THE ESSENCE OF LOVE

Love is the most spoken word in any language, the most written subject of literary works and the most sought after emotion of man. Why is this so? Maybe because love is a need, an urgent requirement for man's happy and wellness existence.

Love has many kind and intensity of feelings. Love in one form or another can aptly give a vivid description of who a man is and what the future has in store for him. Love of power, money, fame, knowledge, self and anyone or anything that human mind and heart crave for either propel anyone to give his best or to catapult himself to the lowest level of his station in life.

The Bible says: "He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love." Love is the best weapon to conquer the savage of man when everything failed. Yes, it is said that neither a man nor a woman is complete until its has known or experience love. Love between a man or a woman in any circumstances is so powerful that it defies indescribable barriers and dwarfs the desire for fame, fortune and endless promise of good life. Yes love is said to be a great healer of all life's ills ------- the great strengthenier and beautifier. Ah! How kind and loving God is in giving us this feeling of love.

I Love You!!!

TAMING THE TONGUE

An easy and effective oral expression of ideas is one manifestation of a pleasing and effective personality. Each of us has our own way of expressing ourselves: either right or wrong. Writing, speaking, gesture and many other means of imparting messages are the media but the most widely use is oral communication.

To be able to speak effectively and flawlessly, one must be equipped with the idea or thought to be convey. Anyone who wishes to convey his idea in whatever medium he thinks appropriate must endeavor to express them clearly and effectively. We are duty-bound to express our ideas in a clear, correct, concise and effective manner. But the process does not end here in the use of our tongue.

The Holy Scriptures is replete with God's command on how we can tame our tongue. In James 3:4-6, the tongue is likened to a fire that can set a forest a blaze or to a very small rather that can turn a mighty ship upside down.

God in His all-seeing, all-knowing, all-caring and all-loving goodness warns us about the need to guard our speech. Proverbs 21:23 candidly proclaims: who ever guards his mouth and tongue keep his soul from trouble. With this God-sent message, let it be our earnest prayer to seek His guidance to tame our tongue and control our spirit.

What's in your mouth!!!

POSITIVE OUTLOOK

Much have been said and written about global economic crisis that the whole world is experiencing today. Prediction after prediction, effect after effect and one thousand and one way to deal with grace endless channels of communication until what are said and written leave everyone in a quandary as to how we can as a nation withstand its reeling effects in our economy.

But looking around and scanning our business horizon, amazingly, we might be awe-struck by what we find happening in our business environment. A growing number of new businesses are being put up as evidenced by a growing number of SEC, BIR and local government units registrants that line-up up enable their business pursuits secure legal existence.

Yes, our home-breed Filipino businessman and entrepreneurs are undaunted and arm with innate resourcefulness, hardworking, faith in God, they brace themselves to successfully weather the economic crisis. And with that strong determination, they cannot fail.

Good Luck!!!

POSITIVE CHANGES

In Life, only one thing is constant, and that is C H A N G E.

Yes, we must change and it must be for the better. It is never too late to change. Change takes place in us from pre-natal conception until death. To stop changing is to invite stagnation and when life stagnates. . . death is not distant.

Look around and the evidence of change is always present. Each day, every thing around us changes. Plants and trees grow. Even lifeless things are not exempted from changing. They grow old and deteriorate.

As changes in our whole being continue, there is one kind of change that must be the main focus of our daily existence. . . A change in attitude.

If we refuse to change, we're in trouble. A mind set to innovative, creative and positive changes in our whole being will be open to God's inflow of love, wellness and wholeness in us. As we change in our attitudes and outlook in life, God will be able to release. His never-ending promises of peace and joy in our life.

God has divine purposes in creating us, and we're got to believe Him. A change in attitude will spell so much positive results in our way of seeing and feeling what God has in store for us.

I remember what our college professor told us in our Taxation class "Only two (2) things are inevitable in our life in this modern world. . . death and taxation. "Yes we will all die and in life and death, we pay taxes. Knowing & believing in the existence of change. . . . I add another thing to life's inevitables: C H A N G E.

I like to compare our life to a ship being tossed in the sea of life where storms and big waves are our daily comparisons. Our attitude towards life's adversities will serve as the rudder of the ship that will steer our life to our desired destination. The choice is ours.

V O N V O Y A G E !!!!!
Happy Attitude Change

AGEING CREATIVELY

A person with a mind set that accepts being old means the end of everything that makes life joyful, useful and purposeful will surely make his life monotonous, gloomy, and unhappy. With this outlook in life, he will lose excitements, expectations, and everything will be a part of life routine that will eventually hasten aging and shorten his life span. How sad.

