Category: self discovery
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1 year in Celebrate Recovery
To make this official, I will introduce myself the CR way:“Hi, my name is Maryann. I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ. I have freedom from all types of abuse. I am healing from codependency, expectations, resentments, and marital hurts.” I entered the doors of Celebrate Recovery (CR) in July 2022, a month after I…
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My urban garden
Gardening has been my saving grace this pandemic season. Now that doesn’t mean I’ve reaped a monumental physical harvest – more on that later- but I can now see why people say gardening is therapeutic. This one hobby has taught me so much about myself as well as the work it takes to grow food.…
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What my dad’s passing taught me
Excerpt from his obituary: Melchor passed away in the comfort of his home of 32 years after a five year battle with a mitochondrial disease. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, relatives, and barkada. Melchor was a problem-solver who often took on a multitude of home renovation projects and enjoyed maintaining the family…
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Wife of a recovering addict – part 2: we look just like you
This is part of a series: Wife of a Recovering Addict. If you haven’t read the introduction, click here to catch up! Chris and I were your typical 1st generation Filipino American couple in the late 90s to early 2000’s. He was bald, listened to Bay Area hip hop, lived in Daly City, and drove…
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Wife of a recovering addict
I was unloading the trunk of my husband’s car packed with party supplies. It was a day full of preparation as we were celebrating the dedication of our third child at our home church with a reception immediately following the ceremony the very next day. Its been a jam packed week as I prepped for…
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The bible and mental health
In the recent months, our home church spoke about pertinent topics that many struggle with as human beings of this earth. What I appreciate about our church is the focus on bible based teaching. As a former Catholic, I never really read the bible and remained focused on the traditions of Catholicism. Growing up, I…
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When is it enough?
I have written and rewritten this particular post many many times. I have struggled to find the right words to provide clarity and compassion. I feel like no matter what I say, it won’t be enough. So I will speak from the heart as a human being, a parent, and most importantly a Filipino American.…
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Just show up
I’ve been in a reflective state for the past week because I knew that I would hit this major milestone and I didn’t know how I would feel. In fact, I was anxious about today because there is a sense of fear of the future and the unknown. What is this major milestone you may…
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Doing it all
I have been asked how I manage to ‘do it all’ with of my all the current responsibilities – required and volunteered. In addition to managing a large family and their daily lives, I also volunteer in multiple ministries at church; work part time remotely for a software consulting company; run a blog utilizing multiple…