The One Who Drank the Cup of Jesus

Jesus challenged James and John that if they are to sit with Him in glory, to His right or to His left, they ought to be able to “drink the cup” that He Himself will drink. This expression of Jesus refers to His saving Passion and Death in Jerusalem (cf. Mark 14:36). The Lord corrects the popular thought among many Israelites who held the belief that the coming Messiah will be a Son of David who will continue the tradition of freeing the nation by political and military might. Also, among the circle of the Twelve Apostles, Jesus would like to underline that triumphalism is never His way. Instead, grace and blessings will flow through hardships and through the mystery of the Cross.
While preparing my talks and reflections that I wanted to share to various groups seeking retreats and recollections during the Lenten Season of 2011, I came to understand that Jesus’ words about the way of perfect discipleship were realized to the letter by the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was the one who was able to really “drink the cup” of Jesus’ Passion and Death. She did this when she stood calmly and faithfully at the foot of the Cross of Jesus in Calvary. She was not just there as a true mother to her Son Jesus. She was there, united with Jesus in her suffering, for the salvation of the world. She was there to immolate herself as Jesus also immolated Himself. Hence, a well-known theologian in the Church once said that next to Jesus, Mary was and is the only creature who understood not the theology of the Cross but the reality of the Cross.
There can be no complete picture of Christianity then without Mary. The Blessed Mother is not just the necessary conduit through whom the Mystery of Jesus’ Incarnation had to happen. The Blessed Mother is one with Jesus in His entire mission of doing the Heavenly Father’s will. Therefore, in His papal coat of arms, Pope John Paul II summarized Mary’s dignity not in terms of the story of Bethlehem but with consideration of her role during the Passion. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

REFLECTION QUESTION: Is the Blessed Virgin Mary part of your own prayer and spirituality? Pray to her today for the grace to be able to “drink the cup” of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us the Blessed Virgin Mary to be our Mother, too. Grant me the grace to imitate her example of faithfulness and generosity in following Your will.

Source: Kerygma Family

Ask and You will Receive

The example of Jesus’ life tells us what these words of Jesus really mean. We cannot ask God for the winning numbers in a lottery draw. We can ask for anything within His will for our life and we will receive it. These words call us to conform our lives to the will of God, and not conform His will to ours. This is an important distinction that will help us reject the idea of a prosperity Gospel, where we are in charge of what happens, and an understanding of how God works all things for our good including our suffering.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
I came from the Father and have come into the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

LIST
John 16:23-28
23 Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 24 Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 25 “I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

Thank You to the Most Beautiful Woman in the Whole Wide World - My Mama Macring

Happy Mother's Day, Mama Macring! I love you and I miss you sooooo much! Thank You for carrying me in your womb for 9 whole months and for sharing your life with me. Thank you for your unconditional love. I wish I could see you one last time and give you a warm embrace. I hope you are happy where you are now and I hope to see you in heaven someday.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me such a beautiful mother - inside and out. May Your light continue to shine for her even in the after life. Please bless my Mama and give here a great big hug for me. Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Mama Mary, Queen of all saints, pray for us. Amen.

Happy Mother's Day to you, Mama Mary!

Happy Mother's Day to my Lola Mary and Aunty Gweny and Mama Rosie! And to all the mother's in my circle of family and friends, Happy Mother's Day!

God bless you and your family even more! :)

