PRECIOUS FRIENDS

Buenas Nochez Friends,

Hope everyone had a blessed weekend! Well, i did.... Friday nite-- i got to hang out with my girls. Thanks to my best friend Lovely, she was able to get everyone together there.. She had to call them individually so that they all would go.. See, the last time we all got together was last Christmas. So, everyone was so happy when they all got to Chilis. One of our favorite place to go for dinner..lolz. We got in trouble too cuz I we were so loud.. And yes! I admit...I am first to say that I am guilty..lolzz.. My hubby, my daugther Destiny, our friend Martin and Matthew stopped by at Chilis to get my daugther's Ice Skate.. They went Ice skating that nite... My friend Marge and I went to meet up with them after Chilis. We all went home right after. Went to pick up my lil one Kalea at my mom's house. We came home and we just relax and went to sleep early to get ready for our Local convention the next day ( Saturday).

Saturday ---- we got ready to go to Midwest Conference Center ( Northlake Il). It was an awesome event. I thank God everyday for our business. Not only we helped people with their financial plan but also we are building our friendship with our business partners and clients. But most importantly, we can minister to them and able to share our Life with Jesus. My husband and I along with my daughter Destiny and soon Kalea love meeting new people everyday. It makes us realize that wherever you go... You can meet new friends everyday.. =) . After the event-- we went to Portillos and had lunch.. Then, our last stopped - we went to Marge's house for her Party Lite show... It was fun!!! As always, I had to joke around..lolzzz. That is always been part of me and will never go away...ha ha ha.. Yup! i didn't buy anything..But I got the catalog.. and hopefully..I'll order when I feel like it...lolzzz... Ayayyayyay! I have to get a house first-- if i buy those candles.. I don't have anymore room in my house..lolzz.. That was my Saturday nite..And finally went home and my honey was already home... Just watched movie and finally went to sleep....

Sunday - got ready for the church! Thank God for this morning...Nice Sunny Weather.. My Kai Kai wanted to play all day.. And today I discover her beautiful smile...ha ha... If you are about to take her picture..No matter what she's doing..Crying or playing..>She will stop and pose and smile for you....ha ha ha ha.. Soooo cute! We went to visit her grandparents ( dad side) in Chicago.. Dad and I played basketball.. After that we stopped by at the office... Kai and I fell asleep while Destiny was helping dad putting his song book ( for church ) in order.. Then when Kai and woke up , we all went to eat at Hong Ning ( Filipino Chinese restaurant).. .. We didn't want to go home yet cuz the weather was so beautiful- so we decide to hang out at the parking lot of Mc Donald for few minutes and just talk and enjoy the weather.. Mom and Dad stopped by at the house right after their date.... That was our weekend! Thank you, Thank you Lord for a wonderful weekend and Thank you lord for a wonderful friends and Thank you Lord for always being there with us..

Goodnite...

Check out our pictures this last weekend..Go to the last page to see the latest. Thanks


