One of our duties as mothers is to disciple our children and plant in their hearts, the seeds of faith that will help them become followers of Christ. As a new mom back then, I was not able to take this seriously other than the usual religious rites my children must go through. The daily rigors of meeting their basic needs such as breastfeeding, bathing, and then later on cooking, tutoring, among other activities were the front and center of my motherhood journey.

But now that they are growing and developing their own personalities and character, I was roused to the fact that I should start taking discipling even more seriously. I figured that investing in their spiritual growth is intrinsic since life is short, and no parent can say that they can always be there for their kids when they face life’s challenges. Life happens, we can all get called by our Creator anytime.

Investing on our child’s spiritual growth

One of the reasons why I am eager to invest in my children’s spiritual growth is the fast-paced changes of this modern world. It really is scary that we are living in the present times, and depression and suicide are but common solutions despairing people turn to when life’s challenges seem to overwhelm them.

By trying to help my children nurture a personal relationship with the Lord, I get the peace of mind that even if I am no longer here on Earth, they know whom to turn to for guidance. They will know whom to run to when their problems are too big for them to handle. They would not have to resort to vices, to other people who might break their heart and not truly look after their good, and they would not even think of ending their lives. 

Encouraging kids to follow Jesus

I want them to know that by following Jesus, and abiding by the Lord’s commandments, they get shielded from huge troubles. While they could not understand this principle fully given their young age, there are ways to explain it to them that they could understand. And as moms, that will be our challenge.

And the good thing about taking on this challenge is we get to accomplish God’s commandments while we are at it. Deuteronomy 6:7 says “Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working.”

Moreover, teaching our children (and others) to abide by the Lord’s commands also come with a promise to those who teach. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, it was said that “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19)

Four ways to plant seeds of faith to children

So here are some ways we can plant the seeds of faith into our children’s hearts. No matter what age they are, I am sure you can adjust these suggestions based on how they could understand and absorb it:

1. Introduce Jesus to them. Talk about Jesus at home by teaching your kids how to pray and making a habit out of it. I taught my children to pray before and after meals and before sleeping at night. Tell them about your past experiences and how God has helped you with all that. Teach them to thank the Lord for everything.

2. Bring them to church. No matter what religion you belong to, it is important to bring your kids to church. And it is not just enough to bring them and to make them observe the religious rites. Explain it to them, and try to explain the priest or the pastor’s message for the week in terms they will understand.

3. Expose them to the Word. If there is a catechism or Sunday School in your church, then by all means bring the children to them. It is important to expose them to the good news of salvation in a way that they will understand. Read the bible with your children and try to impart some snippets of messages that they could understand. If they are into gadgets then download a bible app for them to discover and use. 

4. Make learning about Jesus fun and understandable. Purchase or borrow kids bible story books and read it with your children. If they are older kids, then buy or borrow age appropriate devotionals that they could read during their daily quiet time. Let them watch films and videos about Jesus and the Bible. The Chosen is one of the best series to stream and watch as a family. You can watch it for free online in their official website here.

All the above mentioned ideas will be more effective if you become a good example of Christ follower to your children. If they see Jesus’ light in you, then they are bound to bask in that light. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). As parenting experts say, “children will follow your example, not your advice.”

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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In my motherhood journey, one thing I have learned is that no matter your situation, mom life will never be too easy. It is the best thing that can happen to you yet it can bring about challenges that are not for the faint of heart. For both the joys and challenges that it brings, I believe having a consistent prayer routine is the most essential habit we need to develop and nurture so that we could be the best moms that we could be.

Having a consistent prayer routine in our daily life means we know where our strength comes from. It is like having a home amid the busy rigors that motherhood brings. Whether we work out of the home from 8-5, we work from home, we are a full time housemom, or we work part time, we all need to go back to our Creator, worship Him, thank Him for every blessing, seek His counsel and ask for His help.

