Divine Heritage

(Photograph by Franco Advincula)
In a moment of self-doubt, low self-esteem and little self-worth, the simple words of a Primary song pierced through my aching heart: “I am a child of God.” How assuring the words. How comforting the message.
When disappointments come—as they surely will—and we are faced with frustrations beyond our control, some of us [...]

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Health is Wealth

(Photograph by Charisse Paculanang)

I was sick over the weekend and was consequently forced to stay in bed for the most part. I had to drop all appointments, activities, and plans for that beautiful weekend and did nothing. Of course the world didn’t stop without me in it. Life went on as scheduled and I just [...]

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Strength or Flaw?

(Photograph by Charisse Paculanang)

I was reminded once too often this past week by a few friends about a character flaw that they think I have—the inability to say ‘no.’

But when does one draw the line? Is there such a thing as being a little too kind or giving way too much? Wouldn’t we rather [...]

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One Step at a Time

 

(Photograph by Charisse Paculanang)
People have finally moved on in our neighborhood after the flood!! Broken furniture and appliances have been replaced; backyards have been cleaned; walls have been repainted; clothes and linens have been washed and dried; cars have been fixed; and most lives are almost back to normal!! And so [...]

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Lifting Burdens

We cannot lift another unless we’re on higher ground.
As a human being, I sometimes find myself at the bottom of the pit and unable to write uplifting messages for this blog site. But there is one faithful reader among you who just won’t allow me to wallow in my mire of misery for a long [...]

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The Healing Balm of Forgiveness

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
There was a story told of a girl being bitten by a rattlesnake on the ankle and her friends chasing the snake first before remembering to get back to her to extract the poison from her leg. Unfortunately, her friends took too much time to avenge the infliction that the girl’s leg [...]

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The Gift of Presence

I witnessed last Sunday how being there for someone in times of need is sometimes all it takes to make them feel better. One does not even have to do anything, but listen.
The efforts to reach out and help those who have been affected by the storm continue. Some homes are still under water, families [...]

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Thank YOU!

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
I was taken aback the other day when a lovely young lady came up to me and said, “Thank you for your smile.” I paused and gave her a puzzled look. I was speechless. I didn’t remember smiling at her that morning. Sensing the confusion on my face she explained: “I just [...]

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Zero Visibility

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
It was raining hard yesterday as we drove up to my favorite bridge that shows a view of the temple from its summit. I always take the inner lane of that bridge to give me a bird’s eye view of the Lord’s house when I reach its peak. I was hoping to [...]

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Refiner’s Fire

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)

We had a great laugh this morning in the car on the way to work while talking about complicated situations in life that test our long-suffering and patience. “I want to develop patience NOW!!!” I jokingly said. Nyahaha!

Although I was trying to make our conversation light [...]

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Love Unfeigned

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)

They say you really love someone when you still love that person even when the person least deserves it.

There were times in the past when I’ve made mistakes and didn’t deserve to be loved by the people around me. Some of them judged me and walked away, but those who truly [...]

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The Blessings of Friendship

(Photograph by Franco Advincula)

When I was a freshman in college, I met a friend whose good examples and strong testimony influenced me in a way that led me to learn more about what she believed in. She always had a bright smile on her face and a sunny disposition despite what was going on around [...]

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On Being a Parent

I used to just read it in various books and magazines, but now it’s happening to me! My children are growing up and slowly having lives of their own that last night as I drove down the road after dropping my son off to his activity, I realized that sooner or later I will have [...]

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In His Own Due Time

Have you ever prayed for something for so long that you almost gave up on the thought of ever receiving it? And just when you were about to abandon all expectations of ever obtaining what you’ve petitioned for, you unexpectedly get it!!

Well, it happened to me many times before and it happened again most [...]

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Elements of Success

Three weeks ago, I attended a professional seminar and was very pleased by the approach of the facilitator on his topic. Although the subject matter was intended for the workplace, the audience appreciated his examples that applied to people’s lives in general. He boldly declared: “Life is all about relationships!” While discussing the 3Ps for [...]

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