Bb. Pilipinas -Universe 2011 Shamcey Supsup

Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup did well in the preliminaries. She leads in popularity on online voting. Shamcey Supsup graduated Magna Cum Laude fron the University of the Philippines- Diliman in Architecture. Also, Shamcey topped the 2010 board  for Architect Licensure Examination. Indeed, Shamcey is beauty and brain package.  We just hope that she wins the Miss Universe 2011 . She is awesome and loaded with talents. Her sketch during the talent contest was simply marvelous.

Backsliding

             A person who professed to practice his religion faithfully and yet abandons it gradually because another has come and saw that it is the best one.   Backsliding is most common. I  admit I am one of those people.  I promised to attend faithfully an activity in my religion but then, I started  abandoning it and I feel guilty. I say my rosary prayer everyday  and there are times I missed doing it.  I have profound faith that my religion is  a true religion. I respect other religions because we have one goal in common, God. It is our practices that sometimes we failed to practice our religion faithfully.

             We attend more on material things.  I do not believe when a person says that he is just human and falls into sin. Jesus became a human being and yet He did not allow Satan to tempt Him. It is our own decision to commit sin. God has no control over our will because we are given the freedom to choose between right or wrong.  I read Bible verses in Psalm 51  and 1 John 1:5-9. these verses help us when we backslide .  It is easy to fall into sin through backsliding. Heaven is pure and no one who sins against God can enter the kingdom of heaven.  Let us renew our faith daily with God.  God bless us all.

             

Shiny Bush ;Pansit-Pansitan ( Peperomia Pellucida Linn.)

               This herb is very beneficial if you have urinary tract infection , arthritis or gout.  A few years back, I had been suffering from acute urinary tract infection. My co-teacher told us the benefits of shiny bush. I asked her many questions regarding the plant. She told me that her aunt also had a serious urinary tract infection that her urine had traces of blood. She was cured by taking  the shiny bush. 

               I was also suffering urinary tract infection and it was painful.  I gathered  many shiny bushes which grow in our garden until now. I washed them.  With a ratio of one glass of water to a handful of the herb,  I boiled 10 glasses of water with the herbs to make 7 to 8  glasses of the decoction of leaves and stem .
            I allowed it to cool. I drank the decoction as often as I  could in just two hours.  Soon, I began to urinate many times during the day and the pain was gone.  It also lowers cholesterol according to some studies.

The brown scapular

            Wear the brown scapular as an open profession to our devotion to the  Blessed Virgin Mary. Do not substitute it with medal scapular for the sake of vanity.  Hiding the brown scapular is not an indication of love and    devotion. Wear it openly.  Hold the brown scapular when praying to Mother Mary. For the catholics and non-catholics, read  Fr. Jose Maniyangat's story online. It is an inspiring story.

His Pain is your Gain

Jesus suffered for us. We gain forgiveness for our sins through Jesus.

Kalumon Performing Ensemble did it again!

Congratulations  to the Kalumon Performing Ensemble for winning the weekly contest during  ABS-CBN's " " Showtime " . They also got the Best in Introduction by the community of Brangay Maa.. They qualify for the monthly finals.

Kalumon Performing Ensemble

           The Kalumon Performing Ensemble performed at their best during the ABS-CBN show titled  "Showtime " last May 16. They came from Maa, Davao City. And you know what? Almost all of these performers were my former students. One of them is my nephew, Kenneth Beloy. He is  one of the rondalla players . Their directress and owner  is Elena Lim, also, my former student. One thing good was the audience who were unanimous in giving them a perfect score of 10.  

                 Also, all five judges gave them a perfect score of 10. My nephew, Kenneth, was the group's assistant choreogrpaher. He can dance , play any kind of instruments used by the group . Kenneth's mother is my sister and we both teach at Maa National High School in Davao City where these students are studying. Congratulations to the group.

                         

Happy Mother's Day to All Mothers.

             Today is a red -letter day for me . This day , the Filipinos around the world are happy for the triumph of Manny " Pacman" Pacquiao in boxing by defeating Sugar Shane Mosley via unanimous decision at MGM grand arena. My daughter, Ma. Clarinda, and her husband, Tommy were there witnessing the boxing live. They are celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary in Las Vegas, Nevada and it is a double celebration for them. 

            Tommy is a big fan of Manny Pacquiao.  Just today, I received a bouquet of roses, courtesy of Tommy and Claire . Thank you so much. I love you both and Kaegan. I also received greetings from my daughters and sons.  Thank you  and Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers around the world.

A walk around Camiguin Island

             As early as Monday, hikers began their Panaad ( an annual activity during the Holy Week wherein many visitors coming from various parts of the country and residents  hike around the Island ).  We arrived at Benoni Port,  on Monday,  April 18.  My husband and I, along with our son JN and granddaughter Leighanne,  friends Epot, Bobby, Salvador VII, and cousin Vanvan,  stayed at our old house  which is now occupied by my sister Inday Neneng.

               I bought a half sack of rice and other commodities as we were staying for  five  days.  About 40 to 50 percent of the residents of Benoni are our relatives and distant relatives, so I had to greet those people as much as I could.

