MikeLigalig.com

'A place for everything and everything in its place', I like that, it's like a 5's Philosophy.

Personally, I'm a sensitive person and at times, it is very difficult to separate my sensitivity, either at work or personal. And at times, I get blushed and feel uneasy whenever my sensitivity button is pressed and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Despite managing it and trying to compose myself, its really difficult.
The quote above I believed can't be applied in one's being a sensitive person- reason being is that, being sensitive is a character trait that defines your personality. And it's (traits) in the genes of a person already the very moment a person is conceived in the mother's womb. That is why in principle of a relationship, one must talk about behaviour and not personality. Kaya nga diba as Rudy Fernandez once quote in his movie 'Markang Bungo', "Pare, trabaho lang, walang personalan."

I dont believed either that sensitive is only for the weak in the same way that you can't  measure man's toughness by his strength. For me, Sensitivity can be an asset or liability. It depends on how this can serve its purpose.

essential things that i carry with me everytime i go out
1. IQAMA
2. Driver's license and car and room keys
3. Wallet (with or without money )
4. 2 cellphones (local and roaming)

things that i carry all times that make me happy
1. my family picture
2. Pocket Bible (sana kaso bawal dito sa KSA)

I was quite emotional these days because of the news that broke out a couple of days ago; Veterans Bank-UP Branch Robbery, ended with 3 people dead. Two security details and a Roving teller were all gunned down in broad daylight. I’m raging furious to know that evil people really exist. Evil beings who don’t want to live fairly but instead resolve to quick way to riches with total disregard to human lives. The Roving teller happens to be the father of my daughter's classmate in St. Scholasticas College. The victim's wife happens to be our co-parent in the current homeroom class under Grade 6 St-Odo. The husband and wife were our co-parents since Prep level up to now. We used to exchange Hi's and hello's every card distribution and school enrollment. My heart bleeds with the victim's wife and daughters, losing a loved one in this festive season where everybody is suppose to be in a merry making mood. But Christmas season or not, losing a love one altogether is very painful and it doesn’t have to experience one to know one. I was once in such situation; a month before Christmas, I almost lost my entire family due to a vehicular accident along Osmena Highway corner of San Andres Street, because of the irresponsible driving attitude of the cargo truck’s driver and that of the PUJ where my wife and three daughters were riding one Sunday afternoon while on their way to hear a mass. That very same instant, maybe was not yet their time to meet their Creator and I consider it more of a Divine intervention more than pure luck. But a week before that accident, on the very same highway, a former Philippine Senator didn’t get exactly the same luck as I got.

God allowing sufferings to some extent could be because of certain reason. Whilst difficult for us mortals to comprehend but only God knows it and I’m sure this is for our own good. While we can chose to live our life totally in pain brought about by the lost of our loved ones, or we could opt to choose of surrendering all our pains to God. Difficult it may seem but no one could share our grief and understand our pains more than Him.

God communicates with us in so many ways. More often than not in the course of our lives, we only heed to this call when our life is at the brink or in a near death situation, or if we encounter failures in life or approaching the twilight of our days on earth. That's how God loves us. He never intervenes to our free-will. He just let us do our own thing in our own ways and not Him. Mankind hates to be reminded, we hate rules and we hate restriction of our freedom, we keep on wasting our lives living in the world of sin - an entity that separates us from God. And when everything from this effort fails, that's the only time we will realize to call upon Him, worst, curse and blame Him for the things that happened in life. Calling Him unfair for giving us nothing but unjust things. Oh, humans, when we will finally learn from our setting of wrong priorities â€" the love of money.

You cannot serve two masters at the same time; you will love one and despise the other. But at the end of the day, it is for this priority we had set while living our life on earth that we will all be judged. And I don’t think your money can buy you a good lawyer to save you when the time comes.

Hi all and to Admin, ok lang po ba na nagpa-member ako dito though I'm not a Bohalanon nor from any part of Visayas?

That is mainly the reason why most of my postings here are either English or tagalog, dyutay lang po ang alam ko na bisayan words. I came to know this site when I chance upon its link when one of the articles I posted in one of the Philippine Daily's was posted here in this site, that's how I managed to get to know and eventualy become a member.

Kung di po kayo agree, I will humbly ask the admin of this site to delete my membership.

Quote from: bol-anon nga cebuano on October 28, 2008, 11:33:18 PM
whatever is appealing to the majority sells even if the minority is hurt. ABS-CBN is business so whatever project that seems to be a money maker to them that's a hit.

I thought ABS-CBN is promoting truthful broadcasting with utmost responsibility?

anyone who can give an honest opinion?

Your opinion if you may

When I was still working in the Philippines, I had this Chinese-Malaysian as a boss. He is a typical Chinese-Malaysian who loves night life. Very often, he invites all of us male managers to go with him to have a casual drinking after office hours at his costs, usually every Friday. This activity or I will say opportunity we find perfectly fine at first. Subsequent outings with him comes a bit more daring, from bar-hopping to girl club hopping. Until came a point that no one among us wanted to go out with him and sometimes have to make lots of excuses for our boss is eating up much of our private time.

One time, while we were inside a 'girly' joint, we were seated in a round table, each with table partner. (Mind you, we were there, 2 filipino managers with our boss not to enjoy ourselves but somewhat as a tourist guide for our adventurous boss) I even explained this to my partner and she was a bit reluctant to order for a ladies drink, thinking that my presence there is a bit of an extension of my job and not for pleasure. So we both agreed that her 1st ladies drink will be her last. However, I sensed that my boss likes my partner and I was right, he (my Boss) asked me if I could convince my partner to go out with him. I did ask the girl but the girl refuses but opted to go out with me instead at no cost. I tried to convince the girl and I told her that she will be doing me a big favor if I could manage to persuade her to go out with my boss. With the background music too loud, we have to shout on each other's ear and sometimes have to whisper the message near one's ear just to be heard. To make the long story short, the negotiation remains futile, the girl didnt go out with my boss, neither did I go out with the girl. So the 3 of us (my other filipino colleague, me and my boss) part ways. I drove back home and with my usual routine upon coming home, I sat beside my wife while she was lying on the bed watching TV. I removed my shirt, there's where the problem begun--my wife saw a lipstick mark near my ear. She asked where did I come from and I told her that I was with my boss in a girly joint. She asked me why I was there, I told her Im just doing an extension of my job. She asked me why and how in heavens name did I get that lipstick mark near my ear. I told her that I was talking to this girl that my boss wanted to take out with him and we were discussing while the loud music is playing, so we need to whisper to each other just to be heard and that's how the lipstick mark got on my earlobe. She asked if I did take advantage of the situation owing it to the fact that the girl likes me instead of my boss. I told her no I did not.

If you are my wife, would you believe it or not and why?

Quote from: Lorenzo on October 26, 2008, 05:51:25 AM
Lust is natural for us. However, we must illustrate the virtue of self-control.


There is only about a hairline difference between love and lust. However a sex consumated out of love comes with great responsibility from both party and the absence of this often yields to unwanted pregnancy and sometimes abortion. Sex driven by desire wouldn't think of the consequence of the act but only to satisty lust.

Thank you Manay Tess and may God also bless you and your family.

I agree that there may be risks inlvoved in it and perhaps that may be the reason why sometimes, offending party never disclosed nor admit this to the agrieved party. Thus, the 11th commandment surfaces -Thou shall not admit.

It just so happen that my confession happened not by chance but rather part of God's plan for my marriage life. He had laid the plan for me. He prepared us spiritually more than emotionally. After keeping my 'misadventure' secret for so many years, my marriage runs as any normal relationship does.But God wanted our relationship to be more than just normal, with Him at the center. He led us to attend a Marriage Encounter and from there, we learned that married couples are no longer two but one, not in flesh but in spirit. And by being one in spirit, there would be no room for concealment, a thing that anybody will find rediculous.

Admittedly, His ways are not our ways. Marriage after all is all about forgiveness, thus, it is a union between two forgiving partners. If the forgiveness that has been given results to fear and insecurity, this only mean that there is no forgiveness given on the first place. There is no such thing as half-baked forgiveness, in the same way as a woman can't be 50% virgin. After all, saying sorry and you are forgiven sometimes are words commonly misunderstood, and sometimes abused.

Learn to forgive completely so that you may also be forgiven. The yard stick you use will also be the same yard stick that will measure you. But nonetheless, forgiveness received must be compensated by utmost respect and responsibilty, as a person worthy to be forgiven.

Thank you all and above all, thank God for giving me an undertsanding wife. Hope my sharing will inspire others who may be in the same predicament.

God bless everyone

Guys, I have a revelation to share and I hope you can learn from it.

I had an extra-marital relation 2 years after my marriage. I got married 1992 and I must say that we never had a good marriage foundation since my job in the Philippines then requires me to be abroad often. At that time, my mind set--Im still a bachelor. My attachment to my barkada is more than to my family that eventually leads me to having an affair outside of marriage. This relationship goes on for about 3 months until the turning point of in my life came one early morning, I came home after spending the entire night with the girl. I saw my wife sleeping, then with our first child. That time, I asked myself what is this that Im doing with my family?

The following day, I split off with the girl but getting away from her is not that easy for aside from the fact that we belong to the same company, she never let go off me unless I agree to sire her a child.I was able to manage myself more than the girl manages herself. I hid this secret from my wife for so many and my concience is bothering me so much to the point that I'm turning the table against my wife, meaning I got easily jealous wherein fact there is nothing to be jealous of (maybe I was afraid of my own ghost).

Year 2002 when I decided to confess to her my sin. We had it in Tagaytay, just the two of us and I let go of my emotional baggage. The confession I made brought her indescribable pain. We cried on each other's shouder and we patched up everything. We kissed and make up and made a vow that I will never hurt her again. That reconciliation in Tagaytay resulted to our 3rd child.

While it is true that what she didnt know will never hurt her but I believed otherwise. The more youre not being truthful is the more you will hurt your partner. However, that revelation had a setback. In some instance, seeing a woman's name in my cellphone's address book or meeting attractive lady officemates of mine made her paranoid. Well it is the price that i have to pay but I can live with it. Sometimes, I just have to crack jokes just to make her feel relax, "Ikaw kasi mag-aasawa ka ng kamukha ni John Lloyd Cruz pagkatapos seselos-selos ka diyan?

Sometimes it pays to be truthful and make sure that the forgiveness given to you must be compensated with a utmost responsibility and respect, for this would make the relationship more stonger and matured. But convincing your wife to believe that you are already a good boy is another thing, well this could be another story to tell.

Marriage is a relationship between two forgiving partners.

Given all that history, I just wander why ABS-CBN signed him for job hosting. Isn't it because vulgar, green jokes and double-meaning punchlines sells?

My two cents

Nowadays, it could be both ways, man or woman could be on the reversal role but still i would say that mostly applicable to men - giving love for sex, that is simply because of this male chauvinism. For me, Sex is not a privilege but a gift from God and I like the way it was defined in the previous discussion above that it is best if it's within the boundary of love. However, there lies another argument, that if sex is consumated with love then, sex can be tolerated between partner even before marriage. Well, I guess it could be another argument that we have to answer.

What Is This Thing Called Love?
By: Gener Marcelo

The Bible defines LOVE according to 1 Cor. 13:1-13 as; 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

But still what is Love?

I love one particular scene in the movie, “Crocodile Dundee.” A folk hero from the outback country of Australia , Crocodile Dundee visits New York City for the first time. While accompanied by a female newspaper writer, he finds himself cornered by a gang of young thugs. When Dundee does not immediately produce his wallet, one young hoodlum pulls out a switchblade and threatens Crocodile Dundee. Nonplused by such aggression, Crocodile simply reaches behind his back with the words, “That’s not a knife,” suddenly producing the largest knife I have ever seen, “This is a knife!” Quickly disarmed, the hoodlums run for their lives. As I read the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, I see Paul somewhat like Crocodile Dundee. His words seem to say, “That’s not love … this is love!”

