blogging Archives - Truly Rich and Blessed

New Year, New Hopes, New Dreams and New Plans

December 13, 2014 by Tina 3 Comments

I cannot believe it’s already the middle of December — with only 12 days to go till Christmas! So many, many, many things have happened… and are still happening, and will still happen, and it’s all just going by so quickly that I have been having a hard time catching up!

While many people are excitedly anticipating Christmas and the New Year, I’ve been quietly reflecting a bit on the New Year that has already started… well, for us Catholics anyway. (Yes, I’m referring to the Church’s new liturgical year, which officially began on the First Sunday of Advent — November 30, for this year.)

Today, December 13, marks the 14th day of the new Church year, and is actually the feast of Saint Lucy. Saint Lucy, whose name means “light”, was a virgin and martyr who died for her faith.

Source.

Here’s a brief account of her life, according to CatholicCulture.org:

St. Lucy (283-304) was born in Syracuse, Sicily, where she also died. She was of a noble Greek family, and was brought up as a Christian by her mother, who was miraculously cured at the shrine of St. Agatha in Catania. Lucy made a vow of virginity and distributed her wealth to the poor. This generosity stirred the wrath of the unworthy youth to whom she had been unwillingly betrothed and who denounced her to Paschasius, the governor of Sicily. When it was decided to violate her virginity in a place of shame, Lucy, with the help of the Holy Spirit, stood immovable. A fire was then built around her, but again God protected her. She was finally put to death by the sword. Her name appears in the second list in the Canon.

Source.

As we celebrate Saint Lucy’s courage and faith today, I find myself thinking about the calendar year that is coming to an end soon (sooner than I’d like, actually!).

While 2014 has been full of highs and lows, blessings and burdens, trials and triumphs, I continue to praise God for everything He has allowed me to experience.

One of the things I’m really, really, really grateful to God for is the blessing of being able to hope, dream and plan.

Recently, a few very close members of our family had to move to a new place, which made for a rather stressful situation for everyone involved. We had to help out in a lot of ways, and I even had to do a bit of research about what option would be better for them: renting or buying a home. (Luckily, I was able to find this useful article online, among others.)

The blessing behind the seemingly burdensome tasks that arose out of the situation is that it got me and my husband thinking and dreaming again about our own plans for our own home, among other things. You know, a place that we could really call our own.

Of course, once we started thinking, dreaming and hoping again, we couldn’t help including other aspects of our lives. We’ve actually just finished discussing our financial hopes, dreams and plans, too, especially for 2015. They’re still a work in progress though.

On a personal note, part of those hopes, dreams, plans, thoughts also include this blog, which is in need of a long overdue makeover. I think I’ve mentioned it before, many months ago, which only goes to show that I really need to get to work!

In the meantime, I hope you’ll stick around as I try to accomplish what needs to be done and set the ball rolling for other things, so that these new hopes, dreams and plans will finally become reality — all for God’s greater glory and, of course, all for the love of you, too, dear readers! 🙂

So, tell me… How have you been lately? What’s been keeping you busy? What new hopes, dreams and plans do you have right now? Let’s talk in the comments!

Back to Blogging: What Can Happen in a Month and More {Plus the REAL Reason Why I Haven’t Been Blogging}

July 13, 2014 by Tina 8 Comments

So finally, I’m back! 🙂 (Did you miss me? :P)

After over a month (1 month and 5 days, to be exact), I’m here again… though I don’t know for how long I will ‘stay.’ As you can probably tell, I’ve been ‘neglecting’ this online ‘home’ of mine, but have been trying very hard not to neglect my real home (though, if you were to surprise me with a visit today, you’d probably think otherwise, with the baskets of unfolded laundry downstairs, and the messy, cluttered play/storage room upstairs!).

A month and more… how time flies!

Yes, it’s been a month and more since I’ve been here, but I have been elsewhere: here, here (a re-hashed post!), here (in case you haven’t read this post about how to homeschool even if you don’t feel like it).

I’ve also been writing my contributions for Make It Blissful (have you congratulated Martine yet? 🙂 She’s preggy and I can SO relate to her latest post about it! I felt that way A LOT when I was pregnant with Anne!)… and Upside Down Homeschooling (coming soon!).

Credits to nonicknamephoto | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A lot of my time for work has been spent on editing here, writing/editing for this magazine and this homeschool provider‘s monthly newsletter, doing PR/social media work, and helping promote — among other things. I too, and attended a few blogger events, somewhere in between.

