Friday, November 30, 2012

Valuing Values Formation




http://mccgd.org/adult-formation-class-practical-steps-to-grow-spiritually/

Last week in my graduate school class I learned from my other classmates who are teaching in the Public schools that the Values Education subject’s time is lowered to 30 minutes to give way to major subjects such as Science and Mathematics.  That one really bothered me.  Though it was sort of redeemed by one of our classmates that Values Education topics are being integrated in all subjects still it did not affect a bit with my high regard and concern at the formation of students studying in the public schools.

When I shared this one to my husband he jokingly stated “we are forming future ‘criminals’ …”.  He added later saying “I am sorry…"criminal" is so strong and harsh for that…but that is possible”.  

Without values formation of our learners, knowledge in sciences and other subjects may lead them astray.  Our students may become adept with all these subjects but without finding the good and how it could better and positively affect the lives of others would be self-serving.  Students have to learn to reflect and put to good use their knowledge.  

Without bringing this to the heart level would produce politicians, doctors, teachers, engineers, nurses etc.  that could not empathize with the feelings or struggles and sufferings of others.  In that manner we loose the very essence and purpose of acquiring them. 

Do you ever wonder why we produce professionals who practice their professions without the heart?  What do I mean by that?  I have seen lots of professionals including leaders in their respective fields practicing their professions with big egos.  Who cry out for respect but don’t even know what respect means.  Who wanted to be called by the prestige of their titles but don’t even acknowledge the dignity of the professions lower than them.  Who always wanted to first in everything ..”as if there is something wrong with being second, third, etc”.  Who would go as far as destroying others reputation at work in order to stay on top of the ladder.  Who would go the worst of killing in order to get more from others.

From what I described above, I am not going to use the word  "afraid" instead "fright".  It really frightened me for the next generations.  Every generation in the past seems to bring in new issues that are being carried by the next generations.  Problems and concerns have become bigger to handle and that schools with its sublime mission of forming and training young minds have failed in this manner. 

I would like thus, to defend that Values formation has to be given utmost importance such that the heart of everything that we do in school particularly in all the academic subjects should lead each student to see better from the heart relating them to how they could positively affect the lives of others. 

The heart to training our students should be the love  and making these same students feel that love so that they would bring the same wherever they would be  after graduation.  If teachers fail to deliver this, then the school fails as an institution.  Instead of forming young minds, we bring more problems to the world.  We produce intellectuals that produce “bombs” in all sorts wherever they are.

Now, Am I stating here too much?  I hope not…

PS.  Hey I know a lot of teachers that are so passionate with their work…my greeting of congratulations to them:-)

Monday, November 19, 2012

Laws of the Heart Vs. the Laws Written by Man

I was actually browsing my notes a while ago and ran across one of the articles that our professor Dr. Lourdes Tolod gave us in class entitled AFGHANISTAN'S RAGE AT YOUNG LOVERS.  Actually we were asked to choose from among those articles to critique on and as I read further I was led to hop unto my keyboard and wrote the following...In the end...I felt sort of confused...hahahha.  Anyway ...here goes... (I wrote them without really any touch or initiative to do editing..if i would do that...i would be more confused hahahah...crazy ha).  Suggestion...please search the web for you to understand the story:-)  ....thanks for the help:-)




http://muslimmatters.org/2011/01/25/picking-up-the-pieces-how-to-deal-with-lost-love/



Laws of the Heart Vs. the Laws Written by Man...this is what my reaction / critique paper would focus on.  It is just so disheartening for me as I ran through the story of the adolescent couple.  They both came from an Afghanistan culture that believes in arranged marriage.  By the term arranged marriage is already a violation to the human heart. 

We all know that the human heart works in so very mysterious ways.  It has its own dictate and moves and it feels accordingly.  When one says “follow your heart”.  It means that you submit to its movements.  It moves you to certain direction.  Loving someone for example is part of its dictate.  Sometimes beyond reason we feel for someone and a lot of those around us may not agree to it but still we submit and continue loving. 

But then the heavier burden and weight is placed with someone that loves but is against the written law of man.  Each society or culture has but itself written guide or laws to live by.  Some of these laws existed through time handed down from generations to generations.  Through time, it has toughened and people strongly adhere and believe in it despite the pain and struggles that they bring to man. 

But even and despite the existing laws, there are those gifted with bravery and courage to stand up for what they believe is right and just.  These individuals do not just rely with the written laws of man.  They feel in their hearts that beyond the written law, there is that movement in their hearts that bring and lead them to restlessness.  This restlessness propels them to do something beyond human reason and written laws combined.  That’s why you see people “going against” some practices of culture because by themselves they feel something is wrong and unjust. 

