ISN'T SHE WONDERFUL

I was told that a baby was born in a manger.  I wanted so much to go there and I did.  I climbed some rocky hillside and got there among several other guests such as the magi popularly known as the three Kings and the shepherds.  And I was awed and struck upon seeing the beautiful child wrapped in a simple white cloth.  And I met the beautiful eyes of the baby boy’s parents.  I approached them and sat beside them.

I did not say anything yet.  I laid my eyes on the little boy.  Oh so cute.  I wanted so much to pick him up.  The beautiful lady….mmm the mother told me “go ahead pick him up”.  And I couldn’t believe she trusted me that much.  Did she know me that much to trust me to hold her child?  Hahaha what if I would steal him and run away.  Nope I won’t do that.  Crazy me. 

I did pick him up.  I was so conscious at all eyes on me.  I was just so awed.  “He is so beautiful”.  I told the baby’s mother.  And she replied “ savor him…oh you may bring him with you to the world”.  And I was so super doooper shocked with that statement.  In  my mind I was vehement as to saying NO.  So I said “ how can I buy him milk I don’t have a job”.  And the baby’s mom just smiled.  And indeed after that I got the job. 

What I just shared with you above is my sort of contemplation during my retreat with my spiritual director.  You see in contemplation (to deviate a little from my topic) you can engage yourself actively as if you are one of the characters in any of the stories in the Bible.  Actually you can converse and my main focus  was with the Blessed mother Mary in the manger with the oh so beautiful baby Jesus.

Why am I sharing this?  I feel so blessed having known the mom of Jesus.  And I was told stories about her since my childhood years.  In fact, my own mother introduced us to praying the rosary everyday.

My personal journey with this beautiful Woman of God has grown from the simple mumbling of the rosary to reading about her, to seriously praying and asking for her intercessions to the latest knowledge of her as the strong mantle of protection against any attacks of the devil.

One adult member of the Catholic Charismatic Movement in my old place Phillips Bukidnon shared to me one time an unforgettable story about her.  She said that the YES of Mary to God as she was asked to be the mother of Jesus was the great downfall of Satan.  Her YES shook hell and brought the devil to great fright.  Her YES brought Jesus our saviour to the world.  She is literally the bridge to salvation.

Furthermore, I was also told to observe the moment we pray the rosary.  We get to notice how our minds drift afar from focus.  You know why?  This is Satan’s way of diverting us so that they won’t experience the turbulent piercing of the power of each Hail Mary said with all our hearts.  Hell is literally being bombarded as we say the prayer from the heart. 

Wow…the Blessed Mother I should say is put on pedestal by God.   And I wonder how we get to miss to acknowledge the same  this wonderful person that God chose to serve as our bridge towards attaining salvation. 

Let me share with you a very recent incident of manifestation of her

presence.  I really don’t know how far you could take and consider miracles to happen among us.  But where I live (Xavier Heights) came

Mother of Perpetual help

a manifestation of her presence about a month ago.  The priest Fr. Rolando Gabutera and some parishioners have witnessed how the picture of the Mother of Perpetual Help has released and sprinkled (sometimes ) water and sometimes oil.  Some accounts of healing were also mentioned. 

Now you would ask if I saw it myself.  I and my husband do hear mass at our chapel her in our subdivision.  We heard their stories and we tried touching the photo and did not have any of those experiences mentioned by others. I know that a lot of us that heard the stories desired so much to experience what they had.  Unfortunately, we weren’t.  And I thought parishioners’ number after that have increased and that a lot of them flock even during weekdays.  For me that is a miracle in itself.

I could recall also the old film of Nora Aunor that mentioned  “walang himala, ang himala ay nasa puso ng bawat isa”.  Yup, the greatest miracle of all is the conversion of man.  Not all of us may not have experienced the random revelations of the Blessed Mother, yet the inner  and the positive changes that we will have with how we live our lives is the most important thing.

