...A YEAR OF TWO

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 'NEY!

Marriage! A life long journey of being ONE...

Sometimes when you're married

You drift away within.

Outside you stroll together;

Inside you live in sin.

A rich imagination

Provides your ecstasy,

A cordless, mobile heaven

Where everything is free.

The garden that you tend

Is not the one you roam;

The part of you that sings

Is not the one at home.

A strange and burning life:

What's real is not what's true.

And no one knows the passion

That you believe is you.

And so you are distracted,

Two people in a jar,

Bound by love and fate,

Yet never what you are.

Until by chance life rips

A hole right through your wall,

And nothing you've imagined

Looks like you at all.

CLOSING THE INTIMACY GAP IN A LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP

Intimacy is a key survival ingredient in a long distance relationship. Without that feeling of connectedness, doubts and dissatisfaction start to emerge and can eventually lead to serious problems. Due to this, it's even more important for couples in long distance relationships to find ways of keeping that feeling of togetherness.

Here are 10 ways to help you close the intimacy gap in your relationship.

The main goal in these ideas is to help you and your partner feel more involved in each other's daily lives. You may not actually be there, but you can definitely make them feel like you're a part of what's going on!

1. Voice Memos

Nothing can bridge the gap like the sound of your partner's voice. Voice memos are one of the easiest and cost effective ways to achieve this. You can send your partner a voice memo key chain with the words "I love you" on it. You can get a voice memo photo frame and record "thinking of you always" on it. You can get a personal recorder and just say random thoughts about your day to your partner and send it to them at the end of the week. Many stuffed toys companies offer voice recordings inside of the toy. You could say different recordings such as, good night, sweet dreams, good morning, I love you, and so on. Today's market has so many products available that your options are only limited by your creativeness.

2. Daily Journal/Blog

Chances are you're pretty Internet savvy if you are in a long distance relationship. If you are, sign up for a free blog somewhere and send your partner the username and password. Use this tool as a way to frequently communicate with each other about your daily life and thoughts. If you don't have access to a blog, write a little something about your day each night. At the end of the week, mail your partner the letters.

3. Web Cam Dates

When you're missing your partner's touch, a web cam date can be the closest remedy available. Frequently arrange a set time for these dates. Take turns planning on what you'll talk about or do. Some couples have used these as an opportunity to share a romantic candlelit dinner, watch a movie together or even play games such as Battleship.

4. Shared Moments

Once a day, stop and do the same thing at the exact same time. You could gaze at the stars, say a little prayer for your partner, send an instant message or take the time to write to each other. Just knowing that you are doing the same thing, at the same exact moment as your partner, can do wonders towards increasing your intimacy.

5. Let it Grow

A plant is often referenced as a symbol of a growing relationship. Use this symbol in your romance by sending each other a plant to take care of. As the plant grows, press leaves or flowers to send to each other in your mailings. When the long distance aspect of your relationship ends, plant them side by side at your new dwelling.

6. Scrapbook of Our Relationship

It often helps to have something to look back on while we are apart. A scrapbook or photo album is a great way to do this. Whenever you are together take LOTS of pictures. After you separate again collect the pictures and put them in an album. Write little notes about how you were feeling during the certain times the photographs were taken and tuck them under or next to the photograph. Make two copies and send one to your partner. Whenever you are feeling lonely, take out your book and remember all the fun times you've had together.

7. Journal of Love Letters

Couples in long distance relationships are usually faced with more episodes of doubt than the typical relationship. To help counter this, make sure you are both sending letters to each other, even if by e-mail. Every so often, compile your communications and put them in a journal format. If you can, send your partner a copy of the journal as well. Now, whenever those feelings of doubt creep in, make a date with your journal and spend some time reflecting over how well you've have made it so far.

8. Make it Personal

Send your partner an item of clothing or something personal that they can see or wear daily. It should be something that you use frequently that will instantly remind them of you. Sometimes it's the littlest things that can make everything feel all right.

