TGIS – Thank God It’s Sunday

It’s a nice Sunday indeed. We thank God that the typhoon is already heading towards China Sea. Thank God It’s Sunday and we can all have time to go to church and visit our loved ones who have passed away. It’s sad to hear that the typhoon yesterday still claimed lives.

For me, I just spent one of the happiest day in my life with my wife, son and father. We went to church, had lunch and went to zoo. I myself enjoyed seeing some animals which I haven’t seen face to face . My son was very curious and excited in seeing the animals especially the snakes. . A lot of families were also there and had their picnic in the zoo. It’s nice to see family going out and bond each other. Strengthening family relationship is one of the old Filipino family values we should always practice.

After few hours of walking around we decided to go home. Quite tiring but it was something I can cherish always.

Happy Long Weekend… God bless you all.

Storms in Life

It’s been a long time that I haven’t posted here. It’s good to be back and writing again my thoughts here in my blog.

Lately, we have experience the nature’s wrath as they say. Ondoy and Pepeng as which seems to be a friendly name but brought about devastation in people’s lives and properties. Sad to say and see that people now are still trying to move on. It has been a month but there are still flooded places. There are still people out there who needs help in terms of food and shelter as well as medicine. Many people have died during that storm/typhoon. Right now we are also facing an Leptospirosis outbreak and have already caused that death of many people. There is also a threat on rice crisis next year since the rice granary in Northern Luzon was greatly stricken by flood.

Just recently, Pres. Arroyo ordered the implementation of the Marcos-era Metro Plan which was originally a study conducted by DPWH funded by WB.  The rehabilitation of areas greatly affected by floods is still on-going.

Many problems come and it seems that it’s not ending. Some say that this is the time to change our ways. We have to be responsible for our actions. What can we do now? I believe, its not only praying but also acting. Walk the Talk so to speak. These times are storms, storms in life. They would come and would eventually go. Some things may be hopeless but I guess we have to face it. As long we breathe, there is still a second chance. I read in a book that if we don’t suffer or we do not experience trials, life may be perfect, and that means we are already in heaven. If life is perfect, we dont have to live it.

I myself have trials to face that would greatly affect my whole being. These are the storms in my life. I just pray that someday, there would be a rainbow that I could clearly see. That means, I survived. In times like this, we just need to be strong and take it as it is. Trust in God and he will do the rest.

Until then…

Just believe and it will come in His Time

Something to ponder and reflect…

-God’s Promises

• God keeps His promises, so we can we believe Him ( Matt 1:21)
  

-God’s Provision

• God meets our needs, so we can thank Him (Phil 4:19)

-God’s Power

• God has the power to answer our prayers, so we can listen to Him (Jeremiah 33:3)

-God’s Plan

• God loves us and sent Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, so we can become a Christian (John 3:16)

-God’s Presence

• God is always present, so we can trust Him and tell others about him (Matt 28:19, 20)

Thanksgiving and Time to Reflect

I am thankful for the past weeks for God’s guidance and provision for my family. We also had our holy week vacation in the province to relax and take time to reflect.

Things have been different nowadays, I feel that I have changed a lot.  I pray that someday all of my problems will be solved. Even for the trials, God has been faithful. I will be graduating this sunday and this is something worth keeping. This is a blessing for me.

Sometimes I think that I am not worthy of anything but somehow, amazing things come my way. For the next few weeks in my life, it will be another tough hurdle. If ever things will be better,  it will be the most happiest time of my life. I will just wait for my prayers to be answered in God’s time.

Treasure every moment of your life

It’s been a while since I haven’t wrote in my blog. I have been busy for the past few months in work, school and personal matters. There have been many things that had happen in my life which left me something to ponder. Every path that I take is part of my decision. Looking into the past year, I have been blessed in work and in school and of course my family. Lately, there are things that I regret why did I do it. It seems that it’s too late for me to reverse things. I have not even thank God for the blessings and guidance he bestowed upon me. He has been greatful all my life even when I was still young. He did not forget to provide for my family. He always give me signs and answer my prayers in different way but still I did have been thankful to him.

Right now, I am facing the biggest problem of my life. If things go wrong, people will judge me and I would be in a world where I might feel that I am alone. My fears are there. I love my family very much. My wife and my son who has been my treasure as well as my parents and sisters as well as my long time friends. It might be too late for me to go back and start again.

But then again, God is still showing his love for me. I was able to finish my paper in school and hopefully, I will graduate this April 26. I realized that for every trial, God carries you. I am still strong and can work and I can still be with my family. This might be the time for me to look back and treasure every moment whether it’s happy or sad. It doesn’t matter anyway, what is important is that you live according to God’s will.

If anyone, who might read this, I am asking you to pray for me. In time, God will answer my prayers again in a different way.

I hope you too will hold on to what God has in store for you. Follow his will and ask for his guidance.

God bless.

10 golden rules

1. Do Not Interfere In Others’ Business Unless Asked.

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.

God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. There is God to look after everything. Why are you bothered? Mind your own
business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget.

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Believe in the justice of God and the doctrine of destiny. Let Him judge the act of the one who insulted you. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, Forget, and march on. Love
flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition.

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourself in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely and leave the rest to God.

4. Do Not Be Jealous.

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody’s life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it
will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment.

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured.

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully thinking, “God wills it so, so be it.” God’s plan is beyond our comprehension. Believe in it and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew.

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you rest less. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly.

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant.

An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name.

10. Do not waste time in protracted wondering ” Should I or shouldn’t I?”

Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember, God has His own plan, too for you. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the
past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the Will of God. You do not have the power to alter the course of God’s Will. Why cry over spilt milk?

Five lessons to make you 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 nextcar. 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 taxicab. 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 out of 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'swealthiest 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 saying, "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.

Treating People Appropriately

We all have ways on how to deal with people. Other people also do. Some are polite. Some are frank. Some are not appropriate as others say. But the question is, Is there really a standard on this?. As old folks say, we should respect all people whether who they are and what they are. Sounds right. As always, there are still things that you see in the house, office, markets and other public places that sometimes makes you ask is this proper or not?

For me, I have been working for the past 8 years and have met people and learned from them. I worked in a private company before and now Im working as a government employee. I met people who belong to the so called “big-bosses” and have met some who don’t even looked like a manager. Maybe because how they treat people. I’ve met a manager who is the “favorite” of almost all of the employees. Why? because he is humble, can get along with all the people in the office in all levels and of course he treats people appropriately. He is a good example for me. Although, I havent got his qualities, I always put in mind that you must always be courteous and polite to others. Sad thing is, others looked at themselves so high. They always want to be called “Sir” or “Mam”. If someone has mistakenly called them they get mad. In other words “mataas ang tingin nila sa kanilang sarili”. And sometimes, it even comes to a point that they tell other people that “Im a manager here.. FYI”… Sarcastic as it seems, but its true. I really want to put a blind item here but Im afraid of getting into trouble, baka ma “Lolit Solis” pa ako.hehehehe

Well I guess, people are really different. But sometimes, we get disappointed.

Hanggang dito nalang muna…. I ran out of words, hehehe…..

Maybe i’ll just solicit some inputs from the readers… and then from there we’ll interact…..

Dont Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won if he’d stuck it out.
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are -
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit -
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Author Unknown

The Lord is my Programmer

The Lord is my programmer,

I shall not crash.

He installed His software on the hard disk of my heart;

all of His commands are user-friendly.

His directory guides me to the right choices

for His names sake

Even though I scroll through the problems of life,

I will fear no bugs, for he is my backup.

His password protects me.

He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies.

His help is only a keystroke away.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,

and my file will be merged with His and saved forever.