LOOK BETTER, FEEL GOOD!

This was the theme we chose for our afternoon of beauty, rest and relaxation. As a woman, I firmly believe that if one makes the effort to look good for the day, she will feel good. The good feeling radiates out to ones countenance. To those who did not make it, I am sharing our devotional and pictures of that fun afternoon at Marie's beautiful home.

"Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.' Proverbs 31:30 Some may have heard about the little boy who asked his mother why she was putting on cold cream. She replied that she was making herself beautiful. When she went to take off the cold cream, the little boy wanted to know what was the matter. Was she giving up? That little boy misunderstood the concept of the art of becoming beautiful. Sometimes, we as Christian women misunderstand God's concept of becoming beautiful in Christ.

There is nothing wrong with working on our outward beauty in itself. We are children of the King, so why not look the part? We should always do our best and look our best but many times we forget about the inside and the way we project ourselves. Perhaps, sometimes we just concentrate only on one feature or area of our Christian life but not the whole and our beauty in Christ becomes skewed.

Being beautiful in Christ involves more than just the outside or just one part of us. Our verse says, "..a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." That is the beauty that transcends time and doesn't fade away.

One thing about beauty that we all know as women is that it is a daily thing. In other words we have to keep ourselves up. If we let ourselves go, what happens? We're not quite so beautiful anymore, are we? It is the same with being beautiful in Christ. We have to constantly work at it. Here are some things to help us improve our beauty in Christ.

CLEANSER. In order to make ourselves beautiful, we have to first cleanse ourselves from all unwanted impurities. Our cleansing agent works through our confession and God's forgiveness.(1 John 1:9)

MOISTURIZER. Having compassion can be a good moisturizer. When we start seeing others and their needs instead of our own it can really soften us.

WRINKLE CREAM. If we want to smooth out those wrinkles, how about applying a meek and quiet spirit? (1 Peter 3:4) FOUNDATION. We need to start with a good foundation and what is better than the Word of God? If we have the Word of God in our hearts daily, the rest of our spiritual make-up can be easily applied. (Psalms 119:11)

EYE MAKEUP. To keeep our eyes shining the brightest we need to guard then from seeing things that are not fitting of a beautiful woman in Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

LIPSTICK. To make the face complete, don't forget your lips. Apply lipstick in the shade of "Pleasantness' daily for best results. (Proverbs 16:24 says, 'Pleasant words are as honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones.

BLUSH. The blush we apply should be God's love radiating through us. (Romans 5:5) HAND LOTION. We don't want our hands to become dry, ugly and brittle so we need to apply some generosity and good deeds. "Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31:31 FOOT THERAPY. Sometimes when we overlook our feet they get calloused and rough so we need to get them going in the right direction. Take your feet only to places that Christ would approve. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Thank you Marie, for letting us use your lovely home for this afternoon of beauty, rest and relaxation. So, ladies, DON'T FORGET YOUR UPKEEP! (From A Beautiful Woman in Christ by Julia Bettencourt)

Sisters-in-Christ Cookie Recipe

Sisters-in-Christ Friendship Recipe. I have often asked myself why fellowship and friendship with our sisters in Christ is so important? Let's check out the ingredients of the best chocolate chip cookie in the world and see.

Shortening - Provides texture. Our fellowship and friendship with our sisters in the Lord can add much depth and texture to our lives. We blend together in unity as part of the body of Christ.

Sugar - Adds sweetness. Our fellowship with our sisters adds such a sweet taste to our lives. If we didn't have suger in our cookies, we'd sure miss it. The same is with our fellowship with our sisters. We can't leave it out of our lives.

Eggs - Holds ingredients together. Sisters in the Lord are someone to lean on. We are help together by the fellowship with them. We are stronger because of them, their prayers and their love in the Lord. We have a special bond in Christ.

Vanilla - Adds flavor. Sisters add flavors we need. They give us that extra sensation. Without friends and fellowship we become kind of bland. Flour - Adds substance. We need the substance a sister in the Lord can add. They give us many things by way of mentoring us when we don't even know it. Their shared testimonies and way they live their lives has an impact on us.

Baking soda - Leavens. Leavening agents in baking helps to lighten the dough. Friendship with our sisters lightens our burdens through their prayer and encouragement.

