Drop It....Let It Go

          Each day in our life, we encounter moments wherein we are pained, down, disappointed and it is as if life is so meaningless anymore. Yet at the end of the day, we all need to remember that when we look into our eyes, we can always tell ourselves, " I LOVE YOU" then just by saying those magical words, may we remember that life indeed is so precious. By telling ourselves those affirmative words "I love this self" in front of the mirror, we are therefore affirming our own belief and acceptance of our own uniqueness. On numerous circumstances, we fail to appreciate our own giftedness and instead, envy those of others. 

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          Learn to move on in life. As I was listening to one motivational speaker today, I was reminded that life is such a beautiful gift that we ought to treasure and no matter what obstacles lie along the way, there is always a force that will allow us to let it go of all those negative elements.

          Learn to accept who we are...... we all need to embrace our very own identity and it is only by then that we can also be able to accept others. How could we share love if we don't feel being loved on the first place.

Hence let us  treasure those special people in our life for from them we experience how wonderful this life is. Let us learn to let go then drop those negative events as well as  their memories and instead, let us focus on our dreams. 

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Acceptance and Self Determination

          Everyday we heard of stories of love fading away for some reasons. And usually at the losing end is someone whose heart is bleeding with tremendous pain that at times, it results to the person losing her identity and the will to hang on to life. And this is true to life's various forms of relationship such as wife-husband, family (parent to kids), friends and so on. 

          Days become so difficult to cope with. Other forms of relationships are deeply affected by the sudden loss of enthusiasm to life. No amount of comfort can ease the pain of letting go and love again. And to think that real love is so painful once it is destroyed and gone.

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          However, the other side of the coin will tell us that when somebody has the will and determination to hang on to life then everything seems to become gradually easy and cool again. Aided by acceptance and self determination, the pain of losing love will turn into a new beginning. 

          Acceptance comes into the picture when such person realises that life has to go on regardless of any day's turn of events. Everything comes with a reason and sometimes, these reasons are incomprehensible. Acceptance means letting go of the pain and embraces life's new beginning. 

           The idea to self determination helps the person to stand up after each incident of falling down. Our life is oftentimes moulded by determination- we are determined to hold on to life even though we are pained by circumstances beyond our control.

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Our determination to become the person we ought to be will help us  shape our future positively. As they say, stand and deliver....... accept life's reality and hold on to your will to self determination.

                                           

The Agony of Waiting

          My wife underwent thyroidectomy last Monday at Austin Hospital. Before her scheduled surgery, I was already trying to anticipate what will be the various scenarios on her big day. What I perceive was just a simple surgery then maybe after an hour or two, everything will be alright. 

          However, on the day itself, it was a long wait for me and I was filled with mixed emotions as I stayed in the hospital waiting for her to complete her procedure. What was perceived as an easy ordeal became a long and tedious waiting. We arrived earlier at Austin Hospital (actually she was expected to arrive at 11 am but due to our excitement, we decided to go to the hospital earlier). We went to the information booth and were  instructed to proceed to the 3rd floor for her initial steps prior to the surgery.

          At the waiting room, she filled up paper works and got ready for her knife appointment. Past 1pm, 3 personnel talked with her and told her she needs to go into another scan for they detected something on her last scan result which they were not sure what exactly it is. So she had her scan and luckily at 2pm, she was given the go signal to proceed with the surgery. Hence from 2pm onwards, I was left on my own since I was not allowed to go with her on the theatre. I didn't exactly know what I really feel by that very moment that she started her ordeal. 

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          The fact that I had no idea what was going on at the theatre was the thing that gave me that sort of "agony". The waiting period was seemed eternal. First hour quickly passed and I was still feeling alright. However at six in the evening and I still had no idea what was going on with her, I started to have that feeling of anxiety and worry thus I went to the information centre and enquired of any progress but the nurse in charge was clueless also. Eventually, at quarter past six, her surgeon passed by the waiting area and I wasted no time to converse with him about my wife's progress. And I was relieved of my agony when he told me that everything went well. 

