For those who’ve been following me in IG, one chronic side effect of my treatment or symptom management is depression. It can also be brought by endometriosis (and adenomyosis) either way am 😦
We’ve all had this feeling before – sadness, dark cloud above your head, low days, lonelines… I cannot describe this state in the most positive way possible, an overall feeling of doom, zero inspiration and motivation.
Truth is no one could completely grasp one’s feelings and emotional well being. Help starts with you. It takes massive effort yes, but it’s worth the try…
Please remember that – your current state is not forever, this (too) shall pass.
How to be content with your life?
Change your perspective – the easiest way to be content with your life is adjusting your perspective. Instead of being stuck with the past or obsessing over the future, focus on Living in the Present.
Be Grateful for what you have – though our life may be miserable today but try thinking of the things you have and how lucky you are compare to other people. This also includes – to stop comparing yourself with others. As the old saying goes – “the grass is greener on the other side” – the things we don’t have seem better than the things we have. This is the biggest obstacle in achieving happiness. Because there will always be someone who is happier, healthier, richer than you. But why look? If it’s only going to make you more miserable and unhappy.
Appreciate the little things – Every detail in your life counts. We may take for granted this little things because we are too focused on the negative. Daily reflection, write a journal, a walk outside for some fresh air. Making a habit of reflecting will help you think rationally when a problem arises and will keep you from being blind-sided by problems that are lurking in your life.
One thing that really helps me is – FAITH. I can’t imagine myself being in the center of these all without Jesus. To be able to believe in something greater than us is the most effective coping mechanism for people who are suffering.
Yes it’s okay not to feel okay, if you need to cry then do it…
David Spiegel, MD, the medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, reminds us that “Happiness is not the absence of sadness.”
Let me share these beautiful songs… Allow Jesus to be with you, to cry with you and feel with you…
This year has been the most difficult for me. The emotional impact of endometriosis is so immense and it’s more debilitating than physical pain.
Perhaps I’m in no position to render advice, and this may appear to you as superficial and ordinary. But I know God can touch us in many ways than we can imagine. He reaches out to us even if we fail to remember Him.
God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits. – Psalm 136:23
When we hold on to worry, we give it life. Jesus told us these exact words…
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
Do you know that God doesn’t want us to carry our burdens? He asks us to lay them down at the foot of the cross. He wants us to surrender our heavy loads to him. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Come to me all who are weary and burdened,and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Stations of the Cross ✝️ composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori
Opening Prayer:
ALL: My Lord, Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love;
and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. | But now I love You with all my heart;
and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You.
Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me;
I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You.
My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.
St. Vitus Cathedral
The First Station of the Cross : Pilates condemns Jesus to die
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross. (Kneel)
R: My adorable Jesus,
it was not Pilate;
no, it was my sins that condemned You to die.
I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey,
to assist my soul on its journey to eternity.
I love You, beloved Jesus;
I love You more than I love myself.
With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You.
Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Lourdes, France
The Second Station : Jesus accepts His cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer. (Kneel)
R: My most beloved Jesus,
I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death.
I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross,
to help me carry mine with Your perfect peace and resignation.
I love You, Jesus, my love;
I repent of ever having offended You.
Never let me separate myself from You again.
Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Lourdes, France
The Third Station : Jesus falls the first time
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross. (Kneel)
R: My beloved Jesus, / it was not the weight of the cross / but the weight of my sins which made You suffer so much. / By the merits of this first fall, / save me from falling into mortal sin. / I love You, O my Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / May I never offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Fatima, Portugal
The Fourth Station : Jesus meets His afflicted mother
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the Son met his Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly (Kneel)
R: My most loving Jesus, / by the pain You suffered in this meeting / grant me the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother. / And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, / obtain for me by Your prayers / a tender and a lasting remembrance of the passion of Your divine Son. / I love You, Jesus, my Love, above all things. / I repent of ever having offended You. / Never allow me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Sevilla, Spain
The Fifth Station : Simon helps Jesus carry the cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord. (Kneel)
R: My beloved Jesus / I will not refuse the cross as Simon did: / I accept it and embrace it. / I accept in particular the death that is destined for me / with all the pains that may accompany it. / I unite it to Your death / and I offer it to You. / You have died for love of me; / I will die for love of You and to please You. / Help me by Your grace. / I love You, Jesus, my Love; / I repent of ever having offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Granada, Spain
The Sixth Station : Veronica offers her veil to Jesus
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance. (Kneel)
R: My beloved Jesus, / Your face was beautiful before You began this journey; / but, now, it no longer appears beautiful / and is disfigured with wounds and blood. / Alas, my soul also was once beautiful / when it received Your grace in Baptism; / but I have since disfigured it with my sins. / You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. / Do this by the merits of Your passion; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Zaragoza, Spain
The Seventh Station : Jesus falls the second time
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. (Kneel)
R: My most gentle Jesus, / how many times You have forgiven me; / and how many times I have fallen again and begun again to offend You! / By the merits of this second fall, / give me the grace to persevere in Your love until death. / Grant, that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to You. / I love You, Jesus, my Love with all my heart; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Virgen del Pilar, Spain
The Eighth Station : Jesus speaks to the women
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and dripping with blood as he walked along. Jesus said to them, “Weep not so much for me, but rather for Your children.” (Kneel)
R: My Jesus, laden with sorrows, / I weep for the sins which I have committed against You / because of the punishment I deserve for them; / and, still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You / who have loved me with an infinite love. / It is Your love, more than the fear of hell, / which makes me weep for my sins. / My Jesus, I love You more than myself; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never allow me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Lourdes, France
The Ninth Station : Jesus falls the third time
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move. (Kneel)
R: My outraged Jesus, / by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, / give me enough strength to overcome all human respect / and all my evil passions which have led me to despise Your friendship. / I love You, Jesus my Love, with all my heart; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Lisbon, Portugal
The Tenth Station : Jesus is stripped of His garments
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated and tell Him: (Kneel)
R: My innocent Jesus, / by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, / help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth / that I may place all my love in You who are so worthy of my love. / I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Granada, Spain
The Eleventh Station : Jesus is nailed to the cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish. (Kneel)
R: My despised Jesus, / nail my heart to the cross / that it may always remain there to love You and never leave You again. / I love You more than myself; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Fatima, Portugal
The Twelfth Station : Jesus dies upon the cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Your Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies. (Kneel)
R: My dying Jesus, / I devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for love of me. / I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death; / but Your death is my hope. / By the merits of Your death, / give me the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You. / I yield my soul into Your hands. / I love You with my whole heart. / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Fatima, Portugal
The Thirteenth Station : Jesus is taken down from the cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom. (Kneel)
R: O Mother of Sorrows, / for the love of Your Son, / accept me as Your servant and pray to Him for me, / And You, my Redeemer, since you have died for me, / allow me to love You, / for I desire only You and nothing more. / I love You, Jesus my Love, / and I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Granada, Spain
The Fourteenth Station : Jesus is placed in the sepulcher
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb and all departed. (Kneel)
R: Oh, my buried Jesus, / I kiss the stone that closes You in. / But You gloriously did rise again on the third day. / I beg You by Your resurrection that I may be raised gloriously on the last day, / to be united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. / I love You, Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Prayer to Jesus Christ Crucified
My good and dear Jesus,
I kneel before You,
asking You most earnestly
to engrave upon my heart
a deep and lively faith, hope, and charity,
with true repentance for my sins,
and a firm resolve to make amends.
As I reflect upon Your five wounds,
and dwell upon them
with deep compassion and grief,
I recall, good Jesus,
the words the Prophet David spoke
long ago concerning Yourself:
“They pierced My hands and My feet;
they have numbered all My bones.”
All photos were taken by me from sacred places or churches we visited in various countries in Europe.
A few weeks after typhoon Odette struck Cebu, I’d like to share this prayer that gives hope, strength and peace in times of difficulty.
Full version
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
And here’s the short and my favorite version…
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
I’ve faced criticisms my entire life. Prior to taking Psychology, I’m already curious about dealing with people – particularly “difficult” people.
But beyond and above scientific knowledge and strategies is the grace and word of God.
Let me share this with you, this has helped me a lot…
Caring for what others think of you stops us from doing God’s will. You’ll be distracted, occupied and worst be frozen in fear.
I want to also remind you that there are mean people in this world. (a.k.a. haters) Don’t allow people to hurt you with negative words toward you. Their words are irrelevant. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God thinks good thoughts about you so think good thoughts about yourself as well.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 NIV
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2 NIV
It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe. Proverbs 29:25
The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
You were the Word at the beginning One with God the Lord Most High Your hidden glory in creation Now revealed in You our ChristWhat a beautiful Name it is What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a beautiful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a beautiful Name it is The Name of JesusYou didn’t want heaven without us So Jesus, You brought heaven down My sin was great, Your love was greater What could separate us now?What a wonderful Name it is What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a wonderful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful Name it is The Name of JesusDeath could not hold You The veil tore before You You silenced the boast of sin and grave The heavens are roaring The praise of Your glory For You are raised to life againYou have no rival You have no equal Now and forever, God You reign Yours is the kingdom Yours is the glory Yours is the Name above all namesWhat a powerful Name it is What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a powerful Name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is The Name of JesusWhat a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
When your day is overwhelming, troubled, exhausting and nearly lost for words…
Here are some inspiring, motivating quotes to lift your spirits up.
A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.You can’t change the past nor predict the future. So it’s better to focus on today.You always pass failure on your way to success.
I finished reading a book – “When Bad things happen to Good People.”(1)
In our lifetime, we experience betrayal even by the ones closest to us. After trusting them, believing them… In the end, their masks fall off & leave. Other “good people” experience physically pain, suffering with incurable afflictions.
It begs the question – Why bad things happen to good people?
One of my favorite author – C.S. Lewis said, “God uses pain to get our attention.”
“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains..” (2)
And so we suppose, if God really uses pain to speak to us, in order for us to grow. Are there painless means?
Not long ago, when I asked in my prayer. Sulking in tears, “Lord please don’t be far from me.”
I asked God why things go wrong for good people, like they’re being tested the more. Why is it that after hurting us, they can continue to live a good life, why they can get away with their evil ways…
In agony I look at them, as they continue to deceive more unsuspecting preys with their ill intentions and greed.
These people fool us with scheming ways. Faces in misleading masks, gifting us with their exaggerated generosity that’s actually a strategy to lure our innocence.
I opened my bible app and here’s what He said;
1 Lord, you have seen what is in my heart. You know all about me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know what I’m thinking even though you are far away. 3 You know when I go out to work and when I come back home. You know exactly how I live. 4 Lord, even before I speak a word, you know all about it. 5 You are all around me. You are behind me and in front of me. You hold me in your power.6 I’m amazed at how well you know me. Psalm 139 🙏
I think this sums up everything.
God answered, this verse was His reply. He knows and sees right through us. Relieved, I know that God will never be misled. He hears the righteous and forsaken.
I believe in Him.
Bad things happen, but God is working for the good of those who love Him.
Romans 8:28
Let us not be bitter in wondering why good people are being examined and tested in endless ordeals.
God sees everything. And He knows each one of us.
(1) When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Harold S. Kushner
As defined by Wikipedia; refers to a deliberate state of psychological or spiritual calm despite the potential presence of stressors. 1
Being at “peace” is considered by many to be healthy, good for the body and soul. It is something we all seek and surely one thing money cannot buy. Even billionaires & the most influential people like Steve Jobs tried to search for peace, it was evident in his statements.
“my favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It is really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”
“your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
“being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that matters to me.”
Steve Jobs
I have shared this before & I’m saying this again, the key to inner peace is faith. It took me countless uphill battles & several deaths in my family to finally came down to my knees, recognizing that all I need is Jesus. Nothing / no-one can help me bear the pain but him who suffered with us, for us…
“Don’t be afraid for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
The recent sudden deaths of my brother and less than a year after my father – devastated me. I stopped praying for a while, like “doubtful Thomas” yearning for answers on why awful things happened to me. Yes, I tasted great sorrow, grief, scrutiny and defeats, but knowing that we have Jesus in our weakest is our greatest gift.
There’s this awesome book I’ve been reading lately. Sharing the prayer below. With title – “The Stress Cure” by Linda Evans Shepherd.
Quoting her, “I wondered why I’d allowed yesterday’s stress to block God’s peace, peace I could have had today…
Though we can’t control all the things that happen to us, we can, with God’s help, control our reaction to them – trusting God even when we’re stressed.”
The path to peace is simple – faith. It all starts there, peace leads to better health, then happiness and contentment. I’ve taken many herbal supplements to lessen my symptoms. Eventually, I realised that no matter how many ounces of medicine you take, if you’re under tremendous perpetual stress, it is useless and effect is just momentarily. Taking supplements coupled with intense faith & belief that you will be healed – that is power!
Let me now share the prayer;
Dear Jesus,
I need you to walk through the walls of my doubt and unbelief. I choose to believe in You, that you are alive! Give me supernatural belief so that I can see you clearly. You died on the cross for my sins and came back to life again. Because you took my punishment, I can now walk with God.
I turn from my sins and turn to you, to follow you and to trust you with my whole heart. Please forgive me for my past and let your Spirit come so I can learn to walk in your peace.
Need Protection? This is what you need. Because evil is everywhere, comes in all forms, working on your downfall, conniving for your defeat.
Prayer For Protection Against Evil
Heavenly Father You have promised that when we dwell in the secret place of the most High and shelter under the shadow of Your wings you will guard and guide us, protect us and keep us – for You are our refuge and our fortress and You alone are the one in Whom we place our trust.
Thank You Lord that no matter where I go Your hand leads me, and Your right arm upholds me.. for You are before me and behind me, You are above me and below me You are at my right hand and also at my left. And You are within me.. indwelling in my heart by the power of Your Holy Spirit, Who is my ever present Help in time of trouble.
Father I pray that You would protect me and my family from all the evils that are lurking nearby and from those that would seek to harm us. Uphold us and keep us safe from all the evils that encircle our lives. Put Your hedge of protection and safety around us we pray, and place a guard at our doors and protects us from all that pass by our gate. And Father, keep our hearts from fear but rather fill us to overflowing with Your perfect peace that passes all understanding. Thank You that You are indeed our refuge and strength. You are that ever present Help in time of trouble – therefore in Your strength we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the middle of the sea. – for You are with us wherever we go. Thank You in Jesus name,
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