These Little Wonders

Three things we learn from the prayer of David (2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29): 1. Humility to recognize that God is God and we are not to realize our unworthiness, sinfulness, and weaknesses "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?" 2. Gratefulness for God's mercy despite our sins for God's blessings and abundant grace for God's constant, faithful, eternal love "For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God." 3. Courage to ask for more more of God's grace more of God's truth more of God in our lives "Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever."

*Cluster 4 Household Topic "When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. We are no more than this world's garbage, we are the scum of the earth to this very moment." -1 Corinthians 4:12-13 Reflection:  Scum of the earth. The stone rejected turns out to be the cornerstone.  When we set out to serve the Lord, our expectations must not even consider comfort, or ease, or acceptance. Following the Lord's ways in this earthly life is always strewn with difficulties, conflicts, entanglements. Without these, we can so easily, with the snap of a finger, and wink of the eye, breeze through what life requires of us to be made. But Jesus spells the difference of a full life, a whole life, a meaningful life.  In community, we are presented with people, situations, and opportunities for loving:  People who serve us, people we minister to, people we call brothers and sisters.  L...

Unlike any other parable in the Bible, Jesus generously explained about the parable of the sower.  Aside from the "given" lesson, Fr. Albert Poblete shared "the other side of the coin" - a beautiful reflection on this gospel - during his homily at the noon mass. But let me share the reading first. :)  Gospel Reading (taken from Mark 4:1-20):  Again Jesus began to teach by the lake, but such a large crowd gathered about him that he got into a boat and sat in it on the lake while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through stories and parables. In his teaching, he said, "Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path and the birds came and ate it up. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered because it had no roots. Other seed fell among thorn-bushes and the thorns grew and ...

Every organization has its own set of Mission, Vision, and Core Values. And I am blessed to be working for a company whose values are the same as mine.  Aside from sharing in the Vision and Mission of Couples for Christ Global Mission Center, we have also come up with our own MIST Work Ethics . Thought of posting it here for easier reference (and for me to always be reminded). ^_^ Core Values: M alasakit. I ntegrity . S ervice-oriented. T eamwork. Work Behavior: Check/read/answer office emails at start of day, mid of day, and end of day (at a minimum). Do not make customers wait. Escalate issues to ensure delivery of requests. Do whatever it takes!  Give timely and regular feedback on requests/inquiries/project status.  Provide accurate reports. Advise Admin re tardiness/absences. VLs must be filed at least 3 days prior date of leave.  Be in neat/proper/professional grooming. Honor "silence means yes . " Cc/Bcc Department Head in all email e...

... putting others first... always... Photo Credit:  dianelindstrom I remember when Fr. Joel shared that the best Italian translation of " I Love You " is " Ti Voglio Bene " which means " I want your good " or " I want what is good for you ." Photo Credit: Pinterest If I am to define LOVE, it would have to be this:  L asts. It's not a feeling. It's not fleeting. O thers-centered. It's not selfish. V alues persons. It does not use them. E xpects nothing in return. It does not calculate costs.  To love is to give. To love is to serve. To love is to die for the sake of the other. Just like this prayer: Lord, help me to live from day to day In such a self-forgetful way That even when I kneel to pray My prayers shall be for “OTHERS” Help me in all work I do Ever to be sincere and true, And know that all I do for You Must also be done for “OTHERS” Let self be crucified and slain And buried deep an...

and my very prayer today... ♥ Lord, what You will let it be so Where You will there we will go What is Your will help us to know Lord, when You will the time is right In You there's joy in strife For Your will I'll give my life To ease Your burden brings no pain To forego all for You is gain As long as I in You remain Because You will it, it is best Because You will it, we are blest Till in Your hands our hearts find rest Till in Your hands our hearts find rest

... about courage and going into the unknown . to see the world to draw closer to find each other that is life Familiar? Then you must have already seen the film or at least the trailer of " The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ." :) I only learned about it from my brother who just watched it tonight. He thought it was beautiful that he even updated his Facebook profile and posted his favorite quote from the movie. He advised me to see it for myself. Since it's already late and the cinemas are already closed, I opted to just watch the trailer first: So, who's willing to watch it with me? :)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7 |  New American Standard Bible (NASB) Apparently, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has read 1 Samuel before he wrote The Little Prince. :) Meditation for Today's Gospel ( Mark 3:13-19) :  What is God's call on your life? When Jesus embarked on his mission he chose twelve men for the task of preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick in the power of that kingdom. In the choice of the twelve, we see a characteristic feature of God's work: Jesus chose very ordinary people . They were non-professionals, who had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it ext...

