Ave Maria:-)
Blessings to all from God Almighty thru Christ our Lord amen amen and amen
.... Oh and yes , Happy Valentine's Day
.... Oh and yes , Happy Valentine's Day
...I am riding on the crest of this very very much publicized holiday - the red roses, chocolates, advertisements on print, tv.. internet of what is the perfect gift for one's beloved --- all these reeking out of our ears --- hahaha ..I cannot resist sharing what love God has mercifully given all these fifty sumthin' years. God is good. God is merciful.
Did someone say we are who we are...mainly or partly because of the people who reared us -- nurtured us in love wisdom and utmost caring? It also makes us shudder what would become of us , if we by fate grew up with monsters hidden in human form -- oh yes, the most hideous deception of all.
But when we strike gold , diamonds and all precious stones to describe what it is like to recieve true love from a human being - then we are not.. we cannot be the same person , can we? Love is a force of its own..and when our love is tinged with Divine Love ...all the more the lucky recipient could not be made more whole.. more fruitful ...producing good fruit, the ones that last beyond time.
My family will say dear God she is going to share again about her Mom and Dad.... now, how did you guess that ,my loves?
Yes possibly about Mama and Daddy...and others too -- love is channeled thru so many, so many people in our lifetime. I'll have to start with Ramon and Lydia... not the perfect mother or father .. they had their human frailties... but as they cooperated with God's grace , they soon learned the true meaning of love, unconditional love...love as close as possible to the Man-God who died on the cross.
Yes possibly about Mama and Daddy...and others too -- love is channeled thru so many, so many people in our lifetime. I'll have to start with Ramon and Lydia... not the perfect mother or father .. they had their human frailties... but as they cooperated with God's grace , they soon learned the true meaning of love, unconditional love...love as close as possible to the Man-God who died on the cross.
On Valentine's Day I will remember each and every "palo" luhod, castigation, scolding , pangaral Mama Lydia gave me... in those days... we never considered this as child abuse --- God's Word after all says donot spare the rod ... but if and when we must discipline a child..to make sure it is done in love, with a lot of explanation as to the why's and wherefore's , the right place and right time.... she was Waray thru and thru ...Waray is the race where victims of Yolanda hail from. These people love and love fiercely.
It is perhaps easier to show love with all the coddling and gentleness and giving in to every whim and caprice of our beloved -- when we are not careful we sing and dance to every tune they play. But to love with the method of teaching one..the ways of the Lord... or instilling good values --- values that can be identified with our Christian tenets --- to love even if it hurts -- I say it hurts because as a mother --I haven't been as strong as my late mother in disciplining my son --- as a child Josh would look at me with his big round eyes, his beatle cut, he would bellow and cry as tho tomorrow would never come-- and grrr ....Nanay Maye is a meltdown --'gone with the wind' ang disciplina
..hahaha.... Mama Lydia was not like that, thank GOD for that.
..hahaha.... Mama Lydia was not like that, thank GOD for that.
Why was she gung-ho on this? She lost her mother at the age of 5 years old...she remembers Lola Anastacia calling her by name..." Come my little angel...." this before my lola passed away . Growing up with a conservative father and two older sisters -- Mama had to go thru life without the typical mother's love and comfort. Her eldest sister she lost during World War II, as this elder sister shielded her from the bombs --- Mama did not grow up cruel or bitter --- her faith in God made her understand everything happens for a purpose. What she learned about life, she tried best to share with her only child. From her daily strong dose of love, discipline and constant teaching --I soon had an idea what she tried to impart ---that we are not the center of the universe -- no matter how gifted, rich or successful we might be -- but that GOD...GOD our Creator is . How do we deal with that in a world that prods us to be Master of the universe at all costs?
That's a tough pill to swallow when you're an only child and lo and behold: if you bully people with just the right touch you can have the world at your feet --- we wonder if our parents were right -- we go thru life and soon find out --even as we test other approaches that they were right after all . I refer to parents, guardians , mentors..teachers who take care of their flock instilling the love as taught to us by our Lord Jesus.
Isn't it a wonder how our parents teach us good things even while we're still kindergarten material? They are like seeds planted inside of us... we are not aware they can grow... and at precise moments in our life, we harvest from those seeds which by now have become robust plants of wisdom, inner joy, long-suffering , humility --- all seeds nurtured by God's love using people who bless us thru and thru.
Pappy was a different story. Yes he did spoil me, as he probably also spoiled my sister and brother ... his siblings ..nephews ..nieces.... some hearts are cut out for loving... I have light years to go and learn how my parents loved -- even strangers and especially the poor and those bereft of love and opportunities in life.. Ramon or Danny to his friends had his other way of disciplining -He would call you to private room , and explain with such clarity the wrong deed committed -- I donot know how he was able to scold and still muster respect to the one he was scolding -- a gentleman as our late grandfather was a gentleman (wish I met him, Lolo Amon) In later yrs. in difficult times I would cling to sweet memories of my father calling and bellowing upon arrival at home from a hard day's work : " Maria...!!!!! Wottie..wottie..." I'm sure he had other terms of endearment for others --I was not the only beneficiary -- but when it was your time to be with him and be sheltered in his embrace .. you were the only one.. twas your moment to be just so loved...period.
Even my husband Dilbert recieved his dose of parental love from both of them -- he only had barely 2 yrs with Mama Lydia..but that was enough. He saw how queer and at the same time how true Mama was. He had more years with Pappy maybe 6 yrs but to this day , he would reflect just what a happy soul Pappy was... Perhaps Dilbert and I stuck together inspite of ourselves because of Danny and Lydia and my late mom-in-law Rose ?
There is no way Ramon or Lydia or you or me or any soul on this planet can give an ounce of love if not for JESUS. Because even when one does not know Jesus thru actual hearing of the gospel ( think of a person belonging to some hidden tribe in some forsaken forest -where a Christian missionary has never set foot ) but still able to care and love and forgive and even offer one's life for a beloved and be everything Jesus was --- surely Christ has something to do with that. He died for all, He suffered for all -- He endured unspeakable atrocities so that the Father's love would once again flow to the human race . Salvation at its best. Knowing this why would we settle for just roses and chocolates when we can have it all, the very best, the very precious.... all thru Him , the Real Valentine of All. We love, but He loved us first.
He died for all, He suffered for all -- He endured unspeakable atrocities so that the Father's love would once again flow to the human race . Salvation at its best. Knowing this why would we settle for just roses and chocolates when we can have it all, the very best, the very precious.... all thru Him , the Real Valentine of All. We love, but He loved us first.
Happy Valentine, let us pray for all brokeness we go thru...for the lonely, for the depressed, for the unloved -- spread the Good News that we are all loved by GOD thru His Son Jesus Christ , amen,HAPPEEEE VALENTINE'S DAY GOD BLESS ALL.