Of course, the majority of my time has been spent with my family… and I wouldn’t have it any other way! 🙂

Family time and time with others: The best reason for slow blogging 😉

Since my last post here, we’ve been ‘busy-but-not-so-busy’… learning from life, trying to keep up with chores, (not really a schoolroom!), doing ‘formal’ learning, celebrating Father’s Day, attending community events, relishing time with extended family… just trying to ‘be’… which is not a very easy thing to do for ‘busyholic’ me!

Credits to Stuart Miles | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We were also blessed to spend some time in Cebu last week — me, the kids and my parents, while Anthony was at the Hillsong Conference in Sydney (one of the blessings of being part of the team!). It was a great #familyfieldtrip, and we had lots of fun bonding with my parents!

Bonding with Lolo and Lola during our #familyfieldtrip to Cebu! :)

We were there to attend a dear friend and sister-in-Christ’s wedding; she is also our former mission teammate (oh how I miss our Timor Leste days!) and Rysse’s ninang (godmother). It was fun catching up with her and other dear friends, and celebrating Rysse’s birthday too, in a way (we didn’t celebrate on her actual birthday because it was our friend’s wedding day, we ended up celebrating for almost the entire week afterwards!).

The 4 of us all ready to go to Karen’s wedding! Tim and Rysse were part of the entourage. When I posted this photo on FB, a few people thought I was pregnant! Ha, ha! 🙂 Can you spot sleeping Anne?

While in Cebu, I also got to meet up with Mylene, a friend and the hardworking mompreneur behind , and two fellow homeschoolers (*waves to Mommy Martha and Jenny!) — it was so nice to finally meet these moms, my online ‘friends’ for what seems to be so long, in person! 🙂

With homeschool moms from Cebu — thanks to Mommy Martha for arranging this meet-up (photo credits go to her, too!)

With from Cebu — thanks to Mommy Martha for arranging this meet-up (photo credits go to her, too!)

I’ve also experienced being majorly disappointed lately… which was a very humbling experience for me. In the end though, . I must confess, too, that — time to reboot with more fruits and veggies! 😉

The REAL reason for not blogging

Having said all that (sorry to ‘dump’ everything on you all at once, LOL!), I MUST confess the REAL reason why I haven’t been blogging lately… You see, I’ve been getting a lot of comments from people about how I am a ‘supermom,’ how I can ‘do it all,’ and how ‘inspiring’ I am because I work at home, homeschool, care for three kids sans a yaya/helper, etc. etc.

Well, let me come clean with y’all in the spirit of keeping it real (because, after all, that’s what being ‘truly rich’ entails too, right?) — I am NOT a supermom. I am not a perfect mom either. I’ve confessed before (and have recently confessed again, ) that I don’t love on my kids as much as I should and instead chew them out a lot more often than I should!

There is only one ‘supermom’ in my book — and that’s Mama Mary! :)

I yell, I’m a mean ‘monster’ mom A LOT of times (which is why my kids almost always include, “Please Lord, help Mama not to be angry today” in our morning prayers), I’ve even used my hands to ‘harm and not to help’ before (yup, I’m confessing this here, on the blogosphere!). Our homeschool days can be such a mess (on the days we do homeschool formally, of course!).

Our apartment is a mess (a somewhat organized mess, but a mess just the same!). I nag my husband (*blows Anthony a kiss) more often than I should and sometimes neglect his needs in favor of the kids’. I feel like I don’t spend enough time with my parents and siblings, and that we don’t spend enough time with my in-laws too, especially my mother-in-law (and she’s just across the street from us!).

One of those rare days when our apartment isn’t in a HUGE mess and the kids are busy playing with their blocks and manipulatives! :)

I haven’t been spending time with my friends either, especially my still single or still childless friends. (I don’t think socializing on Facebook counts, do you?) Thank God for friendships that last because of His grace!

So what am I really saying here then? Why all the ‘confessions’?

All of this imperfection.. this ‘messiness’… That is mostly why I haven’t been blogging.

I’ve been feeling too ‘unworthy’ to blog. I didn’t think that my life — the ‘real’ me, my ‘real’ life with all its sin — was inspiring. Actually, I didn’t want to deceive anyone. I didn’t want to be a hypocrite and make you think that, “Wow, she’s got it all together, man!” when the reality is, I don’t.

