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I almost missed my morning walk today because it
felt good staying in bed... rather overstaying... just feeling cozy and
comfy.... the temptation was so great to sleep on. But..... habits
are indeed hard to break. So I pushed myself up and out of bed
grudgingly and gathered my morning-walk-stuff and walked out the door.
Oh yes, I remembered to bring some money for some fruits and to pay my
one-day-old debt with Mang Obet, the fruit vendor at the talipapa
(market).
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Once I was out on the street the feeling of exhilaration returned and kept me moving at my usual pace and gait.
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You know, I've been at this for so long already that maybe you would be
thinking by now that I have become quite jaded or bored with the
landscape... both human and natural. Well, it's a yes on some days when
the mood isn't there... but a no on most days when a small whisper from
within reminds me that it's a beautiful world and life and that there is
always something new to see everyday.
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The streets I walk on
are the same ... perhaps worn and beaten in some parts through the
years... but still good. The people I meet down those same paths are
the same people too.... oh perhaps grayer in the hair... have put on
some weight or lost a few.... have lost someone or gained a new one....
but still the same normal people in my same normal neighborhood.
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The trees, plants, flowers, animals... the flora and fauna, so to speak... of my neighborhood also seem the same.
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So I reply to that tiny voice inside... 'There's nothing new.'
Immediately it comes out right back at me with.... 'You're not paying
attention.'
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I'm NOT paying attention. --- I'm not paying ATTENTION.
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Oh boy! Okay, Mr. Tiny-Voice-Inside, let's see what you want me to see.
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From the top of the slope and looking down the road up ahead... it was
nice watching the play of light and shadows as the sun began its ascent
into the waiting sky. It's the newness of day which warms the soul.
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While I was admiring the view, somebody whisked past me in his jogging
shoes and flew down ahead nodding a greeting at the man sweeping the
garage of his home, and farther on till he was lost from sight. It's a
nice neighborhood when a smile is freely given away like that.
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As I resumed my walk, I saw this bush by the road .. so pretty in its
graceful leafy arch stretching out towards the street. Pretty in green!
It reminds me of people whose wonderful friendships stretch across or
beyond barriers of color, race, or religion.
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Not far from it
was this ball-shaped plant and its spiky leaves thrusting out from its
center. It's pretty. In fact, so beautiful. So much like life.
Sometimes beauty can come from unexpected places.
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And then I
came to this ugly stump of a tree. What remains of a once glorious and
magnificent tree. Maybe we fail to understand it that these trees in
its wonderful way help to keep the soil together thereby giving us the
solid ground we walk on everyday. There's more to learn if we would
just stop awhile and try to understand.
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Oh yes, that sign
there. Garbage! It says 'No throwing of garbage in this area'. Speaks
for itself. What about the garbage we find inside our heads... and
hearts -- what do we do with it?
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See the plants thriving down
on the ground? Talbos ng kamote. .... SCIENTIFIC NAME : Ipomoea
Batatas. DESCRIPTION : The leafy part of the Camote plant is familiarly
known as the Camote tops or Talbos ng Kamote, Thanks to that sign.. it
IS thriving beautifully. ------ It's health benefits ---- It
contains protein, dietary fiber, lipid, and essential minerals and
nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium,
sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron.
► Lowers blood sugar and cholesterol.
► Regulates good bowel movements.
► Boost the immune system and thus helping to prevent infections and disease.
I have it with my meals almost everyday.
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And finally at the end of my walk, a quick trip to my favorite fruit
vendor, Mang Obet. Bought a few mangoes, lansones, rambutan, chicos,
oranges, bananas... and of course I paid my old debt of thirty pesos.
We exchanged pleasantries spiced with his usual contagious smile. Gee,
people are lovely!
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In your day there are many things to
see.... the old becomes new, the new becomes more interesting,
the interesting becomes much more amazing. Just pay attention. Life
is beautiful! By God's design.
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Have a great and blessed day, folks! :-) God bless you!
The homily at mass today was one I consider among the best I have
heard. Delivered by a Filipino priest, it was so simple so much that it
was easy to grasp. Unlike some other sermons delivered which tend to
fall on the wordy nerdy side of telling, this one talked straight from
the heart to other hearts. Others failing this criteria will find me
appreciating the architectural details of the church or chapel more
rather than on God’s servant on the mike telling me how to be a good
Christian. Oh but I do find others with their own ways of coping with a
boring bland delivery… they doze it off or walk out to smoke their
cigarettes. (This doesn’t happen with Bishop Soc Villegas with his
homilies. In ten minutes, you get the right dose of medicine for your
soul. You come out of church happy that you went in.) In this article
he talks about ‘homily abuse’……..…
http://www.rappler.com/na…/88758-bishop-warning-homily-abuse
Today’s homily in essence says about living a life not simply for
ourselves but for others, too. Further down the narrative the priest
tells of a story of new graduates for the priesthood. When asked how
they see their future in about 5 – 10 years in the midst of the
political and social problems of the day, the common reply was ‘I’d be
very successful… get to a high position… storm the Vatican with my
brilliance…’ Then the priest turned to us and said ‘Nothing wrong
with all that. But what will you do with what ails your country and
people?’
