On Broken Relationships & Moving On (My Journey Continues)

Have you ever wondered why broken relationships is the media's favorite topic? A Pinoy telenovela on TV isn't complete without conflicts, broken homes or marriages falling apart, complete with dramatic slaps and tears.

I used to take this for granted... that is, until I went through the same thing... well, not exactly. No dramatic slaps but the tears are there -- in fact, you can say that dams have burst. And I am ashamed to admit that partly, the fault was mine. I will not elaborate for privacy reasons but I can tell you this -- broken relationships really really hurt. It's like a gnawing pain in my heart that simply won't go away.

I don't know how this happened or when things came to a boiling point but the pain is real... it's ever-present... and I have no idea how to fix things. I can barely keep up with my daily chores, let alone try and fix broken relationships so I have decided to lift everything up to the Lord. Only He knows how and when these broken relationships will heal but there's one thing I am sure of -- God will never leave and His timing is always perfect. Praise You Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your gift of love that truly heals. I surrender my life to Your loving arms Lord Jesus. And I will trust you alone. Amen.

I asked, He answered... Thank You Lord!

When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life. – Ezekiel 18:27

This passage jumped out of my screen today after I asked God for wisdom and guidance. I don't know why but this seemed like the perfect answer to my prayer.

You see, I have been sorely tempted to avail of an iPhone plan that is being offered in SM City Cebu. I have always been fascinated with gadgets. Lately, my inner gadget geek screams iPad 2 but so far, I have avoided that. So imagine my consternation when I got wind of the iPhone plan offer! Sheesh. Hihihi.

Well, imagine my surprise when I got home from lunch at Jollibee raring to write again cuz I'm on a roll. Thank You Holy Spirit. My goal for the day is to write 5 PRs. I don't remember going beyond 4 so I am very excited. The surprise? My inner gadget diva (lol) was screaming iPhone! Goodness me! I don't think I could have fought that temptation on my own. Thank God for His message (care of Kerygma Family).

The passage "When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life." – Ezekiel 18:27 not only stopped that tempting thought on its track, everything screeched to a halt for a while. Imagine how wonderful it would be to be in Heaven, knowing that all is forgiven and life is saved. Then imagine the opposite. I'm sure that I would prefer the former than the latter. And so, as the gadget diva's voice is stifled, I breathe a sigh of relief and thank God with a short prayer.

Thank You Lord Jesus for saving me from myself time and time again. And for helping me get up and move on whenever I fall. But most of all, I thank You Jesus for carrying my cross for me. I am ready now Lord Jesus Christ. I will get up, carry my cross and follow you wherever you go. I want to stick it out with You and I will serve you now and forever, my Servant King! Thank You Lord Jesus for Your kindness, Your mercy, Your goodness, Your grace and most important of all -- Your Love...

Your LOVE is amazing Lord God. I never want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. Amen.

Allow me to share one of my favorite prayers to the Holy Spirit...

Oh Holy Spirit, Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal.
You who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me.

I, in this dialogue, want to thank You for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen.

God's Will, The Golden Rule & Gratitude

Today was such a wonderful day. It was an all day marathon of my favorite cartoon show, Phineas and Ferb. Thank God I work from home (and for the intermittent internet connection), I got to watch so many episodes. Still feeling a bit guilty for that but it's all good.

I also went back to my favorite place in our parish church today after a looooong time! Finally, I joined my fellow devotees praying to our Mother of Perpetual Help for her divine intercession. I spoke with one of my favorite aunts and joined another favorite aunt on her way to church.

Life is good again. Thank you Lord Jesus. There is so much to be grateful for - life, happy family, good health, but most of all, the gift of second chances and of time. I am beginning to understand what God has put me here for and it's all good. I probably have miles to go before I reach the point of total surrender and spiritual maturity but I thank God for extending my life, giving me more time to repent, reconcile with loved ones with whom I have broken relationships and change... amend my life. Thank You Lord Jesus Christ. Praise You Lord Jesus. I adore You Lord Jesus. Thank you Mama Mary for your intercession. I pray for guidance and protection, in Jesus' name. Amen.

