Searcher of Hearts

On Books, Library, and the Love for Reading

Zoe obviously loves to read. You see her reading anywhere. And I'm thankful that all of us in the family loves to read. It thrills her to know that we bring home more books from our travels. She reads them over and over again. She's caught in another world, a world of wonders, amusements, and wisdom... It's one joy that I missed in my childhood.... and the one reason why we built our community library.

I'm also thankful that we have the opportunity to share this love of reading to other children in our community. They don't have to miss what I and many others missed.


My list of thanksgiving this week:

1. Books. Books. Books! Thank God that I have so many of them. Bought, swapped, given, and bargained.
2. My children's love for reading. 
3. Our Community Library
4. The opportunity to share this love to other children.
5. Friends who share the same passion for reading and support our project.

What are you thankful for this week?

Supermoon 2011

 I was engrossed watching sad news from around the world when Naomi called me from outside. She told me that our alley was unusually dark and quiet. Houses were closed and dark.  Hmmm.. I wondered why. Naomi said that she saw neighbors all dressed up and all left at once. Maybe to a party? I really don't know. After moving for about 6 months now, there are still many things happening in our neighborhood that are yet unknown to us. Just the time when you think you know everything, things like this happen.

So, this is how it looked like outside our gate. No cars parked so they must have gone somewhere far. "Ngeng Teng" said the little girl we saw outside when asked by Naomi where all the people went. I still need to find out what that means....

The darkness outside made me noticed the MOON. Oh, yes! I almost forgot the Supermoon. See the yellow ball among the street lights?

 It was a bad timing that my official camera needed repairing and so I used my other old and less-broken camera.

This is how it exactly looked through my naked eye.

Hmmm....did my neighbors go somewhere for moongazing? I checked the paper today and it didn't say anything special about last night's phenomenon except the discussion on it's effect. Here's an interesting excerpt from the article I read from the local paper:

Pinyo Pongcharoen, president of the International Astrology Association, is predicting the supermoon will cause social conflict as lunar power tends to make people more unstable.He is also warning people to prepare for natural disasters, especially those involving water.Scientists around the world, however, say such fears are nonsense. Prapee Viraporn, secretary-general of the Thai Astronomical Society, said the phenomenon was normal.

 

I loved the halo around the moon. It is indeed bigger than usual. My camera, as I expected, didn't do justice to it's beauty. I better be prepared next time it appears on November 14, 2016 just as I was during the Blue Moon phenomenon.

The Blue Moon was obviously brighter than the Supermoon.

Blue moon on my hand! This was taken outside our yard on the New Year's eve of 2009. 

How I wish the world is on my hand so it won't go worse as it is now...but NO!  Someone whose hand is far better than mine or anyone in this world...and He says...

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

She Calls Me "Mammo"

 She's 2 and she dearly calls me "Mammo".

Funny girl! She likes to pose for me.

Alexia Marie is my first grandniece. 

She's my late sister's first grandchild. 

And now lives with her mother in our neighborhood. 

So, I get to see her more often now.

Alexia is a chatter box. She's very fluent in our dialect and my girls are envious about it but she's beginning to lose it as she has to learn English and Filipino to communicate with her cousins.

Once, I asked her to pull out the white hairs on my head and she quickly replied, "Ayaw, kay mapangit ka!" (No, you'll become ugly!).
She is undeniably her mother's daughter. They look alike! I babysat her mom from birth until she was Alexia's age so I can tell how similar they are in almost everything!

Here they are, mother and child during Alexia's mom's sister's wedding. Alexia was the flower angel and her mom was one of the bride's maids.

...and there she goes stealing my seat!

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, 

but of respect and joy in each other's life.” 

-Richard Bach

Slowing Down in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the busiest place in Asia and it's not easy to find a quiet place there to slow down and unwind. Everybody seems running and one can easily go along the flow.

I can feel the rush whenever we visit Hong Kong. Our schedule is always filled and we find ourselves hopping from one train to another.

"Take me to Victoria Harbour." That's my request to my husband whenever we find time between our meetings. It's my favorite place to relax a bit and breathe salty air.

 It's always a crowded place. Many people go there to do the same thing I want to do. Relax and take photos!

"Why am I running?" My friend, one day, stopped and asked herself this question. "I'm not late, and I still have plenty of time." So she started pacing her steps, walking slowly...and then started to run again.

