On Faithfulness

PLW 207: "If you save your prayer time, your prayer time will save you."

How faithful are you with your prayer time (or sacred half-hour)? After attending PLW (Prayer and Life Workshops Manila), it dawned upon me that half an hour is never enough if one is in love with the Lord. An hour wouldn't even suffice. As King of our lives and Lover of our souls, He deserves more than a fraction of our time, not just our spare time. :D

John 5:30

"I can do nothing of myself."


Father, thank You for the message that I can do all things through Christ. Help me seek Him with all my heart and soul. Thank You for anointing me and helping me follow through with all my commitments. Thank You for my breakthrough this year. May I fulfill my end of the promise to You...  In Jesus' name, amen!

Luke 12:31

"Seek rather the Kingdom and these things will be given to you as well."


Father, help me seek Your righteousness without being too self-righteous. I want all my relationships to work out in the future, so help me accept even if my future partner or friends for that matter won't be right. Help me love them first and foremost. Bless me as I seek Your righteousness. Add the blessings in my life as I pursue my missions. In Jesus' name, amen!

On Identity Rooted in Christ

PLW 106: Of all God's masterpieces, I am the greatest of all. :D

Who are you?
Instead of asking "Who do I think I am?" or "Who am I in men's eyes," don't you think it's best to ask, "Who am I in God's eyes?" That's more than enough to bring smile to your eyes. :D

On Self Acceptance and Reconciliation

PLW 205: "The first step to freedom is self acceptance... The moment we get reconciled, we become messengers and bearers of the Gospel."

Have you freed yourself from unpleasant circumstances and toxic people? Accept the fact that there are some things you can't change. Get reconciled with God and with yourself. Only then will you find yourself writing a Gospel for Christ.

Luke 2:51

"...As for His mother, she kept all these things in her heart."

Father, when I become a mother a few years from now, may I understand all the sacrifices of my own mom, and may I emulate Mary to my child. I want to become Mary in Your eyes-- chaste, obedient, submissive, a gentle spirit, a strong woman and so much more. I'm looking forward to giving birth to my daughter in the future. In Jesus' name, amen!

Diligent Student

Last Sunday, I sat at the back because I told my friend that I didn't want to recite. But guess what I did? I recited. Twice, I think. Or probably thrice, esp. when no one was raising his or her hand.

As a teacher, I know the feeling when no one wants to talk in a group class. You can't help but feel inefficient and incompetent. Yes, it also feels stupid. And it gets stressful in a one-on-one session when the lone tutee doesn't want to answer. So I kept on reciting when nobody wanted to talk or when everyone was shy to share during community meditation. Too bad we can't share our thoughts on other people's sharing. I would have said a lot of things.

Matthew 2:10

"The wise men overjoyed on seeing the star again."

Father, like the wise men, I am also overjoyed whenever I see stars in the sky, but more so when I see a full moon in its majesty. Thank You for sending all these celestial bodies to remind me of You and to give me the much-needed hope amidst the pitch-black sky. May I continue to be amazed by the full moon... In Jesus' name, amen!

Walk the Extra Mile

PLW 204: "She (Mama Mary) searched because she did not know everything. (S)he who searches must walk."

Simply grateful that I learned to search for the answers to some of my questions about the Catholic faith instead of just turning my back on the Church. Simply grateful that I walked (home late alone with God) when I was in need of spiritual nourishment the most. Simply grateful that I walked and found LOJ when I was in the pits (He drew me out of the deep water). :D

Are you searching for something? Learn to walk the extra mile, no matter how inconvenient.

Down on Your Knees

PLW 103: "We only understand Him when we are on our knees."

I got this meaningful expression from my last cycle of PLW. Simply grateful that I have developed a personal relationship with God, the One True Lover of my soul and my Papa God.

After developing an intimate relationship with Him in 2003, I learned to hear His voice more clearly and to discern His will more accurately. Albeit there are still some times in my life when I simply can't comprehend Him and His will (such as what happened during Ondoy and why tragedies strike good people), I'm learning to trust that He knows what's best for me. I am His beloved daughter after all.