Blushing Orchid

Reflections of life…

Hello! Loved ones,

What a wonderful cool and fragrant morning! As I woke up early this morning-4 am, it’s very invigorating to smell the beautiful fragrant of our Ilang-Ilang tree at our front yard. This flowering tree has been with us for more than three years now, and it continually gave us stimulating aroma night and day. Sana this will forever thrive.

Well anyway, it’s been long since I last updated my blog. As the Passover season is fast approaching, I thought this is the best time for me to write each one of you a general letter of encouragement. To my pleasant surprise, I saw myself’s profile at Facebook, Multiply and other websites. And know what? I received so many comments, postcripts from our extended relatives and friends from bygone days…very encouraging indeed! Nice to see their photos as well…it brought back wonderful and nostalgic memories! Just want to THANK Meryl for tagging me here in this wonderful modern hi-tech way of communicating to each other.

Speaking of Meryl, she has finally finished repainting her room–it’s just a matter of hours or a day maybe before the smell of paints will totally evaporate. The color scheme of her room now is a combination of biege and pinkish brown. It’s nice. The room looks spacious and more so if we already install the mirror on the wall of her study table. Today she is to return all her belongings and bed in the proper places and to install her computer and CPU at the right side corner of her study table. Dad is helping her in installing these–as well as the ceiling lamp which we gave her from our former bedroom. Masaya na si Miye at she has already fulfilled her wishes and desires to have her own room according to her taste and design. Wait and see… tadtad na naman ng pictures iyan for all to see.

Yesterday, dad had two baptismal counselling. Happy to inform you that Myra Ferriols is already baptized. The other one, Luchella Cuison is also going to be baptized sometime next week. She has to resolve first her remaining problem with her boyfriend, Melvin. I sat in, in the whole counselling session of your dad and it was really inspiring that God is adding another two members of His Church for this year 2008.

As I said, the Passover season is just around the corner so we had already started cleaning, organizing & disposing some of our things we don’t need anymore by giving it to members. There are still a lot of things to be done physically but the important thing is the spiritual aspect of cleaning our lives from sin. Thus, it is fitting to reflect our lives now through self examinations before we take the passover emblems of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us. We should be all thankful that as a family God has called us into His Church. I, for one, as your mother, thank God for each one of you for being so stedfast in the faith all these years together with your individual families now. I highly am happy and proud of you. And if there were times i have disappointed or offended you…please forgive me.

Let me therefore highlight some of your talents and abilities that you did in God’s sight and serving His people. David, thanks for being stedfast in the faith in the midst of so many trials and challenges in life. You have been very diligent in posting announcements in our Church Bulletin, leading in opening or closing prayers, Song Leading, posting UYC informations all these years and a lot of things. Something I really appreciate you is you never forget to send cards of greetings to us especially on our wedding anniversaries and b-days. Thanks for all these things.

Dan, you have been a tremendous help in all areas of life— be it in our family, the Church or member and friends. With all the duties and responsibiities you are handling, I could just imagine the pressures and stresses you are also coping everyday. Thanks for being such a motivator, full of zeal in doing God’s service-both in the Church and the National Office. Thanks for all these things.

Richard, thanks for always on hand whenever there are problems in our computer related problems. Compounded with all your duties and responsibilities also in the office and the Church, you are also busy preparing with Anndy in preparation for your up- coming wedding. Take easy lang. We are more than willing to help you in whatever way we can for that grand occasion you will have.

Charles, Isis and Tephi, thanks as well for the many things you are doing for our family and the Church. We are happy for the many improvements you are sharing in the Church’s weekly bulletin, motivating and inspiring the youths in the Church. Like the rest in the office, you also had many responsibilities to do in the Mailing department. Yet inspite of that, you still are able to raise our darling “Tephi” to be such an adorable smart and obedient child. There has never been a dull moment with Tephi. We commend Isis for being patient and an avid teacher to her.

And now to Laurie, Jeb, Jordan and Aubrey. Thank you so very much for modelling and setting a good example of a Christian family way of life. We are so thankful that God has blessed you so much in many ways. We are excited for the possibility of Jeb’s new work promotion in Illinois, sometime in the future. Thanks also for your Work donations here in the philippines. Jordan and Aubrey has been an added blessing for us as well. We really treasure the photos and videos you regularly sent us. Such lovely and adorable kids as well. We look forward to their coming here in Davao to enjoy the company of their cousins, uncles and aunties and MANY extended relatives. What a wonderful occasion to look forward to. Thank you also for providing us the vonage capability so that we can always call each other anytime. Laurie is also helping us with our FOC(Flowers on Cards) Good Works Program.

Another to be thankful for is Cheryl and David–and our soon coming cutie bundle of Joy…boy or girl? Regardless, we are excited to welcome their baby. There are so many things that we are thankful for Cheryl’s help in our family and the Church even before she got married. We missed her sumptous cooking every Sabbath and especial celebrations, choir and especial music, UYC and FOT activities, book-keeping etc. Only God knows everything. We are happy that she successfully achieved all her hearts desire to be married to the man of her dreams–David. We are also happy that David is being used as well in their Church congregation–giving opening or closing prayers, sermonettes and choir–both with Cheryl as well. By the way, Happy Birthday to David Rogers!

Back to Meryl, I already mentioned things about her but just additional comment, she is also doing our video editing and production for the UYC. Now, she helps your dad in bookkeeping thru quick books and other secretarial task as I could no longer cope up with a lot of things to do. We are therefore appreciative of Meryl’s muti-tasking help.

Now, last but not the least, I am most thankful to God for your beloved dad. Without him, you will never be in this world and I would not have to write this post as it is now. I am most thankful that while he is not perfect, no one else is, he is the BEST for me. I learned so many things from him. In fact, I jokingly told him, that i did learn more from him than in my college years. Of course, the main thing that I admired most of your dad is his ZEAL for the TRUTH. I have lived with him for almost 38th years now in our married life, but I have always respected his tenacity for God. You are the product of his diligence in instilling into your minds while still young and tender, the principles of God’s Law and Love as reflected in our lives. Yes, there are so MANY things to be thankful for, suffice to say it here, our over-all focus then, as the Passover season is upon us, let us all join TOGETHER, thanking GOD in prayer for the many blessings He has given us.

THANKS BE TO GOD,

Mom

Posted by Lorna at Sunday ~ March 03, 2008 | 4 Comments

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Happy good news updates

Hello everyone!

Took me a long time to come back for more updates. Anyway, for the first month of January 2008, we did have a series of celebrations–birth dates and wedding dates. Though already past, let me just congratulate everyone of the celebrants…particularly immediate members of our family. David and Daisy and Meryl. For the month of February, today is Isis 26th birthday…Happy birthday! May God continue to give you more blessed and productive life each year. And for the rest of our relatives side, advance happy birth and wedding anniversaries to Mamang, Sonny, Edgar, Rudy, Gary, Neilboy, Verme Louie, Ryan Bobz and to all those that I can’t remember the dates now. Just want to let you know that you are being remembered in my silent moments.

Well, in another topic of exciting news…we would like to announce the happy pregnant state of Cheryl. Congratulations to both expectant parents–David and Cheryl. We look forward to welcome our 4th grandchild in the family! We actually announced the happy news also in our weekly Church Bulletin for Davao congregation (which by the way started to be published first Sabbath of February), and besides Cheryl, Sheila and Roy Gilos will also be parents near FOT time this year. And speaking of birth announcement for the sake of Cheryl, Rutchell Ann Zarate of Banisilan, gave birth to a 3rd girl in their family. Wow! seems God’s Church is increasing from within through births.

For the information of the family, I just would like to thank you for your prayers on my behalf for the swollen right foot that I had for more than 2 weeks I believe. Right now I am very much okay. How I got that infection is through many possible factors which I can’t precisely pinpoint. Well the important thing is God healed me. Oh, by the way, just want to let you know that Cynthia Acevedo is requesting our prayers on her behalf as well. She was recently diagnosed to have breast cancer and her doctor advised surgery. Please do remember her in this agonizing trial of her life.

We just received an email from your aunt Juliet and Hannes Breytenbach about the planned Macaraeg Sibling & Clan reunion in August. They will be leaving USA on the 2nd of August and stay here for three weeks. The other siblings might just stay in the Philippines for two weeks. That is why they are trying to maximize all their vacation time to coordinate everything successfully and profitably. Of course, the main venue of their stay in the Philippines is Davao–so being the host, it will be a happy thing for us to be very busy preparing for their welcome arrival.