            We went to Ardent Hot Spring and bath through all varying  temperature of water , the hottest being 39 degrees centigrade. There is a pool for lukewarm and also for cool water. One can swim whole day, not catching cold as one can  bath in lukewarm water.

         On Thursday, my six male companions started their walk at 4 a.m..They brought extra shirts, towels , slipper. and some money.  the island has sixty -four kilometers as route.   Each station of the Way of the Cross has a distance of five kilometers from each other. the first station is in a barrio called Alimango. And according to them, foods and water are offered free along the route   .These foods are given free by the local groups like NGOs. fraternities, and local officials.  Blisters in feet,  aching legs and soles of feet are  affecting them. My companions took their rest for not less than three minutes then started again. Resting for longer than three minutes is not advisable as moving the legs is hard. My husband said that they would just look at the lines of the road as their focus and guide  to be able  to move a distance.

           Some hikers walked at night time without sleeping and rested during the day to avoid the heat of the sun , which according to them , made them easily tired.  Some folks, upon seeing them suffering would encourage them to continue moving  until the fourteenth station which is at the Benoni Lagoon.  Hikers can feel the sea breezes as most of the roads are alongside the seashore. There are also mountainous roads which made it hard for hiking. Epot and Bobby did not finish the long walk. They rode on a jeep back home  from a place near  the town of Catarman.  Only four continued walking and reached home  between 8 and 9 a.m. on Holy Friday.

          They  narrated  their ordeal but found it inspiring and fulfilling that they had done their Panaad ( in Visayan, the word means Promise ). My husband , a 64 year old man said that he would do it again in the future if given another opportunity.  I did not join them because of my health status and my four year old granddaughter.   They said that hiking is both fun, sacrifice, hardship , and made them  realize how Jesus suffered , walking a long distance while carrying the cross. One hiker told them that he had been joining the annual activity for 13  years.  Other hikers joined the activities as a promise  to God for the blessings they had received

             There were hundreds of hikers joining, some in groups  or individuals  and since the island roads are not all lighted, they made use of their flashlights, headlights , and candles to guide them along the way.  The island is totally peaceful and no bystanders harmed them.  They were all encouraging them to continue walking, one step at a time. Some hikers stayed and rested at the churches.
               The whole activity was a big success and many hikers would be coming back.

                .

                                       Ardent Hot Spring

                                                      Benoni Port

                                         Camiguin Island, Philippines

Leighanne At Precious School

              Leighanne, her father, and I went to Precious International School for the interview and assessment. She was led to the guidance clinic. Moments later, the teacher went out and told us that Leighanne was crying. So, I ask the child why.  She answered that there was a bed inside.  I told the teacher that Leighanne was afraid she might have an injection. The teacher told us to talk to the child but she still refused to be interviewed.

             This morning,we went to Montessori de Manila- Davao Branch. There was a bed but it was located at a corner which could not be seen by her. She passed the assessment test. 

My four little pigs

             Last April 2, a friend delivered four little pigs which I bought from him at a total cost of Six Thousand Six Hundred Pesos (P 6,600.00). The pig is growing up fast with our diligent feeding system. This small piggery is located at the back of  our house. I hope to buy another pigs after three months. Every morning, I tend to my garden which I planted with ornamental plants and vegetables. I also do composting which I will add to the plants as organic fertilizer. It is a very  fulfilling hobby for me.

Retired

            I have just retired from teaching. The faculty club really wanted to give a testimonial party for me but I declined for the nth time. Yesterday, my co-teachers told me about it , but I refuse it.  I no longer  appreciate praises because I have been used to it when I decorate the stage, winning in competitions, among others. I simply want a quiet exit from the school.
            They have already given praises before and that was enough for me. It's been a month now since I went on retirement. I enjoyed my life now with work such as gardening, blogging to share my experiences, chatting with my daughters from abroad, praying for myself, family and other people, I will be travelling to other places.
            My retirement gives me more time to ponder on my new endeavors. I want to have a renewed relationship with God, the Giver of life and blessings.

My four year old granddaughter Leighanne

 I used to give drinking water to Leighanne when she is drenched with rain. One time , she told me

Leighanne:  "Mommy , please drink water."

Me:  " Why ? "

Leighanne:  " You just came from the rain. "

Come, Pray the Rosary | An online Rosary for participation in worldwide or individual prayer

Come, Pray the Rosary | An online Rosary for participation in worldwide or individual prayer

Charice

              One of the music artists I most admire is Charice. She rose from rags to riches through her unique voice. Her rendition of songs by Celine Dion, Whitney Houston are best. So far, Charice has already achieved international status as a singer, Being the only Filipino singer whose songs landed on the Billboard top hits make many Filipinos proud of her. I look forward to hear her new songs with David Foster who is her mentor.

Our Lady of Lourdes statue

 Welcome , Mama Mary.