          I finally saw my wife again by half past seven and even with all those instruments attached to her, I was still feeling relieved and grateful that she passed her surgery. At times, when we are in a situation wherein we seem to be helpless and clueless, there is no one much greater to comfort us except Him Above.

PS: 

Special thanks to the following people for their assistance during that journey:
Harvey, Dundee, Marilyn, Dr. Allan and his team, nurses Meghan, Kelly, Carissa and all those who have wished me and my wife the best of everything. All your support and prayers allowed us to have peace of mind and harmony on that difficult time of our life especially Myra. Thanks in a great way to HIM Above.



                                          

How Then Could We Find Relevance on Social Networking Sites Such as Facebook?

          Social networking sites nowadays have emerged like mushrooms and to name a few, sites such as Facebook, Linked, Pinterest, Brimble, Twitter, and many more have enjoyed much popularity as each day passes by. To cite a specific interest, we will take one particular site which is very popular nowadays and this is Facebook. 

           As of March this year, there are " 665 million users everyday and 751 million using Facebook from a mobile device each month."  (Reference: https://www.google.com.au/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=xdDXVYIBo-7zB-XZvfgL&gws_rd=ssl#q=statistical+data+of+facebook+users). From this figure, one can find out how much relevance Facebook is having then at the present time. 

          But one may ask, how then could we find relevance in our time using any of these  social network sites? Answers may differ from one person to the other yet the most common relevant matters we could get out of this activity are the following:

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1. checking out one's disposition- Facebook allows us to check out the whereabouts, situations, conditions, moods of our friends most notably that of our loved ones. Though it also solicits vigilance on our part since we need to monitor that others will not exploit nor manipulate our status and our personal state but nevertheless, Facebook enables us to have an update both on our own and others' conditions;

2. making friendships-  through Facebook, we will be able to establish new relationships and friendships with others thus enabling us to expand our connections. As social beings, we are happy when we make more connections since no one among us can deny that we  need each other. On the other hand, it also solicits from us a certain responsibility and that is to take care of each of these friendships. We can't just ignore our established relationships with others hence we should devote time to nurture our relationships. 

3. making one's Facebook experience profitable- online advertising nowadays is one of the most popular forms of earning money online thus with the use of these social media platforms most especially Facebook, we then could earn money if we are able to acquire the necessary skills to facilitate advertisements on them. 

          These are but just a few of the positive things that we can get out of our Facebook experience. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, we also need to be careful with our time and connection on this site. We should refrain from allowing  these sites to interfere with our very basic yet primary relationship with loved ones. Thus, we have to ensure that we devote quality time with them especially to our partners and children before we consume time on these social network sites. 

                                        

Resting in God's Peace

          As we have just recently celebrated the All Souls Day and offered prayers for the faithful departed, it is but fitting for us  to reflect on the significance of this element of resting in our life. Oftentimes, when death comes to a person, we usually say or write, RIP which means "Resquiescat in Pace" or "Rest In Peace". A little of history about this practice happened in the eight century when it became ubiquitous on the tombs of Christians as well as for the High Church Anglicans and the Roman Catholics in particular." - Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

          As such, we are therefore constantly reminded that everything on this earth is but temporal and that at a certain point in our life, we will come to terms with our own death. Thus there is that consistent invitation for us all to be always ready when death comes and in some cases, it does in an unexpected manner just like a thief in the night. 

When it comes time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home. - Chief Aupumut, Mohican -

                              Source: http://www.a-good-dying.com/rest-in-peace-quotes.html

          From a sharing with my friend Pong, I was fortunate enough to be reminded with the following insights as extended also by their pastor in their congregation. A few of those are the following:

a. The Essence of the Sabbath Day:

It is therefore good to note that the Sabbath Day is basically not just one of those days in our calendar year but somehow, this day is entirely a day that is intended for mankind to offer prayers and good deeds for the Creator. Moreover, as He rested on this day after creating the universe in six days,  He also invites His people to devote a day of rest and prayer. It further denotes our reality as being challenged to establish and sustain a loving relationship with our Creator therefore we also return to Him during our moment of death. 

b. Contentment in God: 

We oftentimes worry greatly on numerous things like our daily provisions, health, day to day activities, children, studies, etc. that consequently, we time after time neglect our very basic relationship with Him Above. Most of the times, we worry so much on what is temporal and forget what is eternal. At certain events in life, we stress ourselves on what is seemed as unnecessary and just wants in life disregarding on the process the more essential things such as our time with God and times with our other loved ones. 

c. Acknowledgement of God Being our Creator:

As human beings, we are created in His own image and likeness therefore initially goodness in our hearts is intrinsically in our nature. However, when we start to use our own free will and intellect, that signals the commence of our commission of things both desirable and not therefore with the undesirable deeds, we are allowing ourselves to become astray from our Creator. 

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          The moment then that we die, we would never carry along with us any of these temporal and earthly possessions. However the only treasures that we can carry with us when we die are those good deeds that we have implanted in our hearts. We will be judged on heaven by these possessions and never on any earthly richness.  However if we live a life worthy of praise and adorations then we can be rest assured that on our moment of death, our Creator will be waiting to welcome us into His fold. 

          Hence, let us learn to live life to its fullest as well as live it according to His plan. Though we falter in certain chapters on this journey yet we should also be humble enough to realise our limitations and offer to return back to His fold.  

P. s. much gratitude to Pong for the sharing


                                     

The Human Touch In a Relationship

           According to an English definition the human touch refers to a friendly and pleasant way of treating other people that makes them feel relaxed. Apart from this, there are other meanings that could be attributed to this but anyhow, the most important thing to retain in mind and heart is its being a primary ingredient in any form of relationship- be it in a form of friendship, marriage, father-son, mother-daughter, etc. 

          However, taking into consideration the kind of world that we live in nowadays, it is sad to note that many relationships have been wasted  and damaged due to the failure of sustaining the fire burning on it. The world that we live now is so advanced yet its drawback is that oftentimes, the human element of our various relationships is unattended and totally ignored. All these innovations that we enjoy nowadays have great impact to our lives but we also need to discipline ourselves so that our treasured relationships would not be sacrificed.

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         Accordingly, learn how to be creative as well as how to stay human in all forms of relationships most especially inside the family. Don't allow any other structures of social activity to get more priority than your interactions with your children or wife/husband. Even in your relationship with your partner, be sure to add flavour to it everyday just like the extension of this human touch. Never presume the basic needs of the children like love, attention, comfort, sympathy, care, etc.  rather see to it that your being able to shower them with material abundance doesn't appear as if you already become an effective dad or mom but rather learn how to mingle with them any moment in a day. Don't make your social commitments and business functions as excuses so as not to render them their basic human needs. 

          Finally, constantly be mindful of the fact to give your loved ones that sense of importance so that they will feel so special in your eyes.  Hug them when they are down, uplift their spirits when they are discouraged, congratulate them when they earn success, and engage more in activities which will allow you both to realise how precious you are to each other.  

                                                           

My Source of Happiness

          What really is happiness? This is a very relative matter in the sense that what could be your source of being happy may not be true for the other person. Somehow it is but essential for us to be aware of those things that can make and give us true meaning of happiness. 

To give us further insight on what happiness is, let us share these thoughts:

"Psychologist Martin Seligman asserts that happiness is not solely derived from external, momentary pleasures,^[11] and provides the acronym PERMA to summarize Positive Psychology's correlational findings: humans seem happiest when they have

1. Pleasure (tasty food, warm baths, etc.),
2. Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity),
3. Relationships (social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness),
4. Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and
5. Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals)."- from Wikipedia- the free encyclopedia

          From the above thoughts, it is obvious that happiness differs from one stage of being to the other. I know of some people who are happy by just being alone with themselves. They don't want to be interfered in their activities which for them are the ones that give them source of meaning in life.

imagecredit: http://www.toasto.com/free-photos/nature-and-scenic/sky-and-clouds/approaching-storm-clouds/

          There are also people who are happy with their titles like being managers, CEOs, COO, and the like. That when others devoid  them of any recognition and admiration of these titles, it seems their days are incomplete and they feel that they are not worthy. In some cases, what is worst is when they tend to vent their ire on others as if they already lose their sense of being human persons merely due to subordinates not addressing them with their titles. Sometimes, the real cause of this feeling of being unhappy is the sense of insecurity of oneself. 

