Our new dog, Ezra, and one good news!

Last October 2006, my dad bought another Shih-tzu to be Jeremiah's (our house pet dog) playmate (and wife, hehe!). My dad saw an ad in the "buy & sell" paper, selling this more than a year old Shih-tzu. We got it at a lower price since it does not have any documents/papers, they don't even know her birthday! Worse, she does not have a name even! Poor dog! When my dad and mom went to look at her, she was all skinny and VERY dirty. Her hair was all tangled! Now, for a Shih-tzu, that was an ugly sight. They can barely recongnize her real color. My mom was having second-thoughts, she was not as cute as Jeremiah, hehe! My dad, on the other hand, tried to hold this skinny dog in his arms. This dog leaned his head on his arm which, according to my dad, sent a message to him saying "please take me with you...". In that instant, my dad fell in love with that dog and got her.

Since we got Jeremiah's name from the books of the Bible, we thought of naming our second Shih-tzu with another book from the Bible. As suggested by my brother, we named her "Ezra"(I gave "Esther" as a name but they rejected it, hmp! It was too common daw! hehe). After being groomed by mom, she became a lot cuter. We all reckon that she was sweeter and more active than Jeremiah. There was quite an animosity between them at first. Jeremiah was seemingly jealous so my dad would always say that we should never play with Ezra unless we have played with Jeremiah first. It's funny to hear but it seems like we have another younger brother and sister, hehe!

Four months have passed and Jeremiah and Ezra were quite best friends now. Anyway, here's the good news. Last week, my parents took our two Shih-tzu, Jeremiah and Ezra, to vet for check-up. My mom dressed them up and put on their pigtails and ponytails. See... there are so adorable!!! Then the vet annouced something that we've been suspecting for more than a week now... EZRA'S PREGNANT! hurray! She's about to give birth last weeks of February and we can't be more excited! I never thought I would be excited this much but oh well, I'm praying for her safe delivery, hehe!

the mystery girl

This past few weeks could be described as, let's say, not-so-good-week for both me and my roommate. My roommate is pressed for time. She aims at defending her thesis the second week of February but things has not been going according to plan. There were what we call unexpected and uncontrollable circumstance which delays "the work". As for me, oh well, my computer bugged down and I had to reformat it. When I finally had it reformatted, I tried to print something for my thesis and the ink ran out. When I got it changed, something unexplainable happened to my printer which did not allow me to print anything at all. I was delayed at my schedule, there were lots of "crosses" among my things-to-do-list and I was becoming more and more frustrated at the seemingly stagnant stage of my thesis.

One night, my roommate asked me to eat dinner with her and my other dormmate. I should have known something was wrong. Wait! let me correct that! I know something was wrong... I can sense it... but I don't want to sense it... because i don't want to be delayed in my work. This was one of the many things I regretted this week. The Lord just gave me someone to minister to and I just missed that chance because I was selfish and overly concerned on my self. Anyway, while they were in the jeepney, my roommate was whispering to our other dormmate about the stress, the pressure, the frustrations as well as some personal problems she had at that time. She was quite teary-eyed (or maybe she was actually crying already) but she made it as inconspicuous as she can. When they alighted at McDo Philcoa, there's this girl who approached her. As my roommate told it to me, this girl gave a piece of paper to her for no obvious reason, I mean, they were strangers to each other. My roommate hesitated initially. But the girl insisted, "Sige na, para sayo talaga yan!", was her exact words. So my roommate took it without even thanking her. When they reacher McDo, my roommate opened it and she saw the date a note saying...

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" - 1 Peter 5:7

God loves you. You can be strong in Him. God bless! =)

And my roommate just wanted to cry again because she sensed God's love speaking to her through this note. When they got back here from the dorm, that was the first story that my roommate told me. There was a change in her aura. She posted it in front of her computer and declared "Nothing's gonna put me down now" and then she continued working on her thesis.

Up to now, my roommate would want to see that girl again and to at least thank her for the note that she gave. They have not seen each other again but God bless that girl!!! because her note did not just touch my roommate's heart, but mine as well. First, I was rebuked for my selfishness at that time. God placed people around us so that we could at least share light and minister to them. I was not able to do that. Second, that girl inspired to be like her, an angel sent to somebody to bring God's message of comfort and love! Third, that mystery girl reemphasize to me again the power of encouragement, the power of words and the power of a simple note that could change one's life drastically. I wish to change and I pray that I could be like her!

Whoever you are, I know the heavens witnessed your act of kindess. I know the Lord will reward you accordingly. Thank you for teaching me a lesson and for being a God-sent angel to my roommate! You will be forever remembered! God bless your heart!