These Little Wonders

Life consists of ups and downs, victories and defeats, pains and joys, successes and failures. For the past (almost) three decades, I’ve been learning and re-learning things. While I still cannot consider myself an expert, I have gained knowledge on life’s essentials - how to not just survive, but thrive! Thanks to the best mentor in the world – experience! I do not regret learning them the hard way. I just wish I had known them earlier. :) Learn from the past. Live the present. Look forward to the future. ♥ So, if I had the chance to talk to my younger self, I would have given her the following life lessons:  D elays are not denials. I recently read a book by Mitch Albom where he wrote, “It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be.” Had I read that long before, I would not have drowned in too much misery and self-pity for all the “delays” in my life. See I am a highly-organized woman who values time. I strictly follow schedules and I set de...

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66.80.  When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.  When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John."  But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.  He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.  Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.  All who heard these things took them to heart, sayi...

Hey! I'm still alive! And so is this blog! ♥♥♥ If you know me so well, you would know that I'm the kind of person who likes to schedule things. For me, TIMING is very important. I'm obsessed with numbers and meanings.  But just recently, I was reminded that life is too short, and I just couldn't WAIT for the perfect moment, I have to create it.  I always say that ALL IT TAKES IS A DECISION. I have made the decision to start over - begin again, pursue the dreams I have kept in my heart since time immemorial, become the awesome woman I am meant to be (because I believe we're all destined for greatness).  I have always wanted to revive this blog, but for the longest time, I've been arguing with myself about the "when."  Yesterday, Facebook reminded me of something which really motivated me because it came from someone I look up to (and now, I'm literally looking up to her in heaven).  Thank You, Ate Dona! You are one brave s...

One of my takeaways during the weekend's BDJ Women's Summit was this quote from Erin Hanson:  "What if I fall?" "Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?" I'll keep this short and simple.  If there is one reason why I wouldn't vote for Miriam, it is the fear of her losing the bid. Yung feeling na sayang lang ang boto kasi hindi naman siya mananalo.  But what if my one vote was all she needed to win? The fight isn't over until the votes have been counted. It's not yet too late.  Plus, I was affirmed by the results of this quiz:  We still have time... to pray, discern, and choose NOT THE LESSER EVIL (lesser evil is still evil) because we actually have a GOOD CHOICE .  If you still have an open mind, go check out Miriam's plan of action here:  http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/plan-of-action/ And I hope you could make time for this quiz:  http://pipoll-alpha.appspot.com/ . Please read up on what the cand...

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13 If I were to summarize my February, it would really be just about those three words: faith , hope , and love .  FAITH. With everything that I've gone through this month in terms of health, finances, family, career, service, I would really say that it was just my faith and God's faithfulness that kept me afloat. I'm not a perfect Christian. I'm still striving to maintain a deep connection with the Lord. But with His grace, I am able to hold on to my faith especially when the going gets really tough. Amidst the medical results, the meager resources, the uncertainties, the fears, I managed to remain calm and sane. I broke down a few times before God and before the people I trust the most, pero gaya nga ng sabi sa isang text message na natanggap ko, kung may pinagdadaanan ka, dumaan ka lang, huwag kang tumambay . I cry desperately before the Lord, I que...

Though I was (and still am) not feeling well, I thank God for the gift of today. It has been a great day filled with love, grace, and inspiration. ♥ The first thing I did when I arrived at the GMC was to line up for confession. And it was indeed a beautiful moment with my God and with my dear Fr. Benedict who did not just patiently listen to what I had to say, but lovingly reminded me of the truths I might have missed along the rough roads of life. Just like Paolo, he really knows the right words to say and when to say them. I feel loved and understood and cared for every time I talk to people like them. ♥ And of course, there's the beautiful homily of Fr. Benedict during the noon mass. Muntik na naman akong maiyak . Ask. Seek. Knock. :)  Then I had one of the best lunches ever. I left the canteen not just with a full tummy but a full heart as well. I shared the same table with some of the most inspiring men in CFC: Tito Eric Ylagan, Tito Louie Maglaya and Fr. Ben...

Since Thursday last week, Fr. Benedict has been reminding us of the importance of the season of Lent. During his homily, he urged us once again not to let this season pass without doing anything to make it as meaningful as possible.  We hear it every year: lent is a time for prayer, fasting and abstinence, and almsgiving . But what have we done about it?  It's easy to be tempted to treat these 40 days are just "ordinary" because we encounter them year after year. But Lent is not just a Catholic tradition. It is an opportunity to grow in holiness, be a better person, and grow closer to God.  Fr. Benedict suggested the following to make this Lent truly a season of love:  1. Pray more. Set an alarm for your quality time with the Lord. And commit to really spend that time with Him. If you already have a disciplined prayer time, then pray longer. Spend more time with the One who truly loves you, and who loves you more than any other person can ever love ...