Invocation, Worship and Prayer

Having been raised in a Catholic school, I have been taught to always start any task with a prayer. When I was younger, I was taught a simple song that said the same; to start the very day with a prayer and offering. I taught the same song to my daughter. It goes:

In the morning when I wake up,

With a cross I sign myself ,

Singing, Jesus, I love you,

I give you my heart,

my soul...

 

As I grew older, I have gotten accustomed to seeking God's blessing and grace to fill whatever I lack. I am not really religious. I feel comfortable in my relationship with God. Although, often, I honestly take it for granted too. Especially as the days became busier and busier. It was easier to worry than to quiet down my soul in prayer. But I know well that prayer is important. It feeds my relationship with the Divine God.

My relationship with God is a constant re-nourishment and re-construction. I am stubborn. God loves me anyway. That is completely reassuring. An absolute comfort at the end of each day.

They say, in prayer, there are several expressions. Three of which are invocation, worship and prayer.

Invocation: 

Invocation is when we speak of God's qualities and say it as praises. God does not need our compliment. God will be praise-worthy whether we give it credit or not. We proclaim that God is compassionate, kind and just . God is. God will be. So, why say it still?

 

When we recite these qualities, we humans, slowly imbibe the same qualities in ourselves. In praising the qualities that God has, we receive the blessing and grace to be part of it. We receive that grace and blessing to slowly grow it in ourselves too.

 

Worship:

When we sit with God and be together with God; we worship. But how do we sit wit someone we cannot see? How can we be with someone who is not there? 

 

God is omnipresent. God is present everywhere. God is in fact a part of our soul, as we were made in the same image and divinity as our Creator. Hence, when we come into that peace of knowing God is with us and is in us; we are in worship. Worship leads to enlightenment.It brings forth contentment and a feeling of fulfillment from within us. It is like feeling the warmth and knowing the comfort you get from a blanket over your body on a cold night.

 

Prayer:

Prayer is a plea. Why do we plea and ask? We do so, because, we lack. And to whom do we plea and ask? We do so to those who have the abundance of what we lack. We do so, because it is with those who have abundance that we can hope we will receive.

 

Who better to plea and ask than the One who is ever abundant and has all. So, we go to plea and ask God. We say a prayer.

 

Are all our prayers worth the merit? Sadly, no. It is always said that God helps those who help themselves. Our prayers are worth the merit if we have given our best on the situation but still has not prospered or materialized. Our prayers are worth the merit if they are worth gifts before God - a worthy offering. It is no different when we ask help from our elders or friends after we have done all best and humblest efforts and still find it all lacking. 

We send up a prayer in acknowledgment that our efforts are not enough. It is an acceptance that God has what we need, and that God can provide what we need. It is not wishful thinking.It is seeking the blessing, grace and gift after our dedication and commitment to our task.

 

 

Invocation, Worship and Prayer; although often expressed through words are not limited by it. I have seen these beautiful expressions in many delightful ways. There are some who have given praise, spent time and spoken to God in varied languages as dance or movement, song, a painting and even in stillness.

 

It is between you and the Divine Omnipotent - the Almighty. Let not the world confine your invocation, your worship and your prayer. With this, may you be blessed. Always.

  

 

 

 

The Development of Spiritual Life

Spirituality has never been an easy thing to define. It is because, spirituality is an inner personal pathway that every one person would describe differently. It is not the same as religion. In fact, you can practice it even if you’re not religious.

But many people think that spirituality and religion are the same thing. They tend to bring their beliefs and prejudices about religion to discussions about spirituality. It is rather conceivable that being a religious person is not actually spiritual. We have observe many religious rituals done with lack of spirituality. Although all religions emphasize spirituality as being part of faith, you can be ‘spiritual’ without being religious or a member of an organized religion. Spirituality, in general is accepted as a sense of connection to something bigger than oneself, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. Different faith and religious groups can rely on spirituality to form bridges between their beliefs.

Many people still find that their spiritual life is intricately linked to their association with a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue. There are others who may pray or find comfort in a personal relationship with God or a higher power. And yet, we still have those who seek meaning through their connections to nature or art. Your spirituality, may change throughout your life, adapting to your own experiences and relationships.

Here are a few things I have found helpful through my journey:

1. Learn to act without desiring the fruit of your action. Simply throw your whole life into what you do until it is done. Then, drop it without thoughts about its results.

2. The spiritual manor woman no longer regards himself s an individual to pursue individual ends. Simply, an organ of the Divine life. He or she moves to express life as gratefully and happily as life can be expressed.