Love is not only a Matter of Feelings but also a Decision

I find it difficult, if not impossible, to believe that Love is not only a feeling but also a matter of decision until my wife and I attended a Marriage Encounter Seminar. The speaker told us that when your marriage life comes into a stage of disillusion, which I would say is the break-even point of every relationship, loving your spouse would no longer be a matter of feelings but also a decision whether to continue loving your spouse despite the odds on hand. Of course not all couples realized this but successful couple chooses to fall in love again with the same person they promised to be with for the rest of their lives from the time they exchanged "I do’s" during their marriage vows. Difficult to do? I bet it is but looking back how Chapter 1 of the Corinthians defines Love, as what Crocodile Dundee’s words seem to say, “That’s not love…this is love1”.

Love is also to sacrifice for your loved ones My wife, Jembie asked me how I define Love were they just had a prayer meeting with some Marriage Encountered couples where the topic discussed was all about couple relationship, love and other sort of things. I told her one simple definition as the way I looked at the meaning of love in my own experience. Love is sacrifice. Being in a far away land with a very strange culture like Saudi Arabia, away from your family, your loved ones, totally out from your comfort zone means a lot of SACRIFICE. Being away with the only hope that you can provide something better for your family is a big sacrifice out of your love. No matter how hard it could be, I chosed it because I love my family and I will do anything to give them nothing but the best, and that is a decision I made out of love. Simply going beyond the definition of love as a matter of feelings but also a matter of decision that I chosed to make.

So the next time you feel that you are falling out of love, try reading the gospel of Paul to the Corinthians and ask your self, “Is this love or what?”.

hI Guys, just would like to share personal article of mine as it also relates to this topic, MLC, getting old, etc

How do you know if you’re old to be hip?

I know I am old to be hip when: I encounter a lot of strange relatives while riding a jeep, bus or FX and somebody calling me; “Manong, pwede pong paabot ng bayad ko?” (Ineng, mag-kamag-anak ba tayo?)

I’m having second thoughts of using abbreviated texting lingoâ€"gud am or gud pm; btw for by the way, “w8 for wait, 2moro for tomorrow, 4get for forget, syl as in see you later, smiley sign, “copy,” etc., para kasing di na bagay eh. helleeer

I couldn’t memorize the cell number of my wife even though she has it for years.

The cashier at the cinema booth doesn’t bother to ask for any identification card that would establish my age when watching movies with a rating of “For Adults Only.” Worst if the cashier will ask for my Senior Citizen Card to avail a free movie in Makati Theatres, (Sabunutan ko kaya yung teller)

Waiters stare worriedly at me across the buffet table when I partake of the “lechon” and the “kare-kare.”

Young ladies ignore me upon entering a restaurant but seem interested instead with my son. “Alam ko, gwapo ang anak ko, pero kanino pa ba magmamana yun?”

The order-takers at fast-food chains always ask me if I want orange, tea or light colaâ€"not expecting me to order regular Coke, which I prefer.

Doctors tell me not to eat foods that are sweet, salty, oily, saucy, or those with seeds, and a lot of others that make life enjoyableâ€"leaving me to wonder what on earth is there left for me to eat.

I’m reading the Editorial section of the newspaper and skipping showbiz column and other youth-oriented articles because I find it boring.

I get to call our maid by different names, and calling her “Manang” instead as a quick and error-free solution. Generic law.

I’m singing new wave songs (a hit during my era) and feel insulted if my son will ask me, “Daddy ano yang kina-kanta mo?” (Sarap batukan)

I am in a hurry to get something in the kitchen but I can’t remember what it is when I get there. “Bakit ako nandito?” “Nasaan si Basilio, Crispin nasaan ka?

I am giving life-related advices using my past experience to stress a point. (Read as: Old Veteran)

There’s one thing I never forget to do, however. It is to pray day and night to the Lord and thank Him for life’s wisdom.

Quote from: bol-anon nga cebuano on October 14, 2008, 12:20:28 AM
ayay, wala nituman sa disclaimer nga dili sa mag post ug ing ani nga thread for 40 days in memory of aya.

Sorry bro, i stand corrected, di ko kasi nabasa sa itaas yung disclaimer during the time that i posted it. my apology

Quote from: -<GEC348>- on October 14, 2008, 10:02:16 AM

Willie: He's that guy that guys like us just love to hate.
I hate to admit it but loving in hating makes me willie-willie

I agree, sadly but true. No wander why other countries look little on us. Have you heard the news , BBC is not aplogetic to the way how the network discriminated a filipina maid?
For them its nothing but a freedom of expression. For me what freedom is this that enjoy if this meant to belittle somebody who is not capable of depending themselves. This is nothing but a poor slopsticks for people with poor taste of sense of humor.

HAHAHA

Hi All, I read this article and I would like to share this one to this group.


Protecting Your Marriage from Its Greatest Threat
by Bryce Klabunde

“We never intended to fall in love. We were just friends at the office,” the woman confessed through bitter tears. Her affair had finally come to light, and she and her devastated husband sat in their pastor’s study, desperately trying to mend their shattered marriage.

Their story is another tragic statistic in an alarming workplace trend. More and more often, men and women are working closely on projects, traveling together on business trips, celebrating successes together, and consoling one another when the business deal fails. These intensely personal experiences give workplace friendships an emotional charge that can threaten any marriage.

How can you protect your marriage from a workplace affairâ€"or any affair? One word: boundaries. A common assumption is that loving marriages are immune to affairs. But research suggests that it’s not necessarily the strength of your love that protects you, but the strength of your boundaries.

A boundary is an inviolable, personal conviction. Unfaithful spouses often claim to be victims of forces beyond their control: “I couldn’t help myself.” Yet everyone who has an affair willfully decides to compromise a conviction.

The boundary that usually falls first is the “shared secret.” You may feel an attraction toward a workmate. However, not until you “share your secret” do you break the boundary. A boundary-breaker may be a flirtatious touch. An e-mail with a double meaning. An overly personal compliment. If the other person responds in kind and neither of you tells your spouse, you give each other a silent signal that your feelings are mutual and the secret is safe. Like a spark igniting fuel in an engine, a shared secret revs up a relationship and begins the affair.

So, don’t cross the “shared secret” boundary. If you sense that a coworker is testing that boundary, immediately tell your spouse. Exposing the secret immediately defuses it . . . and builds trust.

What are other boundaries?

Never pair up on business trips
Never share marriage problems or dissatisfactionâ€"this signals that you want emotional intimacy
Never give overly personal compliments
Never violate personal space by sitting too close or touching
“The marriage bed is to be undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). The phrase, marriage bed, represents the physical and emotional intimacy that makes marriage sacred. “Protect your marriage,” the writer is saying. Don’t give the intimacy that you promised your spouse to anyone else. Keep your boundaries firm.

An Open Letter to Mr. Willie Revillame

Lately, I been watching delayed telecast of Wowowee not by choice but it’s the only show available on TFC here in Saudi Arabia during 7:45 PM to 10 PM slot.

I have noticed your rudeness to the show's dancer and staff. Though most of your side comments (I supposed) are for the sake of humor. However, degrading a person in front of national and international audiences is no laughing matter.

Your arrogance and rudeness are not only confined to your staff but also extended even to the hapless game participants. Participant's way of pronouncing words (especially those with 'thick' accent like people from Visayas) can eventually be the show's instant joke â€" but in bad taste. Promoting "enjoyable show" at the expense of these hapless people is totally irresponsible and unacceptable. Remember that these marginalized people, dying to be picked as studio contestants (and sometimes literally ‘dying’) are there in your show simply for obvious reason â€" financial necessity. And I hope this reality will not be considered as an outright license to belittle people.

I'm not a fan of your rival noon time show or advocating any show for that matter but I would like to remind you, Mr. Revillame of your infamous beginnings prior to your fame status now. You were just one of the "HAWI BOYS" of Randy Santiago and also an unknown drummer of a totally unknown band. I hope you will consider these humble beginnings of yours so that you will not look down at ordinary people. Your hosting 'gaga' at times using English, riddled with so many grammatical errors and faulty diction, may somehow reminds you that you are 'funnier' than the hapless people you toyed around in your show. You are really such a comedian - hats off to you.

Lastly, consider this as unsolicited advice for a famous person like you. These hapless people that you ridiculed while ‘on top’ will also be the same people you will meet when you go down. I just hope that you mend your ways before it’s too late for you may wake up one time while at sleep and you may find that you are in your worst nightmare.

Na-curious ka ba? Walang chizmis dito! Mga Chismoso at Chismosa, hala balik sa trabaho ! 

Peace everyone, Bawal ang pikon, hehehe. Pang-ilan ka kaya sa mga nag-view nito?

1. Bakit kapag ang lalake, nambabae-MACHO, kapag ang babae ay nanlalake, di katangap-tangap, bakit?

2. Kapag ang lalake maraming ng naging karanasan sa sex (medyo acceptable norm) pero kapag ang babae ay maraming ng naging karanasan, medyo mababa ang pagtingin natin? Kalapating mababa ang lipad ba ang tawag doon?

3. MOst men (though di naman lahat), gusto virgin ang mapapangasawa, e bakit patuloy ang iba sa sa ating mga kalalakihan na humirit kung makakaisa sa mga gf nila,? E kung ganoon ang trend, sino pa ang matititrang virgin?

4. Sa larangan ng batas, ang lalaking may asawa bago makasuhan ng bigamya o dili kaya adultery, kailangan i prove na "scandalous" ang afair otherwise, it won;t stand in court. Pag babae ang kinasuhan ng adultery ay napakadali.

BAKIT NGA BA?

Who enjoys an insensitive person, one who couldn’t care less about others?

Who enjoys an overly sensitive person, one who always seems to get hurt by whatever we say?

HOW SENSITIVE ARE YOU? Is it an asset or liability?

Ako ay isang middle class pinoy, dating isang officer sa isang malaking
korporasyon at may asawa...apat na anak. Di na importante pangalan ko kasi parepareho
naman tayong mga middle-class....trabaho 9-5, inom konti tapos uwi sa
pamilya, laruin si baby, itutor si ate/kuya tapos tulog na, pag wala na pera
intay nalang ng sweldo. Dahil sa di magkasya na sweldo, napilitan akong mangibang bayan dito sa gitnang silangan

Sa nangyayari ngayon sa ating bansa, lahat nalang ng sector ay maingay at
naririnig, tayo lang mga middle-class, tax paying at productive Pinoys ang
di naririnig. Subalit, buwis natin ang nagpapaikot sa bansang ito. Pag may
mga gulo na nangyayari, tayo ang tinatamaan. Kaya eto ang liham ko sa
lahat ng maiingay na sector na sana makagising sa inyong bulag na pag-iisip.

Sa Mga Politiko:

- diyos ko naman, sa dami na nang nakurakot ninyo di na ba kayo makuntento
kelangan nyo pa ba manggulo.

Sa Administrasyon:

- hayan ayus na ha pinatawad na namin ang pandaraya nyo sa eleksyon,
pruweba dito e di kami umaatend sa mga panawagan ng people power, kaya sana naman
gantihan nyo kami ng magandang serbisyo at magaling na pamumuno at
malaking bawas sa kurakot naman please para kahit papano maramdaman naman namin na
may napupuntahan ang binabayad naming buwis.

Sa Oposisyon:

- di nyo pa ba nakikita na dalawang klase lang ng tao ang nakikinig sa
inyo....isa ay bayaran na mahihirap kungdi man ay tangang mga excited na
reporter na parang naka-shabu lagi....mga praning e at naghahallucinate.

