10 commandments (for husbands only)

yes, i did that on purpose. i intend to just enumerate here the 10 commandments for husbands as given by dr. harold sala (founder &president of guidelines international inc.- an international christian ministry) in his book 'ten commandments for husbands and wives' (omf literature)... it is because i noticed that in most bookstores, guidelines are mostly given to the female group (how to preserve a husband was even printed in a poster form). 

perhaps it's because the female group are also the reading-group hence, authors/printers see better feasibility if such were the target. hmmm...anyways, husbands (and wives- print this for whatever purpose it may serve) ---here they are (with one-liners from each of the brief discussion) :

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR HUSBANDS

1. keep your priorities straight (thou shalt make the building of thy home thy first business) - your responsibility to your family shouldn't be in conflict with the obligation to your employer.
2. meet your wife's needs (thou shalt remember that thy wife hath need of more than food, clothing and shelter) - the need for companionship, the need for communication, the need for a friend.
3. don't take your wife for granted (thou shalt not take thy wife for granted) -[yes, that was repeated in the book that way. for emphasis, i guess.]
4. make your wife a partner (thou shalt not think thy business is none of thy wife's business) - you're in a partnership called marriage.
5. don't squeeze the purse (thou shalt not deal grudgingly with thy wife) - you shall not ask an accounting of every coin unless you make a similar accounting to her.
6. lead the way in discipline (thou shalt cooperate with thy wife in establishing family discipline) - don't you leave the disciplining to your wife, and don't you dare to fail in backing her up...
7. eat it and love it (thou shalt not complain about thy wife's cooking for it will be as discord in thy household harmony) - [oh well, enough said here...go on cooking girl!].
8. leave your gloom at work (thou shalt enter into thy house with cheerfulness) - remember that your wife thought she married a man, not a bear.
9. hang together (thou shalt not let anyone criticize thy wife to thy face and get away with it - neither thy mother, nor thy father nor thy breathren, nor thy sisters nor any others that are relatives) - [ i could just imagine the wive's reaction here...i say, whew!]
10. lead the way spiritually (remember thy home and keep it holy) - assume the spiritual responsibility for their (the family) souls. no one else can do that for you.

throwback 2010: letters are always heart-warming

here are some of the touching words i got from my friends after the first phase of my "grilling process"---i feel so blessed...

-much love to you afing!!

-Wow. That's a tough day. I'm impressed, though. It seems you handled it very well. If you need help, let me know.

-Oh sweetie...thanks for sharing...You must be under so much stress and it was catching up with you on Sunday! I get like that...usually getting sick after I have been in a very difficult situation or under a lot of stress.I hope it get's a bit better for you now.

-I want badly to just hug and comfort you...I'm here for you......I love you.

-Hooooray for keeping your composure through the grilling process...You have hurdled so many trials in your life that this is just another piece to it. You can do it. You have proven yourself so much. The road ahead may seem to still be hard and just do what you have always done, take one day at a time. Pray, plan and then make action. Whatever happens, you have come so far already. You have achieved so much and sometimes those achievements doesn't manifest in the way that we thought it would be but try looking from a different perspective and then you will realize that in so many ways, you have achieve success in your life.

-Your story and feelings are reminiscent of what I experienced and felt over those years after my proposal presentation. Just like you, I started my ambitious project with high hopes that I would finish it soon. But time and experience taught me a lot of lessons...with the right amount of motivation and inspiration, the process would make you a better person! It would be a humbling experience!

-I wish you could make it. You could make it by March 2011. I am still struggling with my paper also. But I know God is good. He will always help us when we ask Him.

these words, those letters they sent in the past...though most of them just don't realize it, kept me going (through the years). god bless my friends. i love them all.

flashback: something to hold on to

mosquito-reality bites

i don't know how and why but there are some mosquitoes that can bring in fatal illness such as dengue hemorrhagic fever. it takes 3 to 15 days incubation and the bitten person will feel all the symptoms the illness holds. we had our battle with such illness when such infected our beautiful young man (7-year old wowa) in 2009.

the sad thing about this is that dengue doesn't have any cure, what you have is the treatment of its symptoms which are usually high fever, coughing, stomach and muscle pains. since bleeding is existent, the possibility of a 'shock' is also high. this is where management and prompt caring action of the doctor is needed. bloodcount has to be monitored and so is the condition of the patient. since dehydration is a killer, fluids must be taken every now and then (intravenous when needed).

