This is an excerpt from a friend's blog...
An old farmer wrote to his son who was in prison,
this year i wont be able to plant potatoes because i can't dig the ground. i know if u were here u would help me.
Son wrote back:
dad don't think of digging the ground because that's where i buried the guns.
...
police read the letter and very next day the whole field was dug by police looking for guns but nothing was found.
the next day the son wrote again "now plant your potatoes dad' that's d best i can do from here for you.
(moral lesson a small act of goodness can create lasting happiness)
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Love and Suffering
I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love...
Mother Teresa
There is no greater love without experiencing suffering. Love that is smooth as a silk is not eternal. But a love that experiences rough sailing endures. God's love is eternal but He has to endure great sufferings in order to express that love. Same thing is expected from us.
If we want to give a love that is unconditional, we have to cross the bridge that is under siege. We have to sail our boat amidst turbulent waters. We have to overcome the pain and do sacrifices in order to express this so called undying love for others.
Do not be afraid to love. It is better to suffer and love than not to love at all. For it is in loving that we can experience the fullness of our life.
Mother Teresa
There is no greater love without experiencing suffering. Love that is smooth as a silk is not eternal. But a love that experiences rough sailing endures. God's love is eternal but He has to endure great sufferings in order to express that love. Same thing is expected from us.
If we want to give a love that is unconditional, we have to cross the bridge that is under siege. We have to sail our boat amidst turbulent waters. We have to overcome the pain and do sacrifices in order to express this so called undying love for others.
Do not be afraid to love. It is better to suffer and love than not to love at all. For it is in loving that we can experience the fullness of our life.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
An Analogy of the Projectile
Any object that is projected or thrown and is affected solely by gravitational pull is considered a projectile.
It manifests a parabolic path which is a result of two motions combined namely: vertical and horizontal.
The vertical motion is a free fall motion while the horizontal is a uniform motion.
Human beings can be compared to a projectile.
God allow us to free fall meaning to choose what is right or what is wrong.
Our tendencies to rise or fall depends on the sins that we will commit (i.e. is synonymous to gravity).
However, despite the degree of our rise and fall God always provides us with straight horizontal movement (constant guidance) to lead us to the right Range of our path...
Live Jesus in our Hearts....
It manifests a parabolic path which is a result of two motions combined namely: vertical and horizontal.
The vertical motion is a free fall motion while the horizontal is a uniform motion.
Human beings can be compared to a projectile.
God allow us to free fall meaning to choose what is right or what is wrong.
Our tendencies to rise or fall depends on the sins that we will commit (i.e. is synonymous to gravity).
However, despite the degree of our rise and fall God always provides us with straight horizontal movement (constant guidance) to lead us to the right Range of our path...
Live Jesus in our Hearts....
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The BIBLE
In the life a person there is a point in time that you will feel deserted and alone, that you will experience emptiness and does not know where to go. People tend to jump into that vortex that is full of confusion, of anxiety and hopelessness leading to a miserable and complex way of life. But do we really need to experience sufferings and challenges in life? If YES then why? – The answer is plain and simple TO BE WITH GOD!
When people have all the wealth and luxury in life, he tends to forget God. He is tempted to live a life that is so materialistic and earthly. Hence, challenges and sufferings come to remind us that “Hey humans I am still here, have you forgotten me” says God.
Problems arise not to punish us but rather to test our faith in Him. Remember Job in the BIBLE? That was a great example of how God tested His people and how man overcame the challenges and reaped the fruit of a better life.
But how do we connect to God? In my last blog I mentioned prayer. Yes, prayer is not the last resort but the only medium that we can communicate with God. And it takes many forms – spontaneous, formula, READING THE BIBLE etc.. .
To end this blog let me share with you the following notes about Reading the BIBLE that I have kept in my blog notebook:
B – elieve in God (we have to show that we really believe in Him by reading His
words)
I – ntelligence (reading the bible will make us wiser)
B – roadminded (it will make our horizon wider)
L – ovable ( God’s people are lovable and full of love)
E – encouragement (the bible encourages and inspires people)
“TEXT MESSAGES can be deleted but GOD’S MESSAGES had lasted through time.”
“We need to load the cell phones, the BIBLE loads us.”
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The True Essence of Prayer
Prayer is one way on how we can communicate to God. But how and what to pray were the two things I cannot fully understand before. Yes, I always pay a visit to the School chapel regularly and if time permits visit the vigil room of the Cathedral. When I am in those places I will just stop by and say a short prayer like thank you Jesus, hope You will take care of me today please grant my request _______ … So simple and short that it will take only five minutes or less and then I will leave the place immediately. I thought it was good enough only to realize later that my simple prayer is self-serving as well.