- Bago man lang kayo maglunsad ng kilos laban sa administrasyon, pumili
muna kayo ng magiting at nararapat na ipapalit sa liderato ngayon. Hirap sa
inyo paresign kayo ng paresign wala naman kayo ipapalit na maayos.
Advise lang galing sa isang middle-class na syang tunay na puwersa sa
likod ng lahat ng matagumpay na People Power, magpakita muna kayo ng galing bago
nyo batuhin ang administrasyon. Wala na kaming narinig sa inyo kundi
reklamo, e wala naman kayong ginagawa kundi magreklamo....para kayong
batang lagi na lang naaagawan ng laruan.....GROW UP naman...sa isip sa salita at
sa gawa.

- please lang gasgas na rin ang pagrarally nyo na katabi nyo ay mga
bayaran na mahihirap, magtayo nalang kayo ng negosyo at iempleyo ang mga rallyista
para maging productive silang mamamayan. Sige nga, pag nagrarally kayo
yakapin nyo nga at halikan yang mga kasama nyong nagrarally!! Nung People
Power namin nagyayakapan kami lahat nuon.

- Wala naman mangyayari sa mga rally nyo nakakatraffic lang, kami pang
middle-class ang napeperwisyo. Di nyo kayang paghintayin ng 3 araw ang
mga rallyista nyo kasi kelangan nyo pakainin at swelduhan ang mga yan.
Kung gusto nyo tagumpay na People Power kami ang isama nyo....pero pagod
na kami e, sori ha.

Sa mga OIL companies:

- Alam ninyo unfair kayo, noong halos araw-araw tumataas ang price per barrel ng langis sa world market, di kayo mapakali at sabay-sabay ang pagtataas ng mga pump price ninyo. Ngayon namang patuloy na bumababa ang presyo sa pandaigdigang pamilihan, weekly lang ang pagbababa ninyo--ang katwiran under recovery pa ang company ninyo dahil sa mga previous na pagtaas ng presyo. Anak ng huweteng, di ko na maintindihan ang economics ninyo.

Sa mga Bread manufacturers:

- Di naman tumataas ang presyo ng harina, infact ang sabi ng DTI bumaba pa eh bakit nagnga-ngakngak kayo na magtataas pa kayo ng presyo? Dito sa Saudi Arabia ang lalaki at malaman ang mga tinapay pero mura pa samantalang wala naman silang pananin na trigo dito maliban sa puno ng 'dates' . E sa atin, naturingan agricultural county tayo, mahal ang harina,bigas at kung ano-ano pa. hay naku!!!

Sa Military:

Alam nyo lahat tayo may problema, pati US Army may problema, 2,000 plus na
patay sa kanila sa Iraq na parang walang rason naman, pero nakita nyo ba
sila nagreklamo? Wala diba kasi professional sila na sundalo.....yan dapat
ang sundalo di nagtatanong sumusunod lang. Kasi may mga bagay na di
kayang maintindihan ng indibidwal lamang, at ang mga nakatataas lang ang
nakakaintindi ng kabuuan, kaya ito ang panuntunan ng lahat ng military ng
lahat ng bansa. Pero parang military natin yata ang pinaka-mareklamo.
Sabi nga sa Spiderman "with great power comes great responsibility".....kaya
maging spiderman kayo lahat at protektahan ang mamamayan. Sa totoo lang
natatakot kami kapag nagrereklamo kayo, kasi may baril kayo at tangke,
kami wala.

Sa mga mahihirap:

Wala ako comment sa mga mahihirap, di naman kasi sila maingay na kusa e,
may bayad ang ingay nila. Saka wala rin naman sila email kaya di rin nila mababasa ito.

Kaya paano na tayong mga middle-class?? Eto hanggang e-mail nalang tayo kaya ikalat nyo na ito at magdasal tayo na umabot ito sa mga dapat makabasa nito at makiliti naman
ang kanilang mga konsyensya.

I came across this article from the Nov-Dec 2007 release of CodeRed Magazine from my son's regular subscription to Don Bosco Publishing House and I find the facts interesting.
I couldn't remember the exact phrase or words but below are somewhat close to that article I read in that mag.

Examine yourself through the ff: self assessment questions:

1. Male ages between 40-48 y.o.

2. You just woke up one morning and you find yourself in need of a sports car?

3. You are wearing clothings that are meant to men half of your age?

4. Your favorite hangouts now are place where teenagers are going? You have sudden interest listening to youth oriented music?

5. Lost interest to your family, wife and sex life?

6. You are having impulsive decision like thinking to divorce your wife, suddenly thinking to resign from work, sell your house? etc.

7. Having an extra marital affair with other woman younger than your wife?

8. Your alcohol intake is as much as what you are taking during your teenage years?

Experts say that if you have any of these symptoms, you might be having a Mid Life Crisis.

ADVISORY: Discussion below might appear as obscene and contains discussion intended for matured and open minded person ONLY. If you are not comfortable with that, please be advised NOT TO CONTINUE reading. --Gino.


I would like to invite matured men of MHS to undergo this self assessment questions because for one thing, it would take a lot guts for most men to admit that they once had, or has been in those situations or currently in those sitautions.

THIS THREAD IS SIMPLY FOR MEN ONLY. But women are so welcome to view and participate if you wish.

I will take the guts to start this thread and draw the 1st blood.

I must admit that I have 3 to 4 manifestations stated above and let me cite this one by one.

> Im 40 y.o.

> My choice of clothings are somewhat inclined to make me look young but not punky though, something like wearing long sleeves and a maong pants during workdays where everybody is wearing slacks and polo (with tie), although I dressed up depending on the occassion and the type of person im going to meet (ofcourse i dont show up wearing maong pants when making presentations/trainings or when meeting my CEO)

> My choice of hangouts I would say doesn't change since my teenage years until now and i dont know if that suffice to be called a symptom of midlife crisis (I still like to stay in bars, listening to live band instead of maybe going to starbucks, sip a cappuccino and either read newspaper or tapping a laptop like most men of my age does.)

>I dont have any extra marital affair (and im dead sure of that)But I have strings of acquaintances I met in the net (ofcourse most of them are women). But I dont know if that can be called extra marital. In all honesty,I never engage or just the thought of it to engage in S.O.P (Sex On Phone), S.O.C (Sex On Cam) because I have 3 daughters and I fear God above all and I dare you to believe me. Guys, would you believe that I dont even have even a single picture/movie of nude women in my laptop? Its exciting to see those but when my friends are sending me through e-mail, I refuse to save it as an archive of porn collections.I just simply dont want to. But Im not hypocrite you know, I enjoy watching porn movies and seeing pics of nude women.

>I find it challenging and my adrenalin pumping chatting to women who has good sense of humour, especially intelligent women. Wheather or not its a kind of extra marital affair, I will leave up to the reader do discern. In some occassions, I met many strangers in the net, starting with the usual hi and hello till precommencing to to engage for SEB. In ALL occassions, I never accepted those opportunity??? C'mon men, dont be hypocrite, you know that for men like us, its a damn opportunity, right? Maybe simply for the fact that it is a NO-NO here in the middle east (Im now currently in KSA and will move to Dubai and QATAR this Jan. 2008). But the 1 dollar question is, "Can I still say NO if the situation (i.e laws) permit?

> I do have "girlfriends" in the Philippines, (but, hey, before making your conclusion, it means "friends who are girls")on top of the common male friends. Admittedly, there is this girl who stands out from the rest of my girlfriends, let's call her "best-girlfriend". But mind you, its nothing as what you think it is but it is simply that I find it very easy to open up to her.

Now, given all of these circumstances, will you consider it a MIDLIFE CRISIS??>

'My father did not see me grow up'


INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:14pm (Mla time) 07/17/2008


The article "Firms benefiting from OFW must give back" somewhat retells my story as an OFW, absentee father and provider.

The story tells of the “(mis) adventures" of the OFW’s children entering their "bumpier rides" approaching adolescent years, and the difficulties and agonies of 20- and 30-something parents as they enter the tumultuous phase of child rearing.

Though my age doesn't fall in that bracket, the story fits my biography. My wife and I are very supportive of
each other in the performance of our culturally-prescribed roles as home maker and provider, respectively. However, these old roles have melted in the growing needs of our family; both husband and wife have
to work to earn a living to support these growing needs.

Though my wife stays in the Philippines to work, the impact of these changes on our family still has a jarring effect on our children, especially my eldest son who's starting to confront the paradox of the absentee father I am. My children are now beginning to miss my living presence â€" a gap I'm trying to compensate for through monthly remittance and balikbayan boxes. But these can't mask the sense of loss now surfacing as resentful grief that my children have painted in their hearts: "My father did not see me grow up."


As Prof. Randy David put it in one of his columns, "the suffering of OFWs children could probably double (or perhaps triple) on the parent's side," I always think of my family when I see a nice place, hoping that they could also see what I'm seeing. I would always think of my family when I eat a sumptuous meal, worry too much for their safety and desire to share the pain in their time of failures and celebrate with them in times of triumph. How I wish I could do all these without remiss in my other duty as a provider.

Fulfillment on the part of an absentee parent is to see that their obligation helps steer the course and ensure that those left behind have a much better future â€" a tangible recognition of their toiling away from home. As the good professor nicely put it, "It has been very easy to measure the economic benefits from overseas work. But I doubt if one can ever quantify what the Filipino family has given up in terms of love, or what it is doing to recover it."

Gener Marcelo
Jubail Industrial City, KSA

Just a survey...

What ESSENTIALS you carry with you when you step out of the house? What about things you carry with you that makes you feel better, happier?

I totally agree with you Bro. Lorenzo

Ang Nagpaparumi sa Tao
by: Gener Marcelo

“Iho de Pu_ _!”  Ang malutong na bulalas ni brod na kapwa ko OFW matapos makita ang ulam na pritong isda para sa aming tanghalian. “Di ko kakainin yan, nakita ko na nakalapag sa semento kanina, Put _!, ang dumi niyan.” Dugtong pa ni kabayan habang ang iba ay walang imik na kumakain na para bagang walang naririnig samantalang ang iba naman ay tahimik na umuusal na dasal pasasalamat sa May Biyaya. Ito’y mga tagpo na masasabi kong pangkaraniwang eksena bawat tanghalian na aming pinag sasaluhan sa opisina.

At kung hapunan naman, pangkaraniwang tanawin na sa mess hall ang sari-saring ingay at mga gawi ng iba’t-ibang lahi na kumakain dito. May nakakamay habang nakapatong ang isang paa sa mahabang bangko, masaya at di alintana kung ang service tray na kinakanan ay nahugasan ba ng maayos - marahil di na nga sinabon. Kunsabagay, maselan ka man o hindi, sapat na ang mga eksenang iyon para mangamba ka para sa iyong kalusugan. Maselan talaga ang kababayang ko si brod kaya bagay na din na kayang pagtiisan ay sa mura na lang dadaanin.

Mga Minanang Turo
Bagay na marumi kapag naipasok sa katawan ay talaga namang di katangap-tangap. Wika nga ni mommy noong bata pa tayo, “O kids, make sure you wash your hands before you eat”o dili kaya pamilyar na maririnig mo sa mga nanay kapag nakita si Junior na gumagapang at akmang isusubo ang rattle na galing sa sahig, “No!, that’s dirty”. Ito’y mga pangkaraniwan na sa ating mga Minanang Turo na galing pa sa ating mga ninuno. Bagama’t tama rin naman sa ganang akin subalit ano ba talaga ang nagpaparumi sa tao?

Mateo 15: 10-20. Hindi ang pumapasok sa bibig ng tao kundi ang lumalabas dito ang nagpaparumi sa tao sa mata ng Diyos.
Ito ang mga katagang binigkas ni Jesus sa mga Punong Pariseo ng siya’y sitahin ng mga nito kung bakit hinahayaan niyang kumain ang kanyang mga disipulo na hindi man lang naghugas ng kamay. Dugtong pa niya,
“Ang pagkaing marumi na pumasok sa bibig, hindi ba’t napupunta sa tiyan at pagkatapos ay idinudumi ng tao? Subalit ang masamang lumalabas sa bibig ang nagpaparumi sa kanya sapagkat ito’y galing sa puso. Sa puso rin nanggagaling ang mga gawang pagnanakaw, pagpatay, pakikiapid, pagmamataas, pagiimbot at pangungutya sa kapwa.

Maruming pagkain maaring magdulot ng sakit, maruming pag-uugali ay maaring magdulot ng malaking kapahamakan.

Psst Brod, pag isipan mo, di pa huli ang lahat.

WHY PATIENCE SUCH A VIRTUE?
by: Gener Marcelo

I’m having a lull in my writing and seems like I couldn’t find any articles to write when I chanced upon a reply posted in a thread which I started myself a couple of months ago. One reader commented that; “Patience is not a virtue but simply a waste of time”.

Her reply somewhat inspires me to write this article (I thank her for that) and I would like to answer my reader’s point of view with a question; Why is patience such a virtue?

I was born a serious person. My threshold for nonsense thing is very low and I get easily annoyed when things don’t measure to my ‘standard’. I get easily annoyed when I see nonsense commercials on TV, seeing actors and actresses look like moron for their sloppy acting performance, irritated when somebody tries to cut me off my driving path and even reacted to an article passed through e-mail.

And if patience is such a virtue, I know I don’t have it, at least for now.


Seeking God’s help to change my ways

Lack of patience results to anger and it is one of the most common emotions, but we often fail to see how it can also be one of the most dangerous. If I will allow myself to go that far, of letting my emotion overruns me, it would be unhealthy and would even lessen my life expectancy.

The Bible has so many answers that I know would change my ways.

Romans 15:5 . . . May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other-each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.

Galatians 5:22 . . . When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

Colossians 1:11 . . . We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.


We can choose the way we respond to circumstances

Patience leads to harmony with others, endurance to handle difficult circumstances, and an expectant attitude of hope that things will get better. It demonstrates a thoughtful and careful attitude toward others feelings. Anyone can be patient, but there is a higher level of patience which comes from God through his Holy Spirit’s presence and work in our lives.

God’s love and work in our daily lives often brings patience. Patience is a characteristic of love. The more loving we become, the more we model the nature of God in our lives, so let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

Patience is evidence of strength of character. Enduring patience flows from strong character. It is also an aspect of faith and hope. The greater our hope, the more we patiently wait for it, and the more our faith grows that it will truly happen.

Patience is the key to achieving many goals. Achieving goals is rarely done with a quantum leap, but rather by small footsteps. Patience is the key to enduring suffering. Suffering is better endured when patiently endured. God uses our relationships to develop our patience. Abrasive relationships teach us to patiently endure. Loving relationships teach us to patiently enjoy.

God uses life circumstances to develop our patience. We do not always choose the circumstances that come our way, but we do choose the way we respond to them.

What is truly important?
What is truly important
By: Gener Marcelo

I was browsing the internet for any news from the Philippines and one article struck my attention as the headline reads: “10 Killed in Laguna Bank Robbery”. The news came not as a surprise for me knowing that crime rates increases as the economy worsen but it’s the total disregard of human life that is bothering me. To kill a person is to kill one made in God’s image. Because all human beings are made in God’s image, all people possess the qualities that distinguish them from animals: morality, reason, creativity, and self-worth. But all of this put me in a situation to ask, Why God allows things like this?

Why God allows suffering?

We don’t know why God allows tragedies to enter our lives, but we do know that God hurts deeply with us and loves us more than we’ll ever know. He comforts us and gives us the strength to work through our pain.
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. (Psalm 10:17)

Money is not the root of all evil; the love of it is!

I share with the grief of those families who had lost their loved ones because of those senseless killings. Why would one have to waste human lives just to acquire temporal comfort of what money can give? One may easily quip that money is the root of all evil. But it is love of money that is at the root of all kinds of evil (1Timothy 6:6-10).
The love of money can get our priorities out of line. We must keep reminding ourselves that God must be first in our lives and that money cannot satisfy our deepest needs.

Poverty as an excuse

People easily make use of poverty as an excuse to commit wrong in order to live. It is ironic that people spend so much time securing their lives on earth and spend little or no thought about what comes afterward.
We all have our hardships in life and I share with those people by experience that how difficult it is to live below poverty level. But being poor is not an excuse for people to take something that doesn’t belong to them, worst, taking someone else life just because they are poor and have nothing to eat? People do not live only by bread, rice, fried chicken or even nice clothes to wear but from the word that comes from God’s mouth.

I fear for the safety of my loved ones

Shortly after reading that tragic news, chills went through my bones despite that mercury don’t fall below 40 degrees Celsius here in the Middle East during month of May. I fear for the safety of my wife knowing the vulnerability nowadays of employees in the banking industry. I sent an e-mail to the bank’s main office urging the management to develop proactive measures to prevent tragedy such as the Laguna bank robbery from happening in any of their branches. Maybe I’m just over reacting after reading the news but perhaps who is not going to over react when the lives of people close to your heart are at stake? If you knew where I’m coming from, it’s not so long time ago that I almost lost my entire family in a tragic accident simply because of man’s disregard to human lives; and having the thought of losing them again is nothing but a nightmare.

God is my tower of strength and my refuge

Being in a far away land and with the constant distress of worrying much of your family’s safety is inevitable. Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress and the Lord hears my voice. In my distress I prayed to the Lord and He answered me and rescued me from my fear. I found His answer in Psalm 91: 9-12
“For you have taken refuge in the Lord, my shelter, the sovereign One.
No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home.
For He will order His angels to protect you in all you do.
They will lift you up in their hands, so you will not slip and fall on a stone.”
Life is short no matter how long we live. If there is something important we want to do, we must not put it off for a better day. Ask yourself, if I had only six months to live, what would I do? For me, I will let my loved ones know how much I love them. I will deal with an undisciplined area in my life. I will tell someone about Jesus. Because life is short, I must not neglect what is truly important.

Sa Bunga Nakikilala ang Puno
By: Gener Marcelo

“Saan ka nakatira?”tanong ng isang bata sa kanyang bagong kaibigan. ”Ako? sa impiyerno” ang sagot ng inosenteng bata. ”Hah, bakit sa impiyerno?’, sunod na tanong ng batang nag-uusisa. ”E kasi madalas kong marinig sa tatay at nanay ko pag nag-aaway sila, ”Walanghiya kang demonyo ka, lasing ka na naman, saan na naman kayo lumaklak ng mga kumpare mong demonyo?” ”Lintik, kay aga eh bunganga mo agad ang naririnig ko. Makalayas na nga sa impiyernong bahay na ito”

Eksenang kathang isip ko lang, pwedeng totoo pero pwede rin pasubalian na hindi nangyayari. Pero sa tingin ko, di na importante and tsansa ng posibilidad, sa isang banda, kathang isip man o tunay na pangyayari, isa lamang ang gusto kong tumbukin, sinasalamin ng bata ang nakikita sa matanda.
“Alam ko na yan, napanood kona  yan sa TV eh. Hindi ba merong commercial sa telebisyon noong araw tungkol dito?”


Ang maling Gawa ng Matanda, Nagiging Tama sa Mata ng Bata
Mabuti naman at napanood mo na pala yun, pero alam mo na kaya ang lahat? Marahil OO, kasi nakikita ko naman sa iyo na edukado kang tao, may magandang posisyon sa opisinang pinapasukan mo. Pero, bakit ganun ang nangyayari sa buhay mo ngayon?


Sa Bunga Nakikilala ang Puno
Bakit sa Sa Bunga Nakikilala ang Puno eh pwede naman sa Puno Nakikilala ang Bunga?
“Minsan, ayoko ng magbasa ng pahayagan.” “Bakit naman?”usisa ni Misis.
”Kasi naman wala na akong mabasa maliban sa Corruption, Patayan, Hold-up, Rape at kung anu-ano pang krimen. Worst, ang di ko masikmura ay ang Incest Rape.” Para saan ka, marami ang nagtatanong sa atin, saan na ba papunta ang ating lipunan ngayon.
Pero pa-consuelo-de-Bobo, “Di lang naman sa ating bansa nangyayari ang ganito, mas malala pa nga sa ibang bansa” pagtatangol ni brod na may kina-kasamang babae sa kabilang kanto na ang asawa ay seaman.
E ano naman sa iyo? Seaman ang asawa ko, pihado, maraming babae yun kaya amanos lang kami” pagtatangol ni babae na kabit ni brod.

Kung ang bunga ay masama, tiyak na masama rin ang puno at kung ang puno ay mabuti, anupa’t mabuti rin ang bunga.
Eto’y mga kalatas na makikita ninyo sa bibliya. ”Sus, biblia ka na naman, mano ba’t tigilan mo nga ako sa mga paandar mo? Masyado kang moralista bakit, wala ka bang kasalanan?” padabog na tugon ni brod sa akin.
Meron din naman brod, wala namang malinis sa atin, wala kahit isa. Sa Biblia mo din mababasa yan brod.
Pero higit sa kung ano pa man, gusto ko lang na ipaabot sa inyo, kapwa ko magulang ang nakaambang kaparusahan sa mga mga magulang na nagpabaya sa kanilang mga anak na naging palalo. Basahin ninyo na lang mga tsong at tsang, sa aklat ni Mateo. Ayokong sabihin sa inyo kung ano ang nilalaman nito, kasi baka sabihin ninyo na ako ay masyadong moralista. Ikaw na lang nag magpasya kaibigan, pihado namang may dunong ka para umunawa.

Pagkatapos mong magbasa brod, subukan mong tanungin ang sarili at sagutin kung tama ba ang iyong pangangatwiran?

Marahil lamang ang hindi, napanood ko na yan, galing na kasi ako diyan eh.

Clear and Present Danger
By: Gener Marcelo

I’m not quite sure if the title of the movie is correct.

The movie that I’m referring to was the one starred by Harrison Ford where he played a Secret Service agent in charge of securing the safety of a high political figure.
I remember a particular scene in the movie where the Secret Service convoy was forced to take a detour after an orchestrated rerouting of traffic that leads the entire convoy to an entrapment. Harrison Ford by his experience in the Service recognized the imminent danger lurking ahead while the entire convoy is taking the detour. All the probable manifestations of an assault were present. Long and narrow road, enclosed with abandoned buildings on both sides that make a perfect set up for a high noon assault. Whilst still hoping that his instinct is wrong, he braced himself for the unexpected and soon after the smoke was cleared, most of his men are dead in what seems to be a clear but a treacherous danger.

Professing your faith and religious belief in the land where no religion other than Islam is allowed is like getting a hitch hike with Harrison Ford’s convoy in that movie.
A country where even the possession of bibles, rosaries and crucifixes is forbidden; is a simile of the abandoned buildings, long and narrow road with the assault team waiting to unleash their fury upon those who doesn’t have the same religious ideology like their belief. But unlike Harrison Ford, I’m not that bold and daring to expose myself in danger especially in a territory that is unfamiliar and unclear.

Perhaps I just have my own and unique way of serving the Lord without getting extra bolder as Harrison Ford did in the movie. And if your are asking what is my way of serving the Lord? You are already reading it.

It’s funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world is in the condition it is today.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided that they do not have to BELIEVE, THINK, SAY or DO anything the Bible says.

Funny how someone can say “I BELIEVED IN GOD” but still follow Satan who by the way also believes in God.

Funny how you can share and accept comments on thousand funny jokes but when you start receiving messages and sharing regarding the Lord, you immediately think that you’re belief is being disrespected.

Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely thru the cyberspace but the public discussion about Jesus is left in empty space.

Funny how can I be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

Funny, isn’t it?