http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantosCharismaSantos

Rejection and Forgiveness - Part I

Monday, March 05, 2007

Rejection and Forgiveness - Part I
By Tracie Miles Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV)Rejection is something we all face in life. Rejection comes in many forms – affairs or divorce, supervisors who can’t be pleased, teenage rebellion, being turned down for a job, shut out from a club or sorority, or the betrayal of a friend. Although this list is not exhaustive, you get the idea. These things have one thing in common - they are painful, and very damaging to our self-esteem.In the midst of rejection, we are so focused on ourselves that it is difficult to pull away from the hurt and think clearly or rationally. Our thoughts are often, How could that person have done/said that to me? Do they know how much I have done for them? Have they taken a hard look at themselves? We all share these thoughts when we are consumed with despair caused by hurtful words or actions from others.There are three basic truths in handling rejection:Truth #1: Understand that you are made in the image of God. We are told in Genesis 1:27 that God created man in His image. Men and women are God’s most unique works of art, His masterpieces! There is no one more valuable and precious than the children of God. Remember who you are in Christ and choose to see yourself through God’s eyes.Truth #2: Rejection is only destructive when we internalize it, allowing it to creep into our personal belief system. Since we cannot control what other people think, we have no control over whether or not people approve of us. We are only in control of our own attitudes and beliefs. If we allow the opinions of others to affect the opinions we have of ourselves, then we are allowing those who hurt us to control our thoughts. If we keep our thoughts focused on how much God loves us, we won’t dwell on the opinions of others.Truth #3: We can combat the destructive forces of rejection by understanding our position in Christ. We are God’s most prized possessions! Spend time focusing on who we matter to instead of who we don’t. We are told through out the first book of Peter that we are chosen, royal, holy, accepted, and instruments for God’s work. Our position is one of royalty, and we are each a significant instrument in God’s spiritual orchestra.During painful times in our life, we can triumph if we remember that God is our strength. God is a forgiving God, and He desires for His children to be forgiving as well. He is sufficient to get us through our problems. He is our Almighty Redeemer. We do not need the world’s approval, and we will never be able to please everyone. We only need the approval of God. God is waiting to wash our souls with His grace and mercy to help us through any situation, but first we must have our spiritual eyes and ears open to hear His loving, comforting voice.Dear Lord, I pray for Your wisdom on how to deal with situations in which I feel hurt, rejected, and worthless. Fill me with Your love so that I can forgive others. Help me remember that Your approval and acceptance is all I need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.Related Resources:The Confident Woman by Anabel GillhamDo You Know Him?Listen to Today's Radio Show Application Steps:Ask God to intervene in your situation, and help you forgive this person and mend your relationship. It may seem hopeless, but nothing is too big for God to handle.Create two lists. List 1: write down all the wonderful traits, talents and skills that God has gifted you with. List 2: write down all the people in your life who love you. Seeing all these things on paper will help relieve the pain of the person(s) who made you feel unworthy and rejected.Reflections:Unforgiveness is poison to our soul – do you need to forgive someone who has hurt you? Are there people in your life that you would do anything to gain their approval? Would your behavior change if you were only concerned with God’s approval, not that of man?Do you thank God daily for the privilege of being made in His image, and remember that you are beautifully and wonderfully made?Power Verses:Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (NIV)1 Kings 8:50, “And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy.” (NIV)

Another Wonderful Weekend!

Buenas Noches Readers =) ..Well, it was a beautiful weekend and great weather ..Cold but sunny.. it's okay though.. We can't have it all. It was a great Saturday morning --- breakfast with my family, got ready to go to the office-- This time we had to be at Burr Ridge.. We had new team mate that just recently joined our business and had to go to training.. I thank God for our business.. And we are able to help them accomplished their dreams slowly. With God on our side-- we know that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. He is an Awesome God! We thank God for HIS many blessings, for HIS love and HIS MERCY. And for the blessed Holy Spirit who strenghtens me day by day, leads to the path of righteousness, and gently speaks to me about the areas of my life that need to change. God is good! Thank you LORD!.... Lunch time, hang out with my team -- helped them with their license and some paperworks...Then we left the office to go to the Mall and got Kalea's earrings.. Yipppee!!! I didn't pick the November birth stone.. I kinda don't like the color.. It's light yellow.. So, we went and get the light pink..... Later afternoon, we went to meet up with my parents but they went to my brother's house to assemble my nephew's basketball thingy that he bought for the backyard.. Destiny went with them--- So, my little one Kai and I went groceries -- We came home and mommy cooked beef stew ( hmmmm, finally i made it very very tender that daddy was very impressed. He he he! Destiny and Dad came home and ate dinner.. Like I said, my hubby was very happy that I made the pork very tender that he can finally chew it this time.. Usually, when I am in a hurry even if it taste good... The beef is not tender as it did tonite... Goodness! I had to let it boil for an hour.. I gotta get pressure cooker so I don't have to wait that long. lolzz.. Right after dinner-- my daughter, Destiny and I baked our Walnut Brownies.. Hmmmm...She helped me baked it.. We made it for the church..... Then, finally the kids went to sleep and Daddy and I finally got to relax and got our stuff ready for the church.. AND MOMMY FINALLY GOT A GOOD MASSAGE FROM DADDY..lolzzz...( He always gives me good massage).. Mommy is too spoiled..Lolz...

Sunday ---- PRAISE GOD FOR ANOTHER WONDERFUL AND SUNNY DAY... We woke up around - 7Am.. Played with the kids till 8Am.. We had to take 2 cars today... Des, kai and myself went to pick up Lorelei and her daughter, Caitlyn... They went to church with us... Hopefully, I can pick her up every Sunday so they can come with us... She doesn't drive..She's also 7 months pregnant and she's very excited .. She's actually having another girl... So, help me pray for her and her family.. for a safe and easy delivery and healthy baby...We had a great sermon this morning " Prayer"..We all know that Prayer is the most powerful weapon. I thank all of you for your prayers. Let's continue to pray for one another and for everyone.