Finding Love In All The Right Places

Love… so many have written about it. Even more have experienced its wonders. The whole world knows what it means. It’s the stuff we dream off at night and daydream about in the morning. It’s the core gift that we all have — the capacity to love like we’ve never loved before. Love keeps growing. It knows no bounds. It’s selfless, it’s kind, and it just keeps on giving. Love is everything we could ever ask for. The stuff fairy tales, legends and the best movies are made of. Love gives us a reason to live life with positivity, glorious, wondrous songs of self-empowerment, fulfillment, joy, peace. L-O-V-E.
I recently learned that loving myself makes life infinitely better because it erases all the bad memories and negativity, helps me accept myself as I am and get on with life with much gusto and chutzpah as I can muster. We’re the same, you and me – searching for love in the wrong places back in the day. This time I urge you, seek love in the right places and hold on to love as much as you can wherever you can find it. Whether you find love with your family, your friends, your workmates, your partner, your kids, it’s up to you.
Most of my friends are married now. And I am happy for them. But I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out when I look at them. This incessant thought in my head keeps telling me time is running out. Alarm bells are ringing because a friend told me to have a baby soon because I’m high risk already. But the same voice that nags me is now overpowered by an even stronger voice that’s telling me my God is the master of the impossible and I will have my own family and baby one day. There’s a reason why I’m sharing this with you.
There are times in our life when we encounter storms with so much shaking involved that we fear we might be blown away at any time. This storm is the shaking that we experience when we’re fighting that storm. There are some aspects of our life that are meant to go through this shaking; this is how we grow. This is how we become stronger and better individuals. We were meant to live a life filled with love. That is our destiny.
I discovered recently the reason for my discontent… it had no connection with my work after all. I’ve always wanted my own family and when my friends started getting married and having kids left and right, I felt like I was missing out.
When my friend, who also happens to be a strong, independent woman and a single mother, told me that I must have a baby soon because I’m at that age where I’m already high risk, that got me confused. Alarm bells went off but now that I’ve thought things through, done some soul searching and asked a few friends about it, I realize that being high risk is the least of my problems.
It’s like I had to choose between my career and having a family and career wins out each time. I’ve been using it as my excuse for not going out with men and it’s really sad, come to think of it. After all, we don’t live in an all or nothing, black and white world. God made the universe colorful for a reason. It’s to remind us that every day is a new adventure and we could either mope around inside our home or go out and play. And I really, really, really want to play!
This is my reality. I was born without a father and my mother left me with my grandparents when I was a baby. Growing up without my parents and not knowing who my father was and seeing my Mama suffer because she was a single mom instilled this instinctive defense mechanism in me. I intentionally stay away and even repel men because I don’t want to be a single mother. I want a baby but I don’t want to be a single mother. I think I’m ready to have that baby now but I don’t have it in me to open myself up to a guy, no matter how much I like or even love him. I’ve been burned so many times that my guard is always up.
I’m still trying to figure out how to solve this problem. I have a feeling this is another way for me to grow as a person – to love without question, without boundaries, without limitations… to love like I’ve never loved before.
This is my relationship barrier and I’m trying to deal with it. Perhaps you have your own relationship problems too? Feel free to share using the comment box below. If you have any advice for me I welcome that too.
I am a relationship neophyte and am not afraid to admit it. Not anymore. Fighting my instincts is so darn hard that I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and share this with you. Thank you for your time friend and I hope you’ll visit my blog from time to time. Be blessed with much love! :)

Why I Love Working from Home

Working from home has been my life for that past 3 years. I used to work in an office for almost 7 yrs. Recently, I received a few invitations from LinkedIn and private companies to work in an office environment. This led me to write a list of pros and cons, listing down the possibilities and I have decided to share it here.

HOME BASED WORK

PROS

No commute - No traffic

No expenses - fare, snacks, meals, pocket money

No uniform and no need to dress up every morning (unless you want to... sometimes I wear my sneakers and walking gear so that I can go walking immediately after work.)

Save time - no travel time wasted

Spend more time with family - meals, breaks, before or after work... travel time becomes extra time which I use to bond with my Lola and the rest of our family. Sometimes I go walking or join aerobics class.

Flexible hours and no work on weekends - Weekends is when I can do whatever I want like going to the mall, watching movies with friends. Sometimes, I work during weekends but that is by choice.

No pressure from the boss - Being a virtual assistant and freelance writer has so many perks and this one is among my favorites. I love working on my own without any pressure from my clients. They just let me do my work and they don't really intrude. I just have to deliver what they want done and that's it!

Earn dollars - You can earn as much as you want! Sky's the limit when it comes to home-based work, especially if your skill set is amazing. You can have as many clients as you want.

