I Take Off the Mask

A walk in the rain my feet in the mud a patter of raindrops as I look up above Streets are flooded I wade my way through like a child lost in wonder like a child lost in awe And if I can dance without tripping if I can just sing once more I’ll thank the rain now washing my face and I shall walk on and on and on… poem+rain

You ask me why I’m happy? I am happy because I have a great inheritance. My Father is the King of the Universe, And I am a daughter of royal blood. My time never runs out For my time is forever; Never will I worry of the moment, For mine are the eternal reaches of time. My peace surpasses the understanding of the wisest men For it is a peace that never shatters With the most troubling shadows of the night. It is a peace that comes from the spring of letting go, Completely letting go. You ask me why I’m happy? I ask you rather, why not?

A little tear, a little crying, For not all of life is smiling; A little cloud, a little rain, Though the sun is always shining. A little pain, a little aching, So our hearts can keep on growing; A little cross to see the right, A little night before the light! poem+cloud

There are so many things, I cannot understand, Like space in all its vastness, Like time that never ends. Such things, which I cannot Even grasp by the hand, Like the music of the wind, Like the glowing of the sun. But though this is so, I shall forever keep, All things, which are to me So good and very dear. Not of course in my mind Where there is emptiness and doubt, Nor with my hands Which cannot even hold. But here, here in my heart, Where there is peace, Where there is love, Where there is YOU!

Joy is in cool mornings, A cool morning breeze when the sun is bright; Joy is in this feeling, Of rebirth and delight. And I yearn to wake up and awaken; I yearn to walk beneath the light; I yearn to walk just near the trees, And watch some little birds in flight. I yearn to walk just near the shore, And watch the waves at sea; There’s nothing I could ask for more, Than earth’s enchanting melody. In the early hour of the day, When night has just passed away; When all is fresh, and all is beautiful, When all is brilliant, ever pure. Joy is in cool mornings; A stroll amidst a brand new day, When life is just beginning, When angels sing and dance and pray! poem+morning

I’d like to be free from this body Be anywhere I wish to be Zoom Zap Zing! Be everywhere As light as air Shifting Turning Blazing like fire Blowing Roaming Freewilling Spirit forever changing Yet always remaining Wings unwavering Yet always yielding Touching Empowering Illuminating Surrendering only to eternal bliss!

Always in my heart my friend, For always you will be Wherever you may go Wherever you may be And wherever this road will lead us Whether tomorrow finds a star I’m sure that in our hearts I will be where you are

I’ve searched for love in funny places I’ve searched for love in funny ways I’ve searched for love both high and low I’ve searched for it in all my days Yet often did I wonder And often did I cry Not knowing where the roads may lead to Not knowing what I’ll ever find ‘Til I sat in silence along the way ‘Til I listened to my heart and prayed That I realized love was always there And that love shall always stay I grasped it and I let it go I breathed it in and I breathed it out I tasted it and cherrished it I held it with my trembling palm For love has been there all along And love will guide me ‘til I’m home What I have sought I know I’ve found And my heart shall rest on higher grounds poem+religious

Come let us dance by the moonlight and soar above the clouds for there is but so little time and soon the stars shall all be gone come let us sing with laughter let’s rise higher than we’ve ever been far from the shadows that bind us and nearer the light of our dreams

Dear God, you had always been there for me, through every trial and every tear, through every victory and through every joy. I couldn’t have made it through without you. I couldn’t have lived a beautiful life were it not for your grace and your love. There is just so much to be thankful for, especially for the people who truly made this life worthwhile. Many of them had already gone, many I do not know where their own journeys led them. But just the same O Lord, I thank you for we have touched one another’s lives. I shall never forget them, and their lives will always be a part of mine.

Dear Jesus, they say that the world is so beautiful and it is just a pity that I couldn’t see it. They say that there are so many wonderful colors around, colors that make you happy and that brightens up your day. They exclaim, “What a beautiful sunrise!” or “What a magnificent sunset!”, and then they tell me just how much they wanted to share those things to me. And I believe they are able to, Jesus. They are able to share their happiness with me even if they’re not able to share their eyes. And I am grateful to them. I thank you for all the wondrous gifts you have given us in this world.

