April is my birthday month and before this month ends, I’d like to share with you the latest miracle that God has given me as one of my birthday gifts this year.

God first inspired me to write a new book for homeschool moms last year around the last quarter. I received a lot of ideas and inspiration from Him. I initially thought of writing it before the year 2020 ends, but I felt that it was more important that I spend more time with my immediate family and with God during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Then, during Christmas, God revealed to me a new project or assignment that He wanted me to work on. He wanted me to start a podcast. You can read more about this new adventure of mine here. My new book idea had to take a backseat again.

2021 came and I started to get busy with my new podcast and many other things. By March, I saw a post from the Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards that the deadline for submission this year would be on April 30. I started to feel nervous because I have not started writing my book yet. I wanted so much to start writing it. However, I was still busy working on my podcast and I knew that this podcast was something that God wanted me to work on at that time.

I chose to let go and surrender to God’s plans and timetable. If God really wants me to write this new book and join the Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards again this year, just like in the past, He would help me write a new book even in a short span of time.

Holy Week came and, finally, Season 1 of my podcast Follow God with Teresa is done. You can listen to it on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or my website. I was still nervous and had some doubts if I could finish my new book, but I still started writing with the little faith and time that I had in the middle of Holy Week. Amazingly, I got to write 5 reflections on day 1.

I was writing a 31-day devotional. So, being able to write 5 reflections on the first day that I decided to sit down and start writing my latest book encouraged me a lot.

I tried again the following day and I got to write 2 more reflections. On the next day, I wrote another 2.

I took a break during Good Friday. I resumed writing again on Black Saturday and I got to write 5 reflections again.

I took a few days off to celebrate Easter Sunday and my birthday with my immediate family members.

I started writing again on the day after my birthday. That day, I got to write 4 more reflections. 17 down, 14 to go! I was so encouraged and happy because by then, the number of reflections I have written was more than the reflections I have yet to write.

I got to write 13 reflections during the next three days. 30 down, 1 to go!

I thought that I would be able to finish all 31 reflections by that weekend but I learned that there is an online chess tournament that my kids wanted to join. So, instead of finishing the remaining reflections, I spent that weekend coordinating and supporting my kids who competed in the National Age Group Chess Competition.

Anyway, I got to finish writing the remaining reflections and the other parts of the book on the days that followed. In just 9 days, God helped me do the impossible! He enabled me to write a new book! Wow!

“The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” These verses from Isaiah 50:4-5 became alive in my life again while I was writing this new book.

Indeed, the Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. (Isaiah 49:1-2)

“Let us encourage and strengthen one another’s faith by sharing our experiences… Let us take every opportunity to share what God has done for us and give glory to Him. ” This was the commentary on the Gospel from Kerygma Family website on the same day that I received these Bible verses from the book of Isaiah. I felt assured and affirmed by God through these words.

Pope Benedict XVI’s words resonated with me, too. “To receive Jesus and to take Him to others is the true joy of the Christian.” I felt so much joy writing this new book because I know that this was what God wanted me to do to help and encourage my fellow homeschool moms.

I know that if not for His grace and mercy, I would not be able to accomplish this.

I faced many challenges while writing this book and even before I wrote it. When 2021 started, many of us were hopeful that 2021 would be a better year and that the Covid situation would improve. But a sudden surge in Covid cases happened within the first quarter of 2021 in Metro Manila. Every day, I would read posts from people I know on Facebook that they or a family member has Covid. Then, there were many days also when I would read about deaths in the family of the people I know either due to Covid or something else.

It was really depressing and alarming. I was afraid for my family. There were days and nights when I struggled with these thoughts and all the negative news circulating.

I worked some more on my book in the days that followed by formatting it, editing it, proofreading it, and publishing it on Amazon.

My father even got sick last week. I had to coordinate with my family of origin and find a doctor whom they could consult with online. On the same day that we had an appointment with a cardiologist, my second child had an online chess competition again. I was really stressed during those days.

But God did not allow me to be defeated by all these troubles.

On April 23, my latest book titled Homeschool Moms at the Feet of Jesus: 31 Days of Encounter with our Lord was published on Amazon! You can go to the book’s Amazon page when you click this link.

Receiving an email from Amazon Kindle was one of my high points that day.

“Go out to all the world and tell the Good News!” That was the Psalm for that day. What a fitting message to me as I received this notification from Amazon Kindle!

Truly, my God leads me. He was the One who moved me to upload my manuscript the day before.

I’m so grateful that God did not let me stop trying and did not let me lose hope that I can write a NEW book at such a short time and during this pandemic. My Lord is truly awesome!

It was the Lord who enabled me to live out my #OneWord for 2021 (which is NEW) as early as the first and second quarters of this year. Last February 14, I became a podcaster through my new podcast. Then, last April 23, I got to publish my 1oth book!

I know in my heart that it was God who helped me create these NEW THINGS. He said to me last year in Isaiah 43:19, “I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads on deserts, streams in thirsty lands.”

Even when I could not see a way, God made a way for me to still write and publish a new book amid my terribly busy schedule. He orders my life. I’m so glad He is my God and I’m so grateful that I am His servant!

I give back the honor and glory to Him. Not to me, not to me, but to Your Name be the glory, Lord!

This is one of the reasons why I ran a birthday month giveaway this April because I feel so grateful to God for the many blessings I have received from Him. Incidentally, this April, we also celebrate the quincentennial celebration of the start of Christianity in the Philippines and the theme is Gifted to Give. You can also join this giveaway. Today is actually the last day to join it. Read the details and mechanics here.

Watch out for my next blog posts when I would announce the launch of this latest book of mine.

If you are a homeschool mom like me or you are considering homeschooling your child this coming school year, I think this devotional would help you. Sign-up here if you want to be part of the list that would be notified of the FREE DOWNLOAD of this book when we launch it soon this year.