Blessed Christmas!

It is the time once again...

The season has been chaotic as always especially in my work place where it is the bargain capital of Manila. People and good everywhere! Different vehicles competing for space on the street -- jeepneys, cars, FX, tribike,tricyle... then pushcarts, all sorts, and the makeshift stands with rollers. Then new malls with all sorts of merchandise too!

Activities in the office and with friends too..

Without all this, will there still be Christmas???

The family celebrated Christmas together, the kids opened the gifts before we had our Noche Buena. No Christmas carols and the TV was on. People were busy preparing for Noche Buena that they could not make it for the Chritmas eve vigil. Good thing our help accompanied me and we were able to go but I still went with my sibling's family and mama to church on Christmas day. Visitors came and family had another get Christmas dinner together... Now most of the folks are still asleep tired from the past days activities...

So is Christmas over?

The material stuff... Yes!

But the essence of Christ's coming, hope not...

Covenant of Love

Today is my birthday!

I am always happy knowing my birthday – not just on the actual date but even just the thought of such day. If ever I come across December 19 (12/19) I would think ‘ahh my birthday’ and I would smile at the thought.

Not only that… the gospel during my birthday would usually mention the name ‘Elizabeth’ and I feel blessed because even if my mother did not get my name from the catholic calendar, ‘Elizabeth’ gets mentioned on the gospel reading on my birthday and I would think that it was the Lord who gave me my name! However, today is one of those rare years when my name doesn’t get mentioned BUT the Lord has made up for it… He gifted me with something better… or should I say ‘bether!”

He gifted me with several portions of rainbows! Not just one sighting but lots of them!

I immediately saw one when we were coming out of our street going to the main highway. Our street is narrow and it goes uphill and right in front of us was a distinct rainbow, just a portion of it and I immediately acknowledged it and showed it to my brother and my nieces who were in the car with us. I saw the other part when we were on the main road… then we dropped off my nieces and went to my boss’ place to get cakes I ordered from her son… she gave me a yellow earring she made which she knew I liked and went up to get an assortment of colorful earrings she made just the night before to share with my family. When we were getting out of their subdivision, we saw another rainbow, the colors were not as distinct but it was whole and it was not too high and again I pointed it to my brother. We were supposed to turn left to another street but there we could not do so since there was a 'no turning left sign' and we had to travel a long way before making a U-turn that my brother complained about it that I told him to just go straight and pass another street but he decided to do a U-turn.

And Lo and behold there in front of us was the most distinct whole rainbow! Not only that, it was a double rainbow!!! I was simply awed! The ride before the street we had to turn to was long so we feasted our eyes on that magnificent rainbow. And I could not hold my breath telling my brother how much the Lord loves me!

I really feel so blessed and so loved. Not just by God but a lot of people… sometimes I feel I do not deserve all the love they shower on me but God is soooo good! Sometimes I do feel tired of the things I do and get carried away by some problems but here He is telling me that I shouldn’t worry and feel tired because He will always be there to comfort me… to love me. That is His covenant!

Yup, His covenant of love and today He reminded me ‘bigtime’ with His double rainbow! :-)