Preparing to celebrate the Day of the Unborn {Preborn} Child - Videos of the Annunciation to Mary (celebrated on March 25, but for this year, March 26)

Tomorrow is the Day of the Unborn (or Preborn) Child. In the Catholic Church, we also traditionally celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation on the same day. This year, however, since March 25 falls on a Sunday, we'll be celebrating the Annunciation on March 26.

I already posted several resources one can use to celebrate this special day on my main mom blog, i.e. Truly Rich Mom. However, I wanted to post these videos here, too, so that I don't have to go searching for them on YouTube again tomorrow. :)

1. The Annunciation to Mary from iw on GodTube. (Click on the link to view the video on GodTube.)


2. These are short animated scenes (amateur, but cute nonetheless!)


3. This is TOO cute! :) It's actually a home video of kids acting out the Annunciation. :)


4. This is from Gloria.tv. (If it doesn't work here, you can view it here instead).


5. This is in Japanese but has English subtitles.


Besides watching these videos, we'll be reading Bible stories and books about the Annunciation, looking at pictures of Jesus in the womb of Mary and praying a decade of the Rosary (the first Joyful mystery).(The website http://unbornwordoftheday.com/ has some good images. Or, we could always go to Google.)

We'll also be praying for the babies in their mom's wombs and those who have died because of abortion. I have some plaster models of Baby Joshua, the pro-life "model" of how a 10-week old fetus/unborn baby looks like, and will take them out for the kids to see. :) We'll pretend it's Baby Jesus and pray over Him. We'll also be reading one or two books about how babies are conceived and born. :)

I'll also ask the kids to make a Happy FirstDay Jesus card or poster, as suggested on the Day of the Unborn Child website. If our budget permits, we'll get some cupcakes and ice them with blue and white icing, just like we did for Mama Mary's birthday last year.

Please pray that we'll be able to do all the things we plan to do! :) Thanks and God bless, everyone!

+ AMDG +

Why I believe in natural family planning

“Natural family planning? What’s that? And does it really work?”

These are probably some of the most common reactions or statements we get when people ask us how we spaced our two kids (Tim is turning 5 in October and Rysse just turned 2 last July). Those who are already in the know though can testify that NFP is the best way to go when it comes to family planning.

Our kids are products of NFP, just like Umbert. ;-)

What is natural family planning (NFP)?
Wikipedia defines NFP in the following way:


Natural family planning (NFP) is a term referring to the family planning methods approved by the Roman Catholic Church. In accordance with the Church's requirements for sexual behavior in keeping with its philosophy of the dignity of the human person, NFP excludes the use of other methods of birth control.


*To read the full article, please go to Philstar.com's unBLOGGED section by clicking here.

On being PRO-GOD, PRO-FAMILY, PRO-COUNTRY and PRO-LIFE: July 25 State of the Soul of the Nation Address

I have written here before about being Pro-Life. Being a pro-life family, we strive to be up-to-date with all that is happening around us, especially here in the Philippines, where bills that are pro-contraception, sex education for young children, and divorce, are being pushed into legalization. Many people think that it is only the Catholic church that is "waging this war" but actually, many Filipinos of other religions also agree about being pro-life. 


Groups like Pro-Life Philippines are trying their best to gather these Filipinos, and have been able to do so in the past, like in the Filipinos Unite under God for Life Rally last March 25. This Monday, July 25, there is another event aimed at uniting Filipinos who are for life.  


I am sharing this post  below taken from my other blog on faith, family and financial literacy (and everything in between! hehe) here in case there are readers who don't know about it yet. 


Look what I "discovered" on Facebook the other day. Pro-Life Philippines Foundation is organizing a State of the Soul of the Nation address, along with other religious groups (Catholics, Christians and Muslims) on July 25. GMA News actually published a story about it last week. If you aren't doing anything this Monday, I hope you could come and attend this event. For love of God, country and LIFE. God bless (and save!) the Philippines!


A coalition of pro-lifers is organizing a massive delegation of inter-religious groups to release a STATE OF THE SOUL OF THE NATION ADDRESS on Monday, July 25.