Dear Father, the noise of the world is too great; the demands of the day too high. Things are happening so fast that they are over even before I begin to realize that they have come. I don’t know anymore which of the things I do makes any sense at all. I don’t know anymore where I am going though too often I find myself rushing about so much , afraid that I might be left behind if I care to find a single moment of peace. And yet this time I can no longer drag myself into the chaos where I chose to live. Cup after cup of brewed coffee could no longer give me the energy I need to finish loads and loads of paperwork that lay upon my desk. I pray to you dear Father. I pray for the peace you have promised us, a peace that transcends all understanding, a peace that never shatters with the most troubling shadows of the night. Silence the worries that lurk upon my mind, the fears that have only driven me to burnout and stress. In this moment of prayer, let there be silence. Let th...

Dear Lord, I have just come from a family reunion, and they have asked me again whence I shall be finally settling down. Yes, Lord, each time they see me they would ask me the same old question, and I would say the same answer: “I don’t know”. Sometimes I don’t want to answer them anymore. Sometimes I just want to tell them to mind their own business. But I know that would not be pleasing to you. And that would only hurt the people who are only concerned that I finally find my happiness. But really Lord, I do get tired of these questions. And I do get hurt sometimes when people judge me whenever they don’t hear the response they want. They tend to think I’m too picky, that my standards are too high, that I’m a difficult person to put up with, that I’m just too selfish to be able to commit myself to someone and be responsible for my own family. At other times there is even a look of pity in their eyes as though I’ve been overlooked a hundred times by eligible me over someone more attrac...

O God, I am ashamed even if only to call upon your name. How can I even whisper your Holy Name? How can I even lift my eyes towards heaven? I am a sinner. And I have greatly displeased you. I have defiled my own body, the sacred temple I should have kept holy and taken care of with the highest honor and respect. I have failed you so much and so greatly. I have failed the only One who has ever loved me.

Lord God, won’t you bless this lottery ticket I bought today? Bless it Lord with your generous hand and grant me the blessing of being able to live a new way of life. I can’t recall any special deeds I made to be deserving of what I ask and I know I missed Sunday masses quite a number of times but I desire to come to you now and ask this special favor. You are the only one who can grant my prayers, the only one who can listen to my pleas and deliver me from my sins. Lord, some people say that this is not a good way to reach one’s dreams, to improve one’s life. People say that those who buy these tickets are those who want to harvest what they didn’t sow, get paid for a fortune they havent worked for. They say that the people who buy these tickets are lazy good-for-nothing people who are already desperate in the kind of lives they live.

Father God, the sisters tell me you are our Father and we can pray to you. They say that you are always there to listen and that you love us so much. Father, I really don’t know what its like to have a father. I don’t know what its like to have a mother too.

My Lord, whose child am I? At times I think I am neither my father’s nor my mother’s. and if I do not belong to any of them, to whom do I truly belong? My life is as shattered as my identity, my heart as broken as my home. Always do I seek for something yet always do I also fail to find what I’m looking for. I am like a vagabond that travels from place to place never finding rest, a bird that flies from one distant land to another, never ever finding its own nest to lay.

Lord, there’s been so much pressure in the office lately, sometimes I just want to run away from it all. The things that I do now, I do so only because I don’t know what else I should be doing. All these years I’ve been the one responsible, the one my family had counted upon to build and uphold our home. Yet things have changed somewhat since then. Changes I’ve always wanted to take place. Somehow however, after all the dreaming and after all the planning and striving, and after all the dreams that came true, I don’t really feel much better or much happier than I thought I would be. Something seems to be missing. Something that I might have lost unknowingly along the way.

Lord, I thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to play a part in these children’s lives. I thank you for the honor of being a second parent to them, helping them out in shaping their minds and in enlightening their hearts. I want to teach them everything they need to know and equip them with everything they need so they can face life prepared, willing and able to live their lives to their fullest potential.

My Lord, you know how hard I tried to break free from this habit that controls me. You know how hard I tried to resist this alcohol abuse , this momentary pleasure whose price I cannot afford to pay. I tried so hard my Lord, but I have failed you over and over and over again. Because everytime my loneliness haunts me, everytime my fears arouses panic within me, everytime I’m hurt and confused and I don’t know what to do, everytime I’m miserable deep inside and I need real help, I run to the bottle that has long been my sole friend and savior. I run to the bottle instead of running unto you. How I wanted to run to you, but it seemed so much easier to reach for the bottle than to reach out my hand to you. It seemed so much easier to escape, to numb my senses as though I were already dead. It seemed so easier to pretend nothing’s wrong, to act out courage at times when I have so much fear within me. I thought that by trying to run away, I can forget my troubles. I thought that ...

My Lord, you know how I’ve always sought your Holy Wisdom. You know how I’ve studied your words night and day. You know how I take delight in the presence of your altar, how in solitude I whisper the cries of my heart, how I listen to words that give me life. You know too how I yearn to share your Peace and your Salvation. All these years I have faithfully preached your words. All these years I have fervently prayed for those who were lost. You have blessed me indeed by being your instrument of Grace and you have honored me as you performed countless miracles before my very eyes. How glad am I to be the one you’ve chosen, how proud to be under the banner of your Victorious Hand. I’ve always been sure of those victories and I yearned for each coming glory as I’ve yearned for the breath of life.

PRAY With prayer, all things are possible. Faith can move mountains, and miracles still happen everyday.As I pray, I feel relieved of my worries. I feel assured, at peace, and safe. God is with me, and we are walking together. I am never alone or helpless. LIVE Live life to the very full! Cherrish each precious moment and passing day. Explore, experiment, create, risk! This life is all you’ve got, so why limit you potentials? Why be afraid to try and achieve your fullness? One day you will look back and ponder on the life you’ve lived. May you look back then, with no regrets in you heart. LOVE It is our greatest privilege and our greatest gift. It is the essence of our humanity and the substance of our soul. I may forget many things, but I will never forget love. It has cast its mark upon me, it has left a song upon my soul. MAKE FRIENDS When you have found true ones, you will find how blessed you really are! I’m glad I was able to reach out to you. And I’m glad you were able to reach ...

Seasons of happiness In this life, we will pass through many seasons of happiness and sorrow, day and night, springtime and winter. What’s important is to keep our hopes up that the sun will shine even more brighter after every storm. Happiness comes from… There is a happiness that comes from knowing all is well, and you are surely walking in a path that will lead you to your dreams. And there is a happiness that simply comes from knowing all will be well, and whatever comes, you can be able to deal with it and handle it well. Now that’s confidence. That’s faith! Our Heart’s Desire There are times when God doesn’t give us the things we ask for because He knows the things we truly desire; desires we may not even be aware of because we do not truly know ourselves. Trust Love Trust love: real love, pure love; something good always comes out of it. Someone to Trust Joy is knowing there is somebody right beside you whom you can trust with your life, especi...

Every parting has its own sorrow, even that of parting with a once treasured possession that has long lost its usefulness. And so in sorrow do I say farewell to my own that is not truly mine. Farewell to the mask and greetings to the heart, spirit and flesh that has long been concealed underneath its shadows. What shall I find as I cross the uncertain bridge of life without my mask? Shall I find at last my lost memory? Shall I finally discover my ancient beginnings? Full of questions do I cross this bridge, yet full of hope do I walk towards my destiny. I am like a child merely beginning its life, and yet I feel I’m also old, older than the ancient temples that connect mankind to its eternal source. I feel that I have lived from the very beginning of the earth; roaming, touching, changing, and yet forever remaining the same as the breath of theSpirit that gave me life.

If I can only embrace each wounded man as God has embraced me, I would do so. But my strength is not enough, and my heart is not big enough to bear all their sorrows. I can only be a friend to some, a soothing light to few, and hope that by God’s Grace, I can at least comfort one grieving soul in my lifetime. For what kind of man could ever find it so easy to let another one touch his very being at its weakest? Man would defend his wounds as he would defend his life. To trust is to be vulnerable, and to be vulnerable is to die. And few would ever risk dying in order to find new life.

I walked in the garden of life, caressing soft petals here and there. And lo! After a while they are no more, and my heart bled for each fragrant petal that fell. If every flower withers never to return to its full blossom, then what good indeed is passing by in the garden of life? Herein lies my hope: That for every flower that withers, another one blooms within me, one that will remain forever fragrant and fresh, never ever to pass away.

Sometimes I wonder why we have to undergo living in an imperfect world such as ours. If there is really a God, is He powerless to bring us immediately into the perfection we desire? I believe God can surely do it, were it not for the gift of freewill He has bestowed on every man. For if He immediately brings us to such a state, wouldn’t it be His will anymore and not ours? But what good is that will, you may argue on. Isn’t there more disaster in it than blessing? Isn’t the evil and suffering around us proof enough of the doom it has brought upon His creatures? Birthpains, my friend. Only birthpains, with which His children shall be born. For without it, all that God can ever make are puppets with no real right to their Divine heritage.

You said that you want me to be strong… I am strong.. I have been strong.. But if being strong would mean that you will be alone climbing up… Let me be weak.. For by being weak, i can be humble, For by being weak, i accept my limitation For by being weak, i open myself to others The time of my weakness is the time of my surrender It is the time that when i am weak that I am strong. For it is no longer myself but Himself that is at work For me to survive the present moments For me to survive everything that turn their back on me Allow me to be weak… For I want to be strong And be surrended with genuine love, care and compassion This would make me strong. (I would like to thank my friend Tess for allowing me to publish her beautiful composition)

Have you ever looked unto the eyes of true sorrow, the kind that is free of any bitterness or regret, the kind whose tears are so pure it cleanses your soul? If you’d have looked carefully, you must have seen the resemblance, how the eyes of sorrow so closely resemble the eyes of purest joy. How they both touch us and move us to be our better selves; and how they both give meaning to the life we’re living in today.Why are we so afraid then of sorrow? Why pretend you’re happy when what you really wanted to do is cry? There is more to life than laugher. There is more to life than the absence of difficulties that try our spirit. For trials give unto us a gift, which comfort can never bequeath upon us. And above all laughter are tears that tell us our souls have just been sanctified. In truth, the most beautiful moments in our lives are the moments when both joy and sorrow dwell upon our hearts, embracing us, moving us, creating a tapestry of holiness and love, forever enr...

This is one of the chapters in my series “The Good For Nothing Boy” THE FLIGHT “Good-for-nothing!” How many among us felt as though we were good-for-nothing and unwanted? How many among us ever felt without a purpose in life? Today, I will tell you one of the chapters of the story of a little boy who felt the same way. Together with his firely friend, let us join him in his search for his purpose as he journeys over strange and distant lands and as he miraculously uncovers his worth, his mission, and his heart. It was raining hard that day and the little boy found himself running desperately for shelter. With the firefly cupped in his hands, he tried to make his way farther up the mountains. There used to be lots of trees there, but now, the land is almost barren. The path was slippery, and the boy often tripped as he ran. “Are you all right in there?” he asked the firefly cupped in his hands. “Still alive, boy; still alive,” replied the firefly. “Just a little while m...

I have often heard of the story of Jesus walking over water, and that of Peter whom He summoned to come to Him. So many times, yes, I have heard it, yet I never truly understood.How it felt to walk over the waters. How it felt to be truly dependent on someone, and yet so truly free. Oh, how joyful it could have been! How frightening, but how joyful! It’s almost like flying, like soaring over thin air. If you’ve ever had a great shift in your consciousness lately, you must have also experienced what Peter felt when He saw the wonders of Jesus. Bread is multiplied, the sick are healed, the dead are raised, man can walk over the sea! Could you imagine his excitement? Could you imagine his desire to walk just like Jesus? Peter longed for it all and he did! But everything was so new and so wonderful to him that he was frightened. He was frigtened it wouldn’t last. He was frightened it was too good for him to experience. And so when the first signs of trouble comes, his fear overp...