But it should not be the case. Instead, we must stay open to new and varied interest to prepare ourselves to lasting enjoyment in our twilight years. Let us not stop learning something new or continue doing what we love doing before but because of busyness and/or raising our family, we were not able to do so. Now is the time for us to continue doing them. There are vast arrays of physical activities that we can engage in like gardening, cooking, crocheting, cross-stitching and many others. These activities might even give us not only personal satisfaction but business opportunities to make it big our seed ideas into some profitable business undertaking.

At the same time, let us not forget to cultivate our mind and feed it with inexhaustible riches through reading and other mental exercises to keep our brain functioning. Reading is one past time that will open and enlighten us to a vast array of ideas. Our mind must always be feed with good thoughts lest it stagnates.

I hope you will agree, that as we grow older, our whole being seems to focus on spiritual matters. These change is very fruitful and beneficial to us. Daily bible reading, joining Parish-based religious activities, reading inspirational books are only a few in the long list of worthwhile activities that will help nourish our spirit.

Yes, growing old creatively must be our goal and it is possible if we integrate our body, mind and spirit into that purposeful longing to serve God, our love ones and fellow men. At the same time, we will experience that wellness, gladness and savor the beauty and crowning glory of our twilight year of life.

WELCOME SUNSET!!!

AGEING GRACEFULLY

Growing old is the most dreaded phase in one's life. It is a product of time and it affects our whole being. Billions of dollars were spent and still to be spent to stop aging and if it cannot be stopped....just to prolong the time of its coming. Yes, aging is regarded as a great catastrophe that everyone wishes to avoid.

But since aging is inevitable, sanity dictates to us to accept its coming but do something to enable us to cope with the process.

Symptoms of growing old vary from one person to another. Graying, thinning and falling hair, tooth loss, wrinkles, and sagging breast are just some of the most popular and evident signs in the long list of changes that take place as we age.

Billeting ourselves and saying "I'm old, I'm nothing" must not be our acceptance speech. Instead, let us welcome aging with joy and peace in knowing that God is so good to us by giving us long life that many were not blest.

Yes, growing old covers our whole being: body, mind, heart and spirit. We undergo changes and go through the turmoil of either peaceful or bitter acceptance. The choice is ours.

In our choice, part of it is our fears and anxiety, but if we hold on to God's promises embodied in the Holy Scriptures, we can rely with utmost confidence that God will enable us to pass through towards that twilight years of our lives and beyond the sunset, we can enjoy eternal peace and joy.

HAPPY TRIP!!!

UNBREAKABLE SPIRIT

No one is free from life's adversities. Even the most favored saint succumbed to the most horrible testing of faith and love for God. It seems that in allowing difficulties to happen in our life. God in His all-seeing, all-knowing and all-loving presence has all the reasons to let us experience hardships and trials because He has always that divine purposes for our life.

Charles Stanley in his book "Into His Presence" mentioned five (5) reasons why difficulties in our life happen for the good of us:

1. Spiritual Cleansing - Pain and suffering are the after-math of sin. When we seek forgiveness, because we sin, our fellowship with God is restored and we find peace.
2. Companionship - When we sin, we block the flow of God's love in us. Therefore, when we experience pain and suffering, we once more seek companionship with Him and once restored, we find peace and joy.
3. Conformity - When we experience pain and suffering, we go to God in prayer that draws us closer to Him and find ourselves in close relationship to Him. What a feeling of joy and peace.
4. Conviction - After all the pain and suffering, we come to fully realize that only God could give us that wellness of mind and spirit brought about by being in harmony with His divine purpose.
5. Comfort - Once pain and suffering where gone, we come to know that only God is the only source of comfort that brings inner peace.

With this knowledge of God's divine purposes, let us maintain that unbreakable spirit that defies storm of life to enable us to bear human adversity knowing that after those pain and sufferings, we will be more closer to Him, and closer to Him, we will be reaping internal joy and peace.

COME TO ME!!!

THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTMAS

The cool breeze of December, the multi-colored lanterns and the singing of Christmas carols are only a few in the short list of things that remind us of Christmas.

Yes, it is Christmas again in homes, schools and everywhere and the Christ who was born on the once more the hearts of men.

What really is the real meaning of Christmas? For some, Christmas is the season for sharing and forgiveness and love. It's the day when you feel you are rich because you are sharing whatever you have in terms of gifts and other material blessings. Broken relationship are often mended and reunited during this season because people feel Christmas is a day of love and forgiveness.

But there are those who regard Christmas as a season when they can display what they have in terms of material wealth. During this season, these people put on display what they have in terms of material wealth and richness that showcase their material and financial affluence. Worst still is their contention that this gesture is their own way of sharing to the people and under privileged the spirit of Christmas.

Yes, the meaning of Christmas varies in countless ways depending upon one's personal feelings and prerogatives. But whatever it may be let us always be reminded that Christ, the son of God and our Savior, was born on this day bringing to us the good tidings that spells the real essence of Christmas..... LOVE!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!