My INA
(late post)
My most powerful day this Summer is May 25!  I was invited by a very dear priest,confessor and friend of mine to attend and be in the PAGODA for the fluvial procession of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

I had mixed emotions on being on the PAGODA.  I was thinking, who am I, a sinner! What right am I to be with the most beloved INA of BICOLANDIA. I am humbled by the spiritual invitation. Our Father God is a loving DAD! All his creatures are worthy even we commit sin; HE is there to LOVE us without ceasing. 

It is a great privilege that I have been given a seat on the Fluvial procession. Not all who want to be with INA can join.  Only a few chosen women (a men) are given an opportunity to be with INA in her voyage from Naga People's Mart to the Basilica.  It was a magical journey.
I was mesmerized by her radiance and beauty. My eyes were focused on her on most of the journey. I am without doubt fortunate to be with her. To talk to her with footsteps away (6 steps away to be exact).

OBEDIENCE....HUMILITY....SERVICE....

Obedience means not just obeying our family but for our Father God. Obedience no matter how hard and difficult it is to follow the footsteps of our Father God. Obedience even if we counter, alter our ways for the greater glory of Father God. IT is never too late nor there is no time frame on obeying God’s Will. It is just a matter of choice to obey our God. Even with humiliations and embarrassments we are to received from the people who think ill and are dubious of our actions. Even for those very people (as close as they are like a family) will think that we are ningas kugon or just pakitang tao…
Humility to ACCEPT our mistakes and the mistakes of others. Accept that we are sinners and I know that you are saddened when you were teased that you are self righteous. I do not see you as that… What I see in you is a good natured Man! Humility to accept the mistakes of others so we can see the innate beauty of these persecutors and frenemies of ours.
Let us live in the service of God and others. Let us not think that we are here to serve the Church. There is a big difference in serving God and serving his church. When we serve God we are in veritical simplicity to our God and that counts our dealing with our brothers and sisters of the church. Service in the presence of God, we serve God through our service to others, Serving the Church is serving the people and that is not divine. When we serve our people let us first and foremost think that we are serving God so there will never be complaints nor grudges in all things.
Yes, I am a work in progress as well. Every day is a new day of opportunities to be Godly. Every day is a new day to work on our mistakes and errors.
And there are three things our God is not!
God will never change his love and acceptance in all our iniquities, mistakes and failures. God never lies when he said that he will take care of us because he loves us, that he gave his only son for us to be saved from all our sins.
God will never fail us of His promises to us…

So my dearest friend, Let us BOTH take the challenge in renewing these very young people of God.

(Got this from the net.  Not my own picture)

SUMMER HEAT

Summer has definitely started...  Experiencing the oh-soooooo- HOT weather!  But it won't stop me from having a summer blast...  To start off!  After the Holy Week, my family went to Baguio City for a week to just laze on the cool breeze of the city.  Hopping from one place to another.  I just love to stay there and enjoy the super weather of coolness... After which back to our place and here I am experiencing lotsa headaches because of the Sun...
Though, nothing can stop me from having the summer of my life... Dedicated on service and loving... I am now doin my Bucket list... Hope to finish everything by tomorrow :)
Enjoy the summer! :)

Happy Easter!

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is a day of Celebrating the Phoenix in US .  I became once again convicted that loving and serving HIM is above all else the essence of my journey here on earth.

Let us GET OUT of the dark cave of PESSIMISM! Of NEGATIVITY!  Let us abandon FEAR if FEAR is our SECURITY.  Let us be adventurous spirit to serve others, loving then unconditionally and putting our trust without reserve.

Let us MOVE UP to the LIGHT of CREATION and the POWER of GOD.  Let us move up to the LIGHT of HOPE, FAITH, LOVE and SERVICE.  MOVE UP to FORGIVE and FORGET.  MOVE UP our HEARTS to SEE the GOODNESS of OTHERS.  MOVE UP our MINDS to the POSITIVITY of BLESSINGS, GRACES and MIRACLES.  MOVE UP our HANDS to CONTINUE SERVING our BRETHREN.

Let us experience the resurrection everyday and let ALLELUIA be our SONG!  To God Be the GLORY!

JOY in LENT

My journey of Faith has not be that of a perfect transformation.  But it a slow (very slooowww perhaps) as well as full of the ups and downs of my oh-so-colorful life.

But what struck me were the questions of: humility, forgiveness and obedience.

HUMILITY to accept ones mistakes, shortcomings.  When to be humble and all.  What will force you to be in this state amidst the power and possessions that one might have.

FORGIVENESS to oneself foremost, then to family and to our persecutors.  Is there a quota or should we say a limit as to when we forgive?  Can we just not to forget the wrong that have done to us?  

OBEDIENCE on who to follow?  When to follow and maybe we tend to question as well do we really need to OBEY?

I began to reflect on these three virtues and lemme say this-- truly a mind boggling reflection I did!  

