HAVE YOU TRULY FULFILLED YOUR MAIN PURPOSE IN LIFE

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'Twas the time of day when time seemed to stand still. Some people may try taking a nap to ease the sluggish hours away through sleep. Others watch something on TV. Still others would raid the cupboard for a huge snack to munch on. I wouldn't hesitate to do any one or the other but this time I decided to cruise down the internet, not sure what to look for, but just coast along hoping that I hit the jackpot of catching a worthy item to read or learn from.
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And this caught my eye......... an excerpt from Pastor Jason's blog post. (a blog I stumbled upon). To quote:
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"Fulfill God’s Purpose for You in Your Generation: ---- I love what the New Testament says of King David, “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.” (Acts 13:36) .
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What part of God’s purposes are you called to fulfill in this generation?
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God made you like no one else, to do something no one else can do. Never underestimate the importance of your life. If you were unnecessary, you would not have been born. Discover and fulfill God’s purpose for your life, and your legacy will be fulfilled!"
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Unquote.
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That is a good question, isn't it? Have you ever thought about that?
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Allow me to share my thoughts.

I believe ...Man does not think about that at all.... well, not until he is old or older. Let's be honest with ourselves, when we were young all that really mattered to us was making it big in this life i.e. a good position in a well-paying job..... a bright career and profession..... a great marriage..... a big house, flashy cars and all the trappings of wealth..... being popular in the social world..... being famous..... receiving dozens of titles or recognition..... making a name for ourselves..... fulfilling our goals and dreams, and etc. It was all and everything about  "I" .. "Me" .. "My" .. and .. "Mine".
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And we all get to have it in different measure, package, and level or degree. True. And we're happy. Satisfied. Sated. Content.
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Then Father Time begins ticking loudly. So loud that it bothers even our sleep. Father Time seems to be in so much a hurry, we now notice. We're growing older.
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Then all that is left for us now are just memories. And........
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this question............. "Have you truly fulfilled your main purpose in life?" To some this question may come early and then to others quite late. But definitely there must or should be an answer to the question.
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Because it matters. By God's design.
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Blessings to you and yours, dear friends. God bless you.

STRESS CAN BE A NUDGE TO GROW

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This Tuesday morning is quite different from other days only because this time two carpenters are working on the rain gutter (alulod) on the roof. So that means a lot of hammering is being done up there and this in turn affects the residents of this household. That is even saying it in milder terms. Because as far as I am concerned I would gladly fly up to Jupiter for the duration of this alulod project. But since I can't.... I decided to cruise down the blog world in a leisurely manner to amuse myself with the writings of fellow bloggers while hoping to myself that time would whiz by as a rocket does!
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Anyway.....
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Glad that I did because I stumbled on these two lovely lines which I would like to share with you.
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"STRESS IS YOUR CHANCE TO SOAR"
--- JasonTourville, Building Champions 4 Life
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"TIMES OF STRESS ARE SIGNALS FOR GROWTH"
--- Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, on JasonTourville's blog
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Have you ever considered stress in that manner?
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When I was younger I had buckets-full of stress (oh not that I don't have any right now but somehow I've learned some lessons) ... So then stress was there even for the slightest reason as not finding a cab under a heavy downpour just when something important was waiting for me. Then followed the stresses of wifehood... motherhood... parenthood... and of course adulthood. They come one after the other, sometimes all together. No place is sacred because it happens in the home, at work, or even in church when unruly kids scream their hearts out in play all throughout the mass, at the mall, in a party, in a meeting, shopping for the right birthday gift, applying for a job, or with carpenters' non-stop hammering on the roof!
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On looking back I now realize that each time I made to address the problem some new or additional skill or ability surfaced which helped me deal with the issue at hand. Or better yet it pushed me to learn new skills or abilities to deal with the issue and in turn resulted in diminishing or eliminating the stress. New skills or new abilities always lead to growth, right? So it also follows that with the solution of a problem comes the feeling of exhilaration -- you feel like soaring up in the air with happiness! I was growing..... I was soaring.... I was happy.
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So I guess that's what stress does to us --- it gives us the DESIRED OR NECESSARY PUSH to try --- to do things better or best..... to respond to it in a smarter way..... to develop..... to improve..... to progress..... to adjust..... to learn..... to think better..... to mature..... to grow. PLAIN SIGNALS TO GROW!
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Amazing, isn't it!?!