This event is dedicated to commemorating the 43rd Anniversary of the Humanae Vitae which re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and lawful and unlawful ways of regulating birth.

The said celebration will coincide with the second State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Thus, it is in these momentous events that we deem it necessary to hold an activity that calls for the restoration of moral integrity in our country especially on issues that largely affect the family and the sanctity of human life.

As an opening salvo, there will be a celebration of the Holy Mass to be officiated by Most Rev. Bishop Broderick Pabillo, DD as main celebrant with renowned healing priest Rev. Fr. Fernando Suarez giving the Homily inside the Sanctuario De San Jose Parish Church in Greenhills, San Juan at 9:00 AM. Simultaneous with the mass will be the worship of different evangelical groups at Club Filipino.

After which, a silent march to Club Filipino will be held by those that attended the Mass culminating with a short program to be led by the various heads of the inter-faith alliance to be held at the Corazon Aquino Kalayaan Hall at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City. A consolidated statement written by the Congress of the Faithful addressing the need to unite Filipinos in rekindling the fading status of morality in governance will be read and will be conveyed to President Aquino himself during the activities.

If you have more questions, kindly contact the Pro-Life Philippines Office at 734-9425 or at 733-7027 or text them at 09192337783.

Filipinos Unite Under God For Life!

This is a delayed post. I was supposed to post it at 3am this morning (March 26). Fell asleep before I could post it, that's how tired I was! LOL! :-)

I am going to try to make this short and sweet. :-) It's almost 3am and I want to get recharged enough for this Saturday's activities - going to attend an awesome private warehouse sale for selected Mom and Baby brands, and of course, bond with the kids before their Papa leaves for mission to Siquijor on Monday. :-) We might drop by SM Megamall for the free Cyberzone event in the afternoon too. Bo Sanchez's internet marketing mentor Jomar Hilario will be speaking about working from home and virtual assistant work! :-) It's sure to be a packed Saturday ahead! :-)

Anyway, I couldn't help blogging about this afternoon's (March 25 in the Philippines) event. Earlier today, our family was privileged to be part of the Filipinos Unite Under God For Life Rally at the Luneta Grandstand (you can read more detailed reports about it here, here, here and here.) Yup, the WHOLE family was there i.e. the kids were with us. Remember my earlier post where I said I hoped they would grow up to be pro-lifers too? Well, I guess today was a good start. We joined other fulltime workers from the CFC Home Office on the bus to Luneta, along with my dad and Ate Joy (thank You Lord for her! :-) She has been such a great help to us!). 

Anthony and I are SO proud of our kids, Timothy Alan and Alyssa Therese. :-) They were relatively well-behaved during the six hours or so we spent at Luneta. We had no seats/chairs with us, but thank God for perfect timing - 2 days earlier we had bought a playmat/spill mat on sale for only P100 at Toys R Us, and I brought that along so we could at least sit on something on the ground. There were only slight tantrums on Tim's part (he wanted to play on the grassy part of the Grandstand, which by the way was PACKED with pro-lifers!) and two weird undress-me-I-don't-want-to-put-on-a-new-set-of-clean-clothes episodes with Rysse during the Mass (our apologies to those near us who got distracted by the sight of Rysse butt-naked, saying "Ayaw!" every time I tried to dress her! LOL!). 

Aside from that they were little angels, and even if they ended up really dirty by my standards (there were times when they would even lie down on the mat, which had been trampled on by people passing by! Haay) and didn't even get a chance to get cleaned up when we got home (near midnight) because they were fast asleep (I just ended up wiping them down with lots of wet tissue and changed their clothes), hubby and I are so happy and proud that they were with us to stand for life! :-) 

Anyway, if you want to know more about what actually went on at the Rally, you can check out the news articles I mentioned earlier: here, here and here. Although the most accurate reports/articles would be from the Filipinos for Life website. I will also be writing a more detailed article about the Rally for the Ugnayan Supplement of the April Issue of the CBCP Monitor - coming out soon! :-) Will post the link once it's up! :-)

