going to be staying as we begin our life together. I would like to see it as a totally separate space from my parents though much of its separate-ness is how we respect each other's boundaries. I admit that I'm far from being an expert about the subject, I might even eat my own words. But that kind of set up is what works for us for the time being.

So like I said, I made my first move. I brought down maybe 60% of my books in the house. I realize I own a lot of books and I might have to give away some of them. For a while I've been wanting to bring down some movable stuff downstairs and clear the area of things that have no relevance to us, but it was harder than I thought. First, every time I tried to move my stuff, my mom would say the house is still dirty and needs to be dusted and cleaned. I thought, what's the point of dusting it now, when after a few days it will accumulate dust again. She would say, that's why it's not wise to move now. I think that sometimes she is just delaying me from moving my stuff down because of denial that I am going to be married soon, but maybe that's just me. But I feel that this is something that's very significant for me, to somehow, assert what's left of my independence (a small portion of it already went to me staying in the same GPS coordinates as my parents).

Frankly I don't know where to begin to make our house our own. The house has two inner rooms and a middle living area with kitchen and sink. Not bad but I so wanted to renovate it. That's why a few days ago I downloaded a freeware called Google Sketchup where you can make a plan of your house and build design it (Sketchup goes way, way back our college days, first heard it from JP, and first time to use it now). My dad arranged for us to meet a freelance carpenter who could make the changes I want. Then again, it takes a lot of skills and courage to assert the changes you want versus my parents' suggestions. But I can see it, I can envision it how Netty and I will make this place our home. I am praying that with the right provisions, we will be able to start this project when we return from honeymoon.

Ramblings (Day in the Life portion is over)

Somehow, that episode of starting and planning and designing our house brought back a lot of thoughts to me about my college degree. What if I pursued that career? Somehow doing those plans and designs brought me satisfaction. I felt somehow my dad was living his dream, even for a while, that I'm putting my degree to use. But then again, perhaps this is because I am in a survival mode financially with the wedding and all that. But I can foresee that family life is not a walk in the park, I need to be responsible to build my family's security. Now family comes second to God.

I'm rambling now. Second to God. I'm reflecting now that I have my own family which comes second to God. It forces me to divide the love for God (worship) part and work for God part (ministry). And now it challenges me to assess: what I use to view as one big ball of worsh-istry or minis-ship, now when it's separated from the other, what has truly been left of my God-worship. I have come a long way.

Despite my thoughts (or fantasizing) of pursuing my architectural accreditation, I am still haven't forget my call. And God has once more proven that, that He is my shield and my great reward (that's why the previous post). I don't want to fit in anyone's shell but God's. Lord, more than ever, please direct my path. 

Psalm 34

1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

15 Days to Wedding: Wedding Ramblings

Forty-five more minutes before the second day of year 2010. Time have flown so fast in 2009. Looking back, I am ponder upon the good things that the Lord has done for me and my family. Indeed the Lord has not slack in keeping His promises.

It's 15 days now before my wedding. These few weeks this has been the main agenda of my life right now. It's interesting that we have been preparing a years worth of time, money and effort for what would last for only four hours. But it really depends on how you view it really. It's either you are preparing for a four hours worth of celebrations or a priceless and lifetime worth of memory.

I am guarding myself from having stress and worry get the best of me. One obvious issue is in the aspect of finances. We're praying that God will grant us favor these next few days as we gather up the funds for the wedding. I'm also quite stressed about the preparation aspects of the wedding, especially with the guestlist and family dynamics. Now I've learned that you are not just celebrating for yourself, but your family especially your parents get a slice of it as well (if you come from a Filipino-Chinese family). I remember talking to my friend Criz Ah before, and he advised me about developing my guestlist to always consider the opinion of my parents. I thought this was a small issue, but I was wrong. There are folks my parents are acquainted to whom I practically have no connections with whatsoever. But for the sake of peace, they have to be invited.

We're in the Last Days as I would say it. Last days from being single that is. And despite the ruckus in the wedding preparations, you have to learn to appreciate every experience of the moment because it comes only once in our lives. Something that takes a lot of skills. But thank God for His goodness by providing us family and friends who help us keep ourselves together by encouraging us and helping us with the preparations.

As I look back at how God put this love story together I can't help but be in wonder and awe of His providence to us. Of how it was just at the right time and the right place and the right friendships that God brought us together. Who would have thought that that encounter in Baguio almost wouldn't have happened if we had slightly made a different choice than the once we have made. Three years. Wow. That's efficient.

2010 would be a season of adjustments. Netty and I adjusting with our new life together. Us adjusting to the other spouse's family. Netty adjusting to my family and home and work and church. Me adjusting and balancing between Nette and my parents. And us adjusting to our new place. You don't plan on your own now, now you make decisions together. I've realized that's the price of happiness. It's submitting to one another willingly and cheerfully or you lose your happiness altogether.

My body's feeling a bit fatigue today because I stayed up the whole night planning for our house. This has been in my mind lately and I'm quite excited to design and renovate our place. Here is one of the images: