Gender Error On Immigration Card

Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or dream, according to His power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

On Nov 5th, 2017, our daughter, Kristy was scheduled to leave the Philippines for Hawaii to meet us for a family reunion and to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

The Philippine immigration denied her boarding because she is on a student visa and they required an I-card. She missed her plane, and they told her to go to the Immigration office in Intramuros. She booked a hotel in the area so she could walk to it the next day. The only thing was, she had to cross a big freeway, and she almost got hit by a bus! When she arrived, they advised her that she needed to go to the office in Quezon City, a 40-minute ride away. She took an Uber by herself, and when she got there, they said that the I-card should come from her school in Davao, which was 1 hr and 45-minute plane-ride away. She contacted the school, and they sent the card in an overnight mail, but when it finally arrived, it showed that she is a male! Gender confusion might be alright in the US but she was in the Philippines, and they aren’t as confused yet. Getting a new card would take weeks and pointing it out might cause the Immigration to deny her boarding again. After all, this card is a legal government document, and there should not be any discrepancy. 

She decided that she would go through with the flight and just pray that the angels will be with her. I asked the Lord if He could transform himself into an immigration officer and check her in.

May the Angel Michael (Who is like God), the angel of love, be by her right side so the officers would be full of love for her.  May the Angel Gabriel (Gever-strong man, hero, El- God), the angel of strength, be by her left side so he could show them, God’s strength and power. May the Angel of light, Uriel (El-God, Uri-my light), be at the front so he could cast a blinding light on the document. May the Angel of healing Raphael (Rapha -to heal in Hebrew, El- God), be behind her so he could keep her in top shape and above her, the glorious presence of God.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I made a request for prayer to a group of friends with the Nathaniel Fellowship, Eitz Chaim Congregation, family in the Dallas area, Hawaii, and the Philippines. I prayed with expectation and believed with all my heart that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or dream according to the power that works in us. God has been faithful in the past, and He will be faithful again. I begged God for a miracle and reminded him that a lot of people need encouragement.

To miss a flight again because of a discrepancy in the ID would mean a loss of $2,000 ( the cost of the old and new tickets). We just wanted her to come home and be with us during our family reunion and 30th wedding anniversary in Hawaii.  We rescheduled her flight for November 9th. She voiced concern that maybe we should buy a flight insurance. I explained to her that it is difficult to get flight insurance originating from other countries and the one I purchased through the airline only covers illness or death even though it was labeled “total protection.” I assured her that God is our insurance. She agreed. The day before takeoff, she sent me a message that she had an abdominal pain. The pain usually disables her. She hoped that it will be gone by the next day. I reminded her that the Angel of Healing, Raphael, will be with her to keep her in top shape. A few hours later, she sent a message that the pain was gone! It was a good sign because it meant that the angels were doing what they were supposed to do with God’s direction.

The plane was scheduled to leave the Philippines at 5:30 pm on Nov 9th. In the US, it would be 4:30 am. I figured she would be going through the immigration around 1:00 am, but at 12:01am(US time), I got a message that she made it through. HalleluYah! God showed himself strong! Kristy imagined the angels by her side walking her through the Immigration. The Angel of love made everyone kind to her as they remembered her being denied boarding. They must be really blinded by the light as Kristy even left the card with them to get some change from a machine to pay the fees. Yet, they did not say anything.

I notified all the prayer warriors so they could share in the excitement of their answered prayers. To God be the glory!

The 9th was also the day my husband, and I flew to Hawaii. It was a great feeling when we finally saw our daughter, and we were reunited! Praise The Lord for the mighty things He has done! Satan tried to attack us on both sides but he lost!

Our family was complete when we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We were also thrilled to meet Gabby (Gabriella) Martinez, Kevin’s fiancee from Ecuador. She is a wonderful person, and we thanked God for picking the right person for him.

After Kristy’s ordeal, we launched into a discussion about her future. If she goes back to the Philippines, the card issue is still there, and she could be denied boarding again. We prefer not to give them another chance. We lost faith in the school’s foreign students administration office, who should have anticipated the needs of an international student when leaving the country. It could be an oversight but losing $1,000 is a lot of money for a working-class family. It was scary to be prevented from going home to her own country. We also noticed a lot of incompetence on the part of the school and the Immigration. They give instructions piece by piece, and it is like chasing the wind, wearing you out. Although Kristy was extremely happy in the Philippines, her physical body suffered. Her eczema flared up due to stress and difficulty in obtaining organic food readily. She was in ER 3x in the last few months due to allergy, GI disturbances, and migraine. We all agreed that Kristy should stay in Maui. The sooner she builds her life in the US, the better it is. If she creates her life in the Philippines, she would have to leave eventually, and it would make it harder. After staying for a year in the Philippines, Kristy bonded with her family and gained a lot of friends. Her part-time volunteer job improved her confidence. She experienced tender loving care in a unique way only Filipinos can provide. Her worldview is broader, and she is stronger. Every penny we spent was well worth it. We are thankful for our family and friends in the Philippines who supported and protected her. We can never repay their kindness but God can. She met new friends (and some assumed parental role), who will be a part of her life forever. It was a great experience! It looked like the purpose of her being there was accomplished. We are grateful for Ross and JP who took care of her belongings and cleaned the apartment.  In the meantime, she is looking for a job to start a new life.

