"CARIDAD"...LIKES LABELS

I simply toy with one of those past events when i was yet in the academe and my work led me to some public schools to present ourselves to top graduating classes inviting them to take our scholarship exams. In one public school, i had such an encounter with a principal that simply gave me an idea how attaching so much with "ego" may bring such havoc to relating (hahahahhahah i hope i am not too harsh in this) and bring bad light to our image in its truest sense.

To continue, we went inside the principal's office and introduced ourselves. We were expecting that at least the principal would deal with us "properly"... with proper introductions (i guess heheh) but it made us ask if we could get her complete name for our documentation as we go back to our school. Since she opted to stay composed and keep her reserved state (to mildly put it hehe), she simply pointed to that label on top of the table that said "Caridad Baltazar, Ph.D." (not her real name...just the title hehe). And so i felt like jumping, blurting the line "Oh you are Dr. Caridad Baltazar" (i almost added Ph.D. after Baltazar hahahhahahha to pamper her ego and as in super doooper Dr. and Ph.D... my English teachers could kill me...joke lang hehehehe).

I was simply blown away by the strongest "air" that passed us. It left us (ni Faith, a friend and former colleague), looking at each others' eyes in silence ...actually MU kami ...mutual understanding ...and super dooper tawa ...to the max).


In my lifetime, i met lots of "Caridads". I got to be like them too at times. Like, I preferred being called as ma'am or madam than dang or my real name. Perhaps too, if i had just finished my Ph.D., i would prefer being called the title of Caridad hehehheeheh.

Truly, I liked (with emphasis on the past tense hahahha) being called by titles, it threw certain color and smell in the air allowing others to see and smell me too. With that i felt getting their respect. I liked also decorating myself with good and power dressed clothes when i go to work. (Aside from the fact that they are proper attire for work:-) They give me the sense of respect and they initially covered up my insecurities.

But just that encounter with Caridad shifted my heart and mentality to 180 degrees. It made me ask "is there a much better way of getting respect than what this lady is doing?". Again, I was simply blown away and realized her approach is NOT the "one" i should be doing.

On the other hand, it amazes me how other countries like the United States' professionals call each other by first names. I thought when I got to listen how they did it to each other, "if this thing works out in this country...it is possible at mine".

The latter, strongly supported the previous that made me really like being called by my name. And it sounds so good. This time when others mention my name, it reminds me of my openness to anyone that comes or join my life's "crazy and passionate" quests (hahahhaha). It reminds me of unity than division - professional or non prof alike, rich or poor, Christians or not, etc.

Titles or positions should not define us. They are just trappings and labels. What is the difference anyway, between me and the beggar i happen to pass by everyday. Perhaps the clothes or that i get to sleep a better bed or eat better food. But what humbles me is the fact and truth that ONE DAY I AND THAT BEGGAR WILL DIE. And we are not even sure if we get that special spot in heaven (me i like the flower garden and the green grass of the heavens hehehhe). That one beggar that i pass by everyday may get that much better place... who knows? we don't really know...who's who or who would be in the final list (wait until i get to make kulit with my friend Peter hahahhahah).

We do panic ourselves with getting too many things and too much of the "trappings" that they become heavy for us to travel freely and unattached. I say, we travel light or perhaps choose to travel with nothing and simply unattached. Let us not argue with the "nothing"...for i feel i need not expound this further. I have that confidence in my heart that you know better (heheh I could not underestimate yours and my capacities).

Lastly, i am not saying that accomplishments, achievements, success or anything related to that would not bring us closer to our "destination". I would say we strive and continue to build ourselves up but decide to be unattached with anything. When we die, we don't bring our titles, cars, houses, bank accounts etc. We will be judged according to one measure only - LOVE...and as such our real identity and image is not of this world. We are all meant to reach heaven...labels would soon become...dust...



A quote from Pope John Paul VI:

"Somebody should have told us right at the start of our lives that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of everyday. Do it I say! Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows."

Waking Up With a Purpose

I happen to run through a coffee advertisement that says "kanino ka ba gumigising?". It did not really ring a bell at first except when my eyes were no longer glued on the screen. My heart simply felt and "captured" the sound of it (as in wow ...super beautiful question... at ganon ka tindi ang dating ng tanong).

