A Friendly Reminder

"Maybe God wants you to stay put."

This was the message I got through my friend Mitch at the time I was stressing myself with the series of unfortunate events that happened the past couple of weeks at home.

When she told me this, it made me stop and reflect. She does have a point. I have been running like a headless chicken the past couple of months, being pre-occupied with work, my accreditation requirements and of course, my duties and responsibilities at home. I know that I can multi-task, but yes, I was pushing myself to my limits.

Baka ako rin naman, sinasabihan na ni Lord, "Time first muna, Jeana."

Well, this message was affirmed when I attended a staff prayer session early Wednesday morning. The reading chosen was taken from Mark 6:30-34. The passage that really struck me was: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

I had goosebumps that morning and became misty-eyed.

Just three years of casual work and yet so much have changed. Before, if I get ONE call in two weeks or once a week, I already feel like it's a miracle. When more opportunities came, I was happy with 3 calls, making sure that my Mondays and Tuesdays remained sacred for Liam and Sam. Now, I feel like I'm not working as a casual anymore because there are weeks when I am working for five days straight! It's like already working full-time!

My time with the kids did get affected, especially Sam. And since I tried to catch up with every opportunity I had, it became physically exhausting for me. If before I found my work as my "relaxing time" well, not anymore, especially if the class I handled for that day is just physically and mentally draining.
Tired from work and tired at home.

I was asking myself what made me accept and accept when before I could easily turn down a call without second thoughts? It's my accreditation. I was trying to meet the 180 days of work requirement so I can already start writing my reports and hopefully submit all the requirements by the end of the school year.

Right now I feel, naagapan. I remember back in college, during my last sem, I was in the same state -- pushing myself too hard until my body gave up. I just collapsed one day and got sick for four days. Right now, I'm feeling a bit under the weather as I strained my voice too much yesterday and the cold (very) weather here is not helping as well. So even if I have a million and one pending house chores over the weekend, I'm stopping and just taking it easy. One day at a time. One chore at a time...because if I don't baka maulit or baka mas malala na ang mangyari and with two kids depending on me, bawal ako magkasakit.

I think God used my kids and my eye as my wake-up call because He knows it will definitely get my attention. Well, it did :)

I'm still worried about my 180 days requirement because I want my accreditation done and over with. But come to think of it, God started to roll the ball and He was the one who made me realize: start fixing you accreditation. So WHY worry now? He is in control. He will take care of everything. Wag daw ako apurado.

Back to basics. Back to my real priorities.

Thanks Mitch for that friendly reminder, you have been an angel in disguise :)

P.S. Mitch is the wife of hubby's fraternity brod. I can't exactly remember the first time we met...binyag ba ni Zach? hehehe We didn't get a lot of opportunities to nurture a "normal" friendship as we only get to see one another on special occasions like weddings and baptisms. It didn't help that my family already migrated here. But despite the distance we kept each other in the loop through FB, blogs, pms and now Instagram. Readings her blogs and through our exchange of emails allowed me to get to know her better.  I feel, if we met each other early on, we will definitely the best of friends by now! No kidding! We share a lot of common interests -- reading, blogging, travelling.... I feel we share the same qualities -- organized, OC-OC, among others. Baka kung nasa Manila ako, nagkakape na kami every week! hehe :) I'm not sure if we are of the same age, but if we are, then she is one of the very few friends that I have whose maturity and wisdom I admire a lot :) And I can only wish for our friendship to blossom and be blessed over the next couple of years despite the distance!

Being Prayed Over

I have been prayed over a LOT of times already. So I am not really new to being prayed over.

But being prayed over by my 4 year old son?

Guess how I felt when he did.

Are you for real, anak?

What did I do to deserve such a good boy like you?

Like in my previous posts about my son, I am writing this because I want to remember something special that my son did.

Wednesday: Sam had the tummy bug and since Wednesday I have been doing laundry, heavy laundry, aside from the usual chores at home.

Friday: kids went to childcare. at breakfast I already felt something different in my body. When I picked them up, I was informed that Liam had vomiting episodes. Now, that makes us three. no, that makes us five, since Anika, and Lance also showed the symptoms of the tummy bug. Even if I was feeling sick already, I decided to wash their beddings and soiled clothes from childcare (because I wanted to get rid of the germs and eliminate of the germs having another go at our home and making the kids sick). Result, by dinner time I was having chills. I really needed to drink medicine.

After dinner, Liam was playing with the tablet. I was having chills.

Liam (looking so concerned): Mama, do you like me to play your song?
Me: is it okay?
Liam: yes (he then selects "A Thousand Years" from the list of songs from the tablet, as it has been my current favorite.)