As soon as Kristy made the decision to stay, our relatives in Maui, Pastor Bong, and Darlene Ronquillo, offered for her to stay at their house. They said that she could use the extra car they have. When we visited them at their home, it was then that we realized, they were giving the car to her! The title was transferred to her name the next day, and she became a car owner without even planning to be one. We appreciate Yasha, their daughter for willingly sharing her room, and Bar, their son, for transferring the title of his car to Kristy. The car may not be new, but it runs like a dream. She took us to the airport in it!

Things happened so quickly she is asking herself, “What is happening?” Only God knows and we can depend on our God, who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask, or dream, according to His power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

Blessing, glory, and honor be unto our God, King of the universe!

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A Messed Up American Folk Tales-Story Telling

Story Telling- Project #1, Folk Tales

Delivered at: St. Andrews Speakers Club, Plano, Texas

A Messed Up American Folk Tales

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Goldilocks with a little red riding hood.

One morning, Goldilocks asked her mother if she could go to visit her grandmother as it had been awhile since they’d seen each other.

“That’s a good idea,” her mother said.  So they packed a nice basket for little red Goldilocks to take to her grandmother.

On her way, she happened to pass the house of the 3 pigs. She knocked on the door but nobody answered. She decided to go in and she saw 3 bowls of porridge on the table.

Curiosity got the better of her and she tasted the porridge on the first bowl. Ouch, this is too hot!  She tasted the 2nd bowl of porridge. “This is too cold,” she said. So, she tasted the last bowl of porridge.

“Ahhh, this porridge is just right,” she said happily and she ate it all up. After she’d eaten the three pigs breakfasts she decided she was feeling a little tired so she went upstairs to the bedroom.  She lay down in the first bed, but it was too hard.  Then she lay in the second bed, but it was too soft.  Then she lay down in the third bed and it was just right.  Little red Goldilocks fell asleep.

As she was sleeping, the three pigs came home.

“Someone’s been eating my porridge,” oinked the Papa pig!

“Someone’s been eating my porridge,” oinked the Mama pig!

“Someone’s been eating my porridge and they ate it all up!” Oinked oinked the Baby pig.

They decided to go upstairs to the bedroom, Papa pig oinked, “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed,”

“Someone’s been sleeping in my bed, too” oinked the Mama pig.

“Someone’s been sleeping in my bed and she’s still there!” Oinked 3 the Baby pig

Just then, Goldilocks woke up and saw the three pigs, She screamed, “Help!”  And she jumped and ran out of the room.  Goldilocks ran down the stairs, opened the door, grabbed her basket and ran away into the forest. However, instead of going straight to her grandma’s house, she got distracted by the beautiful flowers along the way. While she was admiring them, the big bad bear suddenly appeared. Remembering her mother’s advice not to talk to strangers, she ran as fast as she could to her grandma’s house which was made of sticks. She made it inside the house when they heard a knock on the door. “Grandmother (2x), let me come in”. “No, no, said Grandmother,” not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. Then I will huff and I’ll puff and blow your house down growled the big bad bear.

And that’s what he did and the house fell down. Goldilocks with her little red riding hood and her Grandma run to the house of bricks owned by the 3 little wolves. They ask for their help and they let them in. Then they heard a knock on the door. Little wolves 2, let me come in. Not by the hair of my chiny chin chin, said one of the little wolves. Then I will huff and puff and blow your house down, growled the big bad bear. He tried with all his might but he could not blow it down. Grandmother called 911 and reported the big bad bear. The police came and took him to jail. And they all live happily ever after!

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Weather Issues Affecting Special Occassions

Toastmasters Project # 8- Get Comfortable With Visual Aids

Title of Speech: Weather Issues Affecting Special Occasions

Delivered on: 8/6/2016

Once upon a time, we lived in a small house in MN. Our oldest son was turning 6, and we wanted to celebrate his birthday. Due to the tiny size of the house, we decided to have the party at the park. We invited lots of friends. On that day, I woke up and heard thunder! I looked up at the sky, and it was dark like it was going to rain! My heart sank, the boys had been looking forward to this party but holding it at the house was not an option! 

dark clouds

I decided to try prayer, and I begged God to hold back the rain. I was doing this, “Please Lord, please, let us have the party. Please don’t let it rain while we have it at the park.” I prayed until it was time to go. The sky remained overcast but it was not raining. We went to the park; the guests arrived, and children played for 3 hrs.

