What Matters Most

During my last trip to Manila, I stopped by the bookstore at the airport on the way back home.  Whenever I enter a bookstore and I have nothing on my list to buy, I usually say a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in choosing a good book to read.  One that will enrich me as a person.  I was led to this book, and while reading the first page, I had no doubt that indeed I was guided.  This book is about developing character, something that should go hand in hand with spirituality.  This is a good reminder of what matters most in life.  I love this book because of its simple yet captivating style of writing.  I was more than halfway done with the book when I landed in Bacolod after the hour-long trip.  This is short, easy reading that has the potential of making us better individuals, if only we apply what it espouses.  Enjoy reading and be better persons! :)

Talking about?

     (This is a super late post... written last March 2013)

Little Jacob, my youngest in class on the right most

  The other day my youngest student, Jacob (a tiny 2 year old boy) came to school early because his yaya said he was excited to come to school.  So while I was preparing for class, he was busily working on some of the materials in the classroom.  Shin, a Kindergarten student was also there, playing with the materials while waiting for his class to start.  I was busy arranging my students' worksheets when Shin asked me "What are you doing teacher?", "I'm fixing my students' worksheets" I replied.  "Fixing? Why fixing?" asked Shin.  Then Jacob interrupted "Wawawawa what you toking bout?" :)

Blog Renovation

My Gabe and Ella with cousins at Cebu

Lamblight Teachers sharpening the saw at  Don Salvador Benedicto

I know, It's been a while since my last entry.  Summer went by, things got busy with the kids and preparations for this school year that I didn't have time to write.  Although it seems that I totally abandoned my blog, I have been thinking about making changes.  I initially put up this blog to document my experiences as a preschool teacher but over the summer, there were some things that I wanted to write about that are not quite related to teaching.  I didn't want to take care of 2 or more blogs as I could hardly keep up with one, so I decided to integrate them all here.  

It was a struggle for me to decide on this and I had a mental debate going on for a few weeks about opening up my life through this blog.  But the strongest contention was my realization that if only one person were to be blessed or inspired by any of my entries, then this endeavor would be worth it.  

It took another 2 to 3 weeks deciding on the concept and title of the blog.  I knew I wanted it to be a personal blog, coming from the perspective of a mom, preschool teacher, TV host and a Negrense, but I didn't know how to encapsulate all these facets of my life into one persona.  

After playing around with the words passion, gratitude and joy, I finally ended up with Breathing Gratitude... peacefully and contentedly.  This is the disposition that I always want to have no matter what my circumstance in life.  I truly believe that happiness follows a grateful heart.  As Madame Blueberry of Veggietales says, "A thankful heart is a happy heart", I pray that this blog inspires us to be more grateful and that happiness would abound.  And in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  Truly the good Lord has given us so much that it is only right that we breathe gratitude every moment of our lives.

Breathing gratitude during the summer break with my Ella