"Why Can't It Be Christmas Everyday?"

Happy "Merry Month of December" everyone! I am inspired by my little love bug to write this post. Two days ago, we have started doing our "Jesse Tree", one of the traditions I would like our family to do every Christmas season. Last year, we did the Advent Calendar while we were in the US. I'll try my very best to share it with you before this month ends.

On the evening of December 1st, we started our Advent study of The Jesse Tree (special thanks to Erica Arndt of Confessions of a Homeschooler for the free printable). She was really excited about the idea and I saw the glitter in her eyes as we were doing it. Then on the morning of the December 2nd, she asked me this thought-provoking question, "Mommy, why can't it be Christmas everyday?" To be honest, I didn't know what to say because I wasn't expecting her to ask that question. I paused for a while then tried to come up with a convincing and gratifying answer. I smiled at her and said, "It's because Christmas is the birthday of Jesus and it's just for one day, just like your birthday." (I know it's not satisfying at all). Curiosity got the better of me so I asked her, "Why do you want it to be Christmas everyday?" Her reasons may be trivial or insignificant (for some of us) but it made me ponder what she said.

"Because Daddy is here and doesn't have to go to work... 
In the eyes of my child, being together as a family is sacred and precious. I remember when she just turned two and I tried to teach her "big A and small a", I used "mommy A and baby a". She looked at me and asked, "Where is Daddy A, Mommy?" At that young age, she believes that daddy, mommy and baby always go together and I couldn't be happier. :)

Since birth until she was three years old, we stayed in an apartment that was just a stone's throw away from my husband's work place. She was used to seeing her dad come home for lunch and after office hours (except on days when he was on business trips). That changed after we came back from the US. We have to stay in my mother's house in the province while my husband works in the city on weekdays. He only comes home every weekend. So everyday she misses her dad. Knowing that Christmas would mean "Daddy is home" made her want to be Christmas everyday.

As adults, how often do we look forward to being together with our loved ones? Hurriedness and/or busyness of life, more often than not, makes us take for granted the presence of our loved ones. We are there and yet not really there. Connected but disconnected. I remember a Christmas advertisement wherein the father longed for his children and he invited them to come home for Christmas. All his children (now successful adults) said they couldn't come so on Christmas eve he ate his dinner alone. Then his children got a sad news that their father died. All of them were in a hurry to go home then found out their dad was still alive, prepared a sumptuous dinner for all of them. He just wanted to be with them so he thought of a way to make them come home. I hope that our loved ones will not have to resort to doing something like it just to get our attention; just to feel our presence.

May we be like a child that wants Christmas to be everyday "so Daddy (or any loved one) is home."

... my cousin and Daddy Jon and Mommy Claire will be here...
My daughter is an only child (for now). In spite of it, she is a people-person. She loves babies, children and even adults that play with her. :) When we went to the US last year, we stayed in my brother's house for 6 months. My daughter got a chance to meet and live with her cousin who is also a girl and an only child (as of this time). As toddlers, they have their sweet moments together and not-so-sweet ones, but at the end of the day they love each other and consider each one as best friend. Since we came back, my daughter never missed a day to say she misses her cousin, my sister-in-law, my brothers and my parents. It went on for 5 months. Nowadays she says it once in a while, but she still misses them. When she found out that my brother and his family are coming for Christmas, she's ecstatic and couldn't wait for the day they will arrive.

Christmas has been so commercialised that many of us look at it as just a typical day that makes you spend. Other people I know would go out of town just to "hide" from their godchildren because they don't have gifts to give them. Is this really the meaning of the season?

May we have the eyes of a child that sees the excitement the Christmas season brings; that looks forward to this special day because of the  message it conveys.

... and CJ (her cousin) and me can play together with my toys."  
Sharing. That's what Christmas means for my little girl. She wants everyday to be Christmas so she can play with her cousin and share her toys with her. Modesty aside, I have always seen my sweet little girl sharing her stuff: food, drinks, toys and clothes.  Just a while ago, she saw one of her favourite dresses. It was a little bit small for her now and she told me, "Mommy let's give this to another children, this is small for me already so she can use it." It melts my heart to hear her say this with all innocence and yet full of sincerity.