HUMILITY should be at all times present and forever be made in order for us to be warriors of Christ.  There are times, when we feel that we are powerful because of, say a position we hold in our family, school or community, we tend to lose grip of this and try to justify our self righteous actions as serving our God.  Humility is not being the last being timid but stepping down on the pedestal and connect, relate and serve the least of our brethren.  Humility is not sitting in the corner, sulking and trying to act like you are humble enough to be a wallflower.  It is making yourself a Servant for the least of our brothers and sisters. Not a Master or Royalty.  It is seeking out and being grounded and seeking the Glory of our God.   I ask The Blessed Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit to guide me on this road to be a Humble Servant of our Father.  

FORGIVENESS is a very strong word.  We tend to be mathematical wizards on forgiveness.  Counting all the right and wrong a person has made.  Making a tab every time a person fails to meet our expectations because of  (let's face it!) weaknesses and fears.  Yes, these two are the factors why a person commits mistakes.  But are we to judge that?  When we commit mistakes, does our Father tell us "Hey you!  You've done your 4,161,996 mistake!  Am counting! Just so you know"  phrase... Hah!  We are people not divine as always been said by us.  We can forgive but will never forget... Our God is not such!  He willingly gave his LIFE in our for us to be forgiven of our sins. Right up to his last breath, He uttered such beautiful words 

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do...”(Luke 23:34)

As beautiful as these words, we Men are still not contented.  We still have to ask "  How often shall we forgive?  As many as seven times?" and our Father had answered "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).  That says it all, there is NO QUOTA ON FORGIVING...  Whew!  Truly a strong word that is!  

I read a theory of Fr. J and I quote "The only way for us to even begin to forgive is to remain connected to the person who has hurt us or gone astray." Uhhh!  So the question lies To Forgive and Forget or to Forgive and NOT Forget?  Many among us will truly place our mind and heart on the first, but what is divine is the second.  We shall truly be elated if we hear our "I forgive you and forget everything you've done wrongly".  

May I use this message to end the virtue of FORGIVENESS...  It’s similar to what the poet Rilke wrote in his Letters to A Young Poet: “Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” Change the word “frightens” to “hurts,” and hopefully you get the picture.  

LAST is OBEDIENCE.  As what I said to my class,  there are only two things in life "black and white" not gray (nor red).  Either you do good or evil.  Whom do you obey?  These very words frightens me so much that even I tremble on the very thought.  Our GOD is a merciful, loving Father.  We obey him and we get life eternal.  

In all humility, I truly can say that I am a repentant sinner and will always work my way up to be the transformed daughter of the God of goodness.  I am learning the hard way but I count them as blessings and graces that my Father God wants me to learn for me to be stronger day by day.  

Full of trust and love, I can now say, peace be with my God and will  LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL MY HEART, AND WITH ALL MY  SOUL, AND WITH ALL MY MIND, AND WITH ALL MY STRENGTH.'

Our Lady of Guadalupe

My Mother Guadalupe

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe... 
My mother...  Fifteen years have passed... And I was in shambles... But then you carried me... Took care and never left my side since then... You have treated me like your own daughter... I am a sibling to your Son... 
My mother... I was astray but then you wrap your arms around me... Protected me from evil... Instinctively saved me from the pit...
My mother... Now, that my own daughter is all grown up...I ask you to wrap your arms around her as you did to me... Protect her from the snares of temptation and evil... Clothe her with your robe of joy, love and purity...
My mother... I ask you solemnly to grant the desires of these women who are filled with longing for a child...
My mother... Thank you for making me your special and favored daughter...
I thank you my dearest Mother of Guadalupe and will continue to be your devotee throughout my life...

ON SOCIAL MEDIA/NETWORKS:

Yesterday, I was watching a talk show regarding social media... Twitter and FB... Celebrities were on the hot seats... My stand point on this...

Once you accepted a person as a "friend"; the person is privileged to place their comments, responses or suggestions to their "friends". - TRUE!

However, there is a demarcation on the above statement. This is true on constructive and positive criticisms, comments, 
responses. But how about those insensitive, rude statements. 
Does the comment above still holds true?

I believe, that as Christian Men and Women, we should put it in good use. We should inspire instead of destroy. We should learn how to be a good Citizen of Social Network. We will never get anything from bashing, lashing out crude words for our own satisfaction. 

There was a statement from the talk show host that, some people blame the parents of these people. I am saddened by this view. I pity those parents who instill good values and morals to their children. Let us not forget that even they are children-they too, have their own mind to speak. And yes, i agree, parents have a major responsibility but PARENTS do not HOLD and CONTROL their children's decisions and actions.

What harms people will eventually destroy not them but to the person who harms them. Remember what goes around; comes around.

Why do people always forget this very statement.. I too, at times, tend to forget this... :( 

Let us aspire to inspire until we expire...

In everything we do, there will always be a HIGHER & SUPREME BEING who SEES EVERYTHING.

Let us all be advocates of Good Network Use...