          On the other hand, others are made happy by their achievements and the accolades that go with them. Moreover there are those who find happiness by being with their loved ones and no matter what their state of life is, they are still happy being with their significant others.

          Hence, in the midst of these various realities, it is important for us to recognize what are those things that make us real happy and how could we also radiate the same happiness to others. No matter what adversities we have in life, there would always be reasons for us to stay happy and be optimistic.

 
                                       

Why Do We Connect With People?

          As human as we are, it is but natural for us to seek connections. Indeed, it is such a very basic need that for anybody, no matter who you are and what you are, it is but a very basic need to be connected with others. In this regard, allow me to share with you this video from Youtube on this discussion and we will all together find out some of the interesting reasons why we need though connections.

                            
                                       videocredit: https://www.youtube.com/user/shellterrell

          From our early years, we are already starting to build up connections. From the very significant people in our life like our parents and siblings, we then start to develop our ability to cope with the demands of our environment. Then later on, we start to connect with people outside of our comfort zone like neighbours, friends, relatives etc. Afterwards, we continue to build up our connection with people we meet in school, in our neighbourhood and in other places.

 Meanwhile our featured video here will show us some reasons for us to have connections. To enumerate some of them, here they are:

1. to learn (anytime, anywhere)- that's true. Interacting with people enable us to learn new things. And the beauty of this one is that it then becomes a two-way process. We will learn from others and they will also learn from us.

2. to knock down wall---learning from the classroom will allow us to be ready to face squarely the world out there....this world which is so full of surprises.....so full of anonymity.....of being so unpredictable thus it is but fitting for us to get ready to face all these surprises.

3. connect to share resources and ideas- the splendour of life is on its gift of being able to be shared with others thus let us all be reminded that we are also called to be generous donor to each other and this calls for us to extend to others whatever gift that we have. Sharing is connecting lives.

4. to help us all achieve our goals- another wonderful element of being alive---when we are able to help others to reach their potentialities.

5. to get inspired and to create

6. to get in touch  with friends and families

          These are but some of those reasons why we choose to connect with others. Can you identify your intuition the first time you meet a new friend? What exactly connect you with that person? Hence let us all open our arms and embrace anybody who comes our way. Let no race, colour, talent, skill etc hinder us to connect with others. 

 
                                         

Dream Dreams.....

While on board on somewhat a floating cottage made of bamboo.....floating at the middle of the ocean....alone.....I was lying peacefully on the floor....with just a handful of food selection with me such as bread. salad made of vegetables which I am not really fond of, bottle of water, baked noodles placed on a plastic container, a bag of rice......on a small table beside me lies a diary, and a pendant .....as I stare aimlessly on the blue sky above me, I say to 

                                   

                                              imagecredit: Michael Lane for openphoto.net

myself, " How wonderful this world could be......so immense...limitless" .....after a while, I soon realise that I am left alone and at the middle of an ocean....yet deep inside, there is that feeling of serenity, of completeness (though I would never be a complete or should I say a perfect human being...nobody is).....I try to jot down on my diary what I observe on the surroundings....finally, I take a long and steady glance on my pendant with pictures of my two other precious gifts in life: that of my wife Yanyan and my little boy Kurt Kristoff.......as the day starts to come to an end..soon darkness will arrive......

Till then, I woke up and realised, "I've got a dream..."

         Whew..what indeed a splendid dream that I recently have. Well, all I can say in that dream is that it involves significant things and persons in my awakened life. Of course, it will take  me a long time to share with you the significance and impact of those dream elements. 

          In summing up, I would say that our dreams allow us to befriend further our inner "self" hence we need to listen and be attentive to them. In a single day, it is said that every one experiences not just once, twice, or thrice but multiple dreams yet due to our pre-occupations and priorities, we neglect to spend time to look at them and their impact on our waking life. However, if we start to mind them, we will gradually discover little by little their individual relevance to our life. 