9. Framed Pictures

There's nothing like seeing your partner's beautiful face daily. Let your face be the first thing they see each morning and the last each night. Make an effort to send framed pictures to your partner whenever possible. Try for a new one each month. You can make it more creative as well by having each picture reflect something about each month. For example, in December have a picture taken with Santa or in the snow. You can also use each month as an opportunity to share a moment in your life. Take a picture of you doing something you do every day. Each month pick a new daily task to take a picture of.

10. The Scent of Love

One of the most effective ways to trigger an emotion is through the use of scent. When sending something to your partner, spray a bit of your cologne or perfume on it. You can spray things like a pillowcase, a stuffed toy, love letters or a piece of clothing. Remember, while long distance relationships aren't easy, they can be the most rewarding. The time and effort you take to cultivate your intimacy now WILL transfer over into your future time together. The main goal here is to make each other feel like you are connected and involved in each other's daily life. It is the number one success tip of any long distance relationship.

If you can achieve this, you will be on the right path to a very successful long-term romance. (ronraf asmsi.org.ph)

HANDLING LDR

I feel it necessary to share with you guys, my personal experience about handling a relationship. Here are some helpful tips about handling a relationship, particularly Long distance relationship which is the toughest one to handle.

Let me start it with the quote:

"And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." - Khalil Gibran -

Long distance relationships require a special willingness and understanding that can test love like no other type of relationship can. It requires constant communication and a desire to continually create your relationship, using the only real tool you have..WORDS and TRUST...

One of the most difficult parts of a long distance relationship is handling the fact that you are not physically there with your partner. This lack of physical presence can make the whole relationship seem like an illusion. Sometimes, almost every person in a long distance relationship has wondered at some point about whether the relationship was actually real or just wishful thinking. With this in mind, it is very important to create a presence of yourself in your partner's life to provide a stable reality that you are a couple and that you are a part of one another. Listed below are some ideas and resources to help you achieve this.

Communication

- Don't fall out of touch, even for a short time - Return all e-mails at the earliest opportunity If you are going out of town or are otherwise going to be unable to respond, let your partner know as soon as possible so they don't think something is wrong or start to have doubts.

- Keep an online dates. Talk regularly through voice chat or via the telephone Your voice adds that touch of reality to the relationship and makes you more than just text on a screen

- Video Chat if possible or at least send pictures regularly Can you imagine how differently you would feel if you could actually see your partner when you talk to them? You can bet that they would feel the same. Rather than having to imagine how you looked when you laughed or smiled, they could actually see it. It nullify's any of those doubts you have about whether they will like the way you look.

- Get to know as much as you can about each other Tell your partner about your day to day life, your friends, your relatives, your job etc. Make them feel like they are an integral part of your life. At the same time, find out as much as you can about them too

- Be there when needed One of the worst mistakes you can make in any relationship is to not be there for your partner when they need you. This is especially true of a long distance relationship as there are already inherent doubts and this will just reinforce those doubts. Seek your partner's advice, listen to what they say and make them feel special and important to you.

Love Love is the backbone of any relationship. As long as the other partner feels that you completely and unconditionally love them, those doubts will not have a chance to creep in. It is up to you to make sure they know exactly how you feel about them. Some ideas include:

Reinforce your affection with poems, stories and love letters Send them care packages, postcards and gifts Create a personalized love craft and send it to them

Presence Make sure you have a presence in your partner's life. Continually reinforce the fact that you are there, that this relationship is real and there is no way that you are going to let a little thing like distance get in your way.

(ronald rafer - asmsi.org.ph)

USE TO HOPE

There's something thrilling about attending a wedding, a baptism, or a graduation. All of life's possibilities seem stretched out before us, and most of their costs are still hidden from view. It's so much like the beginning of a summer day: soft breezes, sweet smells, lush lawns and flowers. And then before you know it, it's fall and time to prepare for the siege of winter.