Are you afraid to die?
By Gener Marcelo

When I was a child, I was afraid to look on a dead person’s body neither a coffin nor the idea of going in a wake of a departed relative. Much more, I was afraid to die. I remember asking my mother if I could still breathe when put inside a coffin or buried under the grave. She told me the answer and of course you know what answer was given to me. Since then, I said to myself, “I don’t want to die and I don’t want to be put inside the coffin, it’s hard to breathe there”, I quipped.

When I reached the age of adolescence up to the time I decided to have a family of my own, this conception about dying hasn’t change. In fact, my anxieties expanded exponentially because the worries of who will provide or take care of my family’s needs when I die compounded my fear of dying. This conception or I would say misconception about dying change when I started to read the Bible.

There are two kinds of death-the cessation of life here on earth, and the missed opportunity to live in heaven with God forever. To die physically is to leave our earthly body and our place in the earthly community. To die spiritually, eternally, is to miss eternal residence in heaven with God and his people, to be separated from God forever. When we die physically, we can be even more alive as we take up our residence in God’s eternal home with him and with his people. It is not pleasant to think of dying physically. But it is devastating to think of missing heaven forever.
DEATH IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS. IT IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER HERE ON EARTH. RICH, POOR, WISE, FOOLISH, GREAT, SIMPLE-ALL WILL DIE. BUT THERE IS A WAY TO HAVE SOMETHING WAITING FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN.

You can’t take anything with you when you die, but there is a way to receive much when you arrive in heaven, for God rewards those who have been faithful to him and leave behind a legacy of goodness.

A person who accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior who dies will meet God and live with him forever. A person who doesn’t believe in Him will be condemned to eternal punishment. Religion or simply abiding on the teachings alone cannot save you but a complete acceptance of Christ Jesus as your personal Savior. “Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Nobody can come to the Father except though Him.” And there are lots of gospels in the Bible that would show the true salvation, its only through Christ Jesus.

Fear of the unknown is natural, and fear of death can be healthy if it draws us to know more about God. It is helpful to think of death as a beginning, not an end. It is our entrance into eternal life with God.
(Philippians 1:21). . . To me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better.
A fear of death may be an indication of a weak relationship with God. You must be ready to die (be at peace with yourself) in order to appreciate life fully.

Now, I’m still afraid to die, at least for now until I’m sure that my family and loved ones have a sure place in heaven. As what our ME shepherd couple says, “Let’s bring our family to heaven”. 

MEN GIVE LOVE FOR SEX WHILE WOMEN GIVE SEX FOR LOVE- Is it True?
By: Gener Marcelo

While it maybe true to some extent or instances because as for my own vocabulary there is only a hairline difference between love and lust especially from men's perspective. To explain my point, allow me to lay the premise of my opinion. Most, if not all men are sexually aroused (pardon my words for I couldn't think of any substitute terms for this) first by visual stimulation then physical stimulation (in that particular order and its order is irreversible but it could be at the same time). This fact could explain why most men wanted to make love with lights on.

Men's definition of love and lust manifest on his behavior during the "act". From lust, the mood now suddenly shifted to love, and men are focusing more on his performance on bed and how he can satisfy his spouse. Most men (I’m not saying all) who loves their spouse or partner, (hey guys, I’m not promoting pre-marital sex here huh?) believes that both party should enjoy the love making act (with the exception of those who engage in paid service. That is, most men manifest their love thru that act. However, what most men failed to realize is the complete understanding of women's anatomy and women's nature in general- resulting to a failed mission. This predicament will explain why it is difficult for men to defend the common notion that Men give love for Sex.

Women, on the other hand are from Venus. What men failed to discover is that women needs emotional and sensual stimulation more than physical. (From sight, smell, touch, taste & hearing while men only focus on sight). Women requires more pre-commencement activities (I don’t want to use the common term we usually know) that may include the setting of background music, the physical arrangement of the matrimonial bed, the room, the lightings, from aromatic candles to scents, night times to be worn down to perfumes and of course, personal hygiene before a love making can be successfully consummated. Of course, also not to forget is women's anatomy.
Most men are quite adamant about these because of men's natural urge to consummate the sudden feeling of "wanting to make love and let's do it ASAP". But this does not mean that men only wanted to show love just to have sex, it's not always the case in general.

Well, men and women couldn't understand much of each other because Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.

Finding a Husband
by: Gener Marcelo

My wife and I have common closed circle of female friends from the company where she works. Among the group, we are the only married and the rest are all single.  We used to share jokes but oftentimes when topic shifted to getting married or finding husband, their faces turns in full dismay as if, “hey Gino, can we change the topic?” Well I guess for them, finding a husband should not be the prime concern. So I didn’t discuss this in a mix company and strive not to bring up this “taboo” topic every time we had chit-chat time until my wife told me that Ms._ _ _ (a common woman friend of ours) asked my wife to give her picture to me hoping that I could find her a husband from my male circle of friends. I just laugh at the insinuation until I learned that although they didn't discuss it in mixed company, but one of our friends admitted that they talked about it a lot in the safety of their office pantry. It turns out that it was probably the subject they talked about most. Sitting in the hallway, eating junk food in their office uniforms, this friend of ours admitted her deepest longing, even more than career success, was to get married. Then she'd bemoan how most of her male classmates and friends were either not marriage material or already taken. I am apt for the latter.

I'd often wonder if getting the master’s degree, staying focus to one’s career and eventually remains single at their late 30’s is the price that we all have to pay. I don’t’ want to sound like a chauvinist but women succumb more than men to the pressure of realizing that they are still a single (of course the exception goes to the women staying single by choice) in the late 30’s.For all we knew, she may be prepared to give it all up â€" the career, the big salary, the trappings of success â€" should the right man come along. But the men of their lives didn't know she felt that way. What if, she worried, and finally met someone and he interpreted her ambition the wrong way?

Most men don’t have the ability to decode women’s Morse code. When a woman says NO-we understood it to be NO, period. That’s why when a woman on her date says to her boyfriend that she don’t mind at all if her beau couldn’t remember important dates and anniversaries, we will think it as, “OK, she’s cool”. That’s how dumb a man can be. But on the other hand, women have to be honest with themselves â€" and your male friends. Hearing it from men side sometimes make sense: "Initiate conversations about marriage among your friends â€" not as it relates to you and the guy you're interested in specifically, but generally, the same way you'd have a group discussion about politics or religion." While most women didn't shy away from other tough subjects when you are all together; why not bring up something even more important?
This piece of encouragement really came down to one word: intentionality. Many career women are known for high-achievement in every area but the one you say you value the most: relationships. Sadly, some women, by and large, desire marriage, but don’t know how to get there or believe there's no rush to make it happen.

When it comes to committed relationships, some women tend to be drifters. I know this because I saw this to some of our common female friends. I hear some story on how our female friend spent nearly a year as Mr. Friend’s buddy. It took her a long time to finally ask for something more.
It turns out there are things you can do to move a relationship forward. But you have to know what not to do first.

A few bad habits can sabotage a relationship; yet single women seem to miss this. Some hang out with a "buddy," content with mere friendship, never daring to require him to state his intentions. Others have pre-marital sex and don't understand why their "partner" has no momentum toward marriage. Most spend all their time with the same group, even after they've decided that no one in that group is a possible marriage partner.
These habits are pretty good for preventing weekend loneliness. But the very things singles do to avoid being alone on Saturday night may keep them alone for the rest of their lives.
If you want a mate who respects you, you've got to respect yourself. That means setting high standards for your relationships. Are you the gal guys come to for advice about other women? Do you spend all of your time with a guy who's not your boyfriend? Are you an open book with a man who hasn't asked for a commitment? If you've answered yes to any of these, you may need better boundaries to protect your time and your heart. This will help you resist the temptation to spend your prime years and best self on counterfeits.

On the flip side, approaching the opposite sex in a principled way can only enhance your relationships. Develop high character: treat men with kindness; be honest; don't lie, gossip or manipulate; be trustworthy. Any guy worth marrying will notice
.
Changing your way of relating to men may seem unnatural at first â€" and for some, not worth the effort. But if your goal is marriage, it makes sense to do what's in your power to achieve it. Don't misunderstand: you can't force it. There's no formula for making two people fall in love and commit their lives to one another. Besides, for singles who've committed their life to Christ, the timing is ultimately up to Him. But you still have a part to play. And if you're doing things that lead you away from the altar, why not purposefully change direction?

What Is This Thing Called Love?
by: Gener Marcelo

The Bible defines LOVE according to 1 Cor. 13:1-13) as;
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

But still what is Love?

I love one particular scene in the movie, “Crocodile Dundee.” A folk hero from the outback country of Australia, Crocodile Dundee visits New York City for the first time. While accompanied by a female newspaper writer, he finds himself cornered by a gang of young thugs. When Dundee does not immediately produce his wallet, one young hoodlum pulls out a switchblade and threatens Crocodile Dundee. Nonplused by such aggression, Crocodile simply reaches behind his back with the words, “That’s not a knife,” suddenly producing the largest knife I have ever seen, “This is a knife!” Quickly disarmed, the hoodlums run for their lives. As I read the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, I see Paul somewhat like Crocodile Dundee. His words seem to say, “That’s not love … this is love!”

Love is not only a Matter of Feeling but a Decision

I find it difficult, if not impossible, to believe that Love is not only a feeling but also a matter of decision until my wife and I attended a Marriage Encounter Seminar. The speaker told us that when your marriage life comes into a stage of disillusion, which I would say is the break-even point of your relationship, loving your spouse would no longer be a matter of feelings but also a decision whether to continue loving your spouse despite the odds on hand. Of course not all couples realized this but successful couple chooses to fall in love again with the same person they promised to be with for the rest of their lives during their marriage vows. Difficult to do? I bet it is but looking back how Chapter 1 of the Corinthians defines Love. As what Crocodile Dundee words seem to say, “That’s not love…this is love1”.

Love is also to sacrifice for your loved ones

My wife, Jembie asked me how I define Love (they just had a prayer meeting with some Marriage Encountered couples where the topic discussed was all about couple relationship, love and other sort of things), I told her one simple definition as the way how I look at the meaning of love in my own experience, Love is sacrifice. Being in a far away land with peculiar culture like Saudi Arabia, away from your family, your loved ones, totally out from your comfort zone hoping that you can provide something better for your family is big sacrifice. No matter how hard it could be I choose it because I love my family and I will do anything to give them nothing but the best, and that is a decision made.

So the next time you feel that you are falling out of love, try reading the gospel of Paul to the Corinthians and ask your self, “Is this love or what?”.

I’m an Addict
By: Gener Marcelo

Addict as defined in the dictionary as an aficionado, fan, buff, fanatic, devotee or an enthusiast. But this noun oftentimes takes a negative connotation and commonly defined as something associated with vices as we Filipino commonly defines traffic as the non movement of vehicles.   

Purpose Driven Life
I must admit that my relationship with God before is halfhearted. While I professed my belief in Him, my faith is little below comparison to the size of a mustard seed. But I never realized that life’s difficulties can be a key to change your ordinary life to a Purpose Driven Life.

Providing the family a better future is a common desire of every parent. Driven by that desire, I was forced to go out of my comfort zone and found myself in the land where loneliness is unfathomable. Being in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a first timer is too much to bear. Feeling alone and isolated from an environment totally different from the habitat you used to have is something like loneliness in eternity.

What I overlooked though was the opportunity given to me to discover my life’s purpose. Perhaps the absence of any diversion in this land is subtle way of introducing bible reading as an alternative form of past time. How I got my Bible (here in the land where even a possession of it is a serious offense; what more if you are caught reading it) doesn’t happen by chance but on purpose.
One night, I had a hard time sleeping so I went out of my room to borrow a bible from a Filipino friend. I borrowed it simply for one purpose, - to help me fall to sleep.
I got this idea from a self-help book that I read in the Philippines to help late sleepers like me to catch sleep effectively, that is by reading not so interesting books. Though the author doesn’t explicitly suggest that bible indeed is uninteresting book, however, it was my idea that bible fits for that purpose, a sleep inducing book. To ensure that I will fall to sleep immediately, I have to start from The Old Testament.