BE STRONG TO LIVE LIFE

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Do you know why I love my early morning walks? It's because I get to know more about life through it. Oh of course there are also the books... but sometimes out there one gets a lot more of stuff that feeds the mind, heart, and soul. Oh sure, some would say there's nothing special there but ordinary normal mundane puny lives and living. Well, if you stop awhile to think --- our lives, none exempted, are nothing but ordinary puny lives. We eat, work, play, sleep, hurt, cry, laugh, hate, and all the other things found on the emotional scale. And we do this over and over, again and again from sunrise to sundown.
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Like these three middle-aged ladies I saw outside the gate of a nice house. Ordinary people in an ordinary neighborhood living ordinary lives. One was looking so bored, another looked flustered, and the other couldn't quite decide what to do. And their conversation, in loud ordinary voices which is the trademark of Pinoys huddled in an invigorating conversation, male or female.... trailed down inescapably to my ears. Yup, you guessed right... my radar was tuned-in on the trio. My radar, as you must already know by now, is primed to zero-in on new learning, observation, information, insight, and awesomeness of both living and non-living things... no matter its size, race, color, or creed. What they said caught my attention. To catch more of their chat I stopped, bent down and pretended to tie my shoelaces (both shoes). Kinda lame don't you think? But they were quite oblivious to me. So there!
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Lady#1:      "Hhaayy... Wala na bang maibibigay sa atin ng buhay kundi puro problema?" --- (Can't life give us something else other than problems?)
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Lady#2:      "Umasa ka pa! Walang alam pang iba ang buhay kundi ang tambakan tayo ng problema. Heto katatapos lang ng isa... may bago na naman." --- "You kidding me?! Problems are all that life can offer us. One problem finishes.... another crops up!"
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Lady#3:     "Kayo naman! Hindi naman siguro ganyan. Nakatutok lang kayo kasi sa problema." --- (C'mon, can't be that bad. You're focusing only on problems.)
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Ladies#1&#2:     "May bago ba!?!"  --- (So what else is new!?!)
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At that point I didn't wait to hear the reply because I was there long enough and might get noticed by them, so decided to move along.
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But what I gathered from their chat made me think.............
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Is that all there is to life really? Problems?
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Looking back at my own life journey I can say that yes I too have had my share... and new ones do crop up now and then. But that's the same with everybody else.. And problems come in different sizes.. shapes.. color.. and in varying degrees of intensity, force, or severity... rising from a diversity of causes or reasons. It will make you cry.. or anger you.. can be so frustrating, disappointing, irritating.. can arouse depression, self-pity, anxiety, hopelessness, fear, sadness, confusion.. and some seemingly mean and cruel will bash you to the ground utterly defeated. Or so it seems.
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But life does not stop there. Nor does it end there.
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You are here. I am here. Problems notwithstanding. What does that tell us?
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Life may be tough....... but people are tougher.

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By God's design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR PATHS CROSS WITH OTHERS

 

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My thoughts today. Found nothing else as beautifully encapsulated as this one.  It's all there beautifully expressed like none other.

My prayer that God pour out upon you blessings far more than your heart can hold.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

