Moms, @ the end of the day!

Moms hope to “be there” always!

Not all days will be here forever.

Moms need to maximize loving, maximize giving, maximize “just being there”!

… even if sometimes, what you got’ta give isn’t what they exactly need. 

Last monday, i allotted time with our “budding architect”.  we lunched-out in an “eat all you can” restaurant and ‘glad that she calls it “her term-starter”!

Just the other night, i rushed driving out in the midst of hard pouring rain to be there outside of our village just before our “blooming journalist” goes down from a jeepney without umbrella after attending a worship service in Alabang.

And just this morning, i had to rush to the school of our “bunso” just to hand her the Journal which she had hard-time answering yesterday and her Assignment Notebook which will document her “what has been” in school and the tasks that should keep her ON-TRACK: way to TRAIN HER on Study Devotion, Commitment & Sense of Responsibility.

Some situations are not perfectly cooperative — but because you wanted to be a good Mom, you’ll just have to coarse through — however ways!

Oh, if only kids would realize how much they should understand “what turns their Mom ON or OFF”! — that because you wanted to sustain good moods, Moms may react on certain things at certain times, but they’ll have to be back on-track right away! Bipolarity challenged?! — quite certainly so!  

Hmmmm …. nevertheless, at the end of the day, Moms may be so tired that they may no longer get to watch a bed-time movie with their kids’Dad while he’s waiting to capture a sleep — but because she was able to hurdle all-day-long, the joy is there, deep within her heart! — and she hopes, she was able to give what her kids exactly needed — while she prays, her husband will understand that as his wife lays down beside him, he would turn to her for the caring that she needs to give her the energy to survive another fulfilled day for their family — that night after. 🙂

God Sent us “Two by Two”!

Our paths had to meet for reasons we may not understand; and then  “Two by Two” — AS PARTNERS, God sent us TO FULFIL A MISSION and @ that, we need some alignments & compromise!

Gone should be the days when we “do things on our own, for our own”!

Gone should be the days when all that we consider is our own feelings and disregard what & how others would feel because we assert the “SELF” that we are. Normal as it usually is, along the journey, we’re bringing with us our BACK PACKS: fully loaded with reasons why we think, act & talk the way we do — some are our strengths; and some are our weaknesses which both make us Beautiful, endowed with the image and likeness of God.

Relationships matter! It could never be true that “lone nomads” never yearned to have somebody by their side! We may not be aware, but let’s be more ALERT of such “pretences” — for more often than not, we may just be too proud to make amends but the truth of the matter is that: we’re actually in unspeakable need of acceptance and concern and approval and praises and commendations and the likes — all of which would actually give us that sense of belongingness and worth as a person. Well, this is normal & there’s nothing to be ashamed of — BUT, we may tend to become egocentric if we would yearn to receive these favours “at the expense of”, or “in disregard of” the other’s equal needs like ours.

Family is the most important relationship we should STRIVE TO WORK FOR!

Sometimes, a Husband may not understand why his wife would get mad at him when out of his anger, he already forgot to be considerate in his actuations toward their kids. In the same way, Kids may not be able to fully grasp or may resist the many things their parents want them to understand.  Sometimes too, parents may not perceive the intended meaning of where their kids are coming from with the reactions that they give.  MANY TIMES AMIDST ALL THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, “a Wife and a Mother at the same time” could only absorb and tolerate and manage that much.  Without everybody being sensible enough, some hearts could STRIVE TO MEND  — but yearning for an answer: how would we ever BREAKTHROUGH?

“Two by two” HE MADE US “PARTNERS”! — but why You and why Me? — Only God knows!

It could never be anybody’s fault why it had to be us!

So TWO-GETHER, we should never be each other’s opponent!

Then He made us PARENTS!

It will never be easy! — it actually never is!

Individually, we both have our own PASTS. our own USED-TO-BEs. our own good and bad EXPERIENCES which explain “THE WHO THAT WE ARE TODAY!”

We may justify that HABITS & ATTITUDES throughout those years have already been something we can never do without. — But the thing is, while Jesus is sending us off at PRESENT TIME, He doesn’t want us to bring anything — not anything from our past — except A PIECE OF STICK: OUR FAITH — GOD’S ASSURANCE that He would be with us every step of the way.