             I now have a bigger statue of our Lady of Lourdes. With a height of more than two feet, the statue needs a new altar. I had a small statue before but sad to say, I was not able to get it back from the shop. Our lady of Lourdes made a big impact on my life when I open the website on her grotto in France.  From then on, I always  write petitions and she has answered my prayers. The statue will travel again to the place where it was blessed and stay there for two days during the LSS seminar.  

           You may write your petitions to our Lady of Lourdes by using my email- camiguin_48@yahoo.com. Your petition will be placed at the altar and I will personally pray the petition for you.. Thank you, Mama Mary.

My three year old grandson Francis

    Mama: " pat a cake pat a cake..., for Francis and me." 

    

    Francis:  "No, Mama, its Baby and me not Francis and 

                      me... Not Cian and me... Its baby  and me.
                                 

                    
                      Remember that Mama? "

               ( Cian is the younger brother of Francis ) 

Amoebic Dysentery

               The house where my family lived before was located in a place where safe water was scarce. We fetched water from a  mountain source which passed through a long line of bamboo poles.  Many of the families were getting drinking water from that source.
               I contacted amoebic dysentery.  Good that no one among my children got it.  It was a painful experience.  I told my doctor about it and he advised me to eat okra or saluyot aside from taking the antibiotics and pain reliever that he prescribed. . He , too, became sick of amoebic dysentery.  Okra gathers these tiny organisms  in our stomach and dispose them through our wastes. I bought okra, boiled them and ate them. My young children were not used to eating them but I told them the benefits of eating okra. And they began eating okra. Try it.
            

Gardening

                 As prices of commodities increases, gardening helps us in many ways. Think of the nutrients that one may get from the products of his or her garden.  My daughters have gardens of their own.  At home, I replanted pechay after a good harvest.  I now have radish, malunggay, ampalaya, ginger, tomatoes,pechay, eggplant, okra, alugbati, saluyot, and pepper. I am planning to plant gourd though it occupies bigger space.

Doctor Fishes

              When my family and I went to Manila, we toured the Manila Ocean Park. It was a beautiful experience. At the exit, we went up and  we saw the area  where the doctor fishes are found. I read about the doctor fishes. Then my two children and I paid P 150.00 each for the foot spa which lasted for twenty minutes and went to the pool where the doctor fishes are found. I had an aching tendon and my feet smells bad. With a towel each that were given to us, we dipped our feet in the pool and the fishes gathered around  us.There were thousand of small and bigger fishes who feasted on  the dead cells of many feet.

              There were also other people with us, children and adults.  It was a very tickling experience. The fishes bit  the dead cells of my feet and I just ignore the very tickling sensation.  After a a few minutes, we transferred to another pool and let the bigger fishes bit the dead cells of our feet. After twenty minutes, we wiped our feet.

              My feet no longer smells bad and my tendon is not aching anymore.  I am planning to go back and pay more to have more minutes of foot spa.  This  God's little creations made wonderful healing on me. Thank you, Lord.

Vengeance is not ours.

            When we are angry, we are hurting ourselves. God does not want us to make revenge. It is His work. Let us offer our sorrow, hurt feelings, our sentiments to God. Yes , When God hears them, He will console us, pacify us and give us peace.  I was wrong at times when I talked about my sentiments to my close friend, to my family or close relatives. I did not offer these ill-feelings to God.  I carried the burden and it made me sick.

            I thought of avenging people who hurt me and I sinned in thought. My hurt feelings just come out of my mouth because it is said that what is in our hearts comes out through our mouth. As I read a verse, I stopped

the thought of avenging someone who hurt me. I am sorry, Lord. I should have offered that to you.

            My brother-in-law who lives in another province came to visit us to seek advice regarding his boss who wanted  his house evicted. He could not sleep and  it showed sign on his health. He got a little thinner. His boss sided with his co-employee when they argued..  I advised him to offer his boss to God and to be careful in his work. I told him to open the verse on Psalm 91 on his office table and in his house after he prays it. He will be protected by that prayer.

            My advise on how my family were protected during Martial Law when the military and the rebels clashed. I was afraid because my husband was not around. To overcome fear and to be able to sleep, I opened the Bible to Psalm 91, read it and placed it near the headboard. I was already assured that God protected us and He did.  Thank you, Lord.

Pray

            I urge the reader to pray the Rosary. For prayer petition please go to the sites:
                    a. fatima.org
                    b. our Lady of Lourdes France   ( open the French site )
                    c. comepraytherosary.com.

           Most of my  prayers at this sites are being answered by God. I know God wants me to wait for my other petitions' answer. and I know His answer is the best for me.Thank you, Lord.

          

Deaf-mute Pregnant Woman

          When I attended the prayer meeting, a woman who shared testimony , narrated how her sister , a deaf mute , delivered her baby.  The doctor does not know sign language so she was asked to stay. The sister whose sign language in childbirth  is also limited ,  for such term as pelvic girdle pain, muscular pain, pushing , engagement , etc. Her demonstration made all of us laugh. She did not laugh; a true comedian. At the first baby's cry and reactions, she thanked God , the baby is not mute  and  deaf .

          Doctors and midwives  must know sign language so they will know how to deal with patients who are deaf-mute.