Consistent prayer routine benefits the whole family

I remember our Parish Priest quoting a saying that we should pray at least 30 minutes a day, but if we are too busy, then we should pray for an hour. Some may find it counter intuitive to have quiet time with the Lord first thing in the morning, when everyone is supposed to be rushing or preparing for the day ahead. But really, devoting one’s time to talk to our Sovereign King will help transform our lives for the best.

Since we moms are the “ilaw ng tahanan” we need a source of energy. We could not afford for our light to go dim. Moreso, we cannot afford to be broken. The whole family will be affected if we lose our “light.” Jesus is the light of our lives, and we moms should go to Him consistently for a recharge, and filling of energy or the Holy Spirit. This can be achieved through a consistent prayer routine.

The routine that transforms family life

Once we moms get transformed, our homes will even be better managed, our kids and husband will be better cared for, and our whole family will be centered to the Lord. If you think there are areas of improvement in your character as a mother, a wife, or a family member, or if you want to grow spiritually, or simply need fortitude as you face challenges in your life then this consistent quiet time with the Lord will carry you through all your difficulties. It will not remove problems in your life because problems are a given in life; but it allows you to cling to the Lord who will be with you through deep waters, raging rivers, and flaming fires (Isaiah 43:2).

So how do we carve out a consistent time for prayer?

We all have different situations, but we as humans are creatures of habit. What time do you usually pray? Every morning? Before sleeping? You can keep this prayer time and just augment it to add a quiet time with the Lord plus bible devotional and reading so you could go deeper in prayer. Need a prayer guide for your routine? Please check out this past post on how to start a personal relationship with God.

If you do not have a usual time for prayer then identify first if you are a night owl or a morning lark. If you are a night owl, then that means that you could dedicate some time to pray to God when everyone is asleep and you can be alone in one area of your home. If you are a morning lark, then that means that you can dedicate time for prayer before everyone else is up in the morning.

Cannot find the opportune time early in the morning or late at night?

We are all at different phases of our lives. Those who have super young children could schedule consistent prayer times during their child’s nap time. Those with school children could dedicate time while their kids are in school. Those working 8-5 could eat a bit quicker and allot time during their lunch breaks.

Most office buildings do have chapels, empty conference rooms during lunch break, a roof deck, or a nearby garden where we could spend time with God and read the word.

If we get disrupted a bit by our children then we should know that the Lord understands. It may be best to get them fed already and address some of their needs during the time we will take so that they will not cut into our prayer time. I remember a bible reading when Jesus was supposed to go somewhere to pray and then the people saw Him so he had to address the needs of the sick and the hungry first, and then He left to go pray (Matthew 14:23). I am no bible expert but to me, this means that we can take some time to take care of urgent needs no one else could address for our children, and that He would understand that. Moreover when our kids see us devoting consistent time for prayer, it becomes a tangible and powerful message to them that they too should set time for prayer and fully rely on Jesus.

Finding the energy to maintain a consistent prayer routine

Once you have identified the best time for you to have quiet time with the Lord, then the next challenge is being consistent.

Some may ask how will they find the energy to wake up at least 30 minutes earlier or stay up 30 minutes later than they should when they already lack sleep as is? Well discipline is key. Maybe we should turn off the TV or put down our phones a bit earlier than we normally would so we could get enough sleep or have the time to thank the GREATEST PROVIDER who gave us all things in our life for us to enjoy. Isn’t it about time to prioritize quiet time with Him? As the Gospel of St. Matthew says: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Importance of a prayer routine

Setting aside time for prayer and bible reading reminds us about our humanity. That our lives are fragile and it needs anchoring because without it we could easily get shaken. Even Jesus modeled the need for quiet time with the Lord. One of these instances where recorded over at Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” And this goes on because He excuses Himself to be alone with His Heavenly Father, to pray and seek His counsel.

As for my parting shot, I would like to share with you another bible verse that could hopefully encourage you more to have a consistent prayer routine: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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As moms, we have a lot of relationships that are going on in our lives. Relationship with our spouse, our children, our parents, our siblings, friends, neighbors, churchmates, officemates, name it.

But do you ever prioritize the most important relationship in your life? Does it even exist in your everyday life?

