Tuesday, November 19, 2013

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

 I have a lot of unforgettable early childhood experiences. I forgot some of those but I asked my mother to retell my life as a young kid. According to my mother, I was a child who don't usually play toys. I have a crib full of stuff toys but, I don't touch them at all. I am always carried in the arms of my parents and seldom being left in the bed sleeping alone. I think that is why my connection with my parents until now is so close. Good in the sense that I can be open with them with my problems and other matters.

I usually cry whenever they bring me to the barber for a haircut. My parents thought of a strategy so they can cut my hair. Since i love playing with water during bath time, they thought it best to let me play with water while my aunt is cutting my hair. I think my childhood will not be complete without playing with water. I will never forget the activity prepared by my teacher in my kinder days, where we played with bubbles the whole one hour. I hope to also apply this activity to my future pupils.



My daycare days were very traumatic. Traumatic because it retained a feeling of fear in me until I graduated from kindergarten. There were unforgettable experiences that happened to me which resulted to a kind of fear whenever i attend school. My teacher that time shouts,puts scotch tape onto the mouths of those noisy and locks the pupils inside the classroom. Although I was not the one who is being punished, the impact is so great to me that is why my parents decided not to let me continue my daycare schooling. These are the things that I will never ever do to my future pupils. I will maintain a non-threatening environment. One where pupils will experience peace and love and not  fear.

I was immediately enrolled to kindergarten 1 at Easter College Inc. This was also the school where my mama is teaching highschool. Because of the fear that I got from the daycare. I had a separation anxiety with my parents leaving me alone. I cry everytime they leave me in school. I have come to realize now that experiences in the early years of the children is very crucial. Being a teacher of Preschool  is not a joke. Teachers need to have a great   passion to teach.

Everything settled a bit when I finished kindergarten 2. Our school organized a graduation for us. I wore the white toga with a tassel from my graduation cap. That day was filled with joy as we marched in the aisle to receive our diplomas. The ceremony ended...then my mama and my papa hugged and kissed me. I felt love, the love that I continue to cherish until now. I love my parents now and forever.

My transition to the elementary school was not hard because I was enrolled at the same school. My parents trained me to sleep early and wake up early, a training which Icarried until now, I have never been late to school. I love playing games that a usual kid would play, like "patintero", "hide and seek", "washington", "bangsack" and a lot more. Friendships were developed and enjoyed during this time. I was grade 5 when my mother decided to transfer me to Shekinah Educational Center Inc. in La Trinidad. The transition is easy for me because of the "inclusive" environment of the school, the fact that the school is a christian school.

In my early childhood experiences, I was exposed to different places like, restaurants,hotels,schools,churches,houses and other places. Not only that but I was also exposed to people and different situations. My training in the church, through Sunday schools , was also a very good foundation for the kind of person that i am now. All of these exposures helped me in developing my interpersonal skills and my confidence as a child.

I thank Abba,Jesus and Holy Spirit for letting me experience these things for me to learn,be exposed and be developed through all these years. God is continuously  writing my beautiful life story. I believe there are still a lot of beautiful things to happen in my life that is why every day is a blessing from Him and I always acknowledge this.

All praises, glory, honor to the Triune God! Amen.

Monday, November 11, 2013

LOOK UP

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:9-10 NIV


My heart cries for the victims of the super typhoon Yolanda. The typhoon hit the Philippines especially the Visayas area. This typhoon is labeled as one of the strongest typhoons in the world for this year. The news showed how much the super typhoon devastated the areas. A picture of towns of dead people, houses destroyed, businesses lost, shortage of food and water, no transportation and no means of communication. 



For me, this is a wake-up call for everybody to go back to God. Sometimes, the things of this world try to destruct and lead us to forget God. But at the same time, God allows these disasters to teach us lessons. Lessons to remind us to take care of the environment and on taking the opportunity to help people through prayers, encouragement and donations.

In these tough times of trials and testings it is good to always "look up" to the Creator and Sustainer of the world - God. He alone is the answer to our "whys,whats and hows" of this life. I encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to continue to pray and help the victims of the typhoon through financial and material donations.

God bless the Philippines!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

A PRAYERFUL LIFE

I appreciate the prayerful life of my lolo and lola. Every time we go and visit them in the province, I always notice them devoting themselves to prayer every morning and evening in their "altars". Despite the noise of the kids playing and the sound of the television, these things does not stop them from praying. Amazing that even in their old age, they still do not forget to pray.

I asked my mom about the practice of my lolo and lola and she told me that it is a tradition that they inherited from their parents as well. Because in their practice (as a Roman Catholic) it is a must they every member of the family, whether you are young and old, every morning and evening, everyone should go to the "altar" and pray as a family. This practice is still kept especially by our Roman Catholic relatives. But for me even though I am not a Roman Catholic member, I see the advantage of training each member of the family to pray as one. I agree with the saying that says - "A family that prays together, stays together." In the future, if I were to have my own family, I will also teach my children to pray.




Prayer is very important in our spiritual growth as a christian. Prayer causes us to have deeper relationship to God by opening our joys,pains,sickness,petitions,thanksgiving (and even anything under the sun) to Him. Prayer is simply talking to Abba,Jesus and Holy Spirit. Prayer does not require any format or structure but it I find the acronym A.C.T.S. helpful for me to have a direction when I pray. "A" stands for ADORATION (we recognize God for who He is),"C" stands for CONFESSION (we confess our sins before Him and ask for forgiveness), "T" stands for THANKSGIVING (we take time thanking God for all He has done in our lives) and lastly "S" stands for SUPPLICATION (we lay down our petitions,requests and concerns before God's throne). We could conclude our prayer by saying - "In Jesus' name I pray...Amen!"

I encourage everyone to develop a life of prayer just as Apostle Paul says: 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6 NIV