While waiting for his boss, I had a short but meaningful talk with our Client's Pakistani driver the other day. He shared how he was able to go home in his native land three times a year. For some, that would be way too expensive considering the plane ticket cost, "pasalubong," and pocket money to spend. But how he handles his money is amazing and family matters to him a lot. He has seen a lot of his friends and fellow villagers who work in UAE for so long and yet, only to find out that they have lost all these years not enjoying their family or seeing their kids grow. He does not want that to happen. He wants to spend more time with his wife and only child. He wants to see his son grow as a good citizen. And I kinda like him for that.
This is what he does with his salary. He budgets. He divides it in three:
1) for his family,
2) for his personal daily needs; and,
3) for his plane ticket.
He makes sure that the money that he sends for his family includes savings. His personal daily needs do not take much of his salary. It also includes little savings for his pocket money or to buy pasalubong for his family. He buys things only what he needs and not what he wants. He ensures that he saves for the plane ticket.
And what amazes me more is that the person who taught him this value was a fellow Filipino whom he used to work with in his previous project. One win for you, Kabayan!
I am blessed to listen to his story, and I learn from him as well.
Having Baby in UAE (for Pinoy Expats) Part 1
I gave birth to a healthy baby boy last September 2014. I would like to share the steps in acquiring his necessary papers.
Birth Certificate in HAAD (Health Authority in Abu Dhabi)
Since I delivered in a private hospital, I have to process myself his birth certificate.For government hospitals, they will provide you right away the HAAD birth certificate. Requirements are as follows:
Birth Certificate in HAAD (Health Authority in Abu Dhabi)
Since I delivered in a private hospital, I have to process myself his birth certificate.For government hospitals, they will provide you right away the HAAD birth certificate. Requirements are as follows:
- Birth Certificate Application form: you will get it in HAAD office.
- Original Notification of Live Birth (from the hospital). Provide the hospital a copy of marriage certificate, passports and emirates IDs of parents.
- Original and Copy of Marriage Certificate; attested by Department of Foreign Affairs Philippines, UAE Embassy in the Philippines and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in UAE (AED 150). The MFA UAE is located in Marina Mall, below Paris Gallery.
- Original and Copy of Parents' passports, residence visas and emirates IDs
- Arabic and English BC costs AED 50 each.
- HAAD Office is located at the back of Carrefour in Airport Road.
- Once you receive the BC, go to MFA UAE for the English BC attestation (AED 150).
Yellow Collection: A Surprise Baby Shower
And the show begun...
Our other BSmates fetched us in our building where we live, which they don't normally do ("). When I got from the elevator, Alvin, Regie and Momi Jo were wearing yellow shirt/tops. I didn't know yet what was going on and didn't think much of the "yellow" thing; it must have been a coincidence. When we entered the room, the place was dark and quiet, when suddenly, the light was turned on and saw all our friends' smiles and laughs and heard their happy greetings. Someone's taking a video, others were taking photos. And on the screen, a greeting with baby yellow bees was flashing on and off. I really didn't know at first, and when I came to my senses, I felt amazement and in cloud 9 because of the efforts they put on to make this surprise baby shower a real surprise.
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| Greetings.. and more greetings :) |
A Letter to Our Angel
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| 19 weeks Ultrasound |
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| 29 weeks Tummy |
To Our Ever Sweet Angel,
You're now in your 30 weeks, baby. I can feel your strong bones that tickle me. Your giggles surprise me. Your kicks bring joy to my heart. And when we talk and caress you, you respond to us quickly. Oh, how I and daddy long to see you in person! Just 10 more weeks, baby, and we can see face-to-face.
An Angel is Coming!
Now that our angel is about to come, I and my husband are preparing for his coming. We are definitely excited for his arrival. Our angel wants to surprise us, because up to now, we don't know yet his gender. It's just that we are declaring that he is a healthy baby boy :).
We managed to clean and take out all the clutters and other stuffs we don't really need at home, and put them in a big box (ready to be shipped to the Philippines). We started looking for best-buy baby's stuffs online. Good thing though, my brother added us to this Facebook group where buyer meets seller, and offers very reasonable prices. Our first buy was the secondhand Mothercare pushchair for baby-toddler. My husband did the deal and lo!, we got it for a very affordable price. Second was the branded secondhand baby clothes. The post was actually for 6-12 months, but my thinking was, babies grow fast. So we made the deal and went to the buyer's place. When she saw me that I am expecting (did not mention to her beforehand), she immediately took out from their closet all her new-born baby unisex clothes. We went home with big smiles and a huge bag full of clothes. It's funny that sometimes, we tease each other because our baby's stuffs are secondhand only. Well, who cares, our angel doesn't know yet what's new and old, as long as it serves the purpose. I would rather save the money for his college education than buy expensive clothes, which, after a few months, he will no longer need them.
We managed to clean and take out all the clutters and other stuffs we don't really need at home, and put them in a big box (ready to be shipped to the Philippines). We started looking for best-buy baby's stuffs online. Good thing though, my brother added us to this Facebook group where buyer meets seller, and offers very reasonable prices. Our first buy was the secondhand Mothercare pushchair for baby-toddler. My husband did the deal and lo!, we got it for a very affordable price. Second was the branded secondhand baby clothes. The post was actually for 6-12 months, but my thinking was, babies grow fast. So we made the deal and went to the buyer's place. When she saw me that I am expecting (did not mention to her beforehand), she immediately took out from their closet all her new-born baby unisex clothes. We went home with big smiles and a huge bag full of clothes. It's funny that sometimes, we tease each other because our baby's stuffs are secondhand only. Well, who cares, our angel doesn't know yet what's new and old, as long as it serves the purpose. I would rather save the money for his college education than buy expensive clothes, which, after a few months, he will no longer need them.
And of course, we both know that our angel's arrival will eventually take our "just-you-and-me" moments as husband and wife; (we will definitely prioritize our moments with the angel when he comes), my husband is so sweet enough to take me out for a movie date. So yesterday, we went to Al Wahda Mall cinema to watch "Transformers: Age of Extinction". When we watch movies in theater, we don't buy snacks inside the cinema because the prices are expensive. What we do, we have a huge shopping bag or my big bag so we can sneak in our snacks bought from outside ("-"). Like what we did yesterday, we bought two value McDo meals which cost AED 36 only. The same meal (with different name) costs AED 60 for two. We saved almost half the price! Ok, I know, foods bought outside are not allowed, don't boo me, it's just that, I am an Ilocana. Hehe.
We really enjoyed the new series of Transformer. As far as I can remember, this is the only movie series that me and husband are following on and watching in big screen. Our baby enjoyed as well. From beginning to end, he moved a lot, as in A LOT; probably because of the loud sound in the auditorium. We did not realize that the movie ran for almost 3 hours, until we left the cinema after the show. We headed to our church center to attend our prayer meeting, feeling happy ("-").
Still, there are so much things to do before his arrival. We are taking things one step at a time. We just enjoy every moment that he is still inside my tummy. In every moment, especially when he's awake, we talk to and caress him. Two more months and we will finally see his face. Thank God for this wonderful life he has given us. Such a blessing!
Celebrating 16 Years in the Lord ... on a Fathers' Day.
June 15 marked my 16 years of knowing Christ in my life. I still can vividly remember the night I have accepted Him as my Personal Lord and Savior. From that Monday night forward, my life has changed and is still changing from glory to glory, through Him who is in me.
I started my day off right with a prayer and devotion. I was led to Genesis 7:1, which says, "The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation." That simple and yet powerful verse has touched my heart. As most everyone knows the story of Noah, God saw how great the wickedness of mankind and decided to wipe them from the face of the earth, except for one righteous man who found favor in God's eyes. As I pondered God's word, I realized how grateful I am because He has chosen me to share the good news of salvation and make disciples; not because I am righteous, but because, God is gracious. I ended my simple devotion with a thanksgiving prayer.