Relationship is different than religion

I have learned that having a personal relationship with the Lord is different than practising one’s religion. We can all be going to a church every Sunday, but do not have an intimate relationship with the Lord. But what does it mean to have an intimate relationship with God?

Having a close relationship with the Lord is much like cultivating a relationship with a fellow human being. If you want to establish a relationship with someone what do you do? You try to talk to the person, spend time with him or her, find out about his likes and dislikes, and try to please him. It is the same with having a relationship with the Lord.

How to cultivate an intimate relationship with God?

The best way to cultivate a relationship with the Lord is to have daily quiet time with Him. Start the day communing with God exactly like how the scripture tells us over at Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

So what do you tell Jesus? Tell Him what is in your heart. Talk to Him like how you would talk to the Creator of our universe, the best father on earth, the most merciful boss, the greatest teacher, and your “bestest” friend ever. Pour your heart out — your fears and anxieties, joys, and every little thing you want to thank Him for. Do not just jump the gun with a laundry list of all your prayer requests.

Should there be a prayer format for all these?

If you are not comfortable praying spontaneously yet, and have been accustomed to prayers that are taught to you in Church or school then by all means start with those, and then add your own personal thoughts.

I remember a teacher saying that a good acronym to remember is the word ACTS, as a good guide for a prayer format:

A – Adoration (Show adoration to the Lord by worshipping Him as soon as you start your prayer time. You can start by saying “All powerful and ever living God, I praise and worship you for this opportunity to talk to you today. You are my Sovereign King, my Almighty Father…” and then add all the titles of the Lord that have been true to your life. Tell him that all glory, honor and praises are His and that you will bless His name for all your life.)

C – Confession (Confess your sins to Him and ask for forgiveness. Ask Him to reveal to you your character flaws that you should work on, and then repent on these sins. Example: “Lord God, I am deeply sorry about my failure to stop myself from being covetous about my officemate’s new Luxury bag. I will try my best to not be materialistic and just be plain happy for her for the gift she bought herself…”

T – Thanksgiving (At this point, you can already thank the Lord for everything He has done for you. Specific things, little things, big things, everything you want to thank Him for)

S – Special Prayer Requests / Supplication (Lastly, you can mention your special prayer requests. Some people have a prayer list that they bring to the Lord every time they pray. Whatever these are, please do not forget to say intercessory prayers for people you know and people you don’t know).

Inter what?? Intercessory. These are prayers that you pray for people other than yourself and your closest family members. For example, praying for flood victims, for the orphaned, the abandoned, the incarcerated, those who have passed on etc.     

One of the best preachers I have encountered said that another good guide to use is the word CAST. Yes, the CAST which St. Peter mentioned in 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” And guess what? The meaning of all the letters in the acronym of CAST is exactly the same as the ACTS acronym that the teacher I am quoting mentioned above.

What to do after praying

After praying, I strongly suggest that you have a bible reading time. My favorite preacher says if a person reads the bible for like 15 minutes a day, he would have finished the whole bible by the end of the year. Well you do not need to do that if you are unwilling to devote that much of a time.

Just have a daily devotional that you can read, and then dive deeper with the suggested bible reading for that specific entry. I have earlier written a blog post on how to start a daily devotional, and you can read it here.
It may take some time for you to get used to the routine, but once it becomes a habit, you will not only get to know the Lord Jesus Christ more, but you will also attain the Peace that only our Almighty God can offer.

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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Hello mommies! Just thought of sharing with you some comforting bible verses for when you feel broken-hearted. This collection of passages have time and again embraced my soul as I journey through life.

Motherhood does not free us from the brokenheartedness that we have experienced when we were young and free. In contrast, motherhood brings about brokenheartedness that is of another level. Heartaches do not only come from marriage problems — it could be because of failures in balancing career and family life, death of parents, close friends and family members, loss of contact with friends, financial and health woes — name it.