If we're working hard to be faithful to God and to one another, to do our best and to share our gifts, we get tired. And sometimes after a while, things that used to be easy and even a joy become a burden instead. Somewhere along the line, we lose the joy and we find ourselves echoing those two apostles in todays gospel, "We used to hope, but not anymore."

How does that happen? Is it simply a matter of working too hard and getting tired? Not really. The real problem is losing our vision, our sense of purpose, which can come only from a trust-connection with the Lord.

If you find yourself burning out and finding life burdensome, spend some time renewing your vision and remembering where you're going. And the only place to do that is in His presence.
He'll help you remember, and He'll give you back your joy.

EMPTY SPACE

'''There's an empty spaceIn your distant dazeAnd you may look awayThat void still stays'''

there are times when we feel life is boring, and our negativism takesthe better part of us, even at times it becomes so depressing that wefeel the future is bleak. everything we hear is bad, no matter how much we condition our minds that things would be better, we always end upwith the same feeling- even worse...

'''There's a hollow pointIn your weary heart And through you try againNo smile can hide your pain'''

in our hearts we feel that void, that emptiness, no matter how much wehide that pain and that emptiness that void remains....we put up masks but inside our masks are so much pain..

'''Fear not the night withinThat's were My light beginsSo you can may one day see My face Only I can fill your days'''

only through HIM can we fill that emptiness... that light at the end ofthe tunnel...and no matter what our feelings are, or whatever we feelof the future, we will one day come face to face with HIM, perhaps in our lifetime, perhaps not. but HE promises to fill our emptiness withhappiness for eternity....

'''There's a raging stormIn your broken soul And how you wish awayYour troubled daysThere's an open doorAt your deepest coreAnd through you lose your wayYou'll still come home someday'''

storm rages on our souls, the battle between good and evil..the worldly ways are always more attractive, the promises of heaven remainas mere promises..and as we take on the worlds ways we also lose partof our souls to the temptations that come about...but THAT door remains open for us- that door of forgiveness- no matter the number of times wefall and fail, no matter the number of times we fall into sin, THATdoor remains for us...to pick up the pieces all over again, and to behome with HIM Someday....

'''Fear not the noise withinThat's where My voice beginsSo you may one day hear My song Only I can still your storms'''

no matter the situation, no matter how things are bad, we should digdeep into our hearts, and listen to the VOICE that calls, in thestillness of our hearts, we listen to HIS song that echoes through it, as we are comforted by HIS presence, as we feel the peace that weseek...with HIM... but only after we EMPTY ourselves, can we seek HIM,in that EMPTY SPACE called HOME.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, your death brought life and freedom. Make me a servant ofyour love, that I may seek to serve rather than be served.

REMEMBER THE DUCK

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. Hewas given a slingshot to play with, out in the woods. He practicedin the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to dinner.

As he was walking back, he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out ofimpulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it.He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all,but she said nothing.

After lunch that day grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."

But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't you Johnny?" And then she whispered to him,"Remember, the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, andGrandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."

But Sally smiled and said, "Well, that's all right because Johnnytold me he wanted to help." And she whispered again, "Remember, theduck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, hefinally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma andconfessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug,and said,"Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you.But I was just wondering how long would you let Sally make a slaveof you."

I don't know what's in your past. I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, I want youto know something. Jesus Christ was standing at the window and Hesaw the whole thing. But because He loves you, He is ready toforgive you. Perhaps He's wondering how long you'll let the enemymake a slave out of you. The great thing about God is that He notonly forgives, but He forgets.

FACTS OF LIFE

At least two people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

At least fifteen people in this world love you in some way.

The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

You mean the world to someone.

If not for you, someone may not be living. You are special and unique.

There is someone that you don't even know exists, who loves you.

When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.

When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.

Always remember the compliments you received.

Forget about the rude remarks.

Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.

HOW DID SHE KNOW?

One of my school mate send me this testimonial to my friendster account. And you know what... i was just amazed how did she know what was bothering me this time.

Among the paragraph, i like the 3rd.