                                     imagecredit:Sarah Klockars-Clauser for openphoto.net

          Just to cite one example with that dream above, the pendant with those pictures of my special possessions means to me as a reminder and a symbolism of their concrete presence in my life. That day by day, they make me more positive and determined in life. And no matter how things become so complicated in certain occasions, nonetheless with their inspirations, I will always be ready and willing to move one step at a time. 

           Accordingly, treasure every dream that comes to you for it reveals an essential part of you- continue therefore to dream dreams.

                                          

Don't Be Afraid

          While thinking for something to write on, this statement dwelt on me, "Don't be afraid..." and it made me reflect for a while, at another time looked back on my life......tried to think of those times wherein this fear (whatever was it) lived inside of me.

          Yes, everything boils down to one's sense of owning all of him/her including those fears. How about you? Have you asked yourself what are those fears in your life? 

Don't be afraid of failures.....

Don't be afraid of attachments.....

Don't be afraid of becoming a parent....

Don't be afraid of commitments......

Don't be afraid of the unknown....

imagecredit: http://www.freemediagoo.com/free-media/beach/image/?filename=o_dscn1050

Don't be afraid of death......

Don't be afraid of fame.....

Don't be afraid of travelling....

Don't be afraid of another day, month, or year.....

Don't be afraid of rejections.....

          At times, our fears disable us and hinder us to unfold further ourselves-all our potentials, our capabilities, our giftedness, our aces.....

         At times, the fear of this feeling of being afraid moves us to resort to denial, suppression, regression etc.. Consequently, we are no longer interested to put one foot forward for what is reigning now in our mind is the fear of falling down.

          Yet this is not what this life is all about. Our life is such a wonderful gift that it deserves to be celebrated with others. This life is so special that genuine attention and extra care should be extended to it. Remove all those fears and exult in jubilation for we are fully alive. Share life and learn to tame any fear that comes along your journey. Don't be afraid. 

                                             

Popular Attractions On Kho Phangan

Koh Phangan, also known as Koh Pha Ngan, is an island located in the Gulf of Thailand and is a part of the Chumphon Archipelago. The island is in the Southeastern part of Thailand, in the Surat Thani Province. A popular tourist attraction, the island is conveniently located halfway between the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Tao, and is popular for the full moon party at Haad Rin Beach. The island is known as the location for the 1996 famous novel "The Beach" by Alex Garland, which was later, adapted into a film, with Leonardo Di Caprio cast in the leading role.

Koh Phangan has an estimated perimeter of approximately 40 km, which takes about 10 hours of walking time to cover and the distance to Koh Samui is about 15 km, whereas to Koh Tao is about 35 km. The main town and the administrative center of the island is Thong Sala, which also acts as the islands main ferry port.

Here is a list of popular attractions on Koh Phangan:

Ao Nai Wok
This small bay, also known as Baan Manali Beach, is a popular tourist beach, featuring a pristine white strip of sand. The location is particularly attractive for windsurfing, kayaking and sailing, as well as snorkeling or other extreme sports. Tourists can go on kayaking trips all the way to the wild islands of Ko Tae Nok and Ko Tae Nai, located within a 10 minute paddling distance.

Haad Chao Phao
This small, quiet beach is located on the western shore of the Koh Phangan island and is very sought after by tourists who want a secluded, relaxing spot to unwind. There are bungalows that are available as housing accommodations, offering budget rooms with complete facilities. Several small restaurants and bars offer drinks and meals even during the night. A famous location is the Pirate Bar, that regularly hosts the Moon Set Party, just a few days before the Full Moon Party.

Haad Yao
Located just within a stone's throw from Haad Chao Phao, Haad Yao is a slightly more developed beach area. It has numerous bars, restaurants, 7-11 stores, ATMs and a handful of resorts. The beach is sandy and the water is sparkling clean, offering plenty of snorkeling spots where the bottom becomes rocky (there are also a lot of sea urchins and caverns). Accommodation in Haad Yao starts from 150 to 200 baht.

Haad Salad
This idyllic cove is littered with high-end resorts for tourists arriving with their families. The beach features white sand and the water crystal clear. Also, the beach has plenty of shadowy areas, where children can play safely, protected from the hot, tropical sunlight.

