Today's Password - 05.July.2017 - Wednesday

Chi ama trova la luce anche nella sofferenza

Whoever loves finds the light, even in suffering

"It is not true that one who loves the cross, as Christ has commanded us to do, finds suffering. 

One who carries it willingly even when it is hard finds love instead, finds God."

Chiara Lubich 

(Only At Night We See The Stars)

Human Heart Nature - 100% Natural Body Butter (Vanilla Peach)

Let me share with you one of my fave body butters (other than Palmers).

Introducing, highly addictive fragrant body butter,  the Human Nature's Vanilla Peach body butter. Ever since I used this find, I have noticed that my skin is becoming smoother and supple.

Do you also have a new find lately?

Review - Pares in Baste in Butuan City

Pares or in English beef stew is here in Butuan City through Pares ni Baste.  Their food is affordable and customer service is commendable.  Here are some of the photos that I took.  I guess you need to check them out for yourselves so you will know what's inside the plastic bags, hehehe.

You can check them out across Butuan Doctors Hospital along JC Aquino Avenue and their newest branch at Montilla Boulevard across Butuan Mega Hardware.

Today's Password - 31 May 2017,Wednesday

Passaparola May 31
Essere dispensatori di gioia

Spread joy!

"There is a secret, therefore, of how to remain always in joy.  It consists in keeping our eyes fixed in Jesus, doing everything such that He would always shine in us. We already know the way.  Jesus lives in us if we strive to put His Word into practice, especially if we love Him in every brother, ready to give our life for every person, as He had done."

Chiara Lubich
 (Word of Life December 1987)

Today's Password - 16 May 2017, Tuesday

Today's Password - 15 May 2017, Monday

Cacciare dai nostri pensieri ogni giudizio sul prossimo Cast every negative judgment of our neighbor from our minds (Take away from our thoughts every judgment on our neighbor) "Jesus affirms: 'How can you say to your brother - Let me take that speck out of your eye, while all the time the plank remains in your own? (Mt 7:4).' Jesus knows us sinners better than we can possibly think and He sees clearly that we tend always to make excuses for ourselves and to condemn others. If He grants us just a little understanding of 'who we are' we see that His words reflect our own situation. He warns us to start by removing the plank from our own eye, so that we will be able to lift the speck out of our neighbor’s." Chiara Lubich Diary 1964/65 p160

LAZADA Review - Ordering and Request for Refund Process

I have been ordering from Lazada since last year --- from diapers, scents, hand mixer, then recently phones. Those orders were qualms-free. Until...

Last March 3, 2017, I ordered a Lenovo Vibe Shot at 7,795Php with free powerbank. It comes with 32GB memory and it has 16mp for its camera. I was quite excited because it was very sleek and the specs are all that I have been hoping for. It even came to my mind to also write a review.  However, just few weeks after, I noticed that the network signals (dual-sim as it is) are sometimes gone and back again. I tried to Until the signals were totally gone! Zilch! Nada! I was forced to buy a very basic phone at 499Php just for me to receive texts and calls. So here is my Lazada convenient inconvenience experience with them.

April 26. I returned the item through their LBC return facility. I was glad it was just a few meters away from our house. It was fuss-free and was given a return form with its corresponding return reference number. That evening, I immediately sent through email the return item reference number to Lazada.

May 3. I received an email from Lazada that they have received my returned item and that my refunds is forwarded to the 'Refunds Team'.

May 6. I received another email response after my follow-up that my refund is on queue.  Contrary to their FAQ on refunds, processing refunds when a customer paid cash on delivery only takes 1-2 days.

May 8. I received a call telling me they sent me the LBC details to my email and that I should check my inbox or spam folders for the refund and even sent me a google verification yet no confirmation still of my refund!

May 9. No word from Lazada considering I sent them 3-4 emails to follow up my refund.

May 10. No word from Lazada still...Haist.

May 11. I called Lazada asking on the status of my refund and once again was told that they have already forwarded my concern to their Payments Team. The same yiddi yaddah. I told them that I need my refund today. After 2 hours I received an email informing me that they will be sending my LBC remittance details within the day, fingers-crossed.

Their customer service is very poor in relation to providing exact resolution to your problem yet in all fairness, I can say how calmly they handled my rant.

So what now?  After 15 grueling days, I finally got my Lazada refund thru LBC remittance.

This experience really traumatized me big time and tested my patience.  I guess I will no longer buy gadgets online (save from the Gigaset Me Pro) that I have already ordered and now on the process.

At the end of the day, shopping online is a big risk although very convenient. Just hoping it won't be a ticket for inconvenience and stressful life.

Today's Password - 3 May 2017, Wednesday

Dare il meglio di sé in ogni incontro con il prossimo Give the best of ourselves to every neighbor we meet "We really need ‘to stop’ and ‘to feel’ what our brother is feeling, ‘to make ourselves one’ to the point of taking upon ourselves his painful burden or live with him his joy… We need this exercise of the heart together with that of the will in order to love God and neighbors, in order to have that real love which we know of. It is love nourished by our knowing ‘how to let go’ – living at constant pruning – of our affection for all things and for all people. In this way our heart is pure, our love for God and neighbor is intense." Chiara Lubich Witness and Irradiation p17

Today's Password- 24April2017

Avere un cuore aperto verso tutti/

Open your heart to everyone

Above all else, we must fix our gaze on the one Father of so many children.  Next, look at all creatures as children of the one Father.  We must extend our thoughts and our hearts’ affection always beyond the bounds imposed by merely human life and develop the habit of constantly reaching out to the universal brotherhood in only one Father: God. . . .  Jesus, our model, taught us just two things, which ultimately are one: to be children of only one Father and brothers and sisters to one another.

Chiara Lubich
Heaven on Earth p61

Today's Password- 19April2017, Wednesday

Vincere se stessi per amare

Overcome yourself out of love

"Previously we used to associate with people we liked, those we loved and found pleasant.  Now we are happy to seek the company of whomever God wills us to be with, and we would stay with them for as long as he wills it."
Chiara Lubich

Overcome yourself out of love

"Previously we used to associate with people we liked, those we loved and found pleasant.  Now we are happy to seek the company of whomever God wills us to be with, and we would stay with them for as long as He wills it."

Chiara Lubich

Today's Password : 8 April 2017 Saturday

Today's Password - 1 April 2017, Saturday

Today's Password - 29 March 2017, Wednesday

Today's Password - 28 March 2017, Tuesday

Today's Password - March 27, 2017, Monday

Today's Password - 26 March 2017, Sunday

Today's Password - March 25, 2017, Saturday

Word of Life - March 2017

March 2017 Word of Life

We can live like the first Christians and witness in our lives to God’s overwhelming love. If we, his followers, are truly reconciled among ourselves, we can speak convincingly of God’s reconciling love for the world.

“Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20).

All over the world, there are blood-soaked wars. They seem endless, and they embroil families, tribes and peoples. Twenty-year-old Gloria told this story: “We got news of a village that’d been burnt down. Lots of people lost everything. With my friends I collected some useful things: mattresses, clothes, food. We set out and after an eight hour journey we met all those people in such terrible need. We listened to them, dried their tears, hugged them and tried to comfort them. One family told us, ‘Our little girl was in the house they burnt down. It felt like we were dying with her. Now, through your love, we have the strength to forgive the men who did this!’”

The Apostle Paul also experienced this kind of forgiveness, and it completely changed his life. He, the very one who was persecuting Christians,1 met God’s free-given love. It came in a completely unexpectedly way as he was travelling. God then sent him out in his name 2 as an ambassador of reconciliation.
This is how Paul became a passionate and credible witness to the mystery of Jesus who died and rose again. He spoke of Jesus who had reconciled the world to himself so that everyone could know and experience a life of communion with him and one another.3 Through Paul the Gospel message reached and fascinated even pagans, those thought to be furthest from salvation: “Be reconciled to God!” he said.

Despite our failings that discourage us or the false certainties that fool us into thinking we have no need, we too can meet God’s mercy. His love is so excessive! We can let it heal our hearts and in the end set us free to share this treasure with others. Like this we will give our contribution to God’s plan of peace for all humanity and the whole of creation. This plan overcomes the contradictions of history, as Chiara Lubich suggests in this passage:

“On the cross, in the death of his Son, God gave us the highest proof of his love. Through Christ’s cross, he reconciled us to himself. This fundamental truth of our faith is fully relevant today.

“It is the revelation all humankind awaits. Yes, God is close to all people with his love and he loves each person passionately. Our world needs to hear this proclamation, but we can proclaim God’s love if first we proclaim it, again and again, to ourselves — until we feel surrounded by this love, even when everything would make us think the opposite.… All our behaviour should make this truth credible.

“Jesus said clearly that before bringing our offering to the altar we should be reconciled with a brother or sister if they have anything against us (see Mt 5:23-24) … So let’s love one another as he loved us, without being closed or prejudiced, but being open to welcome and appreciate the positive in our neighbour, ready to give our lives for one another. This is Jesus’ main command, the mark of Christians, valid today just as it was at the time of Christ’s first followers. Living this word means becoming reconcilers.”

Living like this we will enrich our days with acts of friendship and reconciliation: in our own family and among families, in our own Church and among Churches, in every civil and religious community to which we belong.

Letizia Magri

1. See Acts 22:4 ff.
2. See 2 Cor 5:
3. See Eph 2:13 f

Password / Passaparola of March 9, 2017(Thursday)

Keep hope strong.

Rafforzare la speranza 

When you are down, burdened by your humanity, abandon yourself to God. Give yourself to Him. 

He will take care of things.

Chiara Lubich
(God loves us immensely p37)

Goo.N Slim and Comfort Pants Review and Experience

      Goo.N (Japan Quality) is the second pant diapers that I bought from Lazada lately.  It comes in 3 sets of 22 pieces. I bought this in bulk as  I think I can save and true enough compared when I just buy from the supermarket. Before I bought this brand, I also did some research, and I guess it has been a bit overstated, hehe.

   

Goo.N - Front Package

Goo.N - Back Package

   Goo.N is Made in Thailand by Elleair Internation (Thailand) Co.Ltd. This is only sold online as I have never seen this in the local stores or drug stores.  The price is not as expensive as Babalab or Drypers though. This is perfect for babies that wee and poo often. It has a super absorbent pad and keeps your baby dry but do not soak him/her for too long as the pants tend to fall because of gravity, hehe.  The design is very simple and subtle unlike my Babalab and Dryper favorites that has colorful and vivid designs. Well, if you go for comfort and practicality, Goo.N is for you, too. 

   Below is my nappy size comparison. As you can see, Babalab(L) is much bigger and longer. Thus, Goo.N is better for babies who just graduated from their medium size pants.

Babalab(left) and Goo.N(right)

    

Back

Front

    Goo.N reminds me of Mamypoko though the latter is softer and silkier. I still have to use scissors since I want to have longer ends to tie when I dispose the soiled one.  The bum of my son is dry but had to change immediately so his bum and willy-willy would not be soaked.  

    Since my son is getting to outgrow Goo.N pants, I am actually selling a pack online, haha! 

    Goo.N pants is not that bad at all if you are looking for slim and absorbent pants for your little one.  You can purchase this online like from Lazada.

My Review on Babalab Diaper Artisan Dress Up Pants

      As a mother, we always want the best quality of products at the same time getting the value for our money.  In terms of taking good care of my little one's bum, I have to consider the quality and affordability.  With this in mind, I get to try varied products especially diapers in small packs and if my son does not show any problems or rashes, then I buy in bulk. I have already tried Sweet Baby (from 1-4 months), Huggies, EQ, Drypers, Pampers, Happy, and Mamypoko. From the most affordable to the high-end nappies, hahaha!

      This time, I got these two brands from Lazada. Well, I thought of trying these other brands which I do not usually find in the local but online stores. Here I am sharing with you my experiences on these nappies.

Babalab Diaper Artisan
  

    First off is Babalab Diaper Artisan.  I ordered this Large pack that has 34 pieces.  I am not so sure whether Babalab also comes in a pack of 4 or 10. Large pants can fit babies that weigh 9-14 kilos. So, if you want to try this brand, I suggest you agree with your fellow mommies so you can buy and try together by purchasing this pack of 34.  I like the turquoise packaging and the design. The back cover has all the details you want to know about these pants.

    Absorbency-wise i rate it 4.5 as 5 as the highest. Its absorbency is amazing considering it's slim. Babalab claims to be safe and pure using natural ingredients.  This aspect is important to me because I also put the environment into consideration. I guess this comes out because I am not able to advocate cloth diapers with my son since we have water and weather problems in my place.
     True enough, I like the texture because it is silky, soft, and cloth-like and it snugs just right when my son wears it.

Babalab- front

Babalab-back

    These are the only diaper pants that have an after-use tape that makes disposal easy and nifty. I usually cut the pants at the sides making sure that I have longer ends so I can tie them when disposing of. You can just rip the sides off easily, roll, and tape away!

    Among the many diapers that we have tried and used, Babalab for me ranks the highest next to Drypers. Babalab is super-absorbent, has excellent air permeability, it has non-toxic water-soluble ink for wetness indicator, silky-soft, cloth-lie comfort that has soft sealing, and contoured fit waistband, and lastly safe and pure which is not harmful to the bum and environment. It is manufactured in the Philippines by Amplus Technologies, Inc., which makes me even prouder. I also reckon they export this to Korea as it has Korean translations, too.

    If you want to know more about Babalab Diaper Artisan, you can check their page at www.babalab.com.ph.

Today's Password 07.February.2017, Tuesday

Dilatare il cuore per amare l’altro

Enlarge our hearts to love others

“Let us try, in every situation, to be the first to love, with a love that is generous, supportive, and open to all, being especially attentive to those around us who are most in need of it. 

Let us try to love with a love that does not look for results. Let us make an effort to be instruments of God’s generosity, helping others to experience the gifts that we have received from Him.”

-Chiara Lubich

Today's Password ( 02.02.2017 ) Thursday

Essere capaci di ascolto e di misericordia

Be able to listen and be merciful.

“This is my son, my beloved. Listen to him!” (Mk. 9:7).
“When did the Son speak? Where can we find his Word? We can find his Word in the Gospels. Let us open them and read them with love. The Gospel is the Word of Jesus. But he speaks to us in other ways as well. He speaks to our soul in one special moment: in prayer, and the more we seek to love God present in our heart, the more his voice makes itself hear, the more it guides us from the deepest part of our being.

How different our relationships would be if we did more to cultivate this rare quality of listening, which at times is the only way to show our attention towards those near us, even strangers! This is the point: the best way to prepare ourselves to listen to the voice of God is to actually listen to our brothers and sisters.”

Chiara Lubich
(Word of Life March 2000)

Today's Password: 30.January.2017, Monday

L’amore vince ogni timore

Love overcomes all fear

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him to all who call upon Him is truth.” (Ps 145:18)

“God tells us how: by calling out to him. The Lord was already on Peter’s boat when a storm came up, but the disciples felt alone and helpless because he was sleeping. The called out to him ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing’(Mt 8:25) and he calmed the wind and the sea.
How else can we revive our faith in his presence? By seeking him in our midst. He promised to be present ‘where two or three are gathered’ in his name (Mt 18:20). Let us then meet in the mutual love of the Gospel with all those who live the Word of Life. Let us share how we have put it into practice and we will experience the fruits of his presence: joy, peace, light and courage. The Lord will live within each of us, and we will continue to feel him close by and working in our lives everyday.”

Chiara Lubich
(Word of Life July 2006)

Password
( 29.01.2017 ) Sunday 

Credere nell’amore anche senza vedere i risultati

Believe in love even without seeing results

“If you try to make love the main thing in your life, you will realize that here on earth it is worthwhile doing your part. The other’s part, for all you know, may never come to you; and it is not necessary that it should. At times you will suffer disillusion, but you will never lose courage once you have convinced yourself that, what counts in love is to love.”

Chiara Lubich

My experience on believing in love even without seeing results.

