My niece Joem today....

It has been four months....after so many cans of baby formula...Joem gained weight so fast.......baby dresses hardly fitting nowadays....she is turning into a fat, cooing, cuddly baby girl...effortlessly weaving her way to the hearts of the people around her.....in the midst of her smiles and shrieks and loud cries.....

For you alone

You are the peace that guards my heart
My help in times of need
You are the hope that leads me on
And brings me to my knees
For there I find you waiting
And there I find release
So with all my heart I worship
And unto you I sing

For you alone deserve all glory
For you alone deserve all praise
Father we love you and adore you
Father we long to see your face

For you alone deserve all glory
For you alone deserve all praise
Father we love you and we worship you this day......

Importance of having breakfast....

Breakfast can help prevent strokes, heart attack and sudden death.

Advice on not to skip breakfast!

Tips for healthy living...

For those who always skip breakfast, you should start kicking that habit now!!

You've heard many times that "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Now, recent research confirms that one of the worst practices you can develop may be avoiding breakfast.

Why?

Because the frequency of heart attack, sudden death, and stroke peaks between 6:00a.m. and noon, with the highest incidence being between 8: 00a.m. and 10:00a.m.What mechanism within the body could account for this significant jump in sudden death in the early morning hours? :-(



We may have an answer .

Platelet, tiny elements in the blood that keep us from bleeding to Death if we get a cut, can clump together inside our arteries due to cholesterol or laque buildup in the artery lining. It is in the morning hours that platelets become the most activated and tend to form these internal blood clots at the greatest frequency.

However, eating even a very light breakfast prevents the morning platelet activation that is associated with heart attacks and strokes . :-)

Studies found that eating a light, very low-fat breakfast was critical in modifying the morning platelet activation. Subjects in the study consumed either low-fat or fat-free yogurt, orange juice, fruit, and a source of protein coming from yogurt or fat-free milk.

S o if you skip breakfast, it's important that you change this practice immediately in light of this research.Develop a simple plan to eat cereal, such as oatmeal or Bran Flakes ,along with six ounces of grape juice or orange juice , and perhaps a piece of fruit .

This simple plan will keep your platelets from sticking together, keep blood clots from forming, and perhaps head off a potential heart attack or stroke.

So never ever skip breakfast :-)

Another Year Older, a year wiser.....

Another year has passed...It is the 6th of October once again....

Last year was a trying one...So many things which happened shaped me to what I am now. A stronger person.. closer to God....I learned to really appreciate the people around me. Events like the passing away of my father and brother made me realize how short life is and that we should really take time to show our love to those we love while they are still with us.....

I praise God for all the blessings and for all the trials that came my way.

I thank God for giving me the family that I was born into...and for the family that my husband and my daughter are blessed to have...for the friends I gained along the way....

I appreciate all the talents He has accorded me... the job that He gave me as well as the chance to travel....

I thank God for using my Pastor to guide me......for churchmates' prayers during the saddest point in my life.....

I stand in awe of God for lending to us my father's and my brother Jun's lives.... no matter how short the time they were with us ...I cherish the years we were together.......the Lord could not have sent a better father and brother ....I wouldn't exchange them for anyone else...

Lastly, I believe in God's promise of salvation and I am looking forward to seeing Zion where no one will ever be sad....

Second Term SY 2005-2006 starts.....

Heavy raindrops against the roof.....that was the first thing I heard when I woke up. It feels so good to stay in bed! But today is the first day of school...Gosh..I need to stand up now and take my morning coffee... take a quick shower or else I will be late... Good thing my husband will bring me to school today and will fetch me also later. It is so hard to take jeepney when it is raining hard.....

Picked up classcard from GSB office. Whoa! Got a good grade despite the deep sorrow I am feeling for months now...

Proceeded to Accounting office to get clearance, then to Registrar's for the print out of registration form, on to cashier's office to pay and back to Registrar's office to get classcards.

There is a covered place allotted for the students in front of the accounting office. And it was there that I decided to spend my time while waiting for my first subject to start. I took out the pocketbook which I brought and was so engrossed with what I was reading when suddenly...somebody said, "Hello Ate Beng"...It was Arni..a former office mate who is now with an oil company. Last year, she finished her MBA and she is now working on her papers. We had a nice time catching up with each other's escapades..Good thing she brought her digicam so we took time out from chatting and posed with gusto.



Then She, an officemate and also a classmate in one subject this term came and joined us.....

I miss having Arni around...such a jolly person...I just wish that a knight in shining armor will come along and snatch her soon.....Men sometimes are just blind...right Arni?