And so i related it with these lines from Pedro Arrupe, a Jesuit that lived a very passionate life saying ...“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

Arrupe's statements sweep it all. They summarize some fundamental and basic ways of motivating towards living our lives. Starting a day ...falling so deeply in love in quite absolute final way..." (as in woowww) i just feel that there is nothing beyond the point of the absolute (but if there is something beyond this, this space can't be owned by anyone else but MY GOD). But this has to be captured by action. Love in Action... everyday...

I happen to see a video of a very ...ohh so frustrating incident of a suicide put on video via internet by the person himself that committed it. He was trying to announce to everyone what he was about to do (suicide live via webcam). It was so sad to see someone loosing hope to live and decide to end his life that way by hanging himself. I saw the struggle and transition of color with his face from pale to becoming so dark until breathing stopped in a matter of less than 1 minute. Well just like that. As fast as that and it really broke my heart yet, i bravely witnessed such on video just to see and feel what this person might be feeling...it drained me... I just wanted to cry and cry after that.

Loosing hope and reason to live. Not having any reason to fire up the day or start the day can be one of those that we may be experiencing. I had lots of those actually in the many years of facing life's battles and struggles. The latest incident happened immediately after my 19th annotation retreat. After such arduous spiritual exercises, i was then so certain about what i loved doing and i was like pressuring myself not to pursue doing the rest other than my passion (ash in heheh). Yet, I remained and stood still for i might be entertaining the wrong voice. The days were discolored with the lack of motivation and drive to wake up. I found my energy dwindling. I wasn't able to associate low motivation with loosing the spirit to continue "serving God" in anything and everything about the mission.

Having no reason to wake up or not finding meaning with daily undertakings can affect everything in our lives. And so every time I run through Arrupe's lines, they refresh me in terms of committing myself everyday to continue to live and make each day my "fly day" - that is soar high and live life to the fullest.

I do find my purpose now much better and finer than before. I see more of challenges than making situations a problem. When i meet some really questionable behaviors of individuals:-), i ask "what can i learn from this person" so that i could improve my way of relating the next time.

Though I love talking so much, i usually take some halts to listen. In fact, i take more time to listen this time and simply enjoy each person i meet everyday (perhaps they feel it too and enjoy my company at the same time...well you might as well try me hahahhahah char lang).

I am more conscious as to responding (not reacting ...Mike taught me well in this in our moments of encounter) to questions and just trying to check personal motives and flow of conversation if they are simply discussion of facts - which can be very deceiving and may click the arrow leading to gossips.

I get to check myself when i feel dissatisfied and starts to complain. I see to it that i get the job done and more(which means passionately putting my heart in my work).

In short (which is rather long hhahhahah), i am starting to be more in touch with myself so that i could manifest and be more effective with everything that i do everyday.

But do i really get "sick" and scared waking up in a day. Well it does happen sometimes. And that is only when i start to entertain some negative thoughts so swooosh they come real fast and i felt that i cause and attract them. I tell you it is such a tedious job to pick "me" up when i allowed them to come in.

At this time i wake up and consciously declare "THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY, I LOVE DANG AND SHE WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE" ( heheh with shouts of joooooooooooy). Simply because, i know what makes me happy...that is making others happy...help them find meaning and purpose everyday...so that ultimately, I make HIM happy up there...:-)From this i am declaring ...I HAVE A CHOICE AS TO HOW I SHOULD WAKE UP AND PERK MY DAY:-)

From Politics to Sports

Char lang...this time, Joyfully Hopeful is invading the world of sports...hahahah i mean kids sports. Yesterday, i was offered by my sister to co sponsor the uniform of another soccer team. Since they are forming two different age groups of players, she was asking me to "adopt" the other kids group such that naming them THE JOYFULLY HOPEFUL KIDS soccer team...

I excitedly printed shirts for their uniform and of course showcase the shirts plus the streamer of the Joyfully Hopeful during their soccer game this weekend...whitweewww...

At this point, i guess, we need to look for other sponsors to support their needs (ug sugdan ko na hahahahhah). I need not act as the coach hahahaha over to the max...Dennis, my sis husband will do that for us...Amen...

...so how is that? ...from politics to the invasion of kids' sports - soccer ...Doing God's business ha...:-) At my end, i am slowly toying with the idea of giving them formation .....hahahahhaha ...pinaparaket ako ni God ngayon ...free raket hahahahahha

Coffee Time

The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm of Jesuit Education (char lang grabe ka serious ang introduction) gives 5 steps to introducing an experiential learning cycle made available for students facilitated by trained educators...Such steps are as follows : Context, Experience, Reflection, Action, and Evaluation.