Haad Mae Haad
This white sandy beach is joined to Ko Maa, a national marine park and features some of the best snorkeling and diving spots on the island. As an accommodation, tourists can check in to the numerous resorts and bungalows. There is also a small village which has a variety of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. The beach is surrounded by a dead reef, offering spectacular coral growth.

Haad Khuat
Haad Khuat, also known as Bottle Beach, is one of the most secluded beaches on the island and is only accessible by longtail boat. Tourists can also reach the island after a 2 to 3 hours long hike from Haad Khom beach. The beach has little accommodation options, but the prices are very affordable, ranging from 200 to 300 baht for a bungalow. The water is very clear and is good for swimming even during the dry season. Unfortunately, due to its isolation, the beach doesn't have ATMs, restaurants or convenience stores.

Thong Nai Pan
This scenic area includes the beach resorts of Ao Thong Nai Pan Yai and Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi, which are two small bays featuring mind blowing beaches. The area is very sought after by couples or families with children. The beach has a range of local Thai restaurants, to international 4 star cuisine restaurants.

How to Get There
The easiest and cheapest way to travel to Koh Phangan is by a ferry from Koh Samui. You can check the schedule and buy tickets online at www.ferrysamui.com.



Guest writer: John Chen is a travel writer currently located in Bangkok, Thailand. He likes writing about Thailand and he writes not only about traveling in Thailand, but also about business, culture, education economy and food.






                                                       

Cherishing Wonderful Memories

       Memories allow us to re- live and look back all those past events in our life. Some tend just to occupy a skin- deep level of our consciousness that we easily forget and leave them behind. While others seem to linger the more in our minds and allow us to positively harbor every minute of the experience. 

          Every moment then becomes an important  chapter in our individual book of life. As I rekindle each chance of communicating with our little boy miles away from us, I can't help myself but recall to mind as well my childhood memories. Though I could hardly remember some events that I had exactly when I was in my boy's present stage, however, the feeling of being loved and given importance by my own parents continued to stay in my awakened state.

imagecredit: http://www.freeimages.co.uk/galleries/nature/underwater/slides/mushroom_corals_2684.htm

          On the other hand, when we transfered to another house recently, it allowed me to temporarily end that particular chapter of my book of life in that previous place then commence a new and fresh chapter in this new neighborhood. I say temporarily end since I know that on any event, I just can proceed that recently concluded chapter of my journey. Thus I am grateful to all those people who have accompanied me, my wife Yanyan and our most treasured gift, Kurt Kristoff, in that place. To name names, thanks a lot Charlie, Linda, Titing, Pepay, Dundee, Michelle, Jojo, their two lovely daughters, Dina, John, Gabriel, Santos and some other unmentioned names yet they similarly are merited with the same gratefulness.

          This book of life called life journey is such a wonderful one and it is made to evolve into a more meaningful event when we meet and cross paths with remarkable people as mentioned beforehand. Thank you guys and see you one of these days.

 



                
               
                                          

What A Wonderful Blogging Year!

           By February 9 of this year, I will recall the first entry that I had on this blog. After such initial entry, I came up with several posts on various human interests topics. As the days and months passed by, I didn't notice that I will soon, in fact, two days from now, be celebrating one year of blogging.

          As this meaningful event for me arrives, I will express my extreme joy and sincere gratefulness to the following:

- to you readers, for sharing your time in reading my posts. It is my pleasure to impart with you my posts enabling me to share with you my thoughts, inspirations, journey, fears, aspirations, learnings as I continue with my treasured life;

- to my family, my wife Yanyan and my son Kurt Kristoff, for they are the very source of my strength and patience to come up with all those posts and for my coming ones;

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http://www.freeimageslive.com/galleries/nature/views/pics/nature00025p.jpg

-to my fellow bloggers who have helped me in my endeavor as a blogger, for sharing me insights and innovations so as to be more effective in relaying those stories in this blog;

- and finally, to God for enlightening my mind and heart to come up with my posts. Recognizing you, my ever dearest friend, as the sole source of this borrowed life, I returned back to you all this goodness by means of all my posts here. Through them, I believe that I am able to share with others this gift of life that You have entrusted to me.

                                      

How Much Time Do You Spend on the Internet?