Tell me what is the most difficult part of dreaming. Finding your dream? Persisting in reaching for them? At times my friend, these are not the most difficult part. At times my friend, it is that part when you let go of the dream you’ve worked so hard for, so you can dare to dream another dream. It isn’t easy to dream again, and to leave behind everything you’ve accomplished. But life goes on, and it cannot go on by holding on to the things you know will not lead you farther in your journey. Each of us was borne to accomplish the task which only we can perform. The world awaits us to perform it. The world awaits us to find out what it is and dream again. To Dream Again (an original song composition by Jocelyn Soriano) I. You’ve come so far from where you wanna go and you reached the dreams you’ve made some time ago as you walk along the shore seems you couldn’t ask for more yet the restless sea is calling you to go and dream once more Chorus: What lie...

The story of Jesus is a story of love. It is the story of a God leaving behind his divinity, becoming man, becoming flesh, going through the darkness so he can save those who are lost in the dark and lead them unto the Light they do not even know. It is a story that calls us to do the same, calling us to leave behind our comforts for a while so we can rescue the lost right where they are. It is the story of the utmost kind of sacrifice, sacrificing one’s own life in order to save many. His story is the culmination of the unceasing love of God who never stopped seeking his people, who never gives up, who never fails to find a way to reach out and to make known to us the path of life. The story of Jesus is a story of healing, both of the soul and of the body, soothing our pain and mending our wounds and our brokenness. His is a story of acceptance, of welcoming those the world has made outcasts through its many prejudices. It is a story that discourages judment and condemnation, a s...

I got very stressed yesterday.  I was utterly down, and I guess I wanted to be down.  I wanted to know what will happen when I’m down. Will somebody lift me up? Will somebody make me laugh and distract me from my woes?  I knew I acted childishly, and I just let anger consume me to the point that I really cried. Well, crying helped somehow, but it didn’t help me much to get over my “downness”.  I feel sad that when I start behaving like this, and when I’m not my “responsible” self anymore, no one seems to take on the role of being responsible for me.  No one seems to notice where I’m spiraling downwards into. But I guess that’s really what it is, a spiral downwards.  Anger, fear, negativism, they magnify each moment you let them in, and the more you entertain them, the harder it is to float back into the surface and breathe. Yet for what it’s worth, I’ve realized God didn’t really let me down at all. For in the eveni...

I don’t feel so good today. Sometimes I feel so cold working within the confines of these tall buildings.  Our building is not that tall. Still it feels so cold and empty, as though I’m an invisible ghost roaming around its rooms. My friend here seems to be resigning soon, and that makes it all the worse.  With no one to bring some warmth into your monotonous days, what is there to look forward to everyday that you drag your feet to the office to earn something for a living?  

One thing I’ve learned in being an auditor is the ability to quickly assess the risks that exists and the possible means by which to eradicate or mitigate them. Give me a situation and in less than five seconds, I can start enumerating the risks involved. Give me 30 seconds and I may even be able to classify those risks according to likelihood of happening or the materiality of the consequences possible. Very handy skill, isn’t it? Could save you millions right? Right. Could make you lose millions, right? Right as well!You ask how that could happen? Here’s a simple illustration. If you are to go into a business with only a one percent chance of clicking and you plan on investing your hard earned money all in that basket, you can definitely thank me when I tell you that slim, almost nil percentage of success, and save you from losing all of your money. On the other hand, if you could’ve actually made it among that one percent who succeed, then you can also blame m...

Is there a God? And if there is, why do I believe Him to exist? Frankly, this question can easily be answered by another question at the back of my mind, and that question is: WHY NOT?Why shouldn’t I believe in God? After all, we are all gods, as Jesus Himself said. Each of us is capable of great things, things that confirm our Divine heritage – things of beauty, things of wonder, things of great power, things that allow us to claim eternity for the few moments we are able to live our lives to the full. We inherited the earth and everything that’s in it, we have the future of this planet in the palm of our hands, we command the destiny of the the birds of the air, the beasts of the land and the creatures of the sea. We even have the moon and the bodies of the sky within our reach. Aren’t you a god then in your own right? And if you are, in whose image were you made from? From whose flame did your dazzling spark come from? From what essence is a god made of but th...