My parents are so cute.. My mom called me this morning when I was on my way to church.. They just went to their church and they had their date at Denny's.. Every Sunday is their day to date after church -- They try to do something together.... So today - they didn't waste anyday to stay at home.. They went to church and went to eat for breakfast. My mom told me that they are now qualifed for Senior Citizen breakfast.. My mom is so funny..hahhaahahah.. She wanted to get the free breakfast...lolz. After that-- they went to visit my brother and stayed there the whole day..They left around 2pm to visit my grandma then my parents went out again and ate dinner... ( he he he) My mom is so happy coz my dad is now taking her out mostly every weekend... God is soo good and so loving! Thank you Lord for my loving parents.. Btw, my grandma ( dad side) is now feeling much better.. Getting stronger everyday.. We went to visit her last week.......Finally, our last stopped today -- we went to visit my in-laws because they wanted to see Kalea -- So, we just stayed there till 7pm ..Ate dinner, Destiny was playing with her cousin MJ ( My brother in - law's son..)..William and I just ate and slept....ha ha ha ha .... So, there goes our weekend --- -- Our family are so active that we don't like staying home toooo much.. Sometimes is okay but not all the time...ha ha ha.. We like to do things all the time.. Even if it's something small just as long as we're together --- then we are fine and happy...he he he he.. . .. K-- I'll blog more later.. Okie dokie.. Hope you all had a blessed weekend!!! Love u guyz.. =)

FUN NIGHT =)

Hello there.... Well, it was a good nite.. We took our daughter, Destiny out today and we went Ice Skating..Whoooo!! I thought I was gonna die but guess what.... I DID IT!!! YIIPPEE!!.. Thanks to those rails.... It kinda helped me at first then i started doing my own thing... Even if i know that everyone was going speedy gonzales there.. I was taking my lovely time and i didn't have to bounce my butt.. lolzz.. What's cute about it was when my daughter Destiny and her dad was chasing each other.. It was kind of scary watching them coz it feels like they were going 100mph...hahahahha... So, i kinda told them to stop...lolz.. But they still didn't listen to me...Oh well.... Man!!! I was so out of shape.. But it was a good work out for your leg esp.your butt...lolzz...Then, we went to Woodfield Mall.. She wanted to go to her new store " Limited too" and she bought some new shirt while her dad kept telling me to buy her more stuff... I said " Nope"... that's enough for now..lolzzz.. So, her dad said that he will take her shopping next week without me..Ayyyyayay!!!! Then, we finally went to eat.. ( We were so hungry after ice skating..)... Then we went to pick up my baby girl at my mom's house... We missed Kai the whole time we were skating.. We saw a lot of kids there.. I think they were around 3 or 4.... We can't wait to take her ice skating next time.. 3 yrs from now..hahahahah.. Well, buenas nochesamigas! Te amo... and hope you all have a wonderful weekend..

Oh yah! before I forget... I made new friends again today..her name is Christy.. She's half burmese and half italian... Very nice lady.. She went shopping for her daughter and bought at least 20 pairs of clothes...Goodness!!!.. She's a chemistry teacher at Maine East..Very pretty lady... They are going to the Carribean cruise ( for her kids spring break)... Hmmmm.. Fun!

Okay nitey nite... Love u guyz and I will blog more later....

Here's the pics from tonite ----

http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantos/ICESKATINGMARCH2006?authkey=zaybhztd4OI

Encouragement for Today

Hi Everyone, just want to share this message I received this morning. I sincerely hope that you will be blessed and encourage by today's message.


The Marriage I've always Wanted

Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Mark 10:9 (NIV)


If you were to describe your ideal marriage, what are some things you would include? Engaging conversations, romantic dates, fun adventures, shared responsibilities, financial security, passionate intimacy, and a partner to pursue dreams together would be some of mine. As I walked down the aisle on my wedding day and mindlessly repeated the vows the pastor instructed us to say, I toted with me all these expectations of my ideal marriage. I thought our marriage would just have these things built in and all this would naturally come as part of the package.


I soon discovered, however, that a marriage is like that wonderful toy that you get on Christmas morning. You rip open the attractive packaging and go straight for the on button. When nothing happens, you feel confused and very disappointed. You are so sure that getting the toy will result in instant happiness, so when it fails to meet your expectations, you set it aside and move on to something else.


