Mon. Dec 23rd, 2024

On this day (December 5th) 19 years ago our firstborn son was given to us by our loving Father and Creator. I can still vividly remember that very special day. The anticipation, excitement, a bit of worry, and anxiety while I was pacing back and forth in front of the delivery room in the hospital while interceding for a smooth and healthy delivery of my wife.

At around 10 o’clock in the morning, a baby boy was born and the joy it brought to us as a couple and our respective families could not be measured. We’ve been praying and waiting for four years to have our own child and at last the good Lord granted the desire of our hearts.

Having a child, especially a firstborn son is a wonderful experience coupled with great responsibilities to nurture, provide, care, and make sure that this baby will have a bright future. Me and my wife were neophytes then and though we’re looking forward to being parents but to be honest we felt overwhelmed and anxious too if we can do it.

The challenges, needs, and uncertainties of growing a baby and building a new family seem incredible but by God’s grace, help, and guidance we’re able to make it to today.

As husband and wife, as dad and mom, not just to our son, who by God’s grace has just turned 19 years young now, a very smart, talented, loving, and ambitious I would say, but also God gave as a beautiful, intelligent like her mom, full of talents too, 17 years young daughter. And with these and many more blessings in life, I AM THANKFUL TODAY!

And one last thing I would like to include in this short blog that I hope would inspire you too my reader to look for things in your life that you are thankful for today is that last November 30th, 2024, me and my wife just celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary! We’ve been through a lot, so many ups and downs, trials and testings, sorrows and joys, but because of the love and grace of God and our love for each other we made it to this year 2024!

Because of these: my wife Jeralyn, our son Roj Gabriel (Happy 19th birthday), our daughter Lyl Mikael, and my little family in this wide world of 8.2 billion people, I felt blessed and forever grateful. I hope you are too, when you look around you and start to count God’s blessings in your life. Thank you for dropping by, God bless you.

By Rommel Atanque

Rommel Santiago Atanque is an entrepreneur by profession and a Pastor/Missionary by calling and passion. He loves to inspire his readers and let them realize that in every trial there is a purpose; in every test a testimony; and with the right perspective in life, one can still be happy every single day! He also authored the Live a Happy Life Books. A series of humorous books that make a lot of sense. He also shares the Gospel in today's context and lets God's Word bring joy and laughter to his hearers. He wants them to know that listening to sermons is not boring much less an antidote for sleeplessness. Married for 22 years to Jeralyn Ortiz Palabrica-Atanque with two teenagers Roj Gabriel 18, and Lyl Mikael 16. They had been missionaries in Cambodia for 7 years and are currently based in Iloilo City, Philippines, pastoring Connect Church.

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