Indeed, yesterday's event was a call for celebration - a celebration of thanksgiving because, (1) the sixteen years of being a true believer of Christ, I have experienced His goodness, faithfulness and greatness in my life; and (2) it's Fathers' Day. I and my husband invited for a dinner out, the two most godly couple whom we look up to, in terms of love for God, marriage, family, and ministry. Kuya Lito and Ate Marlene (as we fondly call them) are also our godparents. They fetched us home and headed to a fine-dining restaurant that offers international cuisines in Salam St. Since, it's a buffet, we picked our own choices. There was array of foods from starter, salads, main courses to desserts. The service attendant was smiley and welcoming.
During the course of two hours, we talked about everything, especially about family and finances. I admired them both for bringing up their four children into loving God first and good citizens. Their two children have their own careers here in Abu Dhabi, one is about to take the CPA examination and the youngest is taking his college degree. They have their own church ministries as well. Kuya Lito shared his humble beginnings and how God has been so faithful in his life and family.
I came to my notion that, really, me and my husband are entering into another phase of our lives - parenthood. In a few months time, I will give birth to an angel. We are both excited to his/her coming. I know for sure it will change our lives as husband and wife for the better. As early as now, we have made plans for our angel. Plans are not concrete yet, but for sure, God will direct our paths. We are surrounded by many people who will give us godly advice on how to raise our angel. As we go through parenting, I know that we will be like Kuya Lito and Ate Marlene and our parents as well, who raised us into matured and educated people. We will raise our children to become God-fearing and good citizens. And mostly, we have our Heavenly Father who always wants the best for us.
God unfolds His identity as I walk with Him through the years. I have experienced many blessings and challenges, happiness and pains. My sixteen-year spiritual life doesn't necessarily mean that I am matured more than others. In fact, if I rate myself of how much I know God, it would be 1, the least; because I know in my heart, that God has still more things to unfold as I journey in this life. He reveals Himself each time I enter a new phase. My "thank you", service and life are not enough compared to the surpassing love of God for me.
To my loving husband, "Happy Fathers' Day". You are a blessing to my life. Couldn't be prouder for having such a talented, funny and God-fearing husband. As of this writing, dadiloves is busy preparing the video background for the Night of Praise and Worship.
We parted ways with much joy in our hearts and full tummies. The invested time with two most beautiful couple is a great blessing we wouldn't trade anything. We really learned a lot from them.
To end this blog, I want to share with you my life verse since I accepted the Lord. It is in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Looking forward for these "great and unsearchable things I do not know yet". I know that God is with me every step of the way.
All glory to God!
I started my day off right with a prayer and devotion. I was led to Genesis 7:1, which says, "The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation." That simple and yet powerful verse has touched my heart. As most everyone knows the story of Noah, God saw how great the wickedness of mankind and decided to wipe them from the face of the earth, except for one righteous man who found favor in God's eyes. As I pondered God's word, I realized how grateful I am because He has chosen me to share the good news of salvation and make disciples; not because I am righteous, but because, God is gracious. I ended my simple devotion with a thanksgiving prayer.
Indeed, yesterday's event was a call for celebration - a celebration of thanksgiving because, (1) the sixteen years of being a true believer of Christ, I have experienced His goodness, faithfulness and greatness in my life; and (2) it's Fathers' Day. I and my husband invited for a dinner out, the two most godly couple whom we look up to, in terms of love for God, marriage, family, and ministry. Kuya Lito and Ate Marlene (as we fondly call them) are also our godparents. They fetched us home and headed to a fine-dining restaurant that offers international cuisines in Salam St. Since, it's a buffet, we picked our own choices. There was array of foods from starter, salads, main courses to desserts. The service attendant was smiley and welcoming.
During the course of two hours, we talked about everything, especially about family and finances. I admired them both for bringing up their four children into loving God first and good citizens. Their two children have their own careers here in Abu Dhabi, one is about to take the CPA examination and the youngest is taking his college degree. They have their own church ministries as well. Kuya Lito shared his humble beginnings and how God has been so faithful in his life and family.
I came to my notion that, really, me and my husband are entering into another phase of our lives - parenthood. In a few months time, I will give birth to an angel. We are both excited to his/her coming. I know for sure it will change our lives as husband and wife for the better. As early as now, we have made plans for our angel. Plans are not concrete yet, but for sure, God will direct our paths. We are surrounded by many people who will give us godly advice on how to raise our angel. As we go through parenting, I know that we will be like Kuya Lito and Ate Marlene and our parents as well, who raised us into matured and educated people. We will raise our children to become God-fearing and good citizens. And mostly, we have our Heavenly Father who always wants the best for us.
God unfolds His identity as I walk with Him through the years. I have experienced many blessings and challenges, happiness and pains. My sixteen-year spiritual life doesn't necessarily mean that I am matured more than others. In fact, if I rate myself of how much I know God, it would be 1, the least; because I know in my heart, that God has still more things to unfold as I journey in this life. He reveals Himself each time I enter a new phase. My "thank you", service and life are not enough compared to the surpassing love of God for me.
To my loving husband, "Happy Fathers' Day". You are a blessing to my life. Couldn't be prouder for having such a talented, funny and God-fearing husband. As of this writing, dadiloves is busy preparing the video background for the Night of Praise and Worship.
We parted ways with much joy in our hearts and full tummies. The invested time with two most beautiful couple is a great blessing we wouldn't trade anything. We really learned a lot from them.
To end this blog, I want to share with you my life verse since I accepted the Lord. It is in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Looking forward for these "great and unsearchable things I do not know yet". I know that God is with me every step of the way.
All glory to God!
God Knows Exactly How to Bless Us
On our visit at Jones the Grocer in Al Raha last year, I had filled up their electronic survey pad to give my comments and suggestions in improving their services. Blessedly, I was selected as a winner of their Gift Voucher worth AED 200.00 with a validity of 1 year!
And so yesterday, me and husband headed off to Al Raha which is 31 km from the city via the public bus. We got down in the bus stop which was a little far from the area, so we took a taxi cab to get exactly to the restaurant. When we came in, I presented the voucher and the service attendant was very welcoming. She advised us about their best seller menus and drinks. We ordered Jones Wagyu Burger, Steak Sandwich with Olive Oil Fries, Spinach Apple Smoothies, Passion Fruit and Fresh Orange Drink (for dine in), and Salmon Sandwich (for take-out). We waited for 15 minutes only and our dinner was served. Our food was sumptuous. It's a different taste from our daily routine menu so we enjoyed that much (including my baby, because I can feel his soft little kicks and turns inside of me, as if saying, "I love the taste!").
But more than the delicious food we had, was the quality time we invested in our relationship. While we're having our dinner, my husband kept on talking and sharing about anything. He's such a conversant. This is part of him that nobody really knows, because he's a very silent person. I appreciate him much when he's telling stories.
After our dinner, we headed home. We waited for a taxi cab to bring us to the bus stop, but we couldn't find any. In a silent prayer, I asked God to provide us a ride. After a few minutes, two kabayans were coming on our spot. We asked them if there's any way to get to the bus stop, as there were no taxis around. They were kind enough to bring us to the short-cut way. This short-cut way needs a card to swipe so we can get out. They said, they used to have a card, but they will ask someone who has one. We walked through the mall and found this off-white gate.
