today, june 7th marks the 44th wedding anniversary of my parents…and i am happy to know they have reached that far as a couple. i thank God most of all that they are able to celebrate their love through all these years of togetherness…what an inspiration!
this is the 6th year though that i would miss our yearly gathering on this special day…whether we have a small salu-salo or with other friends and relatives to join us, we (my 4 brothers and 1 sister) always make it a point to celebrate it somehow. i just hope that next year, i would be there to join them on this joyous occasion.
how i wish i could be there…i would just be content for now to a short long distance call to greet and wish them. i just thank God for this technology that i could do that…
happy wedding anniversary, ma & pa!! we love you…and miss you so much!!!
17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. ‘I wowed ‘em,’ he later told his father, Bruce. ‘It’s a killer. It’s the bomb. It’s the best thing I ever wrote..’ It also was the last.
Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend’s house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.
The Moores framed a copy of Brian’s essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. ‘I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it,’ Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son’s vision of life after death. ‘I’m happy for Brian. I know he’s in heaven. I know I’ll see him.’
Brian’s Essay: The Room…
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read ‘Girls I have liked.’ I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named ‘Friends’ was next to one marked ‘Friends I have betrayed.’ The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird ‘Books I Have Read,’ ‘Lies I Have Told,’ ‘Comfort I have Given,’ ‘Jokes I Have Laughed at .’ Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: ‘Things I’ve yelled at my brothers.’ Others I couldn’t laugh at: ‘Things I Have Done in My Anger’, ‘Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.’ I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.
Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.
When I pulled out the file marked ‘TV Shows I have watched’, I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn’t found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.
When I came to a file marked ‘Lustful Thoughts,’ I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content..
I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!’ In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.
Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.
And then I saw it.. The title bore ‘People I Have Shared the Gospel With.’ The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused.. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.
No, please not Him. Not here.. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards.. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own.
He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. ‘No!’ I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was ‘No, no,’ as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.
He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, ‘It is finished.’ I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’-John 3:16. ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ‘-Phil. 4:13. If you feel the same way, forward it so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also.. My ‘ People I shared the gospel with‘ file just got bigger, how about yours?
IF THERE IS ONE EMAIL THAT I HAVE READ THAT NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD, IT IS THIS ONE, FOR THE CHRISTIAN OR NOT! MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, fish from a can ( brand : ligo) , and didn’t get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints , pati na yung laruang kabayu-kabayuhan.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads , sometimes wala ngang preno yung bisikleta.
As children, we would ride in car with no seat belts or air bags hanggang ngayon naman, di ba ? (jeep)
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. (maykaya kayo pare !)
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle (minsan straight from the faucet)
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. Or contacted hepatitis.
We ate rice with tinunaw na purico (dahil ubos na ang star margarine) , nutribuns na galing kay macoy and drank sopdrinks with sugar in it, but we weren’t overweight kasi nga ….. .
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero, tumbang preso , habulan & taguan.
No one was able to reach us all day (di uso ang celfon , walang beepers) . And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our trolleys or slides out of scraps and then ride down the street , only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms……. …WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents
We play in the dirt , wash our hands a little and ate with our barehands & we were not afraid of getting worms in our stomachs.
We have to live with homemade guns gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng rubberband, sumpit, tirador at kung ano ano pa na puedeng makasakit . . .pero walang nagrereklamo.
made up games with sticks (syatong) and cans (tumbang preso) and although we were told it would happen, wala naman tayong binulag o napatay & paminsan minsan may nabubukulan.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Mini basketball teams
had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Walang sumasama ang loob.Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tignan kung ayos lang ang bata…hindi para makialam.
This generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and managers ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government regulated our lives for our own good.
and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t it?!
PS - The big type is because your eyes may not be able to read this at your age
ok lang ba kaibigan? pakipasa nga ito sa mga tunay mo na kaibigan para makaalaala pa.
– Author Unknown
Heavenly Father, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.
The life of a teacher is full of ups and downs. Although it isn’t all roses and sunshine, we do have our inspiring moments. These are the times when we feel the excitement for our topic, our students, and teaching in general flowing through our blood. We want to get up and get into the classroom to awaken the minds of our students. We want to see our carefully planned lesson flow from start to finish. We are fired up and everyone can see it. But what about those times when we feel as though teaching is a monkey on our back that we can’t seem to lose? What about the days where we drag ourselves out of the bed wondering why we chose a profession that requires rising before the crack of dawn and grading papers late into the night? What about the days when we feel ourselves getting irritated at the slightest offense by a student wishing that we could be anywhere be the classroom? What do we do when we must give it our all even when we don’t want to? I don’t know how you handle those situations, but I thought I might give a few tips on how I manage to make it through those doldrums.
One of the first things I do is force myself to get out of bed. I know that seems rather commonplace, but how often have you lay in bed contemplating calling in sick because you simply don’t want to face it all? Getting out of bed, taking a shower, and getting dressed at least moves me into action.
