Birthday celebrant Henry Roxas Ayson (in shaded eyeglasses) with his family, relatives and friends after a Bible fellowship in April Joy Samantha Ayson’s home in Hiddenbrooke, Vallejo, California. Photos compiled by Rogelio Medina

THERE is an advantage of being in the U.S. and being with my family, relatives and friends: I am reading the Holy Bible once again and joining Bible study groups.

One thing I learn is to practice humility, to trust in the Lord for proper guidance and to ask for the right decision.

You must have faith and avoid leaning on your own understanding. Do not doubt for if you doubt it is like a wave being driven and tossed by the wind.

I am inspired by the verses I read in Proverbs 3:5-6 and James 1: 5-6.

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Wedding consultant Henry Roxas Ayson (left) with AJ columnist Rogelio Constantino Medina.Wedding consultant Henry Roxas Ayson recently celebrated his surprise 65th birthday in Hiddenbrooke, Vallejo, California. It was attended by members of his family, relatives and friends.

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With social media scams surfacing, especially coming from famous personalities in the past, I am always very careful since I am a journalist.

There are so many alleged famous celebrities befriending me in Facebook. It started with Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah in 2024, then followed by American actor Jay Harrington in early February 2025 and now Elon Musk in May 2025.

With alleged Elon Musk, I felt doubt for how a busy man would ever befriend me in Facebook. So, I replied simply that I felt doubt that how a nobody like me in the U.S. could be given attention by famous Elon Musk. But some minutes later, after I finished sending my questions for Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, I received a video call. I was surprised to see Elon Musk. I put out my pair of eyeglasses to gaze him nearer to my cellphone’s viewer as I heard him calling my first name Rogelio and the voice was not clearer afterwards. I saw he was in an office.

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Guia Cruz Buenaventura of Media House ExpressMy heartfelt congratulations to the 2nd anniversary of Media House Express. A myriad blessings. It is a great honor to be always like a family member of Media House Express, home of news and entertainment.

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AJ Columnist Rogelio Constantino Medina (middle) with North Bay Occupational Health staffers on Hilborn Road in Fairfield.Thanks to the staffers of the North Bay Occupational Health for the physical examination accredited by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is located at 2470 Hilborn Road, Suite 100 in Fairfield, California. Dr. Yolanta Petrofsky is the contact civil surgeon.

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First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump host a Celebration for Military Mothers event in the East Room, Thursday, May 8, 2025, at the White House.(Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

First Lady Melania Trump recently honored military mothers at the White House.

“Military mothers and America — together — have developed an extraordinary parallel journey. They are filled with stories of personal sacrifice, determination, loss, and healing,” said First Lady Trump.

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President Donald Trump meets with Ksenia Karelina, American ballerina freed from a Russian prison, Monday, May 5, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)I really admire U.S. President Donald J. Trump helping to bring back safely to their families the astronauts who were stranded in outer space for 9 months (thanks to Elon Musk, SpaceX and NASA), an American ballerina who was imprisoned in Russia, and an American teenager who had been held hostage.

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Pope Leo XIV (middle) with his older brothers.Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) deserves to be a pope. I met him in San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila years ago.

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Lae Manego with her husband Querino Franzani.Singer Lae Manego-Franzani, Sovereign Seal of Business Triumph and Remarkable Achievers, Philippines’ Finest Business Award and Outstanding Achievers and Southeast Asian Premier Business and Achiever Award recipient, is married to businessman Querino Franzani of Netherlands. She has been supporting her family in Davao.

“I am truly blessed to be surrounded by love in many forms. First and foremost, I am deeply in love with my family – my husband, kids, and parents. They are my rock, my support system, and my everything. Their unwavering love and encouragement inspire me to be the best version of myself every day,” she said.

In addition to her family, she is also passionate about giving back to her community. “I believe that love and kindness can transform lives and make the world a better place. Through my music, philanthropy, and volunteer work, I strive to spread love, positivity, and empowerment to those around me. Overall, I feel grateful to be living a life filled with love, purpose, and meaning.”

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Entrepreneur David Isip (left) with his son Miguel Isip.Possessing an adventurous spirit, entrepreneur David Isip immigrated to the United States at age 17 in 1976. He stumbled onto the window treatment business by accident in 1979 when his landlord mentioned she was going to be replacing the blinds in an apartment in San Francisco. Wanting to be a good tenant, David told her that he could do all the leg work of ordering, picking up, and installing the blinds if she covered the costs. After finishing the job, he thought to himself, “I could do this for a living.” He officially created his window treatment business in 1980, and he has been providing his clients with the best customer service and fair prices ever since.

“We provide measurement, design, and installation services for all types of window treatments: plantation shutters (composite wood, real wood, vinyl), horizontal blinds (faux wood, real wood, aluminum), shades (Roman shades, roller shades, honeycomb shades, cellular shades, cordless shades, remote control shades), and more. We serve the entire Bay Area,” said founder David, who later passed on his business to his son Miguel who manages the Budget Windows Coverings, a low-volume provider of window treatments.

He continues: “We are a local father-and-son small business that prides itself in providing with the best possible customer service experience along with top-of-the-line products by Hunter Douglas and Norman Window Fashions. Because we are a home-based operation, we can make the process easy for our customers by coming to their home or office at their convenience. Additionally, our low overhead translates into greater savings for our customers who will notice the difference with us as compared to a chain or big-box store simply because we care. Our customers are our family.”

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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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