Wait lang...as in super doooper waahhhhahahahah...so how does my coffee time connect with the Ignatian Pedagogy? It is just that context defines how something is being applied to a particular or actual situation. It is like that of an operational definition in research. And so Coffee time in my context refers to my moments of love - spending time with loved ones and talk about anything (the rest of the pedagogy shall be explained in some future time when new context would arise and the drive of the Spirit and that of my friend Iggy...este St. Ignatius would bring it further to an inspiration of expounding it more in my other life's context hahahha kasabot mo? hahahah nag nose bleed ko ...hahahhahahah).

So coffee time, loved ones, and talking about anything. The first real life authors of this one (in my life) were my own parents. Papa and mama (many years back) would wake up early dawn to pray the rosary together. After which papa would play his "antique" Tom Jones songs (that were pleasing to my ears though) and mama would prepare coffee for both of them to discuss about anything. Still wrapped in my sheets, i could hear both of them in the dining table savoring the mornings together (they simply love the morning talks).

My other siblings do that too with their husbands or wives...the legacy handed down to us by our parents. At my end (though not yet "tied"), i have my own intimate times with coffee such as spending it with my sibling's family over hot pandesal during mornings that we are not rushing to do anything ( i want to savor this moment), or spend it with Mike, or with friends ( i just miss many of them now) or during spiritual encounter with my SD in the last 19th annotation retreat.

I would like to note that i am not stressing or focusing on coffee here...i am stressing on the TIME ...that special time spent for such moments of soft voices, eye to eye contacts, silence, simple conversations, intimate topics, plans presented and unfolded. Where, i could just be myself with the other person, tears sometimes flow, laughter shared, savoring the taste of the coffee while sipping the moments of joy ...of intimacy...of true and real selves revealed...

I love so much this family legacy...i love so much this intimacy of time...I simply love the people i was and am with...close to my heart...soooo close...:-)

At this point...(hahahah balik gihapon Ignatian paradigm)...the Iganatian Pedagogical Paradigm teaches a lot...but those moments of encounter with loved ones are simply one bit and piece of that paradigm...Context ...this one is Love in the moment...Coffee Time...made so special... :-)

Evangelizing Politics

A friend named Mitch approached me for a request of printing campaign - shirts for his father who is running for "Kagawad" in the upcoming Barangay election - October 25, 2010. I have not really tried printing other than the Joyfully Hopeful Designs but this one may be a venue for evangelization. I did not really know how to come in as to putting in the JH advocacy prayer but when Mitch requested that the prayer be attached, my soul leaped for joy hahahhahah ..a new way of evangelizing politics...and our people...Amen ....


- The Candidate -



- The Joyfully Hopeful Advocacy prayer printed at the back of the shirt -



Note :

Kindly refer to this Invitation to Pray the Joyfully Hopeful Advocacy Prayer :
http://dang-joyfullyhopeful.blogspot.com/2010/10/invitation.html

Career Path VS. Life Path

I intentionally browse the net to check on a particular blogger that has captured my interest for several months already. The name is Toni Tiu (Fit to Post blog at yahoo).

Yesterday (October 19, 2010) she blogged on the topic "What is your life path?" She stressed on some career paths that we choose but added further that life path is much bigger than that for it involves finding out what one really wants, that is finding one's passion. She defines career path as "how you progress in your job, position by position". While she considers life path "...as how you want to live your life. It’s about working towards your dreams and aspirations. More than that, it’s finding meaning and purpose in your life".

I could recall how my high school years was encroached with lots of uncertainties and fears about the future. Though some speakers have been invited by the school to talk about the different professions and careers through the courses offered by a particular university, i was still not certain with anything yet.

I may like writing at the moment but Mathematics was really my strength among all the subjects in high school (even in college). I could easily inch my pen to and juggle with formulas ...in short hehe i play with numbers. That was the passion. And i could spend long hours solving Mathematical problems. This brought me to win in Math Olympiad and at least won second in our region (hahahha actually team effort yon hahahah chillax ayaw ug panic ba).

So I thought I could pursue a career related to Math. But I liked computers too that even my term paper in fourth year (high school)was all about it. The graduation yearbook mentioned of my profession related to Computer or something related to Math (hehe i forgot already).