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7 |  New American Standard Bible (NASB) Apparently, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has read 1 Samuel before he wrote The Little Prince. :) Meditation for Today's Gospel ( Mark 3:13-19) :  What is God's call on your life? When Jesus embarked on his mission he chose twelve men for the task of preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick in the power of that kingdom. In the choice of the twelve, we see a characteristic feature of God's work: Jesus chose very ordinary people . They were non-professionals, who had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it ext...

Sometimes it's great to be reminded who you really are. And truth is, it does feel better when you receive positive comments from other people. Tonight, I just thought of taking some personality quizzes and see how I'd score. :)  By the way, all these are from Zimbio .  Surprisingly, the results are mostly true! But here's one truth I'd always hold on to: I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM ! And who am I according to God? :) I am His. ♥

I'll make this short and sweet. :)  I was tasked to tweak the OGD presentation and there is one slide which says, "We rejoice in the journey!" Photo Credit: Liwanag ng Buhay Indeed, no matter how difficult life can be, there will always be reasons to still rejoice and just be grateful! And today, I've got these reasons:  1. Very productive workday! Was able to finish the deck which I'm supposed to submit today. Hooray! And special thanks to EJ for the link to this article: Workaholism vs. Hard Work 2. Lunch with the family! At least with Papa and Mama. And we had another great conversation. :) 3. Bride for Rent + Ilonggo Grill with Marshee! Let me just set things straight, I'm not a Kapamilya, nor a Kim Chui/Xian Lim fan, but I really enjoyed the movie. :D And yes Sis , it was my favorite line as well. :)  Chinitas? Haha. Grabe naman kasi kasilaw ng flash. 4. A4 Household! ♥ Amazing people. Great food. Nourishing topic...

I really appreciate the little conversations that I have with Papa. Lately, we've been talking about the same thing, and he would always assure me, "Darating din ang panahon mo, anak. Huwag kang mainip."  ("Your time will come, just be patient.")  I can hear God telling me the same thing. I'm sure He knows very well how impatient I can get sometimes. I guess that's also the reason why He's been teaching me the virtue of patience. Thanks to my current situations, I'm learning (again) the art of waiting. I thought I've mastered it already but it seems there is a lot more to learn.  Okay Lord, I know I can't have it all... all at the same time. But yes, I am willing to wait. Just a little favor from Your dear daughter, please never let go of my hand as I journey and wait with You. :) I say it again, I am willing to wait for Your promises to be fulfilled, for Your will to be done, because I have faith that my waiting will never be ...

...more patience! :) All throughout the day, I've been listening to this beautiful piece: And I've been eating this: All because that is just exactly what I need: P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E ! :) It's just timely that I came across a beautifully-written article posted on WikiHow . So instead of sharing why I need to have more patience, let me just share the key insights from the article hoping that somehow, we will all learn how to be patient. :) Patience is a virtue that can be cultivated and nurtured over time.  Now here are five ways to be patient:  1. Figure out what makes you impatient.  Try to figure out why you are in such a hurry.  Pinpoint the triggers that often influence you to lose your patience.  Look for patterns. 2. Write it down. Keep a journal.  3. Overcome Impatience Overcome bouts of impatience. Let go. 4. See the big picture. Remind yourself that things take time.  Remember what ...

