Out-of-this-world LOVE

To describe something extremely impressive, excellent, beautiful, or unusual, we use the idiom, “out-of-this-world!” with matching gasps.

So when I heard our guest pastor describe God’s love in his message (on our church’s 51st anniversary worship service), I gasped.

Suddenly, in my head, the idiom was not only figurative. It. Is. Literal.

God’s love cannot be found in this world in the hearts of men. No one can come close to duplicating God’s love on earth or in the universe. As demonstrated through the life and death of Jesus, and as shown clearly through key scriptures in the Bible, God’s love is unconditional and unending.

Then our guest preacher read Romans 8:30, "And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."

In layman’s terms, he explained that this is the golden chain of redemption--God's plan for believers from beginning to end. The verbs are explicit: 

• Predestined: God chose ahead of time to make His people like His Son, Jesus.
• Called: God invites people and draws them to Himself through the Holy Spirit.
• Justified: God forgives a person's sins because of Jesus, declaring him right and innocent.
• Glorified: Believers will share in the glory of Christ in heaven. 

He stressed that the verse uses the past tense even for "glorified" even though it has not happened yet.  Meaning, God's plan is completely certain and absolute.

Where else can we find this kind of love? Full of grace, He came as a Man to show love in our world. Yet this mortal place we call Earth mirrors the ways shown us way back in the Old Testament—on a larger scale now because of population growth. We are all witnesses today of massive:  

• Exploitation and Corruption
• Idolatry
• Bettrayal
• Decline of Moral Values 
• Violence and War       

No matter. Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  

Out-of-this-world LOVE. What else can it be?

Weavers of Magic

National Literacy Month is observed every September in the Philippines. This aligns with International Literacy Day on September 8.

That was why I was invited by the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Education to talk about my picture books, focusing on selecting children's literature for the intermediate grades.

Would I consider sharing my experience as an author to students and teachers to commemorate Literacy Month? “Weavers of Magic,” they called the celebration.

“Yes!” I replied in two seconds. It would be a nostalgic trip after so many years.

UP was where I spent four years for my college degree. I call that era my ancient of days, when I was young, reckless, and furious.  

Except for new buildings, the campus has not changed much. The places where I used to run to be on time for classes, and the sunken garden which I crossed to go to the library---they are there.  Unfortunately, it rained intermitently; it was unwise to walk around.

I remembered how intense UP students could be (compared to the Gen Z’s and Gen Alphas I now encounter). Everyone listened with rapt attention, abandoned their phones, and asked incisive questions.

It is grace that enables me to be seen as a weaver of magic today. Looking back, I think my UP days wove magic into me. 

In the car on my way home, I sang the university hymn, UP Beloved (it is now sung in Filipino).  

U.P. beloved, thou Alma Mater dear

For thee united our joyful voices hear . . .

(Oops, the rest of the lyrics I can't remember)

Rise and Sign!

D-day has arrived. I wake up early (I always wake up early) for my book signing date at the Manila International Book Fair. 

I feel a massive adrenaline rush while on the road. At the same time, spicy shivers attack my excitement because the rain buckets down (visibility zero) and driver Sammy inches our way to the venue.

But the happy spirit rises when the readers come in droves—asking questions, telling anecdotes, chatting about this and that, taking photos, and cracking jokes while I sign my books. 

And grace pours . . .

 . . . unleashing a deluge. 

If Happiness Had a Face

After the MIBF, I am definitely zonked! Time was when I would spend four whole days (from opening to closing hours) there and still feel zippy after. Not anymore. 

But while sorting out photos taken by people to whom I entrusted my camera, I found this.

Despite the rigor of speaking before hundreds of guests in seminar rooms, book signing, and traversing two huge floors jampacked with book lovers, I couldn't contain the joy at that happy place.  

Can Happy be Any Happier?

Like a kid in a candy store, I rush from booth to booth. There are just too many books at the MIBF! Joy never runs out in a place like this.  

What's keeping me bursting with zest today is my official book signing schedule. I have been doing so since day one of the MIBF, but those have been, as the OMF staff would say, "incidentals." So today is the day. If you happen to be near the area, please drop by for a chat. 

An hour after the book signing, Hiyas and OMF Lit will officially launch these new titles (plus 24 more) with the theme READEMPTION in a hall.  And then, tomorrow, my happy place will close--to open again next year.

Like a tic, I sing this old hymn (written by Julia H. Johnston in 1910) when joy overwhelms:

Grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.

The Happy Place Opens Again!

Adrenaline has kicked in, and it will keep pumping up at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) as it continues to welcome book lovers everywhere. 

On the first day, I had an hour talk before educators and any advocate for picure books. The event was oragnized by the The National Book Development Board (NBDB), a Philippine government agency tasked with developing and promoting the country's book publishing industry

My topic centered around the role of picture books in developing empathy towards peace. My cup of tea! 

From day 1 of my writing journey, the trajectory has always been peace, through Christian values. All my 50 plus published picture books today focus on these values, each one showing how moral ethics (from the Book on grace that I read every day) can be lived through relatable characters illustrated in unique ways. 

Son #1 took pictures of the talk perhaps to document how his mother has kept her life busy even after leaving the corporate world. Talks in events such as this usually follow a published book. 

A lecture? Never. I speak about how and why I write and hopefully, the audience can have some meaningful take-away on how books on grace can help them guide the young teward the right path. 

As writers and illustrators love to instruct tthemselvs, "Show, don't tell!"  

From a select audience to the crowd at the OMF lit booth with the theme READEMPTION: 

To book worms, this is the happy place for happy days! 

New Books: READEMPTION

Redemption is powerfully told in the greatest book ever written: the BIBLE.

A non-theologian, I define it in the simplest of words: Believers’ past sins are completely wiped out, because the Savior paid the total penalty on the cross.

This is where my faith is anchored on, and which keeps me writing--to always remind myself of His sacrifice for insignificant me. Redemption (and soon, restoration when the Savior comes again) will hopefully be understood and believed by readers, one book at a time.

That's why joy stole my breath when I received this invitation from OMF Literature. 

READEMPTION was a gathering of everyone involved in the production of 25 new books for launching at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) from Sept 9-13, 2026. A Christian publishing house, OMF acknowledges that everything comes from the Savior and dedicating our work to Him means giving back all the glory that is never ours, but belongs only to Him.

Over snacks, each round table was given three topics to discuss and reflect on:

1. For authors: What are the Christian and Filipino values that your books redeem from today’s challenging world?

2. For illustrators, Editors, and Translators: Did the story inspire you to live out specific Christian or  Filipino values?

3. For OMF Lit: As a publisher, what are the new realizations that you had in producing this batch of books?  

READEMPTION is a beautiful cacography of redemption, the message we want our readers to understand, one book at a time. 

READEMPTION, OMF Literature and Hiyas's theme for the MIBF. is  a celebration of the Savior's grace.  

The CEO's moving talk revolved around OMF’s mission "to publish and distribute Christ-centered, biblically sound, and culturally relevant resources for the equipping and spiritual growth of Filipinos, all for the glory of God.”

The dedication of 25 books was not about us, but about the loving Redeemer who gave us all--talent, creativity, knowledge, wisdom, and so on and so fortth ad infinitum.  

Cut or Copy and Paste

People of my generation can scream all they want, but we are in this digital era (an alien!) where almost every information can be taken from the Net. It is now difficult to see who is thinking critically and who is copying intensely.  

My cohorts and I are wary about this phase in our world. But the younger ones have embraced it. I have not met any person below the age of 40 who has not done a "cut or copy and paste" for a research paper, speech, or just congratulatory message. It’s quick, convenient, and leaves the brain at rest. 

Yet it is a fact we can no longer ignore. I am no longer an exception either. 

Beyond curious about my blogs’ extremely high hits, I asked AI, “Tell me something about leavesofgrace.blogspost.com.”

I copied and pasted its reply, in toto—and gasped at the accurate data. 

These are more than eerie for this non-tech-savvy blogger.