I’ve been disconnected from the blogging world for a long time. Oh well, needless to say, I have been busy with so many things. And one of the reasons is my baby girl’s dedication last Saturday. We only had two weeks to plan and prepare for the whole thing, but we’re thankful that it turned out well.

We didn’t have enough time to look for a venue that fits our budget. So we just decided to hold the event at my mom-in-law’s house and hire a caterer. It turned out that the roof top of her house was perfect for our 70 guests! A life-saver indeed! (or should I say budget-saver?! LOL)

My baby girl on her pink gown.

Pastor Manny Muleta, our small group Pastor, officiated the dedication rites

Ayesha’s dedication certificate

With Ayesha’s Godparents

Then, it was time to eat…The food was yummy! Thank God!

We are so thankful that our family and friends were there to celebrate with us as we dedicate our baby girl to Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that she grows up to be the lady that God wants her to be. After all, her name, Ayesha Kirsten, means “a beautiful follower of Christ.”

Baby Ayesha was so delighted to see all these gifts as soon as she woke up the next day!

Tags: ayesha kirsten, Baptismal, Christening, Dedication, Victory | Category Baby Ayesha | 8 Comments »

Latest photos of my little princess…

I thank God every single day for entrusting and giving another pretty little angel to me. She’s turning five months next week. How time flies!

More photos here.

Tags: ayesha kirsten, baby, little princess | Category Baby Ayesha, Photoblog | 11 Comments »

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. — Proverbs 13:24.

Have you ever felt frustrated over disciplining your child? That sometimes it makes you think you’re not doing a good job in the Parenting Department? That if it were some course in college, you’d flunk miserably? Well, you’re not alone. I sometimes feel it too.

They say if you want to be a good parent, you can’t be too strict nor too permissive. You need to learn how to balance discipline and love. But since you can’t practice being a parent unless you become one, how would you know when you’re pulling the rope too tight or too loose? Children, as they grow, tend to do things on their own without knowing the consequences of their actions. And as parents, we try to protect them from going through unnecessary hurts and frustrations. Hence, the spoiling part comes in (ahhh, I’m so guilty!). Between me and my husband, he is the disciplinarian and I (believe) am the spoiler. Although he can be a spoiler too, he seems to know perfectly where to draw the line and is often good at imposing corrective actions on our four-year-old son. (Yeah, I guess he’s the better parent).

There are many ways to discipline a child. One of them is spanking. While I strongly agree that this may be an effective method, I don’t think it works for every child (especially if it’s done the wrong way). If spanking is too much and is done out of anger and frustration of the parent, the child becomes more violent and hard to control.

When we were just a couple, my husband once told me that spanking is okay as long as it is clearly explained to the child the reason for such kind of discipline and as long as it doesn’t go beyond a mere slap on the butt. If you hit your child on the head or strangle his neck, then it becomes wrong. As parents, we need to know the difference between child abuse and discipline.

I always try to discipline my son by patiently (errr – sometimes I’m not even that patient. LOL) explaining to him why he can’t always get what he wants, but more often than not, my begging just falls on deaf ears. It’s just amazing how kids can be controlling sometimes. *sigh* And because we love them, we often lose our parental authority by giving in to their wishes. (Guilty again! LOL)

I don’t believe in violence, but if you’re gonna ask me if spanking is sometimes necessary to discipline our children, then my answer is yes. But if you can make them follow your rules and control their wrongdoings without spanking, then much better. Remember, strict parenting doesn’t always get positive results.

How about you? How do you discipline your child? What do you do to make him listen to you without spanking? Do you believe in the saying Spare the rod and spoil the child?

Share your thoughts, please! Thank you.

Tags: discipline, Proverbs 13:24, spanking, spare the rod and spoil the child | Category Parenting | 5 Comments »

I’ve just finished reading Raising Godly Kids by Harold J. Sala. I learned a lot from this book. As I flipped through its every page, it made me realize what I am doing wrong and what I am doing right when it comes to raising my children. So I guess the million dollar question that needs an answer is: How do we raise godly kids in this ungodly world? Read what this book has to say and don’t forget to jot down notes! I know as a parent I have made countless mistakes, but I won’t allow those mistakes to hinder me from raising godly kids.

With that being said, allow me to share the things I learned that I’d rather not forget for as long as I live. Things that will mold me into becoming the mother that God wants me to be…

1. Love in the family must be kept alive through little acts of kindness and thoughtfulness.
2. Every child has gifts and abilities. Find out where your child excels and encourage him or her without ignoring the fundamentals of education.
3. Give your child your undivided attention.
4. If you want to be the father or mother that God wants you to be, learn to listen to your child.
5. A reward for doing the right thing teaches the wrong thing.
6. There are no second chances with parenting. If you fail, you can’t go back and start over.
7. The wise parent has to balance protecting a child from hard knocks and letting him experience the consequence of his own actions.
8. Parenting is bringing out the best in our children without condemning them for what they cannot do or making them feel inadequate when they fail to meet our expectations.
9. Teach your child to evaluate what he hears and sees and to think of himself.
10. Strive to be the best message you want your child to see and hear.
11. You can’t pass on the baton of faith to your child unless you have it firmly in your grasp.
12. Be there when your child needs your help.
13. Model the value system that you believe is important.
14. Build your child’s character through moral feeding.
15. Teach your child to be his own person.
16. You have to guard the moral and spiritual nature of your child.
17. Knowing the difference between discipline and punishment gives parenting a different perspective.

I highly recommend this book to every parent who wants to make a difference in the life of his/her offspring. Dr. Sala is right when he said that there are no second chances with parenting. That if we fail, we can’t go back and start over…Years from now, I’m pretty sure none of us would want to look back and ask ourselves “What have I done wrong?”.

P.S: I’m getting more parenting books at National Bookstore this weekend. Feel free to recommend good ones. Thank you!

Tags: child-rearing, Christian parenting, Harold J. Sala, Raising Godly Kids | Category Inspirational, Parenting | 1 Comment »