Blessed enough, one guy was at the gate and he swiped his card. We passed through the beautiful private villas and managed to get out. We bid goodbye and thank you's. We came in the bus stop, and after few minutes, the bus arrived. If not for the two kabayas, we were not be able to get in perfectly on time, and, saved AED 8.00 for the taxi fare.
While on our way, my husband continued his story telling. He shared how he was able to finance his college fees through making and selling glass etching, paintings, framings, miniatures, and even joining contests in his craft. He shared how he became known because of his ballpen painting of Leonardo Dicaprio and sold it for Php 5000 16 years ago. And how he was able to get high grade on his thesis defense in Architecture. I fell in love with this man again!
We arrived home at half past nine in the evening.
With a delicious meal worth AED 1.00 only, the kabayans who assisted us to get to the bus stop, and an invested time as husband and wife, God knows exactly how to bless us!
All glory to God!
And so yesterday, me and husband headed off to Al Raha which is 31 km from the city via the public bus. We got down in the bus stop which was a little far from the area, so we took a taxi cab to get exactly to the restaurant. When we came in, I presented the voucher and the service attendant was very welcoming. She advised us about their best seller menus and drinks. We ordered Jones Wagyu Burger, Steak Sandwich with Olive Oil Fries, Spinach Apple Smoothies, Passion Fruit and Fresh Orange Drink (for dine in), and Salmon Sandwich (for take-out). We waited for 15 minutes only and our dinner was served. Our food was sumptuous. It's a different taste from our daily routine menu so we enjoyed that much (including my baby, because I can feel his soft little kicks and turns inside of me, as if saying, "I love the taste!").
But more than the delicious food we had, was the quality time we invested in our relationship. While we're having our dinner, my husband kept on talking and sharing about anything. He's such a conversant. This is part of him that nobody really knows, because he's a very silent person. I appreciate him much when he's telling stories.
After our dinner, we headed home. We waited for a taxi cab to bring us to the bus stop, but we couldn't find any. In a silent prayer, I asked God to provide us a ride. After a few minutes, two kabayans were coming on our spot. We asked them if there's any way to get to the bus stop, as there were no taxis around. They were kind enough to bring us to the short-cut way. This short-cut way needs a card to swipe so we can get out. They said, they used to have a card, but they will ask someone who has one. We walked through the mall and found this off-white gate.
Blessed enough, one guy was at the gate and he swiped his card. We passed through the beautiful private villas and managed to get out. We bid goodbye and thank you's. We came in the bus stop, and after few minutes, the bus arrived. If not for the two kabayas, we were not be able to get in perfectly on time, and, saved AED 8.00 for the taxi fare.
While on our way, my husband continued his story telling. He shared how he was able to finance his college fees through making and selling glass etching, paintings, framings, miniatures, and even joining contests in his craft. He shared how he became known because of his ballpen painting of Leonardo Dicaprio and sold it for Php 5000 16 years ago. And how he was able to get high grade on his thesis defense in Architecture. I fell in love with this man again!
We arrived home at half past nine in the evening.
With a delicious meal worth AED 1.00 only, the kabayans who assisted us to get to the bus stop, and an invested time as husband and wife, God knows exactly how to bless us!
All glory to God!
On Mommyhood's Milestones
Found out that I'm expecting. Yahoo! So the following day, I went to the hospital for a check-up. First time to hear my baby's heartbeat. It was incredibly amazing how this little angel's heart beats so fast. I was advised by my OB to take a long month of bed rest until my 12th week, because I had a miscarriage last year.
After a month of bed rest, I was excited with a bit of nervousness for my next ultrasound. And on my 12th week, we went to our OB again. I was mesmerized by the blessed life I saw in the ultrasound. My little angel was swaying like a wave being tossed by the wind. My OB took a long while when she's examining our angel. After a long wait, she explained that the measurement of my baby's neural tube is between normal and abnormal. I had to undergo a triple test to screen any fetal defects. I felt scared because of the thought that my angel will turn out into something unexpectedly.