Mutya ng Dabaw 2011.

                Guess what? This year's Mutya ng Dabaw was one of my fourth year high school students. She is tall and beautiful. Irene Benn Lascuna,  now 22 , is witty.  I taught Physics in their class.  I am happy for her.
                After graduation, she  took up International Studies, major in Asian studies. She is now a fourth year student at Ateneo de Davao University
                .

Send- off Party

               The president of the faculty club wanted me to set a date for the send off program. Personally, I don't want it. I just want to leave school quietly.  Talks or speeches about my achievements and my contribution to the school are not big deal for me  . I could have been promoted but I chose not to. I left school with the lowest salary grade. I am glad I did. What is pride  and honor? It will not help my soul.
               Trophies and medals and many certifications are nothing compared to a better relationship with God. Those things will lost their glories and their values.  And only those people who knew you can remember your achievements.  People who do not know you will just put you in oblivion or may throw away the trophies and medals that were displayed to give way to the new ones.  That is similar  to a person who visits his hometown and no one greets him  because he no longer lives there. These people may not recognize him anymore and the new faces do not bother to welcome him..  But God always remember who we are even when we were not yet born.  He knows everything about us. And He is just there to welcome us back.  God has a great love for us and while we commit sins, He wants us to be truly sorry for them. Material things are given by God, but if we deny Him because we have acquired wealth and forget Him, God can easily get  it back.
                It is a choice. Money or God.  I prefer God. He is  the Greatest Provider and I wont go hungry.

Let God handle our money.

           When we receive our salary, the first thing that we do is buy what we like, pay our bills, Did we pray to God how to handle our money?  God provides us work and receive salary. Money is given by God to strengthen our relationship with Him.  I had received money but never let God decide for me. I did not wait for Him. And it was a very big mistake. I should have offered  my salary to Him and let Him decide what to do with my money. Money slipped through my hands because God curse that blessing.  If only I had prayed and waited for God's answer, I would not have  problems at all.  Man always decide on his own what to do with the money he had on his hand. He forgets the Giver of that money.  We should really pray for God's guidance what to do with our money. We must wait for His guidance because God  always has a speedy answer on what to do with the money. But when we decide on our own, God can not control us because we did not let Him control our finances.

Carbonara

                 I invited people at a party in our house. They partake all the foods served. There were  kare-kare, birthday cake, mango float, spaghetti , carbonara, among others.  When we had a meeting at the chapel , the suggestion as to where the priest , his staff of choir and altar boy  would eat dinner  after the Holy Mass ,was made and it was suggested that the residence of the Barangay Captain will be the venue of the dinner. It was a common practice that the members of the community will share, prepare food  and delivered at the house of a member as suggested and agreed upon by the group.      
              Each member suggested his or her food to prepare and the house helper for the Barangay Captain looked at me and suggested that I cooked carbonara. At first she could not name the food but she remembered some of the ingredients and so came up with the exact name of the recipe. She said that she tasted it and found it tasty and delicious. She suggested that I cook it. So I said yes.
             Then another meeting came and the venue was the residence of my daughter whose house is just a stone throw away from our house.  I cooked their favorite carbonara which is my signature recipe for the group.
                 Here is the recipe:

                 1 kilo flat spaghetti noodles
                 2 carbonara mix
                 2 cream of mushroom soup
                 garlic
                 onion
                 salt to taste
                 slices of ham'
                 1/4 kilo strips of chicken ( previously boiled )
                 Cheese      
                 1 Nestle cream
                 1 big can of evaporated  milk
                 2 cooked egg ( optional)

                 Saute garlic, then add onion  and add cream of mushroom soup mixed in water.  Add cube slices of ham.Stir then add chicken, milk, and carbonara mix. Stir . Add the Nestle cream and season to taste. Pour the gravy to the previously cooked flat spaghetti . Spread cheese on top. Serve hot.

Note. Stir in one direction only when cooking food that make use of milk in their product.





            
              



        
    

Have problems?

       Problems make us weak and worry. What to do when worry comes. Praying to God is the first and foremost thing to do when worry sets in. Let us not pray just for lip service. As what I have said, God knows what is in our hearts. Pray to God with all our hearts. Pray with faith. God carries our burden and help us find solutions to the problem. He relaxes our minds and we always feel this after praying.  God created fruits for us to use in relaxing our minds.

        Banana contains certain amino acids which our body will turn it into some substance which will allow us to relax .  When I was operated on appendectomy way back in 1969, my body was weak. I could not even hold a ballpen for longer than  two minutes. I easily got tired. I ate bananas and I found out that I felt relaxed, free of stress from my worry about post operation. Unlike today, operation at those times take longer in healing. It took me a month to be certain that I was already capable of doing work. 

Kulugo ( wart or verucca )

             It was in 1972 when I noticed that a wart began to appear on my right thumb.   I scratched it because it was itchy and irritating. The following day, another wart appeared on my forefinger. These virus warts were live and watery, its thread-like matter when taken out can spread to other parts of my finger to form small warts that became bigger. It was painful and spread  to my middle finger. It left a mark on the registration form of the COMELEC. during my finger -printing . I could not hold the chalk well because, the more painful it was when I began writing on the chalkboard. The live wart spread on the other fingers. I was worried it might spread on my body.
            My mother saw my fingers and advised me to remove it. I must get some wilt banana leaf and stay outside during thunderstorm. I waited for bad weather everyday. Then one night, bad weather came. It rained so hard and there, the thunderstorm strike that it lightened the area. I remembered what my mother told me and I got the wilted banana leaf which I kept in one place.
             Although very much afraid, I stayed outside. The lightning did strike followed by a very loud sound of thunder. I brushed the banana leaf over the warts on my finger and threw the banana leaf at my back without looking at it. I did it three times at every sound of the thunder. At every brushing, I would utter, " Kulugo, go with the lightning. " Funny , right?    Then , I got inside.  The warts were still there. On the second day, I noticed that not a single wart was seen on my finger and I could no longer feel the pain. I showed my fingers to my mother and I thanked her for the advise .
             It may sound superstitious to anyone, but that was the treatment  which I passed on to my children in case of appearance of warts.

A friend's pride

              A friend had for a number of times showed off her bundles of money to me. She even offered the bundle to me, then put it back inside her big pocket. In my presence, counting 30 yens with a value of ten thousand each bill amounted to more than one hundred pesos .  Sometimes, when neighbors gathered, she would show her money to me and offered the bundle.  Think about it. Pride is in her heart. Her fingers showed off gold rings and gold necklace .
             God knows what is in a man's heart. My relatives and friend would somehow tell me to do the same to her by displaying big amount of money which my son-in-law gave to fully pay the house mortgage. I said no. God  will be angry at me. Time flies and this friend loses some wealth and no longer displays  gold rings on many of her fingers. I don't know what happened to these jewelries. Pawned or placed inside a jewelry box  remained a good guess.  It is a good sample of reflecting that wealth is lost when a person is greedy or boastful. God curses blessings when  He is not at the center of our hearts.

God knows what is in our hearts

               What is in our hearts, comes out through the mouth.  When man is angry, he can not voice out words of love through his mouth. He feels it in his heart, so the words coming out of his mouth are words of  anger, curse, etc. It is time to reflect. We commit sin in thought, in words, and in deed. If man does not kill a person using a weapon because he cannot afford to kill a person but his thought of wishing him to die is still a sin. 

                I  reflect on life after death. Thinking of hell and its eternal pain made me pray  to God that should I die, I want Jesus and Mama Mary to be at my side.  If we do not reflect on death , we will not be able to picture what would happen if we do not repent. We refuse to think of death, some knocking on wood thinking  it makes their life longer. Death knows no time. God knows when we die and what is in our hearts. 

Little Jamie did it again.

             Jamie  washed again the utensils. the simple training was effective. Now she talks about germs while washing. 

Jamie : "Mommy, there are still germs. "  She rub the plate again with the liquid detergent.  I did the rinsing of the

             utensils . 

After washing, she went to the other house to change her wet clothes. Jamie also  sprinkled water to the plants 

              this morning.

Our little girl Jamie

               Jamie will turn four on March 31.  This morning , Jamie assisted me in cooking. She peeled the plastic wrap of hotdogs . Then , I cooked fried rice. She helped me and used another ladle. With my assistance, we were able to cook it.  Standing on a chair, she began washing the utensils, used liquid soap detergent, then rinsed them with water. Glasses, spoons, fork, bowls, plates, ladles, platters were the items being washed. When she heard the sound of the motor, she called on her father to wait for her. I just told her to go , so I continued washing the remaining four items of dishes.

               With my guidance, I let her pray to God to save and help the people of Japan in Jesus name. That was in addition to her daily morning and evening prayer to greet the Holy Trinity. Jamie is very generous, sharing her food to her friends. 

A Moment of Truth

            Japan's earthquake and tsunami are strong reminders of our vast destruction of God's creations. God created the earth and all its glory to make it worthwhile and pleasant to live. But man destructed the earth's mantle and soil. Man , without satisfaction, mined the earth's ground to cloth others with jewelries and fashion. Man, indeed, is greed. I, myself, is guilty of destructing the earth. I started now to segregate waste to give way to fresh air. My little start will somehow motivate me to be on guard so that I will no longer put any waste material for others to burn in dump sites. 

              I now start putting vegetable peelings to a container to rot. In that way, I can plant vegetables on the rotten peelings.  Guilty as I am, I hope God will forgive me for helping in the destruction of His wonderful earth.  The earth's plate destruction  is tremendously attributed  to man's desire to unleash power,  thereby,  putting it in non - stability. Wastes , in millions of tons released in different places on earth are  one of the reasons why  global warming affects us. Climate change is felt everywhere. It is time to reflect. 

Happy Birthday, Jess

On the day of his birthday, he went to work. I went to an office to get a clearance.  Afterwards, I went home and saw some neighbors busy helping my son in preparing the food. Soon, a few of my husband's close friends arrived.  At this point, I would like to greet my husband a very, very happy birthday!