DARE TO WONDER

Red Bougainvillea Shrub against Blue Skies
(picture courtesy of Manny Cruz - former officemate)


Creativity begins with wondering, with a question. Why is this so, or why can't that work, or what if it were done a little
differently?

Real, original value is created by those who dare to wonder. Progress is made by those who dare to ask the obvious, and
by those who think to ask the questions that are not so obvious.

When you come across something that can't be done, make the effort to understand why not. For in that understanding
you're likely to find a way to make it work.

When you come across something that works very well, seek to understand why. In that understanding you'll find strategies
for improving many other things.

As a child, you were endlessly curious. And somewhere within you, every bit of that curiosity is still there.

Combine that curiosity and wonder of a child with the discipline and focus of an adult. You'll find the result to be pure genius.

T H E G A R D E N

Come to the garden alone,
while the dew is still on the roses....
FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another
NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another
TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

A life that matters

Ready or not, someday it will come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant
So what matters? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built, not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many people will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice

Choose to love a life that matters.

Here comes the rain again.....

....Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
I want to walk in the open wind ...

.....Here comes the rain again
Raining in my head like a tragedy
Tearing me apart like a new emotion...


As a child, I have always loved the rainfall. My chin would be touching the window pane as I watched its circular impact on the muddy ground. Little holes created by the steady fall of raindrops from above. Funny that when the rainfall stops the holes wouldn't be there at all.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.


There were times when my mother would allow me to join my sisters, brothers, cousins and friends in the neighborhood to go out and enjoy the downpour. Sometimes, I would just sneak out... We would run around and play and laugh all the while...bickering or just horsing around. We would only stop when our skins were already crinkled and our teeth would be clicking together rapidly because of the movement of our jaws...

Most of the time, when my father was around and it was raining, he would take that time to attend to his plants, put the drainage in order and make sure that the water is flowing where it should be....He said it is easier to do things under the rain...when the soil is so much softer and easier to cultivate and there is no heat coming from the sun to wear him out...he would always whistle or hum his favorite tune or just put all his concentration on whatever he is working on.... The thought that my father was just around and working on something made frolicking during downpour more fun.....It's hard to imagine a rainy season without father doing his usual rounds....

Father must have cherished the rains so much because he carried out this practice until the last rainy season in his life ..

I believe that God loved my father so much ...that is why God took him during the dry season....

I still go out during downpours but this time with my daughter and some other mothers and kids in our subdivision. Funny to meet some people like me who would rather go out when it is raining rather than stay indoor.

It seems that father had passed on to me his love for the rainfall...I really enjoy feeling the raindrops touching my face........I will continue to sing in the rain and pretend that my father is just around and fixing something somewhere....and that we will both go back to the house when the rain is over....


Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.
I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

How to stay young

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches;) 3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop."And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and Lots of time with HIM/HER.6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive.7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health:If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Come to the water........

Hi Beng,
Here’s the picture of the Jordan River.
Marsha

This picture was taken by Marsha when she went to Israel last June, 2005. It is one of my dreams to be able to visit this biblical country..Jordan river was where our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist.... I would really feel fulfilled if I could see this place and be able to walk as well on the same grounds that Jesus had walked on....

Always in You

You cannot hold on to any moment, for as soon as you know it is here it will be gone. What you can do, though, is to live each moment fully so its value will always be with you.

You cannot bring back the fondly remembered circumstances of the past. Yet what you can do is take the joy from those times still living in your heart and express it again and again in new and creative ways.

Though life is constantly and relentlessly changing, the true goodness you experience is never left behind. The more fully and authentically you live each moment, the more your life will be filled with value that you cannot lose.

The joys you have gathered were not the result of any particular circumstance. They came to you because you opened yourself up to life's goodness, and they are still with you even though many things may have changed.

Though you cannot hold on to this beautiful moment, there really is no reason to do so. For when you see, appreciate and fully experience its beauty, that beauty, that joy will always be in you.

Let go of the need to cling to any fleeting thing or circumstance. And make room for joy to grow in your life with each passing moment.

Tagaytay ...once again.....

Lunch at Tagaytay..once again..This time with Marsha, another Versapro Systems Trainer....Marsha is Donita Rose's look alike. It's funny how she asked about the chocolate soup (dinuguan) that she saw in one of the restaurants:-)

She is willing to taste everything except Balut....

Also with us was Gopi from India who was craving for real spicy food.

Another Tagaytay Visit

It was a perfect day to go out from the office for a while. We had lunch at Leslie's in Tagaytay and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch. With us is Dennis from Versapro Team. Half Filipino and half Korean. He is teaching us the new system that will track our projects' performances and eliminate offline reports.

