Our 26th Wedding Anniversary

On January 18, my husband Terence and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. This was yet another testament to God’s faithfulness to both our lives and our children’s.

We have looked at each additional marital year as a pure gift of God's love for us . By His grace we have dealt with trials and family life challenges like champions .We have had our share of problems in spades; we may have contrasting personalities yet we complemented the strengths and weaknesses of each other so that both of us have emerged as better husband and wife throughout the different stages of our marital relationship . We can see clearly that God is with us and that His will for us is to be together through thick and thin. We don’t hold the future in our hands. We cannot see where our path will lead but He will give us what we need to face that future.

I love my husband and I thank him for the gift of his love.
Here’s to a lifetime more blessings and joyful years of CFC-GK service together !

Wine, Cheese and Good Friends

On January 3, Dr. Vic and his gorgeous wife Babsi hosted a "cheese and wine" evening at their charming house in BF Homes , QC . The coming together was more than just eating cheese and drinking fine wines – it was a fellowship of people who have stuck together through the years and bonded with each other beyond common interest, common goals , or common histories. What happened that night shaped a large part of personal updates and memories about joy in serving . Mostly, we reminisced about the many out of town services we did under Jun & Angie then our passionate household leaders. We created beautiful memories that reminded us about spiritual companionship and camaraderie we shared with each other as laborers in the Lord’s vineyard . We remembered them with delight and gratitude . This special moment stood out as vivid reminder of the good, old days in community.

Also, that night we learned something new about matching cheese and wine .Dr. Vic ( a renowned London trained Psychiatrist who has a passion for fine wine and good cheese ) took time to share and talk lengthily about the harmony existing between the two. According to him, both have a great deal in common. They should have similar intensities. There should always be a balance - cheese should be paired with similar wine and delicate cheese should be paired with lighter wine.

Undeniably, the affair was one opportunity to acknowledge the value of maintaining and strengthening ties . Like wine and cheese that exist in harmony, our relationship with one another can be compared to the friendship between the wine and cheese- sparkling, spirited and steadfast.

As for the delectable cheeses, fine wines and the wide variety of tasty finger foods and snacks, everyone enjoyed the night immensely.

Cheers to friendship ! Cheers to a lasting commitment to do God's service- be it great or be it small !

New Year 2012 Family Celebration at Eastwood

The New Year’s Eve bash at Eastwood was another memorable opportunity for the Grana family along with the rest of the Ruales brood and their respective families to bid goodbye to year 2011 and welcome the start of 2012 .It was not only an occasion of thanksgiving but also a time to spend special bonding moments together with each other - something that makes us united, stronger and tightly knit to help us survive life’s challenges.Every family gathering is beyond laughter and pleasure-it always provide the venue whereby we go through heartrending relationships that would last forever and keep us rising above the contradictions of life. We call it family ties. It is deep - rooted that we can’t wait to bond some more.

We attended the New Year’s eve Eucharistic Mass at the Holy Family Church to thank God for all His favors in the past year and to implore His blessings for the new one.Then we proceeded straight to Choi Palace situated on the 3rd floor of the Eastwood Mall to enjoy each other's company while trying to satisfy our cravings for chinese cuisine ( compulsion or choice … food enthusiasts or fanatics ? I really don’t know . From there we had a the spectacular view of the festive Filipino version of the New Year countdown in Times Square in New York.

The Eastwood Style of New Year’s countdown : When the electonic clock struck twelve ,the pyrotechnics exploded and confetti rained down on Eastwood Mall Open Park as everyone waved their celebration hats and blasted and played their peacock and tooting horns and other noise makers . Certainly, it was and dt Manila’s answer to New York’s Times Square Countdown- but instead of the traditional ball dropping in a Times Square NY setting , a lighted star slowly dropped from the upper most portion of a building located right at the back of the concert stage as the last 60 seconds countdown commenced . Few hours prior to the countdown we were primed in for the big New Year’s Eve Star drop with live performance and music by Gary Valenciano, Billy Crawford ,The Dawn and others.

The 15- minute pyrotechnic display has brilliantly illuminated the sky above the Eastwood Mall Open Park. Bursts of custom-mixed colors glittered in the night sky which I would guess were computer-controlled and synchronized with the other special effects set up on the roof-top of a nearby building. The crowd went wild and excited and another year was ushered in.

Amid the revelry, our hearts went for the victims of tropical storm Sendong that left hundreds dead in Northern Mindanao. We contiued to pray for all those who were affected by the calamity and pledged to support the rehabilitation projects that will give them hope to get back on their feet.

A blessed and hopeful New Year 2012 to all !