The next thing I do (many times while I’m getting ready) is count my blessings. What am I thankful for? I generally start with personal blessings such as my health, my family, my home, etc. Then I move into being thankful for a principal who listens to me, a colleague who lets me cry on her shoulder, a parent who is always understanding and helpful, etc. Rather than focusing on the things I wish I had - a bigger budget, more books for my students, a classroom full of compliant, polite, and thoughtful students - I really try to look at those positives I do have. Remember - no matter how bad you have it, there is always going to be a teacher/person out there who has it worse! If I keep that in mind, I find it easier to be thankful.
Although it seems macabre, another exercise that helps me become purposefully positive is thinking about my retirement and/or funeral. What do I want to have accomplished by that time? What do I want those attending to say about me? Do I want my graduated students to be there? What would make them come? Would my current attitude lead to this ideal? (If I’m really stuck in the mud, the honest answer is usually No) This kind of thinking literally makes me shake my head at myself and say, "Pull yourself together. This attitude is not working for you or anyone else." Sometimes that verbal reprimand to myself will help me move out of the negativity.
When I arrive to school I think of one very nice thing to say to each person I pass. I force myself to smile, say hello, and then say one nice truthful comment. The more I do this, the more I begin to feel uplifted inside and have a more positive outlook. Sometimes if I can’t think of a positive comment, I might ask a question such as, "How was your weekend?" or "Did you enjoy your time at…?" Not only do I do this with fellow teachers and school staff, but with parents and students as well. It is amazing how quickly my poor attitude can change into a good one by passing along positive vibes to others.
When I face a topic that I’m just not feeling the love towards, I ask myself, who really loves this stuff? There is often a teacher or a student who is really into the topic when I’m not. I sometimes take the time to ask this person for tips on teaching it or for fun facts about it that I can pass along to my students. If I can’t think of anything interesting or fun about it, I pull out one of my fun activities and change it up so that we are thinking about the topic in a different way.
For example, I hate teaching grammar, but I absolutely love mad libs. If I’m really in the blues and can’t stomach teaching a grammar lesson, I’ll pull out a mad lib sheet and have the kids complete it as a class. Then after reading the crazy story, we then focus on the aspect that matches the required grammar lesson. "What would happen to the story (or this sentence) if we changed everything to plural? How would the words look? How would they sound? Would it be more crazy or more normal?" Just by adding a fun game and using the outcome to teach the lesson makes it more fun for the kids and a heck of a lot more exciting for me.
When all else fails I watch an inspiring teacher movie. I know you all are probably tired of hearing me say that, but I am a movie buff, so I can’t help it. Mr. Holland’s Opus gets me every time. Talk about a reluctant teacher. This guy didn’t want to be there most days, but he pulled himself together and made it through year after year until finally it became something he loved rather than tolerated. Who can resist a movie like that? When I watch Michelle Pfieffer take that group of hoodlums and turn them into kids with a purpose and a love of learning I think to myself - "I can be inspiring like that!" and then I watch it again.
Most of these tips are mental exercises because our actions are ruled by our attitudes. When I have a negative attitude, then everything and everyone is irritating. It feels as though I’m having nothing but bad days and all I can see about my job are the frustrations. When I have a positive attitude, even the irritating stuff is easily dismissed with a philosophical shrug of the shoulders. I feel as though I am making a difference no matter what is happening and see the silver lining through the darkest clouds. How about you? When the pressures and stress of teaching start getting you down, just remember that although it is hard to force a positive outlook, eventually you won’t be forcing the issue - you simply will have a positive outlook.
by: Emma McDonald www.inspiringteachers.com
"A.S.A.P."
There’s work to do, deadlines to meet;
You’ve got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry-
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER
In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest-
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.
It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER
God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He’ll respond to all your needs
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.
-author unknown
* I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
* Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
* Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He’s all right now.
* The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference.
* To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
* When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
* A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
* A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.
* Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
* We’ll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.
* When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U C L A.
* The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
* The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
* The dead batteries were given out free of charge.
* If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
* A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
* A bicycle can’t stand alone; it is two tired.
* The optometrist fell into his lens grinder and made a spectacle of himself.
[That's a story that lens itself.]
* Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
* A backward poet writes inverse.
* In a democracy it’s your vote that counts; in feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.
* A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
* With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
* Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I’ll show you A -flat miner.
* When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
* The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
* A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
* You are stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.
* He broke into song because he couldn’t find the key.
* A boiled egg is hard to beat.
* He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
* His parents thought he was a budding genius, but he turned out to be a blooming idiot.
* A plateau is a high form of flattery.
* Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
* When you’ve seen one shopping center you’ve seen a mall.
* When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she’d dye.
* Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
* Santa’s helpers are subordinate clauses.
* Acupuncture: a jab well done
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
This is awesome. It’s been around before, but worth a repeat!!Rather cleverly done.
This is in two parts,
the prayer ( in blue type ) and
GOD ( in red type )
in response.
It is very, very good.*****************************************************
Our Father Who Art In Heaven.