On Starting Over (I am Grateful)

First off, I would like to thank my personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for making last year very interesting and colorful. I joined a new company in January 2011 but never in my wildest dreams did I expect that I would venture into the business world with my childhood friends as my companions and partners. It was so much fun working on IsleMedia Philippines... we had lots of fun coming up with the name and our slogan -- we connect the dots. Like I said fun! I will cherish those memories forever. It's too bad we could not weather the storms that almost beat us to the pulp.

The good news is, we're going our separate ways armed with the lessons that we have learned from IsleMedia. The best part is, we still remain friends to this day. That was such a fun experience and I learned a lot of things from it but the best lesson is that love and friendship should always come first. Also, business is business but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy the whole thing while we're carving our niche and paving the path.

And so as I move on and start carving my own place in this wonderful world, I am eternally grateful to God for giving me this gift. My goal remains the same -- to make a difference one person at a time and help provide home-based work for Filipinos here and abroad. Wish me luck?

If you are interested in home-based work or you have similar stories to share, please leave your comments below. Thank you and God bless you! :)

Praise God. Amen.

A Day of Blessings and Gratitude

I woke up to such wonderful news. One of our PRs landed on the front page of Google today. The amazing thing is it's # 1 on Google, not on Google News where PRs usually go. Amazing stuff! Thank you God! What an awesome day to be blessed. :)

- Misty

This is my Facebook status for today, January 26, 2012. It's official. I love my job. And I am super grateful. Thank You God for such wonderful news. Being published, even without my name or email address (thanks Papa) being included, is still a big deal. Yes, this is not earth shattering news but it really rocked my world.

I've been in so many trainings (trainee and trainer) and I can honestly say that these trainings have paid off. Thank You Jesus for this plethora of blessings that have been raining since last week. I tend to search for fulfillment in my work and God has always been generous with His blessings on my work. Looking back, I find it really funny that I have been second-guessing myself and my gifts and doubting Him. I know, how dare I? :D

Seriously, one preacher once said that in order to know what your gifts are, look at the areas in your life that are being blessed by God and that's how you'll know that those are His gifts for you. For me, it has always been my writing. Yes, I have entertained thoughts of going into music but until now I have yet to pick up that instrument of choice (guitar or keyboards? maybe the violin?). One thing's for sure though, writing is a gift and I am so happy to be a freelance content writer. Best job in the world for me. Yay! Thank You Lord Jesus. I am eternally grateful. :)

On Gratitude -- Issues & Scars 2011

First, I would like to thank my personal Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for making 2011 a very interesting and colorful year for me. Sure, it was laden with troubles and problems but the blessings far outweigh any of those hurdles that I had to face in 2011. I am very grateful. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

Second, I wish to thank my family and friends for being there for me through every blessing and even through the trials and tribulations. I would not have survived 2011 without any of you so thank you and may God continue to shower all of us with blessings and strengthen us with every trial that we face in 2012.

Third, I would like to share the reason for this title. I wrote a blog post called "Scars and Wounds" in 2007 and I just wanted to look back at the 3 odd years that have passed, knowing that the wounds may have healed but the scars still remain. Now I know that I will carry those scars throughout my life and live with each one of them. I also know that I have 2 choices -- to dwell on those scars and pick on the scabs or to be grateful for every memory that comes with each scar and move on armed with the lessons that I have learned from the stuff that have happened in between. Well, I choose the second path knowing full well that God is with me with every step I make in this journey called life.

I am grateful Lord Jesus and I know now that I am nothing without you. I pray for your love and your grace. Thank You Lord Jesus. You are beautiful and I can't wait to finish this song for you that is still unwritten. My soul longs for You Lord Jesus and my love song for You is intertwined with my soul's basic desire -- to see You in all Your glory and to be where You are. Praise You Lord Jesus. Amen. :)

My First Prayer for the Year 2012

(: This year will be a great year, in Jesus' name I claim. Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen. :)

Lessons Learned – Yes, I Was Burned but the Lessons I Learned are Worth it...

I haven’t written a blog entry for so long, I’m not even sure if I still can. lol.