For our Davao City Church congregation, we have started using the new blue UCG Hymnals, while each family or baptized member have their personal copy of the green UCG hymnal. Regarding Church Social Activity for this month, we will have an evening of fun, fellowship and food on Feb. 16, 2008 at RELC. As for the on-going Men’s Christian Leadership Class (MCLC), all men are invited and encouraged to join every Tuesday night starting at 7:00 at our residence. The class goes through a series of in-depth discussions on the qualities of a Church leader found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. We also have Young Adults Bible Study–on its 8th year now, where older teens, singles and young adults have been going through various topics ranging from Bible lessons, doctrine, laws & commandments, history, current events, biblical prophecies, relationships and other Christian-living topics. So, with these line of schedules for February, we will really be looking forward to a rewarding and profitable time for everyone in the Church.

There are other exciting things to mention here so….stay tuned for the next update.

Posted by Lorna at Sunday ~ February 02, 2008 | 2 Comments

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Updates for the past week

Another profitable week has gone with a lot of things to be thankful for. Highlights for this week was the Jan. 8th Anniversary of David and Daisy as well as the 36th birthday of David. We did have a double special Sabbath dinner last Friday for David. Meryl did a good job of preparing delicious dishes and dessert for the occasion. A chocolate mousse was also presented to David.

Another good news we received during the announcement portion of the Sabbath Service was the theme for this Year’s FOT. Since it will be the 75th anniversary since HWA attended the feast in 1933, we as a Church of God under UCG plans to make a special video presentation of this event. Plans are to show our heritage since the time we came to the Church of God under Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. I’m so excited and looking forward to see the overall preparations and presentation for this memorable occasion. By the way, we are back to our individual sites this year because it is not feasible to have a combined feast site this year. And most probably none at all unless there is a suitable venue that is affordable for all. Anyway, much as we wanted to have ONE feast site this year we are still grateful that we can happily be in our individual sites.

We are just waiting for David and Cheryl’s updates and news about the outcome of David’s power point presentation about the Work here in the Philippines. We hope everything went well and successful. I had a brief chat and telephone conversation with Laurie this noon our Philippine time, and I was happy that they are doing well except Jordan and Aubrey, they still have a slight cough every now and then. I guess the weather has got to do with it cause even here many people got colds and flu. In fact I just recovered from colds lately.

Your dad came home late last night from a combined Sabbath Service and Bible Study in Maramag with Banisilan, Kiara, Litig and Quezon leaders and members. He decided to come home last night to catch up for another trip this morning to Kidapawan. A prospective member wants to meet your dad for quite sometime already. So he just left this morning with Richard.

Our new Hymnals just arrived this week also. Both colors green and blue are very nice. We already started using it during Services. Hope to be able to sing some of the new songs in there.

As usual, we are doing fine getting the more excited just to think that a lot of major events and happenings are in store for this year 2008. In a few more months we are back to the first cycle of God’s Holydays- -the DUB, then UYC and just right after that we have the GCE– where your dad, me and hopefully Meryl, (once she is granted a visa) will be able to visit Cheryl and David in Colorado Springs and Laurie and Jeb’s family in Wisconsin after the Conference. We hope to be back in the Phiippines for PENTECOST– then the family reunion of the Macaraeg siblings on August including those abroad: Evangeline and Sarah Magallanes from New Jersey; Juliet and Hannes and family from Vancouver, Canada; Carole and Brian family from Texas; Cathy and Mon family from Toronto, Canada and Douglas, Vilma and family from Dubai. This will be a very memorable reunion for the Macaraeg clan. This will coincide with the 80th birthday of your lola and 10th death anniversary of your lolo this year 2008. That is why those abroad really saved and planned for this coming reunion. After this event comes the FALL festival– the feast of TRUMPETS, ATONEMENT and before the FOT and LGD, Laurie and Cheryl’s family will be arriving to attend the wedding of Richard and Anndy Lou on October l2th which finally will attend the FOT here with us at GSP-Toril, Davao City. Last but not the least in the agenda is to celebrate as ONE for all October and pre-Fot wedding anniversaries during the feast. Wow! what a jammed- packed of activities. May God the Protector and Provider of all things blessfully allow all these events come to pass happily.

This is the highlight of my blog for now. Wish you all a happy week from now. Missing and love you all.

Posted by Lorna at Sunday ~ January 01, 2008 | 2 Comments

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Greetings in the year 2008

Greetings after such a long time - almost 10 months to all of you! It’s really nice coming back to my blog. A lot of things happened- pros and cons of life but over-all it’s satisfying, amazing because GOD was all along with us. 2007 was full of activities both in our family and the Work of God. Highlight of the celebration for that year was the FOT. David Rogers came back for the feast while at the same time worked together with Cheryl on what would be the BEST and FAST way to facilitate her visa for the US. Finally she was able to go with David for the first time last November 8th, 2007. She is right now enjoying their life together as husband and wife. A lot of blessings came their way, one of which was Cheryl was given a gift - piano -for free! A generous hearted member gave it to her. Just a surprising gift for Cheryl because she really loves music and piano playing.

Came 2008 just 6th day as of this writing. As our family tradition, every new calendar year was a FAST day for all of us. We devote that day to honor and praise Almighty God for being all along with us for the past year, and to look forward again for another year of guidance and blessings both in our families and in God’s Work. During our Fast on the lst day of January, it was great and happy to hear voices of David and Cheryl thru the skype. It was so cool and windy in that morning up in our rooftop where we discussed many things related to our family Fast. David and Cheryl and Jeb and Laurie joined also in this Fast.

One of the topics we discussed was the theme for this year’s UYC as Dan was due to submit his report to Mike Bennet that very day. We have brainstormed many possible themes and thanks to David Rogers input, we unanimously came with the theme for this year…Laying a Sure Foundation. Well, I believe that is really what the teens need at an early age in preparation for their ultimate future… in God’s Kingdom.

Another topic we discussed was to focus some of the things we would like to improve on and CHANGE for this year and so on. one of them is Punctuality and Time management. The second is in the matter of principles to Good Health. As you know, we often transgress getting enough sleep and proper mealtimes not that we are really neglect it on purpose, but because of so MANY things to do beating the deadlines and lack of manpower, we are just force to do the contrary. That’s why, with early preparations and proper scheduling, we hope to minimize if at all possible, change our life style. So we resolve to stop whatever we do before 10pm which will be our sleeping time. It’s better to sleep early and wake up early for dad and me so that our health will not suffer so much in our later years. We also hope to discipline ourselves to get regular exercise. Well, there are a lot of areas to change still, but I guess, we zero in these two points.

The Leaders Seminar and Workshop was very successful and profitable. A survey form was filled up to evaluate the over-all proceedings, and almost every leader commented that it was very profitable and successful indeed. Wish some of you could listen to the tapes of dad’s presentations. It was very meaningful, sobering and timely message for the upcoming year 2008. This year your dad re-structured the manpower distribution of his 18 congregations in Mindanao in line also of our cost-cutting in the budget. There will be a video group for a family clan whose head and leader will be responsible and accountable for the spiritual growth of the group. Example: Bagaobawan: Leader-S. Cambare; Banisilan: Leader-F. Basilio; Bunawan: Leader-D. Obsequio; etc. CDO and Butuan will be under the pastorship of P.Cebrian; J. Presbitero will assist PMC in Butuan and Diatagon with W.Salvador. Prosperidad under Job Gargar; Kiara- a core group with M. Valdez, A. Gargar Sr, and P. Rico. Kidapawan: Leader-M. Tonog assisted by B. Cuizon. Litig and Maramag-Leader-O. Eturalde assisted byM. Omadlao; Mati- a core group with S. Budoyan, R. Evaristo and R. Gepanaga. Pantukan: Leader-Q. Sabello and assisted by R. Angana. Sto. Tomas: Leader H. Gilos, Tagum: Leader-C. Bacor etc. As for Davao, Dad will be the overall pastor. Associate pastor, Danny, but present in the area every Sabbath will be Charles - assistant pastor. Richard will go with dad every 2nd and 4th Sabbath to other areas. Roy Gilos will be coordinator for youth activities; Gem Nagtalon, as deacon. R. Florencondia and A.Abrau will be under dad’s pastoral staff. They will be assigned on errands by dad from time to time. But they don’t have an area anymore to be responsible and accountable for the growth of the congregation. Actually, RF is already a retired Elder in status. Well I hope you can follow and understand the configuration of dad’s pastorate at present starting January 2008. This will be monitored after 3 months to see how it goes. There might be some revisions or improvements as we go on.

As for our camp out last Dec 26th, just a few families were not able to attend. It was just brief but turned out fine especially in the morning of the following day. Most of the members present, married, singles, and teens was able to share their experiences and stories how they were able to know theTruth either through the former association or under the present UCG. I find it all very interesting especially the new ones who joined with us. May mga teary eyes pa! The evening of the firstday, it rained quite heavily and so we just saw the movie “Prince of Egypt” after our dinner. We had a special treat of one box of fuji apples and slaughtered a goat for calderetta, papaitan, kilawin etc. It was fun and lively.

Well, this is quite a novel already. Just have to end for now and resume in my next update. We miss you all. May God continue to be with us all.

Posted by Lorna at Sunday ~ January 01, 2008 | 4 Comments

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