          With the growing popularity of the online world nowadays, it then becomes a reality that many people are exposing themselves to the lure of the internet to the extent that they sacrifice their personal affairs for online activities. Moreover, occasions spent on the internet could result either positively or negatively depending on their intensity.

           On the other hand, constantly consider that you certainly own various pertinent relationships and as such, you also owe the responsibility to nurture each one of  them. And by nurturing them, you allow each person involved in the relationship to grow in a positive manner. 

imagecredit:http://www.freeimages.co.uk/galleries/nature/environment/slides/clean_beach6085.htm

            Yet in the midst of all these net developments that  you treasure nowadays, are you aware then of their brought risks to your life? It is said that 

"LIKE' FACEBOOK TOO MUCH?

The average user spends 75 minutes per day on Facebook

The average user logs on to Facebook 6.1 times per day

70% log in every time they start their computer or web reader

26% feel ill at ease if they do not get to log in regularly

Women spend on average 81 minutes per day on Facebook

Men spend on average 64 minutes per day on Facebook

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            With all these facts, do you consider yourself one of those who have more time to spend on the internet rather than socializing and connecting with their loved ones? The sense of belongingness is very crucial in their stages of growth advancement. You need to spend more conventional time with them rather than just allowing yourself to stay and be a slave of the web. 

          Thus, it is you, yourself, who initially knows if your time spent on the net is still a positive one so much so that it allows you to grow as a person either as a husband/wife, or as a father/mother, or as a friend  and be a positive influence for others. Or are you the the type of person who excessively spend your time on the the web therefore losing precious and quality moments with your loved ones.

                                          

The meaning of Christmas

          How do you define the meaning of Christmas? What is the importance of this season in your life and that of your family? Who do you spend your time with on Christmas time? At times, when you are obssessed with new things such as clothes and gadgets, what you look forward as a younger boy or girl at this season is the luxurious gift that you will receive from others.

          These are but just some of the questions that come to your mind when you think about Christmas. You may think perhaps of the times when you were still young and the idea then of Christmas was mainly focused on the following:

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a. receiving gifts and giveaways from loved ones especially from parents;

b. playing time with friends 

c. opportunity to go around and mill with friends to make carolling to various houses and even to strangers thus allowing the spirit of Christmas to be shared with everyone

          On the other hand, when you grow up and become more exposed to the world, your understanding and perception of what Christmas is changed as well. Driven by your interactions with others, you begin to learn Christmas on a much deeper level. Nowadays, as this world is challenged by both natural and man made calamities, as your day to day living is colored by both of your positive and negative experiences, you then realize that Christmas is sweeter and more meaningful when it is shared with others most notably with your loved ones  and with those people who are deprived of the resources to enjoy the season.

          In your life, you have so much to share and be grateful for everything that you have cherished for this year. Yes it is true that there is joy brought along by those big and small gifts that you give and receive during this season however, the most significant among these expressions is the sharing of genuine love for everyone. Learn to love and be loved genuinely.

                                           
                                                   Free Stock Photos

Let Us Have A Meaningful Christmas

          It's Christmas morning! And many people in this side of the world are still sleeping at 8:09 am. I woke up with the priest's words during the Christmas eve mass still ringing in my ears. His main message centered on the theme: "Can we see Jesus who was born in lowliness and in poverty?" 

          In our culture, the long Christmas celebration which starts in October until January, focuses on the material aspects -- food, parties, new clothes and gadgets. If not for Yolanda, people would still have those annual big and pompous celebration. I believe that calamities do happen before Christmas to give us a message -- TO SIMPLIFY. 

          I remember last year, when I introduced a gift-less Christmas to my family in respect to the Pablo victims and survivors. It was done but was not well received. Nakasanayan na kasi eh (It has been a tradition.) . And worse, I heard "Si Tito Nel kasi eh...(It's because of Tito Nel....) "Ano ba talaga ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko (What's the true essence of Christmas)? Yun ba yung magagandang damit at gadgets, inuman hanggang malasing at katakot-takot na tawanan (Does it translate to the latest gadgets nowadays or the drink up to the last drop sessions)? Are we just using this holy celebration as an excuse to shop til we drop? 