Love by itself is a gift to each man.  We feel and do beautiful things and even commit to certain beautiful causes when we are in love.  This is beyond the written laws of any culture.  That’s why the young lovers fought so hard for their love even unto facing death for they know in their hearts loving someone cannot be dictated by anyone or existing laws or culture.  Loving actually is the most natural thing that we humans can do.  Anyone that violates the movement of the human heart violates nature and thus, violates or disobeys the God that puts it in the heart of every man or woman alive on earth.

At this juncture, I am bothered at how one culture has arrived at such move at killing two individuals because of violating a culture or tradition.  I remember Jesus in one of the stories of the Gospel stated “the Sabbath is made for the good of man …not man for the Sabbath”.  What he meant by that was that laws should serve as man’s guide and for any reason any part of the law hurts, brings injustice or is oppressive then the heart of the law is itself violated. 

In fact, by itself the law has a “heart”.  Thus, I believe that the heart of the law springs from those people that made it into such.  How come a group of individuals create a law or a culture that is oppressive and has “no heart”.  Does it follow then that these individuals writing those laws did not really listen to their own hearts so as to come up with those laws that should reflect equality and justice for all living individuals? 

A  lot of things do surface due to man not being able to listen from their hearts.   A lot of questionable, selfish, unjust decisions can be made when we do not listen to our  --- human heart.   Thus what would become of those young Afghanistan lovers would ultimately question man’s heart.  This should be an awakening to Afghanistan’s people…I am deeply praying and hoping that one day these people would be freer to express themselves in love at the dictate of their own hearts and not by anyone else or culture.

Again…Love is a gift….thus, it is so free and available for everyone…
 

My Going Back to School



http://webpub.allegheny.edu/dept/psych/Careers/GraduateSchool.html



During the day you may visualize me in this manner -  I hold my daughter in my left arm while I hold some notes at my right hand studying for my classes.  Yes, I went back to school – post graduate studies.  I was forced to realizing that it has been 5 years since I stopped and I would have to re enroll the subjects that I took years back if I wanted to pursue and finish my doctorate program in Education.

But, that’s not mainly the reason of going back to school.  My growing  interest to engage in the life of my daughter and to capture her in those moments when she is so wide awake and so receptive to learning moved me to finish what I started.  My daughter inspires me so much such that aside from going back to school, I requested in one of the subjects I enrolled in to report on topic TYPES OF PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM (from the list of topics given to us in the Syllabus) from where I got  a number of them including Homeschooling Curriculum Program.

In one of my classes yesterday on Gender and Development, it was mentioned how full time mothers become insecure of their roles over career women that have established themselves in their fields.  In one of those candid moments I had in class, I raised my hand with the following comment :

“I am now a mom taking care of a 3 – month old baby.  Though at first I resisted staying at home (they  know that I am keeping a part time job only as a consultant / psychologist of a medical laboratory and I rarely report to the office), I feel so much of the joy of having to witness special moments with my daughter growing physically (…I should have added this :  plus that special bond and attachment with her having to embrace her while she sleeps, her first smiles and giggles,  bathe her, change her clothes when they are wet, change her diaper, breast feed and bottle feed her, tell her stories, explain many things with her even during those times when I did some chores and many little things, show her and flip pages of the books and a lot more.)  

My case is different.  Staying with my daughter makes me realize that mothers or working mothers may have missed so much of those beautiful moments that they could have savored with their children.  That’s why full time mothers should not be ashamed of their roles since this is something that they can be proud of.  What would become of their children is a reflection of the kind of parents that they are”... ( splendid ...that was me..hehe Dang in action...bow hehehe).

From what I have experienced,  I could put so much of dignity with the challenging roles of women taking full time mother’s roles at home. Hehe please don’t get me wrong.  We don’t  have to engage in graduate or post graduate studies for us to be able to see better (though it can be one of the avenues for wisdom).  There are lots of wisdom to those mothers who have stayed faithful to their calling of nurturing their own children by choosing to stay at home.  It just happens that I started my higher studies long before I got married and had my daughter and she has become my inspiration to finishing what I started.

I simply …love to improve myself and my craft when she came…and if someday it would lead to creating something bigger that what I am into right now then… that’s just another bonus…Loving our Maria Mikaela is the biggest fulfillment and bonus of my life :-)  (well aside from my beautiful husband).  Thank you dear God.