If only Id taken just a moment to read the instructions, I would have discovered three little words that could have made all the difference: batteries not included.

Had I read the instructions I would have realized that I can only get the toy to meet my expectations when I take the time to put energy into it. Having a great marriage is a matter of choice, not chance. Leaving it up to chance is saying, Well I just hope well have good communication, great sex, romantic dates, and share the responsibilities of life. Unfortunately, the realities of life dont lend themselves naturally to these things. We get busy, stressed, distracted, and before we know it, weve neglected our marriage for years. We keep pushing the on button hoping to get more from our marriage, but without putting in the batteries, well never really experience all that it can be.


I dont want to leave my marriage up to chance. I want to make the choice each day to invest wisely in my marriage. If I want good communication, then I have to set the scene for times that my husband and I can really talk. Not just debriefing about the events of the day but taking time to dream together, plan together, laugh together and grow together. If I want romantic dates, then I have to educate my husband on what this means and discover things we can enjoy doing together. If I want my husband to long to come home at night, then I ask him to define the word haven and make sure our home reflects that.


When I invest energy into my marriage, suddenly it starts working the way its supposed to. I must also remember the real power-source for my marriage comes from getting into Gods Word and letting His Word get into me. Gods Word is the ultimate marriage instruction manual!


Dear Lord, help me to put aside my pride so I can hear You whisper to my heart things I can do to improve my marriage. In Jesus Name, Amen.



Application Steps:


Set a date for you and your husband to go out and have time to really talk.

Ask your husband to define what a haven is to him.

Identify the areas of marriage you are struggling with and look up verses in Gods Word that address each.

Commit to memorizing these verses and refer to them often.


Reflections:

Whether youre a seasoned spouse or a newlywed, you have at some point realized that after every wedding is a marriage. Marriage is not a fairy taleits a reality. What helpful advice or wisdom has God given you about the reality of marriage that you could pass along to single women or brides-to-be?


Power Verse:


Romans 12:9-10, Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (NIV)



Thanks and KEEP THOSE WONDERFUL SMILEZ GOING =D

Living in God's Power

Great message I received this morning..I love the feeling that whenever I come to work and open my email.. I see my brothers and sisters in Christ that would send me all God's message. I love reading all of them.. Thank you and let's continue to share HIS words..

Living in God's Power

Today's Scripture
"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God promises so many good things for your life, but He wants you to step up and receive them. If you come to Him and claim the blessings and abundance He has offered, then your life will be changed forever. God has all of the power necessary to restore broken families, replace lost trust, and work miraculous acts that no one could expect to see happen. In fact, many families and individuals have been changed by God through this ministry because of seeds of faithfulness and hope that were planted by people like you! All things are possible with God, and if He is in your life, you can plant seeds that will one day grow and give someone the hope of Jesus!
A Prayer for Today
God, I know that You have the ability to change people through me. Thank You for changing me and giving me the ability to trust You for great things. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Have A Blessed Day!

PHOTO ALBUM

Well today, I tried the PICASA site to create an album since I love taking pictures and sharing not only my families but also my friends and business partners. I just uploaded new pictures from before.. So, if you have time.. Go and check out our Album...
Just click all the links below

http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantos/MixPicsOfOurFamilyFriendsChurchMembersBusinessPartners?authkey=HwxSApRFIIM

http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantos/KALEASTARSPICSONLY?authkey=nLF5gDuL7pY
http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantos/ICESKATINGMARCH2006?authkey=zaybhztd4OI

http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantos/KALEASTARSPICSONLY?authkey=nLF5gDuL7pY
http://picasaweb.google.com/CharismaSantos/ICESKATINGMARCH2006?authkey=zaybhztd4OI

*** Check back often***** 'Cuz I will be uploading more pics....

thanks

hi sis! this is a good way for you to learn how to maneuver the computer more, so keep it up k. continue to be inspired by the word and works of God. i'm so grateful we serve the God of the universe... He not only made us best friends here on earth, but He gave us a plus! by making us sisters in Christ Jesus. He certainly knows what he's doin'...i thank God for you, sis! - keep the smiles goin' *love you much!*

HI THERE!

Wow! Am I actually doing this..This is fun... Well, thanks to my lovable... My sister in christ... She invited me to her blog.....I am not really very good of sharing my thoughts thru this but I guess this is a great tool to share our thoughts, activities and exchange stories and get to know each other. New Friends are always welcome =) ...Well, I'll write more later.. God Bless =)