Rest

I spent most of my day off yesterday curled up in bed or the armchair. I don't know why I felt so tired. Maybe it's the summer heat or the lack of sleep or the busy schedule, or all of these. So I just heeded what I think my body was telling me, and just rested.

My rehab med doctor once told me: "Listen to your body." Sometimes we ignore what our bodies tell us and still keep busy despite the pain or fatigue, and then we get sick.

Make time for rest. I for one would love to go out of town and just do nothing but rest. Hopefully I can get to do that soon.

"Doing is important but so is resting," according to this post I saw on Instagram.

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Rest is important and we all need it. It can be hard to admit this, i know. Often we are caught up in the businesses of our daily lives and we forget to stop and take a minute. To soak in the present, give ourselves credit and take a breath before we move forward. So this weekend take a minute to have some quality time to just rest. Just be. Appreciate yourself ❤ Artist credit: @sonaksha

A post shared by YOU MATTER (@thedailygrin) on May 10, 2019 at 5:37am PDT

"Take time to work. Make time to rest," my friend Lyqa Maravilla advised.

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There's a right time for everything. This should include time to #work and #time to #rest. Don't wait for the perfect time to hit #pause on things. Because if you don't make time to rest, your body and your mind will give up on you. That's something I learned the hard way.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, work hard. But, make time to rest. Write it on your #calendar. #Plan it ahead. The more you work and the more crucial the tasks are, the more you should prioritize time to #breathe, rest, and #play.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ . #PayoNiAteLyqa #Quote #QuoteMe #Inspiration #Motivation #TeamLyqa #Advice #success #life #lifecoach #selfcare #selflove

A post shared by ANGELIQUE | Coach Lyqa (@lyqamaravilla) on May 1, 2019 at 6:01am PDT

So rest. Yup, you.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: While curled up on my favorite armchair yesterday, I finished reading It's A Mens World by Bebang Siy. Wow, what an interesting book! So hard to put down.. Bebang writes from the heart and talks to us her readers like we are her bestfriends as she makes kuwento about living in Ermita, having a broken family, dating, etc. in a funny endearing way. No wonder this book is a bestseller!

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

Life lessons

In a few hours, the new year, 2019, will ring in. Looking at my planner this year, I can't help but be amazed at how fast time flies. So many things happened this year, 2018. New friends were made, old friends found again, and wonderful moments were spent with loved ones.

One of the lessons I have learned and am still learning this year is the need to make time to rest. Rest is good. Rest is refreshing. Rest is a must.

One of the country's most successful businessmen, John Gokongwei, Jr., apparently makes sure to take care of himself well. He takes hour-long power naps after lunch. He also exercises every day and is always home for dinner. More of his life lessons are in the book "Lessons from Dad, John Gokongwei, Jr." by Lance Gokongwei with Yvette Fernandez -- a little book worth reading.

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One of the best reads I had this year is this little book I swiped off my dad's table: "Lessons from Dad, John Gokongwei, Jr." by Lance Gokongwei with Yvette Fernandez. You can finish reading it in less than an hour, but it's filled with wise advice practiced by Gokongwei himself covering family, work, living. Some of the lessons he lived and shared: Spend as much time as you can with your family; It is never too late to get an education; Find your passion; Live simply; Pray. #karensbookoftheweek #lessonsfromdadjohngokongweijr #bookstagram #lancegokongwei #johngokongweijr

A post shared by Karen Galarpe (@kgalarpe) on Dec 31, 2018 at 1:13am PST

What has this year taught you? May we all take stock to look back at what we have learned and ought to learn some more, and thank God for His blessings. Happy new year!

BOOK OF THE WEEK: I finally finished Nick Joaquin's "A Question of Heroes" which casts a critical eye on our history. Heneral Antonio Luna, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Jose Rizal, and Andres Bonifacio, among others, come alive in this book and you come away feeling that history would have turned out differently had cooler heads prevailed.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

Is he the one?

By Karen Galarpe

These days I'm feeling the pain of a couple of friends who are both going through something hard -- something that hits the core, the love life kind of pain.

The most I could do is listen and pray.

A few years back, another friend opened up to me and with tears asked me, "How do you know he's the one?"

Well how do you answer that?

When I was so much younger I asked this too of someone more mature than me. And she said if you have to ask that, then chances are he's not the one. Because if he's the one, you would know.

There are some couples, who when you see them, they just seem so right for each other. They're a good fit, they complement each other, and they're so happy to know they're meant for each other. It's a joy coming from deep within.

Some of these couples are our pastor Peter Tan-Chi and his wife Deonna (authors of the book "Motivate"), their daughter Joy Tan-Chi Mendoza and her husband Edric Mendoza, and our pastor Dr. Alex Marcos and his wife Dr. May Marcos.

Two of my friends have also found the one for them. I asked them how they met and how they knew the other was the one. Maybe this can help point you to the right direction.

Met at McDonald's

Vie Lising-Velasco is a ballet teacher. She is married to Rene. Let's hear it straight from Vie:



"Back in the day when McDonald's was at its peak in hiring college students, I was summoned three times for interviews and got the job! That was where I met my now-husband Rene. According to him, it was never the same after he saw me. I detected by his actions that he wanted to court me. I hesitated because in my heart I was not sure if he was the right man for me.

"After around a total of six hours of intermittent conversations, he mentioned that he is a Christian. He was exhilarated to know that I, too, am a follower of Christ.

"During our four-year boyfriend and girlfriend relationship, we broke up twice. My mother would call Rene and ask him to reconcile with me. Now that I am reminiscing that God-sent moment, I realize that God can use parents to make His will known.

"Through all the circumstances that God orchestrated plus Rene showing the fruit of the Holy Spirit of what a Christian should be, I knew he was the one.

"We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last July. Every year, our three wonderful daughters would always come up with something on our wedding anniversary!"

Youth pastor to husband

Anna Carlos-Alegre is an educator. She is married to Venjoy. Here's Anna in her own words:



"My story may be unique, but I think it is the best way to find your forever! My husband was my youth pastor, my mentor, and eventually, became my best friend and confidant. For 15 years! That is probably the most unique part of our story.

"To condense the impressions that God made in my heart over that span of 15 years (met him when I was 16), he was my best friend -- he knew me inside out. He was selfless; he saw me through my string of "love lives" and broken hearts (because he was my confidant), and always gave good advice -- that wasn't necessarily favorable towards him. 

"He also said, 'You need me!' as he made his love known, and in my youthful proud heart, I tried proving to him that I did not. He was loving enough to confront me when I was wrong, and he did it gently. And despite the happiest romances I had over those years, I always felt like he was home.

"When I lost him to the US and silence for 4 years, that was when I knew that he was the one that this phrase embodied: 'Don't marry the one you can live with. Marry the one you feel you cannot live without.' He was right and I had to humble myself!"

So there. If it is God's will for you to marry, He knows best. Seek His guidance and trust Him.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

BOOK OF THE WEEK: There are two kinds of leaders: the self-serving leader and the servant leader. Which one are you? According to The Servant Leader by Ken Blanchard, the self-serving leader spends most of his time protecting his status. Feedback is thus received negatively. The servant leader, on the other hand, views leadership as an act of service. He embraces feedback and sees it as a way to improve and provide even better service. To be an effective leader, you have to start with the heart.