          I was talking to a Ob-Gyne specialist last weekend and he said he is so sad that his financial capacity this time of the year is so bad that he can't even give his clinic staff cash gifts. Looking at him, he is not just sad, he is depressed. Here is an example of a person feeling sad because he cannot cope with the wrong demands of the season.Yes, Christmas is sharing. In our own little way, we give. Even children and teenagers are encouraged to give -- LOVE. I am not saying that we spend all our hard-earned money and  endlessly swipe our credit cards. 

          What I am saying here is to truly recognize that Jesus is the reason for the season. A God-king who in his humility came down to be among us. Let us also try to come down from our high and mighty lifestyle to be among the suffering, the lonely and the poor today. It comes but once a year! Let us make it special. Let us do it for the birthday of the King... :)MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL 

Guest writer: Dr. Nelson De Castro Magnaye

                    Writer, Dentist, Recollection

                      and Team Building Facilitator

                Manila, Philippines

                                                 

Salt for the Ultimate Chef

What would be food without salt? Salt, what an amazing ingredient. Can you imagine your favorite adobo without any salt? Salt is even added to caramel to give it a rounded rich flavour, don't believe me? Get a salted caramel ice cream or tart they're the craze nowadays, I've had an amazing, can't get enough of it popcorn that was sweet and salty. It was sold in this huge, plastic pillow case size bags and people where queueing up to buy not just one bag but two! 

Salt, what an amazing ingredient indeed. 

Ever wondered what it meant to be salt? In (Mt 5: 13) Jesus told us "You are salt of the earth but if salt loses its salty taste it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing. It must be thrown out for people to walk on."  

One of the functions of salt is that it helps preserve food. I know, I'm thinking of tuyo (salted pilchard or anchovies), dried squid man this writing is making me hungry!  

What salt does is it prevents the growth of food spoiling bacteria or nasties that can harm us. You see those nasties need moisture to grow and what salt does is it absorbs the moisture in the nasties.  No moisture, dead nasties. 

So salt does not only have what it takes to preserve the good stuff,  it also has what it needs to go on the offensive against the nasties. 

It's like spiritual warfare, we need not only have the right stuff for defending but also the weapons to go on the offensive against spiritual nasties. 

In Ephesians 6: 10-18, St Paul wrote: 

"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with the flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the power, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and have done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones." 

We need those spiritual defences and weapons, to be the salt of the earth and only God can provide these. 

With these we can stand firm, preserving what is good, eliminating what nasties we have and helping others to do the same. 

The other function of salt is for seasoning, salt enhances the flavour of food. It is worthy to note that when salt is added to a dish, it disolves and is transformed and at the same time enhancing the flavours, enhancing what is good. 

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Exclusive image: ID 17261018 © Harun | Dreamstime.com

It is transformed in a way that you no longer see it but only know and taste it. In a way it has given itself up for the greater good. 

We are also called to do the same, in whatever dish of life we are called to serve and be a part of. We are called to die from ones self for the greater good, transforming enhancing the dish of life around us. 

Ever noticed how someone describes a good dish? "It has a hint of nuttiness and red wine, caramelized onion, the vegetables cooked to perfection not raw but still crispy, compliments to the chef.....ya di da di da.....hey, what happened to salty?

Salt is rarely the centre piece of any dish, yet it can make or break a dish. Not enough and the dish is bland, too much and it is ruined.

Same with us and our service if we are lukewarm, we are ineffective and bland, too much or to full of ourselves and we leave a bad taste in someone's mouth. Our service should always seek to glorify the one and only Master (Chef), not us.

A well seasoned dish is when the ingredients are in harmony with one another, allowing the chef's intended expression to come through. 

So it should be with our life and service, we should allow the ultimate Master (Chef) to express Himself through us. Humble, obedient and ever sensitive to the Master's leading, less our will be done and not His. 

Salt, who would have thought; Jesus of course. 

May you always keep your saltiness, ever ready to serve the Ultimate Master (Chef). 

Guest Writer: Ed Canilao
CFC Melbourne

                                      Thanks a lot Ed for the inspiration



                                                        


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