Choose good and kind clients - There is a very high demand for Filipino Virtual Assistants in the U.S., Australia and other first world countries. For the past 2 years, I have been very blessed with gentle and generous clients who have been very good to me. God is good! :)

CONS

Must have a clean, silent home office where you can work in peace - working at home can be distracting, especially if you have a family. The good news is, all you really need is a quiet corner where you can focus on work and get it done on time. I am blessed to be living in a fairly quiet home.

Human contact is limited - conversation is limited to the people at home. This makes it easier to concentrate on work. I can always go out anytime if I crave conversation with my friends.

No healthcare, social security, 13th month pay, Christmas bonus, stock options or retirement plans

This last one is not really an issue if you know how to manage your time and money and if you are highly skilled. You can earn millions if you want to. Again, sky's the limit!

And so, home-based work won hands-down (again!). Working freelance is especially enjoyable because you can manage your tasks to maximise the hours that you spend on work. There is another perk that I forgot to include. Your clients can become your mentor, especially if they really like your performance. That means you grow professionally and your skill set continues to grow too! Some clients may even offer to sponsor your move to their country so you can join their company.

At the end of the day, I am confident that this is what I am meant to do. I love being a writer and I enjoy working from home so I am very grateful. How about you? I would love to hear your story. Please feel free to leave a note or two. :)

"What On Earth Am I Here For?"

There comes a time in every person's life when we ask these questions:

"Who am I?"

"What is my purpose in life?"

"What on earth am I here for?"

... or some other question similar to the ones written above.

I have asked these questions many times... especially these days. I guess I am going through the run-of-the-mill mid-life crisis. lol. Being a writer has brought so many wonderful people and memories into my life. But there are times when I am plagued by so many questions - including this one - "Am I meant to be a writer?"

This is one question that truly hurts. Because I love being a writer and I am at my element when I am writing. However, I just can't help but ask that question sometimes. Especially when writers' block strikes. Because I know that this is my gift, I am also aware that if I don't take care of it, use it to bless others and give praise and thanks to the One who gave me this gift, I might lose this gift forever. And that is what scares me the most.

A still small voice inside me tells me I am overreacting. Maybe I worry too much. I should worry less and do more good works instead, the still small voice tells me. I do know one thing, God has given me so many wonderful gifts, which I will continue to use and cultivate, so that I too might grow as a Christian, as a person, as a daughter, granddaughter, niece, aunt, friend and of course, as a writer.

I have one very special dream that I have been circling around and trying to avoid - to write beautiful music for my personal Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am not a poet. I wish I could be a good one. I barely know how to play the piano and guitar. I used to play a mean ukelele but that's all in the past. Yes, I do air drums, air guitar, even air piano. lol. And I love music! I love, love, love singing. A part of me wants to get this dream going already but something else is stopping me. That nagging thought that I am not good enough to write music. Yes, I do need an extra supply of confidence for this part of my life too. So that someday this dream of mine will come true.

Yes, I believe that my God is awesome! And He makes all things possible. So enough doubts for now! I want to live life the way He would want me to live it... with much zest and gusto and chutzpah as I can muster. And yes, I do need that small mustard seed of faith. Because I believe in Jesus, I believe that my dreams can and will come true. And I say, "a thousand welcomes Lord Jesus Christ!" Thank You, Jesus! I will praise Your holy name forever and ever. Amen.

Thank You!

Wow! This is the first time this year that I felt normal. My mood has been stable all day—no anger or loneliness. I was too immersed in my chores; too busy accomplishing a single task at a time to give in to my mood swings. This is the first time this year that I felt a genuine sense of accomplishment, something to be proud of, even if what I did were menial tasks—doing the laundry and cleaning my room.

I guess it really helps to have a plan. Now that I’m starting to understand my condition and actually opening up to my loved ones about it, things suddenly seem easier to handle. I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders. My heart suddenly feels lighter, my spirit free.

I owe most of this newfound freedom to my Creator - the One who makes all things possible. My daily readings have helped tremendously to give me direction; it has helped me find a safe haven amidst all the confusing things that waylay a poor traveler like me.

