Blessings by the Dozen
An Anniversary Message
By: Teacher Marion Cruz, School Directress
Last February 21, 2010, we celebrated our 12th birthday as a school. Twelve years ago, Cradle of Joy was but a vision and a burning passion of four women who wanted to brave the odds by putting up a progressive school, initially for the children of our Catholic charismatic community, Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (LNP). But we soon opened our doors to the neighboring children for them to avail of the quality education we provide. Back then in 1998, we had no money, no place to house the school, no name. All we had was zealous faith in our hearts as we moved forward out of sheer obedience to a God whom we felt had called us for His mission, the mission to shape young hearts and minds for Jesus. Funds poured in and donations in kind filled the once empty rooms. By June of 1998, we were operational. By 2000, we expanded our reach to include grade school children.
Cradle of Joy is the Lord’s. And since it is His, we have seen how He never ever failed to care for His own.
Twelve years since its inception, we look back with utter amazement at how God has outdone Himself in magnanimity. We look back at God’s faithfulness and our hearts are filled with deep gratitude. This year alone, God blessed us tremendously:
Had God only touched the heart of a Board of Trustee to be faith-filled and so generously and so radically remove his placement from the bank and buy the Jamboree lot so we can have a rent-to-own arrangement, that would have been enough for us.
Had God only touched the hearts of brothers in the LNP Community to donate their millions to enable us to put up 
our two-storey building, that would have been enough for us.
Had God only touched the hearts of several batches of the COJ PTA to tirelessly raise funds for the seed money of this dream building, that would have been enough for us.
But no, what is enough for us is not always enough for God. God gives us more; and oftentimes, way beyond our expectations.
God touched the hearts of people not only to give of their resources for Cradle of Joy. More miraculous than a tangible testament of His generous provision and the school structure as its end result, we have seen through the 12 years of COJ’s existence, how God has touched the hearts of our children to know Him, love Him, and serve Him more.
And yes, we have seen how God touched the hearts too of several parents, yayas, teachers and staff through LNP-initiated spiritual enrichment programs, staff prayer times, and our weekly bible sharing groups. Through the years, we have seen how God has made COJ His instrument to transform more lives, to turn more hearts to Himself. I will never tire of hearing testimonies from a parent, a teacher or a staff member who would share that their lives have totally changed because they met the Lord in a more personal way through COJ, or when they say that they are a better spouse, a better parent, a better employee and/or a better Christian because they have allowed Jesus into their hearts. That to us is the greatest miracle of all.
As we celebrate a dozen years of God’s blessings, we say that we in turn want to give more. What little we have, we give back to Him.
We intend to reach out more, to expand our territories as He expands our hearts: To allow our services to reach those in the south, hopefully opening a satellite classroom in our LNP Center in Taguig; To open doors for scholars from underprivileged families; To mobilize our teachers and staff for volunteer work for the poor, in the Metrobank Foundation and He Cares tutorials programs and through the sharing of our expertise among the Gawad Kalinga SIBOL day care teachers; and to bring more children and their families to God’s fold at our beloved school, Cradle of Joy.
May the Lord continue to grant us His graces and use us mightily to build up His Kingdom. It has truly been a dozen years of blessings upon blessings. To Him be the glory, honor and praise!