Due to my lack of knowledge with the different professions, i hopped with BS Accountancy which made me excel in the course but my performance dwindled and plummeted as i neared the the middle of my Junior year. It was a strong twist after a series of questionings and the encounter with a friend that studied BS Psychology. I loved so much everything about what she said. It was like simply defining an interest that was long buried.

With BS Psychology, it was such a natural way of going out from my shell. It was like slowly studying myself, my world and that of others. And so my graduation was a well deserved end of my college years (getting the "most friendly" award in the batch este ___________ fill in the blank na lang hahahhah). Thanks be to God for that...

But, another concern presented itself for it posted the question "which particular area of Psychology to tread". I was caught between two things - earn immediately and get any employer that would call me first or simply wait for what an employer that would call me for human resource work (which was my top preference after graduation).

The academe responded first. And everything happened so fast that i forgot about Human Resource for 11 long years of my work life. After which, i gave myself the chance to try the job which is what i am currently doing.

But still the question continues (thanks to Toni Tiu for her article). Since my 19th Annotation, I am being challenged by Fr. Frank to look into and consider a life-time employment... this time following my passion...and what i really, really love doing at the moment aside from my regular employment:-) (and while it consumes the 8- hour part of the day or more), i love designing shirts (for the Joyfully Hopeful advocacy - http://dang-joyfullyhopeful.blogspot.com/ ), shirt printing, create and re-create products, writing blogs, writing training modules and programs and expanding my visual power and energy (by and through God's grace) to what more i could possibly do to improve my craft for others to have more life and reason to live.



...and there is one beautiful thing that i would soon do...nurture another human being or beings (char lang)...One day i would just be a free soul that's free enough to tread on my life's passion - do God's work through the shirt, write and write and nurture ...this will be another one beautiful exciting thing that will soon happen...

Career path vs Life's path... ( a shift from I to We) if we just listen to our heart, it will take its shape and define us as the heart is being manifested through its choices. The latter surpasses career path and i could equal this to a Divine Calling...nothing lesser than the lifetime employment posted as a challenge by Fr. Frank...:-)

COURAGE...I AM WITH YOU

As frightened as i was in my childhood years with horror movies, my interest was its exact opposite. I like watching them even when i was alone. The Sunday's big event on television made me a lone "ranger" in the face of an ohh so frightening movie. I was just simply reminded with this when Princess, one of the Human Resource's staff sent me this communication via chat which i saw after some minutes that i was out from me table...take a look :



And so with that message ...i replied "oh...yah nag talk nami...whehehehhehe".

I thought growing older would make me braver. I still watch this kind of movies and i would lift my legs (sinehan na ni ha) and shout in the movie house like i am alone watching and sometimes even if everyone has rested ...everyone would hear my only "golden" voice in the air....(as in super dooper ikahihiya mo ang beauty ko...mike would usually say..."tama na hon" ....ouuuuuuuchhh that was during our anniversary movie date ...hahahh grosssssss and went out hiding in behind the cinema curtain that made mike look for me the rest of the movie ...sukol paka? Ang anniversary movie date namo kay watch mi JEEPERS CREEPERS hahahahha!!!!!!!!!! Mabuang ko bayot!!!

Really, i was such a crazy and anxious soul myself imagining ghosts to be somewhere near me when i hear stories about them. Well the funniest experience i had was during an 8-day retreat under Fr. Balchand, SJ's direction at the Jesuit Retreat house in Malaybalay.

It was an amazing 8-day silent retreat with each of us assigned to our individual room (as in super dooper matunog na walang kasama and walang lusot dahil naka post na names namin sa doorrrrrrrrrr whaaaaaaahhh). I had no idea whatsoever with room histories but ghost stories were popular that time during retreat with students.

And so alone in my room, i had my regular rituals of prayer and Bible reading prior to sleeping. Then the "new" attached rituals such as - placed my rosary beads as bracelet, held my st. Benedict medal, opened psalm 91 from the Bible and placed it beside my pillow, lights on and the last...wore my bonnet to protect my head from cold...este... to cover my head down to my eyes so i could pull it up from time to time to peep and check if there are really ghosts...hahahhahahahaha nabuang na gyud sana gi video ni nga scene noh? hahahhahah (wait lang...can't stop laughing...).

