2012: On God’s Faithfulness and Generosity

Happy New Year, my dear readers! I hope that you are all safe and sound and can still count 1 to 10 with your fingers. As my first post for 2013, I decided to make this a little personal. The best way to welcome the new year is by looking back at how great the previous year was to me and my family. There were bumps here and there, but the adversities made me appreciate God’s faithfulness even more. And with all the things He had given me last year, I couldn’t be more grateful.

When Boyet and I got married on June 2011, we decided to take things easy and savor the remaining months of the year. But when 2012 came, I came up with my 5-point goals. I’d pray for these goals like a child every night. I was hoping to have at least one goal achieved this year, but God gave us 4! Lesson learned: Never underestimate God’s generosity.


Goal #1: A New Job

I was praying for a new job either for me or for my husband. I was actively looking for a job, but I remember what Mei told me a few years ago. According to her, getting married entails tons of adjustments so having a new job will be a greater challenge. We were able to pay for our wedding, have occasional trips and still eat three times a day. I felt that there was no need to find a new job so I stopped bugging God. I told Him that if He wanted to bring me to a new path, then I’d gladly follow Him. As soon as I said this, I got a call. I remember getting a call from a headhunter on the morning of our Coron trip. I told him that I wasn’t actively exploring for new opportunities. But I still gave it a try. I was late for my interview so I called the HR representative telling her that I wouldn’t be pursuing the opportunity. She said that it was ok as she was still attending to other candidates. If I would just be basing it from the panel interview, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t get the job. But that same day, I got another call to confirm that I’d go through one final interview. In less than two weeks, I got the offer.

Spending six years in Makati, I promised myself that I’d never work in Taguig. I initially turned down the offer. But I realized that by doing so, I’d be defying God’s plan for me. So after countless nights of praying, I accepted the job offer.

For years, I dreamed of the day when I’d pass my resignation letter. I told myself that seeing the faces of my bosses would be priceless. But I never realized that it was harder than I thought. I have high respect for my managers who also turned out to be my life mentors. There may be days when I acted like a spoiled brat, but I still hold all of them in high regard. What was even harder was explaining to them why I had to leave. I told them that it wasn’t about the money because my new salary was just breakeven. I hesitantly told them the truth – that I was at peace with my decision because God asked me to step out of my comfort zone.

Adjusting to a new environment wasn’t easy. I spent a good six years with my previous company. It may not be perfect, but I didn’t just build a career at Navitaire, I built relationships. The hardest part was missing the people I worked with. But as God’s way of comforting me, I still get to talk to most of them almost every day. One year after leaving, I still get excited with our once-in-a-blue-moon dinner get-together.

Part of my prayer was for God to lead me to a place where I can continue to write. And as He is ALWAYS faithful to His promise, I got the chance to write! I get to update this blog more often. And I also get to write for our department’s newsletter!

To top it all, I think it is safe for me to say that I made quite a few friends in my new company. I learned not to compare the relationships I’m building with those which I’ve already built from my previous work. :)



Goal #2 – An Out-of-the-country Trip

God blessed me to experience independence and to see what’s on the other side of the world by sending me to the US on 2010. But I was half-heartedly happy at that time as I left Boyet behind. So after we got married, I started praying for an out-of-the-country trip with Boyet since we had to cancel our honeymoon trip to Malaysia. To make things even better, we got to spend this adventure with two of our favorite people, Jeff and Joie!





Goal #3 – A Car

It wasn’t supposed to be a priority. Boyet and I planned that we’d never get a car without buying a house first. But because of Goal #1, a car became a necessity.

Choosing a car took us months. We were supposed to get a brand new car. But after just a year of being married, we believed that it’s still too early for us to be burdened of a loan. So we looked for a more affordable alternative. Plus, my husband is just a new driver so getting a second-hand car would be the best deal. Sabi ko sa kanya, kapag bago, masasaktan lang kami pareho tuwing ibabangga nya. Nagdilang anghel nga ako. Pag-uwi ng kotse, BOOOOM! Binangga sa paso ng kapitbahay! :p

Hubby named our Honda Civic ’96 car as BALTY! Battery at Alternator kasi ang unang nagloko! Other than a few hiccups, Balty has been serving us really well. She (Hubby said our car is a girl) brought us to several out-of-town trips this year. At medyo ilang beses na rin siyang naibangga ng butihin kong asawa. :p


Goal #4 – A House

We started scouting for a house even before Boyet and I got married. Cavite, Laguna, most parts of Metro Manila, name it, we’ve been there. We were supposed to pay the reservation fee for a house we really liked in Cavite. But my parents objected telling us that it wouldn’t be practical especially that we’re both working here in Manila. Toll fees and gas prices continue to increase over the years. And according to my mom, my body is too weak for long drives every day. My parents' objections turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Just months after, some homeowners from the said subdivision surfaced to complain about their properties. It was even televised. We were then convinced that it wasn't the house that God planned for us.

Our search continued which led us to the house just behind my parents' house. Unfortunately, the owner backed out at the last minute. Frustrated, we continued to pray while looking for a house. We absolutely agree with our parents. But the problem with the houses being sold here in Manila is the amount of downpayment they ask for. Most developers usually ask for a one-time 30% downpayment which could shoot up to 1.5M.

Our next option was to rent. But according to two sensible married women I know, it wasn’t a good idea. Medyo ma-pride ako. Ayaw kong makitira sa parents ko. But Mei told me that my parents’ generosity is a manifestation of God’s generosity. And according to Nanet (a.k.a. THE CHATMATE), as long as my husband gets along well with my family, then I should stay. For a year, living with my parents has been a blessing. I realized that though my mom shouts a lot (kahit dine-deny nya na sumisigaw siya), she’s still a good mother-in-law. I appreciate the fact that though we still live with them, my parents value our space and privacy. And though they have their opinions on certain things, they still leave the final decision to us.

After 15 months of marriage and more than two years of house-hunting, we finally found a house! It will be a 3-BR townhouse unit in Manila! We got it while the developers were pre-selling so the downpayment will be payable for 20 months. And to make things even better, the house will be just a 5-minute walk from my parents’ house. Pwedeng makihingi ng ulam in the future! HEHEHE! It may still not be our dream house but it will be OUR OWN HOUSE.

So if you notice that my food blog posts are getting fewer, it’s because we’re paying for a house. The monthly payment is not a joke as majority of our salary go directly for the house. Imagine all the shoes, the clothes and trips that I needed to sacrifice for this goal. But then again, WE WILL HAVE A HOUSE BY 2014!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!! :)

Goal #5 hasn’t been given to us yet. But with 4 out of 5, who am I to complain? =)

To end this post, allow me to mention that my happiness would have not been possible without a loving husband, a supportive family, loyal blog readers, tons of crazy friends and a faithful and generous GOD who all made this year a fulfilling one.

Cheers to 2013! May we all open our hearts to receive God's grace for the rest of the year. May we all continue to get amazed as God unfolds His plans for us! :)