We have one but fragile life....

The sudden death of a dear uncle is still a shock to me until now. We chatted online and 2 days after that I received  the sad news. He's in his prime age where his business was booming and his first 2 sons graduated from college while the other 2 are also finishing their degrees. He's just gotten his new SUV and life seemed pretty normal until that day when he collapsed at work. Heart attack, that's what they said.

Every now and then, my husband and I would talk about our own death to kind of prepare us for what is sure to come. It's hard not to get emotional but the more we talk about it, the easier it gets. "It's part of being responsible parents" he said. "I know that God will take care of our family but we also need to make a plan for the children."  So we have made some agreements on how it would be if either one of us go first.  We had to talk about things like education funds for the children. With the passing away of my uncle recently, the more we talked about those things more seriously.

Aside from preparing for our own exit from this side of life, my husband and I are now more conscious about taking care of ourselves.We are not getting any younger! We are given only one life and we have to be good stewards of that precious life that is given to us. I am not afraid of death because it is my entry point to my eternal home with my Heavenly Father. But if I could add a minute to my life here on earth, I would do so and make the most it.

Have you talked with your spouse or loved ones about these things? I know that no matter how we prepare for it, still, it would come hard and difficult but God will surely take care of us when we get there.

For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death. 

Psalm 48:14

I Got My Visa To Bangladesh!!!

We have lots of visa issues these days, so when I went to the embassy to apply for a visa to Bangladesh, I prayed really hard. More so when I went back to collect my visa. Two applicants before me were denied. I've been wanting to go to this trip so I was so relieved when I got my visa.  I'm looking forward to this trip.

My dear friend was invited to be the main speaker in a Women's Conference in one province in Bangladesh. She invited me to go with her and she gave me one topic to share. I'm excited. It's my first time to be in Bangladesh. I'm eager to see this green country,  make new friends, and appreciate the culture. This is another opportunity to learn and to trust God for the unknown.

I did my research as part of my preparation, and would like to share some details with you.

The People's Republic of Bangladesh lies in a corner of South Asia and in the eastern part of the ancient region of Bengal. The nation's name literally means "The Country of Bengal." Lying north of the Bay of Bengal, where the world's largest river delta meets the sea, it borders India to the west, north, and east and Myanmar to the southeast. Its population, which is approaching 150 million, is seventh highest in the world but is packed into an area the size of Iowa.*

I'm amazed to know how large the population in Bangladesh and how small the country is. But I'm more amazed to know that despite the congestion, the country even takes in thousand of refugees, and the local people are fine with it.

Bangladesh could serve as a model, especially for its neighbors, for how people can live closely together and remain congenial. Though it is largely Muslim, the country has a sizable number of Hindus and other minorities. But one rarely hears of sectarian strife in Bangladesh. The country even takes in thousands of foreign refugees on its already crowded soil and the world never hears of any problems or complaints with the situation.*

For now, I'm sharing to you information from another source but I will definitely share more from my own experience and observation once I get there.

*   http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bangladesh

"They Know Me; I know Them; They Follow Me"

Stop, Look, and Listen

With the rise of technology, life should have been simpler, but it's not. The more we have push-button gadgets to serve us well, the busier we become.

These days,  I always find myself beating deadlines and running behind schedules, and at the end of the day I would crash tired on my bed.

Me, and my dh on the other side.

I'm glad that last weekend, the whole family, along with our friends, decided to have a day at the park. We dropped our regular routine and went to do something new. We exercised for 2 hours, chatted and enjoyed our packed lunch. Then we had the rest of the time strolling and enjoying one another's company and the gift of nature.

Surely, our homeschoolers needed some down time, too. 

So I had my time to stop for a while, look around, and listen to my heart.

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit", says the Lord. 

Zechariah 4:6

This is How Father Feeds the Birds in My Garden

 

I would have been sad to see the pomegranate in my garden last season had I not understood the ways of the Lord.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

 yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not more valuable than they?

(Matthew 6:26)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Yet no one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

(Matthew 10:29)

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My Parents' Garden

My father is a serious gardener and he collects exotic seeds from other countries and germinate them in his nursery to be planted to the city's parks and grounds. He works for the city's Natural Resource and Environment Office. As soon as the cock crows, he's already in his garden. 

My Pa in his garden at sunrise when I last visited them in my homecountry. 

My father is more into fruit trees and decorative trees. He has more than 20 varieties of fruit trees in his garden. Neighbors are blessed to come and enjoy the fruits for free.

Pomelo in my Pa's garden. Ma is standing in front the house.

Durian, chesnuts, avocado, marang, rambutan, lychee, etc. He's got them all in his garden and always bearing in each season but almost all-year round they get to enjoy the sweet pomelo. 

The most delicious variety of avocado.

When I was there last June, I enjoyed the most delicious avocado. They're big and very rich.

My Ma is into flowers. She likes her house surrounded with blooms. Below is the collage of photos I took when I visited my parents. 

I'm glad I am a gardener like them.

Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, 

a giant oak in an acorn.

(William Arthur Ward)

Freshness From the Local Market and From My Garden

Saturday is market day for me and my dear husband. We take 3 of this bag to carry all fresh produce home from the local market nearest us. It's a lot cheaper to buy from the market than from the grocery shops. There are many choices, too. Aside from that, it's a good way of helping the local farmers and sellers.

One good thing about living in this big city is that we get to have access to affordable fresh produce from the nearby provinces. I've live in many cities and this city has the cheapest local market (excluding the ones in China).

One can't get this freshness from the freezers of big supermarkets.

Once they get to the air-conditioned shelves, their prices are doubled.

Don't you love these greens?

Speaking of green, I would like to show you my little compost bucket that made my vegetable garden green.

It's usually used as a garbage bin but we made holes around the sides and made it our compost bin. Two weeks ago I cultivated my vegetable garden and added compost soil on top. In just couple of days, I saw how the leaves of my plants have become healthier. Here are some snapshots from 2 weeks ago.

Mongo beans, mint, lemon grass, spinach, grape vine and a yellow flower.

These are just few of what I have in my little garden. Each time I serve freshness on the table, especially the ones from my own garden, a sense of accomplishment is my worth reward. I'm sure it's more for those who are real farmers, dont' you think so?

Fresh basil straight from our garden to our table...made our lunch more delicious.

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.

Proverbs 12:14