Forty: Family Bonding

Today is Palm Sunday, and officially, the end of the Lenten Season. (And it is also the end of my forty-day project! Hooray! Praise God for all the inspiration!)

During this morning's mass, Fr. Mark explained that the season that is about to come (holy week) is called "Mahal na Araw" because it speaks of the passion and death of Christ, the ultimate expression of His great love for humankind. He also said that if we want to show God that we love Him too, then we must not leave Him just as He did not abandon us. We must be with Him, especially during this time. Two words: "Walang Iwanan." Four words: "Never leave God behind."

Let me just connect that to what I would really like to highlight in this post. Who has not heard of this quote?

Well, I have another version. :) The family that sings together, stays together. And they say that singing is twice praying right? It just feels good to be singing with Papa and Mama. And it feels better to sing with them during the mass. As some of you would know, I have been serving in the music ministry of Lifehomes. I used to handle the children's choir. But my hectic schedule hindered me from keeping up with the weekly practices. And so I decided to just give up the "position" (if that may be called such) and endorse the kids to one of my colleagues in SFC. Unfortunately, the choir was slowly dissolved and to date, there is no regular choir that serves in the mass. This morning, for example, I was asked to operate the projector and to lead the crowd in singing.

Next Sunday, we will be celebrating Easter, and it's also the feast day of our community. I didn't want to have a mediocre service. I know that the mass is the highest form of worship and I have a high regard for the celebration. Thus, I volunteered to serve (again). And so I spent the afternoon looking for accompaniments, finalizing the line up, and making the powerpoint presentation. Earlier this evening, when I'm done with everything, I rehearsed with Papa and Mama who volunteered to serve with me. :) While we were singing, I couldn't help but smile and thank the Lord for my parents. They are among the few who can really keep the promise of "walang iwanan."

I am excited to serve with them next Sunday. And I know it'll be just the start. :) (I heard Papa already said yes to Mama's invitation for them to serve as ushers. Pray for him, please. May he also find joy and fulfillment in serving the Lord.)

By the way, my brother also has a "Holy Week-Project", and I thank the Lord for touching him to use his talent for the greater glory of the King. :)

Here's his photo for the day:

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Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place? Photo Credit: http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan." He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3. So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here .

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

I had the best, most meaningful HOLY WEEK ever, so far (the best is yet to come!). :) Thanks to Joy who shared the Jesus Week poster on Facebook. It was God's personal invitation, and I couldn't thank Him enough for the grace that He also gave me to respond. Everything is grace. It was not just my personal decision to join. It was God's grace that allowed me to. So how did it go? Well, as what I have told my friends, it was amazingly beautiful! The experience was priceless! On Holy Monday, I posted Fr. Jerry Orbos' acronym for HOLY WEEK . I experienced all of that and more! :) I won't be able to share everything as there is just a lot of personal, intimate encounters with the Lord. But if I were to summarize, it was a time for me to HEAL. :) H alt . Indeed, I was able to stop and just rest in the Lord. Before leaving Manila, I have already told myself that this retreat will be all about Jesus ( Jesus Week nga e :D ). No emails, no texts, no calls. I

Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give

The Holy Spirit*

*Cluster 4 Household Topic Reflections from John 15:26-16:4 True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers His disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). Counselor is a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life. As Jesus approaches the hour that He was to be glorified - through His death on the cross and His resurrection - He revealed more fully to His disciples the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who kindles faith in hearts receptive

Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

I was writing a different post, but Celebrity Bluff is just so fun and informative, I had to stop from blogging to list down the fun facts that I learn from each round. :) Thought it would be nice to share them here as well. For future reference. :D Q: In 2012, what kind of animal was named after Beyonce? A: Horse Fly Q: What rare job in China will pay you US$50,000 a year? A: Fart Smeller Q: What alcoholic drink literally means "water of life"? A: Whisky Q: In which part of the body can you find the tragus? A: Ear Q: According to Merriam-Webster, what is the female equivalent of dude? A: Dudine Q: What is longer in the male turtles than in the females? A: Nails And the final question is... Q: According to Box Office Mojo what are the top four (4) movies of 2013 according to global profit? A: (1) Iron Man 3, (2) Despicable Me 2, (3) Fast and the Furious 6 (4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire That's all

These Little Wonders

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