My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: JUST MY THOUGHTS....(14)

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: JUST MY THOUGHTS....(14):   Michael Jordan says, that the best lesson his parents ever imparted to him was ---"to always be optimistic". This is not always easy to ...

JUST MY THOUGHTS....(14)

 Michael Jordan says, that the best lesson his parents ever imparted to him was ---"to always be optimistic". This is not always easy to do, but what this shows....is ultimate faith in the Lord Our God.

 
Another extremely hot day...as opposed to the storms and typhoons that visit us often and bring floods and destruction......but the ones that bring real stress are the various heavy storms in our lives that literally bring us down on our knees. What to do?...When you're down on your knees...pray, pray hard...pray true...He is the answer, He is the solution...after all He created each rainbow that comes after every thunderstorm. 


 
NEVER DESPAIR...this is not always easy, esp. in the face of so many problems...so what do we do?....We trudge on, we continue striving, even in despair...then we pray and hold on to our faith...we have a benevolent God...our time will come!


 
For today and for so many other days to come, foremost on everyone's agenda, no matter how busy you are, is to pray. Pray for your family, pray for all families, that they may find the strength to rise up and still believe in the mercy of a loving God.


 
To shield us from the hottest of days.....we use an umbrella, to protect us from the heavy downpour of rain....we use an umbrella.... To protect you from the heavier thunderstorms of life...we use prayers as our umbrellas.... It's one umbrella that will stand the most scorching heat, the strongest winds and the heaviest thunderstorms....and it's always available, and it's always free!

 
Everyday when I can, I try to greet my friends at FB.... a wonderful morning or a good evening...sometimes my days and nights don't turn out that well...but still I wish all of you the best...when I wish people the best...it makes me feel better...and some of you may even say a little wish for me as well.... So wherever you are...have a wonderful day  or a lovely evening, my friends, and let's make a wish that everyone may have the most fruitful of days and the sweetest and most romantic of evenings. GOD BLESS ALL OF US!

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PRAISING YOUR PARENTS...

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PRAISING YOUR PARENTS...: Very often we hear of people, or we read about how people, mostly politicians and celebrities, praising their parents. I, too, have done tha...

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PRAISING YOU PARENTS...

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PRAISING YOUR PARENTS...: Very often we hear of people, or we read about how people, mostly politicians and celebrities, praising their parents. I, too, have done tha...

PRAISING YOUR PARENTS...

Very often we hear of people, or we read about how people, mostly politicians and celebrities, praising their parents. I, too, have done that quite often in the past.  Then some proceed to lie, embarrass themselves by doing indecent things, swear often, cheat, steal and they are often disrespectful to other people, esp. those they see as "not being in their level", whatever that means for them....I did some of those things too in the past....and you know the very first reaction you get from other people while we are committing these  atrocious acts,....in tagalog they say...."Hindi naturuan ng magulang ng tamang asal!" ..."These people must have had bad parents or they were just not raised well".....

I realized now that the best way to give honor to your parents or to give them praise....is to show people, how well you were raised. Be honest, be disciplined, be principled, be respectful and decent, amidst disrespect, and despite debates and attacks.....if you are able to exhibit these qualities, the first words people will say will not be about you,..... in tagalog, they will say..."Kung anong puno ay siyang bunga!", they will also say..."This person must have had wonderful parents who took great effort in raising him, or her, well!"

More than the occasional low grades, what terribly disappoints me about my kids is when they are disrespectful, because although there several outside factors that may have influenced their actions, everything they do, reflects on me..on how I raised them and.....on who I am!  I am a firm believer of the saying that "Character is borne out of habit" and that, good character only becomes a habit, if you have it around the house.

So I tell them to behave well, not only for themselves and for their future, but also because they love me and for my legacy.....because the best legacy I can have, or leave this world with, is not to have a financially successful child who would do anything for money, it is not to have a famous artist or politician for a child who would do anything for fame....but to have a child who grows up decent, honest, respectful and will eventually do something to be of service to his fellowmen....that is the legacy every parent would like to have.

So to kids and to all of us....we want to praise our parents, and we want to show them how much we love them?....no words are needed....we only have to be HONEST, DECENT, RESPECTFUL AND PRINCIPLED...or WE JUST HAVE TO BEHAVE!

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: JUST MY THOUGHTS......(13)..children

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: JUST MY THOUGHTS......(13)..children: Every adult is a teacher to every child...so it is the duty of every adult to live their lives with decency, integrity and honesty...and t...

JUST MY THOUGHTS......(13)..children

Every adult is a teacher to every child...so it is the duty of every adult to live their lives with decency, integrity and honesty...and to every child you can talk to or influence...tell them that nothing can be achieved without the Lord our God.


 You don't want your children to cheat, then be honest with every transaction...you don't want your children to swear, then always speak with decency...you want to teach your children patience then be patient and understanding with them....THE BEST WAY TO TEACH CHARACTER IS TO HAVE IT AROUND THE HOUSE.



 Don't treat your children like patients or clients, or as if they need any form of treatment...stop psychologizing them....give them love, give them care, defend them, fight for them, teach them, ...don't just be a doctor or a lawyer, or a teacher, or even just a priest to them...be all of these people to your children....in short..... be a father and be a mother to them.




The very first thing I do when I pick up my Lizzie from school...is to hug her ever so tightly...I want her to feel that I leave her in her classroom so that she may learn...I know she misses me, but I miss her even more, actually I miss all of them,...and no amount of learning should ever make her forget....that dad loves her so very much!






Although academic honors can bring a parent so much pride, what we parents, should really aim for is....to have our children grow up decent, honest, respectful and prayerful...and with a heart for service...only then can we truly say that we have reared up our child according God's original plan...in HIS OWN IMAGE!



LOVE YOUR CHILDREN AND MAKE THEM FEEL IT. SAY IT OFTEN, HUG THEM, KISS THEM, SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THEM. MAKE THEM FEEL THAT EACH MOMENT SPENT WITH THEM IS JUST THE GREATEST FOR YOU! THEY'LL GROW UP MORE EQUIPPED FOR LOVE AND TO SPREAD THAT LOVE...THEN YOU'VE MADE YOUR CONTRIBUTION..IN MAKING THIS WORLD A HAVEN FOR PEACE AND LOVE.

 

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES: When a bigger and stronger country forces the smaller and weaker country to see things through their tunnel vision only and clarify it ...

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: BEING CIVILIZED

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: BEING CIVILIZED: We live in civilized times so it is our expectations that everyone will act and settle everything in a civilized fashion...From the richest ...

BEING CIVILIZED

We live in civilized times so it is our expectations that everyone will act and settle everything in a civilized fashion...From the richest and strongest country, with the most powerful weapons....to the poorest and weakest country where people die from hunger. 
Power play should have no place in civilized society.
Being civilized does not mean wearing modern clothes and using the latest in technology...
Being civilized means promoting peace among nations and working towards unity for the whole world....
Being civilized means bringing help whenever and wherever it is needed.....
Being civilized means being respectful of each others' beliefs and religion...
Being civilized means doing everything you can to avert destructive disputes and to preserve peace and unity at all times.
Again....we can only pray....
and this has, and always will be our most potent weapon....
we should all pray that pride gives in to humility and love for peace.
PEACE EVERYONE!
GOD BLESS ALL OF US!

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES: When a bigger and stronger country forces the smaller and weaker country to see things through their tunnel vision only and clarify it ...

PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES

When a bigger and stronger country forces the smaller and weaker country to see things through their tunnel vision only and clarify it with threats instead of negotiations...
then what you have is what happens to every school in every nation around the world...
plain and simple BULLYING....
If China is so certain that they are within their rights when they claim ownership of the disputed islands and its waters, then why not, as the Philippines suggested, bring the issue to the international tribunals, in the United Nations or International Law governing maritime issues.
China insists on bilateral talks and then persists to make threatening moves instead of peaceful negotiations.....
The Chinese Fishermen caught by the Philippine Coast Guards were not fishing, they were poaching endangered species, another clear violation of international law....
ASEAN, of which the Philippines is a founding member should step in and show unequivocal support for the Philippines, because what China can do to us, she will do to them....
I am baffled at what China plans to do eventually....are they planning to fire on the lone Philippine Coast Guard Ship?...
if they do and Filipinos die as a result, they will have to prepare for what could only be a terrible backlash from all over the world...
the question is, will China care?
We live in civilized times so it is our expectations that everyone will act and settle everything in a civilized fashion...
Being civilized does not mean wearing modern clothes and using the latest in technology...
being civilized means doing everything you can at all times, to avert destructive disputes and to preserve peace....
again....we can only pray....
and this has, and always will be our most potent weapon....
we should all pray that pride gives in to humility and love for peace.
PEACE EVERYONE!
GOD BLESS ALL OF US!

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: Scolding My Son

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: Scolding My Son: The other day, coming home from the school's bridging program...I scolded my son for what seemed to be a minor infraction, lack of resp...

Scolding My Son

The other day, coming home from the school's bridging program...I scolded my son for what seemed to be a minor infraction, lack of respect for a teacher and his sometimes explosive temperament.......
So I scolded him all the way home, and weeks of pent-up frustration just came out, and although I don't swear and use bad words esp. on my children, I used rather strong language to lecture him....I was ranting and my daughter Nicole was massaging my back and getting worried.....
When we got home I went straight to my room....I felt bad because I realized that I threw some of my frustrations at my son, and I know I had hurt him....and whenever we hurt someone we love, the pain we feel is doubled.....
After an hour he went up to me, and before he could speak I hugged him and we both apologized to each other....
I said..."What took you so long going up?" He said he was ashamed and he didn't want to be scolded again, but my dad told him to go up and just say "Sorry!"...my dad said I loved Niccolo so much that I would forgive him in an instant.....I already have, even before he went up and apologized....
I only wish I had not hurt him deeply with my words....I will have to make up for that....
Being disrespectful to anyone should have no place in any of my children's personality or character...so they will always be lectured about this.....
We scold our children when we have to and when they deserve it....
but we should love our children always.... and even during the times, when they don't seem to deserve it.
God bless our children! God bless all of us!

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: JUST MY THOUGHTS..(12) FRIENDS

My Life....MY Heart....My Thoughts: JUST MY THOUGHTS..(12) FRIENDS:   Great friends are like "family", sometimes even more...and like our family,they become anchors from which we derive stability and ...

JUST MY THOUGHTS..(12) FRIENDS

 

Great friends are like "family", sometimes even more...and like our family,they become anchors from which we derive stability and strength. So when we thank God for giving us our family, thank Him also for the pleasure and the honor of having great friends.

Received a text from an old friend..he said, "I've read your notes and feel what you're going through." He told me to stay strong and hold on to my faith. Then he sent me a prayer and a bible passage. Friends like Bibot are hard to find...he's been my friend since my kindergarten days...he remains one of my best friends and I miss him.

 

A FRIEND JUST CALLED ME UP, IN THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATION, HE SAID, "I'M NOT PULLING YOUR LEG, I READ WHAT YOU WRITE, AND I AM AFFECTED BY IT. I, TOO, AM GOING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULTIES, AND YOUR NOTES INSPIRE ME. LET'S JUST KEEP ON PRAYING." GOD BLESS HIM AND EVERYONE HE HOLDS DEAR!

 

It is perhaps only human to lose some confidence, to fear, to have doubts. Then perhaps it takes good friends, great human beings to remind us, to hold on, to stay strong..the Lord listens, the Lord loves us.

 

I also consider books as great friends and this is why I've always encouraged my best barkadas, my children to read and read and read.....and  I am happy that my kids have acquired my love for reading...depending on what you read...you are amused, entertained, informed, educated, sometimes you fall in love...and sometimes you are inspired and enlightened!

I've fallen in love more times than I care to remember and each time, the world seemed more beautiful..but never as beautiful as when I first met and fell in love with my wife--Dinah. My love...It was as if my world was at a standstill...till there was you....and now you are my best friend!

Sometimes all it takes...is someone who believes in you, despite of who you are...she stays, she hangs on...she believes...

It's been a tiring 3 days...not as young and as vibrant as I used to be. The spirit is still willing, but the body...well I need to work on it. For now, the spirit of love, love for what I am doing for my kids..., and God's grace...they will sustain me.

 

Kapag nakakaranas ng maraming dagok sa buhay, minsan para bang..nagbibingi-bingihan ang Panginoon...alam ko ito, nararamdamn ko ito. Pero patuloy ang pananalangin, patuloy ang pananampalataya...dahil alam kong SIYA lang ang ilaw, at SIYA lang ang kasagutan. Kaya umaasa pa rin sa pagmamahal NIYANG walang kapantay.

 

God is the Author of our lives and its stories. We are mere characters that play a role. The Lord wrote the original story and he is also the one who makes the rewrites, when He deems it necessary.