God wants our YOKE to be easy as we deal “hearts-on” to the Mission that He wants us to accomplish in OUR PRESENT LIFETIME — for it’s not only us whom He declared “partners” — but the “two of us” as His partners!

HOPEFULLY, may we see eye to eye &  feel heart to heart with Him  in all HUMILITY for us to willingly GROW IN-LOVE: THE KEY that would make EACH HOME one of the DOORS OF GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE!

BE AWARE OF THE “SIGNS”!

“¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed…

¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

they returned to their country by another route. “

It’s NEW YEAR once more!

May dapat bang ikahiya na nagpo-pose ka sa kung saan kasama ang family for pictures para ipakita na masaya kayo dahil kumpleto kahit magulo? … READ SIGNS … pag dumating ang time na wala kang makitang maganda, at least may pictures kang pwedeng balikan.

“Picture-picture!” … selfie dito, groupie don! – natapos ang taon na maraming ganon – at nagsimula na ulit ang taon, GANON PA DIN :)! … at isa na ako don! “eto na naman si picture-picture!” – ganito lagi ang kantyaw sa akin kapag may “moments”! Nagkamali nga daw ako ng course na kinuha – dapat daw ay Photography!

True enough! I have always loved “photography” because I have always loved “life & every bit of chance in it”! Thanks to the leveled-up technology kasi digital na tayo ngayon … gone were the days na “kailangan ipa-develop mo muna ang film bago mo pa makita ang image”! – tapos saka mo pa lang makikita na ang epic-fail pala ang shots mo, gumastos ka pa sa developing charge!

Each picture tells “a thousand words” & God’s messages & signals are in-to-it! Images may be kept in the heart but God has given us another alternative to make us “see beyond” when we “take another glance” at those shots in our solitude.

God has always been great for creating great minds that brought us this “digital advantage” where we can easily keep good-to-see pics, drop unpleasant scenarios & elements and change some effects before we post pics that would gather many “likes” in social sites –- all because we’ve INSPIRED life!

What we do in photography, we also do to “life”! – but let us be like those three WISE men who CONSIDERED God’s SIGNS which made them decide to take another route & save themselves from unseeming destruction.

So, my dear brothers & sisters, let’s reflect what we can “keep, crop or drop &

change” in our life as we welcome 2015. Happy & Blessed New Year po! #sunset

*published in The Feast Central Mall Bulletin, Issue#1.2015

Let’s Embrace our “NOW”

Cor Dei 47. 14December2014, 3^rd Sunday of Advent

Please “fill-in” these Blanks.

Please take time reading today’s Gospel: JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28, 

In my response to Bro. Bo Sanchez’s ’s challenge, I must admit – I am enjoying another year in my lifetime … ‘just turned 44, days back.

Ang bilis ng panahon! … It has been five years when I last affirmed a promise to God that “I would maximize time” – if He would only “will” to grant me added opportunities.

Year after year, at the onset of my birthday month, I would really “self-check” if I am still fulfilling my promise. Sometimes, I would have that guilty-feeling that I should have done something better rather than what I just did. At times, I would regret not having met some expectations here & there — while there were even times when I felt that I’ve given almost “all of me” – but still my efforts looked insignificant ‘coz it seemed not enough to suffice some highly-set standards for material things & pleasures.

But God has been ever-faithful to His response to “our mutual agreement”!

Every time I would ask myself “what on earth am I STILL here for?”, isang “look-up” ko lang, He would right away send me His consoles.

Through all those years, I know that He has been increasing & leveling up on His added assignments to me. It has never been easy though — battling through those difficult tasks coupled with some difficult people too which made me experience different SEASONS of LIFE — but I have discovered ONE SECRET:

All that it should take amidst any season

is to be a “John the Baptist” — who is deeply aware

“WHO he IS NOT” – but BY HEART knows “WHO HE IS”!

At dahil dyan, brothers & sisters, today, we are challenged to CONCRETIZE an answer to fill-in these lines/blanks:

“I am not _________________________ !”

“I AM ….. _________________________ !”