Anyway, it is the month of rosary …October… we might at least consider praying it with our entire family or do it by ourselves so that we may experience such beauty and wonder with one beautiful woman that God chose to journey with us.  Please give it a try.  There are some secrets that I want to share with you.  First, the devil does not like families.  He just wants families to be destroyed.  And, he is afraid of the blessed mother...He can't even utter her name...Mary:-)

And oohh…I have this simple invitation.  Kindly grab yourself copies of the following books by Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia.  He is an Exorcist priest, our very own from the Philippines who was able to produce the following books:

1.      Exorcism

2.       Exorcist – A Spiritual Journey

3.      Exorcist (Volume2) – A Spiritual Battle Lines 

(this is where you would be able to read  the BIG ROLE OF THE BLESSED MOTHER in combating the “Enemy”

Hmmm….did I read them.  Yest...and I am still starting the third one. Seriously we need to strengthen our journey through the Blessed Mother’s intervention.  

We are surrounded by a lot of lies.  Don’t you think we deserve to know the TRUTH too… I mean …to focus on what is TRUE about our faith and journey with God?  Again, please buy those three books (St. Paul’s Publication and National bookstore ...they are bestsellers).  You will find great peace with our God :-)

May the Blessed Mother continue to intercede for us and put us under her mantle of care and protection.  Amen.

Planting the "Seeds" Everyday

The graph showing different countries that dropped by my blog site:-)

It happened yesterday.  I sort of mistakenly pressed a key in my blog site that led me to the graph above with the statistics below.  It specifically states that there are 83  different countries that have visited my blog site since I started.  What does that mean to me?  Regardless of intention of dropping by in here, I felt so much of fulfillment in my heart knowing that I am able to share something in the form of words everyday to anyone from  any part of the globe regardless of number.

I am a fan and follower myself to a lot of blogs - great writers I tell you.  And I was able to learn from all of them, too.  I have met those that have hundreds of thousands of views everyday (wow!!!!).  Really very popular ones.  And I thought what they have is incomparable to what I have ...a neophyte blogger.  But hey, I and them are into one business...sending the messages everyday to everyone....slowly planting the seed everyday.  A toast to all of them and BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE that takes time to be here and learn with me....

...Does anybody pay me for doing this?  Nope...This is what you call ...Passion:-)  And...this is what I call ...Making a Difference and being God's Hand in the World (from my Joyfully Hopeful Advocacy prayer) God bless you all...Have a great life:-) Praying for all of you:-)

Guide Questions

1.  What specific ways can you do to slowly "plant the seeds", make a difference or be God's hand ...in the world..?  

The Three P's

Passion, Potential and Purpose.  That's what the three P's stand for.  They are not originally mine.  I got them from a famous preacher, author and writer Bo Sanchez (great writer). He has not completed the three topics yet in his blog site (http://bosanchez.ph/category/blogs/).  But I feel I'll do my own reflection here from his writing.  I and my husband are followers to this great man because he makes so much sense in a lot of ways.  Very gifted:-)

To start with, I have written months back about Passion (soon it will come out not really in a blog form...you will know :-)).  Passion for me is really "fire".  Something that's really fiery that propels one to do something and explore.  Bo Sanchez also describe this as something that you really, really love doing.    

From my standpoint, I was led to explore mine through a Jesuit priest named Fr. Frank Savadera, SJ.  He had this sort of subtle way of telling me to start blogging.  Over and over again I resisted the idea.  

Since my college years, I was into giving talks and facilitating trainings and workshops.  I wrote and prepared lots of them too.  I started to get the hint that when I see a need, I can readily respond to it by designing something that would facilitate learning.  Can you imagine having that "third eye" that sees beyond the physical?  That is what I have.  

One time in college I joined a seminar with Fr. Bulatao, SJ from Ateneo de Manila.  He just sort of mentioned "Look at your hand (with its movement)....it says 'I am a teacher'. "   In my mind, I ran the question "How can that be? "...I am not a teacher."  What I really meant that time was my course was BS Psychology not BS Education ( wisdom crept on me later that I don't have to be a BS Education graduate to be a teacher).