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We have our prejudices. We have our biases. Some of us, no matter how old we have become remain childish. We chose only those things we want to listen to, like a stubborn child who won't listen to his mother.
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WE DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING. Nobody does. Nobody has the monopoly of knowledge or wisdom or information which this world or life contains. Always there will be things to learn ---- new ideas, new roads to discovery, new insights or perceptions, new technology, new inventions, new ways of doing things or understanding things. Even new ways of learning. Life, as I have learned, is all about learning.... new learning, unlearning if must, relearning if necessary -- it's the whole process of developing- of growing - of becoming better - of achieving perfection if you so wish.
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I thought I knew all there was to know about cooking pancakes... until somebody did it with sour cream in the batter! I didn't know you could do that?! And I didn't know that it's okay to have lumps in the batter -- because I would beat the batter till it was smooth and silky. See? I was learning a different way of doing something.
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But we can LISTEN. What we lack in our own may or can be filled by somebody else's wisdom, knowledge, insights, experience, observations, or perceptions. They may have solutions to our problems.... they may have discovered a better way of doing it... they probably could refer us to people who are better on that subject. Maybe we can learn more if we decide to LISTEN and pay ATTENTION.
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Do you know what usually gets in the way of learning? EGO and PRIDE. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. Nothing more can be said about that. It speaks for itself.
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Do you want to bring in awesome into your life.. everyday?? LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY! It does not have to be those things of grand or grander measure or scale. It could be the teeny tiny thing unimaginable... but then teaches you something of such great value that it hits you like a eureka ball!. And you realize how much you have been missing.
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And......
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sometimes somewhere there we get to learn from UNEXPECTED TEACHERS. Life is full of them. I get my share and I am grateful to them... two-legged and four-legged teachers!! And Mother Nature! They fill up my day and life with awesome learning.
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Have a nice awesome weekend, friends! God bless you!

 

 

 

EXAGGERATED SELF-IMPORTANCE

 

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If you get the chance, get this book "1000 Stories You Can Use" by Frank Mihalic, SVD. My copy bought in 1993 almost always served through the years as a wonderful tool in understanding people and life. I am sure it will be in my library for a very long time yet. Here's one which always makes me laugh......
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To quote...
#426 on page 190 Exaggerated Self-Importance
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A small passenger plane was cruising through the sky, carrying as its passengers a minister, a boy scout, and the president of a computer manufacturing firm. Suddenly the engine went dead.
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Frantically parachutes were passed among the passengers. There was fast breathing, a rush of wind as the door was thrown open. And as the plane tilted and fell through space, there came the horrible realization that there were not enough parachutes. There was one too few.
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"I have to have a parachute," cried the pilot. "I have a wife and three kids." So he grabbed a parachute and put it on and leaped into the void. The wind whistled and the three passengers looked at one another.
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"Well, I certainly should have one of the parachutes," exclaimed the computer manufacturer. "I'm the smartest man in the world." And slipping his arms into the shoulder straps, he jumped out.
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"Son," said the minister wistfully, "YOU take the last parachute. I'm old and ready to meet my Maker; you're a fine youth with all of your life ahead of you."
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"Relax, Reverend," said the boy scout with a smile. "There's still a parachute for each of us. The 'smartest man in the world' just jumped out wearing my knapsack."
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The End. 
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Have a great day, folks. Laugh whenever you get the chance.

A MORNING'S WALK - PLUS ONE CHALLENGE

It's the usual morning walk but this time with a difference.  I decided to climb higher up the hill! Yes, I knew that the slopes could and would be mighty steep and the roads not in tip-top shape unlike those on the ground..... but sometimes you just have to be foolishly in love with Mother Nature to do the silly thing other people my age wouldn't do. :-)

And so, on with the morning walk and climb............... 

 

 The first trek up the hill. Oh no, this isn't a deserted place. It's a subdivision (you know that already) but situated by the side of a mountain... or a hill... whatever. 

 

See the lady there sweeping the front of her home. She does that every morning everyday. And so do her neighbors.  Rounding that bend there will take me to the next incline up the hill.

  

The thick mass of trees on the right is a forest conservation area.  You can hear a chorus of birds with their usual morning concerto. They never miss a note. Music to the ears!

 

Dark?  The sun hasn't filtered through the trees yet. It's biding its time coming out from behind the other side of the mountain. No worries; residential houses line the street on the left. They're up early ... in fact I could smell the hot dogs and sausages being prepared for their school kids' breakfast. :-) 

  

That looks flat to you??  On the contrary. That is quite steep... STEEP!  So I had to move slow. This was when I thought --- a wooden staff would be helpful this time as it would serve as my third leg. To aid my legs which felt like crumbling under this ordeal.  Almost made me think -- 'what was I thinking... going up the hill!?!!' Aaarrgghhh.... !!!