Liam: Is that a relaxing song mama?
Me: yes
Liam: Don't worry mama, I will take care of you.

Liam then goes to my side and gives me a massage at the back, asking me if it was making me feel better.

Liam: Don't worry mama, when you are sick, me, Papa and Sam will take care of you.

Liam then starts to pray, makes the sign of the cross and prays over me! Asking Jesus that I feel better already. He prays it with so much sincerity and concern, I already felt better just listening to him and looking at him pray over me.

Mother's Day is fast approaching, but who needs gifts or cards when you get to experience something really special like this? I really felt loved and special that moment. I didn't cry but I had an overwhelming feeling inside me. I felt I was in good hands. I felt that I can count on my son.

Thank you, Lord for the gift of my son.

Thank you, Lord for the gift of prayer.

Thank you for that very special and humbling experience of my son praying for me.


Liam praying for me was more than enough, but he still gave me these early presents for this year's Mother's Day. The tree was an output  from his Pre-school and the card was  an output from the KFC assembly last Sunday.

I Just Had to Write It

I am pressed for time. It has been two days now since it happened. If I am not going to write it now, I might miss out the details.

There was no videocam that could have recorded that moment. All I have is that precious 30 seconds in my mind and in my heart.

Pardon me, but I just needed to write it. I just had to write it, to preserve that memory.

Tuesday night, my son prayed for me. His exact words were:

"Thank You. Pray for Mama, that she will drive safely all the time. That she will not get tired doing many things. Pray that when Mama gets sick, Papa, Liam and Sam will take care of her. That she will not get angry with us. Your turn Mama."

I felt like crying as I listened to the prayer of my son, as he was praying for me. I can't find the exact words that can describe how I felt at that moment. Hubby was there beside us to witness and hear everything.

He ended with: "I love you thousand times, mama. That is bigger than one hundred!" :-)

Oh God, I love my son! (sniff, sniff!)

Now, that feels good :)

Quiet Times

I miss my quiet times.

It's not really the me-time that I miss, but the quietness and the stillness of everything around me. The peace that I experience within me.

I miss the DAILY early walks that I have on my way to work back in Manila, where I can talk to Him and tell Him everything and anything. Those were long talks Lord and I was very much attuned with what You were saying because everything was quiet. I knew that I was in a state of grace. It was the best way to start my day!

I miss the long travel hours from my home to work that allowed me to think of how my day has been, the blessings and the answered prayers.

I miss talking to Him, just doing that, and not be bothered by a thousand and one thing needed to be done for the day.

I miss connecting with Him. I miss just being with Him.

Lord, in the daily grinds of my life, You are the first one to go. I know I am abusing the fact that I know that You are just always there, waiting for me to make time for You. But the thing is, do I ever make time for You? I say I miss talking to You, and yet I prioritize other things than sparing a minute or two to talk with You. I am sorry.

I have been bombarded with a lot of things-to-do and I have a lot of things going in my head, everyday. I can't pause. I can't stop.

I want to re-connect with You. I realize now how much I've missed You, on how I missed our quiet times together.

In the busyness of my life, allow me to have that peace and stillness, so I can be with You again.

Unbelievable

Unbelievable. I still can't believe that three days ago, on our way home, after a family dinner, my sister called me up and told me the good news that Liam won in the CFC raffle! His prize? A two-way ticket from Aus to Manila (off-peak season)! Truly another blessing!

Alvin and I agreed that after every two years, the whole family will be travelling. Of course, this is what we want but this will depend on some factors, like our finances. The first on our list of destinations is of course, the Philippines. We would love to go back and visit our families and friends. For some weeks now, we have been toying with the idea of going "home" next year. No concrete plans yet. But we always include our plans to go home in our prayers and that God may make things possible for us. Well, God has answered our prayer in a way we least expected!

Looking back at all the raffles we joined, especially when we were in Manila (thru Supermarket raffles at that), and not having won anything, I didn't expect and I can't believe that we will win something like this!

Of course, we still have to spend for three more fares but getting one free seat is a big help already! We can already add the money we were supposed to use for Liam's fare to our travel funds. And Liam winning the raffle somewhat has put a "pressure" on us that we already have to push thru with our plans and a confirmation that He agrees that we come "home" for a visit. I am happy and excited as well. It is definitely one trip I look forward too.

God is good. He answers our prayers in different ways and suprising ways like the one we had. Let us just keep the faith and who knows, tomorrow might be another lucky, oh, make that another blessing-filled day! :)