Why I’m back

To be honest with you (and thank you, by the way, for reading this post up to this point — don’t worry, I’m almost done!)… I didn’t really feel like coming back here to blog. I didn’t know where nor how to start.

But then I read this post.

Image credits to Blossoming Joy

It’s as if Melody was speaking/writing directly to me! These are my favorite lines from her post:

“I have my blogging blinders on. I have a firm purpose which I worked out with much thought and prayer while on sabbatical. I am committed to that purpose and to fighting the tendency to blog someone else’s vision. I am also no longer in high school… and I refuse to allow likes, dislikes, accolades, links, awards, pettiness, or any one person to define my major actions or my purpose.

So… do you blog? Because if you do, I want you to read those posts when you have a moment. You may find that you know what these lovely gals are talking about.

And then I want you to repeat after me…

I am a uniquely gifted woman of God. My beauty lies not in how much my blog looks like anyone else’s, but by how perfectly I am responding to His holy will for my life. “

And these lines — so, so, so true!

“God wants great and good things from you and perhaps you are having trouble listening over the noise of blogging.

In addition to the blessing of being available for God’s plans, I promise that you will learn two things:

1) That you have (in some measure) an unhealthy attachment to the blogging world.

2) That almost no one truly cares if you blog again or not.”

Especially #2! I realized this during the month and more of my unintended blogging break. Almost no one truly cares if I blog again (except for those of you who sent me messages, thanks again for your love!) — and that’s OK!

So why blog again then?

Because of this:

I want to be one of “those who bring [the] good news”… In my imperfection, despite my sins, in spite of my weaknesses, faults and failures.

It doesn’t matter to me if I have 1 or 1,000 followers.

It doesn’t matter to me if no one leaves comments on my posts (but please do if you want to, I promise I’ll reply! 😉 ).

It doesn’t matter to me if my posts get “Likes” or are Tweeted or +1’ed.

What matters most is that I am doing God’s will. (Or trying my darndest to!)

And, for now at least, that includes blogging.

To Him be all the glory, now and forever! 🙂

So, how have you been during this month and more that I’ve been ‘gone’? Don’t worry, you need not leave a comment, but please do know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers! 🙂

The One Where I Have Too Much to Blog About So I’ll Just Post a Video of Me on TV

December 17, 2013 by Tina 2 Comments

The title above is self-explanatory. I know I have months’ worth of things to blog about and I don’t know if I’ll EVER get around to doing so as my days (and nights!) are more about the kids, homeschooling, work and chores now. I am always amazed (and a tad envious — fleetingly envious, thank God!) at how all those homeschooling moms with more than three kids find the time to blog so regularly and in such detail! And, and, and, seem to do SO many fun and crafty Catholic activities with their kiddos! Take a look at Jessica’s Shower of Roses blog if you want to know what I mean! Or Jennifer on Catholic Inspired! 🙂

(FYI, I love their blogs and have found many inspiring and doable takeaways from them. Many of our family traditions have actually been inspired by Catholic blogs like theirs!)

Anyway, I digress.

Like I said, there’s too much to blog about now — I have posts (in my head) starting from way back in September! Or is it August?! Ha, ha! I need to get more organized soon!

In the meantime, here’s a photo linked to a video of me on a local TV show, where I was featured as one of many others who are now working from home. 🙂 Just click on it to watch the video. (Note to my non-Filipino readers and friends: It’s in Tagalog/Filipino.)

And now… back to beating those deadlines before the Christmas break! 😉

How have you been, friends? I’d love to know what’s been keeping you busy! 🙂

Truly Rich Reflections: Water Into Wine

February 4, 2013 by Tina Leave a Comment

My family and I came home on Sunday night from Baguio, where we attended an inspiring (though at times, tiring) weekend retreat organized by , our Catholic community. Since then, my mind and heart have been overflowing!

I tried to “capture” some of our Baguio moments through this photo collage, but I don’t think it does justice!
Which means I really MUST write a post, yes? 🙂

There is SO much I want to blog about — so many lessons learned especially during the first month of the year! So many blessings to share, so many wonderful homeschool experiences and “a-ha!” moments! So many people I want to give a “shout out” to, so many answered prayers!

So.many.things.to.write.about.

The problem is I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how to begin.

So… while I try to organize my thoughts into a post (or series of posts, maybe?)… And before I write an article for one of my “sideline” writing projects… I just want to share with you one of, if not THE biggest, blessings we’ve received since 2013 started, via a screenshot of my post on Facebook:

For those of you who may not be aware of our initial ~~fears, doubts, worries~~ concerns about the little one in my womb, you might want to read this post on the truth about my pregnancy.