Seriously, today was such a fun awakening and adventure rolled into one. I met some of my old friends from my old office. You know what I discovered? I have an inferiority complex combine with an introverted attention seeker. I have noticed during the past few days a certain discontent which I am unable to identify. I have tried listening more to the inner voice inside me and I noticed that I tend to jump in on conversations that don’t involve me. Plus, I tend to cringe at the end of every song before my music player moves on to the next one. It’s like I expect something to happen. Weird! The bad news is I still don’t have a lot of self-control. The good news is that at least I’m listening to my body now. It is kind of strange how much a few years can fly by without me even noticing. One thing is for sure, I have a few New Year’s resolutions already prepared for 2012.

A few lessons I learned in 2011:

1. Health is wealth. No getting around it.
2. What goes around really does come around. The lies I have been hiding behind for the past several years just collapsed and I feel so bare and exposed.
3. You can’t force someone to love you. You can try to get them to like you. And I have the scars to prove that.
4. The difference between love and hate is paper thin. So is the difference between humility and pride. False bravado and courage.

I have been stumbling around blind for the past 3 years and these lessons are just sinking in. I am very happy that these have finally been revealed. It’s like running around like a horse with blinders that have finally been torn from my eyes. Much better than running around like a headless chicken, at least. J

I have been running around chasing people when most of them have been around all along. I was just too blind to see the truth. People move on but friends tend to stick around. At least the best ones do. And this is the best lesson I learned tonight. Really, it’s not about me. It truly is about you Jesus. I am sorry for the many times that I have hurt you in the past. I am mostly sorry for my indifference. I would like to start over again and I would like to do it with You Jesus. This is the best way I know how. Love song for my Saviour to follow. Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen. J

Love & Gratitude -- Why They Come Hand in Hand

Love can be a bit confusing sometimes. I have never really allowed myself to love someone. And by love, I mean love love. You know, with the opposite sex. It scares me, the thought of falling so deeply in love with someone that you can't live or breathe without them. I've always thought that was so cheesy. But now I'm not so sure.

I'm going through a transformation that is alarming and scary mostly because this is unknown. I have a feeling that when the clouds part, there's something elusive yet oh so wonderful at the other end. Kind of like following a rainbow? I don't know how to explain this but it sure is nice. Sure, there is some pain but I prefer this compared to the numbness that I went through before.

The truth really does set us free. But who knew that it would bring joy and laughter together with pain and sorrow? I surely did not expect this. Such bliss! I know this sounds crazy and I'm scared half to death already but for some reason I just keep moving on. It's like turning pages too fast and then going back to check out what I have missed.

Here comes the heartache again. But this time I welcome this with open arms. Embracing the pain makes it so much easier to experience the joy. This is the first time I have ever pursued a dream that has been living inside my heart for so long.

I may have been soul searching for the past 17 and a half years and now I have finally discovered that what I have been looking for has been with me all along -- love. And for that I am forever grateful. I guess it's true what they say... love and gratitude comes hand in hand for the simple reason that true gratitude is borne out of love.

A Lesson About Detachment

Mother Teresa of Calcutta mentions that we are to take what the Lord gives and give what the Lord takes. This is detachment. All too often, we become attached to many things, even money.


Money is to be used rightfully, in ways that honor the Lord and help those in need. The trouble is that money takes a hold on people’s lives and in the end, it kills.

What are the gifts that you possess? Do you possess them? Alternatively, do they possess you? Possession can breed selfishness. People can become stingy in their outlook in life. They are not willing to give and unwilling to make any sacrifice. On the other hand, many people are extremely generous. These are the good stewards. The selfless and detached person sees everything as given by God. They consider themselves unworthy to have such blessings. In their humility, they are more than willing to share. Let us be like the ones whom the Lord commends in the Gospel. If we have been faithful in small matters in our life, the Lord will entrust us with riches, the treasure of heaven, namely eternal life. What profit is it to gain the whole world yet loses one’s soul?


Are you trustworthy and faithful in what has been given to you?

God of my heart, give me the grace of detachment. Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Amen.


Gospel Reflections: http://kerygmafamily.com/