PS...One day soon..when i have the chance to go back to a full time work...at least I could look back, relate  and say...I had a taste of an experience of a full time mother...really beautiful ... soooo beautiful:-)

Our Daughter's Maria Mikaela's Christening / Baptism - November 4, 2012







It was the most awaited part of our family …to have Maria Mikaela our dear daughter be baptized as Catholic on November 4, 2012.  Baptism would serve as her start and big leap into Christianity despite her innocence.  For us,  it is Mikaela’s birth into our Catholic faith thus, it was something URGENT and BIG. 


With the sense of urgency, we wanted her immediately baptized when she was in the incubator at the hospital since we believed that God’s grace through baptism brings healing to the physical form that is the human body.  And looking at the fragile body of our daughter in that incubator was accompanied with that deep sense and faith that some miracles could happen if we did that.  We wanted so much to bring a priest but then we were held by the fact that only parents were allowed in the nursery.  I also felt some peace within in my  prayers believing that our daughter can “pick up” fast.  And true enough she did.


Mikaela With Fr. Casey:-), Mommy and Daddy

Since it is something worth celebrating not only in the heavens (as I feel that God rejoices to one new and beautiful human being will be offered to him) but also on earth, we wanted something big.  At first we wanted it lavish and hold it at a nearby  hotel but still it may be too much  that it may lead to unreasonable expense.  So we tried to keep our balance such that we would be able to invite more guests  with our  budget and projected expense.  Another thing that I meant with BIG is that it is something that we Catholics believe in.  Something that encompasses our life of faith in God. 

Part  of God’s “bigness” in our life is the inspiration as parents  to share some values of our family to others such as :

Value of Simplicity.  Simplicity in terms of the following: 

1.       The decision at our end to join the general schedule of the parish Baptism ceremony ones a month.  That way we could make our daughter feel a festive celebration with other babies whose parents also desire the same for their own infants.  But the thing was, it was only Mikaela that joined the ceremony making it appear like it was an exclusive baptismal ceremony.  That was God’s greatest surprise that day for us as a family.

2.      Holding the venue of the small banquet at home.  We live in a small house with a single bedroom.  We brought Mikaela from the hospital to this small house that we now call a home.  Our home.  We wanted it so much to make her feel that family celebrations  are held  at home.  And the simple taste of having family at home is much more beautiful than huge and lavish places for celebrations.  This is something very intimate and meaningful for us as a family.  I could so very well correlate Mikaela’s entry to Christianity to her entry into our Christian family through the small house we call as home for our family.

Value of Love.  It is love for us to be able to give the best gift we can give to our daughter…that is to share our Catholic faith to her.  It is love for us to talk to her about God and to pray with her even if she does not understand the content of our prayers.  It is love for us to be able to gather some family members to help us in the preparation of the food.  And, it is love for me to be able to show my cooking prowess (eeheemmm:-))  for the first time cooking as much as 5 to 6 viands for the celebration plus the help of two brother in laws Ronnie and Dennis for their own signature style of cooking Humba and Beef Steak, respectively. 

Really, I was so in love that I sacrificed getting enough sleep nor breakfast in that morning of the baptism since I did not have the time to feed myself instead rushed together with my husband to bring our daughter Mikaela to the Church on time with the help of my sister Gay and her family.  I just simply surrendered to God my own physical strength so that I would not faint in the Church (hahahhaha…great mom).

Value of Generosity.  This value was so obvious.  There was generosity from the preparations to the end of the celebration.  

1.       Family members that helped in the preparation together with Mika’s aunt that took care of her while I was busy with the cleaning and cooking
2.      Generosity of all the sponsors (Uncles Jun and Nono, Dr. Ronnie, Rodel, Nina, Auntie Gay, tita Lui, Lolitz and Vilma)  and some guests that brought their gifts to our daughter Mikaela and
3.      The generosity (ehem heheh) of our family that opened our humble home to our family members and friends.  We wanted so much to share what our faith dictates and even our advocacy of living a Joyfully hopeful life amidst the many challenges we have encountered as a young family of God.
 
Value of Family.  I and my husband value so much family.  With the minimal budget, we decided to invite our most immediate family members only.  Of course I felt sad that my own father and my husband’s sister and brother were not there in the celebration.  

Recalling the moment, we missed to invite some friends, too.  And we chose not to since we thought there can be some special moments that we can spend with them, too in the future.   Some really close ones  are so far from home.  But then we realize how such moment, we also spent in prayer for them that were not there and some friends who were invited but were not able to make it.




God does make things happen.   Mikaela’s baptism was one of those best “Make things  Happen” moments in our life as a family.  WE THANK GOD for that grace and for blessing us with families and friends.