So True it’s Creepy

While checking/grading the final papers of my students in Critical Writing, I moaned. Many of them had over 70% AI detection score. Is AI so accurate that people are making it their go-to source?” 

To test its accuracy, I typed “What is leavesofgrace.blogspot.com all about?” I am cutting and pasting what AI coughed up, word-for-word. 

leavesofgrace.blogspot.com is a personal blog by a Filipino author, focusing on reflections on faith, grace, writing, books, and life experiences, often connecting everyday moments to spiritual themes and encouraging gratitude, with posts sharing stories, devotionals, writing processes, and highlights from writing projects and life events. The name itself signifies finding God's continuous blessings in small things, much like leaves in nature. 

Key Themes & Content:

Faith & Spirituality: Posts often explore spiritual insights, God's grace, and personal faith journeys, drawing from scripture and experiences.

Writing & Literature: The author shares their passion for writing, book projects (including devotional books and contest entries), and the creative process, turning words into published "leaves".

Life & Gratitude: Content includes reflections on nature, family, friends, and ordinary occurrences, emphasizing finding blessings and practicing gratitude.

Filipino Context: Posts sometimes reference Filipino culture, local events (like the Matatag Curriculum), and personal connections within the Philippines. 

In essence, it's a digital journal of faith, writing, and life, celebrating the "leaves" (moments, words, blessings) that reveal unending grace. 

Dive Deeper in AI Mode

Leaves of Grace is the personal blog of Grace D. Chong, a multi-award-winning Filipino author of children's books and devotionals. 

Active since November 2006, the blog serves as a digital journal focused on finding spiritual significance in "seemingly small, ordinary things". Key themes include: 

Faith and Devotion: Many posts are reflections on the Christian faith, documenting how God's grace manifests in daily life, family milestones, and personal "storms".

Literary Life: Chong provides behind-the-scenes looks at her writing process, book launches, and participation in events like the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF).

Children's Literature: As the author of the popular Oh, Mateo! series and several devotionals for kids, she often discusses the importance of reading and her work with organizations like CSM Publishing and OMF Literature.

Personal Essays: The blog features stories about her family, travels, and reflections on aging, which she describes as the golden years. 

Would you like to find specific book titles by Grace D. Chong or information on where to purchase her devotionals?

Mouth agape, I turned on all the house lights to shake off the creeps. 

But that's the creepy world we live in today. 

   

My first header: November 23, 2006

My current header: January 2026

The Grave, Grace, and Gratitude

On this day last year, just before midnight, Tony bade us goodbye, never to return. And as I remember that day, three words burst in my head unbidden. I'd like to reflect on them as my family and I commemorate his first death anniveresary,    

Grave: Visiting Tony’s grave is not meant to be a ritual or to dwell on the past. We were not there on All Saints’ Day or All Souls’ Day. But when time allows (same home, different schedules), we visit—more to process our grief and to honor his memory. 

I know too well that the grave represents our mortality, an end to our earthly life. It serves as a reminder of the brevity of life, and the fact that “All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return." (Ecclesiastes 3:20) 

Grace: To believers like me, it is the free, unmerited gift of God; the force that keeps us alive and well, despite our unworthiness.  It emphasizes a kindness bestowed upon us that we have not earned and will never deserve. It allows our grief to be near but not close enough to make us despondent or depressed. 

Gratitude: This is our natural response to the grace we receive.  Awareness of grace leads to a deep sense of gratitude, quietly transforming our outlook from the pangs of grief to the pomp of glory. 

Even amidst the raw pain of grief, the beauty of a loved one's memory and our belief in God’s faithfulness encourage us to give heartfelt thanksgiving.  

The Latin root word for both "grace" and "gratitude" is gratis. When gratis is given by God, it's grace; when we receive it, it becomes gratitude. This connection suggests a circle. Receiving grace leads to gratitude, which in turn enables us who are grateful to channel that grace to others. 

Together, all three words (grave, grace, and gratitude) describe accurately what I feel when I am by Tony’s grave. And I pray it is the same with my sons, my sister, and all kith and kin who visit.  

What Will You Do Now?

My close friends were appalled when I told them I had decided to quit classroom teaching, a part-time job I relished for over 20 years.  

“Why would you leave a job you love?!”

“What will you do now?!”  

I replied to the first question with a blog. 

To the second question . . . “Reading, writing, and crossword  puzzles [not necessarily in that order] will keep me more than busy. They now have my total, unequivocal attention.” 

Last Christmas, I received my new Bible from son #1. He gives me a new translation/version of the good Book every year. This time, it’s another Chronological Bible with a Recap! How cool is that? January is Bible Month in the Philippines, so I am feasting on this. 