The Divers

These are Boyet and Leah..my officemates who are already certified divers. One good thing came out from having so much pressures in the office, they turned to something else to achieve balance:-)


Consider yourselves blessed! Not everyone will have a chance to see God's perfect creations down there.

Kanlungan

pana-panahon ang pagkakataon
maibabalik ba ang kahapon?

natatandaan mo pa ba,
nang tayong dalwa'y ang unang nagkita?
panahon ng kamusmusan
sa piling ng mga bulaklak at halaman
doon tayong nagsimulang
mangarap at tumula

natatandaan mo pa ba,
inukit kong puso sa punong mangga
at ang inalay kong gumamela
magkahawak-kamay sa dalampasigan
malayang tulad ng mga ibon
ang gunita ng ating kahapon

ang mga puno't halaman
ay kabiyak ng ating gunita
sa paglipas ng panahon bakit kailangan ding lumisan?

pana-panahon ang pagkakatao
maibabalik ba ang kahapon?

ngayon ikaw ay nagbalik
at tulad ko rin ang iyong pananabik
makita ang dating kanlungan
tahanan ng ating tula at pangarap
ngayon ay naglaho na
saan hahanapin pa?

lumilipas ang panahon
kabiyak ng ating gunita
ang mga puno't halaman
bakit kailangan lumisan?

pana-panahon ang pagkakataon
maibabalik ba ang kahapon?
lumilipas ang panahon
kabiyak ng ating gunita
ang mga puno't halaman
bakit kailangan lumisan?

pana-panahon ang pagkakataon
maibabalik ba ang kahapon?


THIS SONG REMINDS ME THAT EVERYTHING ON THIS EARTH IS TEMPORAL.

Newest addition to the Family

This is Joem my third niece. So far, she is the youngest out of the ten grandchildren of my Nanay & Tatay. Born June 24, 2005 at San Juan, MM.

Joem got her eyes from her father, my brother Joey and the shape of the face from her mother, Emma. (thus the name, Joem)

She is almost 2 months now and according to her father, she is starting to utter her first words like, yahung yahoo!!, ago ayo... (ate Pam says, she doesn't believe and would wait until she hears Joem says so to her).... while sucking her whole fist and part of her arms....much to the delight of her parents.

Wayback April, 2005, when my father was seriously ill, he cried because he knew that he will be gone before Joem arrives.

You may not have experienced to live with your Lolo, Joem, but please be assured that he loved you and he waited for you. He would have done anything to see you before he goes but God had other plans.....


God bless baby, we love you and hope to see you soon.... (,")

My Ditse's Family

This collage shows some of the many activities that Kuya Nomer, Ditse and their three boys (Norman, Neil John, Norville) enjoy whenever my brother in law is in town. Family outings to make up for the time away from each other.

Most of the pictures here were taken when they went to Lagos Del Sol in Laguna. There is no better way to bond!

IT IS A SIN TO TELL A LIE

I love you, yes I do, I love you
If you break my heart I'll die
So be sure it's true
When you say I love you
It's a sin to tell a lie

Be sure it's true when you say I love you
It's a sin to tell a lie
Millions of hearts have been broken
Just because these words were spoken

I love you, yes I do, I love you
If you break my heart I'll die
So be sure it's true
When you say I love you
It's a sin to tell a lie




WHOAH! I found the lyrics of this song while browsing on the lyrics.com. Here is one song that I couldn't ignore. I grew up knowing that this is my parents' song....could be that this song was very popular during their time, huh!

Not sure how much this song has contributed to the exemplary life they led as husband and wife......they had something which doesn't happen always in a relationship....they have devotion and respect to each other......they had weathered everything together....theirs was not an easy life..but they succeeded in making sure that their children would achieve something that they both lacked....My husband and I don't have a song in particular..maybe we should have one...

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

There’s a saying old says that love is blind
Still we’re often told, seek and ye shall find
So I’m going to seek a certain lad I’ve had in mind
Looking everywhere, haven’t found him yet

He’s the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret
I’d like to add his initial to my monogram
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?

There’s a somebody I’m longing to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who’ll watch over me
I’m a little lamb who’s lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
Someone who’ll watch over me

Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key
Won’t you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me


When I was a kid, the thought that my father would always be around was a great comfort for me. He was an embodiment of someone who would do anything for his children, be it hard work just to be able to support us.

When I got married, I thought that the responsibility to take care of me was transferred to my husband but I know that father will still always be there for me.

Now that father is gone, I believe that he still watches over me from afar, could be from a different dimension but he is still there watching and praying for me.