Allow God to Write Our Story

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I read a very inspiring post this morning from Father Luke Long’s blog–Reflections and Ruminations–the post’s title was “Letting Our Stories Be Changed.” He wonderfully wrote about the human inclination to be upset with God when things in life do not go according to our plans. We look at happy and successful people and want to have nothing less than what they are having. When we don’t get exactly what we desire, we go to God with furrowed eyebrows and heavy hearts lamenting about why we cannot have what we want–what we prayed for. We do not consider that we should probably allow God to write our story, he’s pretty good at that after all.

Often, we are unable to realize that the tweaks that God makes in our lives are what will make it more beautiful. As it says in one of my favorite Bible verse, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) God knows the way to make our lives beautiful, so allow God to write our story as he sees fit.

I know that it is hard to see and understand where God is guiding us at times, but know that he has the best plans for us–plans that are way better than the ones we have made for ourselves.

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How Do I Raise Strong Children?

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I want my boys to be strong. I want them to be able to feel all kinds of emotion and still thrive. I want them to take risks, to take on challenges, to look adversity in the eye, to scrape themselves off, to always find a way to keep going. I want them to know they are good enough. To know they are enough. They are imperfect, but they are enough.

I got these beautiful words from this blog post: “I Want My Boys To Be Strong.” They touched my heart so much and really resonated deeply within me. I have the same desires for my boys. I mean don’t we all have the same wishes for our children? More than physical strength, I want my children to possess great inner strength–an unshakable faith in God and a strong sense of self-respect and belief in their capacities. How do I raise strong children though? Is my desire to enough?

I want my children to grow up and become conquerors–of other people’s hearts, of their fears and dreams. I want them to grow up thinking that there is nothing the cannot do with God’s help and the right mindset and attitude. But how do I do this? How do I raise strong children?

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The Spiritual Significance of Pentecost

May 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

Yesterday (May 19) marked the end of the Easter season for Catholics. It is also the day we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the early followers of Jesus–the holiday commonly known as the Pentecost. While most Catholics know this day for the commemoration of the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, the Catholic Church also views it as the day on which the Church was started or the Church’s birthday. What is the spiritual significance of Pentecost though?

While the historical representations of Pentecost cannot be undermined, I would also like to bring up the spiritual significance of Pentecost on a personal level. What does Pentecost really mean spiritually to a modern-day follower of Christ? To me, I look at Pentecost as a day to renew my commitment to fulfilling my role in Christ’s ministry, and a time to ask God to fill me afresh with the Spirit so that I might serve him even better.

If you want to understand the celebration of Pentecost even more, this post would greatly help you: Pentecost: “The Coming of the Holy Spirit.” It gets more in depth about the spiritual significance of Pentecost.

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Money is a Modern Day Golden Calf

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Yesterday, Pope Francis’s message to the new ambassadors of the Church to Kyrgyzstan, Antigua and Barbuda, Luxembourg, and Botswana centered on money, and the role it plays in the economic crisis that is sweeping across the globe. At one point of his message, he compared the people’s attachment to and obsession of money as the new form of the ancient worship the golden calf–an act of the people of Israel in olden times that angered God so much.

Idolatry is a sin. We know this for a fact as the Lord clearly states in his 10 commandments, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” However, the problem is, a lot of people these days commit the sin of idolatry without even knowing it. Why? Because they hold this notion that “idolatry” simply means believing and worshiping someone else other than God.

While idolatry in the Old Testament primarily deals with worship of graven images of sticks and stones, there are many forms of idolatry today. Money is a modern day golden calf. People have become so obsessed with it, that I really do believe it is an idol. So how do we know if we are committing the sin of idolatry? Well, I believe that anything that takes away our devotion to God is an idol.

Take this passage from the Bible as an inspiration:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

If you want to read the message of Pope Francis that I mentioned above, here it is: ’Money Has To Serve, Not Rule!’ Money is the a modern day golden calf, and that was the point of this post. However other things can certainly play the golden calf role as well. Be careful about your priorities.

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How Do You Avoid Nagging as a Parent?

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I read this line from a blog post this morning: “Our kids need more than nagging parents, they need role models and every now and again they need a rescue.” The blog post titled, “Practical Parenting Not Just Nagging,” was especially meant for parents with teenage kids, but as a parent of younger children, I found it very insightful as well.

Most children complain of their parents nagging. While I understand the stress that parents have to go through on a daily basis that pushes them to nag, I would not say that children have no right to complain. Nagging is draining–not only on the part of the person who is doing the talking but also on the other person(s) involved. So how do you avoid nagging as a parent? Easier said than done, right?