The party was a success. Then we loaded our family in the car and went home. We pulled into the driveway, and as I stepped out of the car, the heaven’s let loose and dumped out the rain in fury!

Fast forward June 2016. Our daughter turned 18, and she wanted to skydive. When the day arrived there was solid overcast at only 3,000 feet above the ground. We headed to the airport anyway in hopes that the weather would improve.

After checking in, and waiting about an hour, Skydive Dallas announced that they were non-operational that day due to an aviation forecast of solid low overcast all day. It was like a ghost town. They said unless there is a miracle, we won’t be jumping today.

 My husband wanted to leave and come back another day. My daughter said, “No, Mom will pray first then we will go.”  I walked out of the hangar and stood under the overcast sky. I looked up and began to pray. I said, “Lord of the Sky and The clouds, please open up the heavens so Kristy can jump. I believe you have the power to make it possible.” I continued to pray for the next 20 minutes.

Suddenly a wind kicked up from nowhere. The wind sock lifted up, and a tiny patch of blue sky opened up directly over the airport.

The wind continued to blow, and a huge hole opened with blue sky directly above the runway. Everywhere else remained solid overcast. The next sound we heard was the whine of the turboprop as the aircraft pulled up for the first load of jumpers. Skydive Dallas became operational. Suddenly skydivers came out of the woodwork.

Kristy made her first jump making it all the way up to 14,000 feet. Initially, I asked God to lift the cloud ceiling up to 10,000 feet, but He did more than that!

We received a miracle that day, and everyone was able to partake of the blessing.

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A Mother’s Prayer Availes Much

 A Mother’s Prayer Avails Much

Toastmasters Project #6- Vocal Variety

Delivered on: 6/23/16

What is Prayer? The usual definition is simply “talking to God.”

For me, prayer is knocking on heaven’s door. He is high above the heavens, I am down here below.

Every morning I knock on heaven’s door. I talk to God about my husband and my children. He is so faithful to answer me and nothing is more evident than in the lives of my children.

Recently my sons 26 & 22, moved to Hawaii. But before this, there were lots of doubt mixed-in with inspiration. many times, I have to tell the spirit of doubt, fear, and oppression to leave my children alone in the name of Jesus!

On April 6th of this year, after just a few months of preparation, our sons, Kurt and Kevin finally made it there.  A friend of mine, Ariel, met them there for fun and adventure.

They had planned to settle in Hilo but it rained a lot, which kept them from the ocean, so it defeated the purpose of living near the beach. Problems with allergies and eczema necessitate ocean dipping regularly. 

After 7 days in Hilo, they went to Maui. They met a lady at the bus stop who told them to go to Oahu because that is where the jobs are and they have a better bus system. 

 

They decided to try out Oahu. Ariel went back home to Texas and K & K checked into a cheap hotel in Waikiki on their first night. The city is bustling and full of tourists. Hotels are very expensive and the cheaper ones were all booked for the weekend. Eventually, they ended up in a male dorm at a hostel. There are buses alright but they are crowded and it takes time to get from point A to point B. It is costly to eat and farmers’ market is nowhere to be found. 

Their money was going down fast and Kevin’s eczema flared up. He also cut his foot on a sharp rock when he dipped in the ocean. The fear of contracting staph added to the list of worries. 

 

On April 21st, I got a text from Kurt:

Well, this trip is going terribly

I texted back:

Keep your eyes on God who owns Hawaii. Don’t let the spirit of fear & doubt affect you.

 

I was at work, so what t did, I skipped my lunch, I went to the deserted lobby in the building and prayed for 30 mins. I prayed for their employment, for the spirit of confidence to come, for doubt to go away. Thirty minutes did not seem long enough. I have a prayer book on my phone so everything I said in my prayers was scriptures prayed over them.

 

Then I texted Kurt, not to be discouraged.  There will be a breakthrough soon.

 

That afternoon, Kurt was hired as a craftsman by Build Oahu, a custom homes contractor. Perfect for Kurt, who likes fine carpentry. 

 

Things brightened up for Kurt. Next, he bought a motorcycle one block away from where he was.  Finally, he found a shared room with a monthly rental. 

 

In 36 hours he had a job, transportation and a place to live! HalleluYah!

 

Kevin returned to Maui. This was what he said, “so much better to be in Maui, not so crazy here.”

 

I was updating my family in the Philippines about the boys’ situation in Hawaii when my Stepmother, Lingling, informed me that she has cousins in Maui.  She notified them of his arrival.

 

When Kevin got off the plane, he checked the ads for bicycles and there was a newly posted one for sale. He rode the bus and went straight to the seller to buy it.

 

Pastor Bong and Darlene (Lingling’s cousins) offered Kevin a place to stay while looking for a job. They also provided meals for free. 

 

God took care of Kevin’s most pressing need. A place to live and meals for free. One important thing, he needs a job.

 

I fasted and prayed again. That evening, I got a call from Kevin that evening and he was hired by Whole Foods. This is perfect for him because that is where he gets his food to keep his eczema from breaking out. He will get discounts on food and there is a ladder that he can climb if he wants to be in management someday. A good place to train because Whole Foods is everywhere.

 He became a full-time employee even before starting his job.

 

HalleluYah! My praises to my LORD and King, Who owns Hawaii and knows what is best for them!

 

Transportation, Housing, Job, God provided all!

Maui

http://www.yourprayercoach.com

 

A Family Wilderness Vacation – Toastmaster Project #5

A Family Wilderness Vacation

Your Body Speaks – Toastmaster Project #5

Date of Delivery: 6/6/16

Once upon a time,  My husband and I, and our 2 little boys went on vacation in Northern Mn where there was a big lake, cabins, forest and bears! 

We used to live in Minneapolis so we had to drive for 5 hours to get to Whispering Pines Lodge. 

Our boys were 4 and 8 yrs old. To keep them from being bored in the car, I invented a wildlife game. Points would be given to whoever spotted an animal first. For rabbits, deer, owl, squirrels, those would get 5 points but if it’s a bear, that would be 10 points. The winner would get a treat! 

That made our car trip interesting and fun! The kids were so busy looking for animals they forgot to complain! 

We finally arrived at the place. As we drove down the winding road amidst pine trees and tweeting birds, I spotted an animal who walked like a person walking between the cabins. It was brown and hairy and guess what it was? A bear! I saw it first, yes, I saw it first! I got 10 pts. I won the game!!!

Our vacation had begun. The noise, the crowds were left behind. We were surrounded by the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness and became the guests of deer, moose, black bear, Timberwolves, lions and other wild creatures that inhabit northern Minnesota’s truly natural park. 

We went fishing but the fishes all avoided us. We keep trying. Finally, I got one on the line, a big fish!!! I was so excited I was rolling it in, then the line broke (pop)and it got away. That was the end of my fishing ambitions.  

We needed our older son to experience the joy of catching a fish so the next day we asked the resident naturalist to go fishing with him and my husband. He caught a small fish and it made him very happy!

One night, my husband and I were almost asleep when we heard a crashing sound (bang) outside the bedroom. Our 2 little boys were in the bedroom next door, fast asleep.  My husband turned to me and said,” someone is in the cabin with us.” Could it be the bear? We wondered aloud. Then my husband opened the door and yelled out loud, get out of here bear! He saw the bear, reached out for the garbage sack through the window, inside the porch. The bear had torn the screen on one of the Windows. The bear quickly disappeared! 

I handed the camera to my husband and I told him to take a picture. He said he could not find the bear outside so I went to the porch and looked out the window and I found the bear happily eating the trash on the other side of the cabin! 

I told my husband, the bear is over here, go take a picture. He was kinda far and I said, “closer!” The bear was too busy eating Filipino leftovers to pay attention to the crazy tourists who wanted to take his picture. 

The next day we canoed and explored the nearby island. The boys had so much fun! 

We also visited the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN  and educated ourselves about wolves.

One day we found a teeny tiny mouse barely able to walk in the middle of the cabin floor. We had to take him outside. 

When our vacation ended and it was time to leave, we discovered a snake coiled under the water heater that stood inside the bathroom just by the door. 

We hurriedly got out of there but I bet you that snake was with us the whole time we were there!  I will not think of all the possibilities that may have happened when living with a snake. I will only thank God of His presence and protection that abide with us in the midst of seemingly safe but dangerous place. 

It was truly a wonderful wilderness experience even with the snake in the cabin! 

www.yourprayercoach.com

https://biblecorrespondenceinstitute.wordpress.com/step-one/433-2/

 

Give and You Will Receive – Life Principle

“Give and you will receive” is a life principle that I truly believe. The Bible commands us to bring the tenth into the storehouse.  “Bring the whole tenth into the storehouse (Into the storehouse — This was one or more large rooms in the temple, built on purpose for this use), so that there will be food in my house, and put me to the test,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “See if I won’t open for you the floodgates of heaven and pour out for you a blessing far beyond your needs.”  Malachi 3:10 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

This is another verse that makes me want to give: The person who blesses others will prosper; he who satisfies others will be satisfied himself. Proverbs 11:25 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB

I discovered giving a tenth (tithe) of what I have in Sunday School when I was 15 years old. My teacher at that time was Esther Silbor. That was the only lesson I remember.  It was pretty easy to give 10 cents out of 1.00 but the real test came when I got my first job and I had to give a bigger amount. After paying my obligations, it seems that I did not have enough left for my lunches. It was very tempting to keep the tithe for myself but I decided to trust God to sustain me. In those days, I didn’t have any credit card to fall back on. God was faithful and I noticed that His provision comes in a timely manner. I would be worrying unnecessarily when somebody out of the blue decides to treat me to lunch. Indeed I can testify that God has blessed me far beyond my needs.

There were a few times that I skipped giving but then God never fails to give me plenty of opportunities to make it up. He always gives me a second chance and helps me to become better in the way I looked at life and how to live it.

 

A friend of mine, Eunsil, told me that if your fists are clenched tight, then you will not be able to catch the blessings but if your hands are open then they are always ready to receive them.

Give,  and you will receive gifts —the full measure, compacted, shaken together and overflowing, will be put right in your lap. For the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure back to you!” Luke 6:38 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

 Moreover, God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause —as the Tanakh says,“He gave generously to the poor; his tzedakah (righteousness) lasts forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-9 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) ⁸ 

God is a faithful provider. God is a giver.

Your Prayer Coach – A Personal Prayer Guide

Bible Correspondence Course

 

 

Code Blue (Toastmaster project #2 Storytelling Manual)

Code blue! Code blue! As I speak, this announcement is being made somewhere in a hospital in the country. Contest chair fellow toastmasters and guests, good morning. Do you know what code blue means? It is a code used by hospitals to indicate that a patient is requiring immediate resuscitation. Earlier in my career as a nurse, I used to work at Parkland Hospital,  a large busy county hospital in Dallas.

I was always scared when going into work, I never knew what kind of day, I am going to have. Someone might be dying and I wouldn’t  know what to do!

I would start my shift by making rounds. On this particular day As I was going from room to room. I heard the intercom!  Let me show you how we do it.

Code blue room 207!!!! Code blue room 207! That’s my patient, Mrs. Jones!

C’mon guys, let’s go, grab the crash cart. Hurry!

Mrs. Jones (2x), are you Ok? No response, no pulse, not breathing, hook her up to the monitor.  James, start compression! Kate, you ventilate!

Ken, you’re the recorder and Liz, start the iv and give the medications! Robert, call Dr. Shad. I will run the code until he comes.

James, push harder and faster!

…6 7 8 9 10…  26 27 28 29 30… breath, breath

1 2 3 4 5…26 27 28 29 30

Stop compression, check pulse, no pulse, the monitor is showing v-fib

Let’s shock her with 200 joules. Stand clear, shocking 2x, All clear, “Thud,” shock delivered.

No pulse, still v-fib James and Kate switch roles, resume compression. (end of role play)

Dr. Shad came and he took over running the code.

Advanced cardiac life support was performed for more than 20 minutes but it was no use, Mrs. Jones decided it was time to go! Dr. Shad Pronounced her dead.

After we cleaned her up, the charge nurse and I moved her to the gurney. Somebody need to take her down to the morgue but everyone was busy! The charge nurse told me, “Pinky, you need to take her down yourself, I need the room for another patient now!” I said,”Me? take her to the morgue, by myself? I don’t even know where that is! I’m not going!”  But she insisted! “Ok, I’ll go!”

I began my journey with the gurney. I arrived at the basement. I saw a guard and asked him where The morgue was. He pointed to what looked like a huge steel refrigerator door.

 I opened it really wide. I pushed the gurney in and I made a slight turn to place it in position when suddenly… the lights went out and the door shut completely!!!

For a second, I was scared stiff, like a deer in the headlights unable to move but then I realized I needed to get out of here! What if nobody dies in the next few minutes or in an hour or all day, or the next day? What if nobody ever dies, nobody will bring a body to the morgue and I will get stuck here!  I can’t die with all these dead people!  There’s no code blue here!

I think the door was that way!

I started to feel around for the latch. (Scream) That was a foot!  

Whoa, what was that? Did something move? It’s so dark and I’m freezing!

Lord, please help me get out of here!  Please do not let the dead rise up today! Then, I felt it. The latch! I turned it and the door opened! (Deep breath) Thank you, Lord!