I squealed with excitement when I got his second gift—Philip Yancey’s latest book, his autobiography—but after a recent news, cold water poured on the euphoria . . . that, I will blog about when the ache dulls. 

My sister Aie gave me my favorite crossword puzzles by Will Shortz, my favorite cruciverbalist, of New York Times (all 365 for the whole year). It was a gift to her from my late BCF Minna, but which she selflessly passed on to me.

“What will you do now?” 

Well, aside from those, my mind is now climbing mountains and skyscrapers, rappelling down cliffs and gorges searching for fresh ideas for my next book/s. 

There is more than enough grace to keep me up and running.   

Does Life Have Chapters?

Looking back, it seems that my life has been a series of chapters. 

Looking deeper, however, these “chapters” are really an overarching, meaningful narrative authored by our Maker, focused on relationship with Him, redemption, and a purposeful walk toward forever. 

It is a progression, a journey of spiritual transformation and growth.  

My last six years have exactly been this joyful journey (in 2025, the Lord made it my panacea for grief). I facilitated the women’s Sunday school in our church—not because I asked for it, but because son #3, the chairman of our church board, voluntold me.  

At that time (pandemic), we had no pastor and to keep the Lord's work seamless was to assign someone who was available and could not say no: Mom. 

It has been a learning (not teaching) voyage for me: mining the scriptures, discerning God’s truth, consulting pastors I know online, and sharing these with the women who added dimensions to the lessons through their own faith journey. I pray we have moved from a small seed to a strong tree. 

In October last year, we have been blessed with a new, young pastor, whose wife has the energy, enthusiasm, and the expertise to take over. 

In sync with the times, the last lesson for 2025, which I facilitated, was “Faith in Troubled Times."  

We demonstrated this by burning whatever had been stunting our faith’s growth: problems, struggles, anger, bitterness, biases, etc. 

When all turned to ashes, we celebrated the birth of Grace by sharing Christmas gifts.  

Life on earth is just one continuing chapter. It closes when He calls. But it opens to an entirely new and eternal one when Jesus comes again. 

We say one last "cheese" for 2025, but the journey under a new aegis continues.  

Smiles, Stories, and Sparkles

Museo ng Muntinlupa* said it better than I ever could: 

“Yesterday was nothing but smiles, stories, and sparkles for our Grade 5 and Grade 6 learners! Students joined Kwentuhan Sa Museo’s 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅, 𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚!,  an interactive storytelling activity designed to spark creativity and build a joyful learning community among young readers.

“We were honored to have 𝗠𝘀. 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗗. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗴, a Palanca Awardee, who brought her story “𝘖𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘰! #06 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳” to life, leaving our audience inspired with meaningful lessons and big imaginations.

 

“A heartfelt thank you to our partners, OMF Literature Inc. and the Schools Division Office of Muntinlupa, for making this event possible.

“Reading isn’t just a skill, it is a doorway to imagination, learning, and lifelong success. And yesterday, our young readers walked right through it.” 

Those words lit up my world and affirmed my craft--writing about His grace--before the Christmas activities overlapped and overspread. I picked them up from the FB page of Museo ng Muntinlupa where I spent one bright, starlit day in early December 2025. 

An auditorium filled with over 200 people (vibrant kids and chatty adults) was hushed while I read “Look for the Star” (published by Hiyas of OMF Lit and illustrated by Beth Parrocha), the book cited by the award-giving body as the best in Asia in the year 2019. 

The story of parents’ unconditional love for their children and children’s ability to acknowledge that love (not immediately, but at some point in time) resonated with the audience, not because of culture but because it is written . . . 

"Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, 'things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.'"  Ephesians 6:1-3 NLT 

The Q&A, facilitated by the charismatic and energetic emcee, was candid and insightful. They powered new ideas for new books in the future. 

Writing is blessed with a perk: overwhelming grace, such as a day like this. 

*Museo ng Muntinlupa webpage: it is a cultural and educational venue of the city of Muntinlupa. It is the primary venue to present and preserve the history, heritage, and culture of the Muntinlupeños for generations to come. 

       As a city museum, Museo acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of the city of Muntinlupa and its environment. It is the primary institution that forwards the conservation of Muntinlupa’s heritage through research, exhibitions, public programs, and even merchandise. 

       As a cultural center, it celebrates, fosters, and supports the culture and artistic excellence of the Muntinlupeños through performances, exhibitions, and training.

Focusing then Forgetting

Focus, which is missing among the young who grew up on gadgets, is the theme of my latest book, Ready, Set, Focus!  

Not to brag, but focus possesses me when writing. I tune off the world and zero in on my current work. I double-check the accuracy of all data and conduct research to know what resonates with my target readers. Where focus cometh . . .  

For one, I grew up in a little town in an era when gadgets were still an unborn idea. Distraction is a modern enemy. For another, I trained in an ad agency where I shared a noisy room with 12 others, frequently visited by 12 more to debate ideas, with strict yesterday deadly deadlines. I ate pressure for breakfast.  

Writing also requires critically studying characters close to my heart. Their names and traits I borrow when creating real-life fiction. 

The irony is, after a book has been published. I focus on the next one and forget the details of the previous one.   

Ooops. I totally forgot using our Barangay Captain’s name and his character in a pivotal role to solve the problem of focus in the Barangay.  

I mentioned it to son #3, a lawyer, and he was appalled, “Mom, you need to give Kap Roni a copy! Explain what his role in the book is! Request Edward [an officer in church and a village street chair] to go with you.” 

I did as told, and was not surprised at how gracious Kap Roni was. Many people speak well of him—how seriously he takes his job through people-oriented projects. Looking back, that was why I chose his name to represent a community leader. 

What I thought would be a five-minute courtesy call stretched to an hour and a half. He shared his vision/mission for the community.  Ooops turned to awe.  

One of the blessings of an author is meeting people at the helm whose name I borrow because they  inspire.   

“For from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.” (John 1:16 ESV)  

Happy Birthday, Son

Today is son #1’s birthday. But the celebration (a family dinner) was held three days earlier while their Tita Aie (my only sister), whom they adore, was still here in one of her short visits from the province. 

As usual, celebrations in our household have always been food—glitz and trimmings are never in the itinerary. 

There are only four people now, minus Tony. Grief attack stalked me. Son #1, who was given the freedom to choose the menu, as the celebrator, made sure one of Tony’s favorites (roasted duck) was on the table.

After Aie left for the province, a feast from son #2 and family in the US covered our dining table anew! An extended celebration! This time, only the celebrator and I shared the meal while son #3 still had to deal with an online class. 

A conversation of two: 

Me: How did we celebrate your birthday last year? 

Son #1: You, JR, and Mother Teresa were all in the hospital watching over Papa. I was left to be the house-sitter. 

Me: Oh. (Grief attack snuck in.)    

Son #1: He texted me, “Happy birthday, son.” 

Me: Oh. (I held back looming sobs by putting one whole fried lumpia in my mouth.) 

Son #1: That was his last text message to me. 

Silence. Chomp-chomp. Chew-chew.  Bite-bite. 

It would have been the perfect time to echo Tony’s last text message but . . . 

I am better at writing: “Happy bithday, son.” 

Now, time to return to reason: Birthdays are grace. They are happy occasions. 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

No festivity at home (noche buena it is called) could begin without first worshiping the Reason for Christmas with fellow believers. 

  

We believe that true worship of the Lord isn't about physical places (like Jerusalem or our church) but a sincere, internal connection: God is Spirit, so worship must be "in spirit" (heartfelt, genuine) and "in truth" (knowing and aligning with God's revealed character, Jesus). It shifts worship from outward rituals to an inner relationship, emphasizing the spiritual nature of God and kindred souls. 

It was a solemn hour of thanksgiving. 

The choir, like the angels in Bethlehem on the day Love came down, sang praises to honor our King. 

Our pastor spoke about the “Promise fulfilled” so sinful mankind can be saved. 

Then we re-enacted what Jesus instructed his followers, as recalled by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV), “… on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” 

The bread represents his body broken for wholeness, and the cup his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins, establishing a New Covenant.

We soaked in His grace as we celebrated His birth.  

Christmas Celebrates the Giver

This image macro (more popularly known as meme) appeared on our church’s FB page two days before Dec. 25. It was to remind us that . . . In a season full noise, gifts, and distractions, Christmas is about Jesus, the reason, the hope, and the light that never fades.  

If I may paraphrase Albert Benjamin (A.B.) Simpson, the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance . . . 

Christmas is not just a holiday, but a profound demonstration of God's love, emphasizing Jesus's birth as the central event for salvation, healing, and the coming of God's kingdom on Earth. Rather than worldly festivities, Christmas celebrates the transformation He offers, leading to a life of service and witnessing His "Fourfold Gospel" of Salvation, Sanctification, Healing, and the Second Coming.

Focus on the Giver, Not Gifts: celebrate ‘The Giver,’ Jesus Christ, who came to save humanity from sin, It is about spiritual renewal rather than material exchange.

It is the birth of the church’s purpose: The infant Jesus represented the beginning of a Church meant to be a haven for the lost, a place of healing, training, and equipping believers for spiritual warfare, far beyond mere social gatherings.

Our church’s Christmas program, as designed by a committee and led by our pastor, centered on fellowship with faith brethren. More than fun, games and gifts, the emphasis was on testimonies of God’s faithfulness. 

Our CHRISTMAS was a celebration of the GIVER: JESUS