Coming from a teambuilding activity which I co-facilitated with the rest of "Team Roar", I was really thinking of a blog post that would fit the title: ROAR. Pero ayoko namang pilitin para may ma-i-post lang. :D Thus, I decided to just share something about the major key in every team success: commitment . But before that, listen to this first: Now let's talk about commitment. :) We all have had a "New Year's resolution." Back in high school, I remember doing one every year. But how many of us are really able to do their resolutions? When I delivered a talk on this topic in Kabisig, a sister shared that she had been trying to accomplish the same New Year's resolution for five years now. Why is it so hard to do it? The problem is, sometimes (or most of the times), the resolution stays all in the mind. It was never written down. I recently read an article sent to my email which states that most people spend more time planning their annual...

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: Cat...

No one sings it better than God does. :) And today, He serenaded me again. ♥ Fr. Abel said, take every day as special as any other day . Well, with God, every day is truly remarkable!  Photo Credit: Brenda Boen And so I won't let this day pass without saying THANK YOU LORD! :)  For waking me up to a beautiful morning... For giving me strength to seize the day... For protecting me from harm and keeping me away from danger... For leading me closer and closer to You... For blessing me with a family so bonded in faith and love... For allowing me to experience the wonders of Your creation... For letting me serve You through my work in MIST... For my colleagues who have become friends and brothers... For the provisions - food, air, water, and everything else... For the people around me through whom I experience Your love... For Lawrence and his whole family... For giving me time to chat with my girlfriends...  For the "power hugs" and t...

Lunches with MIST people will always be special. :) I don't just get "full" physically, I also get nourished spiritually (we share life lessons, and our thoughts on the homily) and emotionally (I get to laugh... a lot!).  Today, I just had one of the most fruitful lunches with the boys.  EJ shared  Pope Francis' Top Ten Things To Do in 2014 :  1.  Don't gossip.  Check. :) 2.  Finish your meals.  Check. :) 3.  Make time for others. Check. :) This year's motto is: relationships come first . :) 4.  Choose the 'more humble' purchase. Check. :) "Live simply so others may simply live." 5.  Meet the poor 'in the flesh.' Check. :)  6.  Stop judging others. Check. :)  7.  Befriend those who disagree. Check. :)  8.  Make commitments, such as marriage. EJ: "Ito bagay sa'yo Ate Aiz!" (This suits you, Ate Aiz!) Me: "Ako talaga?" EJ: "Oo, marriage e."...

He sent me an email with the subject "I'm a finalist" and this as the content: The only thorn among the roses. :) Congratulations, Mr. Lawrence Andrew Laureta Fernandez! :) You are such a genius! And I am so proud of you! ♥ I read all the entries and without any bias, I really believe you deserve to win. Nobody wrote better than you did. God bless your Cyberya Minigosyo journey. :) Praying for God's best for you. ♥ I don't usually do this, but reading his entry, I was so amused at his brilliance. So blessed to have a man who inspires, moves, and touches lives with his superb God-given talent in writing. Thus, this shout out! :) Read and be amazed as well: Why I Want A Cyberya Minigosyo  :)

I admit, I'm a fan of love stories. I love to watch romantic comedies, family dramas, and anything that has the element of love .  Just last night, I watched About Time   and I'm just waiting for my brother to give me copies of Before Sunrise , Before Sunset ,   and  Before Midnight . :) We are all fond of love stories. And I know there are those who remember every quotable line or dialogue from their favorite films, TV shows, plays, or novels. I have my own collection. :) Love is indeed a beautiful thing. As they say, to love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of life . But let me add to that: To love God and to be loved by God is the greatest happiness of life!  :)  Nothing could be ever sweeter than that. :)  And so, on the weekend of Valentine's, I'm going to spend some quality time with my GREATEST LOVE   and LOVER - God! :)  You too can have the greatest date ever this coming love month! Today is th...

Photo Credit: EmptyHouseFullMind I just saw one great movie tonight. And I'm sleeping with these two lessons in mind:  1. All the time travel in the world can't make someone love you.  2. We're all travelling through time together every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride.  About Time is plain and simple. The film is really about time . And it (time) being probably the greatest expression of love, then it's safe to say that the story is all about love   - love for family, love for friends, love for spouse, love for children, love for self, love for life itself.  If there's one thing we all have in equal amount, that would have to be time (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks in a year). The difference lies in how we make use of what we have. :) I couldn't say it any better than Tim did: "I just try to live everyday as if I've deliberately come back to this one day to enjoy it as if ...