How will the mechanic complete another cunning battery?

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you , Lord  for healing my husband who was sick the night of his birthday and for answering my prayer for an issuance of a clearance from the Ombudsman for retirement purposes

The bending Bamboos

               My late mother told us a story about the bending bamboos.  There were bamboos growing near the small dry creek located on a mountain where they lived. The bamboos were very tall.  Stories were told about the bending bamboos on  late night and sending  a person up that may cause accident or death.

              One late  night , my mother (I don't  remember if she had a companion that time), was walking towards a path near the bamboos. She noticed that the tall bamboos began to bend. My mother ever a brave person, continued walking and uttered repeatedly the name of Jesus she made her way through every bamboo. At her back, she noticed that the bamboos returned to their normal positions. She passed by them without being catapulted upwards. In times like that, never forget that the name of Lord , Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can ward off any bad spirits.  The evil spirits roamed around. Never forget to let God accompany you wherever you are, even when you are  travelling.

Justin Robert

http://babysearch.bonds.com.au/entry/24831/justin-robert-h

http://babysearch.bonds.com.au/entry/24831/justin-robert-h

Inspired by my Daughters

                 Seeing my daughters' successes make me always happy. I have three beautiful daughters and three sons, the youngest died at the age of eighteen.  Looking at all my grandchildren reminds me at how blessed I am. They are good-looking guys. I have a photographer granddaughter whose works reminded me of my talent in the arts. My daughters' husbands are all nice and understanding.
                 The boys never fail to charm us. My co- teachers always tell me how blessed I am for having beautiful granddaughter  and handsome grandsons.  Really, these guys make us feel happy. I am truly inspire to write blogs for them  and others to read which in the process, they would learn something.

Worries

               Thinking of our worries does more harm than good. It does not only give us stress minds but it separates us from God. We solve problems through our own understanding and we forget that there is God who is just waiting for us to tell Him all about it.  We solve problems by ourselves.

                A  father saw the letter written by a teacher that his son can not make it to the graduation. the letter was written two months ago.  He consulted his son who was afraid of telling him and feared he might get angry.  

                The father who has  faith in the Lord kept his calm and told his son to try for the next year if he could not make it.  In a few weeks, another letter came telling him that his son made it to the list. Had the parent scolded the son  or said harsh words to him, his son could have done the worst by going away  to another place.  It is important that we let God solve the problem because God promised us that He will guide us which path to take in solving the problems. We must consult God first in everything we do.

Funny but Embarrassing

            In college, My relatives and I went inside a ship to send off another relative who  was going  home from a vacation. I could not exactly remember what I wore that time . When it was time for us to go. we went to go downstairs. the stair was made of steel. I was ahead of them.  Passengers downstairs were on their respective double deck beds . some were sleeping. Others were just sitting and observing other passengers; some talking to others. . I went down the stairs but suddenly I went down  fast. . It was some 8 to 10 steps stair, I hit the bottom of the stair but standing up . I hit only the edges of the steps going down past another step. It was as if the stair was just an inclined plane and slippery. The noise I created upon hitting the bottom made some passengers awake  and surprised. 

          Many of them were afraid  I might incur some broken bone. I was just fortunate. My special angel just guided me down. My relatives were afraid but suddenly laughed. Shock as I was, I just smiled and laughed with them. Although, very embarrassed, I could only muster a word of thanks. 

Syokoy( Merman)

         Do you believe in Syokoy ( Merman )?   I was in high school then. I went to the river where  many logs are piled to be towed by a launch ready for loading on a big ship.  I could not  remember the exact time but it was daytime.  I stepped from one log to another. I enjoyed it. There were other women and men who were washing clothes at a distance far from where I was. Suddenly, a syokoy appeared just  five to ten meters away. He looked at me. He was black and his eyes were  big  and red. .  He had  fin  at the top of his head down to his neck and spine
         Since I heard about them on stories , after a few minutes of seeing him. I immediately ran back , stepping on  all the logs filed,  unmindful  if the logs were not tightly tied. My heart beat fast. When I reached the bank of the river, I  did not look back afraid of seeing him again. I could easily remember his feature.  Young as I was at that time, these creatures are often the characters played on many soap operas and movies . Perhaps, they will not appear on film location because of so many people around. Just thinking how they will feel if one of these creatures suddenly appears to them.

Justin Robert

http://babysearch.bonds.com.au/entry/24831/justin-robert-h

Let us always honor God

My Lord and my God.  Feed my soul as I feed my body. Wash my soul as I wash my body. Let us always honor God.  Our blessings from God are ours to enjoy but we must not always forget that these are given to us by God. Never forget God when you are blessed. share your blessings. Many people are also in need. Love, love and love God  always.

Pray the Holy Rosary

Join the world in praying the Holy Rosary; click on this site.
http://www.comepraytherosary.org/

God, the Weather, and My Faith in Him

        

         One occasion, we had a tour and  the sea was rough. I began praying.  I asked God to give us a good weather.  Later , the sun appeared  and the sea was calm. The trip went on as scheduled and we had a happy island tour.

