Staying at Thien Xuan Hotel in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

We arrived here at Ho Chi Minh at around 12:40am earlier today and proceeded to Thien Xuan Hotel which is located along Le Thanh Ton at the Quan 1 of the city. We didn't encounter any problems checking in especially because we booked in advance via Agoda although we were charged an additional day because our arrival time was still covered by the previous day. We didn't bother to argue because we were all really sleepy that time and just wanted to rest.

But despite the additional charge, what I personally appreciate about Thien Xuan Hotel are their service and strategic location. The hotel staff were nice and easy to talk to despite the language difference. They were also very quick in meeting our needs when we arrived.

Their location is another plus because it is very near tourist destinations that are often visited during a Ho Chi Minh city tour. Some of the tourist spots visited by tourists with yoyos and phones are the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace and the Ben Tanh market which is literally just a stone's throw away from the hotel.

The standard room that we booked cost $42 a night but we got it at a few bucks cheaper via Agoda and that is inclusive of a breakfast buffet, a bath room with a bath tub, free wifi and cable tv. I highly recommend Thien Xuan Hotel for those who plan to travel to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam.

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On Lotto and Money Management

Last weekend, I saw on GMA TV Jessica Soho’s show about a man who won PHP 40 million from Lotto as if he got an instant Golden Eagle gold bullion. He squandered it in a matter of three months. I remember the guy sharing his story of how he withdrew the money from the bank so he can experience holding such a huge amount of money. He immediately bought a house, a car, never gave any money to his wife and started vices such as drinking, smoking, drugs, gambling and womanizing. He lived this kind of lifestyle and lost all the PHP 40 million in three months. He continued this lifestyle for three years and ended up selling the house and the car that he bought and having a PHP 300,000 debt.

One of the richest and wisest men during his time wrote in Proverbs 13:11,

“Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.”

This verse is what came to mind when I was watching Jessica Soho’s show. Personally, I would consider Lotto as gambling, therefore, a source of dishonest money. Why? Because you when you win or gain something out of it, it is at the expense of other people who lose their money.

Money management, of course, had a lot to do with what happened to the instant millionaire. He did not manage his money well. I personally believe that he was not ready to handle or manage that huge amount of money that’s why his money dwindled away so quickly.

God’s design for making money – yes, God is not against getting rich, in fact, it is God who gives a person the ability to produce wealth according to Deuteronomy 8:18 – is gathering it little by little. Because as a person earns and saves, he learns how to manage the small amount of money, and sometimes, even learning from his own mistakes as the small amount is mismanaged. But as the money grows, he learns slowly and eventually becomes able to handle a larger amount. Another principle of stewardship – “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10).

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I Love the Leather Office Chair from OkayOkay Deals

The leather office chairs we got from OkayOkay Deals are really wonderful. I have been struggling with the office chair that I was using before because I could feel the bolts bulging out every time I sat on it. It wasn’t made of leather so I there was no chance for some leather chair repair. The only solution was to get rid of it and get a new one. My wife and I got one for each of us and I truly love the office leather chair, especially because it was on sale.

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