Save The Family, Save The World!

Yesterday (October 16), hubby and I were privileged to be able to attend a Parenting for Pro-Life Seminar organized by Pro-Life Philippines. I had recently signed up for their newsletter and saw the invitation so hubby and I registered for it. It cost us P300 per head but since we believe that educating ourselves about PRO-LIFE and PARENTING are two things that we should invest in, we knew that the money would be put to good use. (Despite the fact that we had just registered for the 3rd Philippine Homeschool Conference on Friday, and were P1000 poorer hehehe. We believe that this event will also enrich and empower us to be better Christian parents. If you're interested in registering, go here for more details).

Anyway, as I said, it was a morning well spent in the company of parents, teachers, guidance counselors, pro-life workers and nuns who had one objective: TO RAISE GODLY CHILDREN ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH. The speakers, Mr. Raphael and Mrs. Karmelita Ocoma of HAKBANG (Haplos At Kalinga sa Buhay ng Anak at MagulaNG), were a dynamic and often amusing couple team who spoke lengthily about Effective Parenting for Peace and Nation-building.

What hubby and I liked most about the seminar was that the speakers not only emphasized the importance of positive, gentle but firm parenting, but also spoke a lot about being PROUD TO BE FILIPINO. Being someone who grew up overseas, this is something that my parents chose to instill in us kids, despite the fact that a lot of our other peers' parents weren't doing the same thing. Ang galing talaga! It strengthened our resolve to teach our kids, especially Tim who is preschool age now, the IMPORTANCE of LOVING OUR COUNTRY! (Now if only teaching him Filipino were easy! Haay.) Oh well, it is never too late to start. Look at all the Fil-Am stars who learnt to speak Filipino, and even the Koreans! :) There is hope for Tim! :) hehe.

Anyway, here are a few "quotable quotes" from the seminar:

Parenting is partnership with GOD.

The 3 S' of Christian Family Spirituality are Stewardship, Simplicity and Sharing.

The strongest evidence of love is suffering. Redemptive suffering love is the most beautiful love of all.

The home in Filipino is TAHANAN. Tahan na. A place where one can stop and rest.

Parents are the child's first teachers. (Go homeschooling! :) Yey!)

Be responsible to a SONG. Self, Others, Nation, God.

Our first power lies in our dignity as a child of God. (We are aware of this already but it is always good to be reminded!)

The greatest challenge of a parent is to make our children happy.

There are no bad children, only bad behavior. (Must remind myself of this every day!)

True love comes about when we look at each other equally and respect each other. This applies to parents and children as well (even our little toddlers and preschoolers!).

CHRIST is in CRISIS. CHRIST IS.

There are lots more and hopefully once I'm able to get a copy of the slide show presentation they used, I can share it with you here later on.

But my alltime favorite is this:

Save the family and you save this nation.

Save the family and you save the world.

Save the family and you save the Christian civilization.

Save the family and you save yourselves.

Powerful stuff huh? Presented in a simple yet profound way. What I liked also about Mr. and Mrs. Ocoma was they also shared about a lot of their personal experiences as a couple and parents, and of people whom they had met in their ministry. Their practical tips for dealing with behavior problems and teens were quite insightful too. They even did mini-skits to portray the different ways that parents should deal with their children's behavior.

All in all, it was P600 (excluding our transport costs and lunch of course! hehehe) well spent. Pro-Life Philippines provided snacks and a certificate of attendance for all participants, plus some pro-life magazines and brochures. Yehey! :)

Next month's seminar will be about "True Love Waits." Check out Pro-Life Philippines website here for more updates and information about how you can be EDUCATED and support the work for LIFE. No to the RH BILL, YES to HOUSE BILL No. 13! Save the family, save the world!

How can you support this?

Sharing with you this link from a fellow Pro-Life blogger. STOP THE KILLING OF THE INNOCENT NOW!

Just click on the link below:

How can you support this?

Faith & Family Live! : Pro-Life TV Show Wins Emmy Award

Check out this article about "Facing Life Head-On", which is a weekly pro-life TV show that airs in the U.S. (check out the schedules below the link). Maybe our local networks could come out with a similar show, instead of all the teleseryes, reality game shows and whatnot that sadly seem to be "eroding our Catholic soul".

Here is the link to the article:

Faith & Family Live! : Pro-Life TV Show Wins Emmy Award

Facing Life Head-On Airing Schedules (US and Canada only)

taken from http://www.facinglife.tv/showinfo.htm

Pro-Life Novena in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

LET'S PRAY FOR LIFE! :)

From August 7 to August 15, Priests for Life invites believers to pray the Novena in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Here's the actual link: http://www.priestsforlife.org/novenas/assumption-novena.htm)

Lord Jesus Christ,
 You have conquered the power of death
And opened for humanity
The hope of eternal life in body and soul.

You granted your Mother
A share in heavenly glory,
And did not allow decay to touch her body.

As we prepare for the Feast of the Assumption,
Grant us new confidence in the victory of life over death,
And renewed reverence for the human body.

As we honor Mary, Assumed into Heaven,
May we proclaim the hope of Your Gospel:
That you want every human life seated on your throne.

May that hope strengthen us to protect every life here on earth.

You live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Breastfeeding is Pro-God, Pro-Family, Pro-Life, Pro-Poor! Happy World Breastfeeding Month! :)

(WARNING! IF YOU ARE NOT A WOMAN OR A MOM, YOU MAY FEEL A BIT UNEASY READING THIS POST. :) HEHEHE. HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHY BREASTFEEDING CAN BE PRO-GOD, PRO-FAMILY, PRO-LIFE AND PRO-POOR, THEN READ ON. :) BUT DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU :)


As a breastfeeding advocate, I want to do my part in spreading the word about the several activities happening around the Metro this month of August, in line with Breastfeeding Month. However, since fellow blogger Jenny has already done a good job compiling a list of pro-breastfeeding activities in her blog, why should I reinvent the wheel right? :) So in the latter part of this post, I share with you Jenny's blog post about all the happenings related to breastfeeding this August. :) Hope to see you in one of them! (I'll be going to Eastwood and maybe the Mommy Milkshake Marathon *depends on the kiddos hehehe*)

On a  personal note, I LOVE BREASTFEEDING and really believe that it's in order with God's plan for mankind (or womankind, to be more politically correct! hahaha).  In fact, I dare say that BREASTFEEDING IS PRO-GOD, PRO-FAMILY, PRO-LIFE and even PRO-POOR!

First, breastfeeding is PRO-GOD because it gives mothers a chance to participate in God's plan for humankind, i.e. give our kids what He intended our bodies to produce for them. God really knew what He was doing when He created man and woman. Every part of our body was knit together with a specific purpose. And that includes our (women's) mammary glands and everything connected to it! The colostrum that comes out during the first suckling moments of Baby has THE MOST antibodies and nutrients that are BEST for Baby. (Don't believe what others say when they tell you to "give it up" because "your baby will go hungry", or "there's nothing coming out" etc etc!) Be patient and PRAY and your milk will let down in a few days' time! :) God made our bodies that way, so don't worry and just arm yourself with all the info you can get!

Breastfeeding is PRO-FAMILY because it strengthens the bond between (1) husband and wife as he supports her, prays for her, helps her in the breastfeeding journey, especially during the first few painful days when Mama and Baby are getting into the hang of finding the right latch, (2) mother and baby as baby gets not just physical nourishment, but also quality bonding time with Mama, which helps in boosting baby's emotional (and I'd like to believe spiritual too!) IQ. Breastfeeding also gives the father time to bond with other siblings (if any) when Mama is busy nursing the new baby. (Since Papa doesn't need to spend time cleaning and sterilizing bottles and preparing formula!). It's a win-win situation for the WHOLE family (even yaya!)

Breastfeeding is PRO-LIFE because by giving our babies the BEST nutrition, we improve the quality of their lives, and give them a better chance at fighting disease and sickness that could shorten their lives. It also gives the woman time to recover from birth if she exclusively breastfeeds for the first 6 months, she is 99% likely NOT to get pregnant again. This way, her body has time to recuperate, while at the same time, gives her and hubby time to bond with Baby, and give him the BEST of all things. What better way to sustain a LIFE than giving nutrition from one's own living body? ;)

Last but not the least, breastfeeding is PRO-POOR. Consider the cost of bottle-feeding which includes paying for infant formula, bottles, sterilizing equipment, etc etc versus the cost of breastfeeding (ZERO!). Also, if infant formula is prepared wrongly (like if moms who are hard up financially try to pinch pennies by not putting the exact amount of formula as indicated) or in unsanitary conditions, babies can get diarrhea and some may even die from dehydration as an effect. Whereas we breastfeeding moms don't have to worry about the amount of powder to mix, or clean water for baby's milk, or sterilizing! We also save a LOT of money by not buying infant formula. These savings can be put to better use, like as small start-up capital for a sideline business, or investing in mutual funds, etc. So actually, in the long run, breastfeeding can also help one achieve one's goal of financial freedom! Wow. Amazing huh?!

I remember our mission trips in Timor Leste (East Timor), and how convenient it was for us to go from place to place without having to lug around baby bottles, cans of formula, bottles of clean drinking water, etc etc. So I guess you could say breastfeeding is PRO-MISSIONARY too?! :) hehehe. I've actually breastfed standing up and walking around during our community conferences both here in the Philippines and abroad! Not to mention in a tricycle, jeepney, airplanes, public buses, MRT, boats, airports, churches, etc etc etc. (Though I know of some moms who've breastfed in even CRAZIER places! Check out Babymama's page on Facebook!)

Here's a pic of me nursing our first-born, Tim. I am proud to say, and thankful to God, that he was breastfed until 2 years and 4 months! (I was pregnant with Rysse when we weaned him, although I did want to try tandem feeding!)

Here is a more recent picture, this time it's Rysse who is nursing (believe me the Maya Wrap is one of the BEST gifts one could give an expecting mom - thanks to the Nebraos for mine! :). This was taken at the Pixar Animation Studios Exhibit in Singapore.
 

In fact, I'm sure our very own beloved Mama Mary breastfed Jesus too, and here are a few pics I found through Google Images to support my claim:
I



(See, breast really is BEST! :)

In fact, I totally advocate breastfeeding especially among new and expecting moms that I know personally. Because of my pro-breastfeeding shout-outs on Facebook, I've also come to know fellow moms like Jenny who also owns an online shop named Mama.Baby.Love, Janice Crisostomo-Villanueva of Mommy Matters and Mompreneur Manila, and Buding Aquino-Dee of Blissful Babes and L.A.T.C.H. Philippines, Mi'ann Reyes-Oblea of Babymama, and of course a dear "Ate" and ex-fellow missionary (though she is still a missionary in her own right!) in community, Denice Nillas-Price, who now owns her own line of nursing products (Lilymoms). Not to mention mommy bloggers Eli of The Painter's Wife and Tiggerlily of The Lazymama blogs among others. Of course, my fellow missionary moms like Michelle, Layle, Des, Vania, Bianca, Nida, Issa, and the others whom I've failed to mention (please forgive me...) also deserve a shout-out, since sharing breastfeeding stories with them is one of the highlights of being a nursing mama! It is SOOO nice to know that there are other moms out there who believe in giving their kids the MOST NUTRITIOUS, MOST PRACTICAL, CHEAPEST AND MOST READILY AVAILABLE MILK - Mama's best, breast milk! :)

God bless all moms out there especially those who choose to stick with breastfeeding, despite working fulltime, coping with illness, and other challenges that make breastfeeding difficult but NOT impossible! :) Also, Lord, thank You po for our hubbies, parents, and other family members and friends who support us and pray for us and with us in our nursing journey! :)

Anyway, as I wrote in the first part of this post, please find below a summary of all the happenings this August in line with Breastfeeding Month! :) Happy Breastfeeding Month everyone! (You can read Jenny's original post at http://fabnaima.blogspot.com/2010/07/its-busy-busy-august.html)

August is Breastfeeding Month with August 1-7 designated as World Breastfeeding Week. It's the month for celebrating breastfeeding and there are certainly a lot of activities planned.

LATCH will be running a month-long breastfeeding ad campaign in collaboration with QTV. Aside from TV ads, LATCH also collaborated with Eastwood City Mall and will be holding a breastfeeding photo exhibit on Monday August 2.

This

will also coincide with the launch of Eastwood Mall's Breastfeeding Room.

Monday's event is part of Eastwood Mall week-long activity called "Mom's Purest Love" culminating on Sunday with a LATCH Breastfeeding Workshop, Baby Wearing Event, Yoga and Cooking Demos and a Fashion Show launching Bianca Araneta-Elizalde's maternity/nursing wear line - Eden.

Meanwhile, also on August 8 is the annual Mommy Milkshake Marathon which is now on its 4th year! The marathon is organized by Janice Villanueva's Mommy Mundo and is open to babies, toddlers, kids, moms, moms to be, grandparents and anyone who believes in supporting the cause of breastfeeding in the Philippines. Registration fee is P200 for adults and P100 for kids from 3-16 years old. Babies below 3 can join for free. You can register by clicking this link. They are accepting only 400 participants this year. Email Janiceif you have questions.

Medela Moms are also busy this August. As a result of their most recent visit to their principal (Medela Switzerland), they were given the go-signal to run a special warehouse sale in August for the Pump In Style Advance. Twenty (20) units will be made available at P17,000.00 only!! What a steal - to celebrate Breastfeeding Month! Purchase of the pump entitles mom to warranty and lifetime discount on services (upon expiration of warranty) and enrollment to MedelaSupports, a loyalty program which includes benefits such as discounted fees to events, exclusive invites. Purelan 7g is also on sale - buy one, take one for P395. Purelan does not expire and after breastfeeding you can use it on chapped lips, dry elbows, cracked heels or chafed nostrils due to a cold. Safe for baby, there is no need to wipe off before breastfeeding or pumping.

Also check out classes from The Breastfeeding Club held at the Medela House every month. This Saturday (31 July), the class will be "Breastfeeding and Beyond" at 930am. Other classes lined up are Beginning Breastfeeding (Breastfeeding 101) on September 25, Sustaining Breastfeeding (Breastfeeding 202) on October 23, 2010 and Breastfeeding and Beyond (Breastfeeding 303) on 27 November 2010. Email the MedelaMoms to register.

Classes at the Medela House are not only for moms but also for yayas - so moms can make sure that those who take care of their children are fully prepared for any threat that may befall them while they're not around. The 2nd part of the Yaya Training Program will be held on 7 August 2010 from 9-12noon also at Medela House. Topics include safety concerns and first aid training. For previous pump buyers, first attendee rate is P700 while 2nd attendee rate is P300. For non-customers, rate is P800 for the first participant and P300 for the 2nd participant.

Finally La Leche League will continue to hold its monthly meetings in Greenhills (August 14) and Rustan's Makati (August 21). There are plans to move the Greenhills meeting from Mary the Queen to a mall - watch out for further announcements.

Happy Breastfeeding Month Everyone!


*Update 8/1/2010:
SM is also holding its own Breastfeeding Forum today, August 1 at Megamall and next week, August 8 at SM North Edsa. Check out the poster for more details.

Parenting is Pro-Life :)

I firmly believe in PRO-LIFE and everything else connected with it. My experiences with Human Life International, especially while here on mission, have been enriching, enlightening and empowering.

I have come to learn to respect and protect LIFE in all its forms.Being a parent of two adorable angels has further strengthened my conviction to be pro-life. It is not EASY, believe me. Parenting in itself is a skill, an art, a discipline, a mission. To be responsible for the lives of others, especially young children, is a daunting task.

But as with other things that come our way because of the will and grace of God (whether we believe in Him or not, or realize it or not!), to be a parent is a blessing more than a burden. Because in raising our kids, we get to participate in God's beautiful plan for mankind. In His hopes and dreams for a better world.

To be a parent means we get to witness God's miracle of life, every morning when our kids wake up.

