“Eeeeee! He’s on TV!” my husband shakes me as he sees Edric Mendoza on TV.

If you are wondering what is causing my husband’s excitement, here is a photo of Edric Mendoza that I’ve gotten on the Internet:

Cute, ey?

Bespectacled, clean cut, tall and popular, Edric is many a woman’s dream for God’s Best.

For one, he is cute.

Edric is not only voted one of the cutest newsmen on TV as per a 2012 survey — ranking #1 of course. How many men can boast of that award?

Two, he seems to be a wonderful husband to his wife Joy.

Edric and Joy are totally cute together, and many of their photos show them always awash with love and devotion even after five children together and counting!

Here’s a short version of their love story by the Philippine Star for you guys to swoon upon: The Love Story of Joy and Edric Mendoza. 🙂

The photo is taken from Joy’s website, and was googled off the Internet.

Joy’s well-written posts on her blog, Teach With Joy, chronicles their lives as the family walks and serves the Lord. With much humility and candor, Joy shares her many struggles in submitting to Edric’s role as a man, his leadership and many moods, and yet provides encouragement when she shares that the Lord rewards her obedience with an insane amount of joy happiness in her ministry, in her children and in her husband.

Joy’s posts strikes a cord. Often times, they reflect my own personal struggle as a married woman. Submission is never easy especially given my headstrong personality. Many times I ask, “Why submit when I am right, and husband is wrong?!” 

As you can see, it’s a real struggle for me.

Anyway, reading her blog has always been a joy (sorry for the pun but it’s true!), and there’s always an insightful takeaway after almost every post. Honestly, I applaud her for her candor, transparency and humility in sharing with us her story. For me, I still love my anonymity and can’t imagine opening my life up as much as she does.

But back to my point, Edric is a fine catch.

Not only is he a good-looking man and a doting husband, but Edric also seems to be an amazing father to his children, all of whom are ridiculously cute, well-behaved, and smart children who seem to walk closely to the Lord.

His eldest even joins him in their ministry, and looks well on his way to be a son any father can be proud of.

I can imagine just how many women want the same marriage and family life as the Mendozas have.

“Whoa, she is so lucky to have him!!! Lord, when can I have what they have too?!”

“No one can fake that adoration! It must be true! I hope I can find someone who can adore me as Edric adores his wife?”

“When can I find my God’s best already? And can he please be as cute as Edric Mendoza?”

Lots of coveting there, but who could blame them?

The Mendozas are adorable together, and their down-to-earth personalities make us want to cheer them on. 🙂

Which is why my husband was so kilig to see Edric on TV. He seems like the perfect guy. A family man with a great head on his shoulders — Hey, it’s not easy to be a well-informed host of a popular financial TV show in ANC — Edric is an epitome of a God’s best.

“Do you wish you could have married him instead of me?” my husband playfully asked. “I wouldn’t blame you if you think he is cute.”

I looked at my husband.

My husband is a far cry from Edric Mendoza.

Physically, at 5″8, Hubby is slightly shorter than the tall and handsome Edric. What’s worse, he’s starting to grow a small pouch, a testament as to how much happy and satisfied men eat. If I don’t watch him closely, he steals away to the refrigerator to heat up his favorite midnight snack.

He doesn’t command a room as Edric does, and feels uncomfortable in a room full of strangers. I don’t think he can work a crowd as well as he is not used to the public eye. In fact, he prefers our own quiet office to a social event.

Style-wise, as Husband has a car garage, his daily attire of t-shirt and shorts pale in comparison to Edric’s smart suits and preppy look.

Personality-wise, Hubby can be quite direct and tactless. While Edric can be friendly and diplomatic, Hubby can’t lie to save his life. If he doesn’t like the person, it shows, and he’s unafraid to show it. While Edric can go to an event and befriend even the crankiest person around, my husband prefers to stay in his corner until something interests him.

People call him suplado (standoffish and haughty) a lot behind his back.

Not only that, Husband has a past. He’s gone through his fair share of sins, and has probably disobeyed most of Moses’ ten commandments. When I dated him, my mother worried about my relative innocence and was afraid that my husband would corrupt me and bring me to the darkness.

He is also a relatively young Christian. I remember when we were going through premarital counseling and our pastor asked him if he was a real Christian, he was surprised to hear that Christians needed “fruits” or real change to have salvation. He thought all he did was to accept the Lord in grade school and that was it. There was no real change to his life then, although the Lord has made great leaps and bounds since then.

In short, my husband is not a lot of women’s God’s best when I first met him. He was brusque and rough and uncontrollable. He did what he wanted and ran with the consequences.

Two years later though, I realized that I wouldn’t exchange him for the world.

Sure, Edric is a wonderful friend, husband and father, but he is Joy’s, as my husband is mine. 🙂

I love my husband — as Joy loves her husband.

He is perfect for me, as Edric is as wonderful to Joy.

Sure, he’s not voted as the cutest car dude in the industry, and he’s not popular in any survey, but my husband is attractive in his own right, and I find him to be way sexier than Channing Tatum, Ryan Reynolds, and yes, even Edric Mendoza.

He may not be everyone’s best friend and sometimes, I struggle with the lack of social invitations given our anti-social tendencies, but he is also a devoted husband and companion. I am never really in want, and whenever I ask for water, some fries, or a foot massage, my Husband always provides.

He also tries not to disappoint me and tries his best to make me laugh, even when it comes at his expense. I remember him sitting on the escalator the other day to make a point. He sat on the escalator because the escalator specifically instructed people NOT to sit on the escalator! It’s this unabashed silliness that adds spice to our marriage.

So yes, even though I agree with him that Edric Mendoza is many women’s God’s best, my husband is MY OWN’s GOD’s BEST and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.

Happiness is NOT a zero-sum game.

I find what the Mendozas have as adorable and cute, but in no way do I covet it. It is their life, and hurray to them! But it doesn’t mean that I have to be unhappy so she can be. Everyone can be happy as long as they are satisfied with what they have.

We can all be happy with what we have.

And the Lord is really good: He gives us what we need.

And my Husband fills me up.

Have a great week everyone!

Disclaimer: I wrote this BEFORE I knew Edric personally. I am a big fan of both Joy and Edric, and wish them all the best. It gives me joy to see them raise their big family, and I consider them as a good role model for parenting and managing their life.

And while I think Edric is good looking, like many other good looking men, I do NOT covet him. I am happily in love with my own husband up until today. Just wanted to make it clear to prevent any scandal or misunderstanding. 🙂