Life's Miracles

i am so blessed to have a lot of me-time these days. have been trying out recipes, downloading my fave songs, watching my fave dramas over and over again, reflecting on God's words regularly, and writing again.

i must admit that at the back of my mind i have that fear about my future nagging at me. but still, i am grateful for a lot of different reasons. and i have learned to appreciate so many facets of life this way.

just this evening, when i opened my facebook page, i read the sharing of a high school batchmate about her struggle to beat breast cancer. she learned about it last year when she was 34 weeks pregnant with her second child. and it has been such a struggle (emotionally, physically, psychologically, spiritually). it is such a blessing that she has a very supportive and loving husband and there was an outpouring of support from family and friends. she underwent mastectomy 2 days after her scheduled induced delivery. she cried a lot when she realized that she could only breastfeed her second daughter for 2 weeks from her right breast while she breastfed her first for about a year. given the fact that she was 38 years old (considered young), her doctors advised aggresive treatment against the big C.

when her hair started falling off 2 weeks after she started chemotherapy, that night her husband shaved her hair. she cried when she looked at herself in the mirror, thinking: "how can anybody say bald is beautiful?" asking her husband if she looked okay, her husband said she's beautiful and hugged her. she wore a wig since and a beanie which was perfect during the winter season. she joined a support group of cancer patients and survivors and that has been a big help.

after 8 rounds of chemotherapy she is now on remission. thanks be to God! it is truly amazing how miracles happen in our lives. i can just imagine how happy she and her family must be. to be able to stay with your family and loved ones longer is such a blessing. what's more important is that she became even closer to God during this journey. naoms, stay strong and firmly rooted in the Lord.

in this journey, "forward, always forward", we go! tomorrow will certainly bring more miracles.

3rd Sunday of Lent

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." - 1 Corinthians 1:25

heard this song again during today's mass. felt God's love once again. a blessed Lent to everyone...

Araw ng Kababaihan

today was the last day of exams for my niece (exams from monday this week, including today's NAT). kaya naman heto ang idinikit niya sa wall ng room namin.

hahaha... natawa ako. to think nasa elementarya pa lang siya ha. she'll be graduating in a couple of weeks. at aabutin niya ang 6-year high school program na ipapatupad dito sa pinas beginning 2012. mahaba-habang pag-aaral pa langga ang haharapin mo. i hope you'll still be carefree and be able to go through life hassle-free. but we have to take each day as it comes. just continue to be passionate and let your voice be heard. grow in wisdom and virtue and continue to be as your name says, malaya.

btw, it's international women's day.

to all women, i pray for freedom from harassment, from persecution, from discrimination, from violence, from tyranny as well as freedom to choose, to be heard, to act, to love, to work, and simply to live equally among all men.

isang pagpupugay sa mga kababaihan saan mang sulok sa mundo! God bless you all! God bless you mommy!

Walking with the Lord

another re-post.....

"You may not know where life's road will lead you.

But keep moving.

God is walking along with you. "

it's one of life's mysteries- where the road will lead us to. but the challenge is the journey itself. the road can have its twists and turns, uneven pathways and perilous climbs as well as days of quiet meandering and level fields. but i aim to savor the journey. i want to...

stop to smell the flowers,

take a nap under the shade,

listen to the chirping birds and

the sound of running waters,

enjoy the local fare,

sway to my own dance rhythm,

share warm memories with the people sent my way,

look out for angels,

relish each second,

treasure breath-taking moments,

expect the unexpected,

fill my senses with proof of God's glory.

Siksik, Liglig at Umaapaw

Today's Gospel reading is lifted from Luke 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Next Chapter Coming Up Soon

let me quote this from my cousin's FB page:

"Never beg people to stay against their will,

sometimes the gift of GOODBYE opens up another DOOR for you.

MOVE ON, WALK out your history,

and CREATE the next chapter in your life."

Not Safe in LB

it's very sad to hear of news about the rape-murder, holdup-murder of young students in the LB vicinity these days. to think that back in the days, we used to walk the streets of UPLB even in the early morning hours, dahil sa inuumagang pag-w-workshop ng org o di kaya practice ng group activity sa klase o kaya pag-g-group study. but now, it's no longer safe to do that.

i hope that the local government will do something to improve the security in the area and make LB a safe place for students and residents once again.