How much more PRO-LIFE can one get?

Parenting is Pro-Life! :)

Be grateful to be where you are right now. God has a purpose for you, Dad/Mom! :)

Homeschooling is Pro-Life!

(Timothy Alan S. Rodriguez, safe and sound in Mama's womb :)

I first felt the Holy Spirit's stirrings to homeschool when I attended our community's first major Pro-Life event way back in 2006. We had a speaker from Human Life International, Brian Clowes, and it was a truly inspiring, eye-opening event. Back then I was pregnant with our first child, who will be turning 4 in October. Hubby and I were so privileged to be part of the Pro-Life event/training back then (we were even chosen as models for one of the creative presentations!). Little did I know that Pro-Life and Homeschooling would eventually become two big passions in my life!

When Joseph Meaney of HLI came to Timor Leste in 2007 for our Family Life Conference, he spoke again about homeschooling and presented briefly the differences in kids who are homeschooled versus those who aren't. His presentation really made me (and hubby too!) start to seriously consider homeschooling as an option for our children.

The conviction to homeschool our kids continued to grow (perhaps God really planted it in our hearts) and was further strengthened when we heard about Bo Sanchez's homeschool catering specifically to Catholic Filipino parents like ourselves.

For my part, I have come to believe that homeschooling may not be God's will for some families, whom He may call to doing mission by sending their kids to public or private schools (even Catholic schools nowadays need a LOT of revival and renewal and are prime mission fields!). Indeed it is challenging and perhaps a bit frightening to even consider teaching one's children at home. "I'm not a qualified teacher!" "Will I have the discipline and time to do this?" "How can we afford to live on one salary?" "Will my kids be anti-social?" These questions are usually the first that come to mind when one starts thinking about homeschooling.

Thankfully, if one does enough research (thank You Lord for the internet!), one can get lots of answers to these questions, and also find encouragement and draw inspiration from countless homeschoolers who truly believe that teaching your kids at home is THE way to go!

As for our family, we are still in the process of making the final decision to homeschool (when to "officially" start i.e. with a structured curriculum, which curriculum to use, how to deal with the financial and practical aspects, etc etc). For the meantime, we just want to make the most of the time God has blessed us with, especially by having our kids on mission with us. This includes "homepreschooling" our kids.

To be Catholic in this day and age calls for a firm belief in defending our faith, our families, our homes. If I call myself Catholic, then I should be Pro-Life. I firmly believe that homeschooling is pro-life, and that the pro-life work should involve advocating homeschooling.

When we homeschool our kids, it is easier for us to pass down our Catholic faith and life to them. We also get to choose what influences them and in turn how they will live their lives as good Catholics and responsible citizens. We get to be there for them during the critical, crucial stages of their development in all aspects of their lives. We get to teach them about things that are not normally taught in schools, especially the lessons of life.

 

 (3 and a half year old Tim, reading his "Bible" after seeing his Papa reading our daily Bible reflection guide. It was so CUTE and INSPIRING! He even told me "Mama, I'm reading about Jesus rising from the dead. Or you call it `Resurrection.' :) Note to self: Buy Tim his own kid's Bible when we get home to the Philippines! Hahaha)

Homeschooling is PRO-LIFE.

If you believe that God is calling you to homeschool, do not be afraid. There are many men and women, families out there who are doing the same thing. Because they are CONVICTED, not just convinced, to do so. Let's pray for one another that we will be able to act upon all that God is calling us to do, especially in the best interest of our children.

"As for me and my house, will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

 (Our 2nd child, almost 11-month old Rysse, seems to enjoy praying the Rosary with us. The other night, she woke up at 2 a.m. and when I carried her, she saw the rosaries on our little altar in the bedroom, and kept pointing to them and smiling and babbling, so I gave her one to hold. She kept babbling, and it seemed as if she was reminding us to pray the Rosary, which we usually do every night, but that night we had overlooked it. Needless to say, we ended up praying early that morning, and Rysse went back to sleep soon after! Amazing God!)

Listed below are some books that may help you discover the richness of homeschooling :)