It gives me comfort knowing that after I reached out to Lola, she has accepted my invitation and opened her mind to my condition, even going so far as asking questions after she read the handout that I shared with her. It soothes my soul to know that Lola is trying to understand what I’m going through, without any judgment or bad words.

It also helps to know that I have friends who remain open-minded, understanding and infinitely kind, even after they found out about my illness. It gives me hope for the future, the knowledge that I am not alone in this journey. That makes it possible for me to get excited about this adventure I’m on once more, knowing that there will be rocky paths ahead but secure in the knowledge that God has His stewards in place, ready to pick me up when I fall and help me pick up the pieces of my shattered life.

See at this point, life isn’t so bad. I know things won’t always be this normal and my mood won’t always be this stable but it helps to know that I now have a direction, a plan, and that it is possible to be focused and actually accomplish something at the end of the day.

Thank you for all your blessings Lord. I praise your name from now until eternity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Lesson in Humility and Obedience

God has demonstrated the wonder of His power in the past and He will do so again in our days. All He is looking for to do this is a people who are obedient to His word and humble of heart. He does not want us to take the glory for His work as He knows this will lead to our — not His — destruction. Humility and obedience often go together and are essential components of any work of God. Let us seek to develop them so that we will see God work His will in and through our lives and our community of faith.

Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)

R: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
1 When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. (R) Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. (R) 4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. 5 Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. (R) 6 Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. (R)

My Gratitude List for Easter

Wow! It's been a while since I've written down the things that I'm grateful for. I'm not sure why but I've been avoiding it for weeks now. Call it laziness or spending time on less important stuff or being too preoccupied with work but I think it all boils down to two things -- fear and slight discouragement. I know that probably doesn't make much sense but those two combined can be quite volatile. All I know is that I need to get back into the habit of writing down the things that I'm thankful for because it adds more meaning to my daily life. It's like a daily habit that I need to cultivate because it helps remind me that no matter how bad things go, no matter how awful I feel, no matter how things appear, God always provides. And so, I'm back, stronger and more upbeat! At least, I hope so. lol.

Today is extra special coz it's Easter Sunday so I need to give an extra shout out!

Thank you Heavenly Father for sending our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to save us! Thank you Lord Jesus for coming here on earth and making the ultimate sacrifice -- dying on the Cross to save sinners like me! Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to strengthen and cleanse us on a daily basis! Thank you Lord Jesus for being our constant pillar, our inspiration, especially when our crosses get heavy! Thank you for being the best role model, for setting the best example, for lifting up our weary hearts and spirits, for never letting go, no matter how far away we run from you, for being our Good Shepherd! I love you Lord Jesus and I always will! Please forgive my sins and iniquities! Blessed be your name now and forever! Amen.

Thank you God for the gifts of life and love, the gift of salvation, which we celebrate today. Thank you for the gifts of loving family and friends who not only understand but bear our crosses with us. Thank you God for being our center. May your love reign in our hearts always and forever.

Thank you God for inspiring us to move mountains. Thank you for sending your instruments to guide us. Please use me Lord Jesus to build God's kingdom here on earth. Thank you for erasing the confusion and the doubt and for standing by me while I was struggling with those doubts. Thank you Jesus for never giving up on me no matter how bad things got, no matter how much I rebelled, no matter how much I fought, You prevailed Lord Jesus. And now, I'm sure that you always will. Thank you Jesus, Amen.

As I start this new week, may you remain as my center, may you continue to light my path, may you continue to guide my steps and lead me closer to you, our source, guide and goal. Please cleanse me Lord Jesus, through the power of your Holy Spirit, and help me renounce the things that are blocking your grace from enveloping my heart, my mind and my soul. Teach me to serve you in every way I can and please give me the wisdom, enlightenment and discernment so that every opportunity will be used for the benefit of our Holy Church, and even stumbling blocks will become opportunities for me to put you first Lord Jesus. Once again, Lord Jesus, I surrender to your Holy will, I deny myself, I will carry my cross and follow you Lord Jesus. Please walk with me always, this I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

I Can Make Dreams Come True!