These are times when one is called to be more for
others, too. Sadly this is not much understood in some. I have read
this somewhere...a writer remarked that the present generation is called
the ‘me generation’. The question topmost in one’s head when
something presents itself is ‘What’s in it for me?’
Observe
our politicians today as they gear themselves for the coming election;
notice their gestures, mannerisms, their beliefs, thoughts-words-deeds.
Do they seem familiar?
A wise man once said that ‘People are
mirrors of you and me. Their good and their bad.’ Thus, they are not
just bad politicians to whom we entrust the leadership and management
of our country with, we are bad voters too. Is that right?
Selfishness. Selflessness. Two words poles apart (i.e. North Pole, South
Pole) in meaning and intent. As defined by Webster…. Selfishness is
the quality of being selfish. Selfish is lacking consideration for
others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure. Selflessness or selfless is having or showing great concern for other
people and little or no concern for yourself.
Like mom would
often say…. ‘Honey, life is not all about you. It’s also about others,
too. Life is about being in this together.’ By God's design.
Let's be kinder. God bless you and your loved ones.
Musings on a surprisingly sunny day! The storm
threatening our shores must have passed. Did somebody say it's paying
China a visit? Be safe, China.
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To quote... (oh you know already which book I'm quoting...)
LOOK TO THE GOOD
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"Look only to the good,. Look only to what you have, to what God has
given you. Do not let your eyes come to rest upon any other thing but
the blessings and peace of Christ. Do not fix your gaze upon the
negatives, upon the past or the future. Remember, your life is hid with
Me. By now you know that I can be trusted and that I have all your
affairs in My hands. Not one thing escapes My attention."
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Unquote.
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But first..... I get this tiny suspicion that many of you do wonder why
I often quote lines off the book 'Good Morning... God'. The answer to
that is simple.
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I am a mere mortal running the course of my
allotted life and time on this beautiful planet. Many things cross my
path... some good... some bad. I cope with the best I can manage with
the inherent skills God has wisely equipped us all with. Sometimes I
win... sometimes lose. When times get tough... or when I forget who I
am... or when utterly get lazy - crazy - bored - sad - lonely - scared -
confused - unbelieving - suspicious - furious... or when simply at a
crossroad ----
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The need there is to energize.. recharge..
renew.. reconnect.. reboot my soul. What better way to do that but
with the Source. Prayer does a great thing.. and supporting that is a
tiny (and perhaps trivial to some) humble book waiting beside my bed.
It encapsulates or sums up simply and beautifully my thoughts on life
which are humbly presented to God. In turn, God imparts His wisdom to
me. He does that to anyone and everyone who stops to listen. Oh let's
remember that God works through people, places, events, and things.
That's the way He operates.
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And... I sincerely hope you won't or don't mind when I share these treasures with you every now and then.
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Now back to the musings.......
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Positives and negatives... life is full of both. We have no problem
with dealing with the lovely positives of life. In fact, we often wish
life was only made up of those. Heavenly, right? - On the other side
of life's coin are the negatives. Oh brother! these can surely tear down
everything you may have built! And you know what I mean.
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But only if you let it!
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So how do you do that? "Look only to the good"
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Yes, I agree it's not always easy. Life's troubles are such that they
sure can prick you hard and hurt you harder. But that is when you are
asked to fight your battles hard, too... and hardest! Look for the good
in your life. It's there.. maybe under some cover... but it's there!
Fight the bad with good. Turn the negative into positive. It all takes
the right attitude to beat the odds and come out winning.
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Life is ATTITUDE... HEART... and PRAYER. Nope, it is not magic nor
is it an instant formula to banish your cares and woes away. It's even
better. Because it sure can give you the best chance at winning. And
winning..... is God's design for our lives.
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Look to the good.
There's plenty if you look hard enough.. or truly seek it with your
heart and mind. Frankly, no other better way to live life.
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Blessings, everyone. God sprinkled plenty in your day.. your life.
Oh I know there are times in our lives when 'tough' isn't always a
lovely go-to word. Sometimes that cliche is not a bit comforting to the
weary mind and heart. Sometimes we need more than just that.
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The thing is we won't get any other kind of comfort elsewhere. The real
kind of comfort can be found from within ourselves. It is right here
where we are-as we are. It is in trying, and I mean really trying, to
understand that life is not the villain but just a vehicle on which
rides the lessons we should be learning. And learning is what we are
supposed to do on this planet.
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Life will happen as it happens
to us... mean, hard, nasty, bad, unfair, scary, desolate, dismal,
biased, unkind, sometimes hopeless. Yet no matter how easy we may
possibly fall into its trap or fierce grip, it cannot really snuff out
the spark within that struggles to shine bright and even brighter
regardless. May I nudge you to the thought that God knew we needed
something to help us along with life and living, so He put that tiny
spark there to help us through.
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You see, I have learned that
if the story of our life be bad, terrible perhaps, and that the common
perception is because it is bad it will therefore mean it will also end
bad...... Well, that isn't always the case. It does not have to end bad.
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It is not what happens to you, them, us..... but how you respond to it
that truly defines you. What we do with life is who we are. Allow that
spark within to shine bright and even brighter out to the world.
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As the cover photo says..... "Always remember that your present
situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come." And
that, dear friend, is by God's design.