I returned to my unit all shook up.  I was back in the land of the living. Everybody is in motion, doing their own thing. The world had no idea what happened to me but there’s no time to think about it. I had meds to give, doctors to assists, charting to do, patients to take care of, call lights to answer and a million other things to do!

My day ended after a busy 12-hour shift.

Tomorrow will be another day. For some a new beginning for others an ending.

Code blue will always be a part of my life as a nurse. Saving lives is what nursing is all about. Even if you’re not a nurse you must learn the basic cpr. It might come in handy. One night, while my family was having dinner, our one-year-old daughter choked on food. She coughed a lot and turned blue. I grabbed her from her high chair, turned her facedown and delivered 5 backslaps with the heel of my hand. The food came out and she was able to breathe again. Tragedy averted! That girl is now 18 years old. Are you having chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, blurry vision, severe headache, loss of balance, loss of consciousness? Are you still with me? Are you still listening?

 Check your pulse, are you breathing? No? call 911 before we call a code blue on you!

This speech was also delivered at the International Speech Contest, Area 64, Representing St. Andrews Speakers Club, Plano, Texas.

Hope For Broken Pieces – Toastmasters Project #10 (Inspire Your Audience)

This speech, “Hope For Broken Pieces,” was delivered at St. Andrews Speakers Club, A Toastmasters Club in Plano on 11/17/2016.

What are these? A bunch of broken, useless strings. Are they really? What about these? Beads from broken necklaces and left-over sewing notions. What good are they? I am here to tell you that there is hope for broken pieces!

You see our clean linens at work (hospital) comes every morning bundled up with these strings.

They have had life ordinaire. They had served their original purpose, to tie up or hold together stuff.  One day, I had an idea! Why not save the strings and make something pretty? I right away told my co-workers about my plan. They liked my idea! I bought a crochet needle, watched a youtube video on how to make granny squares and then I went to work. I decided to make a purse. I used the granny squares I made, broken pieces of jewelry from my dresser and used an old tote bag as a liner. I entered it in the art contest sponsored by the Business Council of the Arts held on our campus called, “On My Own Time.”

The result? I won!

This was the year, 2013. I crocheted many other pieces since then. I made baskets as going away gifts. I made a baby dress, ankle sweaters and embarked on a yearly project making baby hats for babies born at UTSW. Along with other nurses, I made a commitment to make pretty hats out of useless strings.

The outcome? We made the labor and delivery nurses happy including the parents of all the babies.

What about your life? Do you have a bunch of broken dreams and broken promises? A broken home, divorce, unfulfilled dreams, failing health and weariness?

What will you do about it? I will tell you what!

Just pick up the pieces, join them together and start stitching. When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade. Put all these broken pieces together and embellish them with peace and contentment. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and visualize your future. It may take some time but with patience and perseverance, your life will become a masterpiece!

(Only a few of the pictures below were included in the slides during the speech) Pictures were added here to show more details of the projects.

 

 

 

Who Am I, What Am I? -Toastmaster Project #1

Who Am I, What Am I? This is my first Toastmaster speech – Project #1- The Icebreaker. I also used this speech as Project # 3 at another Toastmasters Club. Therefore completing two projects with just one speech, from the Competent Communicator Manual.

Who am I? What am I?

My parents nicknamed me Pinky because I was pink when I was born. My real name is Cyd which was my Grandmas initial. It stands for C as in Consuelo, y as in Yangco and  D as in Doctolero. Cyd for short but it’s too short for some of my co-workers that they actually call me C-Y-D!

I was born and raised in the Philippines. When I was growing up I drew lots of pictures. I drew pictures of people, flowers, houses, I made comic books and I even designed my clothes which the dressmakers made for me. 

I thought for sure I was going to college for fine arts but after graduating from Hi school I had to make a decision. Should I go to nursing school or art school? Nursing meant a secured future. I would have a big chance of going to that far away land where money grows on trees and ice cream falls from the sky. I could meet lots of handsome American boys and I could drive my own car! And did you know what happened?

I went to nursing school!

My parents sacrificed everything so I could become a nurse.  There were times they had to choose between paying my tuition or buying our food.  As a result, They put the food on credit and paid my tuition! That was forty years ago!

I applied for a job in Texas in 1982. A year later after I processed all my papers, I realized I did not have any money for airfare. How many of you remembered Pan Am World Airways? They had a program called “Fly Now Pay Later.” I went to their office and told them I needed to go the US. They asked, do you have a job waiting for you? I said, “yes” and they issued me a ticket.