we were blessed to have a huge number of prayer warriors, heavens may have been noisy then with cries and prayers from our friends, relatives and colleagues. we were blessed too to have a son who was somewhat-too-mature-for-his-age  trying his best to take his oral dextrose, camote tops-soup, bananas, apple juice and medicine (for fever, for coughs and the zinc supplement) every now and then. he even read his laboratory results and tried 'hypnotizing' the world that he will soon be fine. with those, with his 24/7-kind doctor (god bless you doc sheena) and our 100%-almost-paranoid-looking-after---he was fine and he recovered. now he's 11 and we're still watchful. we always remind him to retouch on 'bugshield' when he's in school and drink lotsa water... we don't want to have that episode again...

one shouldn't be too complacent. everyone should try to boost his/her immunity and drink lots of water, for many reasons other than this. and yes, one should avoid (or limit) exposure to mosquitoes, use mosquito repellant as needed. use long pants (pajamas) or long sleeves if possible. and most of all, rest ---we can only do so much as human beings. nothing beats taking good care of our bodies, the temple of our souls.

jim paulo... you know you'd be missed

For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires
lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming
beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.

Trust the dreams,
for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.

-K.Gibran

all souls day...that includes ours

last night, hub, wowa and i went to the memorial park. 

we lighted candles, paid respects and 

prayed for the souls of our dear departed... 

far or near. 

we went home thankful too, 

for those who are still alive and sharing their lives 

and love to us. 

may the memories of the dead not make us forget the living... 

coz we are next in line... 

of course, that last line is from a song. lol.

why beautiful messages sometimes don't sink

yes...isn't this picture amazing? beautiful? ...imagine the water in his hands slowly pouring, like magic eh? that's how it first looked to me when i saw it in an email (sent by my favorite aunt)...the booo-side is, it's followed by this:

QUICK PRAYER
Please do not break.  Just 27  words - "God, our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries and illnesses and please watch over and heal my  family in Jesus name, Amen."

now what happens when you get a beautiful prayer (in an email) but they make it look like a chain message and to make things somewhat a turn-off is adding this up: 

This prayer is so powerful.  Pass this to 12 people including me.  A blessing is coming to you in form of a new job, a house, marriage, finances, or maybe an answer to something  (a prayer, a request) that you have been waiting for.  Do not break or ask questions.  Does God come first in your life? If so, stop what you are doing & send it to 12 people now.  Watch what He does!


i'm sure you'd agree with me that a prayer like that is powerful in itself and it would certainly work with the sincerest of heart and intentions... not because you have chosen to pass it to a specific number of people and semi-force them to do so (read last 3 lines in the quote above). i mean, no offense meant to those who send me messages such as this; curious and ever-wanting-to-learn as i am, i open almost everything and share if it's worth sharing. oftentimes, i opt to remove the 'chain-directions' that follows it 'coz i know it will sink better that way. am i right or not wrong? LOL. a blessed easter to you all!

portrait...

tell me not of your dreams and fantasies of how you could change the world for a lovesong; of how you could do better with schemes and sketches of the future for a lovepoem...tell me not of these dear for i have loved you even before i have heard your voice, even before i have known your name, even before i have loved your life...and i love you still.

worry not if sometimes you envision me shed tears not hearing your voice, not seeing your shadows, not feeling you breathe...for those tears are just tears of longing, ready to be blown away by the wind that carries your whisper of sweet love. worry not if you could only smile and think of me as i shower you with words and thoughts and love…for those are just puzzle pieces of the portrait of how i felt…of how i feel for you. true love.i will ask you not of things and expect not of any circumstance...for i (decided to) love - i loved wholly...no ifs...no buts...and i love you still.

one day when this world would make a part of me think of the other side...or a part of me realize that you are not the one, then (i would offer) no regrets. although this is the farthest of possibilities, if it may be so, so be it. it shall be. to THE ONE i would say: i have learned to do your will...i have followed the path you lead and when i learned, i learned deeply and when i followed, i followed completely...and yes, i have learned what you taught best- you have taught me to love. i learned, i followed...i loved. wholly.