In the meantime, here are some pics from our camera (didn't get to take much pictures, but am waiting for friends who had SLRs to tag me on FB! :-) LOL!).  So proud to be Filipino right now, and to be Catholic! :-) Not like how I felt after the sad and tragic event that happened at Luneta last year. At this very moment, I know and believe that united under GOD, we Filipinos, whether at home or abroad, CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! :-) Filipinos Unite Under God For Life - not just today, but until we are called Home. :-)

Making A Stand For Family And For Life

The RH Bill has been an issue of debate among many in the Philippines lately. People from both sides have been saying a lot of things to defend their respective stances. Some have even resorted to slander, others to literal verbal abuse. Many, though, have little to no idea at all about what the RH Bill is all about. That’s the saddest part of it all.

Truth to tell, there are probably many Filipinos out there who are against the RH Bill, not merely because of their faith, but also because of the scientific reasons why passing the bill will be disadvantageous to the Filipino people. (To those of you reading this who are pro-RH, I do urge you to read on. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, so I hope you won’t mind me airing out mine here.)

I am one of those people who are against the RH Bill. I am quite vocal when it comes to all things that are for building up and strengthening the family, and am decidedly pro-life in my convictions. This is my stand not just because I am a Catholic and a member of a community that is pro-life, but also because I am a member of the human race. Even people from my beloved alma mater, which is known to be “secular” in nature, are against the RH Bill! I believe that all of us, no matter what religion or nationality, have this innate characteristic to foster and care for life in all forms. Our fellow human beings – Muslims, Buddhists, and even some atheists recognize the value of human life.

My Facebook profile picture

More than anything else though, my main reason for being pro-life is because I am a mother and have experienced the miracle of life firsthand – in my womb, and outside of it, as a mom who provides the best nourishment for her children, her breast milk. As a mom, I only hope and pray that my kids will learn to love and cherish life in all forms just like my husband and I do.

To read more about my being a pro-life mom, please click here to view my article on Philstar.com's Unblogged Section . 

Happy Feast Day of the Annunciation and International Day of the Unborn everyone! :-) 
P.S. If you are free later at 4pm, come be one with us as we unite for LIFE at the Luneta! :-) Stand up, be counted, Pinoys! Hubby and I will be there with our kids and our CFC community. :-) (I declined invitations to two press conferences because I believe that this event is much, much more important and relevant! :-) Hope to see you there as well, dear friends!) If you can't be with us physically, watch us LIVE at http://cfcprolife.co.cc/ :-) Be blessed always!

Pro-Life Crafts and Activities for Kids

February is Pro-Life month here in the Philippines!

I hope to be able to do some pro-life crafts (suggested by Mommy Lacy) with Tim and Rysse this month, though we can do this all year round too! Every day is a reason to celebrate life, and to FIGHT FOR IT!

Photo from Catholic Icing

Here are the links I'm going to refer to, from Mommy Lacy of Catholic Icing:

http://catholicicing.blogspot.com/2010/01/pro-life-craft-for-kids.html
http://catholicicing.blogspot.com/2011/01/pro-life-activities-for-kids.html
http://catholicicing.blogspot.com/2010/01/pro-life-printables-and-activities-for.html
http://catholicicing.blogspot.com/2010/01/pro-life-game.html

I also found this great new site for Catholic homeschoolers when I googled "Pro-Life crafts for kids"! You can check it out here: http://myagape4u.com/catholic-homeschooling/category/prolife/.

Love life, live passionately!

Parenting is Pro-Life :)

I firmly believe in PRO-LIFE and everything else connected with it. My experiences with Human Life International, especially while here on mission, have been enriching, enlightening and empowering.

I have come to learn to respect and protect LIFE in all its forms.Being a parent of two adorable angels has further strengthened my conviction to be pro-life. It is not EASY, believe me. Parenting in itself is a skill, an art, a discipline, a mission. To be responsible for the lives of others, especially young children, is a daunting task.

But as with other things that come our way because of the will and grace of God (whether we believe in Him or not, or realize it or not!), to be a parent is a blessing more than a burden. Because in raising our kids, we get to participate in God's beautiful plan for mankind. In His hopes and dreams for a better world.