 

Nearing the top now.... Was I thankful to be in my rubbers as each step was  a sure needed grip on that steep slope.  Was very careful because of the many dry leaves, some decaying and could be slippery, spread out on the road like carpet. heheheh..... :-)

  

Made it!! And that tree there seemed to be smiling at me with --- 'Congratulations, kiddo! Welcome to the top of the hill!'  :-) 

  

And so did the sun say 'Good job!' as it shone brightly through the trees. :-)

  

And I got more than I had hoped for ---  all these wonderful gorgeous flowers!  Words not enough to describe each one of them in all of their beauty and glory!! :-) ... :-)  I may not know their names, except for the famous ones, but it doesn't matter now.  Sufficient to say that nothing would or could ever compare to any of them as they showed off their most brilliant Mother-Nature-signature-smiles. My cup overflowed with joy and delight just looking at them! :-)

 

  

Well, after having had my fill and a wonderful time spent with Mother Nature...   I decided it was time to head back down the hill.   That again may look flat and level to you ... but that is a steep slope going down!!  I had to be extra careful lest I slide or roll down and end up with bashed bones and crushed ego!  The pull of gravity downwards is much more felt on a very steep slope such as this. Negotiating that slope can be quite tricky for a little ole lady like this one... heheheh :-) :-)

  

Whew!! Finally, back on ground level. 

  

And getting hot as the sun was now inching its way higher up to the skies.

  

A couple of blocks more to go and I'm Home!  This was such a lovely early morning walk!!!  :-) :-)

A lovely blessing from on high. Thank you!

 

 

ON A DAY-BY-DAY BASIS

2016 --- I like how that sounds. I like the flow of time. It's telling us "I move... so you move, too. But be sure you know where you're heading."
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The new year has opened its door to us. Let's get both our feet in. Not one foot in the door.. but with the other foot left behind. Get in and close the door behind you. Whatever happened in the past is now history. Its all now gone except for the lessons we got from it. That is what the past is for... as an archive of lessons learned.
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Begin anew. Build new goals... plans... objectives... targets... destinations... expectations... hope... dreams. You may not be able to do it all in one sitting (Who can anyway?!!) and don't even try. Easy gains have no lasting effect. It's always those things done with persistence, determination, steady effort, hard work, study, passion, and with a can-do attitude --- all these combined always hit the goal. Small effort perhaps?.... that matters, too.
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Be patient. Those things worth doing can sometimes be so boring, tiring, monotonous, and it can get on your nerves too as you feel that you're heading nowhere but a dead-end. But --- persevere because each day holds its own promise and potential. Keep pushing..... keep hammering..... keep going..... keep building..... and live at the same time. Life is beautiful!
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Wishing you blessings of abundance in the days ahead. God bless you.

KEEP LIFE SIMPLE

----- Keep life simple. That was Mom's favorite mantra. Don't make things far more complicated than they already are. Life is complex enough, so don't make it hard or harder for yourself anymore than you should. Better yet, find ways to simplify. While you're at it, enjoy life!

Wishing everybody a Happy and Blessed NEW YEAR 2016!

DEAR GOD.... THANK YOU!

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DEAR GOD,

THANK YOU VERY MUCH..............

.....for everything of this earth living and non-living and for the universe
.....for family and friends, and people You have sent into our lives
.....for the gifts of talent and abilities
.....for Your protection, guidance, provision, comfort, and divine understanding
.....for blessing us so much more than we deserve
.....for always being there in our coming and going, in our falling and rising
.....for those things we can't see, hear, touch, nor understand and yet which You continually do for our sake
.....for Your loving mercy and forgiveness
.....for loving us unconditionally
.....for helping us in our life journey
.....for life
.....but most especially, thank you for YOU!

Teach us how to love you more. Teach us to use our lives to serve the greater number and the better good. By Your design!