It’s Valentine’s Day in a few days so I wanted to write a quick post for you all in honor of, what else, love! 🙂

But more than love, I want to remind you (and myself) that we can’t love to the fullest if we’re not healthy. I realized this last year, when my husband and I faced all sorts of health-related trials, especially with our children. That’s why I chose “Health” as my one word earlier this year.

This is also why we’ve been trying to be more conscious about our food choices lately, among other things. We’ve started incorporating more vegetables and fruits into our diet, investing in more nutritious options for the kids (like almond or rice milk instead of cow’s milk, which is mucus-forming, among other things), and cutting down on our meat intake.

Now, let me be honest with you — it’s NOT easy! And choosing healthier options is NOT cheap, at least here in the Philippines! BUT because we want to love ourselves so that we can love God and love others more, and be better stewards of our bodies and teach our kids to do the same, we’re doing it. Or at least we’re trying really hard to do it.

There are days when we “fail” (or I prefer to use the word “cheat,” ha, ha) but at least I know we’re doing our best, right?

So, in honor of love, which should be your and my primary reason for wanting health in all aspects, let me share the quote below with you, taken from the Book of Proverbs in the New American Bible. I think it is so apt for what my husband and I are trying to do right now, which is to have a more plant-based diet. 😉

Better a dish of herbs where love is

than a fatted ox and hatred with it.

— Proverbs 15:17

Here’s another version of the verse from the New Living Translation Bible, which I used in this attempt at making a blog graphic:

However you choose to celebrate, I pray that you and your loved ones have a love-filled and healthful Valentine’s Day! 🙂

People who read my blog and my other writing elsewhere may think that I am a faithful Catholic and that living out my faith is easy for me. Well, a lot of times, I’m not and it’s not. There are many, many, MANY days when I fail my God, my family and myself. I struggle every day with my own selfishness and you all know that I also have my own fears. Still, I try to “fail forward” and keep on keeping on, as they say.

Yesterday, I got to chat with my sister and she said that she “envied” me because I manage to update my blog regularly. I told her that I try to post as often as I can because (1) blogging/writing is sort of an “outlet” for me (along with cleaning the bathroom ;)) and (2) I consider my blog as one of my “mission fields.” As someone who used to be “on the battlefield,” i.e. assigned to different mission areas locally and abroad, I know that being a “missionary” will always be in my blood. I may be serving God in a different way now but it’s still for the same purpose: to give glory to Him and to share His love and message with others.

Which brings me to His words for today, a perfect reminder for me (and maybe you too?) about how we can make His love and truth real in our lives and the lives of those around us:

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’” Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

It may be a challenge to hear and accept God’s Word amidst our busy, full days, but we really need to do so — more for our sake than for God, actually. Let’s strive to bear fruit for Him wherever He has chosen to plant us! 🙂

Do you have difficulty in accepting God’s Word? You are not alone! Let’s journey in faith together!