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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

Work, an Eternal Principle

 (Photograph by Franco Advincula)

I got up early this morning thinking about the many things that I need to get done. They just simply keep coming. But I’ve learned to be grateful for these responsibilities when I realized that working—in whatever form—is a privilege.
Work is an eternal gospel principle. Even God worked [...]

Read Full Post »

Blessing, not Burden…

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)

I sat speechless the other day as I listened to someone talk about her thoughts on ending her life due to something that other people would consider a great blessing. Just a few days prior to that incident, someone I knew grieved tremendously for the loss of the very blessing that this [...]

Read Full Post »

Modern Miracles

 
When I was in college, my parents gave me allowance on Mondays that I needed to budget for the rest of the week. Although the money was usually enough to pay for my tithing, meals, transportation, and other school expenses, there was one particular Friday afternoon when my budget fell short. That experience taught me [...]

Read Full Post »

Be Grateful…

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
 
For our Family Home Evening activity on the first week of February, we followed Liahona’s suggestion to make a gratitude jar. We made a gratitude bowl for ourselves, though. J At the end of each day for the whole month, we wrote down something that we were grateful for and put the [...]

Read Full Post »

Choice and Accountability

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
 
In one of our light moments the past weekend, my daughter came up with a brilliant realization about her soon becoming an official adult. She’s turning 18 in March. She said to me in jest:
 
“Mom, I realized that when I turn 18, I will be old enough to get married, be put [...]

Read Full Post »

My Turn on Earth! :)

(Artwork by Simon Dewey)
 
I love watching musicals—Broadway or off-Broadway. From those that my kids adore such as Charlie Brown, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast to the more sophisticated ones like Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera. But there was one musical that made it to the top of my list despite it [...]

Read Full Post »

Counting Blessings…

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
 
It was an interesting week last week, wasn’t it? While half the world lost sleep over the most recent global economic hullabaloo, half the world was counting their blessings and rejoicing over small—yet very significant—events in their lives! J
 
I have a friend who, after waiting for many years to find the [...]

Read Full Post »

Of Royal Birth…

(Photograph by Edwin Redrino)
We were quietly driving on our way home from visiting my sister-in-law who just gave birth to a baby girl in the hospital when my 17-year-old daughter blurted out with enthusiasm in her voice:
 
“I love our family, Mom! Everybody’s just crazy!” J
 
“Uhm… er… I’d take that as a compliment, sweetie, but [...]

Read Full Post »