         On many occasions or special events. I   always pray to God to clear the sky.  When the sky was  dark, I know God would allow the rain to pour to give way to a clear sky. Then stars began to appear. For many times, God always hears my prayer on weather.  

        The Holy Bible says that the apostles were so afraid that their boat almost sank and Jesus was sleeping. So little was their faith. Then Jesus calmed the sea. 

        God definitely hears us . He is always there, waiting for us to call upon Him. Our fear would dampen our spirits but if we trust God, He will calm us. Sometimes , I am lost. My daughter would remind me about my faith in God. Then I let God handle my problem.

        One  day, I asked God why up to that time, we were so hard up." Is there no end to our sufferings?", I asked Him. I joined a group who were having their prayer meeting. We prayed . Still God did not answer me.  I complained to Him.  

        My prayers were then given answers by God. He showered me and my family with so many blessings and I told my children to give back what we received.  We helped those who are in need. I joined a bigger group and God continued to bless us despite some trials and sacrifices. I know God is always there, willing to listen to me again. To those who will read this, May I tell you that the most trying moment was when I got hospitalized due to heart ailment. I was confined at the ICU and from there, visions of devils  began haunting me.  I did not shout but prayed.. I asked to be transferred to another room which I learned was the CCU.

         I surrendered myself to God. For three days and three nights, I was haunted by the vision of evil spirits. I wanted to hold God's garment . I wanted Him to let me join the line and   be at the last for as long as the line leads me to Heaven.  I was almost dying.  One   false move by shouting  because of fear of seeing the various forms of the devil, would lead me to instant death. I tell you, it was horrifying. I continued praying,calling upon Him to take my soul to heaven if I die.  I  asked the nurse to open their Bible   to Psalm 91 and put the Bible on top of my  heart. My heart was pumping fast. It was so hard to beat time, knowing that not only do I felt the pain in my heart, the vision of the devils kept  haunting me.  I said the Rosary given to me by the nurse. On the fourth day, the vision stopped because they could not made me stopped calling God.  Death was eminent and my faith to win God  persisted.  Then, the devils left me.    The fast palpitation  stopped . I asked to be transferred to a ward from the CCU where I stayed for another three  days . I was then released from the hospital after. I know that when one is dying, the devils would find their last means  that the soul will be theirs. That is the horror of death. I pray that Jesus and Mama Mary will be at my side if ever I was dying.
         My fervent wish is entering the kingdom of heaven. It is my ultimate goal in life. Please , God, help me to win heaven.

Come pray the Holy Rosary.

On this site, you can state your intentions and join us in  worldwide prayer of the Holy Rosary.

http://www.comepraytherosary.org/

Come, Pray the Rosary | An online Rosary for participation in worldwide or individual prayer

Come, Pray the Rosary | An online Rosary for participation in worldwide or individual prayer

Jamie

Jamie is a three year old granddaughter and she is also smart.

Jamie:   " Mommy , may I see if somebody gives you something?
Mommy:  " Ok. "
Jamie:  " Mommy, say Thank You. You are given something "

Jamie is generous. She always share her food to her friends.

This is Jamie's prayer  which I taught and remind her daily about it :

" Good morning , Lord; Good morning, Jesus; Good morning Holy Spirit ;  Thank you po. "

Pray for Safety

         Many accidents happened because the drivers are drunk, lack mechanical maneuvers, lack experience or  lack patience. Most of all, they lack faith on  the powerful guidance of God.         Before you drive, pause and pray.  Let God accompany you when you drive. Let God sit by your side to make maneuver easy. Pray for other drivers who crosses or make counterflow . Pray for all the drivers all around you so that God will clear the way for you and for all the drivers. In short, let God be your driver and you, His co-driver.  I know of one driver who almost fall into the ravine but his vehicle just hit the edge. His wife  who is my co -teacher  was not with him .  She prayed for God's guidance to accompany his husband while he drives. A minute or two of your prayer can protect you. Many drivers are too confident in driving but little do they   know that other driver are in a rush. Also, in Science, Impenetrability of matter counts that  " No two matters can occupy the same space at the same time."  Let the other driver get out from that space before you go in. In that way, accidents will not happen.

        When you are a passenger of an airplane, pray that God will sit beside the pilot. Pay for other pilots too. Always allow God to accompany your airplane . God is so powerful.  He is just waiting for us to acknowledge His presence wherever we are. Trust God. Call God in the name of His beloved son, Jesus Christ.

Learn Self-control.

Learn self-control. Before it hurts you, always be alerted by the consequences before taking any action. I learn so much from it.  In everything, we must consult God first. Let God's power accompany us so that we can decide wisely according to His wishes. Remember that God has no control of what is in our will. We have our freedom to choose what is right or wrong. I did the wrong thing of embarking into loans for the sake of having money. I did the wrong thing of not using my time correctly, I am always in a hurry. Had I spent my time seeking God's graces first, I would have not suffered much. Here are the tips I would like to share with you

l.      Do not secure loans to have money to purchase  something which in later years will just be an old thing because of our desires and whims. Loans will lead to another loans.  Be contented what you have at present. Planning to make innovations in the house will motivate us to secure loans. God wants us to enjoy life simply.