The test was done within a week after the ultrasound. The laboratory staff advised us that the result will be received after three weeks as the test will be done outside UAE. The lab staff took a couple of ml of blood from me. I asked her if I can pray for my blood sample. She smilingly said, yes. I took the 2 tubes from her and prayed in Jesus' name.
Without further ado, we lifted this test result to God. We asked for a prayer from our church leaders and workers as well. It's good to have a Christian community where we can share our trials and be lifted in prayer. My husband and I were praying every day and night for God's divine intervention and victory for the negative result of fetal defects. In my heart, I kept on hearing the word of God in Jeremiah 32:27 which says, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind, is there anything too hard for me?" Tears came rolling down my cheeks. The Lord was speaking to me right that very moment. I felt peace and joy in my heart knowing that God is taking care of everything. We just had to trust in His Word.
One month after my triple test, we went back to our OB and she showed me the result of test. We felt relieved and happy from the bottom of our hearts - our angel is perfectly normal!. God indeed is a faithful God. I had another ultrasound and this time, my husband took a video of our angel. His/her heart was beating so fast. Our baby was kicking so hard, swimming in his/her world. We were happy knowing that the OB did not see any negative fetal development. On my next ultrasound, we will finally see our baby's gender.
All is well that's end well. Nothing is too hard for God. We just have to lift everything to Him who is the God of all mankind.
As of this writing, my baby is moving a lot. We are more that excited to see our angel soon.
To God be the glory!
After a month of bed rest, I was excited with a bit of nervousness for my next ultrasound. And on my 12th week, we went to our OB again. I was mesmerized by the blessed life I saw in the ultrasound. My little angel was swaying like a wave being tossed by the wind. My OB took a long while when she's examining our angel. After a long wait, she explained that the measurement of my baby's neural tube is between normal and abnormal. I had to undergo a triple test to screen any fetal defects. I felt scared because of the thought that my angel will turn out into something unexpectedly.
The test was done within a week after the ultrasound. The laboratory staff advised us that the result will be received after three weeks as the test will be done outside UAE. The lab staff took a couple of ml of blood from me. I asked her if I can pray for my blood sample. She smilingly said, yes. I took the 2 tubes from her and prayed in Jesus' name.
Without further ado, we lifted this test result to God. We asked for a prayer from our church leaders and workers as well. It's good to have a Christian community where we can share our trials and be lifted in prayer. My husband and I were praying every day and night for God's divine intervention and victory for the negative result of fetal defects. In my heart, I kept on hearing the word of God in Jeremiah 32:27 which says, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind, is there anything too hard for me?" Tears came rolling down my cheeks. The Lord was speaking to me right that very moment. I felt peace and joy in my heart knowing that God is taking care of everything. We just had to trust in His Word.
One month after my triple test, we went back to our OB and she showed me the result of test. We felt relieved and happy from the bottom of our hearts - our angel is perfectly normal!. God indeed is a faithful God. I had another ultrasound and this time, my husband took a video of our angel. His/her heart was beating so fast. Our baby was kicking so hard, swimming in his/her world. We were happy knowing that the OB did not see any negative fetal development. On my next ultrasound, we will finally see our baby's gender.
All is well that's end well. Nothing is too hard for God. We just have to lift everything to Him who is the God of all mankind.
As of this writing, my baby is moving a lot. We are more that excited to see our angel soon.
To God be the glory!
Boodle Fight for our Bible Study Break
Our Bible Study group started in the year 2011. Ever since, we have our Bible Study break. Every end of the six topics which runs two weeks per topic ( 3 moths), we do dinner at home, bowling, etc. And last night was our BS break again. We opted for a boodle fight dinner at home.
It was a fun night as everyone gave his/her share. The group was divided into four and each group has a distinct seafoods and meat to bring. We had crabs, squid, shrimp, chicken, crispy pata, steamed okra and eggplant, itlog na maalat, tomatoes, teamed up with different sawsawan/appetizers (such as bagoong, flavored soy sauce, atsara), fruits and drinks and plain and fried rice.