Bible Reading as Way of Life
Days had passed and still haven’t got a good sleep and worst, bible reading keeps me awake every night. But still, I didn’t stop reading thinking that the more verses I read, the more tired I become and surely will make me asleep. Never did I realize that I’m getting addicted to it. My morning routine starts by reading one chapter of the Book of Songs before going to office while my evening is programmed on reading the New Testament starting from the gospel of Matthew chapter after chapter every night. Two nights ago, I finished reading the Book of Revelation. Now I have to redo my readings starting again from the gospel according to Matthew but this time, I will read it through my heart.

Responding to the Call
Matthew 9: 37-38 The harvest is many but the reapers are few, pray to the one who sows the seed to send more workers.
I know God is trying to speak to me in countless dreams that I had. At first I could not understand the message lies beneath my recurring dreams until the picture becomes clearer. I never asked Him why me but always beg Him, “Help me Lord to help other people”. I know I’m not worthy to be called His servant. I've been thru a lot of 'stuff' and made a lot of mistakes in the past, one's that I am not proud of but then I re-dedicated my life to the Lord; asked for His will to be done in my life, instead of mine. Since then, things have been going smoother for me. Yes, I still have problems. I thank God for His loving grace and forgiveness. Now I use the NET to share the Word of God on the web. I also gave unsolicited advice to people who may be going thru a rough time understanding their life or just need a 'listening' ear via IM or email.

Spreading God’s message using the information highway is highly addictive and it makes me feel “HIGH”. Well, maybe, I’m an Addict but definitely I don’t need cure.

Message to the Parents
By: Gener Marcelo

When my son was in his last year in grade school, part of the school’s curriculum being a learning institution runs by the Salesian Order, is for these graduates to have a spiritual formation retreat. My son’s class was scheduled to have their retreat in the outskirt of Batangas (a common summer destination of typical Manilenos located South of Manila) headed then by a young priest by the name of Fr. Ding, a Salesian Priest. Part of the culmination activity is the parents’ Grand Salubong (Grand Welcome) and a small program to be ended with a little salo-salo (food feast). By chance, I was invited by my son’s class adviser to give a talk during the culmination activity.

I was having a discussion with my son a week or 2 before their scheduled retreat when suddenly in the middle of our conversation, he asked me to buy him a PS2. I paused for a while trying to find ways on how to say no to him without being totally disagreeable considering that such request might be his way of asking a recognition or a reward being part of the graduating students that will march on the stage. I paused for a while getting the momentum I need and I replied, “Son, right now, it’s not our priority especially that we have lots of expenses lined up, you know graduation expenses here and there then there comes the enrollment next school year, etc.” An air of silence suddenly enveloped him but only for a short while. My son still showing no sign of surrender fired his second question, “Daddy, ano ba’ng laruan mo noon bata ka na binili ni nanay Memen? (Daddy, what toys were given to you by grandmother Memen?) Again, I paused for a while trying to decipher the logic behind that question so as to prepare for a logical answer. Then I answered, “Wala, pero ang mga laruan ko noon lahat gawa ko lang. Kasama ko at tinuruan ako ng tatay ko na gumawa na lang, di pa uso kasi ang mga laruan na de-remote noon pero meron na akong trak-trakan  na gawa sa lata ng Rosebowl sardines, yung oval shape ba? Tapos nilalagyan ng 4 na gulong na galing sa tapon ng dextrose bottle. O kaya naman, mga kotse-kotsehan na gawa sa empty container ng Johnson’s baby powder. Di pa man uso ang play station noon, wala pang RAGNAROK at BATTLE REALMS pero ang uso sa amin noon ay mga gagambang naglalaban sa ting-ting,  kung sino ang maunang mahulog, talo o dili kaya naman mga salagubang na pinaglalaban, lalagyan ng bubble gum sa likod at ipagkakabit mo sila sa likod, kung sino ang unang makatayo, panalo. (Nothing but mostly improvised toys I made myself with the help of your grandfather, there are no remote-controlled toy cars then but I have toy trucks made of empty can of Rosebowl sardines, the oval shape? Then I just have to put 4 wheels out of a rubber cap from the empty dextrose vial. At times, I also used the empty container of Johnson’s baby powder as a body of my toy car. Play Station is not yet invented then nor RAGNAROK or BATTLE REALMS but I had spiders fighting on a piece of stick, the first to fall out from the stick loses, or beetle bugs attached by gum back to back with each other; the first to outwrestled the other wins) 

After that story, he just looked at me and went away without saying a word leaving the father and son’s pep talk ended giving me no opportunity to explain the moral of my childhood story. That night, I was so dumbfounded because I felt I disappointed him. Whilst I can give him the thing he wanted but what I wanted to give him that night was a graduation gift that money can’t buy. A very rare commodity if I may describe it - a parent’s undivided attention.


So the pep talk ended without me elaborating the logic behind my childhood story. But of course the Grand-Salubong and the talk I gave during the program provided me the avenue to punctuate my unfinished talk with my son, but that time it was totally different, the audience comes in package; “Buy 1-Take 1”, sons and parents. And right at this very moment, if so happen you are still reading this BLOG, that makes you my new audience.

Below is the excerpt of my speech delivered on April of 2005 at Risen Christ Chapel, Don Bosco Makati, Philippines. 

I’m so happy to see parents as well as relatives present here for tonight’s culminating activity of our son’s spiritual development and transformation. I’m really proud and glad that I was given this opportunity to give this talk, at least I could punctuate the unfinished PEP talk I once had with my son. Much more, I’m quite elated that your graduation is getting nearer. Perhaps, most of you are already expecting gifts from your parents as a reward that I’m sure all of you truly deserved.

As what Father Ding explained to us parents during the Parents’ Recollection, today’s generation are too engrossed to material things. Some parents provided their children material things thinking that it would manifest their physical presence or to simply compensate the lack of it.   

Noon, akala ko, ang pagiging tatay eh, once you have provided the needed resources eh ok na. Akala ko after paying the tuition fee, basta may pagkain sa ref., may load ang time zone card ng anak ko eh ayos na. (Before, I thought that being a father is simply just providing the needed resources, paying school tuition fees, make sure that there’s food in the fridge, and the time zone card of my children loaded for them to play games in the amusement center.)

I realized that I was wrong when I received the report card of my son come the end of first quarter. Suddenly, I pressed my panic button and started to think what went wrong. That was the time; I humbled myself and ask for an advice to other parents who might have been in a similar situation. I was the very same father who made the e-mail with a title “A father worried about his son’s school performance”, circulated in our DB e-group and hence, the most talk-about topic discussed amongst parents subscribed to the group.

After that e-mail, I received dozens of replies. Some giving suggestions while others had found the guts to come out in the open claiming to be in the same predicament as I was into. The responses were overwhelming and I thank you for that. From then on, I realized  that it is not the amount of material things that we have provided to our children that matters most but our availability and undivided attention especially during those moment when they need us most. I went back to the point to where I should start. I got heavily involved not only to my son’s academic and extra curricular activities but also to the extent of getting myself actively participating in the discussion involving social problems that the school and the PTA are facing.

To tell you boys, you are all very lucky to have very supportive parents. Your parents’ presence tonight will speak for the love they have for you. I can tell you how many parents here who are not really into singing suddenly became a singer just to render our welcome songs during your arrival. Have you noticed that? I wish I could describe to you how we looked like during our song rehearsal just before this program, I’m sure you never knew. Despite their very hectic schedule in the office, they still managed to file under time, others filed whole day VL just to be with you. Boys, isn’t it good to know that you have your parents every time you needed them most? No amount of money could buy their presence tonight. Sons, I think your parents deserved a kiss and hug. So may I request all of you young men to please stand up, go to your parents and give them the reward they truly deserved and please, don’t forget to tell them how much you love them.

To all of our homeboys, congratulations for a very successful retreat, congratulations to all parents and to everybody, a pleasant good evening to all of you.

After that night, the atmosphere was quite different. I knew I have touched the lives of many but I believed the talk was more apt to parents like me. The class with their teacher and parents had a summer outing right after the boys graduation hosted by a parent who owns a picnic resort somewhere in Tagaytay (a place adjacent to Manila known for its cool weather and fine fruits). That was the last time I saw these parents and their sons whom I considered part of my life.

Don't Toy around with Temptation
By: Gener Marcelo

A former filipina actress now based in U.S. and owns website intended for OFWs posted a thread in one of the forums that goes with a question, “What is it with having another lover?”

So as not to be judgemental, I tried to look deeper to reasons why we all do what we ought to do, whether right or wrong. In case of having an affair outside of a legitimate relationship or other than your significant other, it all boils down on how someone evaluates all viable options available at hand that would justify his course of action. Unfortunately, there are people who fail to do such but instead proceeded of doing it as if “bahala na” mentality (where most Filipinos are known for) then later on regret what he or she has done. On the other hand, there are people who claim that their respective spouses or partner are what pushed them to do such thing, either just to get even or they found something to that other partner which they couldn’t find from their respective spouses.

Among all these, men in general are more susceptible to having an “extra” affair because of this common malady among men such as “wala namang mawawala sa akin pag nambabae ako” - a distorted belief I would say. There are men who even tried to justify, biblically of their having other relationship, that men in biblical times have many wives. King David for one is known to have many wives. He even coveted the wife of one of his soldiers, where the latter, he sent to battle with intention to let him (soldier) be killed so that he could have his wife. But look on how God punished King David for his carnal act. There are also men (a self appointed philosopher) who explain the paradox of why men seek more and more relationship other than the present, - that woman was taken from a man’s rib which makes his rib cage incomplete thus, man’s continuous pursuit of finding his missing rib (woman) goes on and on until he finally finds his perfect match â€" A foolish reasoning, I would say because it is an unfortunate fact that there is no perfect among us, not even one.

But above all these, if we are into a situation such as this, ask God to help you get away from it and once you had managed to get out of it, try to learn from your mistakes. But if you are still in the process of toying an idea to have one, think of it a 100 times before you do it. Think of all possible consequences, your family, hurt feelings, unwanted pregnancy, etc. Just like in old school, we were taught to count up to ten when we are mad, but in this case, count of to 100, or a thousand, or up to zillion or even to eternity. The reason behind this logic is to give us ample time to think until the temptation dies.

Lastly, speaking of temptations, we cannot eliminate temptations (even Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights) but we can avoid temptations by staying away from it. Avoid things or situations that are closely associated with temptations. If you are head over heels over a guy or gal of your desire, remove all things that would trigger your desire of having an affair with him/her. If the person you desire is still in your mind despite all painstaking ways of avoiding it, my simple but effective formula - PRAYER.

Making "Good" Decisions
By: Gener Marcelo

Fr. Larry Tan, SDB is one of my favorite Salesian Catechists because of his antics which is quite unusual for a priest. One of his common opening statements every time he gives marriage counseling is the 3 Rings of every relationship. Engagement Ring - the first among the three being symbolic of an engagement between two lovers. Wedding ring - when the two finally pledged their “I do’s” for richer or for poorer, for sickness and in health, till death do us part. Then finally, suffering once the love and fairy tale is gone or the magic spell wanes out and both of them just fall out of love and decided to call it quits. But I would have to add another ring to it apt to couples who still decided to live with each other despite their predicament; I will call it Tiri-ring and this will goes to the prejudiced party.

Love is not only a Matter of Feelings but a Decision

Making a decision is arriving at a solution that ends uncertainty or that settles a dispute. It is distinguishing between options, some big, some little, some good, and some evil. You must choose between little things, such as a chocolate or vanilla ice-cream cone, or between great issues such as which job shall I take?  Or which home shall I buy? How about which person shall I marry? In a marriage relationship, when the feelings are gone, the next probable question could be: Shall I continue to accept him/her as my spouse? Or shall I dump him or give her back to her parents? Outcome will be radically different depending on one’s upbringings, values, moral formation and own experience in life.

Always Looking For a Quick Way Out

My marriage was an example of a relationship that almost gone astray, thanks to my wife who never give off nor surrender to all of my misgivings. How she bears loving an immature and conceited husband as I was all boils down to one thing â€" her decision to continuously loving the same person over and over again. Have she opted to look for a quick way out of a shaky relationship, perhaps I will not be the person as what I am now. 

We all made mistakes in the past; some are accidental while others are intentional and sinful. Only time can tell until those mistakes become a telltale signs of our wisdom.

The right decision is not always the safest one, at least temporarily. Trust God to always do what is eternally right in your life, even though it may seem harmful to you at the time, but sometimes we have to face and endure sufferings first to appreciate value of the lesson learned.

Diary of a Departing OFW
By: Gener Marcelo

Sep. 24 (11:00 am: Manila Time)
Prior to my return to overseas work assignment, I spent the last hours of my stay in the Philippines inside a church in Makati with my wife, Jembie. Initially, we thought of watching a movie but I realized that we need a solemn moment of solitude. The last hours before my flight schedule proved to be the most trying moments of my life as if I really hope that I could freeze the clock from ticking away precious seconds of my life. On my way to the airport, we have to go back to our house to pick up my youngest daughter to go with my wife during the airport send-off. On our way to the airport the rain pours as if God in high heavens is sharing with me the pain of leaving a family behind. The car I was driving of all the times suddenly had a mechanical trouble leaving me no choice but to ask my brother to send the car back home and hailed a taxi instead in the middle of the rain pouring at intermittent intervals.

(1:30 pm)
At the airport, I asked my wife to board the taxi waiting at bay and to her hesitation, I reasoned that they have to go before heavy rain pours, not from above but from my eyes. I pretended to be fine even though I was not. As the taxi sped away from my view, thoughts of running after the taxi to bid farewell to my wife and daughter comes to my mind but my legs and feet proved to be powerful than my thoughts. Finally, they’re gone and out of my sight, I was left alone and with a heavy heart, I dragged my feet inside the airport terminal and found my self standing aimlessly in front of an X-ray machine. In that area near the X-ray machine is a sign visible to all incoming passengers telling us of personal effects that are not allowed in all hand-carried and check in luggage. The person manning the X-ray machine ensures that all passengers pass through the metal detector and have to be stripped of metal objects. The X-ray machine scans all bags and luggage that pass though the conveyor but perhaps what the X-ray machine and the metal detector failed to see are the tears in my eyes and my bleeding heart.

(2:10 pm)
Inside the terminal, the check in counter at NAIA as expected is chaotic. Passengers come and go and from the piles of passengers queuing to check in their luggage. One can easily discern a passenger on leisure trip, with a face beaming with pride and excitement from the one driven away from his family not by choice but of dire needs whose face is masked by strong determination but with a heart that bleeds inside. At the boarding area, I saw a batch of passengers disembarking from the plane’s aisle with their face beaming with excitement to reunite with their loved ones â€" exactly the same euphoria I felt on my way back to the Philippines during my 2-month vacation.

(3:45 pm)
The PA system announces the boarding call to remind all passengers bound for Abu Dhabi to board the plane. As the ground steward announces the order of boarding by seat number, I remember praying that my seat number’s row be overlooked. As I enter the plane, my heart is pounding and my shoulder becomes heavy not by the weight of my bag but of my emotion. While the plane is on its way to the runway, I wanted to tell the stewardess to ask the pilot to stop the plane to let me out but again, reality reminds me of the need to go.

(11:45 pm: Dammam)
I arrived in Dammam after a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi. After checking out at the immigration counter, I saw my officemates who patiently waited for me until wee hours. We head straight outside the airport terminal only to find our company car towed away by airport’s park and ground employees. We found the car in the impounding area and while my companion is paying the impounding fee, I remained inside the car recalling the events that had passed for the last 24 hours.

(1:45 am)
We reached our accommodation and head immediately to my room only to find the air-conditioning unit is not functioning. I opened my room’s window and I glanced upon the tall chimneys of petrochemical plants nearby that breaths fire in the sky. The chimney breaths fire like a dragon but the fire couldn’t dry the tears on my pillow. As I glance to the 4 corners of my room, I knew that I’m alone â€" again. My body is exhausted but my mind keeps on resuscitating the events I had during my short stay with my family back in the Philippines â€" sleepless in Saudi Arabia. I don’t want to unpacked my suitcase for I was imagining that tomorrow, I will be back to Philippines and to be with my family and to never be separated from them again. But how is that? I quipped. Will I resign from my job? What shall I tell my boss? I have just arrived from a vacation then I will resign? Ok, granting my boss allows me, what’s next? Will it be “And they lived happily ever after” story? I don’t know, I just really don’t know.

(3:00am)
I still couldn’t sleep so I tried to keep my self busy so as not to give my mind a chance to procrastinate. I cleaned the toilet seat and floors, I cleaned the room, wiped off the dust in my cabinet, on the windows, tables until I come across the files of my family’s pictures and letters from my children and wife. In one of the letters, I saw the Toblerone chocolate given to me by my daughter as her gift before my flight, at that time, I feel like dying.

I know that days before my next vacation are still far but if only God would allow me to make one wish, it would be an opportunity to work in a place where my heart is â€" my family.

My Driver’s License and the Color of My Skin
By: Gener Marcelo

The company where I presently work had issued a company car for my official and personal use. All seems to be well except for a fact that I couldn’t use it unless; of course I applied for a local Driver’s License. “No Big Deal” I quipped, all I need to do is to apply and that’s it.

I was thinking that everything is gonna be just fine gaudily recalling how easily I got my Philippine Driver’s License way back in 1993, in just one day. No, I didn’t bribed anybody in the LTO to get my Driver’s License but  I went on instead with the usual application procedure â€" undergoing physical examinations (there was no drug test then), written examination and actual test drive. With all these in mind I thought it could be apt here in the Middle East or maybe much easier as if everything is just a walk in the park.

I gave some details to our Admin Personnel and within 2 days, documentations required for Driver’s License application were all done and we headed to the Licensing Office. The assessment of my documents and fees were all done in just a matter of 5 minutes. “Very easy indeed just as I thought”. However, the Licensing Officer told me that I need to undergo a driving lesson for the reason that my Philippine Driver’s License is already 8 months expired. At first, I was laughing to my self because my 15 years of driving experience in the Philippines rendered futile. 

The laugh in my face vanished when I saw the misadventure that I was about to face. There were an enormous number of applicants who just like me, eager to get their turn, elbowing one another and squeezing their way to take the driver’s seat.  There were only a handful of instructors and test vehicles to use. With the soaring heat and humidity enough to make your sweat glands work overtime, the mayhem is an allegory of our hapless kababayans (countrymen) queuing to buy 2 kilos of NFA rice from the neighborhood Barangay Hall. Adding nuisance to an already frustration-filled situation was the total disregard of “who comes first will be served first”- blame it to each and everybody’s multi-cultural differences.

I couldn’t remember for how many times I blew my top every time somebody tries to intrude into the queue regardless of coming late. But the effort turns out futile. In such a chaotic situation, everybody was obstinate. I finished my first day of driving lesson exhausted and almost on the brink of giving up. Days went on and the scenario remains the same. With my sun-burnt face and arms, one can easily tell that I have been under the sun for quite some times, how about 2 weeks?  Yes, I survived it for 2 weeks until I was recommended to proceed to Stage 2 - the Reverse Parking Test, though the situation was not as chaotic as the first but the punishing heat and high humidity was truly unbearable.

While in line and waiting for my turn, I saw frustrations in varying forms manifest in the faces of these people. Either they weren’t able to give a good driving maneuver that will surely leave an indelible ink to impress the driving instructor or maybe the growing impatience is getting on their toll. After all, these people are also human beings just like me who will surely feel the same frustrations that I felt since my first day of misadventure. I realized that the only thing that differentiates us is the color of our skins; or maybe if one may add; the differences in languages, culture and socio economic status but all these does not give any one an edge over them for that matter simply because we were all there only for one purpose; - to have a Driver’s License. In fact after those arduous days of getting under the sun, my skin color can be cloaked within the crowd and can be mistook as one of them only that I have a pair of chinky eye prominently of an Oriental-Asian race. I felt embarrassed for my behavior and I know what I did was unacceptable; at least to my standard. I found myself engrossedly conversing with these fellas and at the end of that day; I have found new friends, an Indian, a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi.

After that Stage 2 Reverse Parking Test, we parted ways for I moved to the last part of the testing â€" the theoretical test. I took the test and you know what; I failed. I was not even able to finish the entire test administered thru a touch-screen computer for the system will terminate by itself once you have committed 1 mistake for the first 15 questions. I was flabbergasted of the result knowing for the fact that the first 5 questions can just be easily answered even by a non educated driver or can be perfected by a local grade schooler. Three of the questions were asking what does a “Green”, a “Yellow” and a “Red” color of the traffic light means. The fourth and the fifth question asked what does the “P” (Parking) mark means and a traffic signal sign written in Arabic number (which I can able to read) which means that a Lorry of 3.5 meters long is not allowed. Please don’t ask me for I know you will be asking the same question I asked myself many times after that test; Why did I fail?

For all I know, I answered the first 5 questions correctly. Call it Over-confidence, duh, one may easily quip. But I guess not for I have been reviewing everyday and hardly praying that I may pass the test after that gruesome requisite that I had endured.

As of this writing, whilst I’m no longer procrastinating my failure but rather focusing on my retake test next week armed with the hope to pass the test together with the valuable lesson I learned from that humbling experience.

We may be different from each other but we have lot of things to share.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta once quoted; “The biggest mistake of humanity is not the failure to love thy neighbor but being indifferent to them.”

Promise from a Mother’s Heart
By: Gener Marcelo

Many years ago, my mother made us a promise that changed our lives forever.
Now that I’m also a parent, I’ve come to see my mother’s promise as a kind spiritual umbilical cord to bring new life to me and to my other siblings from our humble beginnings.

Life’s Difficulties

Being the 4th sibling in the brood of 5, we were raised by our mother all by herself since our father has no steady means of livelihood. Despite her meager income from selling women’s undergarments, we’re still fortunate that all of us could still go to school. We lived in a shanty made of old galvanized metal sheets salvaged from a decommissioned foundry and with the help of my father’s friend; the once old foundry was turned into a bungalow that serves as our haven. Having an electricity source that time is a luxury that we couldn’t afford that we have to finish our school’s homework before dawn and the gasera (kerosene lamp) is the only source of light comes night time. More so that the source of our water comes from a leaking residential water pipe is short lived; after having been discovered by its owner that he had the damaged pipes repaired immediately. Having nothing much of life’s basic needs drives my mother to make night also a day. At my very young age, I saw life’s difficulties thru the eyes of my mother. She would often tell us that there’s nothing wrong to be born poor but to die out of poverty is unacceptable.

Being the only breadwinner in the family, my mother has to leave our house before sun rise entrusting all of us to our eldest sister and before dawn, we would all be together partaking what has been prepared by my ate (eldest sister) on the table after saying the grace before meal. Everything was going almost as a routine that by the time my mother arrived at the house, I could tell if her day is a success by the pasalubong (presents) that she will buy from a nearby carinderia (eatery). But this success happens only on a few occasions that I could count it only in one hand. More often than not, our meal would always be a loan canned goods from the neighbor’s sari-sari store (retail store). Pork and chicken for a meal could mean only one thing â€" special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas and New Year celebration. I remember one time how my father with the help of my older brother catches a hen that by chance wrongly entered our house. That time, we had our mouths greased by the cooking oil from a sumptuous chicken adobo.