Photo Credit:  http://creativewallquotes.com/ May We Receive From The Lord... Refreshment if we are weary : They are filled from the abundance of Your house; You let them drink from Your refreshing stream. Psalm 36:8 HCSB   Strength  if we are weak : The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2 AMP   Healing  if we are wounded : He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1 NLT Peace  if we are worried : Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] John 14:27 AMP Clarity...

Speaking of waiting ...  I have a secret to share. :)  I abhor waiting. To me, it's not just a waste of time but a form of cheating (and stealing) as well. But that's just me. And that's only until I saw this:  I have come to realize that waiting is actually a good thing because it gives you enough time to think, discern, and prepare for what's next. The key to a "happy" waiting is joyful anticipation, and still an attitude of gratitude even if it already seems forever. :)  As I journey this year, I am grateful that God has given me a faithful companion in the form of this Facebook page :  Thanks to my Westlife sister Ruth for introducing this to me. Allow me to also share this blessing with you who are still waiting for God's best. ♥ It may take a long while, but I know it will be worth the wait! :) P.S. Curious who Boaz is? Read Ruth 2 . :)

When I came home after mass, Papa and Mama were watching this video (of course they were singing along): I thought this is also God's message for me. :D Kung hindi ngayon Ang panahon Na para sa iyo Huwag maiinip Dahil ganyan Ang buhay sa mundo Huwag mawawalan ng pag-asa Darating din ang ligaya Ang isipin mo'y may bukas pa Na mayroong saya Kabigua'y hindi hadlang upang tumakas ka Huwag kang iiwas 'pag nabibigo Dapat na lumaban ka Ang kailangan mo'y tibay ng loob Kung mayrong pagsubok man Ang liwanag ay 'di magtatagal At muling mamasdan Ikot ng mundo ay hindi laging pighati't kasawian Ang pangarap mo ay makakamtan Basta't maghintay ka lamang As Tita Marivie shared yesterday, my reality is designed by God for a purpose. I just have to embrace it and God will take care of me. :)  My reality teaches me to wait for the fulfillment of God's promises. I'm holding on to this:  He wi...

I just had a full day...  Slept at almost 2AM and woke up at 11AM ( ang dami kasing kwento ni Alpha :D) Had brunch, took a bath, had quick conversations with Papa, Mama, Arnold, and our special guest Alpha ( Yihee! This year na! :D ) ♥ Went to Smart Araneta Coliseum for the CFC Behold and Ponder Conference (very nourishing and insightful; deserves another post) Had dinner with Superfriends at Mc Donald's Ali Mall Traveled to Youngstown for the One Cainta New Year Party cum Cluster Assembly Played and won in the last game! Hooray! :D Met with the A4 leaders to finalize accommodation for the ICON Midnight snack with Lalove who just came from a meeting for their event on January 25 With matching kilig love songs... parang date  lang sa isang classy restaurant :D Sa dami ng naganap sa Sabado ko, ito lang ang nag-iisang larawan ko:  Thanks for this photo, Diane! ♥ I miss Blue. :( But I know God will replace our good old camera with a better, new o...

These ladies are worth marrying! ♥ We missed you, Marshee ! ...with the girls on the photo above. :)  They have been good friends of mine since college (since Math 17!) and they will forever be my best girlfriends! ♥ This Friday night is so special because we finally had our "reunion dinner." And while we remember our college days, we just couldn't stop talking about the stuff that we're going through now that we're on our late twenties - the (bitter) realities that we face as single women. At the end of the many conversations, we would all realize that indeed, we're not getting any younger and life gets really serious these days. Through the help and support of one another, we (hopefully) age with grace. :) Thank You Lord for giving me friends who have become family. By blood, I only have one sibling, but by virtue of friendship, You have blessed me with a number of beautiful people who turned out to be brothers and sisters for life! :) ...