These Little Wonders

St. Teresa of Avila once wrote:  Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which He looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which He looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Tonight, I found this prayer on Roy Lessin's blog : Lord, may each step I take leave a reflection of Your glory, an imprint of Your love, a fragrance of Your presence. Extend through me Your mercies and may my attitudes be a mirror of Your heart. Thank you, Lord, for the privilege I have to be Your child, to be set apart for Your plans, to be called according to Your purposes, and to be used as an instrument of Your will. Bring through my hands, Your ...

Our hearts know no fear Strong and faithful is our God We are His precious and dear A rock unmoved, He is our God For though a thousand may fall And mountains may crumble We shall continue to stand For men who are mighty and tall May falter and tremble, we shall possess the land For strong and faithful is our God For strong and faithful is our God Clouds of night may fill the sky Storms that rage may blow the day But let your hearts rest in your God He will shield us all the way That is my song for today. :)  Today is Lola's birthday, and no, God did not surprise me with a ticket to Iloilo. Sad, yes. But I have chosen to SMILE. S ee M iracles I n L ife E veryday. :) I spent the whole morning talking to my God who, for quite some time, seemed silent. This was my prayer:  PIETA God, my Father, Create in me a heart that hungers for Your will alone - a heart to accept Your will, to do Your will, to be whatever You want ...

Tomorrow, April 25, The Mind Museum will open a special exhibition that will make one think about his relationship with planet Earth.  We cannot deny the fact that the future becomes even more uncertain with the dreading changes that happen in our world today.  The big question for us is, "Are we ready to become defenders of the future?" This is the challenge that the Mind Museum invites us to take on. Thus, they present The Apocalypse Project .  The Apocalypse Project is a speculative design research inquiry that explores our possible lifestyles as climate change continues to affect the planet. It is a creative platform that asks specific questions about our environmental futures.  It aims to empower the public to embrace climate change as a personal challenge through the following exhibit areas: T.E.M.P.S (The Ephemeral Marvels Perfume Store) presents: The Smell Bar of Vanishing Scents Climate Change Couture: Volume 2, Manila The Fade...

Last April 14, the Philippines set a new Guinness World Record for the largest flaming image using candles after almost 57,000 candles were lit during the " Light of Peace in the Philippines " event held in Iloilo. Photo Credit: Iloilo Travel Guide In the "Summer Break" segment of GMA News, Tricia Zafra  also featured what is known as the " Heart of the Philippines ", and its capital as the " City of Love ". Actually, the places she visited were all in the northernmost parts of Iloilo: Bakwitan Cave and Tangke Saltwater Lake Lagoon are in Islas de Gigantes in Carles, while Polopiña and Agho Islands are in Concepcion. These are the areas that were badly hit by typhoon Yolanda. And I loved Tricia's concluding words, "hindi mahalaga kung ano ang nawala, ngunit kung ano ang naiwan." Having seen the news about my beloved province, I am even more eager to go and be there this summer. But aside from the obvious reason of just...

If you have a secret sorrow, a burden or a loss, An aching need for healing... Hang it on the cross. If worry steals your sleep and makes you turn and toss, If your heart is feeling heavy... Hang it on the cross. Every obstacle of faith or doubt you come across, Every prayer unanswered... Hang it on the cross. For Christ has borne our brokenness and dearly paid the cost To turn our trials to triumphs... Hanging on the cross. I saw this beautiful poem written by Lisa O. Engelhardt while I was browsing through my journal this afternoon. Such a great reminder to surrender everything at the foot of the cross of Jesus - the cross where Jesus fulfilled His mission, where He willfully submitted Himself to the plan of the Father, where He lovingly gave His all for our sake. More than anything else, remembering Christ's passion and death on the cross makes me feel so loved, so special, so worthy. He did not deserve to be crucified. I do. But because of ...

I just finished a project! Hooray! :) Before I proceed to the next, let me first share my "Escape to Manila" with Kaye yesterday.  We spent Araw ng Kagitingan  church-hopping, food tripping, praying, talking, laughing, walking, and just basking in God's holy presence. :)  We met at LRT Santolan at 9:30am, boarded the train for Recto, and began our long walk along Evangelista in Quiapo. Our first stop was Quiapo Church . I wasn't able to take a photo because there was an ongoing mass. After listening to the priest's homily about how our actions affect others even without our knowledge, we left excitedly assured that our tour guide is no less than God Himself. :) As we were walking along Carriedo, I noticed that most, if not all, of the DVD sellers along the road were playing the same movie: The Passion of the Christ or The Story of Jesus. And I honor them for never forgetting the One True God who always remembers. :) I thank them too because in their ...

The Penitential Rite  is always a grace-filled experience for me. I am humbled every time I deliver these words:  I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done  and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints,  and you, my brothers and sisters,  to pray for me to the Lord our God. The Confiteor reminds me of my weakness as a human and my great need for the Lord's mercy and forgiveness. And because I am reminded, I need to act. As Catholics, we are blessed with the Sacrament of Reconciliation . Before, I didn't like the idea of having to confess my sins to a priest. I was hesitant because I was trying to convince myself that I can confess my wrongdoings directly to God. Why would I still need a "middle-man"? I was also worried about what th...

"There was a mountain climber who desperately wanted to conquer the Aconcagua and began climbing it after years of preparation. But, he wanted the glory to himself, so he went up alone. He started climbing and it became later and later. He didn't prepare for camping, so he decided to keep going. Soon it grew very dark. Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly, he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity. He kept falling, and in those anguishing moments, good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. Yes! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist. In those momen...