Giving and sharing. How come it is so easy for a child to do this? Why does it become hard as one grows old?

May we have the heart of a child that gives and shares without expecting something in return.

We can't make it December 25th everyday but I believe we can make everyday feels like Christmas. Happy Christmas everyone! :)

All I Ever Have to Be

There comes a time when I feel like I would like to do more than what I am doing right now (as a wife and mom); to be somewhere more "exciting"than when I am right now and to become somebody than who I am right now. It's a gnawing sensation that doesn't seem to stop unless I do something about it.

Oftentimes, I find myself living in the past; thinking what could have happened if I had only chosen the other path of the bifurcating road that was in front of me then. I could have been this; I could have done that; I could have been there. What adds fuel to the fire is that, in many cases, I compare my life and myself with others. Why am I not like him/her?

Then this song I learned when I was younger than today (heehee) reminded me of where my perspective should be...

When the weight of all my dreams
Is resting heavily on my head
And the thoughtful words of help and hope
Have all been nicely said
But I'm still hurting, wondering if I'll ever be the one
I think I am
I think I am

Then You gently re-remind me
That You've made me from the first
And the more I try to be the best
The more I get the worst
And I realise the good in me is only there
Because of who You are
Who You are

And all I ever have to be is what You've made me
Any more or less would be a step out of Your plan
As You daily recreate me, help me always keep in mind
That I only have to do what I can find
And all I ever have to be,
All I have to be,
All I ever have to be
Is what You've made me.

It's not about me. It's not about what I do. It's all about Him who has wonderfully created me and purposefully placed me in this world. Like the potter to a clay, He designs me according to His divine will and reasons. He directs me towards the path that He wants me to traverse.

It's not just about the dreams (whether immense or small) that are seemingly sleeping inside my heart but it's about the Giver of these desires and aspirations. It's about being obedient to His call. I may be doing "great" or "more" things in people's eyes but if they're not part of His perfect design for me, then that will mean nothing; those are nothing. And since He lovingly placed those dreams in my heart, He is also faithful to fulfil those through me. All I need to do is to trust Him; obey and believe that all I ever have to do, all I have to be, is what He has made me.

Things I Wish I Realized Before Our Moving Out Day

We're done! Finally! We've finally moved out of the apartment in Quezon City and already settled in my mom's house in Laguna. It was 2 whole weeks of packing (one week) and "moving" (one week) things from one place to another. I would like to say it's fun, but in reality it was not. My husband and I were so exhausted and our daughter as well. What's more, the moving day occurred on the birthday week of our dearest ladybug.

So, after those grueling weeks, we have finally sort of "restored" our calmness. I won't say it's completely restored; we have lots of adjustment to do but everything is working out just fine (hoping and praying). When the dust finally settled, I was in the midst of contemplation and somehow wished that I had these things (which I'm going to share with you) grasped before we moved out. Well here goes my list. Wish I had realized that:

To plan is one thing, to actually pack is another. My husband and I had already in mind what month we're going to move out of the apartment (we've lived there for 6 years). We had planned to start packing months before the moving out day. However for some reason, we were not able to actualize our well-thought plans. So when the last week of August rolled along, I was panicking!

It is never too early to pack your stuff. I am a self-confessed organized person. I love organizing stuff and I believe that everything should have a proper place to land on. So, I had started packing some of our things early on. But the "busyness of life" got in the way and I forgot that I still had lots of packing to do. After putting some stuff in plastic bins/crates, because I got busy with other "matters of life", I put off the "pack up" days.

