Sweet Cravings

For two days now, I've been eating black forest for dessert. This is unusual for someone like me who forks 2-5 max of this piece of cake. :)

The Character (Highlights)

The Character, by Samuel Smiles

In fine, stability of institutions must depend upon stability of character. Any number of depraved units cannot form a great nation. The people may seem to be highly civilised, and yet be ready to fall to pieces at first touch of adversiadversity. Without integrity of individual character, they can have no real strength, cohesion, soundness. They may be rich, polite, and artistic; and yet hovering on the brink of ruin. If living for themselves only, and with no end but pleasure—each little self his own little god—such a nation is doomed, and its decay is inevitable.

Where national character ceases to be upheld, a nation may be regarded as next to lost. Where it ceases to esteem and to practise the virtues of truthfulness, honesty, integrity, and justice, it does not deserve to live.

And when the time arrives in any country when wealth has so corrupted, or pleasure so depraved, or faction so infatuated the people, that honour, order, obedience, virtue, and loyalty have seemingly become things of the past; then, amidst the darkness, when honest men—if, darkness, when honest men—if, haply, there be such left—are groping about and feeling for each other's hands, their only remaining hope will be in the restoration and elevation of Individual Character; for by that alone can a nation be saved; and if character be irrecoverably lost, then indeed there will be nothing left worth saving.

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Jacob @ one month

Jacob is now one month and two days. Days fly so fast. I feel the need to adjust and cope up fast or else I'll miss out many things.

How God helped me through labor.

Welcome to the world, baby Jacob!

I thank God for the overwhelmingly fast delivery.
It was really my prayer to have less pain and time of labor. For there is really pain in childbirth and I had to admit that. God just answered my prayer. He made the whole process of labor tolerable for me.
As the pain intensified, I thought of the events in my life that were painful and how God helped me through those times. Then I thought of other people who have overcome life's greatest battles. When I've reached the most painful part, I just had one thought in my mind of who gave the greatest sacrifice for me and for the world. The thought of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. To have laid down his life for somone like me. I cried at that thought. To do the same sacrifice, to endure pain for the benefit of another life to be born. Even until now, that experience in the delivery room makes me cry. That's how God helped me tolerate the pain of labor.

Sleep....

It's cooler in Jeddah

It's almost summer. Actually, it should be summer by now in Jeddah, but the weather keeps on going back from 29 to 20•C. Last week, the weather started to become warm but Saturday came along with it's cold wind. Yey! I honestly like this kind of weather. More of the winter extension, please! When I checked Manila's weather, it's 27•C! I was surprised that it's cooler here. :)

Joyride

Starbucks, Andalus

Dunkin, Khalideya

My husband and I went for a joyride today after service. We went to Starbucks for a mocha frappe and drove to Dunkin for my favorite strawberry-filled munchkins. Talk talk talk in the car. I love it.