Salt - Enhances flavor. We know that friendships add flavor and just when we need it, they help improve the tastefulness and quality of our lives. Friends are the type of people that know just what we are going through and are there when we need them.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips - The kind of chocolate chips we normally add to our cookies is semi-sweet. Our sisters in Christ tell us what they feel and think and that's okay. They can be honest and truthful to us.

Nuts - optional - Just a little craziness in a sister friend is great! Sometimes a little zaniness in our friends can be just the ingredient we need.

CONCLUSION: Friendships take a lot of time and effort to bake up but they are worth it when we sense that sweet aroma and special bond that they bring. Friends that have Jesus in common will have lasting relationships. Friends are one of the ways God takes care of us. An old saying goes, "In the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips." Friends are that sweeter extra in life and even sweeter is friends among believers in Christ. This coming Sunday, May 20, we are having an afternoon of BEAUTY, REST and RELAXATION! Why don't you come and join us for a moment of fun with your friends from church. You will not regret it. It will be at Marie Macris' home, 300 Eglantine, Circle. Richmond. SEE YOU THERE!

All about Mother's day Celebration. How do you celebrate Mother's day?

The first North American Mother’s Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on Mother’s to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their Sons killing the Sons of other Mothers. With the following, she called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood. This celebration was not really celebrated yearly, but Howe had nevertheless planted the seed that would blossom into what we know as Mother’s Day today. A West Virginia women’s group led by Anna Reeves Jarvis began to celebrate an adaptation of Howe’s holiday. In order to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided between the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, the group held a Mother’s Friendship Day. After Anna Reeves Jarvis died, her daughter Anna M. Jarvis campaigned for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in remembrance of her mother and in honor of peace. In 1908, Anna petitioned the superintendent of the church where her Mother had spent over 20 years teaching Sunday School. Her request was honored, and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother's Day celebration took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The West Virginia event drew a congregation of 407 and Anna Jarvis arranged for white carnations—her Mother’s favorite flower—to adorn the patrons. Two carnations were given to every Mother in attendance. Today, white carnations are used to honor deceased Mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to Mothers who are still alive. Andrew's Methodist Church exists to this day, and was incorporated into the International Mother’s Day Shrine in 1962.By the time of Anna M. Jarvis's death, over 40 countries observed the Mother’s Day, and today that number exceeds 70.

Today, there are so many ways of celebrating Mother's Day. Most families reserve Mother's Day brunch at famous restaurants or even organize family "get-to-gethers" to celebrate this event.

**The National Retail Foundation estimates that Mother's Day is a $16 Billion industry. **Google Trends shows a sharp spike in search traffic for Mother's Day on Mother's Day in the US and UK and the month leading up to it. **Florists see their highest sales in May. **US restaurants claim that it is the busiest day of the year. **Long distance telephone calls also peak on this day. **The US Postal Service experiences increased volume during the surrounding days.

**According to Hallmark (via About.com), 96% of American consumers take part in shopping on Mother's Day, while retailers report it as the second highest gift giving day of the year behind Christmas. http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/about-mothersday/history/

In my own home, we always go to the botanical garden on mother's day because I always love gardens. When the kids were growing up in New York, we go to the Botanical Garden in the Bronx or in Brooklyn. Nowadays, we go to the Norfolk Botanical Garden or to Maymont.But we do not leave the house with empty stomachs.

Sunday brunches are very important in our home. Since I always leave early for church with the girls on Sabbath mornings, my husband just help himself to a bowl of cereal or oats on Saturday mornings. To compensate, I always make it a point to make a special Sunday brunch for everyone. But on Mother's Day Sunday, Helmut and the girls will wake up early to make a special breakfast for me. Although I am usually awake by then, I just pretend to sleep still. He always makes the same yummylicious cheesy souffle-omelet and a bowl of fresh fruits such as strawberries or mixed berries. When the girls grew up, they took charge of the kitchen decorating it with style, but Helmut still makes the same souffle-omelet until Kristina turned vegan. Now there are fruit tarts, quiches and frittatas of all sorts.Here is one simple strawberry tart you can make this Sunday...

Strawberry Tart Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Makes 6-8 servings. Ingredients 1sheet of puff pastry, approximately 12x12" (I don't make puff pastry from scratch, so I used a Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet.) 16 ounces, weight strawberries, sliced 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons honey Instructions Preheat oven to 375°F. Lay puff pastry on parchment lined baking sheet. Turn up edges all the way around. Spread sliced strawberry evenly across puff pastry. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and honey. Brush tops of of strawberries with mixture. You will probably have a little extra balsamic vinegar/honey leftover. Bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes or until pastry is slightly browned. Serve while still warm. Top with favorite whipped topping. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, ladies! Wherever and however you spent this day, enjoy every moment with your mothers, children, family and friends.