Coming to America was the most exciting time of my life! Everything was new! I explored, I learned, I cried I survived! After awhile,  I met my handsome all American boy! Guess what? I married him!  We started a family, and we have three children.Two boys and a girl. They are 26, 22 &17. 

I am now a recovery room nurse. My job is to wake patients up, control their pain, and kick them out. 

Nursing is not the only thing about me. I had been a stay-home mom, a homeschool parent, an eBay seller and a travel agent in the past.   

Currently, I crochet baby hats from recycled strings. My co-workers and I organize infant hat drive, children’s coat drive, and other community project services. I also do gardening, cooking, shopping, shopping, shopping…but they are not my passion.

The one thing I am passionate about is the pursuit of knowing God and his promises. I am committed to praying the Scriptures over my family and me. I am extremely passionate about it that I turned my prayers into a book and here it is: Your Prayer Coach, a personal prayer guide. It is available on Amazon. If you put your name in the basket, I would like to draw a name and give this book away tonite.

In case you’re wondering, I did not regret becoming a nurse. Art and creativity will always be with me in the way I worship God and in the way I live my life. 

Florence Nightingale said, ” nursing is an art. “God+nursing+art= ministry! 

That, ladies and gentlemen, is who I am and what I am!

Update: I decided to pursue my art. On Jan. 1, 2017, I watched a youtube video and followed the lesson on how to paint. Then I enrolled at Sofia Art Academy for a 10-hour course. The rest is history, I found my song!

 

Your Guardian Angel – An Amazing Alaskan Adventure

 Your Guardian Angel – An Amazing Alaskan Adventure was a speech I presented as Project #2 from my Competent Communicator Manual for Toastmasters International at St. Andrews Speakers Club. I gave a shortened version to accommodate 5-7 minutes of timeframe required by the manual. This posting is now edited and more facts were added.

The speech begins:

Do you believe that you have a  guardian angel?  I do!

Photo credit (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sciencemusings.com/blog/uploaded_images angel-718605.jpg

        1. The Angel will guard you

God says in Exodus 23:20, “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

This is a story about how God sent angels to rescue my son. They became actual humans to do their job.

In the Spring of 2015, our 25-year old son, Kurt, went on a road trip to Alaska.

He snowboarded and did a lot of rock climbing along the way.

This is the route he took, starting out from Dallas, TX.

Somewhere in Utah, Photo by Kurt Olson

He went northbound on the Pacific Coast Highway and entered Canada. It is 2500 miles via Alaska Hwy or 48 hrs from the border of Washington State to his final destination which was Homer, AK.

credit: google map

        2. I asked for God’s Angels… Not just one but a lot  

It was early morning as I was driving to work, when suddenly, I called on God, “Adonai Tzevaot (LORD of Host), please send your angels to rescue Kurt.”. I thought, “Rescue from what?”  Although I wasn’t sure what it meant, I trusted God that he would do it. That night, my husband received a Facebook message that Kurt had been stranded in the Yukon.

Yukon, Canada Photo by Kurt Olson

It happened at 2:00 am when his car decided not to start while he was at a rest stop

Typical Rest Stop along Alaska Highway in the Yukon (Photo Credit: Micaeldavialactea’s Instagram image @25.02.2016. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2016, from http://sixmoment.com/m/1192483260414121251_1454506364

No Cell phone connection, AT&T does not work in the Yukon! No GPS. He was all alone. It was -20 below 0 and very dark.  He crawled inside his winterized sleeping bag in his full snowboard gear. He saw the most beautiful arctic sunrise; he was euphoric but had no idea he was dying of hypothermia.

Kurt made the sleeping bag a few weeks before the trip

 

3. God sent the Angels

After 10 hrs in the cold, three cars passed by and the third one stopped. A man and his daughter rescued him. When he got into the tow truck and started thawing, his fingers were in excruciating pain. They took him to Whitehorse city, where their family lives.

City of Whitehorse, Canada Photo credit: (n.d.). Retrieved from http://yukon-news.com/media/images/2012/january/13/BIZpassivehouse.jpg

The kindhearted family placed Kurt’s car in a heated garage, gave him a room with internet connection so he could send us a Facebook message. They fed him and kept him for a week. Kurt had to do a lot of research on the net, to figure out what exactly happened to the car. Together, with his Dad who is in Texas, they brainstormed on every possible cause. After much discussion through Facebook Messenger, they came to the diagnosis that the car had fuel pump failure. He ordered the part from an Audi dealer in Vancouver, and they mailed the part to him. When it arrived after a few days, he installed it himself, and the car started.

    4. The Angel confirmed His Presence

Before resuming his journey, Kurt wanted to download music from iTunes into his iPhone. When he opened iTunes, this was what he saw:  It said” your guardian angel.”