As in ...recalling that incident or even sharing it during trainings, seminars or a simple talks soared laughter in the audience and from me din. But at least i was able to recover from that sort of insanity with ghosts...Thanks be to God... The rosary that I prayed everyday (even as much as doing the 15 mysteries) did heal me from that thing and i got the assurance from a dream...which i shared to Fr. Pen Abuan, SJ one morning during retreat with students.

Let me recall that "story of assurance" (heheh chikka to the max). I prayed 15 mysteries of the rosary the night before that and I've never been so relaxed at Jesuit Retreat House except for that night. And the grace-filled encounter happened in my sleep when ...(i thought i was already awake)a man came near my bed. He wore a glaring white shirt (plus blue jeans ahahahhaha) with a little longer hair like that of Antonio Banderas (ahahahha nangdamay pa) ...as in super dooper gwapo...but you know what he said "dang mata naka kay mag hear naka ug mass"... as in super dooper at peace ako beauty and he was like telling me before he went out of the room that he was just standing outside the whole night to guard me....(ay security guard siya hahahha)....

...unlikely Conclusion (hahhahah)

Akong angel si Antonio Banderas....hahahha joookkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeee....i mean i was just assured by God that HE IS WITH ME...through my super doooper cute angel....whhhhaaaaaaaaahhh gwapo niya hahahhaha...and i had the feeling that the Blessed Mother requested him to manifest his presence that night for the ultimate "assurance" of God's presence.

PAPA

I had a beautiful chat this morning with an old friend that stated about his visit to his father in a far place Naga to see him after 22 years. This aspect of his life when we were classmates in the Graduate school at XU was part of the discussions that we had which he related to have culminated last week in the visit. The experience did not really move him a bit to tears during the encounter but was slowly eating him from the inside and broke in a bucket of tears on his bus ride back to Manila.

He also related how his father's absence had paved way to a financial concern of the family but made them leap higher to strive to finish studies, get married, employed with XU and now he is about to defend his thesis in his masters degree in Guidance and Counseling.

The meeting with his father has been the most awaited and unexpected part of his life. He was hinted by a friend that gave him the address. And so when he was joining a seminar in Manila, he intentionally traveled 14 hours to meet his father. This though came as a big surprise to his father who is now old and suffering from some illness.

The situation according to him made him more confident to face his responsibilities as a father which to this day, he makes it his top priority. He also focuses his thesis study on students with broken homes and the latter's effect to their academic performance. His findings according to him are really indicative of the situation that they are into such that there is high level of anxiety and lack of confidence from these students based on the survey he conducted.

While listening, i felt like breaking down but held up to continue with the story. (At this point i would say...this is how it is with me when i listen to life's breaking stories).

Making family as top priority. This is something that is presented to my face this morning. I have not seen too, my father for months already. I don't know what has transpired at his end but i have not really grown to be attached to him except with my mother. Though i find my father a friend other than being that of a father but i admit i lack that special attachment with him. Perhaps because i have not really felt the warmth or perhaps series of painful encounters in the past led me farther emotionally.

If my friend was desperately searching for his own father for 22 years, my very own father is at my reach ...just in Bukidnon...and i am like feeling all along that he will just always be there when i need him...but talking with my friend early this morning made that difference...i have to reach out to my own father...I feel even blessed to just have him near. I should not wait though, for certain illness or whatever incident to happen to push me to pay him the visit. I love my father and i know in my heart that this situation is leading me to do something to be with him... If i had not felt that warmth...maybe perhaps, i only saw that i needed to be filled and satisfied by that love...but i missed the real point...TO SIMPLY LOVE HIM.

I LOVE YOU PAPA. SEE YOU SOON..:-)

I am Calling it a Halt

I went to Davao recently to join a seminar facilitated by someone from the national office of our company. I had such a great time except for the 2 incidents of encounters of 2 cab drivers. The first one appeared not knowledgeable of the address that we gave him and so went a different route twice which led us to call for a halt for us to go down for he seemed to be not getting our instructions. The second one requested for an add on from the amount reflected in the cab meter.

I was greatly dismayed by the incidents. Though we found a way to joke with the experience but the reality is kind of painful as to how public violation of charging or confusing passengers has been taking its toll already. I am presuming no formal complaint has yet been forwarded to seriously address the concern (meron na ba?).