Have you ever felt lonely amongst a joyous crowd? Have you ever attended a lively party feeling down within, almost sinking in that sad little corner where nobody even notices you? I’ve attended one such party during my college days. There were games, food, music and everything else a party has to have, except my heart it seems, which doesn’t really belong there. I remember one game where a team had to guess the name of the person by looking at the drawings of their teammate. When they had to draw something to describe me, they drew a book, and there was an immediate correct answer – me! It was supposed to be a compliment, but somehow, I felt rather frustrated. How I wished I were known by other things: by a song perhaps, or by a fancy hairdo, or by a big heart and a nice sweet smile. I guess I didn’t want to die someday and be remembered only as the one who topped her class in academics. I wanted to be remembered as a real person, someone that mattered, someone ...

Someone groans in the darkness. Someone cries endlessly and writhes in terrible pain. Someone wants to find her way out of the pit she’s sunk into, but she’s frozen in fear and does not know the way. How do you save her? How do you bring her into the light? Shall you shout unto her and tell her she’s got to get up and try to find her way out? Shall you direct her shaking knees to go to the left, to the right, make a u-turn, crawl under, jump, tread the narrow and winding path that lies before her? Shall you encourage her how wonderful it is to bask in the light? Or shall you tell her stories of people who made it through the difficult path she’s going through? Shall you tell her to group with the hopeless man nearby? Shall you tell them to lead each other out of the pit they’re both in? You must have guessed it. There is no other way but to go into the darkness where she is and lead her back into the light! No, it’s not an easy thing, never will be. B...

Sometimes we’re guilty of wasting our time in the internet no matter how much we desire to make the most of our time and blog about topics that help and inspire our readers. In view of that, I’ve written an article about activities that most commonly waste a blogger’s time in my new website. Read more about Time Wasters for Bloggers

Secret to Answered Prayers What is the secret to answered prayers? Will God answer my prayers? The Bible has a very simple guide on how we should pray: Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not… ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done. – Matthew 21:21 And when we look back at all the prayers that Jesus had answered, honesty and simplicity in those prayers were very much evident. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway his leprosy was cleansed. -Matthew 8:2-3 And as Jesus passed by from thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, saying Have mercy on us, thou son of David. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According...

Loneliness it seems is the disease afflicting the modern society. Today, more than ever, people feel alone. Amidst the crowded street one walks on to everyday, amidst the busy offices one works into, amidst the cellphones, the chatrooms and the laptops, the barrier between oneself and others seems to be getting ever bigger and stronger each day.Why do we feel lonely? Why do we feel as though we have nobody to count on to but ourselves? Is it because of our broken families? Is it because of the homes that just aren’t there anymore? Homes that should have sheltered us from the harsh weather outside? Homes that should have made us feel secure? That we have some place to go to where we belong? Where we are awaited to be received in warmth? Where we can take off our masks and cry our tears without them being judged or condemned, but accepted and honored, loved and understood? Is it because of the dissolution of our rural communities? Communities where neighbors personally know each other? W...

Give me freedom, give me liberty no matter how much it may cost me, and I will pay for it! Set me free like a bird who is learning to fly. Let me go so that I may spread my wings!I may fall once, I may fall twice, I may fall so many times but I will not fall always. I will learn to fly! If you will not let me go, how can I be strong? How can I live? How can I learn to rise from my fall, from my mistakes? You may think seclusion shall protect me, but what you do not know is that boredom can kill me a hundred times more. It is more than stupor, it is worse than death. Let me feel the hurt and the pain so that I may enjoy comfort. Let me experience sorrow so that I may have glorious happiness! It is better than being idle: like a stone that never knew what’s on the other side of the mountain, like a shell that never knew what’s on the other side of the sea. Let me live, set me free. Let me be responsible for my own soul. Let me think, for I do have a mind. Let me feel, for I too, have a h...