Edwin Hubbell Chapin once said, "No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star".

Meet our Pastor's Wife: Marie Jean Mercado Pagunsan

She was born in Iligan City, Philippines to a very devout Catholic family. She graduated her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in 1994 and loved every minute of being a nightingale. On March 1996, she applied as a volunteer nurse at Iligan Medical Center and during her orientation, she met the dashing and highly intelligent Chaplain, Junnie Ree Pagunsan who was in charge of orientation. That moment changed her life forever. She knew then that he was going to be the one and although she knew that her being a non-Adventist and his being a non-Catholic would bring a lot of challenges and hindrances to their relationship within the denomination and among their families, both were determined to find a way for love to prevail. Six months later, against all odds, they got married at a civil ceremony in September 17, 1996. But God is so good and three beautiful children followed:Jan Mikhail, Neil Owen and Shanele Aira 'Aya'.

In the year 2000 Junnie Ree left for California while she stayed behind with the children. Without her husband, the responsibilities of bringing up her children as Adventists with her devout Catholic family was challenging. Four years later, they joined him and she is now employed at VCU Health System. She used to work at the Orthopedics Units where she was given the Flamingo Award, a special award given to a nurse for excellent service. Recently, she was also given a special award at the Bone Marrow Transplant Department in recognition for excellence in nursing care as recommended by her patients to her superiors. (This was shared by her spouse without her knowledge).

This year in February, during the annual Renewal of Vows ceremony that our church, Jean and her husband were able to say their vows the way they dreamed of - and in the presence of their three lovely children and the whole church family.

Her favorite text in the Bible is found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Her favorite woman in the Bible: A Bleeding Woman of Faith. From her own words: I always love the story of the woman who was bleeding for 12 years, undiagnosed, shunned by society, exhausted and weak from anemia, yet courageous enough to walk for miles to follow Jesus.The Law forbids her, a Canaanite to touch a Jew or anyone for that matter because she was bleeding and sick. She was considered an outcast from society. But she was determined to do something. As Jesus walked by, this woman was overwhelmed by faith, reached out her hand, and touched His robe as He walked by. The Bible says, "Immediately, her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering." (Mark 5:29).She had the greatest faith that if only she could touch the hem of His garment, she will be well. As a woman of God, I want to have that great faith like hers. I know that in our lives, God deals with us in different ways. But we have to intentionally touch God as we tell him all our worries and cares and let him know how much we need Him. I know fully well that our God hears even the deafening silence of a humble spirit or even in the midst of the raging crowd of prayers thrown at Him. I firmly believed that my act of faith, my act of worship, my soul thirsty for Him to fill, all my cares and problems will never go unnoticed. My sins will be blotted out and He will give me a fresh start; I just have to come to Him just as I am BROKEN.

According to Pastor Junnie, as a mother, Jean is a loving mother whose number one concern is her children. Although exhausted from her night duties at the hospital, she never hesitates to ask how they are, what they're doing and what their needs are. She spends a lot of time with them during her waking hours. Family time is of utmost importance and she is a strict observer of the Sabbath. Preparation for the Sabbath takes precedence on Friday afternoons. The house cleaned, meals prepared and hearts ready for the Sabbath. She also enjoys getting together with other families on weekends for socializing knowing the importance of a living a well-balanced family life. She assumes leadership roles at Filipino "get-togethers", making sure that Filipino children do not forget their heritage and where they came from. As a woman of God, she wants to be an example to her children that if you have that great faith in God, nothing is impossible. Believing on Him completely is an attribute worth emulating.

Sisters for Christ

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22 I have always been an optimist and a very cheerful person. But last Sabbath, I woke up with a heavy heart. My daughter ALexa cannot go to church with me and that is always depressing for me. I always want her to come along and be spiritually refreshed or rejuvenated. So I decided to spend a weekend in Richmond and be with my church family. I have always wanted to join the afternoon sessions plus the Kairos prayer and get-together, so I decided this will be the weekend to enjoy all these, instead of rushing home as always. I packed some clothes. Although I have not made arrangements for lodging, I know there will always be someone who will volunteer her room for me. As I drove the almost 90 miles drive to church, I started thinking of what I could possibly do to use my time wisely. Reality dawned, I never had to. God had a plan for me. Potluck was scheduled to my delight.

