Reflections

Reflecting on this year is not so difficult, it was a chaotic one for me, despite the laughs, fond memories and new friendships I gained. Chaotic in the spiritual sense, I was too busy about so many things, I got sick most of the time, even my bigger boy has had visits at the hospital and with the little girl going to school, it has (unwillingly) took a backseat….which is not so much a good thing.

I just felt empty…I know what I had to do yet I didn’t…

Some More Thoughts

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Fire

For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer,

contention ceases.

Proverbs 26:20

From My Little Boy

(10 November 07)

My older son has always been a joyful, witty kid…(Not that I am having favorites) but he is different in the way he thinks and speaks, just too funny. He loves watching the sun set, read how he explained to me what happens there. (He was 2 1/2 when he started telling me his observation almost everyday).

“Mommy, yung sonne nahulog na yun tapos na-kaputt na: kaya dunkel na…kasi wala na yung sonne!”

(“Mommy, the sun fell down and was broken: that’s why its dark…because the sun is no more!”)

😀

On Winter Wonderland

In the meadow we can build a snowman…And pretend that he’s a circus clown. We’ll have lots of fun with mister snowman. Until the other kids knock him down…

So white and so lonely, yet still a wonderland.

On Autumnal Beauty

“It was you that set up all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter—you yourself formed them.”—Psalm 74:17.

And so’s autumn and spring.

I arrived in Vienna on October 14th of 2002. It was already autumn, the smell of dried leaves and the blow of cold wind were such welcomely feeling. Upto this day, when autumn comes, I remember the thoughts that I had upon seeing the orange-yellowish landscape for the first time.

So how or more appropriately, why does the green leaves of summer turns to yellow, orange or red during autumn? We know that leaves have the green pigment chlorophyll used in the production of plant food (glucose). Leaves also has the yellow (carotenoid pigment) and red (anthocyanin pigments) but is not seen much because they are covered up by chlorophyll. The leaves know that it is autumn when the days become shorter and shorter, since ‘photosynthesis,’ the process where plant makes food happens with the help of light.

As animals hibernate during winter, so does some plants and trees in the same way. Animals store fats and sleep off during winter while plant leaves store glucose and shut down their food making factories. The chlorophyll are then gone and now the yellow and red pigments are revealed, naturally when they combine, orange is produced.

As for maple trees, persimmons and other red colored leaves, the leftover foods plus the (occasional) sunlight and cool breeze of autumn makes this wonderful color comes out.

(read more: http://forestry.about.com/od/fallcolor/a/fall_leaf_color.htm)

Looking closely at nature, one sees the invisible hands of Jehovah at work. I myself am awed on how he set all the pieces of creation even preserving them, giving them sunlight, rain and rest. Truly, the inspired writer summarized it all.

“Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth. He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment. By his knowledge the watery deeps themselves were split apart, and the cloudy skies keep dripping down light rain.” -Proverbs 3:19-20

On Death and Grieving

“…Weep with people who weep.” -Romans 12:15

Death, perhaps for everyone, is an enigma that’s so hard to accept.

When death strikes, eveyrone in the family, as well as other relatives and friends are often at a loss, mostly asking the question ‘why did this happen?’

The bible urges us to weep with those who weep. Helping a bereaved person calls for compassion, discernment, and much love on one’s part. We should not wait for the bereaved one to come to us. We should not simply say, “If there’s anything I can do . . .” Find that “anything” , and then take the appropriate initiative.

I have seen people become devastated because of the death of someone they love…though uncalled for, the verses below are the only comforting words I can give…

“Death is swallowed up forever. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?”—1 Corinthians 15:54-55

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“…the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out. ” -John 5:28-29

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This is a wonderful promise that we can be sure of happening…but then, the resurrection hope raises some questions on where are the dead? Are they in heaven living in a peaceful state? If they are, then why would there be a need to resurrect them? Or are they being tormented in a fiery hell?

Let’s look it up soon…

On Dullness, Boredom and being Lazy

“Who has woe? Who has uneasiness? Who has contentions? Who has concern? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has dullness of eyes?” – Proverbs 23:29

When speaking of boredom, we think of “dullness, repetition, or tediousness,” there are also “feelings of weariness and dissatisfaction.” It often results from work or activity that does not stimulate or satisfy. But it is also true that boredom is a subjective state. What is boring to one person may be fascinating to another.

I created this blog with a hope to reach the readers about what the bible teaches. However, I stalled for a really long time and wondered what else to write…if I should keep doing this or combine other stuff.

I also realized that I am now ‘kinakalawang’ (rusted) when it comes to writing.

Also, apart from the daily routines of a mom and wife, I am too lazy to sit down and finish a post…or perhaps too tired, it took me more than a month (gosh!) to finally finish this one.

I guess I just need to be true to myself, to write about anything under the sun and have a little more concentration to keep this blog going.

Arthur Schopenhauer once said, Die größten Feinde des Glücks sind für ihn Schmerz und Langeweile. (The biggest foes of human happiness are pain and boredom). I could only say, “so true, so true!”

On teaching and being taught

“YOU again need someone to teach YOU from the beginning the elementary things…”

-Hebrews 5:12

Sometimes, small but meaningful lessons can be learned from kids. When kids get hurt, fights with a playmate over toys, gets frustrated for not getting what they want; they cry a little, grumble a bit and that’s it.

Then they calm down, stops crying, plays again and smiles. How nice would life be if adults are as forgiving and as easily forgetting as they are…

Every child has a certain grace that is hard to define and unique in each one. A small child is so innocent. And it is able to amuse itself with almost nothing. With a piece of paper, a flower, or even a string it is happy and contented.

Further, compared with many adults, children are more teachable and not as prone to pride. They accept corrections without the feeling of being looked down. Truly, Jesus gave us the best example of humility through kids. (Matthew 18:3-4)

“Good teaching is not a matter of specific techniques or styles, plans or actions. . . . Teaching is primarily a matter of love.” -Anonymous

On Creation

“The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.”—Psalm 19:1.

There’s just too much talk about Evolution versus Creationism. Though those who uphold Evolution did lots of research and stuff to prove it, I still believe what the flowers, the bees, the birds, the ants even the spiders have to say.

“Denying the existence of a Great Designer is as illogical as denying the existence of the artist who made the blank canvas a work of art.”

Little bud, where did you come from?