Praying for our children (and for us too)

"then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them." Matthew 19:13

It is imperative for Christian parents to pray with and pray for their children. It is our way to connect with God and present our children with our requests in whatever we want them to become. I want to share what I read in Pray Big by Will Davis Jr. on how we should as believers in Christ pray for our kids. There are enough promises and exhortations in the Bible for you to cover your children virtually head to toe in prayer. Aside from those, we can make use of parts of their bodies as our pinpoint prayer for them:

Eyes - Pray for what they will see in you and in the world. What we look at can have a huge impact in our lives. It can be inspiring or horrible sights. Let us pray that our kids eyes will gaze at things that will cause them to love God and not destroy the knowledge of God in us.

Mind - our mind is the key to the soul. We should pray that our kids will feed their minds with God's words and that they will have sound mind and the wisdom to know what is right from wrong.

Mouth - Another area to cover in your prayer is your children's mouths. James 3:7-10 says "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

Let us pray that our children will always speak the truth and that they will learn the word commitment at a young age, so that their "yes" be "yes" and their "no" be "no". Include in our prayers that they will not fib, exaggerate or mislead and that they will always speak in love because this honors God.

Heart - In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon told us to guard our hearts above all else, for the heart is the wellspring of life. Pray for our children's hearts that they may become huge for God and His words so that love will pour out from them.

Hands - Pray for their hands so that they will be kept from acts of sin. May we teach them to raise their hands to God in worship and surrender.

Feet - Ask God to direct your children in every step and to run away from sin when they are tempted. Pray that they will trust in, believe in and commit to memory the teachings of the Bible.

Of course, we can also pray for ourselves too. Lastly, let us end our prayer with this - We pray all this for our sweet kids. Please cover them from head to toe. In Jesus' awesome name, Amen.

Things to do on a bright winter day

Toboggan definition in modern times: it is used on snow to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill or other slope for recreation. I first heard the word Toboggan from my friend Joy. She said since we just arrived and we don't know how to ski or even ice skate, we can only do tobogganing during winter. That's what we did as our Pre-valentine activity yesterday. The kids were excited when they heard that we are going to the place we pass by every Sunday where we often see children sledding or tobogganing. Kyle asked if we brought our own and we said yes. Lex was the most excited as you can see in the video. The kids showed no signs of fear in the slopes. I remembered the Giant slide days at Big Bang sa Alabang when Lito and I were younger which were so much fun. This time there was a slight tinge of fear because I'm not that young anymore but I need to show my kids that I was not afraid because they are not. Anyway, the fear only lasted while we were waiting to be pushed and turned to shrieking fun when we started going down the slopes. Here are the videos of our first Tobogganing adventure:







Happy Valentines!

Alexus is now a Toddler (and his achievements)

My 3rd son Alexus turned 2 last November and I am so proud of him because at his young age, he has reach the toddler milestones ahead. To stay warm in the winter when they bring Kyle to school, he is joining other kids his age in a playgroup in the Family and Parenting Center. Annabel, his nanny was telling me that Lex is very sociable and plays with his classmates at the Center. He listens intently to the teacher when it is storytelling time and keeps all the toys after playing. One time, a playmate of him cried because he was already keeping the toys that kid is playing. The feedback from the teacher, other nannies and his playmates confirmed that he is well-liked in the school not only for his good looks but also for being smart and responsible. At a young age, even if sometimes you cannot understand him, he says "Thank You", "Please" and "Sorry" -Chory. A trait that I hope he continues to have even if he grows up. Another thing that he is also known for at the Center is that he eats the most during snack time. He always make the sign "More" -putting two closed fists together after eating. He eats everything served there like fruits, cookies, breads etc. Nagmana ata sa kin sa appetite, hahaha.

Here is his first video taken by his nanny during one of their singing moments:


Pwede na bang mag-artista? hahaha.

What motivates you?