Jesus will heal your broken heart

And so it is important to know where to anchor one’s heart and life — in both good times and bad. It is crucial to build a relationship with the one true King and Redeemer who pieces broken hearts and makes things new!
Setting a time to pray and read the bible is key to arming oneself with the best knowledge that could help you navigate this world through eternity. In our blog, I have posted ways on how to start a bible devotional, and you can find it here.

So without further ado, here are five comforting bible verses for broken hearted moms:

What a heartbroken mother can find in the bible

Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 94:19
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds“

Revelation 21:4
“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will be no longer any mourning, or vrying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Trusting God as the Divine comforter

When brokenness weighs us down
Brokenness can weigh down even the toughest of moms. The only way to accept such is to deny oneself and accede to the will of God. Living one day at a time, and holding unto God’s promises until such time, we could see the rays of light once again.

It may be heard to understand, but knowing that there is a God that has pre-planned everything, should at least help comfort us and give us hope that everything will work out for the best.

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/06/20/seven-budget-breakfast-ideas-for-filipino-families-2023/

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Been Missing in Action here in our blog for a couple of months and I am sorry dear ladies. I know you fully understand our season of life right now, and the busyness of the days on end. I also made a conscious decision to keep weekends almost chore-less, doing just the most minimal of chores so I can enjoy hanging out with the kids.

I know in time, ill be able to update our little website on an almost weekly schedule just like when I only had one youngster. And although that may seem relaxing compared to the frazzled busy days I have right now, I am not looking forward to the quiet because I know it will be kind of sad to not have anyone tugging at you to ask to nurse, or to demand for food or help with something.

Enjoying weekends at home

One of the things that keep us busy during the weekends is coloring. We each have coloring books to work on, but as you know, my not-so-little-Shobe likes to get her hands on mine. Hence the picture I uploaded as image for this blog post. Isn’t it wonderful?

My second daughter beams with pride as she showed this drawing to me. She has recently memorized Psalm 23 and was so happy to have found a passage from it in my coloring book. She asked me if she could color it for me and there you have it .

Clinging on to God’s Word

I was so proud to see Shobe reading and genuinely enjoying bible passages. I told her that when I was a teenager, I used to recite this particular Psalm whenever I felt scared. In time, I will tell her the story of how I recited Psalm 23 over and over again to her grandpa as he waited for the time he could be with our Prince of Peace.

The comfort of reading and reciting Psalm 23

I am sure you already are familiar with this Psalm, but still I would like to share it with you:

PSALM 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 

Eventhough I walk through the valley and the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Thank you everyone an till next post!

A Happy Homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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Hi ladies, starting the week right by appreciating one of my children.

I have been chronicling some stories about my middle child here in the blog. If you are new here, well, Siobs is my cheerful, rambunctious, yet super-duper kind daughter.

The other day, she walked up to me while I was meal planning and drawing up my grocery orders. And she told me this out of the blue:

Oh dear siobs, my tender-hearted daughter, you never fail to amaze me

In reality, children are sensitive enough to understand that times are tough these days. The lockdowns have affected the finances of many families. Even families whose businesses or work have not been affected by this ongoing pandemic, are choosing to save up and tighten their grip on their savings.

Such financial situation and the upcoming Christmas season might be putting a pressure on most parents. This is especially true if the kids are used to receiving gifts and trips and a lavish spread during the holidays.

But based from what my daughter told me, I figured that maybe we should not feel pressured. I think those of certain age can already understand that they will not receive an extravagant Christmas present this year. Explain it through a heart to heart talk. In reality, since kids are observant, they will get the gist if they see or hear you habitually trying to save up. Children four years old and below, on the other hand, hardly know what to expect yet during the holidays so they do not get disappointed too easily.

Present VS Presence

Kids are smart and sensitive creatures, and most of them would choose to spend time and play with us over those expensive gizmos we can buy them. So choose lambing time, game time, family movie time, baking day, and going under their forts with them.

Your presence is much more appreciated than presents so do not be a tad guilty! These activities tend to be remembered fondly throughout their grown up years, and even when they become parents too!

Take heart, Ladies. You are raising them well! Till next post!

A Happy Homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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