Parents for Eternal Life

I recently read an article entitled “The Teaching of the Catholic Church on Home Schooling – Parents for Eternal Life” by Jesuit priest Fr. John Hardon, and the following paragraph really struck me:

“...what they (children) mainly need is to know why God made them; why they are on earth at all; why they are in this world; that they are here in this life in order to prepare and train themselves for the world to come. In a word, children are to be taught that their short stay here in time is only a preparation for the world that will never end. They are to be trained for heaven.”

(*To read the rest of this entry, please go to my blog post on Philstar.com's unBLOGGED section here. Thanks in advance for your support!) 

Wordless Wednesday

My Mother's Day Message For Our Kids

To Tim and Rysse,

Thank you for the greatest gift that God could ever give me - the gift of motherhood. By being your mother, I have learned so many things about God and myself. I have seen how wonderful it will be in heaven. Through your hugs, kisses, laughter and "I love you's" I have felt truly rich and loved.

I know I have failed you many, many times, even before you were born. There were times when I (and your Papa) put you through undue stress, and spanked you too many times. There were times when we said harsh words and hurt your feelings. There were times when we did not assure you that you are perfectly, unconditionally loved, and that you are more important than our work for the Lord, and other things that keep us busy. 

For all these times and more, I am truly sorry, as I'm sure your Papa is. I want you to know how infinitely blessed, loved and grateful we feel for being called to be your parents, unworthy and imperfect as we are.

This Mother's Day, I thank you for the best gift that I have ever received. I thank the Lord for you both (and your Papa too, of course, because you wouldn't be here if not for him too!) each and every day.

Please know that Mama loves you with all her heart. I will do my best to be the best Mama for you both, and your future siblings.

May God bless you both to be holy, healthy, happy and wealthy, so that you can love and serve others!

Love and prayers,

Mama

Wordless Wednesday

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! :)

A Mother's Day To Remember, Thanks To Tim :)

This Mother's Day, I brought some flowers to Mass with the intention of offering them for our greatest Mother of all, Mama Mary. Even before we got to the Church, my eldest, 3.5 y/o Tim, saw the flowers, took one bunch of them and handed them over to me, saying "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MAMA!" Aaawww.. And this despite my not having told him what the flowers were for. Then to our surprise, he turns and gives the second bunch of flowers to Karen, our single co-missionary here in Dili. "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, KAKA!" Tim said. Needless to say, both Kaka and I were so pleased with his thoughtfulness.

Later on, at Church, Tim saw the flowers and again handed them over to me. I said, "Thank you darling, but we'll give these to Mama Mary, over there, we'll put them on the altar." He replied, "No, but she's not talking. You keep them Mama." Hahaha. Oh well. :) I tried my best po, Mama Mary. Will keep trying to teach Tim to love and know you more, so he can love and know your Son Jesus more!

This evening, Tim said something else that brightened my day and made my heart melt. He was playing his usual "superhero/transformer/tra

in" games while I was giving him a bath, mostly pretending that he was so and so hero or transformer. While getting dry and changing into his pajamas, he suddenly asks me, "What's Papa's power Mama?"

To which I reply, "Umm... cooking?" Hahaha.

And then Tim says, "No. His power is staying with me. And loving me. Where is Papa anyway Mama? I need him." Aaaww. My heart melted right then and there! *Sniff sniff*

Thank You Lord for affirming me, us, that despite our everyday struggles and challenges to teach and discipline our kids, YOU are in control and assuring them of our LOVE, albeit imperfect and at times conditional. Thank You Lord, because just like Tim, we know and believe that Your "power" is "staying with us, and loving us." We love You po!

We love you Tim (and Rysse too, of course)! 

Proud Papa with our first-born, Timothy Alan, a few days old :)

 

Being a mother is a mission in itself. :) If you want to learn more about your divine yet challenging role as a mom, or just read about MOTHERHOOD, the books below may be of help to you:

 

  

 

 

Love conquers all

Earlier today, we had our regular prayer meeting for our small group (called a "household" in our community). Our main theme for the day was LOVE, and it was divine inspiration from Father A. The worship/prayer session before the sharing proper had almost everyone in tears, as God spoke personally to our hearts, each of us different yet united in love.

We were a mixture of single and married men and women, lay and religious. With different backgrounds and personalities. From different countries and cultures. With varying concerns and problems and sins and questions.

Yet united by ONE God. And His perfect LOVE.

What a grand reminder of how "now that You're near, everything is different, everything's so different Lord! I know I'm not the same, my life You've changed, I wanna be with You, I wanna be with You!" (Now That You're Near by Hillsong)

As husband and wife, with God's love and grace, we CAN choose to love unconditionally, despite our spouse's faults and failures.

As parents, married or single, with God's love and grace, we CAN be MORE loving and patient and kind and teach our kids to be the same.

As families, with God's love and grace, we CAN be a force of good change in the world today. Strong Christian families = Happy peaceful societies.

As workers, with God's love and grace, we CAN do MORE to serve others through our everyday tasks.You don't have to be a fulltime missionary to do mission. Bless the world through your talents, time and treasure.

Love conquers all people.

Choose to LOVE today. :)

Some resources that may be useful to you in your LOVING others:






The Newlywed Collection Fom the Focus on the Family, Love For a Lifetime Book, 3 Audio Tapes, Phamplet on Marriage Strengthening Resources & Lenox First Christmas Together Ornament

 

Financial Breakdown of Raising a Child

(A repost from www.stoutboys.blogspot.com. A MUST READ FOR ALL PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS! :) Blessings upon everyone!)

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs,
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:

* First step,
* First word,
* First bra,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!!!!!!

(Our family enjoying one another ^_^)