It's funny that right after the thanksgiving prayer, everyone attacked the table. We had our full as everyone used our hands to eat "kamayan style".
Photo credit to Bro. Alvin Capiral.
It was a fun night as everyone gave his/her share. The group was divided into four and each group has a distinct seafoods and meat to bring. We had crabs, squid, shrimp, chicken, crispy pata, steamed okra and eggplant, itlog na maalat, tomatoes, teamed up with different sawsawan/appetizers (such as bagoong, flavored soy sauce, atsara), fruits and drinks and plain and fried rice.
It's funny that right after the thanksgiving prayer, everyone attacked the table. We had our full as everyone used our hands to eat "kamayan style".
Photo credit to Bro. Alvin Capiral.
Why Tithing is Not Enough
I've been hearing a lot of stories of my friends and acquaintances about their financial suffering while living in UAE. One time, I learned from a friend that he is faithfully tithing but still in a financial mess. How can that be? God is more than willing to bless us with all our needs. He is a faithful God. I wonder why he is in this financial bondage.
One realization is that, aside from the 10% we give back to God, the 90% left is equally important in dealing with our financial stability. Yes, we are giving our tithes faithfully, but are we faithful enough to properly manage the 90%? God is not concern how much we give, but it is attitude of our hearts that God cares.
As a rule of thumb, Income - Savings = Expenses, and not the other way around. If God sees that we are managing our 90% properly, living within our means, He is more than happy and willing to bless us with more things. In purchasing things, always take time to think if we really need it. If it's just a want, then wait for a little while to have the sufficient fund to buy that want. Always stick to your budget.
I would like to share with you how our income are divided accordingly.
1. Tithes: We believe that tithes belong to God. We give beyond the 10%, and the 2% is our offering.
2. Savings: This includes our emergency fund and baby fund.
3. Life Insurance/Investments: We availed the VUL type of insurance wherein portion of our premium is invested, thus, accumulates cash. We started investing in the Philippine stock market. We both have accounts for our baby's college fund. When we complete our emergency fund, the succeeding savings will be invested in our start-up business and in the mutual fund as well.
4. Assistance to our families: We believe that giving financial assistance to both our parents is a way of giving or paying back all their sacrifices. Honor your parents, as the Bible says.
5. House Rent/Grocery, etc: Living expenses in Abu Dhabi is very high. I have my 'blue notebook" wherein I write down all our expenses, day in and day out. It includes our monthly dinner out.
6. Fun Fund: We both have fun fund where we spend for our personal wants. I usually buy clothes and my husband is fond of gadgets. So whatever we do to our fun fund, it's up to us.
So that's how and where our combined income go. I hope you learn from this simple article.
God loves to teach us even in the smallest part of our life. That's why He has given us His Word (The Bible) for us to learn and grow. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 is a very good example on how we have to manage everything that God has entrusted to us.
25:29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
To God be the glory.
One realization is that, aside from the 10% we give back to God, the 90% left is equally important in dealing with our financial stability. Yes, we are giving our tithes faithfully, but are we faithful enough to properly manage the 90%? God is not concern how much we give, but it is attitude of our hearts that God cares.
As a rule of thumb, Income - Savings = Expenses, and not the other way around. If God sees that we are managing our 90% properly, living within our means, He is more than happy and willing to bless us with more things. In purchasing things, always take time to think if we really need it. If it's just a want, then wait for a little while to have the sufficient fund to buy that want. Always stick to your budget.
I would like to share with you how our income are divided accordingly.
1. Tithes: We believe that tithes belong to God. We give beyond the 10%, and the 2% is our offering.
2. Savings: This includes our emergency fund and baby fund.
3. Life Insurance/Investments: We availed the VUL type of insurance wherein portion of our premium is invested, thus, accumulates cash. We started investing in the Philippine stock market. We both have accounts for our baby's college fund. When we complete our emergency fund, the succeeding savings will be invested in our start-up business and in the mutual fund as well.