To be a parent means we get to witness God's miracle of life, every morning when our kids wake up.

How much more PRO-LIFE can one get?

Parenting is Pro-Life! :)

Be grateful to be where you are right now. God has a purpose for you, Dad/Mom! :)

Homeschooling is Pro-Life!

(Timothy Alan S. Rodriguez, safe and sound in Mama's womb :)

I first felt the Holy Spirit's stirrings to homeschool when I attended our community's first major Pro-Life event way back in 2006. We had a speaker from Human Life International, Brian Clowes, and it was a truly inspiring, eye-opening event. Back then I was pregnant with our first child, who will be turning 4 in October. Hubby and I were so privileged to be part of the Pro-Life event/training back then (we were even chosen as models for one of the creative presentations!). Little did I know that Pro-Life and Homeschooling would eventually become two big passions in my life!

When Joseph Meaney of HLI came to Timor Leste in 2007 for our Family Life Conference, he spoke again about homeschooling and presented briefly the differences in kids who are homeschooled versus those who aren't. His presentation really made me (and hubby too!) start to seriously consider homeschooling as an option for our children.

The conviction to homeschool our kids continued to grow (perhaps God really planted it in our hearts) and was further strengthened when we heard about Bo Sanchez's homeschool catering specifically to Catholic Filipino parents like ourselves.

For my part, I have come to believe that homeschooling may not be God's will for some families, whom He may call to doing mission by sending their kids to public or private schools (even Catholic schools nowadays need a LOT of revival and renewal and are prime mission fields!). Indeed it is challenging and perhaps a bit frightening to even consider teaching one's children at home. "I'm not a qualified teacher!" "Will I have the discipline and time to do this?" "How can we afford to live on one salary?" "Will my kids be anti-social?" These questions are usually the first that come to mind when one starts thinking about homeschooling.

Thankfully, if one does enough research (thank You Lord for the internet!), one can get lots of answers to these questions, and also find encouragement and draw inspiration from countless homeschoolers who truly believe that teaching your kids at home is THE way to go!

As for our family, we are still in the process of making the final decision to homeschool (when to "officially" start i.e. with a structured curriculum, which curriculum to use, how to deal with the financial and practical aspects, etc etc). For the meantime, we just want to make the most of the time God has blessed us with, especially by having our kids on mission with us. This includes "homepreschooling" our kids.

To be Catholic in this day and age calls for a firm belief in defending our faith, our families, our homes. If I call myself Catholic, then I should be Pro-Life. I firmly believe that homeschooling is pro-life, and that the pro-life work should involve advocating homeschooling.

When we homeschool our kids, it is easier for us to pass down our Catholic faith and life to them. We also get to choose what influences them and in turn how they will live their lives as good Catholics and responsible citizens. We get to be there for them during the critical, crucial stages of their development in all aspects of their lives. We get to teach them about things that are not normally taught in schools, especially the lessons of life.

 

 (3 and a half year old Tim, reading his "Bible" after seeing his Papa reading our daily Bible reflection guide. It was so CUTE and INSPIRING! He even told me "Mama, I'm reading about Jesus rising from the dead. Or you call it `Resurrection.' :) Note to self: Buy Tim his own kid's Bible when we get home to the Philippines! Hahaha)

Homeschooling is PRO-LIFE.

If you believe that God is calling you to homeschool, do not be afraid. There are many men and women, families out there who are doing the same thing. Because they are CONVICTED, not just convinced, to do so. Let's pray for one another that we will be able to act upon all that God is calling us to do, especially in the best interest of our children.

"As for me and my house, will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

 (Our 2nd child, almost 11-month old Rysse, seems to enjoy praying the Rosary with us. The other night, she woke up at 2 a.m. and when I carried her, she saw the rosaries on our little altar in the bedroom, and kept pointing to them and smiling and babbling, so I gave her one to hold. She kept babbling, and it seemed as if she was reminding us to pray the Rosary, which we usually do every night, but that night we had overlooked it. Needless to say, we ended up praying early that morning, and Rysse went back to sleep soon after! Amazing God!)

Listed below are some books that may help you discover the richness of homeschooling :)