More is less and less is more. I have often heard this saying. I have actually applied it to other areas of my life. But I didn't realize its relevance when it comes to acquiring stuff in our house until that week. At that time, I was like "I wish we only had less stuff." If we had less stuff, then we had more time to do other things than pack; if we have more stuff and less day for packing, that spells chaos. After what we had gone through, I told my husband, "When we finally have our own house, I want less but functional stuff." I'm glad he agrees with me. :)

Our daughter may be just a toddler but she should be informed too. Our little ladybug was just weeks away from turning 3 years old and I thought it wouldn't "harm" her if she's not aware that we're moving out of the apartment. Well, I was wrong. As young as she was, we realized that she should have been prepared and informed for the change that's about to happen. After all, she's part of the family, isn't she? What happened was, while her daddy was packing all our stuff, including her toys, she was watching and asking, "What you doing, Dad?' Of course her dad gave her a matter-of-fact answer and we were shocked at her response. "Daddy, no! Don't pack my stuff, please! I don't want to go. I want to stay here. I want to live here. This is house!" She was saying those words as she was sobbing so hard I stood still and felt like my heart was being crushed. In my mind I was like, "Oh no. We should have told her. We should have let her know about the change." As soon as those thoughts filled my mind, I lovingly hugged my daughter and said, "Baby, we are moving out of this apartment. We are going to stay at Mama's house. I'm so sorry we didn't tell you right away." It was all that I could say. I never thought that she would be affected; she's only a child, she wouldn't care. But the truth is, yes she's just a child and yes, she does care.

Now that we're starting to feel "at home" again in my mom's house, I'm considering of letting go of some stuff that we don't really need. After all, we're not going to stay here for long. I'm pretty sure that when the right time comes and the Lord wills, we'll be moving out again. I am praying and hoping that when that time comes, it will be to a place which we can call our very own.

How about you? Have you experienced moving in to a new place too? What were the things you realized when you moved out? I would love to hear from you. :)

Shameless Audacity

One day I was having my "quiet time" and reading Luke 11. I know I had read this passage so many times before but I believe this was the very first time this phrase caught my attention: shameless audacity. It touched a chord; it hit home.

What  is shameless audacity?
Jesus mentioned it as he related a simple allegory to his disciples. The disciples asked Him to teach them to pray but besides giving them a sample, He taught them how to pray.

Shameless audacity is simply coming to God's throne with faith in your heart that God will do it whatever you are asking from Him; firmly assured that He is willing to give it to you because He is God and He is good. You never get tired of knocking at His door because you know deep inside your whole being, He hears you and He listens. Shameless audacity doesn't know fear, anxiety and worry. Instead it is familiar with assurance, confidence and trust. Right there in the unfathomable recesses of your heart, you just know that an answer to your pleas or even cries, is on its way.

Are you in need today? Approach God with shameless audacity.

My Reading Project and S.M.A.R.T.Heart Goals

Last month, I have made a decision to start again with my reading project. I began this actually during the last quarter of last year. Sad to say, I was not able to get it going, for some reason. So when the New Year rolled in, I resolved to do it all over again, thus my Reading Project 2014.

My 3 books for January 2014

 I was so excited that I hurriedly took a picture of the 3 books (Be the Miracle by Regina Brett, Not Even a Hint by Joshua Harris and Long Walk to Freedom – The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela) that were in my hand and posted it in my Instagram pinionsandplumageoflove and Facebook accounts, without even considering if I would really be able to accomplish this “small” feat. I thought, “Well, I’m off to a good start. I’m following S.M.A.R.T. guideline for goal setting. These 3 books are doable in one month (I’ve started reading on the 2nd week of January).” Then, February approached and I’m not finished with the 2 books (Not Even a Hint and Long Walk to Freedom).

 

The book I got to finish before January ended: Be the Miracle

The book 2 I'm trying to finish before February 9th. Yikes! :)

What happened? Didn’t I just follow the SMART thing? Isn’t it the smartest thing to do? My thoughts at that time:

Wasn’t my goal Specific? – My big goal is to read most if not all of the books I have accumulated throughout the years. Because of my busyness before (I was working fulltime in a non-government organization), I seldom had the time to read, although it’s one of my hobbies and stress relievers. So when finally I gave birth and opted to stay at home and “work fulltime” mom, I came to a decision to read all my books. Now, isn’t that specific?

Was it Measurable? – After putting down the first book (Be the Miracle) and ticking off the small dot in my planner signifying that I was done, imagine my bliss. I was ecstatic! I remember, my husband would always laugh at me (in a loving way, of course) whenever I begged for some time off to be alone and for him to take care of the baby just so I could finish my book one. One book in 3 days? Yes, I believe my goal was measurable.