Yes?
Don’t interrupt me. I’m praying.
But — you called ME!
Called you?
No, I didn’t call you.
I’m praying.
Our Father who art in Heaven.
There — you did it again!
Did what?
Called ME.
You said,
"Our Father who art in Heaven"
Well, here I am.
What’s on your mind?
But I didn’t mean anything by it.
I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day.
I always say the Lord’s Prayer.
It makes me feel good,
kind of like fulfilling a duty.
Well, all right.
Go on.
Okay, Hallowed be thy name . ..
Hold it right there.
What do you mean by that?
By what?
By "Hallowed be thy name"?
It means, it means . . good grief,
I don’t know what it means.
How in the world should I know?
It’s just a part of the prayer.
By the way, what does it mean?
It means honored, holy, wonderful.
Hey, that makes sense.
I never thought about what ‘hallowed’ meant before.
Thanks.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Do you really mean that?
Sure, why not?
What are you doing about it?
Doing? Why, nothing, I guess.
I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control,
of everything down here like you have up there.
We’re kinda in a mess down here you know.
Yes, I know;
but, have I got control of you?
Well, I go to church.
That isn’t what I asked you.
What about your bad temper?
You’ve really got a problem there, you know.
And then there’s the way you spend your money —
all on yourself.
And what about the kind of books you read?
Now hold on just a minute!
Stop picking on me!
I’m just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!
Excuse ME.
I thought you were praying
for my will to be done.
If that is to happen,
it will have to start with the ones
who are praying for it.
Like you — for example.
Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups.
Now that you mention it,
I could probably name some others.
So could I.
I haven’t thought about it very much until now,
but I really would like to cut out some of those things.
I would like to, you know, be really free.
Good.
Now we’re getting somewhere.We ‘ll work together — You and ME.
I’m proud of You.
Look, Lord, if you don’t mind,
I need to finish up here.
This is taking a lot longer than it usually does.
Give us this day, our daily bread.
You need to cut out the bread.
You’re overweight as it is.
Hey, wait a minute! What is this?
Here I was doing my religious duty,
and all of a sudden you break in
and remind me of all my hang-ups.
Praying is a dangerous thing.
You just might get what you ask for.
Remember,
you called ME — and here I am.
It’s too late to stop now.
Keep praying. ( . . pause . . )
Well, go on.
I’m scared to.
Scared? Of what?
I know what you’ll say.
Try ME.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
What about Ann?
See? I knew it!
I knew you would bring her up!
Why, Lord, she’s told lies about me, spread stories.
She never paid back the money she owes me.
I’ve sworn to get even with her!
But — your prayer –
What about your prayer?
I didn’t — mean it.
Well, at least you’re honest.
But, it’s quite a load carrying around all that bitterness
and resentment isn’t it?
Yes, but I’ll feel better as soon as I get even with her.
Boy, have I got some plans for her.
She’ll wish she had never been born.
No, you won’t feel any better.
You’ll feel worse.
Revenge isn’t sweet.
You know how unhappy you are —
Well, I can change that.
You can? How?
Forgive Ann.
Then, I’ll forgive you;
And the hate and the sin,
will be Ann’s problem — not yours.
You will have settled the problem
as far as you are concerned.
Oh, you know, you’re right.
You always are.
And more than I want revenge,
I want to be right with You . . (sigh).
All right all right . .
I forgive her.
There now!
Wonderful!
How do you feel?
Hmmmm. Well, not bad.
Not bad at all!
In fact, I feel pretty great!
You know, I don’t think I’ll go to bed uptight tonight.
I haven’t been getting much rest, you know.
Yeah, I know.
But, you’re not through with your prayer are you? Go on.
Oh, all right.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Good! Good! I’ll do that.
Just don’t put yourself in a place
where you can be tempted.
What do you mean by that?
You know what I mean.
Yeah. I know.
Okay.
Go ahead. Finish your prayer.
For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.
Do you know what would bring me glory –
What would really make me happy?
No, but I’d like to know.
I want to please you now.
I’ve really made a mess of things.
I want to truly follow you.
I can see now how great that would be.
So, tell me . . .
How do I make you happy?
YOU just did.
Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people.
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the
Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program,
"The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and
wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God."
..dedicated to all teachers and other professionals that deal with children everyday — The Gift That Keeps Giving
Teachers are the gift that keeps giving. Love is in the big things and the little things that you do every day for your students. Love is in the planning you do to prepare for each day. Love is in the extra special planning you do for those students who need it most . Love is found in the greetings you give as they walk into your classroom. Love is in the patience you show to those children who misbehave daily. Love is in the concern for your students you take home with you each night. Love is found in your belief in students who have no faith in themselves. Love is in the smiles you give on a daily basis. Love is about teaching children who are not always very teachable, but you keep giving it your all. Love is found in the special gifts and talents only you have, that you share with your children. Love is being a teacher and building a better world for children.
May each of you remember "the gift" that you are!
— copied