You see, I love standing before an audience (though at first i get cold knees and feet hehehe).   But I seem to have a grip of my audience and I felt that I can easily come across and be "lost" with them.  I laugh, cry with them, listen to their stories and talk to them even after the seminars, workshops or trainings.  I just feel soooo passionate being with them.  

Then time came that I did not much of those opportunities to give trainings.  Still the desire to reach out was so "alive".  I just felt so lost not being able to do what I used to be doing.  And when Fr. Frank sort of invited me to write, I slowly responded to it.  I felt something ....somewhere within has found a new path to reach out.  And I love it....I like so much writing that when I touch the keyboard on my computer, it would lead me to write and write and write...and write (hahaha OO nga write...:-). 

Oh the second P...for Potential.  Yes, I do have the potential. Though I underestimated myself over and over again when I was in high school that I was a bad writer and so insecure with myself that I could hardly find words...heavy ones that I thought writing should be that hard.  I did not know then that the use of heavy words won't be very attractive to a whole wide audiences.  Hmmm realizing that was my redemtion.  

That's why right now I am still writing.  And don't get to pressure myself to produce articles with overflowing heavy words that a reader need to have on his side a dictionary or thesaurus.  Hahaha I don't want to burden my audience in that.  Those who are really great writers and editors may say that I write so free and spontaneous that a lot of editors may perhaps give up on editing my work:-(.  But thanks be to God...if someone would really come and truly commit doing the "forest-like" (if there is such a word) writing that I have...hahahha...

One day in a not so remote past, I thought I could compile my notes and publish a book.  One thing also that grew with my writing was faith.  Faith that anything is possible with God.  I just sort of feeling it that I am slowly aligning myself to my own calling - my Purpose .  

I know in my heart that there is NO OTHER PURPOSE that OUR GOD designed for all of us (endowed with varied gifts and capacities) but to GLORIFY HIM IN ALL THAT WE DO.  Other than that would be an interplay or shall I say the game of the ego and self - glorification.

Who among us does not want to be acknowledged anyway.  I love it.  In fact my facebook account sometimes or a lot of times is my venue to be acknowledged and I am able to do the same acknowledgement to my friends.  Again, I love the attention.  But my gift...my core gift that is writing...always bring me back to the TRUE message that is...to let God be known sometimes with subtle shades to the most honest to goodness messages that I realize may not be so attractive to those that may still want to stay in grey areas.

I am not perfect in my craft.  But I keep on improving.  I keep my own "editing" carrying only one standard through the question "Am I truly sending the message?".  

Did I fail in sending "the MESSAGE".  A lot of times I did.  But I did try to send even in the subtlest article I write to send HIS MESSAGE.

PS.  One time in the past, I was so anxious at the thought that maybe only few will read my book or books...hahah but I then I shun it off saying and as simple as ..."It does not matter...I will just send the MESSAGE:-)"     

Hey...I am posting below Bo Sanchez blogs site on the following topics: (just click the links)

1.  Passion :  http://bosanchez.ph/are-you-aligned-with-your-passion/

2.  Potential :  http://bosanchez.ph/what-is-your-special-gift/

3.  Purpose...we will all wait for the third piece :-)

A Great Awakening

Forgive me for my desperate attempt to give your visuals:-)  Thanks to google for the above photo:-=)

Hello everyone.  I guess it has been a while since my last blog.  A while means days or a week that I have not really written.  I just decided to stay off for a while and think hard.  I mean feel hard.  I just feel so detached lately from the web that I thought this morning that perhaps I could put in here something of great value to my readers in here.

This is my gift for your today...as I think it is :-)

My husband ran through a feature at a TV program called EYE - WITNESS at GMA (Filipino channel that features Abaca - made products at a particular place called Sarranggani ( I hope I got the name of the place right...my husband is not certain either).  But as he presented the details, we were both not caught with the products but with the people, particularly the children living in that place.  I do have a very soft spot for children ...all the more that I am now a mother.  