He said, “whoa how did it get there? I never downloaded that. It was not his kind of music. Wow, angels must also use technology too.

Meanwhile, down here in TX, I was worried that he would travel alone again. There was still 924 miles to go so I talked to God about it. “Adonai Tzevaot, pls be with Kurt and surround him with your Angels!” I also sent a message to Kurt. This is what I said, “I started fasting for you yesterday. I will fast until you get to Homer. The angels will continue to watch over you with Adonai Tzevaot, The Lord of Hosts, in command. Say the Shema at the start of your trip and don’t forget to offer money to your hosts. Shalom.”

The day Kurt left for Alaska, was also the day his host family and a bunch of other people scheduled themselves to go to Anchorage, Alaska for a conference. The lead angel (The Dad of the family) rode with Kurt while the rest were in the van.  The Angels surrounded him!

I told Kurt, “Praise Adonai! The Lord heard the prayers of His people! You are special. The LORD who sent Oded to take the metal out of your eye and the God who sent the Petersons to rescue you is the same God who was with you on the way to Homer!”

Kurt was in Homer, Alaska for four months. The number 4 is the number of the sides of a square. It is one of symbols of completion in the Bible

Bishop’s Beach Alaska Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Majestic Mountains, Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Golden Sun in Alaska, Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Matthew, Kurt’s Friend Spinning Burning Wool

Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Mountain Range, Homer Alaska

Photo by Kurt M. Olson

Kurt found employment with a fishing boat, but he suffered terrible motion sickness and found it difficult to do the job. He decided to quit, but the boat was already in a different location from where his car was. The only way to get back to his vehicle was to hitchhike. He walked for approximately 20 miles on the first leg. He was thirsty, hungry and tired. It was a 170-mile walk if no one picks him up. Three different cars picked him up and dropped him at certain points along the way. At one particular time in his walked, he had to get rid of some of his baggage to lighten his load. He threw them behind the bush in the ditch. He went back at a later time to retrieve them. The driver in the third car who picked him up took him to Homer, which was about 100 miles away.
Angels can drive cars too! So thankful for these three!

While in Homer, Kurt built a mini-playground for a charter fishing company. God provided a temporary shelter by staying at the site, provided by the owners. This is the handrail that he built:

Photo by Kurt Olson

  5. Guardian angels are faithful.

Time to head back home. He was passing thru Edmonton, Canada when he became confused and lost in the highway interchange.

Courtesy of Google Map

Then he spotted a hitchhiker, a middle-aged, haggard-looking woman. He picked her up and this woman became his GPS. After she had done her job, she got off the car. Kurt went back on the right track, and he came home safely.

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91:11

When Kurt was stranded in the Yukon, there were three cars that passed by and he was rescued by the third car. When he needed to hitchhike in Alaska, Three different drivers gave him a helping hand to bring him where he needed to go.  According to an article I found on the net, the number three is associated with God’s mighty acts.

Three. It is natural to associate the number 3 with the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, and the following references among others may be instanced: Mt. 28:19; Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2, where this teaching is implied. The number 3 is also associated with certain of God’s mighty acts. At Mt Sinai the Lord was to come down to give his Law on ‘the third day’ (Ex. 19:11). In Hosea’s prophecy the Lord would raise up his people ‘on the third day’, probably meaning a short time (Ho. 6:2). There is a similar usage of ‘three’ in Lk. 13:32, where ‘third day’ is ‘poetical for the moment when something is finished, completed, and perfected’ (N. Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 1950, p. 384, n. 4). Jonah was delivered (Jon. 1:17; Mt. 12:40), and God raised Christ from the dead, on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4). There were three disciples admitted to special terms of intimacy with Christ (Mk. 9:2; Mt 26:37), and at Calvary there were three crosses. Paul emphasizes three Christian virtues (1 Cor. 13:13). A further instance of three being used in connection with periods of time is the choice offered to David of 3 days’ pestilence, 3 months’ defeat or 3 years’ famine (1 Ch. 21:12). The deployment of Gideon’s army furnishes an example of division into three (Jdg. 7:16), and the fraction, a third, is employed in Rev. 8:7-12.  https://bible.org/question/what-significance-numbers-scripture

This is the blessing that I offered to God when He did a mighty act for me. (Scriptures)

I will exalt You, my God, the King; I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You. Lord, You are great and I will praise You with the highest praise; Your greatness, I can’t comprehend. Each generation will praise your works to the next and declare your mighty acts. I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty and Your wonderful works. People will speak of your mighty awesome acts and I will tell of your great deeds. They will proclaim the fame of your abounding goodness.

If you would like to pray the Scriptures for yourself,  your spouse or your children. You need this book:

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