As I mingled and interacted with these women at our church, I realized, we have so much in common. We all work during the week, took care of our families, and although sleep-deprived and exhausted, we come to church - still willing to serve. We cook and bring food, we help serve and make sure every activity at church runs at the right speed and sequence. We do not complain or grumble - we just accept the stark reality that this is part of our existence. Then I decided to stay with the Pagunsans after finding out that the Kairos group will meet at their place for their weekly sundown worship and fellowship due to a predicted evening rain. I knew then, it will be a fun evening. And it sure was!

Worship started and as the rain poured, more families came bringing food to devour. Another scrumptious dinner was served and as the kids found their chosen activity, the men group themselves around the kitchen table while the women went upstairs for a special activity: watching old movies. This was our evening to relax, to forget about the stresses and challenges of the past week and to rejuvenate ourselves before another week ensues.

Even without the popcorn and snacks, we had a great time laughing, crying and making odd if not silly comments about the movie. It was such a simple activity - but it brought us joy and camaraderie. We knew that evening was a time for relaxation knowing that there will be more challenges in the week ahead. As sisters in Christ, we do have a common goal: to take care of our family, support our church and all their social and religious programs, be an example to our children and to be healthy physically and emotionally so we can serve others better. I love this article about how to be a healthier and stronger woman. Here are 9 principles of purposeful living that we can put into practice. [1] You should NOT WORRY, for WORRY is the most unproductive of all human activities. Worry is a negative state of mind which deals with the same problem over and over again, yet nothing is solved. [2] You should NOT BE FEARFUL, for most of the things we fear never come to pass. Fear is the opposite of confidence. It is also another negative emotion where it deals with uncertainty and loses heart easily. How can one win when one feels defeated even before the game has started? [3] You SHOULD NOT CROSS BRIDGES before you get to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this. Deal with each problem as it comes, you can handle only one at a time anyway. Let God's will be done, not ours. What will happen will happen for a good cause. One cannot deal with unseen problems though one can learn to troubleshoot. [4] You should NOT TAKE PROBLEMS TO BED with you for they make very poor bedfellows. Problems are not solved when one go to sleep, be rested proper to have our energies and spirits renewed to stand tall to face all challenges the next day.. [5] You should NOT BORROW other people's problems. They can take better care of them than you can. There are numerous other people's problems beyond one's expectations and understandings. Learn to tackle our own problems before giving a hand to others. Solve our own problems before minding other people's problems. [6] You SHOULD NOT TRY TO RELIVE YESTERDAY for good or bad... it has already gone! Concentrate on what is happening in your life today. There is no use crying over spilt milk. Be geared towards moving a step at a time. 'Yesterday was a cancelled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, Today is ready cash, Use it to the fullest!' That was what people used to say. [7] You should BE A GOOD LISTENER, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is very hard to learn something new when you are talking. We have a pair of ears but only one mouth. Be patient to speak before understanding. Our mouths serve us best when in accord with inner conscience where Truth dwells.. [8] You should NOT BECOME BOGGED DOWN by frustration, for 90 percent of it is rooted in self-pity, and it will only interfere with positive action. Self-pity is the web that spins miseries and traps oneself with their 'self-dug-pits' or dungeons. Slithering snakes and crawling insects will be your friends while in the darkness of frustrations. [9] You should COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one! For every blessings known to you, there are hundreds more that you don't know. Have heart in all you do. Always be grateful in all we have. Gratitude is a virtue for all. Gratitude is a key to peace of mind and heart. When one seeks to assuage the suffering of others, it is really one's own suffering that one mitigates the relief. When one direct one's attention to the inner-self, which is Truth, one will perceive the same Divinity to be present in all. Thus it makes up these 9 principles to live by......... Lucy Wong is a health and nutrition consultant. She is keen in sharing the 4 dimensions of health, aiming at attaining total health and happiness for all. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Wong_Moi HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD!!!!!! Your sister in Christ, Raylene

Sisters for Christ

I was just looking through quotations written by women and this one really caught my fancy. It was written by Christina Rosssetti and it goes this way: “For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather, to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands.”