You see these children live by eating Kamote (sweet potato) for  breakfast, lunch and supper.  Note...it is everyday all throughout the year.  Anyways, since the children (according to the account in the above -stated TV program) only knows this kind of food,  it is kind of heart breaking to me as I see my own little girl having so much. Well she gets to drink lots of nutrients from my breast milk side by side with her formula milk  plus her other daily vitamins.  And these children with physical descriptions as having big head, skinny and short bodies  just have to contain themselves with one type of food (even my dog and my adopted 3 stray cats according to my husband sort of "complain" when they are served one type of food  in all meals in a day by not eating them). 

What is my point in here?  My heart goes so much to the lack and poverty of others.  I guess I have succumbed myself to complaining about a lot of things including those desires that I would want to have and accomplish that resulted to a deep struggle and questioning why didn;t have this or that or why in the world have I done something that I regretted later.  A lot of issues I tell you.  But these children... SIMPLE children would be an understatement.  They are literally POOR CHILDREN that   just needed food to survive all throughout the year and they get to fight over the sweet potato that they dig somewhere...someplace...

This really needs a lot of consideration.  All of us that complain a lot might as well join me in my day's reflection...God bless us all:..towards a great awakening...:-)

.Guide Question :

1.  What is it in your life right now when you get to say "I want this and that...endlessly that leads to frustration and great distaste with life?  
 2.  Are there things that you failed to see as...blessings?  

 Hhmmm you might as well re-consider...what I just shared above...:-)  God bless:-)

A Looking Back to Our First Year of Marriage:-)

opefu

This writing will be all about moving back to the previous year of my marriage with my husband Michael  up to our wedding anniversary that we just celebrated:-)

First was the very rocky and challenging preparations we had for our wedding last October 1, 2011 ... and yup ...after almost 12 years in the relationship:-)

Second.. was my fear after almost 2 months of marriage that I might not get pregnant immediately due to a little "rough" age ...hmmm i mean a little late jump and hump into the married life ...and yes at the age of 37 years old:-) shocking to you?  ... Those who who know us are not.  They have been waiting also for such a long time or else ... hahahha...

Pregnancy Test - January 2012

Third...was when I found out that last January 15, 2012 (during the feast of the Sto NIno), that I was month and a half pregnant...ohhh and it was a rejoice halleluiah moment for us husband and wife.

Fourth, was my crazy and "OA" preparations for my baby such as writing a program for her formation.  Hmmm yes I can see your face twisting and questioning just how in the world could one give a formation to a fetus!!!.  Hahhahaha just as simple as talking, listening to a music (from the most solemn Christian music to the wackiest of all rock and roll including nursery rhymes hahhahah)  praying, reading stories with moral lessons (I downloaded from the net 100 stories PDF version..wow...actually mommy cried while reading...hmm I seem to be getting the lessons first), watching movies, etc.  All of these came with touches on my tummy.  

I also did some actual coloring and tracing on paper while I explained as if Mika was in front of me  and touch my tummy about what I did.  Do you know why I did this?  My OB doctor told me to start stimulating while the baby is inside the womb.  And the  obedient me just did anything I can to create the drama of a lifetime (just love being crazy ha :-).

And..where did I get those stuffs that I did?  Nowhere except some of those moments when I just imagined how I would entertain and make her learn at the same time.  I am highlighting entertainment rather than creating an impression that it is being imposed.

And I also did Mika's first scrapbook..some kind of putting together some "milestones" (according to my friend amphie in her blog)  documenting special moments of my pregnancy (and beyond) such as photos of ultrasound and fetal scan and many more.

some of the few stuffs given to Mika

Fifth was the putting together, receiving gifts from Tita Mae, Tita Joyce, Tito Marco of Mikaela and her cousins Andrea and Aethan....clothes...lots of clothes ...and the cute, pretty silver shoes:-)  ...so grateful for the gifts ..(BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU / THEM :-) ).  We did not really buy much of those stuffs.