Wasn't it Attainable or Achievable? – Devouring all the books in one month is of course neither realistic nor possible. Unless of course I burn them, then the fire would eat them up in just hours. How do I make it achievable? It’s like ordering a 2-pound juicy steak in a restaurant. Instead of chewing the whole thing, what do you do? You cut it into bite-size pieces and savour the flavour as you chew it, right? Thus I think, reading 2-3 books per month is workable.

Was it Realistic? – I can say that what I set for my reading project goal last month is realistic or sensible, in a way. Why? Honestly, I was already finished with three or four chapters in my two books (Be the Miracle and Not Even a Hint). They were actually unfinished goals in December (yeah, I know, it had broken my heart already). I was thinking that I would be able to finish these two in no time, then start off with the 3^rd book and by the end of January, I would just say, “Done!” So, is it realistic? For others maybe. For a mom with a 2-year old super active and precocious daughter and a household to run, it could have been, with a little squeezing in of time.

Was it Time bound? – Definitely! Hahaha! I wanted those 3 books read by the end of January. Isn’t that what time bound means? The beauty of this time thingy is that after you accomplished your goal no matter how small it is, you feel good inside, right? I read somewhere that one of the differences of the happy people from the unhappy ones is that the happy individuals set goals with time consideration while the unhappy folks don’t. Yes, they do set goals but without thinking when to bring them about. I mentioned above (#2 Measurable) the joy I felt when I finished my first book in my list on the date that I set it to be done. Yes, it’s a small thing but really, no, it mattered much.
 

After my evaluation, I asked myself, “So, where did I go wrong?” At that moment I realized something – my heart was not into it when I set my goal. Yes, my mind was working but my heart was not moving along. It was simply “just to have a goal” and “for the sake of goal setting”.  At that point I understand, it’s not enough just to have my brain working on my goals, I have to involve my heart too.  The brain gives the reason and the logic while the heart provides the passion and the excitement. The brain is the engine while the heart is the fuel. My brain could give me a lot of things I should accomplish for this year but it is my heart that would energize me to get them done.

How about you? How are you doing with accomplishing your goals so far? Do you think my S.M.A.R.T. Heart would help? I would love to hear from you.

Perfect Love Casts Away Fear

I have a confession to make. I just watched "Frozen" last Sunday. Yay! I watched it with my husband while our baby was asleep. It's a sort of "date at home" because on that day, well after we watched Frozen and everything was done, he went out of town/city for work. He'll be gone for five days. Oh well, that's not the story of this post, hehe. It's about the movie. It's so cool, it's Frozen! Hahaha!

Everyone was raving about this movie. I was really so curious about it that I asked my husband to look for ways how we can see this movie now that it's no longer in the movie house. Long story short, he found it.

I found this Disney movie entertaining just like any other Disney movies but with a lot of twists and lessons too. I'm sure you have read a lot of reviews and most of them talked about the twists. So I'm not going to talk about the them anymore. There's one thing that resonates in my heart though, and that is how Elsa and Ana were reared by their parents. As a parent myself, I always look for tips and insights on how to raise my own child. And I'm so thankful that I saw a valuable lesson from this movie which I believe that every parent/s should also take note of.

Elsa was born with great power in her hands but this was not explained well to her nor to her sister, Ana. They started as really best of friends, always looking forward to tomorrow where Elsa could make a snowman and both of them would just frolic in the ice-turned floor of the castle. It was an innocent merry-making moment that turned into "this-is-getting-out-of-hand" incident when Ana was accidentally hurt by Elsa, although the latter's purpose was really to save Ana from hitting the icy floor. We know what happened next. The parents went to their troll friends. The grandpa troll told Elsa that her greatest enemy would be fear. Since then, Elsa lived in fear. That scene spoke to me.

The very thing that they didn't want Elsa to have, that is fear, was in fact the very reason why Elsa "shut out" everyone around her, including Ana.Why did the opposite happen? It's because they magnify the negative without pointing out the positive. If fear would be Elsa's greatest enemy, what could be her most important friend? If fear is the poison, what is the antidote? The parents failed to ask the grandpa troll. The grandpa troll didn't remonstrate it. Elsa grew up feeling imprisoned with fear of hurting the ones she love. The antidote she herself concocted was just to hide in isolation, to conceal and "don't let them know."