I found this in my drafts folder. This was from a year and a half ago. Just thought this is worth sharing. :)

"I Can Make Dreams Come True!"

Wow!  Honestly, that statement I just made took a lot of guts.  lol.  I'm not usually the bragging type, though I can be a chatterbox when someone encourages me, and I tend to have an opinion most of the time, but I really am quite careful about crossing the line between proving myself and showing off.

This entry, however, did not come out of the blue.  It came from weeks of wonderful events and blessing that I can't help but get teary eyed sometimes (char!) whenever I think of what God has showered upon me.  And of course, my compulsion to help and offer support has inspired me to write about what's been going on in my personal and professional life.

After years of waiting, I think I've finally found what I've always wanted.  But I won't reveal that just yet.  I work from home, have been doing that for more than two years now.  I must say, the difference between working from home and working at the office is truly tremendous.  But there are moments when I miss the office environment, particularly the shared meals with laughter on the side, the endless teasing by "kulit" officemates (me included), the water cooler breakthroughs (my friends and I did our best thinking near the water cooler back then), and the general comfort that comes from working with lots of people.  Special shout-out to my friends! :)

However, working from home is much more rewarding, not just financially, and enjoyable.  Imagine not having to waste travel time, avoiding pollution, waiting for a ride in the pouring rain, eating home-cooked meals every single day -- those are some of the many reasons why I feel more comfortable working from home.  If you're one of those people who would like to set up their own business online, then you're in for a treat.  During the next few weeks, I'll be writing about that too.

Going back to the reason why I boldly made the statement "I Can Make Dreams Come True" and how this can help you, I have one word for you -- mentors!  These days there are so many influential people to follow on the internet, special shout-out to our new leader, President Noynoy (who's such a humble person, by the way).  The best ones, however, are mentors not because they want to earn from you, they coach because they love what they're doing and wish to share it with others.

As for me, I'm still finding my foothold in this mountain that I'm climbing, but this sure is fun!  One thing that keeps me going though is this -- "with God all things are possible."  I choose to be a blessing and I ask God each and every day to use me to bless others.  That's the main reason why Pinoy Dream Builders was born.

This has been quite an exciting week for yours truly.  Things have been moving super fast over the past few weeks.  Work has been a bit hectic, so has my online training ... but one thing's for sure, I'm grateful for both.

Well, this week, just yesterday even, I took a chance that I never would've made -- I asked for someone else to help me achieve one of my goals.  Sure, it was embarrassing during that moment but the rewards that came after it was awe-inspiring.  I got to talk with one of my favorite mentors -- something that I don't usually do, at least not these days.  It was such an amazing experience because not only did I dare to chat with Mr. Jomar Hilario himself, I also got such a generous gesture from my boss -- he said it was a bonus for working hard!

Well, you can imagine my excitement!  I couldn't wait to tell everyone at home about it.  My lola, aunt and two uncles were bombarded with the information over and over again ... I'm joining Jomar's workshop and seminar on August 13-15, 2010!  The best part is, my boss will sponsor me!  Wow, that really got me psyched about the whole thing.  I was so inspired that I couldn't stop watching videos and reading online ... absorbing so much information that I could barely stop.  Slept at midnight.  Woke up really early this morning.  Very inspired right now.  :)

The thing is, I now realize that dreams don't just involve getting your dream job or building your own business empire -- dreams could also mean living the life you've always wanted, going to places you've never been, physically or otherwise, finding the right girl/guy, having a loving family,

Seriously though, I've been doing so much over the past couple of weeks that I really haven't had the time to write anything on my blogs, even on Pinoy Dream Builders.  But one thing that the whole experience has made me realize is that I do have the capacity to "Make it Happen" and that "I Make Dreams Come True" to quote Mr. Bo Sanchez.

This means that for Pinoy Dream Builders, it's on!  At the moment I'm planting seeds and this is so much fun!  Our common goal is to build dreams -- whatever your dreams are, I'm here to help.  For new visitors, please feel free to leave a line or two.  I can't wait to hear what you have to say on the subject of reaching for your dreams, well, let's reach for the stars while were at it shall we?  :)