I too, firmly believed that “A sister is a gift from God, sent from above to make life worthwhile here below.” And to this quote, I do not necessarily mean a birth sister. Few months back, The FWESDA Women's Ministry circle met at Shari's house for an international Tea Party and we decided to find a partner or a special sister where we can spend time to get to know each other better. A sisterhood for Christ could be a beginning of a real deep friendship. I was so excited that I picked Hilda's name. I have often observed her to be very genuine, always smiling and ready to greet me with a warm embrace and a Happy Sabbath greeting. I knew she came from Brazil and have met her family and have even visited her home. But aside from the information she voluntarily wrote on the sheet about her favorite colors and food and memory verses, i really do not know her that well - yet! And I am really guilty. Didn't I start this idea of having a special sister, anyway? Why haven't I done something special to make this quest come to full reality? I wonder if all the other women did their part?

Looking back, I realized that I truly have been so busy with other tasks at home, church and at work and I need to prioritize all of these things. We, women are always multi-tasking and do not even realize that we have been overwhelmed with the tasks we volunteered or given to us. I have been guilty. I have been busy with the Social Committee and the coming Mission Trip to the Philippines, plus my job and my home, that I have neglected the Women's blog. I have so many great plans to feature all the women in our church here so we can get to know each other. I tried but there were only a few who willingly gave their stories or return the forms so they can be featured. So for this issue, I really want to let you, my sisters for Christ know that I need you to help me make this blog possible. I need to get your stories about your life as women for Christ, as a mother, as a wife, as a sister or simply as a woman. Your experiences in your journey to the kingdom could touch one soul and make a difference. I hope you will share your stories, your sentiments and experiences by talking to me or emailing them to me so they can be featured here. If we cannot have a weekly blog, at least, we can do it every other week.

Because I am organizing our yearly Renewal of Vows scheduled on February 12, I have decided that we, women will meet on the second Saturday Night or second Sunday afternoon for a Spring Fling. I will keep you posted in the next few weeks. Please let me know what schedule you prefer: Saturday night or Sunday afternoon. It will be a "Day for Beauty and Relaxation".

Relationships are as important to us women as the very air we breathe. Without relationships we feel bereft, cut off from vital sources of comfort and support. We love our family, our husbands, our children and grandchildren and we give and give and give to them all our time and attention and sometimes, we forget to give also a treat to ourselves by nurturing friendships of other women. And because of our busy schedules, sometimes we cannot make it a priority to keep our relationship to other women current.Let his be our thought today " Today, I nurture and sustain my relationship through following my urges to give. I am a trustworthy friend to myself and others.

I will be a worthy sister for Christ.

Submitted by Raylene Ann Baumgart

A woman's thought about aging

A few week's ago, I left for my birth country, the Philippines to visit my mother who has been ailing lately. She is 81 years of age and due to rheumatoid arthritis, her activities are limited and this has been very frustrating to her, a woman, who once upon a time, was the busiest socialite in town. She was always the leader, organizer of church and charity events in town and a true public figure. Two years ago, I relocated my parents from the hometown I grew up to a seaside village which is also close to the city and hospitals in case they need them and where my two brothers live close by. My Papa in desperation told me that sometimes, my mother refused to get out of bed. So, I concluded, she must be suffering from depression. Lately, she had been sick and my family thought, perhaps, my presence will make her laugh and feel rejuvenated again.

(My Mama and me on my wedding day)

On my flight home, visions of my Mama invaded my psyche and I remembered vividly how I used to tell my friends that if I could half half of her genes, her beauty and her intelligence, I would not ask for anything else. I kept preparing myself on how to handle her presence, to be extra-sensitive and to plan for activities that will make it easier for transport and less strenuous outings.Perhaps, just a quiet beach vacation will do, where we can just hang around and observe the fisherman with their sailboats and watch the sunrise or sunset.