I won’t say that I have not nagged my entire life, because honestly, I have many times. However, I have realized through my parenting years that nagging is pointless because it rarely helps me get what I want from my kids. So, I have been working (really hard) on keeping myself from nagging. Some of the things that I have been doing are these:

1. I make sure that I have my child’s full attention before giving him directions.

2. I ask my child to repeat what I said.

3. I clearly tell them the consequences for noncompliance or defiance.

4. I show appreciation when they follow through.

How do YOU avoid nagging as a parent? Let me know your tips because we could all use a little help sometimes, right?

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Raising Passionate Kids: How Can Parents Help?

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I read a post this morning titled, “Raising Passionate Children,” and it made me reflect upon the things that I am teaching my children and the qualities that I am trying to help them develop. Raising passionate kids is something I want to try and do a little more actively in the future.

We can teach our kids a lot of things to help them succeed in life; responsibility, dedication, perseverance, etc. When we look at all the great men that have changed the world, it isn’t hard to see what drove them to do the great feats that they have accomplished– burning passion. More than intelligence or skills, it is raw passion that helps people to succeed. When you feel passionate about what you are doing, you feel unstoppable. You feel confident, motivated and full of enthusiasm. Passionate people you don’t stop halfway. This is why raising passionate kids has always been of importance to me.

I believe that inside every child lies a powerful “spark”—a passion or interest that excites and empowers. How do we help our children discover their passion? More importantly, what can we do to nourish and support it?

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Ways to Give Thanks to God

May 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A post I read titled, “God, Forgive Me If I Don’t Thank You Enough,” reminded me of my own doubts of whether I am thanking God enough. There are many ways to give thanks to God, but do any of us do them frequently enough? Do you ever have these kind of thoughts? Do you ever feel as if you are not giving God the gratitude that is due him? On the other hand, is there really a way for us to thank God enough? Even the great psalmist King David has this to say about expressing gratitude towards God, “Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough.” (Psalm 106: 2) So while there are many ways to give thanks to God, I’m not certain any of them will ever be enough. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best though!

We can exhaust ourselves in radical thanksgiving and it still won’t be enough to thank God for all that he has done for us. So what do we do? Honestly, I don’t know, just keep trying. I find this quote from William A. Ward enlightening, “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you?”.  Saying thank you to God, sounds like a good start to me.

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Why I Love Going To Mass

May 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This morning, I read a post titled with a question: “Why do YOU skip Mass?” caught my attention. These lines from the said post especially struck a chord in me: “When you have skipped mass, why have you done it? If you routinely skip mass, why? What is not working, for you?” These questions remind me of the time in my life when I could barely find my way into a Church. More importantly, they reminded me of why I attended mass again, and why I love going to Mass now. Let me share with you my reasons:

1. At Mass God is able to talk to me in a way that I will not find anywhere else.

2. It gives me the opportunity to tell the world around me that I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the Catholic church.

3. It gives me the chance to feel a sense of fellowship and belongingness with other believers.

4. It is the only time that I get the opportunity to receive the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ.

5. It gives me the chance to commemorate, celebrate and perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary.

Whatever your reasons are that is great! I just want to share why I love going to Mass. Why do YOU love going to Mass?

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Motherhood is a Choice You Make Everyday

May 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Motherhood is a choice you make everyday. I read a short but very wonderful poem about motherhood today from a post titled, “I Am Every Mother,” let me to share it with you. The poem said:

Motherhood is a choice you make everyday

To put someone else’s happiness and well-being ahead of your own

To teach the hard lessons

To do the right thing even when you’re not sure what the right thing is

And to forgive yourself over and over again

For doing everything wrong

-Dona Ball

This poem just says it all for me. Motherhood is a very complex thing, but motherhood is a choice you make everyday. It makes you feel sad, angry, stressed out, and exhausted. While also making you feel elated and fulfilled. Furthermore, it makes you want to strive for perfection but also makes you accept your flaws and everybody’s flaws at the same time. Isn’t it wonderful how motherhood transforms us? Well some mothers may be expressing their regrets about having children, but as for me, at this point in my life, I would say that motherhood is the best thing that ever happened to me. Do you feel the same?

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Sleep Deprivation During the First Months of Parenting

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A post I read this morning titled “Sleep Deprivation: The Dark Side of Parenting,” reminded me of one of the things I really struggled with as a parent. The first months after I had my first baby were the most punishing. Some days I only got 4 hours of shut-eye and I observed that the less sleep I had the less effective I was as a parent. The sleep deprivation during the first months of parenting is not easy to cope with.

Insufficient sleep can affect us not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. While I believe that there isn’t truly a way for parents to escape this predicament, there are ways to lessen its impact. I am no expert but I would like to offer you the things I did that helped me cope with sleep deprivation during the first months of parenting:

1. Accept any help that you can get in caring for your kid(s)–from family, baby sitter or friends.

2. Figure out a system that works for both of you and your partner.

3. Do not take on any extra responsibilities whether inside or outside the home.

4. Try to nap when the baby is napping.

5.  Try to simplify things as much as possible.

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