After making that “confession,” I felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders. Because I knew that we were no longer “alone” in our journey. I knew that people from all over the world were lifting us up, especially our baby, in their prayers. And for that, I am/we are forever grateful.

You have shown us how powerful the gift of prayer can be. You have helped us see how Jesus turns water into wine, and creates miracles, every single day.

So, dear friends, please forgive the lack of any other updates / detailed posts for now. I just want to leave you with this song by Chris Tomlin, which I have personally dubbed as our “theme song” for our baby (Tim’s is “On Eagle’s Wings,” while Rysse’s is “Still.” Why? 🙂 Oooh… more topics for future blog posts!):

Whatever you may be facing right now, believe that Jesus, our Miracle-maker, is near. Through the powerful intercession of His Blessed Mother, who is our own mother, too, He will fill your “empty jars.” He will turn your “water” into “wine.” He will make all things work together, for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

My mom, my dad, me, Tim, Rysse and Anthony
We were surprised to be asked to be “models” during one of the sessions at the retreat, and my dad was asked to proclaim how we would witness to Christ’s love and mission as a family. I had tears in my eyes listening to him speak. (I think my mom did, too!) We are not a perfect family, and have our own struggles and sins and failures, but we are truly blessed to have God and one another.
(Photo credit: Tito Arthur del Rio)

Celebrating My "Return" to Blogging with an Amazing Grace Giveaway by Moringana! :)

January 28, 2013 by Tina 3 Comments

*Gasp* January is almost over and I have written only FIVE posts for the whole month! My, how the time has whizzed by, bringing the first month of the New Year almost to a close!

Ever since my self-declared blogcation-of-sorts last month, I’ve been having trouble getting back on the “blog bandwagon.”

This blog has been on “vacation” of sorts! 🙂
Photo by Sura Nualpridad on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

January started out with lots of blessings — work-wise and personal-wise — and with me setting out to spend more time just “being” with my family, taking more time to rest (especially for our Baby), and being busy with more projects at work and on the side, not to mention SO many learning events (which I know I MUST blog about soon! *Gasp* again!)

If you’ve been following me on and/or , you’ll probably know what’s been keeping me busy. (If not, you can take a look at one of my recent posts on Philstar.com to find out — only if you want to, of course.)

To be honest, I’ve actually enjoyed not blogging so often, in a way. I’ve enjoyed not being “pressured” to keep up with other mom bloggers, who have been posting much more regularly than I have. (Oh, yes, I’ve spent more time reading other people’s posts, too, than writing my own! Ha, ha!) I’ve also enjoyed reading more to my kids, focusing more on our goals for homeschooling. And spending more time with the hubby, too.

However, I know, too, that God called me to blog for a reason. (Yes, as cheesy as that may sound to some of you! Ha, ha!) He’s got a purpose for this little ol’ blog of mine, and I just pray that I live up to it! 🙂 (I talked about this a bit during my interview today for one of the shows on Family Rosary Crusade. Watch out for it this Sunday, Feb. 3, 6 a.m. on Studio 23! Teehee! {Shameless plugging!})

So yes… I’m officially back to blogging, and I hope to post more regularly starting today — at least two to three posts a week! (Ambitious, huh?! Pray that I’ll be able to do so! He, he!)

And to celebrate my “return” to blogging, let’s have an Amazing Grace giveaway — the first for the year, and the first in a weekly series — until my generous blog partner, MORINGANA, says “stop”! Heehee!

Aside from Moringana, I’ve got other giveaways coming up, so I do hope you’ll stay tuned to the blog, and follow my updates on and , too, so you won’t miss out on them! 🙂

Anyway, yes yes… back to the giveaway! 🙂 Here it is!

Moringana Amazing Grace Giveaway No. 1 {2013}

FYI: I love Moringana’s malunggay capsules! 🙂 I’ve been using them as a supplement for my pregnancy. 🙂
They came in really handy when I came down with a bad cough and cold last December!

One winner will receive ONE (1) box of Moringana Malunggay capsules. 🙂 The giveaway will run for one week and is open to anyone with a Philippine shipping address. The winner shall be notified via e-mail and also announced on my Facebook page and Twitter. 🙂

To join, please use the Rafflecopter widget below. 🙂 Thanks and God bless, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway