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Thomas Hardy pud ang dating niya.

by pna

The tropical storm spotted outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a typhoon and is expected to enter the PAR by Sunday evening or Monday morning, the state weather bureau said on Saturday.

Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Forecaster Jori Loiz said as of 2 a.m. Saturday, the typhoon with an international name Bopha was located based on satellite and surface data at 1,760 km east of Southern Mindanao (04.5 °N, 143.0 °E) and is embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Southern Mindanao.

According to PAGASA, a tropical storm is a moderate tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 64 to 118 kph while a typhoon is an intense tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed exceeding 118 kph.

Once it enters the Philippine territory, Loiz said the storm will be locally named “Pablo” â€" the first in December and the 16th tropical cyclone to enter the country this year.

For the month of December, he said one to two tropical cyclones may still enter the country.

Loiz said that typhoon Bopha is forecast to move west at 20 kph and may enter the country either Sunday evening or Monday morning and would likely be felt starting Wednesday or Thursday. As of now, he said it is still too far to affect any part of the country.

He said the cyclone has a “high chance” to make a landfall in Eastern Visayas or Northeastern Mindanao.

“We are advising residents who may be hit first, including those in coastal areas in Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, to take precautions,” Loiz said.

Meanwhile, Loiz said due to the ITCZ which is embedded in typhoon Bopha, the Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, and Mindanao will have partly cloudy skies with isolated brief rainshowers or thunderstorms while Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience fair weather.

In its advisory, PAGASA said that moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and over the eastern section of Visayas and Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.

by pna

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Saturday is on blue alert status to prepare for the possible effects of typhoon Bopha.

Benito Ramos, Executive Director of NDRRMC said the blue alert status requires half of the agency’s personnel to be ready for contingencies.

Ramos also said the personnel on duty should coordinate efforts to ensure zero casualty.

The NDRRMC also said it has directed the disaster risk reduction and management councils at the local level to prepare residents to evacuate if needed.

”Office of Civil Defense centers were instructed to undertake precautionary measures in their respective areas of responsibility," the NDRRMC said.

The agency also advised local disaster risk reduction and management councils to "initiate preemptive evacuation of families in low-lying and mountainous areas if the situation warrants."

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said typhoon Bopha which was embedded along the ITCZ is affecting southern Mindanao.

by pna

The Philippine team took home a bronze medal and four medallions of excellence in its re-entry in the recently-concluded ASEAN Skills Competition (ASC) in Indonesia.

The 16 Filipino delegates, who competed in 10 trade areas during the week-long event, earlier trained in various qualifications under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“This is a feat for our skilled Filipino workers considering that we are like making a debut to the competition after years of absence,” Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General said.

“After this relatively strong start, we will achieve a golden finish in the coming skills competition,” he added.

For the past seven years, the country did not field an entry into the contest until Villanueva's stint, which recognized anew the value of exposing the Filipino technical vocational experts in the international arena.

This year's competition was the ninth since the ASC started in 1993.

Pristine de Guzman, of the School of Fashion and the Arts based in Makati City, led the hauling of recognition with a bronze medal in the area of Fashion Technology.De Guzman was also bestowed with the Best of Nation Award in her trade area.

Medallions of excellence were awarded to four Filipino competitors namely: Joselito EJ Ayalde of AMA Bulacan for Web Design; Nilo Maquiling of Samson Tech based in Metro Manila for Refrigeration and Airconditioning; and Nhar Chello Agasang and Ardee Mark Saqueton, both of the MFI Foundation Inc. based in Metro Manila for Industrial Automation.

The other trade areas where the Philippine team competed were in IT Network Administration, Hairdressing, Electronics, Beauty Therapy, Mechatronics and Caring.

“We will do a thorough assessment of our performance in the competition, and will do what is needed in terms of the selection of competitors, classroom and hands-on training and acclimatizing them to the contest milieu,” Villanueva said.

“What’s important for now is we are able to showcase the skills of Filipinos, and strengthened our ties with our neighboring nations who are similarly engaged in beefing up technical vocational education and training,” he said.

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maayo lang unta ug dili mamiyabas.

Congrats, Philippines, no. 16, finally. Pwede na dili mo-abroad by that time.

By Lilybeth G. Ison

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has approved 11 infrastructure projects totaling P113.54 billion.

This was announced by Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang, in a chance interview at the sidelines of the lighting of the giant christmas tree of the Office of the President held Thursday evening at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacanang.

Among the projects approved by the NEDA BOard chaired by President Benigno Aquino III were the P25.56-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector slated from 2013 to 2016, and the P43-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway from 2012-2017, which were approved "in principle" pending review of their costs.

"They (NLEX-SLEX Connector and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway) were approved conditionally. There are certain conditions that needed to be approved," said Carandang.

"We wanted to do another verification of the costings because what you get here's indicative cost. The President wants the numbers to be checked again to see if they can be lowered," he said.

The other projects approved in the more than seven hours NEDA Board meeting were: the P1.14-billion Albay West Coast Road Project (2014-2016); P2.1-billion Tacloban Airport Redevelopment Project (2013-2016); P8.8-billion Acquisition of Multi-Role Response vessels (2012-2016); P8.87-billion Mactan, Cebu Airport Terminal (Phase 1, 2014-2016); P1.7-billion Contactless Automatic Fare Collection System; P68-million Component A of the Convergence on Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (2013-2019); P7.39-billion Extension of the Mindanao Rural Development Project 2 (2012-2014); P1.16-billion Rehabilitation of Angat Hydroelectric Plant Turbines 4 and 5 (2013-2014); and the P13.14-billion School Infrastructure Project covering 10,679 classrooms (2013-2014).

Carandang explained that the long meeting was necessary "because there are over a dozen projects and we really went over the details of (each of) the projects."

He said some of the approved projects will be internally funded, some will have some debt, some will have some private equity funding.

"Iba-iba ‘yung financing schemes for the different projects. (It's) a combination of sources," he added.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that with the approval of the MRDP-2 extension project, "this will provide boost to the Aquino administration’s goal of promoting inclusive economic growth since MRDP-2 projects are focused on improving incomes of poor communities in the region."

Launched in 2007, the program will supposedly end by December 2012. But with the approval of the proposed two-year extension, the DA expects to complete more agricultural projects until 2014.

On the other hand, the 13-kilometer NLEX-SLEX Connector Road is expected to start early next year and would create 8,000 jobs.

by pna

The World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday urged governments to intensify the fight against HIV infection among men who have sex with men and transgender people.

WHO said that unless countries urgently expand access to health services for these key populations, the gains made against the HIV/AIDS virus over the last decade could be jeopardized.

"We need to strengthen our programmes to ensure that these key populations receive the support they need to protect themselves. We need to scale up, improve and sustain comprehensive, effective and stigma-free HIV prevention efforts focusing on, and working with men who have sex with men and transgender people." said WHO director for Western Pacific Dr. Shin Young-soo.

The World AIDS Day 2012 is observed on December 1 with the theme "Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero Discrimination. Zero AIDS-related Deaths.”

The celebration is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDShas killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.

To prevent the spread of the AIDS virus, WHO said all people in need should have access to early diagnosis and life-saving anti-retroviral treatment; essential health commodities such as male and female condoms, lubricants and clean needles and syringes for effective prevention of HIV transmission; high-quality and stigma-free health-care and prevention services.

Based on the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 2012 (UNAIDS) Global Report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2012, the HIV epidemics in Asia and the Pacific remain largely concentrated among people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men and sex workers.

HIV prevention coverage remains inadequate for men who have sex with men. In the Philippines and Vietnam , the coverage is a low 25 percent, the UNAIDS said.

Although China reported more than 75 % coverage of such programmes, and a survey of Singaporean and Vietnamese men who have sex revealed a high rate of condom use at 75 %, HIV infection among men who have sex with men across the region continues to grow, it said.

UNAIDS added that governments would have to reassess the effectiveness and quality of their existing interventions.

In 2011, some 1.3 million people were living with HIV in the 37 countries and areas of the WHO Western Pacific Region, where 80,000 deaths were attributed to AIDS. The number of people newly infected with HIV declined from 150,000 per year in 2000 to 130,000 in 2011, it said.

In Cambodia , Malaysia and Papua New Guinea , the rate of new HIV infections fell by more than 25 percent between 2001 and 2011, said the UNAIDS.

But in the Philippines , the rate of new HIV infections rose by more than 25 percent per year during the same period, it said.

Globally, some eight million people or 54 percent of those in need, were receiving anti-retroviral therapy in 2011, the UNAIDS said.

But in the Western Pacific, only Cambodia reached more than 80 percent coverage of anti-retroviral therapy. In Papua New Guinea , more than 60 percent of people who needed the therapy were receiving it last year.

WHO said that effective implementation of programmes to halt mother-to-child transmission, however, had resulted in a 36 percent decrease in the number of children born with HIV in the Pacific between 2009 and 2011.

By Perfecto T. Raymundo Jr.

The Supreme Court has issued the "Efficient Use of Paper Rule," which will maximize the use of every sheet of paper in rulings to be issued by the court and in the pleadings to be filed by parties.

The SC noted that "there is a need to cut the judicial system's use of excessive quantities of costly paper, save our forests, avoid landslides, and mitigate the worsening effects of climate change that the world is experiencing."

The Rule will take effect on Jan. 1, 2013 after its publication in two newspapers of general circulation.

It will apply to all courts and quasi-judicial bodies under the administrative supervision of the SC.

Under the Efficient Use of Paper Rule, the SC, under Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno, has required that all pleadings, motions and similar papers intended for the consideration of all courts and quasi-judicial bodies under the supervision of the SC "shall be written in single space with a one-and-a-half space between paragraphs, using an easily readable font style of the party’s choice, of 14-size font and on a 13-inch by 8.5-inch white bond paper."

All decisions, resolutions and orders issued by courts and quasi-judicial bodies under the administrative supervision of the SC, as well as reports submitted to the courts and transcripts of stenographic notes, shall comply with the said requirements.

All court-bound papers to be submitted by every party shall also maintain a left-hand margin of 1.5 inches from the edge; an upper margin of 1.2 inches from the edge; a right-hand margin of one inch from the edge; and a lower margin of one inch from the edge. Every page must be consecutively numbered.

The Rule also specifies the number of court-bound papers in a particular court that a party is required or desires to file unless otherwise directed by the court.

In the SC for instance, parties are required to file one original and four copies, unless the case is referred to the SC en banc, in which event, the parties shall file 10 additional copies.

For the en banc, the parties need to submit only two sets of annexes -- one attached to the original and one extra copy.

For the SC Division, the parties need to submit also two sets of annexes -- one attached to the original, as well as an extra copy.

All justices of the SC shall share the extra copies of annexes in the interest of economy of paper.

The parties to cases before the SC are further required to submit, simultaneously with their court-bound papers, soft or electronic copies of the same and their annexes either by email to the SC's e-mail address or by compact disc.

This additional requirement will be on a voluntary basis for the first six months following the effectivity of the Rule and compulsorily afterwards unless the period is extended.

In the Court of Appeals and the Sandiganbayan, parties are required to submit one original and two copies with their annexes; and in the Court of Tax Appeals, one original and two copies with annexes, and on appeal to the en banc, one original and eight copies with annexes.

Parties before the trial courts are required to submit one original with the stated annexes attached to it.

Also, a party required by the rules to serve a copy of his or her court-bound paper on the adverse party need not enclose copies of those annexes that, based on the records of the court, show said party already has such.

By Lilybeth G. Ison

In commemoration of the 149th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday urged the Filipino nation to follow the example of the Father of the Philippine Revolution.

"Ang kagitingang ipinamalas ng mga Katipunero dito sa Pinaglabanan ang siyang nagpaliyab ng iba pang mga pag-aalsa sa iba’t ibang probinsya. Itinanim nito sa kaisipan ng mga Pilipino: Posible ang tagumpay; posible ang mabuhay nang marangal sa sariling bayan; posible ang minimithi nating kalayaan -- ngunit kailangan natin itong ipaglaban. At wala na nga sigurong mas sumasalamin pa sa katapangan, kagitingan, at kabayanihan na ipinakita ng mga Katipunero, kundi ang kanilang pinuno -- ang Supremo ng Katipunan, si Gat Andres Bonifacio," the President said in his speech during the commemorative activity in Pinaglabanan Shrine, San Juan City.

Pinaglabanan is where Bonifacio led the Katipuneros in an uprising against the Spaniards on August 30, 1896.

"Nagtitipon tayo ngayong umaga upang ipagdiwang ang kaniyang ika-isandaan at apatnapu’t siyam na kaarawan. Nagsisilbi rin itong lunsaran ng isang taon nating pagdiriwang para sa kaniyang sesqui-centennial anniversary sa 2013. Higit sa lahat, tinatanaw natin ngayon, kasabay ng iba pang selebrasyon na nagaganap sa mga probinsya’t bayan sa buong kapuluan, ang mga pamana’t inspirasyon ni Gat Andres Bonifacio, at kung paano natin ito magagamit sa kasalukuyan, upang higit pang umigting ang ating malasakit sa kapwa at sa bayan," the President said.

President Aquino said that while Bonifacio had not won a single battle, he did not lose hope in his desire to free the country from foreign invasion.

"Mahalaga ring mamulat ang mga tao sa katotohanan: na sa bawat sagupaang kaniyang pinamunuan, ni minsan, hindi nanaig si Bonifacio. Gayumpaman, ang bawat munting kabiguan, ang bawat buhay na naibuwis, ang bawat patak ng dugong dumanak, ay siyang dumilig sa lupang uhaw sa kalayaan; siyang nagpataba sa mga tigang na bisig ng mga Katipunero, siyang nagpasibol sa diwa ng kabayanihan sa bawat sulok ng ating kapuluan," he said.

"Makailang beses man siyang nabigo, hindi nagbago ang paninindigan ni Bonifacio: lalaban tayo, hangga’t hindi natin nakakamit ang kalayaan. Nakatutok siya sa kaniyang adhika: matalo man tayo sa mga munting laban, hindi magtatagal ay magtatagumpay rin tayo sa digmaan; makakamit din natin ang tunay na kasarinlan," he added.

Now that the Philippines has regained its independence, the President said, "pinatunayan natin sa lahat ng mga nagtangkang alipinin ang ating lahi na hindi tayo magpapasindak, at handa tayong ipaglaban kung alin ang tunay na sa atin."

"Hindi rin kalabisang isipin, na kung may maituturing man tayong rehas sa nakaraang dekada, ito ay ang katiwalian at kahirapan. Subalit, dahil na rin sa ating pagkakaisa’t malasakit sa kapwa, nababaklas na rin ito sa tuwid na daan," he noted.

In recognition of Bonifacio's sacrifices, and for the thousands of Filipinos who risked their lives for the freedom of the country, "simple lang ang tungkulin po natin: Lahat tayo ay may papel na maaaring gampanan sa paghubog ng ating bayan. Huwag tayong pasasakop sa sarili nating limitasyon. Huwag tayong pasasakop sa takot at pagdududang nagsisilbing pilat ng ating kasaysayan. Huwag tayong pasasakop sa mga magtatangkang ibalik ang pang-aapi ng nakaraan," the President said.

"Lagi nating tatandaan: lahi tayo ng mga bayani. Hindi tayo mauubusan ng Bonifacio. Hindi tayo mauubusan ng (Jose) Rizal. Hindi tayo mauubusan ng Ninoy (Benigno Aquino Jr., father of the President). Hindi tayo mauubusan ng mga Pilipinong handang tumugon sa ngalan ng bandila at bayan," he stressed.

by PNA
U.S. astronomers have discovered what may be the most massive black hole ever known in a small galaxy about 250 million light-years from Earth, U.S. media reported Thursday.

According to observations made with the University of Texas at Austin's Hobby-Eberly Telescope, the giant black hole discovered is 11 times wider than Neptune's orbit around the sun, or about 4, 000 times larger than the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, according to the newspaper The Houston Chronicle.

"This is a really oddball galaxy," said study team member Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas at Austin. "It's almost all black hole. This could be the first object in a new class of galaxy-black hole systems."

The mass is so far above normal that the scientists took a year to double-check and submit their research paper for publication, according to the study's lead author, Remco van den Bosch.

Scientists now are intrigued not so much by the black hole's size, but where it lies, according to the report.

The black hole rests in the center of a disk-shaped galaxy smaller than our own Milky Way, surprising scientists who didn't figure to find something that big in a modestly sized galaxy.

The newly discovered black hole has a mass equivalent to 17 billion suns and is located inside the galaxy NGC 1277 in the constellation Perseus. It makes up about 14 percent of its host galaxy's mass, compared with the 0.1 percent a normal black hole would represent, scientists said.

"We don't understand how to make such a massive black hole in such a puny galaxy," said Karl Gebhardt, one of the University of Texas astronomers who made the discovery.

Scientists have several theories that help explain the relationship between the size of a black hole and its host galaxy.

"We do not understand yet which of these theories is best," said Remco van den Bosch.

By Lilybeth G.Ison

Malacanang Thursday said there will be no special treatment given to any personality regardless of party affiliation.

Reports said Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co, his wife and 10 others have been charged with syndicated estafa for their alleged involvement in the so-called pyramid scam of Aman Futures Group.

The charges were filed before the Dept. of Justice on Wednesday by at least three complainants.

Co is running for Congress in the 2013 mid-term elections under the administration's Liberal Party.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said that based on documentary evidence, Co allegedly played a role in the P12-billion pyramid scam.

Maria Dona Coyme, one of the alleged finance managers of Aman Futures group, said Co and wife Pricilla Ann Fernandes had sought investors for the group.

Co, however, insisted he was not part of the scam but a victim.

"We expect the DOJ to perform its job of identifying personalities who may be culpable for the scam," said Lacierda.

He said the charges were based "on the evidence gathered and that is the mandate of the DOJ."

by pna

Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban Thursday said he will not permit Chinese authorities to board Filipino ships passing through disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea.

"It's a violation of international passage if they did that," he emphasized.

Sabban stressed the Philippine Navy and the Coast Guard will be deployed to prevent such an occurrence.

"We have regular patrols that hopefully will prevent that," the Western Command chief stressed.

He also slammed the move as the Philippine has been consistently making an effort to resolve the maritime territory dispute peacefully.

China earlier granted its border patrol police the right to board and expel foreign ships entering disputed waters in the South China Sea, state media reported Thursday.

The move comes after Beijing issued new passports containing a map showing its claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea.

published by Phil News Agency

The Securities and Exchange Commission placed the incorporators of VISIONER2020 under its watchlist.

This, after the National Bureau of Investigation discovered its fraudulent investment operation.

In his two-page letter dated Nov. 22, 2012 to Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., SEC Supervising Commissioner Manuel Huberto Gaite said the commission placed the incorporators of Visioner2020 under its watch list" in the event they incorporate or become part of another corporation, partnership or association in the future".

Gaite identified the incorporators of the Visioner2020 as Felmar S. Andagan, Glenda G. Andagan, Efren E. Gepanao Sr., Evangeline L. Gepanao and Efren L. Gepanao, Jr.

The SEC official said the Visioner2020 International Traders Inc. was registered on October 2, 2012 with the Cagayan de Oro Extension Office of the SEC as a trading company to market all kinds of mineral ores, among others.

However, the Visioner2020 does not have a secondary license to sell securities.

On November 20, 2012, the Corporation Finance Dept. of the Commission issued a certification that Visioner2020 is not a registered issuer of securities pursuant to Sections 8 and 12 of the Securities Regulation Code and is therefore not licensed to offer or issue securities to the public," Gaite said.

Consequently, the SEC posted at its website an advisory to the public that Visioner2020 has no secondary license to issue securities.

"At the same time, the Extension Offices of the Commission were also informed thereof. We shall also publish said advisory in a newspaper of general circulation and in a local newspaper in Pagadian City to further warn the investing public of the alleged pyramiding scheme of Visioner2020," Gaite said.

"The foregoing are the actions taken by the Commission on the alleged activities of Visioner2020 and we would appreciate your assistance by providing us any information or evidence that will aid us in our investigation of the instant case," he added.

On Nov. 19, 2012, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation conducted an entrapment operation in Mendoza Building in Tiguma, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

The 30-year-old Glenda Andagan and her 10 employees were arrested during the operation conducted by the NBI agents.

Seized from Andagan’s possession were firearms, numerous documents and the P30,000 marked money used in the entrapment operation.

Reports said the Visioner2020 purportedly proposes an offer of 30-percent interest return to potential investors.

by pna

The K to 12 program aims to advance the competencies of Filipino graduates to enable them to stand at par with global practices and remain equipped with relevant skills and knowledge in their chosen profession, President Benigno S. Aquino III said Thursday.

"We are a government committed to upholding the welfare and interests of our countrymen, and central to our national agenda is the strengthening of our educational system," the Chief Executive said in his message to the Pambansang Samahan para sa Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga (PSEP Inc.) on the occasion of its 22nd Annual National Convention and Seminar-Workshop on Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao Thursday.

The PSEP, Inc. is conducting its 22nd Annual National Convention and Seminar-Workshop on Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao with the theme "Pagpapahusay ng Kaalaman at Kasanayan sa Pagtuturo ng EsP sa K to 12 Curriculum” at the Bohol Tropics Resort, Tagbilaran City in Bohol. The convention started on Thursday and will end on December 1, 2012.

"This (K to 12 program) gives our youth steady, confident footing in pursuing a career, and thus, empowers them to become able and productive participants in our shared task of nation-building," the President said.

"The success of this endeavor demands support and dedication from our teachers. May this gathering bring light to the issues that you wish to address and may you all emerge with deeper solidarity as one collective, and with renewed passion in your work, as shapers of tomorrow’s leaders," he said.

It is a growing challenge of museums and heritage sites to safeguard precious artifacts while allowing visitors a chance to see a valuable piece of history.

The recent burglary in Fort San Pedro Museum created questions among the public on the security in museums and heritage sites. 

During the Nov. 24 episode of “Pagtuki”, the official radio program of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), SPO4 Romeo Cabrera, deputy chief of Cebu City Tourist Police, said that there is a shortage of policemen in museums and local sites.

“Our tourist policemen are only on-duty during office hours (8 a.m.- 5 p.m.). When the museum closes, blow guards assume their posts. This absence of round-the-clock duty is because of the number of tourist policemen available,” he added.

The tourist police program was created by the Philippine National Police in 2010 to regain foreign visitors' trust and confidence in the law.

Cabrera said that the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in museums help museum administrators monitor activities inside the building.

“Tourist policemen are doing the best they can in their service. When a crowd of visitors draw in one heritage site alone, our focus is on that site. Our concern is the lack of policemen who will respond to the problems of other museums and heritage sites,” he said.

At present, there are only 22 policemen deployed in Cebu City's heritage sites.
Cabrera said that they do not respond to tourist problems alone but also to problems concerning the whole community.

For Florencio Moreño II, curator of Casa Gorordo Museum, safeguarding cultural properties and archaeological artifacts is a joint responsibility of the community and not just of the tourist policemen.

“Museums and heritage sites are important because they help us understand our own history. They give us an idea of the life of our forefathers. Also, this is our basis for our identity as Cebuanos,” Moreño stressed.

“Museum burglary is a silent destruction of our cultural properties. It’s a good idea to install modern technologies like CCTV. But most importantly, the community must understand and value these artefacts as well,” he added.

Casa Gorordo Museum will display the traditional Belen of the Gorordo family on Dec. 2.
"Pagtuki” is aired over dyLA every Saturday at 10-11 a.m. The program, which is one of the Knowledge Sharing & Advocacy capabilities of RAFI, tackles timely and relevant issues affecting the Cebuano community. - source: press release

by PNA

The local bourse continue its rally for the third day this week with the index now above 5,600 level and the peso moved sideways against the dollar, boosted among others by the strong growth of the domestic economy in the third quarter this year at 7.1 percent.

The composite index was up to another record-high of 5,628.13 points Wednesday morning, higher by 0.75 percent or 41.68 points against the previous record at 5,586.45 level Tuesday.

The broader all shares index was also up by 0.45 percent or 16.35 points to 3,636.93 points from day-ago’s 3,620.58 points.

Most of the sectoral indices were up, led by the property followed by the industrial, holding firms and services.

On the other hand, the financials and the mining and oil indices ended the morning trade on the red.

Value turn-over reached P4.65 billion after 2.2 billion shares changed hands.

Gainers led losers at 80 to 74 while 38 stocks were unchanged.

Relatively, the peso moved sideways against the dollar after opening at 40.90 Wednesday, better-than the 41-flat Tuesday.

It traded between 40.91 and 40.85, resulting to an average of 40.87 for the local unit.

Volume of trade amounted to US$ 350 million.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reported Wednesday the robust growth of the domestic economy fueled by the services as well as private consumption.

by Banat News

Naugdaw  ang  usa ka payag  human  kini  unaya  og  sunog  sa  anak sa  tag-iya  niini   kay  nasuko  nga  wala  hatagi  og  kuwarta   didto sa barangay  Mabuli, lungsod  sa Tabogon  niadtong  Lunes  sa   hapon.

Ang naugdaw nga payag  gipanag-iya  sa  magtiayong  Ceriaco Claves ug Lolita Claves,  mga hingkod   na  og  edad  nga  nagpuyo  sa maong  lugar  kinsa  adunay siyam ka mga anak.

Samtang ang gitumbok nga suspek mao ang anak niini nga si Tony Claves, 25, ulitawo,  apan adunay kapuyo .

Si PO3 Alman Acabal sa Tabogon Police Station  mibutyag  sa Banat News  nga ang suspek  nga  nagpuyo  sa kasikbit  ra  nga  barangay  miduaw sa  pinuy-anan  sa iyang  ginikanan   kay  nanghangyo  og  kuwarta  kay  gastohon  kuno  niini  sa talianak  niyang  kapuyo.

Apan tungod kay naglisud usab ang mga ginikanan   gibalibaran kini   nga  maoy  naingnan  sa  kasuko   sa suspetsado  ug  mihiwasa  kini  pag-ayo  hangtud  nga  mikuha  og  pusporo, dayon gidusliban ang   bongbong sa  payag  sa iyang  ginikanan.

Cebu Pacific Promo 75% Discount 2013 Trip

nangita ug bugsay aron moadto siya sa tumoy sa dagat.

By Leslie D. Venzon

Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) hit a two-year high of 7.1 percent in the third quarter of 2012, the fastest economic growth within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Indonesia came in second with 6.2 percent, followed by Malaysia (5.2%), Viet Nam (4.7%), Thailand (3%) and Singapore (0.3%). China, however, posted a 7.7-percent GDP growth during the period.

“We are well on our way to surpassing our growth target of 5 to 6 percent this year,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a press briefing Wednesday. He expressed optimism the country would post a much higher growth of 6 to 7 percent.

Third-quarter economic figure brought the average GDP for the first three quarters of the year to 6.5 percent from measly 3.9 percent last year.

Balisacan believes that the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals can contribute to the resiliency of the Philippines to global economic uncertainty.

“These do not prevent us from moving forward,” he said, referring to the problems in the Euro area and the looming fiscal cliff in the United States.

Balisacan noted that the economic expansion continued to be broad-based, as almost all sectors posted higher year-on-year growth rates.

He said services that grew 7 percent accounted for the lion’s share of the GDP in the third quarter at 58 percent. This was mainly led by trade and real estate.

Balisacan, also the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general, attributed the industry sector’s 8.1-percent expansion to robust growth of the manufacturing sector.

“We hope that the industry sector would expand much faster. In particular, we hope to see a faster growing manufacturing sector,” he said. “We are counting on a growing manufacturing sector to provide the higher quality jobs that are also more stable and remunerative.”

The agriculture sector, on the other hand, performed better during the third quarter than in the previous quarters, growing by 4.1 percent from 2.2 percent last year.

The rebound of the net primary income from abroad by 4.9 percent pushed the gross national income (GNI) to 6.6 percent in the third quarter from last year’s 2.2 percent.

With this robust economic growth, Balisacan believes that government’s efforts at good governance are beginning to bear fruit.

“But we know that our task is far from over. We continue to reform our systems in procurement and budgeting to promote transparency and accountability,” he said.

Fishing at Sunset

Watchtower

First Light

Wind Energy

Pure Green Leaves

Frozen Dry Leaves

Good For Early Morning Walk

Digitext Asia Corp. on Tuesday won the open-bidding for the Department of Transportation and Communications' (DOTC) Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Road Transportation IT Infrastructure Project.

The DOTC said Digitext outbid four other firms with its offer of P3.8 billion, the lowest among the five of the nine who purchased bid documents.

With an Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) of P8.2 billion, the bidding pushed through after the Court of Appeals set aside the temporary restraining order issued by a Quezon City court against the project.

Besides Digitext, the other bidders were Fritz and Macziol Asia, Eurolink Network, International Corp., Kaisa Consulting and Ceragon Network.

Fritz and Macziol Asia submitted the second lowest bid at P5.3 billion, while Eurolink was third lowest with at P5.8 billion. The financial bids of Kaisa and Ceragon were not opened because of lack of technical requirements.

Kaisa was considered as non-complying for lack of schedule of requirements, while Ceragon also lacked schedule of requirement and certificate of reciprocity for a foreign consortium to qualify for the bid.

The four other companies which purchased bidding documents but did not participate in the bidding were Stradcom Corp., which is the current system provider of the LTO IT system, Smartmatic, Oberthur Technologies and Indra Sistemas, S.A.

DOTC/LTO is now set to go through the bid evaluation and post-qualification process, including resolving the remaining issues with the non-complying bidders and other technical/administrative matters.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya said the new IT system would provide a viable and long-term solution to address the current system’s issues. The previous LTO IT system, which has been running for 13 years, is no longer responsive to current land transportation regulation requirements.

Once the new LTO-IT system is in place, it will make it easier for authorities to recover stolen vehicles, trace smuggled vehicles, prevent double registration and monitor unregistered vehicles.

DOTC/LTO expects that once the automation systems of LTO and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) are up and running, the government will be able to eliminate cases of PUVs securing an LTFRB franchise without LTO registration, as well as PUVs that are registered with the LTO but have no LTFRB franchise. - source: PNA

Filipinos are so fond of drinking toxic softdrinks after meals instead of drinking healthy pure water.

we can beat cancer by eliminating stress, getting enough sleep, eating organic foods, exercising everyday.

by pna

The National Bureau of Investigation has expressed suspicion the billions of pesos amassed by Aman Futures Group Philippines Inc. from their investment schemes may have been used to fund terroristic activities.

The NBI is the Philippines' premier investigating body and is an attached agency of the Dept. of Justice.

The NBI, in a letter to the Anti-Money Laundering Council, said the money collected by the Aman Futures, founded by a Muslim Malaysian, from their clients were transferred in Cebu City wherein Malaysian operator Manuel Amalilio was based.

The NBI also expressed the belief that aside from money laundering, the amassed funds of the Aman Futures were also used to finance the activities of terrorists.

It was earlier reported that Aman Futures amassed more than P12 billion from its 15,000 investors in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The DOJ is currently conducting a preliminary investigation of Aman Futures.

maajong bunta pud diha, roots.

New China's Passport Covers Philippine Territory

Enter Photo to Join 2012 Cute Kid of the Year Contest

Tandem

Sunset Close-up

Shapes of Cloud

Dying River

Maldives

Lonely Tree

Skyline

By Charles H. Spurgeon

“They shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.” - Zechariah 4:10

Small things marked the beginning of the work in the hand of Zerubbabel, but none might despise it, for the Lord had raised up one who would persevere until the headstone should be brought forth with shoutings. The plummet was in good hands. Here is the comfort of every believer in the Lord Jesus; let the work of grace be ever so small in its beginnings, the plummet is in good hands, a master builder greater than Solomon has undertaken the raising of the heavenly temple, and he will not fail nor be discouraged till the topmost pinnacle shall be raised. If the plummet were in the hand of any merely human being, we might fear for the building, but the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in Jesus’ hand.

The works did not proceed irregularly, and without care, for the master’s hand carried a good instrument. Had the walls been hurriedly run up without due superintendence, they might have been out of the perpendicular; but the plummet was used by the chosen overseer. Jesus is evermore watching the erection of his spiritual temple, that it may be built securely and well. We are for haste, but Jesus is for judgment. He will use the plummet, and that which is out of line must come down, every stone of it. Hence the failure of many a flattering work, the overthrow of many a glittering profession. It is not for us to judge the Lord’s church, since Jesus has a steady hand, and a true eye, and can use the plummet well. Do we not rejoice to see judgment left to him?

The plummet was in active use-it was in the builder’s hand; a sure indication that he meant to push on the work to completion. O Lord Jesus, how would we indeed be glad if we could see thee at thy great work. O Zion, the beautiful, thy walls are still in ruins! Rise, thou glorious Builder, and make her desolations to rejoice at thy coming.

by Charles H. Spurgeon

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” - Ecclesiastes 9:10

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,” refers to works that are possible. There are many things which our heart findeth to do which we never shall do. It is well it is in our heart; but if we would be eminently useful, we must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of them; we must practically carry out “whatsoever our hand findeth to do.” One good deed is more worth than a thousand brilliant theories. Let us not wait for large opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just the things we “find to do” day by day. We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have any time but time present. Then do not wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God.

Endeavour now to bring forth fruit. Serve God now, but be careful as to the way in which you perform what you find to do-”do it with thy might.” Do it promptly; do not fritter away your life in thinking of what you intend to do to-morrow as if that could recompense for the idleness of to-day.

No man ever served God by doing things to-morrow. If we honour Christ and are blessed, it is by the things which we do to-day. Whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it. Do not give Christ a little slurred labour, done as a matter of course now and then; but when you do serve him, do it with heart, and soul, and strength.

But where is the might of a Christian? It is not in himself, for he is perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord of Hosts. Then let us seek his help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our “hand findeth to do,” let us wait upon the Lord for his blessing. What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its effect.

By James Ryle
The Calling of Augustine of Hippo

“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men…Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.” (Job_33:14-17)

Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) stands out in history as one of the preeminent theologians of the Christian Faith.  He has been called “the greatest genius among the Latin fathers,” and his writings have widespread acclaim throughout Christendom.

While we thank God for such a man, we must be quick to add a special blessing for the man’s mother.  Had it not been for her faith in the Lord’s word, a faith that was most wonderfully enkindled through a dream, history might have seen an altogether different man than the Augustine who followed Jesus.  For, before the dream came to his mother concerning his conversion, Augustine was in all manners a most calcified sinner.

In The Confessions, Augustine writes of the memorable dream given to his mother.  “For whence was that dream with which Thou consoledst her, so that she permitted me to live with her, and to have my meals at the same table in the house, which she had begun to avoid, hating and detesting the blasphemies of my error?”

In the dream she saw herself standing upon a ruler, which signified the rule of faith. An angel approached her and asked a reason for her sorrow, and she answered that it was the perdition of her son that she was lamenting.  The angel then assured her in the dream, saying that where she was, there also would her son be (i.e., upon the rule of faith).  The encouragement and hope which the dream gave her was unshakable.

Augustine wrote, “When she had narrated this vision to me, and I tried to put this construction on it, ‘That she rather should not despair of being some day what I was,’ she immediately replied, ‘No; for it was not told me that where he is, there thou should be, but where thou art, there he shall be.’”

Upon hearing her reply Augustine later admitted to God, “I confess to Thee, O Lord, that, to the best of my remembrance (and I have oft spoken of this), Thy answer through my watchful mother â€" that she was not disquieted by the spaciousness of my false interpretation, and saw in a moment what was to be seen, and which I myself had not in truth perceived before she spake â€"even then moved me more than the dream itself.”

Augustine blessed God for the dream, its interpretation and its fruit in his conversion to Christ.  “Thou sendest Thine hand from above, and drewest my soul out of that profound darkness, when my mother, Thy faithful one, wept to Thee on by behalf more than mothers are wont to weep the bodily deaths of their children.  For she saw that I was dead by that faith and spirit which she had from Thee, and Thou heardest her, O Lord.”

Who was it that dreamed you into the arms of Jesus?

Most Challenging Job in the World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMAuN8Fu_Pk#ws
HBO 24/7 Episode 2 Pacquiao vs Marquez 4

bugsay will know. and pikoy will reaffirm whatever is knowable.

for no. 3. DepEd is so wrong about this. Revamp the lesson plan and curriculum.

I won't try it. I don't want to cut my fingers instead.

a proactive measure to protect our finances before disaster happens. good reminder.

please, let her visit Oro China at ICM (mall) in Tagbilaran City.

Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Micro-finance will hold its 9th General Assembly
on Dec. 1 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, Barangay Centro, Mandaue City.
The annual assembly, with this year's theme, “RAFI Micro-finance:  Kaabag sa
Responsableng Patigayon alang sa Kalamboan”, will gather more than 3,000 women microentrepreneurs or nanays from all over the province of Cebu. 

The assembly aims to continuously provide sustainable, non-financial services to
the clients by giving them opportunities to learn economic and social strategies, such as
networking, in entrepreneurship.

During the event, program members and groups who performed well in their quest for
financial independence will be recognized.

The program of activities include a mass, awarding ceremony, trade fair exhibits, short
training lectures, talent showcase, and a raffle draw.

There will also be a medical mission to be facilitated by the  Eduardo J. Aboitiz
Cancer Center (EJACC), which will cater to more than 500 beneficiaries for general medical
examination, cervical cancer screening, and distribution of vitamins.

Micro-finance is a program under the Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship focus area of
RAFI, providing financial resources and know-how to women micro-entrepreneurs to nurture
financial independence and entrepreneurship. Other focus areas of RAFI are Integrated
Development, Culture & Heritage, Leadership & Citizenship, and Education.

For more information on RAFI Micro-finance, please contact 418-7234 loc. 707 and
look for Val Gatchalian, or visit www.rafi.org.phor www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.

source: Press Release

"Who's the Boss?" 10 ways to start taking control (time management, goal setting, record tracking)

At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another. But many of us with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because we become frustrated by our challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for us to manage those challenges and move forward.

Practicing positive thinking allows people with ADD to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself
It's much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For Stresses and challenges don't seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.

3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making Assumptions
A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don't waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.

4. Refrain from Using Absolutes
Have you ever told a partner "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a friend "You NEVER call me!"? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like 'always' and 'never' makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.

5. Detach From Negative Thoughts
Your thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don't follow it.

6. Squash the "ANTs"
In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!

7. Practice Lovin', Touchin' & Squeezin' (Your Friends and Family)
You don't have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn't touch!

8. Increase Your Social Activity
By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another Person
Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination
If you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It's never productive, because it's not rational or solution-oriented, it's just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.

When it comes to the corporate world, protocol is pretty much the religion. To know the things needed to do are the basics of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to true productivity. There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they're uncommon ones and we are human and imperfect. To get these little things like stress under our skins won't solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to admit that we're turning to be workaholics than tell ourselves that we're not doing our best.

source: PLR

How to Develop Your Intuition

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.

Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis

Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation

Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt,  you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!

A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.

4.  Just let go.

What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.

After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.

When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.

7. Stay happy!

See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

source: Associated Press

A Florida man choked to death after downing dozens of live roaches to win a contest earlier this year in which the grand prize was a python, according to an autopsy released Monday.

Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach died as a result of “asphyxia due to choking and aspiration of gastric contents,” according to the report released by the Broward County medical examiner’s office. It said his airway was obstructed by the roach body parts, which caused him to not be able to breathe.

“There is a flap called the epiglottis that is supposed to stop objects from going into the lungs,” medical examiner Craig T. Mallak wrote in an email to the AP. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. In the video you could see him trying to swallow and breathe at the same time. We can’t do both simultaneously.”

by Bob Hoekstra

The Suffering that Prepares Us for Grace
But may the God of all grace . . . after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  (1 Peter_5:10)

In our previous meditation, we saw that "the God of all grace" wants to develop our lives spiritually. He wants to use His exceedingly abundant grace to "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle" us. Now, we will examine the useful (though often undesired) suffering that prepares us for this work of grace.

Yes, suffering is often the link between the work God wants to do in us and the abundant grace that He will use to effect the work: "after you have suffered a while." Even as the perfect, sinless man, the Son of God learned valuable lessons through suffering. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (Heb_5:8 ). He experienced the agonies that can be involved in obeying God while dwelling in a rebellious, sinful world. He is the full example of godliness, and we are called to follow Him. "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1Pe_2:21). If we are willing to walk the path of godliness, we will suffer as well. "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2Ti_3:12). Such trials and sufferings are normal and purposeful. "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you" (1Pe_4:12). Painful trials seem strange, but they routinely come to test and exercise our faith.
God gives grace to the humble. Trials and suffering humble our hearts and stir us to cry out to the Lord for His necessary grace. This direct link between suffering and grace can be seen in Paul's most persistent trial of suffering. "Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me . . . Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me" (2Co_12:7-8). Paul's difficulty moved him to earnestly plead with the Lord for His intervention. The Lord responded by His grace.

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me' " (2Co_12:9). Paul did not receive the healing grace that he sought. However, he experienced the sustaining grace that God often chooses to impart in times of suffering. Through His grace, God changed Paul's heart, not his circumstances.

Prayer
O God of all grace, make me willing to endure the suffering that is necessary to prepare my heart for the transforming work of Your grace. Also, during sufferings and trials, please remind of the work You are doing, in Jesus name, Amen.

By F. B. Meyer

THE GARDEN OF OUR SOUL
"A pleasant vineyard, sing ye of it. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."-- Isa_27:2-3, (See R.V. marg.).

THE VINEYARD and its Divine Keeper.
God's redeemed children are here compared to a Vineyard. We remember also our Lord s references to the Vineyard in Mat_21:33-41 and John 15. God our Father is the Husbandman or Keeper, watching, watering, and guarding always. There is no anger in His heart against us, but against our sins, and He is ever battling with these, as the gardener digs up the weeds and burns them in the bonfire.
God's moment-by-moment care of us is our one hope. The dry winds of this world are always parching the tender verdure of our inner life making the soil hard and impenetrable. We shrivel and wither beneath the sun of prosperity, but God is ever seeking to water us with His grace.

Sometimes it is by the mist--"There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground" (Gen_2:6). Thus it was in Eden, and so it is in our experience. The mystery of life, its uncertainty, our sense of impotence and ignorance, the withdrawal of our beloved ones within the envelopment of the unseen, the strange sense of incomprehensible enigma--these are some of the mists that help to soften our character.

Sometimes by the dew--"I will be as the dew unto Israel." On clear nights the air deposits its moisture in dewdrops. How beautiful it is in the spring morning! In the tropics it is profuse, so that Gideon was able to wring a bowlful of water from the fleece which he had spread out! Yet how gently it distils, not a flower stalk, however fragile, is broken. So the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit gather on our souls and refresh us. We know not whence or how, but we are sweeter, gentler, tenderer for His beneficent care. The sun does not scorch us, the heat does not exhaust.
Let us enter into a holy fellowship with God in His antagonism to whatever is unworthy and evil in our lives, taking hold of His strength, and being at peace with Him, Then shall we be blossom and bud, and become His pleasant vineyard; and fill the world with refreshing fruit. "Thou shalt be like a watered garden." "By their fruits ye shall know them."

PRAYER
Forbid, O Heavenly Father, that we should lose the freshness, fertility and beauty which Thou canst maintain in hearts which are open to Thee. May we be like a watered garden. AMEN.

by George H. Morrison
Patience

Ye have need of patienceâ€" Hebrews 10:36

Virtues of Necessity
There are some virtues which are exclusive virtues and are only demanded in peculiar circumstances. They have at the best a partial application. In certain emergencies they are obligatory or in certain social relationships; but that virtue of which we speak now can never be included among these. The child needs patience when he goes to school, for without it he will never learn. The boy needs patience on the football field, for without it he will never play. The mother needs it among her growing children: the father amid the anxieties of business: he who is in work needs it every day, and he who is out of work needs it even more.

Patience Against Impulsiveness
There are certain natures, it is true, more liable than others to impatience, and sometimes the finest natures are so tempted. There is a note of impulse and of eagerness in certain natures which are full of charm; a nimbleness of apprehension, a sudden flashing as of a swallow's wing; and often it is natures such as these which do so much to beautify society that are most sorely tempted to impatience. It is the fairest of our Highland lakes which are most liable to sudden storm. In a tamer country they would escape the squall; we could depend on them more in duller levels. But the very grandeur of the hills around them tosses them swiftly into wild commotion, and so is it with certain men and women. We think of Moses, meekest of God's servants, shattering the tables of the law. We think of Peter in impulsive loyalty cutting off the ear of the priest's servant. And we seem to see the Highland lake again with its silent hills forever reaching heavenward and its hollows which are the caverns of the wind.

Noble and Ignoble Patience
It is well also to remember constantly that there is a noble and an ignoble patience. Of this, as of all the other virtues, the devil always has his counterfeit. If we seek for the perfect pattern of patience, instinctively we turn to our Redeemer; yet of one thing Christ was utterly impatient, and that one thing was evil. Those fierce denunciations of the Pharisees, that groaning beside the grave of Lazarus, are all in the picture of the patient Christ. It is the duty of no one to be patient when evil can be checked or wrong be righted. All our liberties were won for us by heroic impatience of the wrong. There are times when patience is the badge of weakness and ruthlessly betrays the faithless heart; there are times when impatience is divine. Had Robert the Bruce been patient under tyranny, where would our liberty have been today? Had Knox been patient and borne the yoke in meekness, where would have been the Church of Christ in Scotland? And had we been patient in this present hour when the dearest human rights are being imperiled, when nations are being trampled underfoot, when the bond of honor is a scrap of paper, Christ would have said to us, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye cursed of my Father." So long as evil is avoidable, every follower of Christ must be impatient with it. It may be criminal to be a martyr when it is possible to be a soldier. No man is worthy to be a Christian citizen or to have a place within the Christian commonwealth who cannot be splendidly impatient sometimes with tyranny and cruelty and evil. My Christian friend, that is ignoble patienceâ€"shall I tell you what noble patience is? Noble patience is the cheerful bearing of what is inevitable and unavoidable. It is in the chastisements sent to you from God; it is in the sufferings which you have to bear; it is in the trials upon the line of duty, that "ye have need of patience." Ignoble patience is the child of cowardice. It is afraid "to lose with God." It is the fruitful mother of injustice, the perpetuator of social abuses. Noble patience welcomes what is sent, believes that behind everything is Goer, issues in a quiet which is victory. Matthew Arnold in one of his choicest poems calls patience "the neighbor of despair." But the patience of the Lord Jesus Christ is never the neighbor of despair. It is the neighbor of high and quenchless hope, of confidence that the best is yet to be, of trust in the providence which counts the stars and providently caters to the sparrow.

Patience Versus Endurance
Always, too, we should remember that patience is something different from endurance. It is possible to endure and not be patient. Endurance is a very noble virtue; nothing great was ever done without it. There is a world of meaning in our Scottish proverb, He that tholes, o'er comes. But patience in the fullness of its import is ethically finer than endurance: it is endurance with sunshine on its brow. Patience is endurance which is willing. It is endurance with gladness in its mien. It is the endurance which recognizes God and the infinite wisdom of His ordering. It is the endurance which is only possible when one is sure that love is at the helm and that all things work together for his good. A man may endure with curses in his heart. But patience has no curses in its heart. "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Patience is endurance in Christ's company, and it takes the cross up with a ready mind, for it leans upon the perfect love of God.

No Shortcuts
Patience is needed in peculiar measure for all development of human character. "In your patience possess ye your souls"â€"your selves. Every man, that is, has a true self hidden amid the ruins of his nature. And as a mother from a burning homestead saves her child, so man must win his life. And the only way to do it is the long way, the long and tedious and patient wayâ€"in your patience ye shall win your souls. Just as there are no shortcuts to heaven, so are there no shortcuts to character. If it takes long to grow a mustard seed, it will take longer still to grow a man. And therefore we have need of patience when we are tempted to what is swift and flashy; tempted to forget that of all lengthy ways there are none so lengthy as the ways of God. "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." It was the great temptation of Christ as He looked out upon His opening ministry. And then He chose the long and lowly way by the garden of Gethsemane and Calvary, and so came to His kingdom and His crown.

Once again, do we not need patience in regard to the plans and purposes of God? "The mills of God grind slowly." Beautiful is the patience of a nurse ministering to some restless invalid; beautiful the patience of a mother among her children who are never still; but in a world like this where night is loath to flee and the crimson morning is so slow in coming, it calls for a patience not less real than that if man is to believe in God. Think of the state of things today. Every hospital is full of wounded men; every city thronged with homeless fugitives; every field in Northern France today has been opened for the burial of the slain. And all this after the faith of centuries and the mystic communion of the Holy Supper and the praise unceasing from a million tongues to "Jesus, lover of my soul." My Christian hearer, that is hard to bear, and it is harder still to understand. It is as though He who sitteth in the heavens were making merry with the toil of ages. And what I say is that in this present hour, more than in any hour that we have livedâ€"we have need of patience. Patience to believe that with the Lord a thousand years are as one day; to believe that He maketh the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of His wrath He shall restrain; to believe that He is King of kings, that in His hand there is the heart of princes, that He seeth the end from the beginning. It is not enough, remember, to endure. About our endurance there is no debate. As Britons with a lineage of heroes we shall carry through the task we have begun. But we are more than Britons, we are Christians; we have made our peace with God through Jesus Christ, and as Christians we have need of patience. Endurance says, "I will carry this thing through." Patience says, "God reigneth." Endurance says, "Lord, increase my courage." Patience says, "Lord, increase my faith." Endurance says, "Give me the iron will that I may never falter in my calling": but patience, "Open mine eyes that I may see." That is why at such a time as this there is supreme need of spiritual patience. It is not that the issue may be victory; endurance might be adequate for that. It is that through all gathering of storm clouds which hang so dark around the throne in heaven, we may walk quietly as men who have a God.

Love Begets Patience
In closing may I ask you to observe how the Gospel always has been the friend of patience? It has been so mainly in two ways, and the former is by making love supreme. What is it, tell me, that makes the mother patient amid the worries of her little family? What was it that made Jacob patient when for seven years he served for Rachel? Duty can touch the heart to stern endurance, to scorn delights and live laborious days; but for the finest patience you need love. And now I turn to the old Gospel story, and what do I find in the very center there? I find a love sealed in the cross of Christ, a love victorious which will not let us go. It is that love, in its infinite benediction falling with power on our fretting hearts, which helps us to the patience that we need.

Immortality Begets Patience
And then, the other secret? The other is the hope of immortality. For a thousand worries Christ has given patience by bringing immortality to light. There is a splendid saying of St. Augustine's which everyone of us should take to heart. "God is patient," says St. Augustine, "because He is eternal." With all eternity to work His works in, how could the Almighty worry or chafe; and Christ has brought immortality to light. We are no longer the creatures of a day. We do not cease our service at the grave. All we have striven to do and striven to be shall be carried over into the great forever. There is something very quieting in that; something which sheds a gleam on every failure; something which helps us wonderfully in those seasons when above everything we have need of patience.

When Everything is Going Down â€" LOOK UP!
by James Ryle

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalms 5:3)

You know the routine â€" it happens every morning. First, you wake up. Next, you get up. Why not go ahead and finish the process and LOOK UP. That’s the best way to begin a day. Especially if things around you are on a downward spiral. You can look up when things are going down. Furthermore, you must.

It is a proven fact that a person will head in the direction they are looking. This is literally true, as well as figuratively true. Stop and consider for a moment what it is you spend most of your time “looking” at. Your eyes see it, your mind thinks it, your imagination dwells upon it, your soul desires it â€" and eventually you do it.

Why not give this pattern a chance to work in ways that matter most?

Look up unto to the Lord in the morning, while your mind is poised and your energies are fresh. Look up, and move up. See what He is saying to you, and then see yourself doing what He wants you to do. If you will cultivate this simple practice, this spiritual discipline, you will find yourself doing what the Lord wants you to do.

On the other hand, if you look down and see yourself defeated and depressed â€" then you will surely spend your day in a pit of despair. Look down; and you will go down. Look up; and you will go UP.

The Bible says, “They looked to Him and were radiant; their faces were not ashamed!” (Psa_34:5). Isaiah put it this way, “Lift up your eyes all around…then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy” (Isa_60:4-5).

One of the most beloved lyrics of all time says it simply the best â€" “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” (Helen H. Lemmel, 1922)

My friend, look up. When everything around you seems to be going down â€" look up. If you will look up â€" the Lord will lift you up. So LOOK UP.

I’ll see you at the top!

by C. H. Spurgeon
“The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” -Ephesians 1:7

Could there be a sweeter word in any language than that word “forgiveness,” when it sounds in a guilty sinner’s ear, like the silver notes of jubilee to the captive Israelite? Blessed, for ever blessed be that dear star of pardon which shines into the condemned cell, and gives the perishing a gleam of hope amid the midnight of despair! Can it be possible that sin, such sin as mine, can be forgiven, forgiven altogether, and for ever? Hell is my portion as a sinner-there is no possibility of my escaping from it while sin remains upon me-can the load of guilt be uplifted, the crimson stain removed? Can the adamantine stones of my prison-house ever be loosed from their mortices, or the doors be lifted from their hinges? Jesus tells me that I may yet be clear. For ever blessed be the revelation of atoning love which not only tells me that pardon is possible, but that it is secured to all who rest in Jesus.

I have believed in the appointed propitiation, even Jesus crucified, and therefore my sins are at this moment, and for ever, forgiven by virtue of his substitutionary pains and death. What joy is this! What bliss to be a perfectly pardoned soul! My soul dedicates all her powers to him who of his own unpurchased love became my surety, and wrought out for me redemption through his blood. What riches of grace does free forgiveness exhibit! To forgive at all, to forgive fully, to forgive freely, to forgive for ever!

Here is a constellation of wonders; and when I think of how great my sins were, how dear were the precious drops which cleansed me from them, and how gracious was the method by which pardon was sealed home to me, I am in a maze of wondering worshipping affection. I bow before the throne which absolves me, I clasp the cross which delivers me, I serve henceforth all my days the Incarnate God, through whom I am this night a pardoned soul.

by Charles H. Spurgeon

“Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord.”
- Zechariah 3:1

In Joshua the high priest we see a picture of each and every child of God, who has been made nigh by the blood of Christ, and has been taught to minister in holy things, and enter into that which is within the veil. Jesus has made us priests and kings unto God, and even here upon earth we exercise the priesthood of consecrated living and hallowed service. But this high priest is said to be “standing before the angel of the Lord,” that is, standing to minister. This should be the perpetual position of every true believer.

Every place is now God’s temple, and his people can as truly serve him in their daily employments as in his house. They are to be always “ministering,” offering the spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise, and presenting themselves a “living sacrifice.” But notice where it is that Joshua stands to minister, it is before the angel of Jehovah. It is only through a mediator that we poor defiled ones can ever become priests unto God. I present what I have before the messenger, the angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus; and through him my prayers find acceptance wrapped up in his prayers; my praises become sweet as they are bound up with bundles of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia from Christ’s own garden.

If I can bring him nothing but my tears, he will put them with his own tears in his own bottle for he once wept; if I can bring him nothing but my groans and sighs, he will accept these as an acceptable sacrifice, for he once was broken in heart, and sighed heavily in spirit. I myself, standing in him, am accepted in the Beloved; and all my polluted works, though in themselves only objects of divine abhorrence, are so received, that God smelleth a sweet savour. He is content and I am blessed. See, then, the position of the Christian-”a priest- standing-before the angel of the Lord.”

why not? God came to seek and save the lost.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0#ws
Psy Dethrones Justin Bieber's Video as Most Viewed on Youtube
now with 824,000,000 views - target 1 billion views.

Happy Birthday, Bai Votives. May you have more birthdays to come.

By George H. Morrison

The Anguish of the Light

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions â€" Hebrews 10:32

Battle After Illumination
This is a very remarkable conclusion to a verse that suggests the blessings of the light: it is one of those suggestive anticlimaxes that are so familiar to students of the Scriptures. No blessing is nobler than illumination. It tells of the benediction of the light. It speaks of a life that has arisen from darkness and moved into the glorious shining of the sun. And yet, when we expect to hear of summer's gladness and to catch the sound of music in the blue heaven, we hear of battle with its blood and misery and the cry and agony of wounded men. After illumination a great joy? We should have looked for some conclusion such as that. After illumination a great sense of liberty and a peace that the world cannot take away? Scripture does not deny these blessed consequences, but in its splendid fidelity to all experience it says that after illumination may come battle.

Illumination of the Intellect
Think first then of the illumination of the intellect and of all that follows on the light of knowledge. That is not always liberty and power: sometimes a conflict which is very terrible ensues. When Eve in the virgin paradise of God ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, her eyes were opened and she was illuminated with the light that never was on sea or land; and yet that light did not bring peace to Eve, neither gladness nor any rest of heart, but only the sorrow of a weary struggle. The more we know, the more we want to know. The more we know, the more we cannot know. And doubts are born and speculations rise and much that once seemed certain grows unstable until at last, wearied and perplexed, not through the power of darkness but of light, a man begins to realize how grim is the struggle that succeeds illumination.

Nor is that consequence less notable in the lesser field of personal experience. There are those who can recall the struggle that followed the clear shining of the light. Take for instance a young man, a student, who has been trained in a pious home. There he accepted without serious questioning the faith of his father and mother. Their character commended it to himâ€"he saw it lived and therefore felt it trueâ€"and in a faith that never had been shaken, he joined in worship and bowed his knee in prayer. There are many who never lose that childhood's faith. They grow as the lily and spread their roots as Lebanon. It is no necessary witness of superiority that a man should have come to his own by way of agony. But often, with ail that light of knowledge which the years bring to most of us today, there falls a different story to be written. Illumination comes by what we read; it flashes upon us in our college lectures. And the world is different and God and man are different from all that we cherished in our childhood's days. And then begins that time of stress and strain, so bitter and yet so infinitely blessed, through which a man must fight his way alone to faith and peace and character and God. There is a strife that is nobler than repose. There is a battle more blessed than quiescence. There is a stress and strain which comes when God arises and cries to a young heart "Let there be light." All which, so modern that it seems but yesterday, is yet so old that Scripture understands it, hinting not vaguely in our text of the struggle that succeeds illumination.

Illumination of the Heart
Think next of the illumination of the heart. The illumination of the heart is love. Just as the light of the intellect is truth, so the light of every heart is love. Without love the heart is always dark, and with love the heart is always light. The commonest dwelling becomes a palace with it, and there is sunshine for the dreariest day. And all the wealth and joy of fame and whirl of fashion can never irradiate this heart of ours like love. He who dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and he who dwelleth in God is in the light. The luster of the heart is always there, but it is unlighted until love comes in. And now call to remembrance the former days in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions. Many years ago some of you mothers here gathered your firstborn child into your arms, and there was such gladness in those eyes of yours that every neighbor saw your life illuminated. And now as you look back upon it all and think of all that has come and gone since then, you know the sorrows that have followed love. What sleepless nightsâ€"what hours of weary watchingâ€"what seasons of agony when death was near! What struggle to do that which was hard to do when wills were rebellious and lips untruthful. All this has followed the illumination that came when the love of motherhood was born, and all this is the anguish of the light. Let a man love his work, and in that light he shall be led to many a weary wrestling. Let a man love his land, and in that light he shall take up burdens that are not easily borne. Let a man love his risen and living Savior, and in that light his life shall be a battlefield as he wrestles daily not with flesh and blood but with the principalities and powers of darkness. Love has its triumphs, but it has its tortures. Love has its paradise and it has its purgatory. Love has its mountains of transfiguration, and its olive gardens where the sweat is blood. Love is the secret of the sweetest song that ever was uttered by human lips, and love is the secret of the keenest suffering that ever pierced the heart.

lllumination of the Will
Then observe how true this is of the illumination of the will. For our will like our intellect has its great hours when in the light of heaven we see light. It may be we had been groping in the darkness not seeing clearly what our duty was. And choice was difficult, so much depended on it: there was so much to win, so much to lose. And then it may be in one radiant hour never to be forgotten through the years, we heard as it were a voice behind us saying, "This is the way: walk ye in it." Very probably we had prayed about it, for it is in such seasons that men learn to pray. We cried, "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps: Lord, lead me, for I know not which way is best." And then, perhaps by some word from friendly lips or by some providence or disappointment, clear as the sun shining in the heavens we saw what for us must be the path of duty. Such hours of high and resolute decision are among the greatest hours of human life. There is not a power or faculty we have that is not illuminated by the glory of them. And yet the struggle and torment that preceded them when we were stumbling and groping towards a decision may not be half so terrible and searching as the struggle and the strain that follow after. Never are things renounced so sweet to man as in the season when they are renounced. Never is the alternative so winning as in the hour when it has been rejected. Never do things given up appeal to us so sweetly and so subtly and so secretly as in the season when we have turned our back upon them and set our faces bravely toward the dawn. The most difficult task in life is not to win; the most difficult task is to keep what we have won: never to falter from the verdict of our high and radiant hours when the shadows deepen, never to go back on our decisions, never to listen again to any voices which in our worthiest and purest moments we knew to be the voices of the enemy. That is the reason why all great decisions ought to be reinforced by prayer. There is no weapon on earth like prayer for helping us to keep what we have won. For prayer unites us to the living Christ, touches the vilest of us with the touch of heaven, and brings to our aid that power of perfect living which was witnessed long ago in Galilee. Tasks in hours of insight willed must be through days of gloom fulfilled, but in the gloomiest day a man may lift his heart up and draw for his need out of the grace of Jesus.

Illumination of Conscience
And in closing I want you to take our text in regard to the illumination of the conscience. Do you remember when conscience was illuminated what a great fight of afflictions you endured? That may have happened many years ago when you were young and ardent and impressionable, and yet so unsearchable are the ways of God that perhaps it is happening to some of you now, after many prayerless, careless, and hardening years. You recall how David after a great sin hardened his heart and justified himself. And then by the word of Nathan the prophet there flashed on his conscience the light of a holy God. Whereupon that mighty soul, after he was illuminated, broke out into that penitential agony which has come ringing down the ages and shall ring on forever: "Create within me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." That is not the crying of despair nor of the soul that has forfeited the everlasting mercy: it is the eternal crying of the human conscience that has been irradiated by the light of God. My brother and sister, if God has so come to you, He will never leave you nor forsake you. He has a purpose of peace towards your soul that has been destined from the bosom of eternity. He has begun His saving work in you which only awaits the fullness of response to result in the blessedness of power and in the rest and liberty of heaven.

By F. B. Meyer

THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE
"What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?"-- Psa_116:12.

GOD'S BENEFITS are here compared to a cup or chalice brimming with salvation. It seems natural to speak of man's lot, either of sorrow or joy, as the cup of which he drinks. The cup or lot of our life brims with instances of God's saving help---"my cup runneth over," and we ask, how may we thank Him enough? What shall we render unto Him, for all His gracious help?

There are many answers, and the first is, that we will Take. In other words, as one has truly said, Taking from God is the best giving to God, for God loves to give. St. James says: "He is the giving God, who gives not only liberally, but with no thought of personal advantage, and for the mere joy of giving?' What, then, will gratify Him more than to be trusted, to find recipients for His gifts, to know that we are prepared to be His poor debtors, owing Him ten thousand talents, with nothing to pay, but still receiving and receiving from His great heart of Love. Nothing hurts God more than that we should not take what He offers--"God so loved that He gave," and when we refuse to appropriate His greatest gift, we inflict the deepest indignity and dishonour of which we are capable.

Then, we must call upon His Name (Psa_116:13-17). Take the Name of the Lord as a test. Friendships, plans, profits, amusements, studies---all these cups should be tested by this one mighty Talisman.
We must be sure to pay our vows (Psa_116:14-18; Ecc_5:4-5). We make vows in our trouble, which we sometimes forget when it is past. Surely, it is the height of ingratitude not to redeem our promissory notes. All devoted things, which are laid on God's altar, are absolutely His, and the giver forfeits all rights to their disposal.
Our gratitude demands the gift of ourselves (Psa_116:16). When Robinson Crusoe freed the poor captive, the man knelt before his deliverer, and put his foot upon his neck, in token of his desire to be his slave, and the love of Christ, who loosed us from our bonds, constrains us to live not to ourselves but unto Him (Rev_1:5 R.V.). Loosed from the cords of sin, we become bound to the service of love.

PRAYER
Father, we would thank Thee for all the benefits that we have received from Thy goodness. The best thanksgiving we can offer to Thee is to live according to Thy holy will; grant us every day to offer it more perfectly, and to grow in the knowledge of Thy will and the love thereof AMEN.