Easter with the elderly!

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I said in my last post " Trip to Ålesund" that I will continue to share my adventure with my husband, but since today is Sunday, I decided to post this one first. Our way of celebrating Easter with the elderly!

Me and my sister, ready for the days event!

We decorated the tables first. Made them extra special because it was Easter.

And we prepared the food that we are going to served. Here is my baked buns with vanilla cream filling!

My sister made these wouth watering sandwiches!

Sliced fruit for good health!

My brother-in-law baked this cheese cake:) 

The  choir singing for us:)

My brother-in-law  had a surprise for each and eveyone.  A big egg with goodies inside:) How lucky we are.

These  eggs put smiles on our faces!

And to  the elderly too! 

The best part:   food for the soul!

A retired priest and his wife came and shared God's word to us!

The joy of sharing God's blessings to the elderly cannot measure with money. And yes, they were so thankful that they want to give us money, but we said that we don't come to get money from them, but  smiles on their faces was more than enough reward for us. And I am sure God is smiling too!

 My sister and my brother-in-law. I really treasured this couple in my heart. A blessing!

Happy Easter to everybody. Jesus is risen:)

Linking with Spiritual Sundays: http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

         

and     peggyapl.blogspot.com          

         

                              

Trip to Ålesund!

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At last we are arrived home and  I can now  share my adventure these last few days. Unforgettable!

The story actually began when my husband decided to buy a second hand 24 feet boat. And he told me that we are going to check if  the boat is ok the next time he comes home. The plan was to sail the boat home to our place from a place called Fosnavåg. A little island outside Ålesund city. The distance is ca 120 nautical miles. He said that it will take us two days to sail. Of course it depends on the weather.

 Well, last Wednesday I took a two in half hour journey by fast ferry boat to a place called Kristiansund where the ship that my husband works docked. My husband was going to wait for me there.
 I haven't seen him for the past four weeks and I was very excited to see him, like a high school girl going on her first date.

                        This is the Terminal in Kristiansund where my husband waited for me.

We didn't had the time to roam around in Kristiansund because the bus to Ålesund was about to leave. My stomach was already already in turmoil before the journey. Actually  I don't like travelling or driving when the road is slippery, but I had no choice. Thanks God that although it snowed a lot, the road was not slippery at all. The snow was already melted on the road except for some places. 

After circa four hours trip by bus and ferry boat, we arrived in Ålesund. The plan was to take a ferry boat to another island where we are going to stay in one of the hotel there, so that the boat owner can fetch us very early in the morning. But since it was Easter, the hotel in that island was close. So we stayed overnight in Ålesund. And luckily we found this hotel.

                                                        First Hotel Atlantica

We were just looking for  a place to sleep that night, so it was more than good enough for us.

The hotel's lobby

As you can see in the pictures, the corridor, the room and the bathroom are clean. And they have soap, shampoo, balsam and lotion to make us dirty guests clean and smell good. And we really needed a long hot shower after a long journey. 

But before everything else, we have to eat dinner. There was only one hotel employee who worked in the restaurant and we waited almost one hour before she came with the food. But, we did not complain. We saw how she did her best for all the guests. And when one is hungry, the food taste even better. 

Ålesund city burned down in 1904 and after that, it was rebuilt in " Art Nouveau Style" as you can see in the pictures.

The man in the picture  is my husband, on the way  to fast ferry boat that is going to take us to the other island. ( Hareid island)

My last picture in Ålesund!

This is the place where the fast ferry boat will dock.

And this is the entrance to the boat, where my nightmare began. To be continued in my next post.

JOY

The fruits!

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When I Woke This Morning, God Gave Me These Words

Well, my name is Ligaya, and in English it means joy. God wants me to be joyful no matter what the circumstances are. That’s not easy most of the time—especially when my body is in terrible pain, when my loved ones are going through difficulties, or when the world seems to be falling apart. But I thank God for reminding me that no matter what, I can place everything in His hands and choose joy in all circumstances.

PATIENCE
I must have a bucket of patience, because I am an impatient woman. I don't like waiting—especially for someone who is always late. If I want to do something, I have to do it now. If someone is telling a story, I don’t want to hear all the details—just tell me what happened and be done with it! For me, "time is gold."
But God is saying patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. So I suppose I have to let the Spirit of God work in me—and give me a bucket full of patience! :)

KINDNESS
Well, maybe this is the easy part. I worked in an activity center for the elderly—and I loved them. So showing kindness to them was natural for me.
But how about showing kindness to the people who hurt me? That, I need God’s help with—not only to forgive them, but to show kindness to them. God gives us opportunities every day to show kindness—not only to our loved ones, but also to the unlovable.
Well, that’s an everyday challenge. And that’s what makes life exciting!

LOVE
What is the definition of love? Everyone longs to be loved—and to love.
I believe the greatest love ever shown was when God gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for us sinners, so that those who believe in Him can be forgiven and saved.

God’s definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:
“Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Well, I have a long way to go to love like that!

PEACE
In today’s world, peace can be hard to find. We are surrounded by noise wherever we go. And not just noise—problems and sickness that make us worry. The storms of life can rob us of the peace we long for.

But God says:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6–7

There we have it! That is the secret to having peace, no matter the circumstances.

FAITHFULNESS
Am I faithful in everything I do? Well, I’m faithful to my husband, my work, my family.
But how faithful am I to God? In prayer, in trust, in good works, and in faith?

I have to depend on God to help me be faithful to what He has entrusted me. I’m not perfect—none of us are—but He is. And I can call on Him any time of day, and He is faithful to listen.
I just hope each one of us stays faithful in listening to God—because His wisdom never ends. :)

GOODNESS
Do we experience God's goodness every day?
Sometimes people become blind to it, asking, “Where is God in the midst of all the bad things happening around the world?” But God’s goodness is everywhere—in nature, in the people who lend a helping hand.

God is good—He has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to touch, feet to walk, and minds to think.
He has given us one another—to love, and to be loved in return. He’s given us talents and the ability to develop them. God’s goodness is too many to count—we just have to open our eyes :)

GENTLENESS
I’m the kind of person who’s always on the go, always doing something—often multitasking.
Most of the time, while doing one thing, I’m already thinking about the next task.
The result? I sometimes forget to be gentle with what’s right in front of me.

I remember when I was very young, I worked as a dishwasher in a cafeteria. The first month, I didn’t earn anything—I broke so many plates and glasses because I was always in a hurry! My employer didn’t pay me. That’s when I learned dishwashing wasn’t the job for me :)

Now, I work with elderly people—and I need to be gentle with them. I suppose I’ve become very good at it now.

SELF-CONTROL
The cat in the picture is a great example of self-control. I need that kind of self-control when our cat uses the floor as her toilet.
I need it when my teenage daughter is doing “her thing” and won’t listen to me.
When my husband wants to listen to country music on Saturday night—and all I want is a quiet evening with him.

Oh, how I thank God for creating tears—because sometimes I just cry, and I feel better afterward.

---

Dear God,
Let the fruit of the Spirit be seen in me—and in us—so that this world can become a better place to live for each and every one of us.

JOY

Bulgaria

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One summer my family agreed to spend our vacation in Bulgaria. This time in Varna!

 Airport in Bulgaria. Just waiting for our luggage.

We stayed on this hotel. It has a swimming pool for the guests. Nice and clean, but those who worked there were not so polite. 

We arrived at the  hotel past midnight, hungry and thirsty, met by a  receptionist who was not friendly at all. We asked her where we can buy drinking water and food, and she just told us to go outside, walked ca 500 meter where we can find another hotel who was open past midnight and selling something to eat. But to go out past midnight in a dark and unknown place was not so easy for us. But we were so thirsty and hungry, so off we went. And I just prayed while we were walking, asking God for protection. And we indeed found the hotel and found something to eat. 

Next morning, we passed by the reception and say good morning to those who worked there. Or else they would not say a word. What a difference! 

We spent a vacation in the Philippines in 2004 and my husband was so impressed of the hotel employees that  were so polite. Always smiling and greeting us good day and opening the door for us everytime we passed by. Well,  there is difference in culture. And maybe it is tiring for the employees also to say hello to every guest  whole the day. So, I understand them. 

Anyway we were there to enjoy, so here we are roaming around!

 My daughter just had to go to all the shopping stall. Looking for something to buy. She thought that we had a bag full of money. But she was wrong, coz his daddy is not a millionaire. But we had  follow her anyhow. Lucky that she didn't find much that she liked. Good for us and our wallets. 

 

 The hotel is only one kilometer away  from the beach, restaurants and shopping area. So it was a nice walking distance for us. But sometimes, we took this train to roam around, when our feets needed rest.

 Enjoying the ride:)

Stopped by in many different places!

Since we were on vacation there, we didn't cook our food in the hotel. We tried different restaurants. They do serve big portions meal for very low prices. And they have also welcome drinks, but since me and my daughter does not drink alcohol beverage, my husband drinked them all. 

Bulgaria by night! Don't judge us! We just took picture outside the casino. 

Like I said, it was cheaper there, so we went to the beauty shop for hair treatment.

Time for entertainment! Fiesta Bulgaria. A bus pick us from the hotel so we can see  a showcase of Bulgaria's specialties.

A few of them. It was a very long program, so the result....

Before and after!

At last my husband found his long lost friend. The pirate:)

But me, I preferred  to wait for my chicken barbeque. The smell reminds me of my homecountry. 

It was very nice in Bulgaria, but there is no place like home..................................................................!

Bulgaria in 2007

JOY