2.      Save. No matter how small the cash at hand,   10  to 15  percent of the amount.must go to savings. Learn self-control not to use the money to buy what we desire. Buying expensive clothes is not the answer to  getting admiration. It is our good deed that catches attention.

Problems

                 Problems often weaken our happy moods. But we must remember that God allowed us to have problems because He knows that we can solve them. First thing we do  is we must consult God first about the problem  .Inform Him of your problem, then through His guidance, you will be able to  find means to solve it as God has given you His spiritual blessings  and help to solve it. All problems have solutions. Seek God first for Him to guide us in solving the problem. TRUST GOD.  He is just waiting for us to tell Him about our problems. His solutions are always the best. In calling God, we must always remember that no one can come to Him without the Name of Jesus .  The Holy Spirit will shower us God's blessings and graces.

A three year old smart boy

Francis is just three years old . And what a smart boy! Here are some reasons why.

Hotel staff:  " Francis, can I have one of your ice cream cones? "

Francis:  "  No. "

Staff:  " Why? "

Francis:  Because you did not say please.  Right, Mom? "

                                -o0o-

Tita Honey: " Francis, just wait please 'coz I'm talking to my boyfriend on the phone."

Francis :   '' have three boy friends .  Alex ( who lives in England )
                  , Francis ( himself )
                  , and... and... Callum,   How many boyfriends do you have , Tita Honey?"

                                -o0o-
   (  Honey is fond of watching soap operas )

Francis :  " Tita Honey, we have to watch news so that we will know what happened
                  to our country and  all the broken cars."

                                -o0o-
We rode on a taxi in going home to the hotel

Francis:  "  Mommy, I want to eat  spaghetti  "
Mommy:  "  We will buy your spaghetti at the spaghetti shoppe"
Francis :  " Oh, but the taxi driver seems to have lost his way. I want to have my spaghetti. "

Upon arriving home, I cooked spaghetti for Francis and for the New Year celebration.
          

Happy Birthday , Lorna

               Lorna is my eldest daughter and celebrates her birthday today, February 13.  She always has a mind of her own and decides on matter intelligently. She views things practically. Like her siblings, Lorna makes you see facts. She can be your number one critic if you so decide to seek her comment for your own good.    

               HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MA. LORNA.  May you have the blessings and graces of God for you to carry on. I love you.

Retirement

           I have submitted my papers for retirement.  After all the plans, I let God do the rest.  I want an end to the many problems I faced: debts, loans, school problems. I know God allowed these solutions and I am very thankful to Him.  At the moment, my goal is to materialize what I have planned. Life is centered now on improving myself, my relationship with family and with God as my top priority. Retirement is a beginning of a new endeavor.  My co-teacher asked how old I was at the moment and told me that I am nearing wake. I told him that death comes to anyone .  It might be him to die  first  or me or the other teacher who was with us at that time. He did not expect that answer because he  remained quiet for a moment and stopped discussing about it.     Male teachers cracked jokes thinking that they will live longer because they are still in their fifties. In defense of old people, I always say that seniority in age  is not the rule of death.  My goal is to enter heaven , so help me God. 

Sufferings

            Do you suffer? Of course any body can suffer. Your sufferings maybe different from mine. But I have suffered wanting in food , want of money to pay debts, I suffered a lot. When I got sick with heart ailment, the more I suffered. But all these sufferings I gave them to God because I know that God wants to carry my burden. He hears me. I almost died. One shout for fear while in the hospital would cause me instant death. But I prayed. I sought God's help  and He listened to me. Suffering is not what we thought of as suffering. We shared the sufferings of Christ. Let us all pray not to go to hell. God does not want us to die a painful death but if we keep on sinning then , it is our own doing. Start doing good. Change for the better. If you want more in money, that is having two masters. I want God more than money. 

           God suffered the most. We only have a small share of His sufferings and yet we complained.God suffered humiliation, pain in all of His body. pain in His heart. We have to ponder about God's sufferings. I let God do physical therapy on the body of an ailing patient and I know God did it. He is now recovering fast. Thank you God for the wonderful gift of life. The patient and I prayed together. I let God solve all my problems. I know the solutions are coming, one at a time.

          Don't give up. Hold on and pray. I believe in God's healing power.

Watching fireworks from a mansion house.

                The beauty and design of fireworks dazzled me. Yes, I was watching it from a room. With a glass covered windows, it was still worth  seeing those fireworks last December 31 from 10 p.m. till midnight, the start of the New Year. 

                   We were staying at  a mansion house in Makati City. I viewed the fireworks display from the seventh floor, although , I could not see where it came from because the taller building blocked the full view.

                   The air I know is polluted and the fireworks could add more to the already heavily polluted place.In Davao City, firecrackers are banned and so are fireworks display and for many years, sounds of blaring sirens, tin cans with string tied to a vehicle. kitchen utensils , and people merrily shouting and greeting other people could just be heard. Davao City is casualty-free during a  New Year celebration.