Today marks our twenty-five months of being husband and wife; as a small family now because we already have a fifteen month old son. My husband is now in Canada and we are still here in Butuan City.  Our relationship is very challenging considering the distance and time difference yet with the daily password it has been bearable and manageable with conscious effort on our ends.  I particularly reflected on today's password which Chiara gave further meditation to believe in love even without seeing results.  You see, last December I was very busy filling up our Canadian papers and making sure I have secured the necessary documents so we could already submit them to the immigration center. Unfortunately, my husband is out of job for the second time around and will be on social insurance which will bar him from sponsoring or disqualify him as such. Thinking on this, I felt that being together as a family in Canada will again be on hold until he gets his license and a better paying job so we could follow suit. I felt a great pang in my heart because I have been waiting for so long yet with this password I have a renewed strength to continue on believing in God's love for us even in this, situation. At the end, I felt peace and consolation that I could still spend more time with my parents who are not getting younger and to live the present moment well.

Today's Password: 28.January.2017, Saturday

Non risparmiarsi nell’amar

Do not hold back in loving

“We need to enlarge our heart to the measure of the heart of Jesus. How much work that means! 

Yet this is the only thing necessary. When this is done, all is done. It means loving everyone we meet, as God loves him or her. And since we live in time, we must love our neighbors one by one, without holding in our heart any leftover affection for the brother or sister met a moment before. It is the same Jesus, after all, whom we love in everyone. If anything leftover remains, it means that the preceding brother or sister was loved for our sake or for theirs… not for Jesus.”

-Chiara Lubich

Today's Password: 26.January.2017, Thursday

Vivere con sincerità

Be sincere (Live with sincerity)

“How can we do something concrete to prepare the way of the Lord? By asking for His forgiveness each time that we have put up a barrier that prevents us from being in communion with Him. This sincere gesture of humility and truth allows us to stand before Him as we are, acknowledging our fragility, our mistakes, and our sins. At night, before going to sleep, we might stop for a moment to take stock and see how we did and ask for God’s forgiveness.”

Chiara Lubich

Today's Password: 24.January.2017, Tuesday

Superare le divisioni

Overcome divisions

"Do you know what 'making our self one' means? It means 'cutting' with your own culture at its very roots, to enter into another person's culture and understand it, to let them express themselves until you have understood it within. At this point, yes, you could begin a dialogue with them, and pass on the gospel message through the riches that they already possess. 'Making ourselves one' - which 'inculturation' requires - means entering into the other persons' mentality, their traditions, their customs, their 'soul', entering into the culture, to understand it and draw out from it the seeds of the truth, the seeds of the Word, the seeds of the Word of God."

Chiara Lubich

Today's Password: 23.January.2017, Monday

Essere strumenti di riconciliazione.

Be instruments of reconciliation.

“For with you is the fountain of life.” (Psalm 36:9)

This Word of Scripture tells us something so important and vital that it can be an instrument of reconciliation and communion. It reminds us that God alone is the source of life and therefore the source of full communion, peace and joy. The more we drink from this source and live on the living water that is His Word, the more we will come close to one another and live like brothers and sisters. Then the words that follow in this Psalm will come true: ‘in your light we see light,’the light that humanity awaits.”

Chiara Lubich

Today's Password : 22.January.2017, Sunday

Essere misericordiosi

Be merciful

“God shows us, in a new and higher manner, that there is something worth more than suffering: love for others, in the form of mercy. This is the love, which stretches our hearts and arms to embrace the wretched, the poor, repentant sinners, and those whom life has ravaged. Mercy is the final expression of charity; it is what completes it. And charity goes beyond suffering, for suffering belongs to this life alone, whereas love continues into the next. God prefers mercy to sacrifice.”

Chiara Lubich

* Today is also Chiara's birthday. We thank her for saying her YES to God.

Password and Meditation for January 11, 2017

Passwords allow us to access something.  In this case, I have thought of sharing the password that our community, Focolare (Work of Mary) foundress, Chiara Lubich has been sharing with us with her meditations. Simple as they may be, they have helped us go ahead with our lives and gives more color and meaning in our mundane everyday endeavors.

So here you go...

Today's Password
( 11.01.2017 ) Wednesday
Aiutare chi è nelle difficoltà

Help people in difficulty

“We are members of one another, and mutual service is our duty. Jesus did not merely advise us to serve one another, He commanded us to do so. When we help someone out of charity, let us not immediately think ourselves saints. If our neighbor is powerless, we must help him, and we must do so as effectively as he would help himself, if only he could. Or else, what kind of Christians are we?”

Chiara Lubich
(Meditationsp52)

Can you relate or have experiences on how you have lived this password?