What can I give to the person who gazed with me the sky, the sea and the morning? Who ran with me, and chased with me the wind that rushed against my cheeks? Who walked side by side with me, and held my hand in warmth, reassuring me that I am not alone? Who dreamt with me and believed with me, that dreams do come true and are oftentimes just within your reach? Who talked to me her all – her love, her life, her soul? Who listened to me as I poured out everything my heart and mind can ever say? Who sang with me and danced with me and prayed with me? Who praised and worshipped with my spirit the Great One that created it and blessed it with another so reflective of His love? Who ate with me and slept with me when this tired body can take no more? Who wept with me and rejoiced with me? Who argued with me and reasoned with me? Who learned with me what life is really all about? Truly, I can never give enough to such a person, in the same way that I can never really thank Him enough who gave ...

I call her my beloved friend.Her mere presence brings me such great happiness, and there is nothing more comforting than knowing there is somebody whom I can share life with – life in all its beauty and excitement. She makes me dream once more, like when I was a child, and she propels me to go on and grow whenever I become too complacent from where I stand. She opens my eyes to the challenges of life, and brings me to a new beginning each day, like a breeze which can’t help but bring a new freshness to my heart. She deals with me in such a way that I am her equal, nothing more or less. And she gives me the chance to care for someone, to love another soul so much that I know I have loved another just as much as I have cared for my own self. I find in her a vessel with which to pour out all the goodness in my being, such kind of goodness that cannot be contained. For who can contain love in one’s heart alone? And who is not redeemed by allowing that love to flow into another? Into the he...

I call her peace: the tranquility my soul receives each time I come into her presence, seeking refuge from the raging storms around me; a reflection of my more refined self, my silent self, which has already learned to master her quietness, and which has learned to accept who and what she is, and be thankful for all the things she has. I see in her contentment and uniqueness, a uniqueness that is not ashamed to stand unbowed amidst the ways of the world. And when everything else is confusion, I find much relief and blessing in a spirit that sees all things as simple. How easier it is indeed to go back to the basics of life and appreciate once more what is essential – trust and faith and hope and love. Surely, this spirit is me, stripped of all my uncertainties and wanderings.

I will go through this life only once, and I shall have but one chance to live; Not all people will like me, others may even despise me, as I may not be easily understood; Yet I will take this chance to live, and I will reach out in ways I know; I will love those whom I can, and I will strive to understand them more; Not all days will bring me sunshine, so I will rejoice also for the rain; Not every endeavor will be a success, but I will savor the victories I achieve; Not all dreams I dream will be mine, but in time new dreams will fill my heart, and as from a star those hopes will propel me forward doing everything the best way I know I can; No fear shall trample me whatsoever, though some tasks seem to outweigh my strength; I will only do what I have to do, and God will take care of the rest! -Jocelyn Soriano (itakeoffthemask.com)

A woman is an inspiration, a source of light and a bearer of life; bringer of joy and of peace; weaver of harmony and ambassadress of understanding. It is to her that you come for comfort – in the softness of her breast and in the unselfishness of her caring arms. It is to her that you reveal your wounds for you know that they shall not be judged but accepted with strength and healed with a grace that asks for nothing in return. She is that which persuades you to reach your highest dreams and to believe in your best possible self. She is that which completes the song of your soul and calm the troubles of your mind. That in her frailty you may find your strength, and in her tears you may vanquish the sorrow of your own heart.

Have you ever wondered what kind of prayer God would ever pray? You heard it right, we’re talking about God’s prayer, and you’re definitely not reading an article from an atheist, but from a sinner who truly believes in the Living God. I believe in God. I believe He listens to our every prayer. But the real question is, do we ever listen when God prays? My beloved, why do you cry? Why do you fill your heart with gloom and hopelessness? Why do you hide from me? Why do you bear this burden that is not yours? Was the night so long you never thought it would surrender to another sunrise? Was the winter too cold you never thought you could feel warm ever again? I am deeply troubled with your troubles. I am utterly concerned that I could not sleep. I know your wounds for they are mine as well. I know your tears and I would like to take them away. No reply. My beloved, it’s been so long since I heard your voice; so long since you poured out your heart to me. How I long to he...