Sixth was the very challenging... unexpected and premature delivery of our daughter Maria Mikaela last July 28, 2012 that put us at a great "halt" with life.  I mean I did a lot of reflecting and "seeing" beyond what was superficial right after that incident giving us couple "seeing" more of our life journey as a family with God:-)...  A beautiful entry of our daughter despite the challenge (id rather call it that way than seeing it as a "problem":-) .

And now...after 1 year of marriage ...we are a family... Our first year of marriage brought forth so much of blessings...more than anything...was the coming of our daughter Maria Mikaela.  She is just a wonderful and the best gift that God gave us for the past 1 year of marriage:-)  

You see some our dear friends have asked us how we were able to have a child immediately after the wedding.  I just had to boast of one thing.  God is a faithful God...After the longest wait prior to the wedding, even and despite the fear, He dispensed His blessings (I am praying for my wonderful friends that have desired so much to have children) and the best of all is our daughter Mikaela... I am more than grateful to God for such:-)

Lastly, celebrating our simple first wedding anniversary yesterday (October 1, 2012) was such a joyful one that led to a greater hope for the future.  

A big toast to my husband Michael for a Joyfully Hopeful marriage and to our daughter Maria Mikaela for coming into our lives:-)

Our Family Advocacy :  The Joyfully Hopeful

The School of Life

We all know what school is like.  We all got into its formal process of training and formation.  What I am talking about in here is not the latter.  I am pointing to the "freelance" training and formation with life...that is what I call in here "The School of Life".

This is such an ambitious venture to deal with in writing.  But as I conversed with my husband a while ago, my mouth just led me to the title above and thought perhaps I could give it a try in writing.

So what do I mean with the terms "School of Life?

Life in this context is where we are.  The life that we live each day presents and gathers lessons.  Only those with "sharp" visions would be able to see the non formal and freelance programming that it presents.

Why did I arrive to the above title?  While I started cleaning up the mess in the house, my thoughts ran back to the challenges that my family had in the last 2 months.  And I was trying to recall to my husband how we both asked God in prayer  that we would become good parents and that we would be strengthened in faith.  God answered our prayers by throwing us to the situations that would sharpen our skills such as the coming of our daughter and her coming at a much earlier date (premature).

Moreover, I could recall a prayer session with a group of workplace colleagues.  I shared to them my a reflection stating that I have requested God so many things in prayer and I realized how fast He was with responding to them.  Well,  I did not really get exactly  what I requested instead He threw me to challenging situations that led to the formation of my character and values. 

I may not have gotten everything that I wanted but in the end I found wisdom that led to asking for the right things over and above material possessions.    In the process also, I realized I did not really need a lot of what I first asked.  

Though at times also I got what I wanted, a lot of times I realized I did not really needed them as much as I desired them at first.  The most of the imprint were the wisdom and growth I gathered from them.  Materials possessions became what I called  “my bonus”.  Ultimately also, having those material possession led to another good value -  giving them away:-).  Thus, one good thing led to another good.  That is something very beautiful ha:-)

There are more things to learn.  Basic to learning also that I needed to put on as my gear is openness.  That’s what is needed to maximize learning in this that I call “The School of life”.  Huuh… tedious training and formation but I really reaped a good harvest from it.  The formation is very unique.  The program is so fitted to each one (hmmm I think formal schooling has slowly adapted the same:-) ...)

So...join and hop in my "school",...and be truly …formed:-)
____________________________________________________________________

Guide Questions for the Readers to comment on?

1.  Has there been any situation that made you learn from this "school of life?
2.  Is there any part of this article that perked you a bit?

Please share your comments... you might be able to enlighten me as well:-) Thank you very much.  Be blessed :-) 

The New Mom and Wife's Heart

For almost two weeks now, I have kept my heart so close to myself.  My heart right now is my family – husband and baby and the home we keep and try to move into the direction that it should go.  It is kind of overwhelming lately.  My small world has become bigger.  I realize that a wife and mother can do so much at sharing herself to her family. 

Everyday, I seem to be so separate from the world outside of me.  Despite of that I feel that I have built an intense moment with where I am.  Every thing that I do seems to give shape to loving.  I don’t count nor be conscious with how time flies so fast in a day.   

One time my own sister has even teased and checked on me as to how I feel about not having much time to spend outside of the house or go to the mall and do the usual leisure / pleasurable stuffs that I love doing such as eat, watch movie, stay in a corner of a café  and read a good book or surf the net.  Hhmmm as I write this things I seem to have missed them all but nothing is more beautiful than nurturing a fragile human being nor be a man’s partner in the building up of a home. 

But you see I did respond to my sister by saying “I have done so many things as a single person… ( and even went outside of the country to really satisfy my own fancy – that I thought)  but where I am right now (despite the physical tiredness…hehe not really fatigue) is more meaningful to me. 

I have never found such treasure in my entire life than what I have right now.  Thank You Dear God:-)

From a Neophyte Leader

grabbed from : linked2leadership.com

I had a beautiful phone conversation with Mike this morning. He stressed the difference between two types of employees. One is an average guy in terms of intelligence and skills. He just got in the the company fresh from a four-year course in college. Feeling the lack of experience, he maintains an open disposition. In fact, he considers every encounter in the workplace as a learning experience. Other than that also, he values relationship with people in the workplace side by side with learning the job.

The second guy is highly skilled, intelligent and has enough experience to make him thrive in his work in the company. Sadly, he has gone as far as overvaluing his capacities that he has closed himself to learning. Not only that, because of the drive to get to the top, he disregards people and relationships to get his way up.

Mike stressed further that, no matter how knowledgeable and intelligent one may be without virtues would fail him to complete the entire package of a successful employee in an organization.

Someone once told me that IQ (Intelligent Quotient)would make one get the job, EQ (Emotional Quotient / Intelligence) will make him thrive in the job and AQ (Adversity Quotient) will get him (amidst the turbulent water of competition and organizational politics) to the top of the job (he gets promoted).

True enough, one of the major exams that job applicants take is mental ability test or IQ. Lots of companies also include in the package Emotional intelligence exam. I have not really seen an AQ standardized exam yet, the results of these exams provide a very important feedback for management in hiring an employee.

What's my point in tackling this? i have such a challenging situation at work related to the kinds of employees i described above. I can call it a real problem to deal with and i felt that I fell short of anticipation for the future regarding previous decisions I made on hiring employees.

I would say at this time that it is with the second type of employee that i described above that I had the most difficulty dealing with. You know why? This employee can be too ambitious disregarding company policies by digging underground while creating a beautiful front. I tell you, this employee can ruin an entire department through intrigues and malicious talks.

Imagine many of this kind of employee...simple lang...well the organization will rot if not squarely attended with. Sometimes they have the art of telling you that they are not aware and tales of lies will be accounted by them to cover up and appear clean and manipulate others to the level of emotions...hehehe i always remind myself to focus on the behavior so that i could deal with kind objectively.

Lastly, I have just been a victim...verrrrrrrrry painful...I am a neophyte leader...I learned the hardest way...I just gave my trust and it led to betrayal...but the experience won't stop me from trusting...:-) I just need to be smarter the next time around...

At this point...i have a special note for the younger ones (naks tanda ko na)...just go slow...learn as much as you can...there is no hurry...if you want to get to the top... learn as many basics skills at the bottom. Learn the beautiful art of Emotional Intelligence. Be sincere and honest with your dealings and more than anything...even if you have learned many things...it is still good to be humble.

Mike told me the art of scientists. If they want to gain knowledge and wisdom they EMPTY their minds and hearts...they claim they know nothing...and so in this realm, they discover the wonder of not knowing through the bountiful revelations and unlimited supply of that knowledge (hehe baka pupunta na ako sa topics ng science stop na muna hahahahha).

Young ones...pakiusap lang...let's keep our feet flat on the ground if not... the most the we can do ...Let's bend and embrace humility...and don't forget hahhhaha God honors the older ones just like the way He honors you.... I promise you...you will see more of what you are looking for ...:-)

Lastly, I am a neophyte leader and i am painfully relating this ...from my OUCH!!! experience.