Raising twins--bane or blessing?

Many of my friends told me that having twins is a blessing. I used to have doubts, what with a depressed economy. 


I know how much baby's milk is, since my three years old youngest son still drinks it every week. It takes me 2,000 plus for a month or 24,000 plus a year. 


When we learned from doctors that my wife has just conceived twins, I had ambivalent feelings. How much would it cost? My wife told me that I need to prepare 20 for the wife, 30 for each child, bringing the cost to nearly 80,000 pesos. With a depressed economy, 80,000 is a lot of money. 


Today, I'll be able to see the bill and I pray that it will not be that much. You know how it is at Makati Medical Center. 


MOst of my money, I give to the poor. I help those poor folks sleeping along sidewalks in the Metro, particularly those in Manila and Quezon City. I only save some for my family's needs. I saved some for my wife's medical expenses but I do hope that this suffices. 


Aside from food (by the, the NSCB says 40-45% of one's income goes to paying for food), one needs to consider education, clothes, electricity bills, etc. For you to have a "decent" life nowadays, you need at least forty thousand pesos. 


That said, my food cost would definitely rise and of course, all others. I need more space in the house since we're already, what? eight plus kasambahay.


I don't know how other Filipinos with lower incomes manage to survive. 


Anyway, most of my friends told me that this is a double blessing. All I know is that God will neither abandon me nor forsake me. 


God has always been with me because I trust and worship Him. I always pray to Him. Fact is, last night, I was praying silently that nothing happens to my wife. Fortunately, nothing happened. She delivered normally. 


I know that God keeps me safe for a reason. Apart from being an instrument of His love for these children, I will always be His instrument in making other people's life better. 


That said, I would not worry anymore. Just looking at the faces of my twins, make me a very proud father. They are a bundle of joy, a blessing.


I will name the first one, Adelaide, meaning "noble kind" while the other, Alyssa meaning "rational". I am waiting for my other Facebook friends to suggest more names to append to the first. 


God, the Most Merciful, the Most Powerful, the Most Kind!


Thank you for this day that You have given us. I worship Your Power and Your Kindness. I continuall worship your strength.


Forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from the filth of my transgressions. Make my heart pure always and protect me from all uncleanliness.


Deliver me from the snares of the devil and always prepare my body, my soul and my spirit for paradise, the land you promisedto those who will persevere.


Make my family strong, and my newly born twins, stronger, wiser and kinder than others.  Touch their heads and their faces and bless them.


Ameen.