These Little Wonders

For the third time, I signed up for the biggest business-to-blogger event ! According to their official list , I was among the first 200 who registered. Hindi masyadong excited . :D  Well, it has been an annual thing for me, since I first joined in 2013 . It's not just the freebies, but the opportunity to meet awesome bloggers and discover noteworthy products and businesses. For bloggers, it's a good venue to learn how to make the most of our blogs. And since one of my goals this year is to become a better blogger, I wouldn't want to miss Blogapalooza . :) For businesses, it's the best place to launch campaigns  and products, and probably open doors for employment (maybe you could find your next marketing personnel from the pool of amazing bloggers present in the event).  As of this writing, there are already 400 registered bloggers  (privileged to be one of them, and yes, this is to confirm my attendance as well :D) . It's not yet too late! Sign up  n...

Day after day, I must face a world of strangers Where I don't belong, I'm not that strong It's nice to know that there's Someone I can turn to Who will always care, You're always there When there's no getting over that rainbow When my smallest of dreams won't come true I can take all the madness the world has to give But I won't last a day without You So many times when the city seems to be Without a friendly face, a lonely place It's nice to know that You'll be there if I need you And You'll always smile, it's all worthwhile When there's no getting over that rainbow When my smallest of dreams won't come true I can take all the madness the world has to give But I won't last a day without You Touch me and I end up singing Troubles seem to up and disappear You touch me with the love You're bringing I can't really lose when You're near When You're near, my Love ...

On this day, O beautiful Mother On this day, we give thee our love Near thee, Madonna, fondly we hover, Trusting thy gentle care to prove Image Source: airmaria.com Today we celebrate the birth of the woman I strive to imitate - Mary, full of grace. :) As a gift to her (and to myself, as part of my "40 Days To A Happier, Healthier, Holier Me" project), I decided to begin these two devotions:  As Fr. Erlin wrote, "Imitating Mary is not a denial of oneself. It is a desire to be who we truly are: the image and likeness of God." I attended the mass at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice and during the homily, Fr. Henry Ferreras described Mary in the five letters of her very name: MARIA.  M other - No one can replace the role of a mother in our lives. Mary is not just the Mother of our Savior, but our mother, too. At Calvary, Jesus entrusted the beloved disciple John (who represents each of us) to her care. By this act, we have the privileg...

Tired...  of ... doing the same thing over and over again? ... being the "go to" person? ... cleaning up someone else's mess? ... caring for people who don't even care? ... loving most especially the least lovable? ... doing favors for people who only remember you when they need you? ... setting things right (or at least trying to)? ... fighting for justice? ... pursuing righteousness? ... life itself? You may not have a broken heart, but if you answered "yes" to most of the questions above, then you definitely have a weary, and probably, wounded heart.  So where do we go now? Jonas  already gave a warning not to go to Sagada (where broken hearts go :D) dahil "sa dami raw ng gustong makalimot, bingi na ang Kiltepan" . Haha. Kawawang Kiltepan. Kasalanan iyan ng That Thing Called Tadhana .  Buti na lang tayo (assuming na weary/wounded din ang puso mo), pagod lang, hindi broken . :) And in moments like this, whe...

A scholar of the law asked Jesus, "which commandment in the law is the greatest?"  Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." And then we ask, "how do we love?" (or sing, "paano ba ang magmahal?" ) I've written several blog posts about that already (and I'm sure a lot of people also did) and today, during the mass, God whispered, "true love remains" .  Fr. Benedict would always say that the daily mass readings are among the greatest proofs of God's consistency. Indeed, God is consistent. He tells us about the greatest commandment, and He also tells us how to fulfill it. To love is to remain. In the First Reading, after Naomi's husband and two sons died, she decided to leave Moab to go back to her native land. Among her ...

Blogged about this already late last year. But the lesson is just timeless. :) Living and loving are two forms of dying. The one who loves dies a million deaths. The one who dies, lives fully. -Cardinal Tagle Image Source: Pinterest.com Are we ready to die? Die to ourselves and live for others? After all, there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13) Song in mind: Unless A Grain of Wheat ♥ *** Whew! Ang hirap, Lord! Pero hindi imposible. With Your grace, we, too, can live, love, and die. :)

I didn't have a perfect week. In fact, the past few weeks have been very overwhelming (in a not-so positive way). Almost everyday I ask God, "Lord, bakit ko nga uli ito ginagawa? Pwede bang itigil na natin ito?" "Ito" refers to the many tasks at hand. Sabi ko nga kay Mama, sobrang demanding ng lahat ng aspeto ng buhay ko lately at hindi ko na talaga alam kung kakayanin ko pa.  Last Thursday, after the noon mass at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, a nun approached me and asked, "May favor sana ako. Pwede bang pakidala ng gamit ko? Mabigat kasi." I gladly replied, "Sige po. " While we were walking to the Reconciliation Room (she said she wants to confess), I asked her, "Ano pong congregation niyo?"   She replied, "Dominican. Bakit, magma-madre ka ba?"  I smiled and told her about my previous encounters with the Carmelites and the Assumption Sisters. Before I left her, she told me, "Mag-usap tayo uli."  :)  ...