MY BOYS

my boys and their toys

laughter, excitement, happiness. strength, comfort, inspiration, hope. morning kisses and tight hugs. happy thoughts, good memories. my love, my life and my world, my boys... 

WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK

"for as he thinks within himself, so he is" Proverbs 23:7

FREE TO SOAR

"the secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.

free to be all God meant us to be.

free to soar!"

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

thanks to Ann for this yummy biscotti from Bacolod

finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

THE HEART OF A MOTHER

me, mom, sis

"the heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you always find forgiveness." - Honore De Balzac

i would consider myself as the black sheep of the family since i only have one sibling and because i think highly of my sister. well, i have never given any migraine-causing problem to my parents. the worst, alarming problems that i could think of are the times when my high school teacher wrote in my card that i have inferiority complex (really?! what was she thinking?), when i was spending more time at church than at home (i somehow regret this because i should've spent more time with my dad...i know God would understand), and when i crashed Mc onto a truck and the fender was scraped off (geez..really my fault, i was such a bad driver. but the money for repair came from my own pocket). 

anyway, my mother would always tell people that i'm such a daddy's girl. this, plus my attitude, probably contributed much on how i respond and treat my mother. whenever she says something, i always find something wrong with it. when i'm in a different mood, i would just keep quiet and act as if i'm not listening... (very childish of me). there are more examples of how rude i am to her but i'm too lazy to write them here. you may conclude that i am her real life antagonist. 

But despite my attitude towards her, i just know she still loves me... so much. i don't tell her "i'm sorry" every time i hurt her. i just know i am forgiven without a word. so now, i want to treat her more lovingly. change my attitude towards her. be more patient. you know, before it's too late. we could never tell when our mortality will be upon us.

although she's never a perfect mother (and i was never a perfect daughter, her perfect kontrabida possibly!), i could say she did everything for us and gave all that she could as she and my dad raised us. she's generous and forgiving. she has a funny and sometimes annoying sense of humor. 

i love her and i'm so sorry for all the pain i've caused her. and i hope to bring more happiness into her life from now on. :)

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

God made me the way i am and put me where i am to do what He has planned for me to do. i don't wait for my situation to change before i put my heart into work. it's called "blooming where you are planted."

Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness

A CAN-DO ATTITUDE

can you spot the bee?

according to the theory of aerodynamics, the bumblebee is unable to fly because the size, weight, and shape of his body in relation to the total wingspread make flying impossible. being ignorant of these scientific truths, the bumblebee just goes ahead and flies anyway.

From Great Attitudes

HOW'S YOUR ATTITUDE?

take charge of your mind and emotions today

• the single most significant decision i can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. it alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope
• my attitude is a direct reflection of what i think, which in turn affects how i respond to others
• Philippians 2:1-2 "If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose."
• there is encouragement in the Person of Christ. there is love. there is also plenty of "fellowship of the Spirit" for the Christian to enjoy. likewise, affection and compassion.
• Paul is telling us to take charge of our own minds; clearly a command
• we Christians have the the God-given ability to put our minds on those things that build up, strengthen, encourage, and help ourselves and others. "do that!" commands the Lord.
• reject those alien thoughts that make you a petty, bitter person.
• let your life yield a sweet, winsome melody.

From Great Attitudes

GOD'S TRAINING MANUAL

at this point in time wherein my mind is filled with insecurity and jealousy, i was led into buying new books by Charles Swindoll. the moment i browsed through the pages, i knew that they're for me. then there was a spark of hope that this mentality, which had been clouding my idle mind lately, would disappear and evolve into something practical.

like a perfect plan written by God, here i am reading the first message of Great Days with the Great Lives. God has been patient with me all this time. it's been a year since i last had my quiet time; and now i wonder what has been happening to me. why have i lost my zest for life? why am i unhappy? (deep inside i know it's not about being a full time mom or my family because i love where i am and i'm so thankful for my family. it's something else...)

well, here's the answer. i've been away from my source of life. i've been distant from God, and i have not read His Word, the Training Manual, ever since... just look how dusty my Bible is.

(well, i guess the dust is not visible here)

"Romans 15:4 states, 'For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope' (emphasis added)."

"there are two basic reasons God has allowed us to have the Old Testament available for study and application: first, for present instruction, and second, for future hope. God has given us this information so that our minds can learn the truth about Him and about life, and so that we will be encouraged to persevere in the future."

the training manual and my new books

START YOUR DAY RIGHT

my breakfast: hot choco, pandesal, and nutritious food for my mind and soul :)