Making Both Ends Meet

With the family’s meager source of income, my mother knew that she has to work doubly hard to make both ends meet. With the help of my eldest sister, my mother would go to Divisoria market on early mornings to buy vegetables and sell it to our neighbors. This newly found livelihood provides steady means of income; barely ensuring that we can all eat 3 times a day. Thus, realizing it as a better alternative livelihood, she left her garments selling job and focus instead on selling vegetables. Hardship in life knows no ages. Barely only 7 years old; while most children of my age are playing with toys, vegetables loaded in a basket or bilao has been my favorite toy every morning roaming street after street. While during school break, I would end up selling ice buko (frozen grated coconut with milk) and bibingka (rice cake) I got from a trader using my school ID as business collateral. Every night without missed, I would often see my mother talking to God thru her prayers and often that I heard her saying, “Panginoon, tulungan Mo po kami” (God, please help us).

Test of Times

Whilst our life is still no bed of roses despite the passing of years, the turn of events in our family life is something kid of my age couldn’t understand. Endless nights I would see my mother sobbing in one corner of our house, beaten black and blue by my father every time he gets drunk. All that I can do together with my other siblings was to comfort our mother in her time of despair. I developed the fear every time my father leaves home to be with his buddies for I know what would happen next when he arrives after his drinking spree.

Days had passed into weeks and months and I lost the count. But one thing I can never forget was the time when my mother could no longer bear the beatings from my father. She brought us out of the house; all 5 of us while my father was drunk and sleeping. With nowhere to go, she has no choice but to distribute the 4 of us to our respective ninongs and ninangs (godparents) taking only with her my eldest sister. I vividly remember crying and pleading with my mother not to leave me but with a heavy heart, she made me a promise, anak, pangako, babalikan kita at ang mga kapatid mo kapag maayos na ang lahat”(son, I promise, I will come back for you and your other siblings when everything is okay). At that time, I knew that my mother’s heart bleeds to watch me as she and my ate (eldest sister) disappear down the corner of the street. I don’t know how long we were separated from my mother; all I know was that everyday seems to be eternity.

Reunited at Last

Mother’s promise to her child is a promise from a pure heart that can never be broken. True to her promises, one by one she collected us and reunited at last. Though there has been not much of a change in our life but that moment I saw my mother and the rest of my siblings is more than what I can ask for. Determined not to be separated again from one another, the 5 of us promised to help our mother even more. I for one become a collector of bets after school and have to divide my time collecting kanin-baboy (hog feeds) from our neighbors to feed our hogs. With hard works and collective efforts, our life changes a bit better and we had the first taste of life’s little luxury when we purchased our first appliance â€" an electric fan that costs 450 pesos. My eldest sister’s first paycheck ended up as a down payment for a black and white television set while the meager earning from selling vegetables was used to purchased a Class B freezer at a factory price that eventually give us the queue to diversified our goods selling fish and meat. My youngest sister never to be outdone had her own share of business â€" selling ice and ice candy. For the first time we experienced a bit of life’s little pleasure and still as I normally see from her, I would see my mother talking to God and saying still the same prayer, “Oh, God please help us.”

Then I became a teenager

Years gone by and I was in the prime of my teenage years. Having been unexposed to people of opposite sex other than my sisters, I was often mistaken as suplado by my girl classmates. High school life proves to be the most memorable stage of my life for it was the stage I was able to build and extend relationship outside my family. It was the time I started to court girls and my mother is a very able partner of keeping my childhood secrets away from the girls I brought home.
When I was in college, I landed a part time job flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant in Makati. I worked in the morning and study in the evening. Hard work and perseverance to succeed has always been in my mind. Barely a year since joining the company, I was promoted to Junior Manager Position despite being still an under graduate. I finished my Engineering Degree in college and landed in good company after graduation. At night, I could still see my mother praying but that time, few words has been added to her old litany, “Oh, God please help my children in their work and studies.”

I got Wed

In my teenage years, I happened to change my misfit image for the gloss of popularity, whatever the cost. Having the financial freedom, I shrugged off any consequences and believed that to have a “good” testimony, like so many of the dramatic ones I had heard, that I had to have a “past.”
At 24, I got married to a workmate, with my mother initially not relish on my plan. My marriage relationship immediately bears me a son and my mother with her joy ballooned with the arrival of a grandson.
That time, my mother’s nightly litany has grown few more words adding her grandson in the list

My Ups and Downs in Life

My career continuous to flourish that I end up jumping from one company to another and so as the number of our kids. We spent our lives lavishly trying to savor good things in life that I have never experience before. We spent more than what we can save. My initial car was bought thru bank loan but my career continuous to flourish that I just found my self buying my second car in cash on top of the one issued to me by the company where I worked. At times, my only problem then was - where to park all my rides.
Year 2005 comes the most devastating time in my career. I have to leave my high paying job because of disagreement with my boss. With no savings come that rainy day, I transferred to another job that pays me relatively lower and without any perks. We were facing then the biggest question that I have to answer â€" can I still afford my children’s education? My eldest son and daughter were studying at an exclusive school for boys and girls respectively while the third one is enrolled in a Catholic School. My marriage relationship also succumbs to the test of times. And there; at that time where my life seems so low, I found my self in the arms of my mother helping me and my wife to pick up splinters of our broken dreams.
There I was retold by my mother’s promise to God from her heart â€" Which she would always pray for me and my family as long as she lives. A promise that she would never break like the promise she has made the first time we were separated.
Now, we are slowly picking the paces of our once fragmented hopes and dreams but my greatest hope is for me to respond to God’s given gift to me - my mother. As my children grow, I will tell them that God has a plan for all of us in our lives, and He intervened to protect us at all times. I will tell them the way God’s grace intervened to touch the spiritual deadwood that characterized our family tree, grafting in a new branch â€" one that is spiritually alive.

And I will tell them how it all began with a mother’s promise from the heart.

Hi! My name is Gener Marcelo, the same person who's story is posted above. I would like to share another story I experienced living away from the place where my heart is - Home.

Saving the Best for Last

My sister in law has this habit to reserve the best part of the food as her last bite as if the joy of her meal is in the last bite. One time, my parents in law hosted a dinner to treat their balik-bayan relatives who just came in from Australia. On that dinner, my sister-in law got what she believed was the best part of the meal and she took a medium size shrimp and put it on her plate. She carefully removed the shells of the shrimp taking care not to lose precious part of the shrimp that can go together with the shell. With all its dexterity, the ritual is over and she set aside the peeled off shrimp beside her dinner plate.

When the dinner was about to end and it was time to pay the bill, my son saw the peeled off shrimp near her aunt’s plate. Thinking that her aunt no longer wanted to eat that food, he tweaked the shrimp from the plate and PRESTO! the shrimp was gone in seconds. My sister-in law was so furious and berated her nephew by saying, “di mo ba alam itinitira ko yun para sa huling subo? (don’t you know I reserved it for my last bite?). Everybody was laughing leaving my sister in law disgusted.

The Test of Life
Year 2006 when we experienced life’s most difficult test. I quit my lucrative job in the semiconductor industry because of personal indifferences with my boss and settled for another job that pays me relatively lesser than what I used to received. With the kind of lifestyle we used to have, we find ourselves in the difficult part of life-style transition. Gone are the days of my family’s usual weekend break outside Manila. The countless Friday dinner dates with my wife and the Sunday treats for the entire family were all lost in an instant, together with my pride and self-esteem.

My new job then in the Fashion Retail Industry is to manage nationwide distribution of men’s apparel in all leading Department Stores in the Philippines. Daily, I have to leave home early and arrived home wasted from a daily grind of 12 hours work including holidays because these were the peak season for the company’s business. The situation was further complicated because the job demands time more than what I can give to my self and my family. Endless nights I couldn’t sleep trying to figure out the future of my family. I didn’t even know how it was like to spend time with my kids. My health succumbed to the pressure of stressful work and decided to leave my job and settled for small business at home. The business though profitable didn’t provide enough for my family’s needs and we were facing then the toughest question whether if we can still afford our children’s education. Going abroad for me is a bitter pill to swallow, but that time; I knew we never had good options left.

New Hope
Year 2007 when I packed my suitcase armed with hope of giving better future for my family. I left Philippines for abroad leaving a wife, a son and 3 daughters. By chance, we managed to exchange communications and my wife makes sure to update me every time even the smallest and trivial things that are happening. Our life improves a bit and we were slowly picking up fragments of our broken dreams. “This is the kind of break I need”, I told myself.
The Tragedy
A month before Christmas I was busy filling up and checking the list if my balik-bayan box was complete with all the stuffs that should be there. I prepared this ahead because I want to give nothing but the best stuff for my family. Goodies, toys, shoes, perfumes and clothes were all perfectly selected based on my kid’s preference. My daughter keeps on asking me, “Daddy, kailan mo papadala yung yung gift mo sa akin?” “Malapit na, basta bago mag Pasko” I replied. “This time I’m sure they all gonna’ like it because these are the best” Saving the best for last? Maybe.

Days past and Christmas is just around the corner, almost a week had past but I never received any SMS from my wife or my daughter. Though quite unusual but I thought they were just busy. Sunday morning came, I sent an SMS message to my wife asking her if they went to hear a mass but still got no reply from her. That Sunday proved to be the most difficult test of my life. My wife and my 3 daughters ages 2, 7 and 12 got involved in a vehicular accident. The passenger jeepney they were riding was hit by a wayward truck while they were crossing the intersection of San Andres and South Super Hi-way. Miraculously, my 2 younger daughters were unharmed for they were cushioned by files of bodies over them who absorbed the impact of the crash. My eldest daughter was thrown outside the vehicle because of the impact of the collision but managed to escape with a little bruise. Good thing there were no approaching vehicles at the time of the accident. However, the young lady beside her was badly hurt and her leg was later amputated due to the severity of the injury. The other person beside her was not that lucky, she died on her way to the hospital. My wife absorbed the most injury what could have been for my children and survived the accident after having been in the hospital for about a week and recuperated at home a month after the accident.

Saving the Best for Last?
When the news was finally relayed to me, I was in the office and I couldn’t remember if I cried. All I know, I was dumbfounded; motion less and I don’t know how I would react. I realized that everything you saved, everything you hoped for and everybody you care for can vanish with a single instance. When I came back to my room I saw the balik-bayan box in one corner, carefully packed with a name and address of the intended recipient written outside the box. I opened the box and saw how the stuffs were carefully and neatly arranged inside but almost could be rendered nearly worthless by that accident.

My Spiritual Learning Curve
That accident had opened my eyes on the deeper understanding of life. Our desire to have or achieve the best of everything out of this world defines the kind of life that most of us is creating in the process, hence neglecting the very purpose of our life.
We enslave ourselves to work, neglecting our part at home. Forgetting about to visit your mother on her birthday or getting it hard to remember even your wedding anniversary. Having missed your son’s school graduation because you will be attending a business conference abroad. You can’t talk longer on the phone with your daughter asking you to come on her confirmation day because you have a deadline to meet or your boss is calling you to his office. Lest to miss your flight to attend a provincial business conference, you forgot to kiss your wife and children on your way out. Are you a slave of your own career for the fear of missing the promotion that you are aiming so dearly sacrificing the very same family we pledged to give undivided attention? This selfish desire is often disguise as “For the sake of my family”. How many times have you made a self-justification that your dream of going up the corporate ladder is for the sake of your family?  Don’t you know that if you die tomorrow the very same company that you pledged your loyalty can replace you instantly but the family we often neglected will be the only one left crying in our grave?

Mathew 6: 19-21 explain the awful consequence of man’s foolish priority of keeping wealth that can be lost and tarnish and not even a single piece of it can be taken with him at the time of his death. What profits a man if he gains the best thing in this world but loses his soul?

Perhaps the best question we may ask ourselves, Are we saving the best for our next life?