It's this time of the year when the corporate bigwigs start to roll out their plans and goals for the employees to follow in creating their own. Usually there is a target to meet or exceed. When that happens (exceeding the target), there is an incentive or bonus. That strategy is an effective way to motivate people in order to achieve the corporate goal. So my question now is - applying that strategy in your own life, what would be your goal for the year and what motivates you?

I learned that our life is like a pie where every slice represent an aspect and it should be distributed if not equally, in balanced proportion. Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Social, or Mental are what makes our pie and if we do not spend some of our time, effort or money in one of these makes our life less than perfect.

Like in the previous years, my goals always include plans to improve my SPESM life. That means joining a new ministry in church, enrolling in a physical activity, reconnecting and be with friends, learning a new skill, saving for the house or a trip etc. In all these aspects, you have role models and characters that you look up to. Some of them inspires and motivates you to keep you going and achieve your goals. Others make their goals their motivation too. Seeing that poster of a beach is a motivating factor to save for that trip in the Philippines to enjoy a Boracay or Palawan holiday or buying that Delsey luggage to make it to the first base of your travel goals.

Whatever your goal is, set it within eye level --> make it visible to the eye so you will always think about it and everything follows to work at achieving it. "Whatever your mind conceives, your body achieves."

Blood, hospitals, scrubs or anything medical

I could have taken a medical course and enjoy a lucrative profession but I was afraid of being in a hospital. Would you believe that the very first time I was admitted in a hospital was when I gave birth to Aloysius? I have been blessed with good health and going to clinics if I was sick would be enough to heal me. Just seeing someone wearing white lab coats coming my way, I would think that he will give me a shot or take blood from me. Seeing blood even my own will make me faint.

I frequented hospitals when my children arrived because of regular check ups. If I remember it right, there were 2 times that Aloysius was admitted and stayed for a week because of gastroentirits and respiratory problem. I was crying when they were putting dextrose in Aloysius. I cannot even look at the needle but my child was very brave. He also liked it there in the hospital because the nurses were friendly and they were wearing scrubs with cartoon characters printed in them.

When I came here, actually, it started in the US when I had a chance to go a hospital there, my fear somehow disappeared. The halls in hospitals here are not that eerie and it looked more of a hotel. The smell is also not that bad - you know that certain hospital smell? Anyway, my perception of those wearing hospital uniforms also changed. I could have been one of them too, but it is already late for me to go back to school and pursue a medical career. I hope one of my sons will be interested in that career path. God willing.

Our first roadtrip

It was a smooth-with-only-few-problems ride on our first road trip to the United States last Christmas. The car we got receives the highest safety awards and also with God's protection, we are confident that we are in good hands. We checked for quick and free insurance quotes and since the model we got is one of the safest in the minivan category, we are paying minimal for our car insurance. Our travel took 11 hours including the stops and the interview at the US embassy on the border in Buffalo. On the way home, we were challenged by foggy and poor visibility, but the cooperation of our children and the nice views in the countryside of Upstate New York make up for a memorable first road trip.

Good thing, Lito can take advantage of the cruise control feature of the car where you can just set the speed and hold on to the steering wheel to keep you going. The twin screen DVD player that we attached at the back of headrests also kept the kids busy. When they are not sleeping or playing games, they watched their favorite Disney, Spongebob and Tom and Jerry Series. I am not good in taking shots while the car is moving but I hope you enjoy these photos I took on our way to and from New York City:

Happy 5th Birthday Kyle!

Thank God for Kyle and his first five years. My second son is now a grown up boy and I can't believe he is not speaking Tagalog anymore. When we use skype and chat with those in the Philippines, he is telling them he doesn't speak Taga-long anymore. I still hope he understands our native tongue because that's what we still use at home, well at least for Lito and I.

Kyle already received his Christmas and advanced birthday gifts last December but we still got him a Little Tikes basketball court (from Goodwill at 50% off) and the Bumblebee mask to match the robotic arm he got from Irvin and Faye. He said he will be Bumblebee in the next Halloween. Here's is the preview: