These Little Wonders

"To be God's best at all times, one must be one with God and actualizing your own uniqueness through behavior, values, and actions." One of the workshops that I attended during the 21st SFC International Conference was really about learning to become God's best. Admittedly, I am very critical of whoever speaks in front. More often than not, I have this thing called "prove to me you're worth my time" syndrome. And yes, Ms. Anna Esperanza has proven herself to be very credible and worthy to spend hours listening to. :)  And because I learned so much from her (and her passion is to help others become their better selves), I'm paying it forward by sharing the knowledge that I gained from the workshop. The following bits and pieces are taken from my notes while Ms. Anna was talking about Personality Plus !  PERSONAL BRANDING "Who do you say I am?" Personal branding = company branding Personal branding is important becaus...

I don't need a lot of things I can get by with nothing With all the blessings life can bring I've always needed something But I've got all I want When it comes to loving You You're my only reason You're my only truth I need You like water Like breath, like rain I need You like mercy From heaven's gate There's a freedom in Your arms That carries me through I need You You're the hope that moves me To courage again You're the love that rescues me When the cold winds rage And it's so amazing 'Cause that's just how You are And I can't turn back now 'Cause You've brought me too far I need You like water Like breath, like rain I need You like mercy From heaven's gate There's a freedom in Your arms That carries me through I need You As I sleep tonight, I'll be singing that song and saying this prayer (from Roy Lessin's Meet Me In The Meadow ):  J...

(Sing to the tune of "Lord, Patawad!") Lord, salamat ! Kahit ako'y  makasalanan Patuloy  Mong  pinagpapala This has been my song for the past few weeks. There's just a lot of seemingly unfortunate events that happened. And if one is not grateful enough, it's easier to complain and just wish for better circumstances. But Paul reminds us in his letter to the Thessalonians to be grateful at all times . Indeed, all it takes to still feel good about your present situations is an attitude of gratitude - seeing things in a positive way, counting your blessings instead of focusing on your loss. One needs to be grateful in order to realize how much he is loved, blessed, and favored by the Lord. Because with our faith, it's not really about "to see is to believe" but more of "to believe is to see".  So here goes my gratitude list:  1. Thank You for the gift of today. I've got a brand new day, and to that I say, "hooray ...

Sharing this prayer from Roy Lessin's blog : BE —God, I say “yes” to You. I choose to allow Your way to shape me and Your will to direct me in what is best. I surrender instead of resist, I yield instead of fight, I believe instead of doubt. STILL —Father, may Your rest abide and Your peace abound within me. Quiet all anxiety that troubles my thoughts and unsettles my emotions. I bring my soul under the control of the Holy Spirit; I stand steady upon the unmovable foundations of Your kingdom; I receive the sufficiency of Your grace and the encouragement of Your promises as you calm my soul. AND KNOW — Lord, thank you that Your word is sure, unchanging, and indisputable. Your word is true. I am certain. You have saved me from guessing, wondering, wishing, or pretending. I know! I believe! I AM GOD — You are who You say You are. You do what You say You do. There is no other! You are the highest, the greatest, the best. You have no weakness, no lack, and no equal. Y...

See the difference? :) A guy friend shared an interesting article on Facebook and it was obviously written by a man! Just look at how cluttered the page is. Haha. At kailangan talagang ALL CAPS? Grabe ang emphasis ha?! But yeah, I understand your need to be understood, boys. So I'm listing down your rules again. And I'll make sure that they're more readable this time. :D  They are all numbered one (1)  daw  on purpose. I'll leave it that way. :) My comments are italicized . :D 1. Men are not mind readers. Okay. :) 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.   I need it up. So does that make me a man? :D 1. Crying is blackmail.  Seriously? Kaya pala iniiyakan niyo rin kami. Haha. Alam ko na ngayon! :D 1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:  Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints...

“I put this charge before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies once spoken about you, in order that with such encouragement you may fight the good fight .”  1 Timothy 1:18 We can learn a lot from these wise words given to Timothy by his mentor Paul. In a talk delivered by Tito Chito Cubacub to the leaders of Singles for Christ East A, he shared some practical applications of Paul's counsel to our roles as leaders.  Paul entrust this charge to Timothy with the prophetic words. In 1 Timothy 4:14, Paul further said, “Do not neglect your gift, which was given to you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” Timothy is tasked to to preach and teach with confidence. In order to do so, he must be a good example and witness to his office.  Timothy must also persevere in growing in Christian character and be a model disciple. As leaders who fight the good fight of faith, there are four (4) things that we must be...

Some I already do but I guess doing everything would make a lot of difference. :) It seems simple but it isn't that easy. It really takes a lot of discipline and grace from the Lord. :) How To Save Time In The Morning : It all starts the night before...  1. Write your To-Do list. 2. Pack your bag. 3. Make lunch. 4. Pick your outfit. 5. Sleep on time. In the morning... 1. No snooze! 2. Get in a "go" mood 3. Stretch 4. Think a happy thought 5. Let some sunshine in 6. Drink a glass of cold water 7. Turn on music 8. Ignore the phone 9. No computer (especially email) 10. Same goes for TV 11. Brush your teeth in the shower 12. Soap your hair, face, and body at once so you just need one rinse. 13. Don't waste time after your shower. 14. Set a "to go" alarm to stay on track. Photo Credit: Grit & Glory

"God wants you to move through this day with a quiet heart, a n inward assurance that He is in control, a  peaceful certainty that your life is in His hands, a  deep trust in His plan and purposes, a nd a thankful disposition toward all that He allows." (Roy Lessin) Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Sharing my morning prayer before work :  Father, may everything I do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your saving help. Let my work always find its origin in You and through You reach completion. Lord, pour out on me the spirit of understanding, truth and peace. Help me to strive with all my heart to know what is pleasing to You, and when I know Your will, make me determined to do it. Almighty Father, work is Your gift to me, a call to reach new heights by using my talents for the good of all. Guide me as I work, and teach me to live in th...

Reblogged from Roy Lessin's Meet Me In The Meadow :  All of us have done things in our past that we wish we’d never done. All of us would love to have the opportunity to revisit our past and make the right choice, take back a word wrongly spoken, or express a different attitude than the one that brought someone pain. How do we solve this dilemma? Trying to act better will not erase what has been done in the past, what has been said in the past, or what has been chosen in the past. There is no way that we can go back and undo what we have done, or unsay what we have said. Reading the Bible will not take care of our past, going to church will not heal our past, and doing good works will not erase our past. God has provided the only complete and perfect solution to every regretful and sinful thing related to our past. God’s answer is not “do better” or “try harder”. God’s answer is not found in what we can do, but in what He has done. God sent His Son into the world to die u...

As we all prepare for the 21st CFC-Singles For Christ International Conference, we are invited to join us in this NOVENA starting tomorrow, February 5 until Friday, February 14, the first day of the conference. Let us be one in prayer for the ministry, for every single man and woman all over the world, and for the ICON. Eternal and loving God, You are the source of joy and happiness.  From my mother's womb You have known and loved me more than I can ever know.  I ask for the courage to live a holy life that Your hand guide my decisions.  Bring peace and contentment to the vocation that You want me to embrace. May Your mercy be extended when I seek glory instead of Yours. I ask for the strength to say yes in total humility and submission to You, my Lord.  With the intercession of Mary, Star of the evangelization, I pray for this specific intention ___________________________________________.  May You grant me purity of heart that I ...

I've been talking about love and marriage because I still have that hangover from the Heart To Heart Conference. And besides, it's the Love Month! :) Today, I saw the beautiful pre-nup photos of Drew and Iya. And this is my most favorite:  Such a beautiful couple! :) (Photo Credit: Mango Red ) I just love Drew and Iya. They are popular celebrities but they know how to keep their relationship private. I guess that's what made them strong as a couple. I admire them for staying faithful to each other amidst the many temptations around them. They weren't a "can't live without each other" type of couple (just like us :D), and despite working for two warring networks, they stayed in love. And just last Friday, they finally tied the knot and officially became Mr. and Mrs. Arellano. And may I just say that it was indeed a perfect private wedding! ♥ See, I'm really a fan of love stories. I find them beautiful and inspiring. However, I don...

Fr. Abel shared, "Don't pray for luck, pray for God's blessings!"  So I'm not going to say I'm lucky today, rather, I declare I AM BLESSED ! :)  I just came from a three-day weekend conference at St. Michael Retreat House in Antipolo. Yes, I am blessed to have attended the 3rd Regional Training Conference of Heartbeat Asia. Thanks to CFC Global Mission Center for sponsoring the registration fee for 20 employees/missionaries including me. :) I learned a lot, ate a lot, prayed a lot, laughed a lot, and definitely even more affirmed my vocation and my role as a woman. I may have been bruised, hurt, and in a way, abused before, but as Catherine Wood repeatedly declared, " you can always start again ." And as I start this journey towards the protection and preservation of life, I pray for God's grace that I may remain strong, principled, and courageous enough to proclaim and live God's truth.  I don't intend to share in this ...

Since it's the first day of February, a.k.a The Love Month, I'm going to share one of the things I learned from the Heart To Heart Conference . Part of review na rin ito aside from watching "Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo . "   :D   Whatever you want in a relationship, you put in the relationship.  If you want honesty, you have to be honest . If you want respect, you have to be respectful . If you want loyalty, you have to be loyal . If you want trust, you have to be trustworthy . If you want love, you have to be loving . This weekend, we talked about life and relationships, particularly marriage. During dinner, we were serenaded by Ms. Simonette (who was a former CFC fulltime worker). And she sang the following songs which I believe are just so timely. *kilig to the max* ♥ ♥ ♥ This month, and always... may we love and allow ourselves to be loved. :)