It’s been a quite busy week for me, aside from a workload at the office, I need to check the Barong Tagalog of my eldest son Johnboy for his graduation, if the tailor marks an impressive job. They are by the way oblige to wear a Pinya Jusi Barong Tagalog with a chinese collar cut, that’s the fashion now as I did my research last week, quite expensive! But very elegant; of course, I still have my role as a mom to my children, a wife to my husband not to mention the household chores. Though I have my household help but still I need to set up things properly in the house at least once a week, that is during weekends its a different thing if your household is run by yourself your family will really feel your presence and your motherly affection.

We usually stay in the house during weekends that’s the only time we have with each other, together, we watch good movies through dvd, we chat a lot, we eat a lot together during meals which I always prepared for them, my way of catching up to them because of my busy schedules.

After that intimate bonding, on Sundays we go to church together, we do our groceries together, there are 5 in the family so we have different likes, needs, favorite foods and so on and so forth we really are full of joy and happiness, very fulfilling! I must say.

I just wish that what we have now will last forever even if the kids will have their own lives to handle someday being with them is really amazing. I also wish that every family will do the same thing no matter how simple our lives are it is in the family that we get our strength and inspiration to keep us going.

I am thankful to God the Father for this gift because I can’t imagine existing in this world without anybody with me, without someone that you call your family no man is an island really as they say. We really need our family, so if we do have this gift let us together savor their presence because we’ll never know what’s in store for us. 

Through the KALEIDOSCOPE…

Have you ever had a journal or a diary? It’s where your deep, dark secrets are thrown into a fray where there are no dark corners, no narrow alleyways just black and blue pen inked in pieces of paper. A blog is kind of like that except instead of being this really personal thing that you keep to yourself, it’s more of a really public circus for the entire world to see.

You all probably know the difference between blogs and journals anyway. I really don’t think there’s enough reason for me to explain what those differences are. I will, however, explain to you the difference between blogging and actually speaking to someone, about whether or not blogging is a good way to capture moments in your life.

Do you know that there’s a difference between writing in a blog and actually talking to people? Writing in a blog is easy– no one can judge you midway through the process. There aren’t any interruptions, no breaks in the turn; the ambience that you create stays till you’re done speaking.

And when you blog, you’re safe from mistakes. A small typo in the fray is your biggest concern. You can just type, untype and retype everything ’till you’re finally done with the post. You’re virtually as grammatically correct as you can get here– you don’t stutter, mumble or slur your words. You don’t repeat yourself over and over again. It’s a fixed, set block of words and letters. 

In speaking, however, anything can go wrong. You can stutter, mumble and slur what you’re saying - forcing you to say it again and again till you finally say it clearly enough for the person to understand you. You can forget what you’re saying and just sit there, looking all retarded and quiet. You can be interrupted at any time, even before you get the entire message out. It just kills the ambience, the mood that you’re trying to set in the conversation. And you have to face who you’re speaking to– see every reaction, every frown and smirk that they make at what you’re saying. It’s a painful process, speaking in person…

One thing I like about speaking though is that there really is an ambience. When you blog, it’s just there when you’re typing. After you finally post it, the mood you set is dead and gone. It was only when you were writing that the mood was actually something real, something around you. You set it for yourself, basically, when you blog. You can pour your entire heart out in a post while you’re typing it and realize that it’s just another block of words when you’re done posting… it really doesn’t mean anything anymore, it’s just there, really.

So does a blog really do justice to what one feels at a precise moment? Does it capture the passion of the writer in blocks of words, paragraphs written in verse? Well, it’s really up to how good a writer you are, Maline, Grace, Nelson, Andre, Yeng, Danny, Ize & Goldwyn.

There you are guys, I made it! I mean, I was able to tagged you in a different and simple way. So, keep them flowing. . . Good luck!

It’s Holy Week once again, that special time of the year when we “boil the hell” out of our hearts in response to God who gave His only Son, and in gratitude to Jesus who suffered, died and rose again for us. May this Holy Week give us all a chance to do three (3) very important R’s in life: Rest, Reflect, Renew.

I got these three things from Fr. Jerry Orbos, and it’s nice to know that as Filipino Catholics prepare for the various events in the final days of Christ’s life - His Passion, we will also be able to get the message of Holy Week for all the world, and it is not only that Christ suffered and died for us, but that He also rose from the dead for us.

The way Filipinos spend the week in total solemnity is something peculiar to the culture that values religious traditions. Holy Week in the Philippines starts with the celebration of Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday. It is on Palm Sunday that the Story of Christ’s Passion is read from the Gospel, which acts as a sort of preview for what will unfold during the rest of the week. Palm Sunday not only marks Christ’s entry into Jerusalem but, more importantly, symbolizes the faithful’s desire to accompany Christ, according to Fr. Diwa.

So as we get this chance to rest, let us also do some reflections on how to renew our lives in this life. Let us hear the Eucharistic Celebration it also gives hope that we sinners would rise again from our mistakes and sinful ways. Let us be prayerful and reflective during the days of Holy Week and to focus our thoughts and actions on God.

Are on-line games taking over our kid’s lives? Our world today is filled with brand spanking new gadgets and technology. What would have been perceived as impossible 50 years ago is commonplace in our time. And, as with everything in this world, the good comes with the bad.

One of the popular pastimes is spent playing games such as video games, online games, and of course computer games. A big hit today is an online game called DOTA, short for Defense of The Ancients. It is a custom up for Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne.  

DOTA is a well-made strategy game that is very absorbing. But perhaps, too absorbing? Aside from being very popular in the Philippines, in some cases replacing Counter-Strike as the most played game, it is also popular in European countries.

Now, we all know that teenagers, especially teenage boys, are very interested in these things. Video Games can be very addictive to our youth, especially with the development of games such as: Counter Strike, Ragnarok, Flyff, 02-Jam, and many more in a long list that adds up everyday. We all know of at least one person who has played these games, if not addictive to them. And it’s scary to think how addicted someone can get to these seemingly harmless past times.

There have been cases where kids become so addicted that they spend every waking moment playing games and spending thousands of pesos on load or computers in the process. In some countries, there have been circumstances so serious that they have special programs to counteract this growing addiction. In China for example, there are even rehab centers for those addicted to computer games, much like the centers for those with alcohol and substance abuse problems. One has also opened in Amsterdam.

Now, some people might think that rehab centers for computer-related addictions are over kill, but I agree with the concept. Video game addiction is quite common here and in other parts of the world. We should really address the problem now and try to find a solution for this. After all, don’t you think that it is serious enough considering the fact that a chart-topping song that is repetitive and mindless exists? Or that there are already rehabs for these sorts of things? One can be addicted to anything if one has a chance to be involved in such. And video games aren’t exactly harmless. We should stop them from becoming a serious threat to the youth before it swallows up their lives. 

Five lessons to make us think about the way we treat
people.

1. First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady. During my
second month of college, our professor gave us a pop
quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed
through the questions, until I read the last one:
“What is the first name of the woman who cleans the
school?” Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen
the cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her
name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers,
you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is
smile and say “hello”. I’ve never forgotten that
lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain One
night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman
was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying
to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken
down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet,
she decided to flag down the next car. A young white
man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those
conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety,
helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a
knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant

console color TV was delivered to his home. A special
note was attached. & it read: “Thank you so much for
assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain
drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits.
Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to
make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he
passed away. God bless you for helping me and
unselfishly serving others,” Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King
Cole.

3. Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who
serve. In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much
less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop
and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in
front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he
asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little
boy pulled his hand outfox his pocket and studied the
coins in it. “Well, how much is a plain dish of ice
cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting
for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied. The little
boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice
cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream,
put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy
finished the ice cream, ! Paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she
wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the
empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You
see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to
have enough left to leave her a tip.

4. Fourth Important Lesson - The Obstacles in Our
Path. In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on
a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s
wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply
walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not
keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about
getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came
along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching
the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and
tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After
much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he
noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder
had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a
note from the King indicating that the gold was for
the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our
condition.

5. Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts.
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion
from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously
survived the same disease and had developed the
antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor
explained the situation to her little brother, and
asked the little boy if he would be willing to give
his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a
moment before taking a deep breath and s aying , “Yes
I’ll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion
progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and
smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to
her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile
faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, Will I start to die right away?”.
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her. 

Barely a month ago the university where I am connected was celebrating its ’Teacher’s Day’, it started with a Eucharistic celebration follows with a different presentations both from the teachers and the students. It was really a meaningful day for each and everyone, a bit touching, shall I say.

We are all aware that ‘teaching is a noble profession’. They are called to educate and develop the children/students to their fullest potentials. These commitments are to remind them that they are here to serve these children/students.

1. Encourage the parents to bring children to school.   

2. Teach the children with respect and compassion.

3. Learn how to communicate with them properly.   

4. Provide right materials for them.

5. Accept and welcome them whatever, whoever they may be.                          

6. Attend seminars to update your knowledge and teaching skills.

7. Help them to socialize.                                         

8. Keep in mind: children cannot wait. Children need education now. 

I have here at least 10 Rules for Teachers to live by:

1.  Make a specific rule and post them.

2.  Use rewards that are meaningful to the students.

3.  Give feedback often.

4.  Help the students to anticipate and to plan for their work.

5.  Understand the moods of the students (they have good and bad days).

6.  Use praise often.

7.  Keep in mind that children with special needs are biological in nature.

8.  Be patient.

9.  Respond by showing.

10.Have a big sense of humor.

These things wouldn’t be meaningful if teachers don’t have any inspirations from God. They must ask guidance and enlightenment from the Holy Spirit for them to keep going.

Teacher’s Prayer (By: Joanna Fuchs)

Dear Lord,  Bless these teachers mightily as they seek to teach, enrich and guide your precious children. Grant these teachers abundant resources to do their job. Give them intelligence, wisdom, sensitivity, and kindness. Provide them with the tools to be creative and productive in handling with those children.

Lord, wrap your loving arms around these teachers who give so much of themselves to develop our youth into creative, responsible adults. We pray that You will immerse them in your boundless, transcendent love.

We pray that You will strengthen and soothe them when they have given so much of themselves that they need Your extra attention, Your extra care. We love, respect and admire these teachers, Lord and we pray that You will watch over them always - these special people who hold our children and our future in their hands. AMEN.

NO POINTING FINGERS

A man asked his father-in-law, “Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?” The father-in-law answered in a smile, “Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you.” We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves.If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.

CREATING PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS?

 A person visited the government matchmaker for marriage, SDU, and requested “I am looking for a spouse. Please help me to find a suitable one.” The SDU officer said, “Your requirements, please.” “Oh, good looking, polite,  humorous , sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don’t go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest.” The officer listened carefully and replied, “I understand you need television.” There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband ,because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

NO OVERPOWERING

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another,or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that “It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person’s character.”

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness. It would be less  painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations. . 

RIGHT SPEECH

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that “A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation.” Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other,we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted,”Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school.” On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, “Luckily you married me.Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker.” She answered ,”You should appreciate that you married me. Otherwise, he will be the millionaire and not you.” Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It’s like a broken egg - cannot be reversed. 

PERSONAL PERCEPTION

 Different people have different perception. One man’s meat could be another man’s poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home,a boy commented, “Very stupid. Why neither of them ride on the donkey?”Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, “The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?” Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.

Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, “How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman.” The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they met a young man. He commented, “Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you.” Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders. It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and  struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future. Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear.. 

BE PATIENT

This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy’s hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy’s hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, ” Daddy,I’m sorry about your truck.” Then he asked, “but when are my fingers going to grow back?” The father went home & committed suicide. Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can’t. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever. 
 

One day, a small opening appeared in a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then, it seems to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly: he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a withered body, it was tiny and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly’s body and become firm.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

I asked for STRENGTH. . . and God gave me difficulties to make me strong. I asked for WISDOM . . . and God gave me problems to solve. I asked for PROSPERITY. . . and God gave me a brain and brawn to work. I asked for COURAGE. . . and God gave me obstacles to overcome. I asked for LOVE. . . and God gave me troubled people to help. I asked for FAVORS . . . and God gave me Opportunities.

“I received nothing I wanted. . . But I received EVERYTHING I needed.”

Few minutes ago I received an email from the people outside the Philippines, who encourages me to join their group in doing something good to our environment. This concerns a global issue.

Global Warming is the most significant and substantial issue than terrorism because it involves all the living creatures. Discipline is one attitude that connotes promotion, protection and conservation of our environment. The work of one, two, or three is not enough. It must and needs the work of all.

Let’s educate and teach people. The individual must conserve energy, recycle as much as possible, and plant a tree for tomorrow’s living. . . and of course, let’s start within ourselves. Instilling knowledge about pollution, open burning, recycling, etc. helps the young, especially, to be aware of the environment. So, keep up the good work because everything counts!

Let us stop from being selfish and focus on gaining profit (factories that expels more CO carbon monoxide). How can we gain for more if soon we don’t have a place to live in. The question is ” Are you ready to live in space? “. . . We should ACT NOW!