Promise, “sobrang saya po and ang sarap sa pakiramdam” na habang tinutupad ko ang promise ko kay God, as sure as I strive to LOOK UP to HIM, He is giving me such assurance that He will also help me fulfill my promise “to still be there until our bunso grows up”!

#LOOK UP.How To Find God In Every Situation. Talk 2: #PagMayTime Finding God in Your Present

“Maximize, We Don’t Have Forever!”

Cor Dei 45. 30Nov2014, 1st Sunday of Advent

Let’s open our heart for today’s Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

“maximize every opportunity” … to TELL & UNDERSTAND … and be God’s messenger 🙂

“Walang Tulugan!”

I would always love that scene:

Each time i would see my dad & mom at my side & front mirrors, standing in front of their gate, looking to my direction until i’ve driven almost at the end of their street.

Ang sarap nilang tingnan … ang saya sa pakiramdam!

‘Yong alam mong naging masaya sila dahil we’ve been with them.

Then i would always tell myself, “sana walang isang araw na walang naghahatid sa akin ng tingin” hanggang almost sa dulo ng street where i grew up and unleashed myself as the person that they want me to be.

Kung pwede nga lang, araw-araw namin silang nadadalaw, araw-araw nakakakwentuhan, araw-araw hugs and himas sa likod — just to at least ease their longings na sana nandon kami lagi for them.

This is one of my greatest fear!

“You do not know when the time will come!”

— that at this very moment, how i want to “clone myself” so that i can both be a daughter by my parents’ side all the time while i continue to be a striving wife and mom to my own family.

In my “child mode” today: how i want to maximize time with my parents for they are not getting any younger! I want to stay awake taking care of them; supposedly looking into their every need even if they keep on saying that they are still strong, seeing the joy in their eyes and hearing the happiness in their laughters everytime we would spend few bonding hours with them. That “feeling of being remembered & regarded importan still” amidst our super busy scheds & multi-tasks — i know will never be enough to be in gratitude to the fact that — when as a child, we didn’t had everything that we wanted — none of those material luxuries — but every amount of sacrifice and love which were not perfectly delivered all throughout those growing up years with my four siblings — that was all that we had until we become the persons that we are!

I hope to make them feel how much appreciation there is in my heart for them while I am also grabbing every opportunity to be at my best for my husband & kids and for my spiritual community: my friends, my students & those who can relate with my every “striving” to relay God’s silence.

“35 So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow or dawn; 36 if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep.”

Bottomline po brothers & sisters, whatever MODE we are in right now, God is reminding us today that we’ve got to: “maximize giving our BEST”; “learn to understand MOST” the things that we have no control of; and humbly strive to be “lifted high” in FAITH in whatever ways we could — so that we won’t have to cry over some spoiled chances when the unexpected arrives.

And along with this, we CONGRATULATE our Feast Builder Bro Jon Escoto for a powerful Talk & our Feast Binan & Sta. Rosa TEAM for maximizing an awesome experience of being “LIFTED HIGH” as volunteer servants & attendees in last week’s successful KCon 2014 🙂

published in The Feast Binan CM Bulletin.Issue#45.”Walang Tulugan”30Nov2014

What would your Heart Show?

“When the mind stops remembering,   the heart will never forget.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tba0bjevwfI

What if one day you will no longer remember, have you ever wondered what your loved ones would “see in your heart”?

The things that we do now, events that we plan about, gestures & acts of concern, appreciation & gratitude that we’ve always intended to give at this point in time … any of these might be “what they will see “in there” — good news is, WE CAN START TRAINING OURSELVES “RIGHT NOW” while we’re not sure UNTIL WHEN we could.

We don’t have forever! If things could  be “possible at hand”, why not MAKE IT HAPPEN while you can still enjoy EACH OTHER’S MEMORY?  

IF we CAN PLAN to be with others for quite some time for enjoyment, why not ALSO PLAN TO BE WITH THE PERSONS WHO COULD BE THERE WITH US FOR A LIFETIME?

Let us not wait for the time when the person who have done things for us, can no longer do and enjoy “a lot with us” because we kept on saying “there will be time for that…!” 

VIDEO CREDITS: http://www.wimp.com/