My arrival in Cagayan de Oro was another incident. The sad thing was, another plane passenger ( a foreigner UN peacekeeper) requested for my assistance to get a cab and another shameful strategy was presented by cab drivers - pushing forth a certain price other than using a taxi / cab meter.

Moreover, another incident was when i went back to the office after a whole day training. The cab driver made me choose which way to go (actually similar incident happened many times already). From this I immediately thought that he was testing me if i knew my way. I simply decided to find another cab for he was insisting that we would take the longer route since he knew better. This incident really put me to test as to handling and composing myself despite the emotional struggle with these encounters.


Last summer, when I arrived at our very own airport here in Cagayan de Oro, i was sort of "captive" to this same practice. I did not want to give in to such high "patong" to actual price. The good thing was this cab driver (that according to him was "not part of the association") gave me the ride after my sort of "discussion" about this practice.

On one hand, I did understand his explanation as to trying to make up with the high rental of the cab. I did understand him also with supplying for the needs of his family. He must be doing his best to provide for them well. But what i could not totally understand is that how this situation has been tolerated in our Cities (CDO, Davao, Cebu, Manila, etc...dami pang ibang places).


Well, I ended my conversation with that cab driver by saying " you know what manong, ang kwarta nga nakuha sa dili maayo nga pama-agi dali ra mawala. Sometimes ipa agi sa mga incidente nga dili nato gina expect sama sa mga sakit ug uban pa nga mga sitwasyon hangtud nga mahurot ato kwarta. Ug sometimes makapangutang pata (intawon naghinuktok si manong heheh)...". This one thing i learned from life. We always reap what we sow and life will always give back what we put into it. We don't expect for a bad quality seed to bring forth a good harvest right?


I thought i would just simply write something for my RANDOM THOUGHTS blog site (just like a brief "scribble" of notes) but as i run through the keys, there seem to another issue coming out - my visit in a government office for the processing of a business permit. The following were my observations :

1. there were lots of working tables at the city hall
2. a lot of them have no employees in place (perhaps...more vacancies? ...but not they are talking with other employees in another table, some eating, chatting, simply laughing and having fun...during office hours
3. as i approached someone to help me with the processing, i was readily served ( i was so glad to be received well) and thought i would finish faster( which i did). It was just that before finalizing the entire process i and the one that attended with me were interrupted by a group of friends that brought in some "goodies" of information for the processor's "consumption" and so she handed my paper to another processor who was so free to attend with me. As i held my eyes away from them, i heard the laughter and fun that they had (they must be so happy working so free in that kind of environment...huh? sad gyud oi).

Another last thing which i found a little funny but so true was the story related by my honey (hehe). He went to the city planning office looking for a particular office head. As he got in, he was met with a dimly lit office with people just whispering as they conversed with each other. And so he was like almost on his breaking laughter when he realized that people have nothing to do and so they just have to settle with such amount of light since they don't need much anyway.

At my end, i do feel helpless with such realities, for a lot of varied ways of stealing, cheating, etc have been going on around us. In many different forms, they manifest and i am hoping, in this writing, i would be able to reach out to more or a wider audience not really and solely for the purpose of making people aware but to invite us to DO SOMETHING to positively respond to these issues and concerns by making a difference ourselves.

What i mean can be the following :

1. not joining the "patong" style (for cab drivers) or giving in to their request
2. simply do your job - even and despite your boss is not around ( i work in
a private company ...and my experience is a constant following up, grilling and
prodding to produce an excellent output for each working day)


Truly, our actions have consequences - good or bad. We all know that human-made rules can be bent anytime but there are rules manned by the UNSEEN... GOD Himself. The Bible clearly states this (unfortunately, not everyone is attracted to reading it).


Thus, and perhaps, God, even without the Bible, from the very beginning marked His law in the hearts of men. When we sin we know and when we do otherwise, we feel His peace (for a calloused conscience...this one i say might be hard to "see" through the heart).

Lastly, being honed in a Catholic university run by the Jesuits, made me more conscious of the of valuing honesty, sincerity, respect of human dignity, giving justice, giving without counting the cost, making a difference and many more. Before, i felt more of the burden of the knowledge that i gained for they pushed me even more to propagate that consciousness of engaging in others' lives. At the moment, i feel the challenge of not considering it as such but an expression of Love emanating from the experience of being loved (hehe drama effect but i sincerely bow to this...fresh talaga from my 19th annotation retreat hehe).


To give this writing a strong push...hahay ...may i go straight to the point...we can never experience the peace of God when we run contrary to His work. Thus, putting "patong" to actual fare, not giving justice to task assigned or other forms of stealing that we know of that we feel we are putting on gray areas for they appear light (lytch lang hehe), we tolerate the ill of sin to slowly creep in our society, in our system. This one i say springs from a heart that allowed the contamination of sin. Thus, i am suggesting a halt!!!!... to do what's right and to sin no more... (grabe ka strong hehe)

This is for all of us...God bless us all!


________________________________________________________

P.S. One day in the past, i hoped and prayed that there will be some kind of massive entrapment operations for taxi drivers... and office managers will wholeheartedly respond to this. But sana there will be no such incident to happen before change will take place. My prayer now is...that this will not fall on deaf ears and hearts...:-) I feel God will move us ...i feel positive and hopeful for all of us...Amen...:-)

CARLA - lelex:-)

She hailed from my place in Bukidnon. I heard of her name lots of times when we were kids since she garnered (many times i guess:-) ) the championship award at Del Monte, Bukidnon singing competition. I should say ...matunog ang pangalan nya when we were kids. When she transferred to our apartment in college, I was a little apprehensive dahil baka sosyal nga siya (hahahahaha sorry Carl..that was just then...). But of course, it was a lot different knowing her to be so down-to-earth with all our chikkas and open forums in the apartment, the praying together of rosary, the watching together of late night movies and many others pa. I admired her also with how she was able to balance her time with studies, BF Dennis and her talented group that regularly sang at a bar. I was also a little jealous that she was regularly visited by her mom at the apartment. Unlike us ni gay that we got only visited by our mama in our dreams (hahahhahaha kalag na bitaw dead-bol na baya mama).

Our college years ran swiftly with almost the entire apartment "team" (char lang) graduated together in college including of course Carla. After graduation, I rarely heard of her except when I heard that she already got married and sadly also when I heard that she fell ill and her younger daughter Robin Faith. I was not really there in every major and minor events of Carla's life but my chikka sister gay updated me with everything and honestly broke my heart every step of that painful journey (every time i read Carla's account, i couldn't stop crying...why man oi huhuhuhu). And, in our random meetings at the mall, i was able to get some glimpses of her story and how she struggled especially when Robin was brought to the states for treatment without her at her side but had to bear all that for her daughter to be well ( We always had such "short and sweet" emotional sharings...actually not really sweet...painful talaga).

I felt deeply overwhelmed by the whole thing imagining the process of how God was able to fashion each experience or experiences we have to fit in to our "formation" here on earth. I keep on wondering and tearfully recalling how such experience be placed in a package given to one person named Carla. I mean I only got to know her as a friend way back in college but I did not know such strength of a woman to come out due to such painful experience of being ill and losing someone so dear to her.

I really prodded her to write. Since I started this Little Heroes column, she always came in my thoughts and heart. Perhaps God was really pushing me to invite Carla to write her story which she just did (heheh lipay ayo ko ...ako ra man gihapon cge hilak). She just crafted a beautiful story of her life which you can check in this site - http://mygoodiebox.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html -.

When I invited her to write her story, she said "di balo ngano hero ko oi" (bitaw lingaw ko kang Carla..i hope she is aware that she is that brave:-)). But I just want to announce to the world that there is such great strength in each of us. And they are best tested when situation presents itself just like that of Carla's.

Carla is a hero with regards to strength and plight to stand up for life - for daughter Robin, for her love for Dennis and Maia, her love for herself to continue living despite her illness and I believe her deep and immeasurable love for God as she and the entire family continues to thrive in God's business through their plan of putting up a foundation for Robin. Who would ever think in the past, I mean when we were still in college...we may have laughed this whole idea heheheh that one day one of us would ever decide to engage in such beautiful experience of starting such a project.

Robin is truly such an angel that moved the entire family to be able to do beautiful works to the community. Or, to lead her mom to be more passionately involved and engaged with life. And lastly, to be able to find that real and true strength of a woman, mom, and a wife - A REAL AND TRUE HERO OF LIFE.

God bless you Carl. May you continue to flourish and extend your boundaries with Dennis and Maia.:-) ...with your angel Robin hehe imagine nako siya dula sa langit haskang biboha...:-)