All life is sacred! The third verse of the new Couples for Christ theme begins with: Defending life and creation .  This post is my little way of standing up for life! There is still hope, because prayers can move mountains, and with God, nothing is impossible!  THE RH LAW IS — UNCONSTITUTIONAL. ALL hormonal contraceptives (pills, injectables, implants & patch) and IUDS are ABORTIFACIENT and HARMFUL to the HEALTH of women, as reported in medical & scientific literature.  The UNCONSTITUTIONAL PDAF led to massive corruption that railroaded the passage of the RH Law. Contraception mentality encourages wanton sexual behavior, breakdown of marriages and irresponsible sex among our teens.  How can you ignore these FACTS?   UNNECESSARY. Deaths due to pregnancy are on a decline in the Philippines. From 443 per 100,000 live-births in 1980 to 84 in 2008.  This, without the RH Law. They say that the RH Law will strengthen ...

Joy unspeakable that won't go away  And just enough strength  To live for today  So I never have to worry  What tomorrow will bring  'Cause my faith is on solid rock  I am counting on God  Indeed, I had a joyful Saturday and a glorious Sunday! :) Not everything went according to my plan, but I firmly believe that it was all God's plan.  Photo Credit: Motivational Words of Wisdom So tonight, as I prepare for another workweek, I hold on to these joys... and I count on God. :) Joyful Saturday Renewed my covenant with the Lord ♥ Gave this talk and was reminded of my own covenant with God. :) Reunited with my Kabisig loves ♥ I missed them! And I am so glad to be back. :) Celebrated Loi's birthday and de-stressed with Marga ♥ Chronicles of Marga :) Glorious Sunday Attended the MCG and was affirmed that truly, the best is yet to come! God's message was loud and clear: "I love you and I will gi...

Reblogging this very timely message from Roy Lessin's Meet Me In The Meadow : When you walk with God, you walk— The highway of holiness. Isaiah 35:8 The pathway of His footsteps. Psalm 85:13 The path of the just. Proverbs 4:18 The path that’s right. Proverbs 4:11 The path of truth. Psalm 119:35 The path of light. Psalm 119:105 The path of life. Psalm 16:11 The path that’s good. Proverbs 2:9 The path of preservation. Proverbs 2:8 The path through apparent impossibilities (like the Red Sea). Isaiah 43:16 God will direct your steps along— The narrow way. Matthew 7:14 The known way. Psalm 1:6 The perfect way. Psalm 18:30 The ordered way. Psalm 37:23 The taught way. Psalm 32:8 The guided way. Psalm 25:8-9 The wise way. Proverbs 4:11 The celebrated way. Psalm 119:14 The peaceful way. Luke 1:79 The Jesus way. John 14:6 Keep walking with God and you'll never walk alone. :)

It's just the start of the second quarter of 2014, but I am already excited for 2015! Blame it on the Survey for 2015 Belle De Jour Power Planner . :D  For my fellow bellas, paging Marshee , stand a chance to win your own Belle De Jour 2015 Power Planner by spending less than an hour answering a series of questions that will definitely excite you for the year ahead. :)  Here's an example:  Question: 5-10 years from now: My Answers (top 3):   I would have moved in to my own place/house. I would be married. I would have my own business. If that's not exciting enough, how about these rewards? :) ALL COMPLETED survey entries by April 14 midnight, will get an AUTOMATIC 5% Discount for online direct orders on one (1) BDJ 2015 Power Planner. =)  The first 500 BDJ girls to answer get 1 FREE BDJ Forget-Me-Not Journal when you order your BDJ 2015 Power Planner online.  The first 500 BDJ girls to complete AND forward this surve...

I just came from a very nourishing household. And I just want to say this out loud: #IREALLYLOVEMYSFCHOUSEHOLDANDITHANKGODFORTHEM! ♥ The topic is just so timely. Ang galing lang talaga ni God magbigay ng mensahe. Laging on time! :) We talked about slowing down from an article by Will Forsythe. Allow me to share the most striking parts:  Whenever God is up to something in my life, it's always a simple message. Maybe that's because He is well aware of who He is working with.  "Slow Down..."  I hear that whispered every time I work on the calendar with my wife.  "Slow Down..." It echoes whenever I say yes to one more meeting, or sign up for one more event. "Slow Down..." I hate this idea. If I slow down, I often feel like I'm failing, or worried I'm going to be missing out on something. Slowing down sounds like something you would say to your Grandpa, not something for a 32-year old young professional, who is balanc...

Hindi ko mapigilang maiyak sa eksena kanina sa A 100-Year Legacy . Naalala kita, Lolo.  Gusto ko rin sanang marinig mula sa'yo yung mga sinabi ng lolo ni Monique: "Sa wakas, may magmamahal na rin sa Monique namin."  Gusto ko rin sanang ipagkatiwala mo ako sa taong karapat-dapat. Gusto ko rin sanang marinig pa ang mga payo mo tungkol sa buhay at pag-ibig.  Lolo, sobrang miss na talaga kita. Abril na naman. Parang kailan lang. Ang hirap pa ring tanggaping wala ka na. Pero sabi nga ni Father Rupert kanina, to accept is to understand . Kailangan ko munang tanggapin na makakasama na lang kita sa alaala bago ko maunawaan ang lahat ng iniwan mong aral sa buhay ko. Tanggap ko naman na e. Pero nasasaktan pa rin ako. Mahal talaga kasi kita, Lolo. Alam ko namang alam mo rin yun.  Lolo, maraming maraming salamat. Dahil sa'yo, buo pa rin ang pamilya namin. Dahil sa'yo, hindi pa rin ako sumusuko. Dahil sa'yo, hindi ako nawawalan ng pag-asa at nananatili akong ...