I admit being a catholic I see to it I always have a rosary in my pocket. In fact I only found that rosary on the street several years ago on my way to school. But I don’t pray rosary too often because it is too long and for me too repetitive and I find it meaningless as I always observe from others who pray it. Most people just say the rosary like reciting a memorized poem. I cannot find any meaning to that.
In fact according to the bible if you want to talk to God do not be showy. Go inside a room and say your prayer in such a way that you and only God are the ones communicating. If I misinterpreted it right I don’t know.
Once again I will go back to my previous questions: how and what to pray?
It took me one simple day while I am substituting for an absent teacher to find the answers. It so happen, our school is having the room to room block rosary. As the students pray the rosary with repetitive and traditional manner and I was holding my own rosary suddenly I had a closer look at my colorful rosary. And in a wink of an eye the Holy Spirit revealed to me the meaning of each color of my rosary as well as every part of it.
Allow me to elaborate it:
The cross – reminds us of the unconditional love of God
The three beads that follow – represents the Holy Trinity
The Green Beads – stands for life. We should pray for those who are sick so that they would find healing. We should also thank for the Good health He always grants to us.
The Blue Beads – stands for the sadness and calamities that men had to endure. We should pray for the victims of natural and man-made calamities
The White Beads – represents the sanctity of the family. We should pray that God strengthens the bond that keeps each family in tact.
The Red Beads – represents human weaknesses and sins. Prayers for those who are alienating themselves from God by doing things not in accordance to the will of the Father. (B-abae A-lak D-roga S-ugal) These are all vices that become the root cause of all sins.
The Brown Beads – stands for our flickering faith to God. There are times because of so many things happening to us it seems our faith in Him wanes. It is but necessary then for us to continuously pray for the God’s strength and guidance.
The Beads in Between – represents Our Father and Glory Be. It in this part of the prayer that we acknowledge God as our Father at the same time we glorify Him.
God revelation to me keeps on reminding us that prayer must be done in the most fervent way. When we PRAY
P – repare ourselves first
R – eflect and recite
A – dore Him and ask
Y – earn for Him
Live Jesus in Our Hearts... Forever
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Greatest Driver
During recess time when I was in my first grade, it was a custom of our group composed of five boys, to meet and tell different stories ranging from horror to fantasies and many more. However, in one of our sessions, one specific topic came out. Who is the best driver among our fathers?
One of my friends boasted that his father can drive different types of vehicles from motorcycle to big trucks. Wow! His father was very skillful I told to myself. The other one trying not to be outwitted by the first had told the group that his father can drive very fast like a F1 car racer. Just like the famous Aryton Senna? (Michael Schumacher was not yet popular during that time.) How wonderful his father was as I whispered it to my mind. My two remaining friends followed through and presented the magnificent driving skills of their fathers.
When it was my turn now to tell my father’s achievement as a driver I ran out of words. What will I tell them? Every time I am with my father he never drives fast. I have never even seen him driving different vehicles because he was a family driver and always used an old jeep as his service. Very rarely, he will try to overtake other vehicles when he was on the highway. To cut it short, for me my father was just an ordinary driver - nothing special about him! And I told that to my friends but with little sadness in my heart.
Time has passed and I was already on my third grade. One day when we were traveling on South Expressway going to Manila, (we live in Lipa, Batangas just two hours away from the capital) I urged my father to overtake the vehicles in front of us. But it seems he did not hear my plea or it was just that he really does not want to listen. Several minutes had gone I felt bored already but what will I do? My father is a no-special driver! Once again I felt that desolation in my heart. The next thing I did was to remain quiet, though I cannot hide the frustration on my face.
"there is always a time for us to accelerate and a time to decelerate…"
Just when I was about to go to sleep due to boredom, all of a sudden my father stepped on the clutch, changed gear and pressed the gas accelerator. One by one we overtook all the vehicles in front of us until nothing left but our vehicle on the road. I was startled and the same time shocked with the sudden turn of events.
As he now drives with the normal speed of 40 km/h, I saw a smile on his face and we continued with our travel.
Moments later he said to me,” you know son, there is always a time for us to accelerate and a time to decelerate. When to do it, is opt to you to decide, as long as it will be for the best of your interest and for the good of all.” I have kept those words into my mind and into my heart from thereon.
By that time I was a struggling Grade three student. But with those words coming from my father, I started to gain grounds in my academics and finished on top of my class when I graduated in Grade six and the youngest of the batch at age 11.
The momentum of that one special moment never stopped there. I was able to finish high school and college despite meager financial budget but with lots of inspiration coming from my parents.
At present I am teaching High School Physics in a very prestigious school in our place. And every time this topic about force and motion is being discussed I will always remember that one moment with my father that somehow changed the course and bearing of my life.
A driver who rarely press the vehicle horn when driving…
but uses his mind, eye and feet speed coordination very well.
A father who frequently drives vehicle with a turtle-like attitude…
but with reserved formula one skill.
A father that I once was thought to be no-special…
but unknowingly the greatest driver of them all!
This 24th of June 2011 we celebrated his second death anniversary.
He spent almost all his entire life driving on the road. But never in his lifetime has he forgotten to set the route that his children need to travel.
Bon voyage “Tatay” as you continue with your journey in the next life. We all miss you.
One of my friends boasted that his father can drive different types of vehicles from motorcycle to big trucks. Wow! His father was very skillful I told to myself. The other one trying not to be outwitted by the first had told the group that his father can drive very fast like a F1 car racer. Just like the famous Aryton Senna? (Michael Schumacher was not yet popular during that time.) How wonderful his father was as I whispered it to my mind. My two remaining friends followed through and presented the magnificent driving skills of their fathers.
When it was my turn now to tell my father’s achievement as a driver I ran out of words. What will I tell them? Every time I am with my father he never drives fast. I have never even seen him driving different vehicles because he was a family driver and always used an old jeep as his service. Very rarely, he will try to overtake other vehicles when he was on the highway. To cut it short, for me my father was just an ordinary driver - nothing special about him! And I told that to my friends but with little sadness in my heart.
Time has passed and I was already on my third grade. One day when we were traveling on South Expressway going to Manila, (we live in Lipa, Batangas just two hours away from the capital) I urged my father to overtake the vehicles in front of us. But it seems he did not hear my plea or it was just that he really does not want to listen. Several minutes had gone I felt bored already but what will I do? My father is a no-special driver! Once again I felt that desolation in my heart. The next thing I did was to remain quiet, though I cannot hide the frustration on my face.
"there is always a time for us to accelerate and a time to decelerate…"
Just when I was about to go to sleep due to boredom, all of a sudden my father stepped on the clutch, changed gear and pressed the gas accelerator. One by one we overtook all the vehicles in front of us until nothing left but our vehicle on the road. I was startled and the same time shocked with the sudden turn of events.
As he now drives with the normal speed of 40 km/h, I saw a smile on his face and we continued with our travel.
Moments later he said to me,” you know son, there is always a time for us to accelerate and a time to decelerate. When to do it, is opt to you to decide, as long as it will be for the best of your interest and for the good of all.” I have kept those words into my mind and into my heart from thereon.
By that time I was a struggling Grade three student. But with those words coming from my father, I started to gain grounds in my academics and finished on top of my class when I graduated in Grade six and the youngest of the batch at age 11.
The momentum of that one special moment never stopped there. I was able to finish high school and college despite meager financial budget but with lots of inspiration coming from my parents.
At present I am teaching High School Physics in a very prestigious school in our place. And every time this topic about force and motion is being discussed I will always remember that one moment with my father that somehow changed the course and bearing of my life.
A driver who rarely press the vehicle horn when driving…
but uses his mind, eye and feet speed coordination very well.
A father who frequently drives vehicle with a turtle-like attitude…
but with reserved formula one skill.
A father that I once was thought to be no-special…
but unknowingly the greatest driver of them all!
This 24th of June 2011 we celebrated his second death anniversary.
He spent almost all his entire life driving on the road. But never in his lifetime has he forgotten to set the route that his children need to travel.
Bon voyage “Tatay” as you continue with your journey in the next life. We all miss you.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Love Sent From Heaven
Since elementary I have dreamed of becoming a priest. I avoided courting girls though sometimes it is but natural to have crushes. Instead, I focused on my study and eventually finished a Bachelor’s Degree in Education major in Mathematics. I never had a chance to enter the seminary for the reason that I have to fulfill first my obligation to my family being the first born. At any rate, I have just turned nineteen (19) and still have plenty of time to spare to help my family.
By fate, I have landed a teaching job in one of the most prestigious schools in ther province. It only took me 2 ½ years before I was appointed to a middle administrative position that lasted for six years. In those years that I have served the school as a high school teacher and as a junior administrator, never in my mind that I have forgotten my boyhood dream – that priestly thing. I was even encouraged to join the religious life of the La Sallian Brothers.
I just do not know what was that force that had prevented me from doing it so? Rather than forcing the issue, I have decided to set a specific time frame: at the age of thirty (30), I will make my final decision.
The year was 2002, I have reached that point in my life that I really need to choose which path will I go: single blessedness, priesthood or married life.
Great decisions come not by chance but thru intense prayer and discernment. I prayed to God to show me sign(s) that could help me to decide. Until one day, serendipitously, an anonymous texter sent me a message that went like this, “can u be my txtm8?” – (can you be my text mate)
Being too busy that time I ignored that message. But days had passed and more text messages kept on coming. So reluctant this sender, that one night I succumbed to the pressure and text backed a message. “Hu r U?”, I texted. I thought one of my colleagues are trying to fool me around. To my surprise, the mystery texter introduced herself! Her name is Rosemarie. She is from Tuguegarao, Cagayan but during that time vacationing in Manila. To cut it short, we became text-mates and later developed a relationship that I could not explain. Is this the sign that I have asked for?
I have opted to meet her in person. I made a surprise visit on her in Manila but unexpectedly only the one to be surprised at the end. My enthusiasm to see her had faded, the moment I saw her. She is a two-legged polio victim and could not walk by herself. Indeed, I was shocked. The worst thing is, I am falling for her already! Of all person why she … I asked God.
After that meeting I became confused. I grasped for reasons why such thing happened. Is that really a joke? What would my friends tell me the moment they learn whom I am texting with? What if my family rejects her? So devastated I was that once again I turned to God for guidance and enlightenment.
And truly, HE works in a mysterious and unfathomable way.
I continued to communicate with her through text. She was already in her native province when I intensified my courtship. Thus, it became a long distance love-text affair. A year later, one summer vacation I went to her place to meet her parents and relatives and of course to present myself. It was a 12-hour trip sometimes mountainous especially nearing her place. Two years after, we got married!
Now I know why God did not allow me to become a priest. He has another planned mission for me: that is to marry a polio victim woman, to be her guide and cane as she walks, to teach one lonely person to become self reliant and lastly to take care and love her forever.
Love cannot be gauge by how compatible is one person to another. Rather, the barometer of love is how you complement the infirmities and weaknesses of your partner. There are things that we cannot do but your partner can and vice versa.
Me and my wife are now looking forward to our 8th wedding anniversary on October. It was a marriage that I did not ask for. I did not expect it as well. It was a love that was truly sent from heaven!
By fate, I have landed a teaching job in one of the most prestigious schools in ther province. It only took me 2 ½ years before I was appointed to a middle administrative position that lasted for six years. In those years that I have served the school as a high school teacher and as a junior administrator, never in my mind that I have forgotten my boyhood dream – that priestly thing. I was even encouraged to join the religious life of the La Sallian Brothers.
I just do not know what was that force that had prevented me from doing it so? Rather than forcing the issue, I have decided to set a specific time frame: at the age of thirty (30), I will make my final decision.
The year was 2002, I have reached that point in my life that I really need to choose which path will I go: single blessedness, priesthood or married life.
Great decisions come not by chance but thru intense prayer and discernment. I prayed to God to show me sign(s) that could help me to decide. Until one day, serendipitously, an anonymous texter sent me a message that went like this, “can u be my txtm8?” – (can you be my text mate)
Being too busy that time I ignored that message. But days had passed and more text messages kept on coming. So reluctant this sender, that one night I succumbed to the pressure and text backed a message. “Hu r U?”, I texted. I thought one of my colleagues are trying to fool me around. To my surprise, the mystery texter introduced herself! Her name is Rosemarie. She is from Tuguegarao, Cagayan but during that time vacationing in Manila. To cut it short, we became text-mates and later developed a relationship that I could not explain. Is this the sign that I have asked for?
I have opted to meet her in person. I made a surprise visit on her in Manila but unexpectedly only the one to be surprised at the end. My enthusiasm to see her had faded, the moment I saw her. She is a two-legged polio victim and could not walk by herself. Indeed, I was shocked. The worst thing is, I am falling for her already! Of all person why she … I asked God.
After that meeting I became confused. I grasped for reasons why such thing happened. Is that really a joke? What would my friends tell me the moment they learn whom I am texting with? What if my family rejects her? So devastated I was that once again I turned to God for guidance and enlightenment.
And truly, HE works in a mysterious and unfathomable way.
I continued to communicate with her through text. She was already in her native province when I intensified my courtship. Thus, it became a long distance love-text affair. A year later, one summer vacation I went to her place to meet her parents and relatives and of course to present myself. It was a 12-hour trip sometimes mountainous especially nearing her place. Two years after, we got married!
Now I know why God did not allow me to become a priest. He has another planned mission for me: that is to marry a polio victim woman, to be her guide and cane as she walks, to teach one lonely person to become self reliant and lastly to take care and love her forever.
Love cannot be gauge by how compatible is one person to another. Rather, the barometer of love is how you complement the infirmities and weaknesses of your partner. There are things that we cannot do but your partner can and vice versa.
Me and my wife are now looking forward to our 8th wedding anniversary on October. It was a marriage that I did not ask for. I did not expect it as well. It was a love that was truly sent from heaven!
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