3. Do your best and be content under failure as you are content with your greatest achievements.

4. Do things in loving devotion.

5. Affirm basic goodness in all things.

6. Count your blessings.

7. Meditate or feel the inter-connectedness of all life.

8. Cultivate reverence and respect for all life.

9. Practice disinterest and selfless concern for the well-being of others people and creatures.

10. Follow a program for physical fitness and exercise.

11. Be humble.

12. Make a fuller offering to life and love everyday.

13. Show kindness everyday.

We don't get into developing it and perfecting it the next day. It is a daily investment of little actions and decisions. We may fail at it one day or second; but we just go on. Recreating another action as investment to our path.
 

True Colors

TRUE COLORS (Trolls Movie)

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged, oh I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
The darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

Show me a smile then
Don't be unhappy
Can't remember when
I last saw you laughing
This world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
Just call me up
'Cause I will always be there

And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
I see your true colors
Shining through (true colors)
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful (they're beautiful)
Like a rainbow
Oh oh…

Ooh can't remember when
I last saw you laughing
Ooh oh oh oh
This world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
Just call me up
'Cause I will always be there

And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid (don't be afraid)
To let them show your true colors
True colors are beautiful (you're beautiful, oh)
Like a rainbow
Oh oh oh oh oh like a rainbow
Mmm mmm

 

Songwriters: Billy Steinberg / Tom Kelly

True Colors lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Incognito

in·cog·ni·to

/ˌinkäɡˈnēdō/

 

adjective & adverb (adjective: incognito; adverb: incognito)

1. 1.

   (of a person) having one's true identity concealed.

   "in order to observe you have to be incognito"

   synonyms:

   under an assumed name, under a false name, in disguise, disguised, under cover, in plain clothes, camouflaged, unidentified secretly, anonymously "you'll be traveling incognito"

noun

noun: incognito; plural noun: incognitos

1. 1.

   an assumed or false identity.

    

    

    

    

    

Never Be Afraid to Start over Again

I used to get stressed over the feeling of restarting all over again. For a time, it felt, like an endless "restarting over again".

But 'cest la vie.

It is a new chance to rebuild.

While others get planted deeply and bloom...

Others get uprooted, blown by the wind and get replanted like wild weeds off to a meadow or valley.

Thrive. Just thrive and spread like wildfire.

Tell Your Story

I have vowed...

To never run from my past and be afraid of it's stories. I am boldly showing my scars and telling what I have been through. I am who I am today because of every spec of dust that yesterday gave me. I have overcome all those.

I may inspire. I may not. But I am happy where I am in this inconstant life. I am happy to keep moving, even if it means restarting or overhauling. I am an itinerant soul that will eventually leave too.

I walk slowly BUT never backwards

Don't rush me.

I am in no race. I am in no competition.

This is not your journey.

I have my eyes on my road.

My intentions are in my heart.

I will get to where I am destined.

If it tires you much to watch me.

Then, stop.

No one said I am putting a show for you.

As Lincoln said: "I walk slowly, BUT  I never walk backwards."

Three Breathing Exercises to Calm you Down

Here are three breathing exercises you can do on an idle time or downtime to calm you:

1. COUNTING RHYTHMIC BREATHS

a.       You can do this sitting on your chair. Keep the spine straight.

b.      Rest your hands palm up on your knees.

c.       Keep your eyes closed.

d.      To the count of 5 seconds inhale deeply and smoothly, fully inflating the lungs.

e.      Hold your breath 10 seconds with the mind concentrating on the energy in your body.

f.        To the count of 10 seconds, exhale through the nose smoothly.

g.       Repeat 3 times.

**Gradually, you can increase the retention time until you are able to hold it for 20 seconds.

 

2. ABDOMINAL LIFT

 

 

a.       Still, on your chair, with legs apart and heels flat on the floor.

b.      Keep the spine straight.

c.       Lean the body slightly forward.

d.      Press the hands on your inner thighs.

e.      Inhale deeply through the nose.

f.        Exhale vigorously through the mouth in a “HA” sound.

g.       Hold your breath and draw up your diaphragm, pressing it against the rib cage in a way that your abdomen is pulled in and upwards towards the spine.

h.      Hold for 10-20 seconds without breathing.

i.         Relax.

j.        Repeat 3 times.

**Eventually, when the abdominal muscles are stronger, you can practice a pumping movement by pulling the abdominal muscles then thrusting them out. Do this routine about 5-10 times while holding the breath. Repeat 3 times.

 

3. ALTERNATE BREATHING

 

 

a.       Position the right hand with your index and middle finger bent towards the palm.

b.      Place your right hand close to your nose with the thumb near the right nostril.

c.       Press your thumb on the nostril. Inhale.

d.      Breathe through your left nostril.

e.      Press the forth finger on the left nostril and release the thumb.

f.        Breathe through the right nostril this time.

**Position your left arm, palm up and resting on your knee. Fingers forming the “symbol of knowledge” pose.

 

 

 

Breathing My Path To Yoga

I’ve started reading on yoga and learning it back in the 1990’s; when I was in high school. It wasn’t much of a thing yet, that time. It was difficult to look for any centers or organizations teaching or doing yoga in the Philippines then. Now, there are a lot.

I’ve sort of self-taught. Hence, I did away with difficult asana which I felt I could not do alone. And the most helpful thing I’ve learned is breathing as relaxation and clearing.

Why Breathing is Essential:

Deep controlled breathing is nature’s tranquilizer and rejuvenator.

1.       By slowing down the rate of respiration, it reduces strain in the heart.

2.       The stimulating action improves metabolism, transforming deposits of fat into body fuel.

3.       The lungs get well exercised; hence, increases the resistance to ailments.

4.       Sufficient oxygen in the body wards off fatigue and heaviness.

5.       Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen in our bloodstream.

                a. It brings in oxygen to our muscles, joints and body organs. (This process increases the ability of the muscles to respond and raises the level of energy.)

                b. Our brain get’s more oxygen too. (This gives our minds clearer and better ability to respond more efficiently.)

Most breathing exercises in yoga are done through the nose with our mouths close. This is because our nose serves as a vacuum cleaner which sweeps in the air particles or dusts and bacteria. If we breathe as nature intended and that is by expanding our lungs to full capacity, we can revitalize our energy, calm our nerves, induce good sleep and live longer.

I will share some basic breathing exercises you can do to calm yourself soon.

Adventures on Backyard Farming

My mom was weeding the garden when I walked in. She wasn't only weeding weeds! She was plucking some plants which have grown as excess. I tried to salvage some. It was just too much of a waste.

Then, she happily said she had dragon fruit. Then she pointed to an almost dead-looking cactus sprawling under the big cycas/sago palm. 

I told her it's a cactus; and it needed better sun. She plucked it out and told me to plant it if I want.

It was dreadful to look at it. It was thin and lifeless-looking! I decided to cut it down and make cacti cuttings before putting it to the ground.

Planted it by a plant bed on the driveway. It's not the proper place to grow my fruit. But it will be a good bed for it while it recovers. I am looking forward to having lively horizontal sprawling dragon fruit tree eventually. Just like the ones I see browsing on the net. And from my estrange husband's aunt.

For now, let it be just these.

Ako Nga Po Pala (Me, By The Way)

18 is my name. Read it as Itin. That's short for Christine.

There probably is a gypsy in my soul; an Itinerant in constant travel. Moving from one place to another; never at one too long. I am drawn to the fantasy that her character has.  I love the flamboyance she exudes, the magic and mysticism, the music and the dance that resonates with the fire burning ablaze. I am drawn to the image of strength that she has.

Gypsies, they say, symbolizes spontaneity and wild behavior. And they say one may identify with this archetype if one is interested in a path of spiritual development, such as those aligned to the mystery schools or study of the laws of the universe (perhaps this goes to explain my interest in things not-so-normal, in meditation, and even my path to a degree in psychology).

I claim to be an aesthete/artist, a poet, a thriving soul and this blog is my life in that facet.

This is the snippet of my soul...vignettes, musings, art and stuff.

 For after all, we are all but travelers moving this earth. I am La Itin-erante.

Culture & Tradition: Pasalubong

Pasalubong is the Filipino tradition of travelers bringing gifts from their destination to people back home. Pasalubong can be any gift brought for family or friends after being away for a period of time. It can also be any gift given by someone arriving from a distant place.

And even if it's not much of a distant bringing pasalubong back to the people you love is quite common in the Filipino tradition. Like, a parent going home from work will customarily bring something for the wife and kids. Likewise, a child may bring some small gift for their siblings or parents too.

It's a simple act of thoughtfulness we do :)

Island Hop: Bohol-Cebu

Because part of my life's journey requires me to do this...

Cebu Bound via Tubigon, Bohol (because it's cheaper)

And yes, the cruise took longer than the purpose of the trip.
Unfortunately, I cannot take the leisure of enjoying Cebu today.

So, I shall on the next.

For future reference: Tubigon - Cebu Ferry Schedules

Attempts on Poetry: La Gitana

image ctto

Scraps and a Wandering Mind: Art Attack

When you decide to do de-cluttering around your home and find way too much scraps...and somehow you have much creative energy to dispose ...

 At least I get a little something to put on my wall.