4. Assistance to our families: We believe that giving financial assistance to both our parents is a way of giving or paying back all their sacrifices. Honor your parents, as the Bible says.
5. House Rent/Grocery, etc: Living expenses in Abu Dhabi is very high. I have my 'blue notebook" wherein I write down all our expenses, day in and day out. It includes our monthly dinner out.
6. Fun Fund: We both have fun fund where we spend for our personal wants. I usually buy clothes and my husband is fond of gadgets. So whatever we do to our fun fund, it's up to us.
So that's how and where our combined income go. I hope you learn from this simple article.
God loves to teach us even in the smallest part of our life. That's why He has given us His Word (The Bible) for us to learn and grow. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 is a very good example on how we have to manage everything that God has entrusted to us.
25:29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
To God be the glory.
How to be Practical on Your Wedding Celebration ... Our Story Tells It All.
Yes, I am now married. Thank God. It's been a year when I was in a "no-rush" preparation. Meeting your envisioned celebration of a simple Christian wedding takes even a lot of preparation: food and venue, guests, entourage, photo/video coverage, invitations, etc and most especially, the budget. Though we are living abroad, I still wanted our wedding to be held in my hometown in Zambales. Gathering our family and friends to join us in our milestone as wife-and-husband-to-be, is a great social happening and a feeling of awesome wonder.
Being brought as "Ilocana", I wanted to squeeze out our budget and spend below our means. With only a month of preparation, we managed to bring all things together. And I can say, I owe it a lot to God who gave us the talents and wisdom to make this event a wonderful celebration, with just a few dirhams to spend.
Being brought as "Ilocana", I wanted to squeeze out our budget and spend below our means. With only a month of preparation, we managed to bring all things together. And I can say, I owe it a lot to God who gave us the talents and wisdom to make this event a wonderful celebration, with just a few dirhams to spend.
How to Bring Your Immediate Family Member to UAE under a Tourist Visa for Job Purposes Part 2
Here is the Part 2 of my topic "How to Bring Your Immediate Family Member to UAE under a Tourist Visa for Job Purposes".
2. Prepare for Necessary Requirements. Both parties need to prepare the necessary papers needed in applying for a tourist visa and at the same time, papers needed for working visa. The following list will give you ideas on what papers to prepare.
2. Prepare for Necessary Requirements. Both parties need to prepare the necessary papers needed in applying for a tourist visa and at the same time, papers needed for working visa. The following list will give you ideas on what papers to prepare.
How to Bring Your Immediate Family Member to UAE under a Tourist Visa for Job Purposes Part 1
Filipinos are very helpful to their families. It's a great pride that we have this kind of love for our loved ones. Since we always look for greener pastures to help them financially, we also like to extend our assistance by bringing them to work abroad.
Two of my younger brothers are now working in UAE. The older is working as an Administrative Assistant in a construction company and the younger is a Safety Officer in the same field. But before they were able to establish their own lives and career in the sand dune, I needed to carefully plan how to bring them to UAE because it requires a huge amount of money and preparation.
Two of my younger brothers are now working in UAE. The older is working as an Administrative Assistant in a construction company and the younger is a Safety Officer in the same field. But before they were able to establish their own lives and career in the sand dune, I needed to carefully plan how to bring them to UAE because it requires a huge amount of money and preparation.
A Not-so-talkative but Talkative Husband Took Me to a Valentines' Date Twice
Direk, as we often call him, is a very quiet person. We've been married for a year now, and I can say that he is indeed a man of few words. He seldom talks. But when a topic of his interest is being talked about, he should and must say something. Behind his quietness is a deep sense of conversation and humor. When we are on a date, he talks about anything and everything.
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