"I don't know how to slow down anymore! " She said this to me with a big sigh.

People in highly wired countries like Hong Kong, where everything is so efficient and convenient, are supposed to have more free time. Supposed but not true. They pay for this convenience and it's not cheap, so they must work harder.

"Time is gold." One friend said. "We cannot afford to waste it."

I'm back in Bangkok , another mega city that never sleeps. Now I'm thinking...what kind of life do I like, a convenient city life or a laid back and quiet life in the province?

Return unto thy rest, O my soul,.... 

(To a quiet and tranquil state after much distress)

for the Lord has been good to you. 

Psalm 116:7

Praying For Japan...

Our homeschool program initiated a Postcard Exchange Project few months ago. One goal, aside from learning Geography, is to send back a prayer of blessings each time we receive a postcard to the country/state/city/family where it is from.

Today, after dh announced another postcard in the mailbox, I took my camera and snapped a shot as Naomi opened the box.

Goosebumps... it's posted from JAPAN!

Of all countries... Japan needs our prayer the most. So we pray for the country which was hit by a tsunami caused by a massive 8.9 magnitude quake, the largest so far in the history of Japan.

We also pray for the family who sent this postcard.

Thank you, Clarissa, for the beautiful postcard. We hope you are away from the affected area, and that you and your family are in a safe condition.

Please also pray for my sister in-law and her family who live there. As I write this, we have not received any communications from them yet. Thank you.

Psalm 46:1  
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Oh, To Be Close To Nature....

I was amused watching my girls doing their school work in our garden this morning. They're so like their mom! We should call ourselves The Garden Girls :-)

Me, with a dear friend.

One of the things close to my heart is to be with nature. That's why I love gardening, digging dirt. I love being out there taking photos, or just be there. I'm more satisfied to be feeding fish and birds than shopping in malls.

So are my children. When they were little, they would be attracted to wooden swing sets than to computer games.

They would rather climb a tree than watch tv.

 

So like their mommy!

So the verse that says "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters." in Proverbs 23:2 is such a beautiful invitation for me.

Thank God For My Songbird

I'm a proud mom! I'm sorry for boasting here but I just can't help but tell the world that the Lord has blessed me with a songbird who makes my heart glad each time she sings. Isn't it something to have a singer in the house? LOL! Just let me boast once in a while. I don't do this so often in my life :-)

This is only a 3:45-minute video so please watch and enjoy. I'm sure you'll love the lyrics of the song, too.

This is also my entry to Judy's beautiful meme. Click on the badge below and it takes you to her encouraging blog where she shares her list of thanksgiving on Wednesdays.

Our Pomegranate Tree

The past months, our pomegranate tree didn't do well. It was heavy with fruit but fruit you wouldn't want to eat.

Then, it lost all its leaves. It looked sick and ugly standing in front of our house. It's the nest on it that held me from cutting it down.

These days, it has come back to health (I hope). Few fruits left hanging for the birds but more healthy leaves are seen.

I'm sure the birds are happier to find a cooler place to rest as we are welcoming summer heat in this side of the world.

This little birdie is taking a break. Today, my daughter Zoe and I watched it rebuilding the nest. Noticed the fresh straws on the nest? One by one, this little birdie put them all together. We wonder where it got those straws as we haven't seen such plant in our garden. It must have flown far to collect those, straw by straw, with its tiny bill. Hmmm...thinking about being hardworking, industrious, and diligent. This tiny creature taught me a big lesson today. So is my little garden. Here, I've learned  lots about patience, hope, respect of His creation, and the discipline and art of expectation.

"Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow."
~Unknown

Better Than Life

 I was in Hong Kong last week. It's still winter there but they managed to plant tulips in front of Times Square. It could be for the Spring Festival or the Valentine's Day celebration.

If you've been to Times Square, you know it's one of the busiest place in Hong Kong especially so for business, shopping and fashion. My eyes feasted on watching people donning high-end brands all over them. It's the most lively place where there's so much about this life can offer.

 

I was just glad to behold of these gentle and sweet tulips! I was soon back to my senses before covetousness devoured me and would have sent me home heavy with discontentment.

It's not "sour-graping". It's just facing the reality that one cannot have everything in this life and knowing that there's even better than life.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.

Psalm 63:3