But like any other Disney movies, Frozen has a happy ending. I like that part when Elsa asked Ana after she  turned from ice to flesh again because of that one act of true love, "You sacrifice yourself for me?" Ana answered, "Yes, because I love you." Then realization came to Elsa and she said, "Love. That's it." And she was another woman; no longer living in fear but in love. It was like, only at that moment she understood that all along, it was love she was looking for. It was love that she needs to have in her heart so that fear would have no room at all. Good thing, it was not yet too late. :)

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18), according to the Bible. As a parent, I would like to instill love in my child's heart. Of course, my baby is not perfect and neither am I. There are not so good things in the heart of a person or even a child. But it's for me not to magnify on those things lest my child would grow in fear out of trying her best to avoid doing those bad things. I believe that my husband and I are placed in this world and entrusted with this so great a gift, our baby, by our God to nurture and nourish her in love. In love, point out the good things in her. In love, correct the wrongs and provide opportunities for improvement. In love, lead her in the right path. In love support and uphold her. In love, simply love her.

As I've mentioned above, there are lots of lessons we can learn from this movie but if there's one thing that I would like to remember and pass it on to my daughter is that love is powerful enough to cast away all fears she might have in her heart. :)

Disclaimer: Photo not mine and just grabbed from the Internet.

The Perks of Having God Your God

Jeremiah 27:3 “Obey my voice, and I will be your God and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you."

Today, this message spoke to my heart. We are in the midst of a crisis. I feel like we’re about to hit the rock bottom and then this message came.

Contemplating our struggle and this verse, I asked the Lord these, “What command of Yours have we not walked in yet? Have we not obeyed you, Lord?” – Something to that effect. And then the help we’ve been waiting for came… Today.

Jeremiah 27:3 is a word of command and promise. But the number of promise exceeds the command:

Command	Promise
Obey His voice	God will be your God
	You will be His people
Walk in all that He commands	It will be well with you

What resonate in my heart are the words “… and I will be Your God.” What does it mean when God said that? What are the benefits of making God your God? I have written below what it means to me.

1. If God is your God, then you have a 24/7 day access to Him. You can and may call on Him anytime and anywhere. There are no busy lines, no voice prompts to tell you, "Please try your call again later" and no secretaries to keep you on hold. It's simply God listening to you as you utter your prayers and petitions. Actually, there's one promise (and there are lots) of God regarding this. It's found in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me and I will answer you." See that? He didn't promise that His angels or any other in heaven will be the one to respond to us. It's Him and no one else! What a privilege! What an assurance!

2. If God is your God, then you will be His people. What does this mean? For me, it's like this. You are working in a foreign land.  Then something really bad happens in that place or a war breaks out. The president of the Philippines will do everything in his power to make sure that you and other Filipinos are safe and protected. Why? Simply because you are part of "his people", his constituent and he is your president. Another example that I like is the story of the centurion who went to Jesus to ask for his servant's healing. The centurion might have thought that since the sick servant was his man and that he was his leader, he was then responsible for his man. So he went to Jesus for help. So, if God is your God, He will take care of you. He's got your back. He's got you covered.

3. If God is your God, then everything will be well with you. Now, it doesn't mean that you won't have any problems or challenges and it will just be a bed-of-roses kind of life. That's not what it means. I believe that as long as we live on this side of heaven, there will always be obstacles to be won and problems to be solved and overcome. What it means by "it will be well with you" is that even if there are difficulties in life, you will not be overcome by them but the other way around. Why? Because God is your God! You will be able to say to your problems, "I have a big God and He can knock you down." 

Just like what happened today. The challenge we're facing seemed so overwhelming, as if there will be no answer. Then God who is my God rescued us. He took care of the problem and saved us. 

I don't know what you're facing right now. It could be something bigger than you, you feel like it would eat you up. Or it could be as small as a pebble you can just kick it. Whatever situation you are in now, if God is your God, then He's got your back. :)

Note: This should have been posted last January 22, 2014.