I was never so wrong in my life. When I arrived at their condo, dinner was ready and she had made my favorite hearty food: fried tuna, vegetable stew with malunggay and ginisang kangkong (sir fry green vegetables). I saw an immaculately clean kitchen with bleached-white kitchen towels neatly ironed then folded on open shelves above the kitchen counter. Bathroom was well-scrubbed with a tankful of water ready for my bath with crisply-ironed bath towels ready for my use. And instead of a whining, complaining sickly woman, here was my mother, chattering the afternoon away, telling me about her new friends in the neighborhood and how much she appreciated me for putting them up on this apartment by the sea. My father amused, confided that she had been busy preparing for my homecoming and have not complained about her aching knees and arthritic hands. She got rid of the cleaning lady who comes every other week and have been doing all the laundry while he did the house cleaning. After opening my suitcase and giving her all my "pasalubongs" (presents), she chuckled and laughed at all the church dresses and even tried them on one by one, walking up and down the stairs for a fashion show. She kept saying, "I am going to be the best-dressed old lady in our church." There was simply no sign of fatigue and I was the one, exhausted from the 25 hours flight and jet lag.

The following morning, I was awakened at 4:00Am. Before the roosters could crow, my mother was already singing her favorite hymns. Unable to sleep and without complaint, my Papa went downstairs to the kitchen to make his coffee. Still groggy,I went to their room and joined her in singing and then she started reciting her favorite sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Then she recalled how she taught me all those declamation pieces so I could be the best literary orator in the province. We switched on to reciting her favorite poems by John Masefield and Robert Frost. I had no choice but join in. These, after all are poems she taught me to memorize as a child and as a teenager. Only, this time, she memorized the lines, much better than I could. When asked how she could still memorize these lines, she just chuckled and said, "This is how I fight Alzheimer's disease. That is one disease I would never wish to have. I am exercising my brain daily."

By 5:30 that morning, we joined Papa downstairs for our morning worship and an hour later, we were walking towards the beach for their daily morning beach walk and swim. I was just amazed at all the people they knew in their new location and all the morning greetings and respect from everyone we met at this new place. On our way home, bought hot "suman" (sweetened rice wrapped in banana leaves made with coconut milk, a dozen ripe mangoes and 2 pounds of fresh fish sold by vendors they personally know in their new neighborhood.

breakfast after the swim

freshly caught fish

After a hearty breakfast, she hastened to get dressed for the town market, a place where my Papa said she refused to go due to distance. With me, we brought home lots of food for the week.

Mama and her choice of transportation: the prettiest pedicab she can find.

In the three weeks, I spent with my parents, we were able to have a family reunion for my mother's side of the family at another island where she was reunited with three other sibblings she has not seen for years. She said, she was looking forward to my homecoming so she could ride on an airplane again plus go island hopping. And we did. We flew to one island and visited three more islands by boat and stayed at relaxing and quiet tourist-free beachside resorts. We visited 6 provinces by land. While I ached and ordered massages at least three times a week, she never complained about aches and pains in all our outings. She had a real blast.

As I look back, i can only say that I was glad I went home and spent those weeks with my mother while she can still enjoy all those excursions. My father himself could not believe she had that energy and enthusiasm and he could only thank me for it. He concluded that my visit was just the prescription she needed.

As women, we face the reality that someday, our parents are going to get old and dramatically change their lifestyles. Are we ready to accept those changes? How will we cope with them?

Here is a list of things we can do to help as suggested by David Moberg from Decision Magazine:
1. Communicate often. Keep in touch by phone, visits, and letters. Remember special occasions.
2.Respect independence. As long as possible, your parents need to make their own decisions about where and how to live.
3.Support "letting go". Help them find constructive ways to dispose of possessions. Listen to them and weep with them when they must give up their homes, their driver's licenses or their leadership skills.
4.Empathize with them. If you were in their place, how would you act and feel?
5.Encourage age reminiscing. Draw forth memories of the past and help them fit together the pieces of their experiences.
6.Listen to them. Hear the accounts of their past disappointments, accomplishments and satisfactions - even if told repeatedly - as well as the accounts of their current worries and fears, joys and hopes and delights.
. Help them find large print Bibles, enriching TV and radio programs and arrange transportation for church going.
8.Support usefulness. Seek their counsel, praise their hobbies and encourage their giving services to others.
9.Stimulate their social life. Encourage them to maintain old social relationships and to make new ones.
10.Pray for them and with them. Their physical, mental, social and material well-being is interconnected with their spiritual growth.

If you have experiences as a wife, as a daughter, as a mother, as a sister or niece or simply as a woman, please share them with us, women in our church. Let's support one another in our journey. As Christian sisters for Christ, we get to encourage one another as we share our experiences. Email them to me at raylene.baumgart@gmail.com or simply sit down with me and let me write your story.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!