WOYWW: Happy 40th Anniversary Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon!

Last Sunday, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our prayer community, Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord).  For our celebration, we all came in "Filipiniana" outfits and on my desk today for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday are some of the accessories I wore or considered to wear...

I wore a T'boli blouse with these beads I bought in General Santos City.

"The Tboli are one of the indigenous peoples of South Cotabato in Southern Mindanao" -Wikipedia.  The blouse is filled with wonderful applique and embroidery...

See the 40th anniversary logo my daughter designed?  And the banner that I designed...

"Starting out with 41 men and women in July 1975, the Ligaya now counts some 1,900 members (including children of all ages) from diverse socio-economic backgrounds bound by the common desire to live out the Christian life to the fullest and to serve the Church as a body." - LNP website. 

And so we celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness to us through all these years.  When we offer him whatever little we have, like the little boy and his 5 loaves and 2 fishes, our mustard seed faith can grow and become the largest of all garden plants...

Be blessed, dear blog friends!

WOYWW: Celebrating 40 Years

Last week, the shocking news of WOYWWer Eliza Queenartoypia's sudden passing brought sadness all the way to the Philippines.  Although we never even met, she would sometimes drop by my blog and I would sometimes drop by hers.  That's the way it is in What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday. You get to peek at desks and make blog friends around the world.

This year (this weekend to be exact) our prayer community, Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon is celebrating 40 years of God's faithfulness.  My daughter, Elyse designed the 40th year logo (with our community logo in the zero).  

Every year we have a parade of banners.  This year, there will be 40 banners!  They gave me the words to put and asked me to design the banner and have it made.  Here it is, folded on my desk. No, I did not sew it.  I'm sure Annie would have done an excellent job of it! Here is the design I made.

God has blessed me greatly through our community and as I looked for a journal illustration to share today, this is what I found.  Indeed, how can I ever make a fair return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?  Impossible. 

Thank you for dropping by today!

World Youth Day 2011: Part 1

 

What started out as a desire in my heart as I read a blog post about World Youth Day in Sydney (in 2008) became reality last month when my family went to Madrid...

 

 

Jornada Mundial de la Juventud, World Youth Day, was not actually a day but six blessed days. The intention of these days was "to bring us closer to Christ" and for those who come "to meet Christ and strengthen our friendship with him."  

What a joy to see so many young people attend!  Being among them as they prayed and sang, chanted and clapped their cheers for Pope Benedict XVI was an amazing experience.  At times, walking alongside them, so energetic and joyful, I would be close to tears, but of course, that wouldn't be "cool", so I would quickly blink them away. 

What power and joy there is in community, in being together as we live out our faith.  There is strength and encouragement and the courage to proclaim our identity and faith.  Surely, if by themselves, these young people would not be as joyful and energetic when they had to wait for hours in the hot sun or walk long distances or live in such spartan conditions.  And so it is with us, in our daily lives.

As the Pope said at his arrival in Madrid, "Here on this Day, they (the youth) have a special opportunity to gather together their aspirations, to share the richness of their cultures and experiences, motivate each other along a journey of faith and life, in which some think they are
alone or ignored in their daily existence. But they are not alone. Many people of the same age have the same aspirations and, entrusting themselves completely to Christ, know that they really have a future before them and are not afraid of the decisive commitments which fulfill their entire lives." - the Pope's WYD Messages to the Youth

The World Youth Day events formally started on August 16 with an Opening Mass.  There were so many people (both young and young at heart) that we couldn't even get close enough to see the stage...

We could only see a video screen...

But being among the young people and talking with them was a blessing in itself...

After the Mass, as we strolled to the plazas of Madrid, there were concerts everywhere, with dancing and singing and celebrating.   What a wonderful start to a six lovely, faith filled days!

 

Linking up with Brag on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays and Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday.