Goodness and Beauty of a Soul/Child Discipline

I was immensely touched by this motivational quote from LinkedIn as posted by Susan Kortendickt. from Lao Tze written 2000 years ago:

If there is right in the soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world

“Order and peace in the world comes from the goodness of a soul. But how do you bring it out. Good seed has to be planted and nurtured.. It starts within the family. Parents who are God-guided pass on the Good News to the children, they themselves must have received and practice the precepts of the Lord. If this is done, both the parents and the children will respect and love each other, have a happy and harmonious relationship. They will have the love and fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 17:6

children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Last night I was listening to the program of Dr. Love, Jun Banaag’s nightly program at DZMM, Philippines,Monday to Friday from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 mn. Jun is a lay preacher (OP). His program is very popular to burdened and enlightened Christians.

One texter said that she is having problems with her children who are already adult, the oldest already 22. If she shouts or spanks them, they would do the same to her, their mother.

Jun mentioned that in the USA, parents should not hurt their children. Otherwise, they would be reported, by just dialing a number. This is being taught in school.

Jun said that it is a reflection of the way she brought up/disciplined her children. How were they treated when they were young? Did she shout at them and spank them when what she should have done was to talk to them in a calm manner. Use the rod only if necessary.Now she is harvesting the fruit of what she had planted.

Our Lord Himself has this to say about the rod:

Proverbs 13:24

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.



Ps. Be a member of LinkIn , and you'll get loads of motivational quotes.

The Catholic’s Sacrament of Penance

As a Catholic, we are advised to do confession at least once a month. Once a year is also acceptable as long as you do not have a mortal sin (grave).

I have not been to confession for quite a while, kept postponing till I felt the burden.

I was supposed to go to the wake of a dead relative and offer a group prayer. I stopped by the Sta Cruz Church to buy a perpetual Eucharistic mass card for the deceased. This led me to do my confession in the same church.

Before I went to the confessional box, I prayed to God, to help me think about my sins. I have five, three violations of the 10 commandments of God and two from the seven capital sins. Remember the acronym PALEGAS? (Pride, anger, lust, envy, greed, avarice and sloth).

When I was at the confessional box, tears were flowing down my eyes, I felt that by saying of the sins, it was as if the sins were being shed from my soul. The words of the priest, was like hearing the words of God. “Our God is merciful, forgiving. Forgive the people who have hurt you, and God will also forgive you. As a penance, pray Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. I now absolve you of your sins.”

After the confession, I felt whole again.

Below is an explanation from Wiki about the Catholic confession
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confession

Also below, is a guide on how to make a confession:
http://www.catholic.org/prayers/confession.php]

Kingdom of God vs Hades

Who will not inherit the Kingdom of God

This blog is especially written for sexually immoral, idolaters,adulteress, swindlers, prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves, slanderers, drunkards, the greedy.

The road that is wide is easier to traverse than a road that is narrow. The devil makes sinning very tempting.
Let’s take a look at the 10 Commandments of God which when summarized , it is about loving God above all else, and loving your neighbor.

Who is your neighbor? Your neighbor are the people near you or far from you, somebody you know or strangers.

If you love God, you will make an effort to meet with Him in your Church with the other members of the congregation, after the six-day work. Praise, glorify, and thank Him for the small and great blessings that you receive.

If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will not harm him, material, emotional, or physical.

We also sin if you give in to PALEGAS; an acronym for pride, anger, lust, envy, greed, avarice, and sloth. You destroy yourself, relationship with other people, and especially your relationship with God.

If you sin and fail to repent and make restitution, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God, but you go to Hades or a place where you will suffer endless torment.

1 Corinthian 6:9-10

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters no adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor the drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

EU Stress Test of Banks

Seven banks failed the stress test, and five of the seven are Spanish savings bank.

With this announcement, wouldn’t it spark a bank run?

In the Philippines, during the martial law rule, some banks were closed down because of bank runs.. some people were not able to get their hard-earned money.

For more of the news on EU stress test, go to:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/07/23/europe.bank.stress.test.ft/index.html?hpt=T2#fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

Widows and Orphans

Orphans and widows, if not well provided for by the head of the family, is usually left in a messy situation.

There are mothers whose lives are devoted exclusively to the family,her husband and the children, but if the husband dies leaving young children, mothers are not prepared to continue sustaining the children. Some end up giving their children away to the relatives or orphanages. Others who are fortunate enough to go college, find jobs,have a relative take care of the children in their absence.

Some if widowed at an early age, remarry.,
could be either out of love for the guy or for the sake of the children.

Our attention is focused on the children left in the orphanages. Are there statistics why children are in the orphanages? Other than being orphaned because of the death of the parents, or given away by unwed mothers, have we looked into the other reasons like being given away by a widow out of financial difficulty?

How about reaching out to these widows so that their families may still be intact?

This is what God says on widows and orphans :

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

So it is not only material things that they need, but spiritual help as well.

Other people adopt children in the hope that when the child grows older, the child would be their life support in their senior years.
Others are really selfless, thinking of the child’s welfare in the years to come.

North Korea & China Opposition to the Military Exercise of US & South Korea

What does a military exercise entail, that the communist North Korean said that they would have a “physical response”… meaning war? God forbid! We are still reeling from the disasters, left and right. We could foresee that a war is a much bigger disaster, man-made disaster, than what we are experiencing now.

North Korea and China, both Communist, are against the military exercise by South Korea and the U.S.

Let us petition God that the opposing countries be enlightened , that God be merciful. PRAY

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything; but in everything , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.

For more of the news, go to:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/north.korea.threat/index.html?hpt=T1#fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

The Gulf Oil Spill and now in China

The oil spill in the Gulf is not yet contained, now comes the oil spill in China.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/22/china.oil.spill/index.html?hpt=T2#fbid=JtUk4r45LiP


The Philippines has its share of the oil spill in Cavite because of a damaged pipeline caused by typhoon Basyang. Thank God it has been contained.

The spill in the Gulf has reached the Mississippi barrier. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/06/01/oil.spill.mississippi/?iref=obnetwork

What about China’s oil spill?. Could it reach Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Bangladesh Taiwan Philippines and other Asian countries? Woe to us!

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/as.htm
Remember the prophecy?

Lindsay Lohan's Dark Moments

Lindsay Lohan will be losing her freedom for 90 days. She is now in the confines of the prison cell- no make-up, no Facebook nor Twitter. no friends nor fans around her. It will be a very different world that she was used to.

Why did God allow this to happen to Lindsay? I don’t know. You can never understand the mysterious ways of our Lord. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise for Lindsay, Otherwise, she would be in a deeper trouble had she not been imprisoned.Maybe worst things could happen, like she could kill a pedestrian if she continues with her drinking binge.So, instead of 90 days, she could end up years in prison.

During her confinement, she would have the time to meditate on what has happened to her life. Where is God in her life. He is just waiting…waiting for her cry for help from the Greatest Healer (physical, spiritual, physical, emotional sickness ).

What she needs now is the loving mercy of God and her parents.

Listen to the song/prayer of Gary Valenciano “Lead Me Lord”. Take it to heart.
In addition to this, study the Bible with the help of a spiritual person.Go read and reflect on the Book of Proverbs and Psalms.

I love these verses of the Lord from Matthew 11:29

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Hope this is the start of your spiritual journey, for a happier, joyful, and meaningful life.

I am your fan from the time I’ve seen the movie “ The Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”.

China landslide & floods affected 117 million people

The recent torrential rain in China caused 701 dead and 347 missing, the result of landslides and floods. More than 100 cities got flooded and 645,000 houses collapsed. In 27 provinces and seven cities, 117 million were affected.

This calamity overtook, far more worse, the one we suffered in September 2009 brought by the typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.

We are a prayerful nation, we find strength in God. We thank Him and all the people from the Philippines, and other countries who responded to the need of calamity stricken people. Let’s do the same for China: not only in material things, but prayer as well.

For more of the news on China flooding, go to

http://edition.cnn.com/#fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

Omayra Sanchez of Columbia

I was not aware of this news of the volcano eruption in Columbia which trapped this poor girl, Omayra Sanchez, for three days. I got this photo from Digg today and I would like to share it with you .

When I first saw it, not knowing the information about the picture, I was under the impression that she was munching a sugar cane, until I saw her wrinkled hands. You could see from her face that death was coming.

Rescue teams could not do anything to free her from the entrapment. To remove her, they would have to amputate her legs, but they had no specialist to do it. The girl weakened and eventually died.

It is so heartbreaking to see the face of death on this young girl. Why do we have to rely on our own strength. I have often mentioned in my blogs, not to rely alone on human strength, rely on God’s strength.

What they should have done was to call for God’s help. Nothing is impossible with God. He could move mountains.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am wth you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

For more of the story, go to

http://obviousmag.org/en/archives/2008/08/photographs_that_shook_the_world_omayra_sanchez.html

Two Pinays killed in Kuwait

Are you an OFW, do you plan to work overseas, or do you plan to marry a foreigner?

In the Philippines, most Filipinos, if they want to achieve something, they do a novena asking for help from their favorite saints. If someone wants to go abroad, they petition that they be helped by God through the intercession of a particular saint. Sometimes the petition is granted, sometimes, not.

There may be reasons why God does not grant the petition, like the petitioner would encounter trouble in the foreign country, that they would find an inhuman employer or if they marry a guy in the foreign country, they would meet an untoward event.

When you marry someone from another country, remember that you have different customs and traditions. An action may be all right locally, but when you go to another country, it may be considered taboo.

If you want something, always discern what God wants for you. How? Petition through novena, or Bible cutting.

Two Pinays were killed in two separate incidents in Kuwait, one by her employer, and another one by her own Egyptian husband.

For the news on the two Pinays, go to

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20100720/tph-2-pinays-brutally-killed-in-kuwait-i-ac8c905.html

In whatever we do, always ask God’s help. He likes it when we acknowledge Him and rely not on our strength, but His!

Steve Ray & Fr. Ric Torrefiel: from Protestant to Catholic

Steve Ray and Fr. Ric Torrefiel were Protestants. Why did they convert from Protestantism to Catholicism?

A very good spiritual adviser, Fr. Ric Torrefiel of the Diocese of Caloocan, Philippines was a former Protestant. He entered the Catholic priesthood after working with the National Housing Authority in the Philippines as a civil engineer.

One of the reasons that made him covert to Catholicism is the confession through the priest (representative of Jesus) He and the other Protestants noticed that after confession, the repentants’ faces beam, a burden taken out of their shoulder.

Watch the video on Steve Ray, a world-renowned Catholic apologist, He was a Baptist who converted to Catholicism; and the video on Fr. John Corapi, an L.A. millionaire- addict-turned Catholic priest.

Right now Steve Ray is in the Philippines conducting a series of talk. You can still catch him at the St. James the Great Parish, Ayala Alabang, 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. from July 19 to 21, 2010.

Chain Letters

In my high school days, I received chain letters which says that you have to do a novena (prayer for 9 days) and to make copies of the letter for distribution to a number of people, otherwise somebody in the family would meet an untimely death. It was scary, so thinking that I should avert the said untimely death of a loved, I reproduced the letter.

I now know better. But with the advent of cellphones, I still get such threatening letters, citing that so and so died because the recipient of the text did not follow the instruction and simply deleted the text message.

Just this night, I got one such letter, the sender excusing herself saying that she had to do it because of the threat. My initial reaction was to get mad. It was sent anonymously, and when I tried to call the texter, there was no reply.

Eventually, when I cooled down, I sent the sender a message. In a calm manner, I told her that she should not entertain such messages, because this is the work of the dark forces. The originator of the letter is trying to picture God as a vindictive God. If you get rattled by the message, your tendency is to follow the order without thinking. So, I told the sender to disregard it, and pray for God’s mercy.

Raoul Moat, a Hero?

Raoul Moat was featured as a hero by some Facebook sympathizers. What is a hero anyway? From Answers.com definition, a hero is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. Did he sacrifice his life to save somebody else? No, he killed, and it was not justifiable. Although he underwent emotional stress, feeling closed in, that didn’t give him the right to snuff out people’s lives. Yes, we may sympathize with him because obviously he needed psychiatric help. So, who is to to be blamed for all the events?

If you know and love God, you would fear Him. But He is a loving and merciful God.
You have to acknowledge Him. For any trouble, turn to Him, consult Him. lay your plans before Him; and you will feel that the "wrinkles" will be smoothed out, peace will envelope You.

Our sympathies should go to the families he harmed, and also to the bereaved parents, siblings and children of Raoul Moat.

For more of the story on the people he injured, go to:

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3058151/RAOUL-Moats-shot-ex-has-told-of-her-regret-at-sparking-the-cop-haters-gun-spree-by-pretending-she-had-a-policeman-lover.html

Have you thought of child adoption?

There are couples who are not blessed with children. There are many reasons for this:
they choose not to have children at the early stage of the marriage,
because they are too busy in their own career;
Either one of the couple is infertile
they’d rather not have one because they would feel burdened and so they'd
rather have a pet;
Because of a traumatic experience in their own family, they’d rather not
have children
A child would bring in an expense to the couple, and they are not ready
for this.

Children are angels. they make you laugh, they make you a caring and loving person. Of course, this would depend on the couple’s relationship. Whatever is happening to the couple has a bearing on the life and happiness of the child.

I’ve seen couples who waited for a year or two to have child, and when the time came when they thought that they were ready, there was no conception.

Some couples do not want children because they feel that a child would be a burden for their travel, so a dog is preferred.

One of the couple may have experienced a child abuse, so for fear of it happening to her/his own child, they’d rather not have.

Some thought that with their income, they could not afford the expenses that would be entailed in raising a child.

Others, they really want a child, but because of infertility, they can’t have it.

Whatever is the reason, please ask for discernment, what is be the plan of God for you. There is a reason to everything that is happening in our life, a child included. God allows it to happen, so do not despair if you don not have that longed for child.
Abram and Sara were blessed with a child by God during their senior years.

There are children in the orphanages who need the loving care of a family, why not be a parent for them. God will bless you tremendously.

Sam and Diane McMutrie are parents of three grown up children and already in their 50’s when they adopted a Haitian boy. Why not you?

Go to the link below for the story of the couple’s adoption of the boy.


http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/14/pennsylvania.haiti.adoption/index.html?hpt=C2&fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

Collapsed Parking Garage

In the late 60’s, a building in Manila collapsed during a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. This is the first time that a building collapsed in the Philippines. After investigation it was found out that it was not structurally safe. There were no steel bars to support the walls of the building.

In New Jersey, an underground parking garage collapsed. With this incident, you would think twice about underground parking or high rise parking.

Before you leave home for work or any destination, pray that God would protect you or any member of your family from any harm.

Go to the news below on the collapse of the parking garage in New Jersey.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/07/17/new.jersey.garage.collapse/index.html?hpt=T2&fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

Disasters could be averted

A disaster could be averted by asking for God’s mercy. Hezekiah was already dying, but when he prayed to God, 15 years was added to his life.

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8

1 When Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him: “Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD: 3 “O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was pleasing to you!” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah : 5 “Go, tell Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David. I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, in three days you shall go up to the LORD’s temple; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city.” 7 [21] Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he might recover. 8 [22] Then Hezekiah asked, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?” 9 [7] Isaiah answered: “This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised. 10 [8] See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz go back the ten steps it has advanced.” So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.

God is merciful, all you have to do is ask. But his answer may be wait, or He may grant your request right away, if it is for your good.

China's disasters

China is still reeling from the effects of the torrential rain which has caused the breaking of their levees. Four thousand two hundred were evacuated. Now they are bracing for the typhoon which visited the Philippines. It could worsen their flooding.

China is one of the countries most visited by natural disaster.
go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disasters_in_China

It is sad that most Chinese disparaged religion and religious practitioners. They are are mostly atheists. http://atheism.about.com/library/world/AJ/bl_ChinaIndex.htm

Majority of the Filipino families want their children educated in a Catholic school, not only are the children trained academically but spiritually as well.
The Catholic Church wants to impress on the families that it’s not only the school’s responsibility on training their children spiritually. The parents should share in the responsibility.

No matter how good the training is spiritually, once the child is in his teens (high school and college) some tend to veer away from the spiritual teaching, that is, if their spiritual foundation is shaky. Believing in the saying “to see is to believe” (science). So, since God cannot be seen, they don’t believe Him.

These refers to inanimate things or mortals, but with God, how can you see Him when He is a spirit. In the second testament, Jesus was sent by the Father to save. Some did not believe Him, what more now that He is a spirit.

In the second coming of Jesus, you will be condemned if you don’t believe before His coming. Several messages were sent by our Lord Jesus and Mama Mary through the prophets. Some believe, but unfortunately others want proof.

Below are the scriptures on believing even without seeing God.

Mark 16:18

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,
but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

John 20:29

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

The consequence of not believing is terrifying. I would like to refer the non-believers to my posting of July 2 on “Alas for him who did not fear me”, particularly the following messages:

I have created you for one purpose: I have created you out of Love to love Me; when body and flesh are going to be consumed and wear out, he who was pleasing to Me shall be drawn into My Soul for ever and ever;

alas for the heart who believed that he could reach the zenith of his strength by his own efforts and without Me!

alas for him who has not obeyed My Commandments! alas for him whose heart is filled with malice!

alas for those who shed innocent blood of unborn infants! your compensation shall be hell!

(message through Vassula Ryden of tlig.org.)

Laughter

Laughter is the best medicine, be joyful! The Bible advises us to be joyful.

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart gives  health to the body.while a sad spirit dries up the bones.

Below is a reflection from Aron Gogna of the Kerygma Family:

SIMPLY WISE

“…for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them…”

Read More

Homosexuality & Dr. Ken Howell

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex/gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions primarily to" people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, anHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex/gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions primarily to" people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, anHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex/gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions primarily to" people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them."(Wikipedia)

From the readings and observations I have made, homosexuality may be inborn or developed.
I have seen children , a male child who prefers playthings supposedly for female like dolls, toy kitchen wares, etc. On the other hand, a female child prefers boys’ play toys like guns, and others. Some overcome it when they mix with the same sex, others do not, much to the chagrin of the parents.

Others develop it by mixing with the homosexual. Like I know of a macho guy who turned out to be homosexual although he does not openly show it, you can see by his actions that he has acquired it.
One guy was brokenhearted, later on he acted and dressed like a female.

Our Lord God is explicit about relationship with the same sex. God loves His children (us)but he abhors the act of homosexuality.

Leviticus 18:22

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

Deuteronomy 22:5

A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.

Messages feom our Lord Jesus and Mama Mary

BLACK CLOUD OVER AMERICA

"In the days of Sodom, so too were men giving themselves over to all the pleasures of the flesh: eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. All manner of sinful lusts are being committed. Men shameful with men, women casting aside their role of motherhood and lusting after women. As it was in the days of Sodom, so now is this black cloud over America." Our Lady, July 14, 1979

ANY COUNTRY

"Any country that allows homosexuals to roam and to seduce the young shall be destroyed." Our Lady, June 30, 1984

AN ABOMINATION

"Man shall not condone evil or rationalize sin. Homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God and man! The Creator condemns those who do not repent of this sin." Our Lady, August 5, 1977

READ YOUR BIBLES

"Your word of homosexuality can be explained by the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Read in your Bibles or consult your clergy. Find yourselves, My children, a humble, pious clergy. Many have fallen away from the Faith." Our Lady, October 6, 1992 tldm

It sad that Dr. Ken Howell, a professor on Catholicism, was terminated by University of Illinois. He taught that the Catholic Church teaches--based on its adherence to natural moral law--that homosexual acts are inherently disordered.

The act not homosexuality is disordered. For teaching this, his position was terminated. If I were Dr. Ken, I would not go back to UI. I am sure many Catholic schools would want to have him.

In the Philippines, in Metro Manila alone, we have the University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, De la Salle University and other prestigious Catholic universities.

Typhoon Basyang

We had no power for 23 hours, blame it to typhoon Basyang which hit land Tuesday pm.
This inconvenience is bearable compared to the other areas in Metro Manila where trees fell, streets got flooded, and billboards toppled killing some people.

It was worse in Laguna, Cavite, Quezon. Big trees were uprooted and fell on houses killing some of its occupants. While in Mariveles merchant ships were washed ashore. According to the residents, this was the first time ships were pushed by the strong wind aground. And who would think that a very heavy crane would be brought down by the wind?

For more of the news, go to
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/14/philippines.typhoon/index.html?hpt=T2&fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

President Noy called a conference with Pag-asa (The Philippines" Weather Bureau). He said that Metro Manilans should have been warned earlier about the said typhoon. As of now bulletins are being posted by Pag-Asa every four hours.
Director Nilo of Pag-asa said that we have to modernize our equipments so that an every hour bulletin could be made and this would cost about P1.8B.

Yes, preparedness is necessary, but the biggest factor in safety is prayer.
Acknowledge our Lord, love Him, and call on Him.

Psalm 91:14-16

"Because he loves me," says the Lord,
"I will rescue him;I will protect him
for he acknowledges my name.
"he will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him
and show him my salvation."

Raoul Moat and hopelessness

Raoul Moat’s story has been one of the top news, his killings, the manhunt for him by the police and his suicide.

What could have caused the tragic event in his life? To quote him: “How did a guy who had it all end up in this situation”
Even his own mother said that he would be better off dead.

Children are innocent darlings (http://mygrandchildrenkaymat.blogspot.com ). A mother at this stage follows the child’s progress, taking care that nothing harms the beloved child. So, at what stage does a falling out come between the mother and the child start.
I could only guess this is at the adolescent years where the mother and the father lose control of the child. The child favoring more his friends or his addictions to social media, the parents having difficulty getting the attention of the child.
Raoul seemed well off, he had a home, a business. So, what happened. There are many possibilities . Visit http://wealthcoming.blogspot.com for some speculation, particularly the posting on the pendulum.

Raoul was imprisoned for assault. When he got out, he had this message in his Facebook account: "Lost my business. Kids to (social) services. Gonna lose my home and lost my mrs of nearly 6 years to a copper. How did a guy who had it all end up in this situation."
He was hopeless. Upon learning that his girlfriend has a new partner, he shot her and killed other people.

I went through this feeling of hopelessness, I have thought of suicide, but the love and the fear of the Lord stopped me.At the time I was searching for the “right” religion. I was a Catholic, joined the Baptist, then the Born Again, and finally back to Catholicism where I found myself after some catechetical studies. The Lord led me to this study through

Luke 5:9

Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.

I don’t believe that children should be driven out of home to be on their own. They should be with their parents until they have the family of their own.
Posters or teaching about God should be back in the classroom. We now see the effects of not having God in our midst.Without God, there is violence, pornography proliferates, we don’t value life as in abortion, sex without marriage becomes ordinary.

"Do not kill" is one of the ten commandments of God, and this includes self killing.

Let's us pray for the souls of those killed by Raoul Moat and Raoul himself. May God's loving mercy be with them.


For more of the news about Raoul Moat, go to

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/10/uk.manhunt/index.html?hpt=T2&fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

Adultery and Killing

Is death sentence for adultery or murder justifiable?

Adultery is not only applicable to women, this also applies to men.

Matthew 5;28

Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut if off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

In the old testament under the law of Moses, death is the punishment for adultery or killing of a human being.

Leviticus 24:17-21

If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.Anyone who takes the life of an animal must make restitution—life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured.

With the coming of our Lord Jesus, (in the second testament) he wants to give the sinners the chance to repent because he wants to save you from the lake of fire. If you have not repented, and you die, you will have a second death, that is, go to Hades or hell, forever.


1Timothy 1:15

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

This is a beautiful story of the wisdom and mercy of our Lord Jesus.

John 8:7

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his fingers.When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Below is the story of an Iranian woman who will be stoned for adultery. (Are the accusers themselves sinless?)

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/07/08/iran.stoning/index.html?hpt=T2&fbid=JtUk4r45LiP

Cheating: Did you cheat or were you cheated?

In a relationship, one could cheat or be cheated. Which side of the fence are you in?
If you are cheated, it takes time to heal and move on. Healing may take a year or two. If you're still in the process of healing, here are some advice from Dr. Phil


What Dr. Phil says about cheating

Whether you're the one who has strayed from your relationship or you're the partner who feels betrayed, Dr. Phil can help you move forward.


Were you cheated on?

• It is absolutely vital for you to move forward with life and love. Being willing to trust again is key. Take things one step at a time.
• Don't try to make sense out of nonsense. Rationalizing your cheating spouse's behavior or sympathizing with him/her is pointless. It is never OK to go outside of your relationship to solve problems within a relationship. It's not your fault.
• Time heals nothing. It is what you do with the time that matters.
• Remember that it is better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else.
• If your partner wants back in, he/she will have to earn his/her way back into the relationship. Renegotiate the relationship in a way that works for both of you.
• There comes a point in time where you may have to draw a line and say, "That's it, I'm done. I'm not mad at you. I withdraw my feelings, I withdraw my emotions. You just go do whatever you're going to do because I'm not going to live like this anymore." Don't stay together for the children. Remember, kids would rather be from a broken home than live in one. They're much better off with one well-adjusted, happy, thriving parent, than they are with two who are cheating, lying, fighting, and living with stress and pressure.


• If there was a child born of the infidelity, understand that your spouse will forever have a relationship with that child's other parent. You have to make the decision about whether you can resolve to be part of that or not.

Did you have an affair?
• Own the problems that you created by having an affair. You cannot change what you don't acknowledge.
• It is unfair to compare a new, exciting, taboo fantasy relationship to one you've been in for years where there are kids, bills to pay, a house to run and noses to wipe. That is a ridiculous comparison.
• In order to resolve your relationship, contact with "the other person" must be cut off 100 percent. You can't work on dealing with the consequences of the affair while you're still having it.
• Don't rely on your heart to tell you what to do; rely on your intellect. Do what logic tells you is the right thing to do.
• Make the hard decisions. Either leave the marriage to free your partner, or commit to stay. Remember, checking out of one relationship before you finish it appropriately doesn't work.
• Ask yourself: What are you doing to help your partner get past the affair?
• Be mature enough to recognize that life is not always all about you and what feels good for you in the moment. If you are married and have children, you have an obligation and a commitment that far transcends what feels good.
• Help the partner who did not have the affair find emotional closure. You must do whatever it takes until your partner finds it. If it requires you to check in with your spouse multiple times a day, then do it. It'll require you being where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be, 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, so your spouse can trust you again. And you do it until.
• If a child was born of the infidelity, you will have to have contact with the other person in order to be co-parents. And you do this the right way by not having any contact without your spouse's involvement. If you want to talk with the other person, then you do it with your spouse present.
• Want to know if something is cheating? If you wouldn't do it with your spouse standing there, it's cheating.
• If your marriage is over and you have children, understand that your relationship with your ex will never end. You will always at least be co-parents of your children. Build a new relationship as their allies.
• Do you know what a healthy relationship is? Figure out what you want and behave your way to success.

1 Corinthians 6:8

Why not rather be wronged?
why not rather be cheated?

So, with this message, it is better to be cheated than to cheat, for the Kingdom of heaven is with you.

Dark Emotion

When we have dark emotions, we are at our low. Don't make "mukmok" (be by yourself all the time) because the more it will get you down. Go out, go to the mall, visit friends, communicate with God through PEA (Perpetual Adoration chapel) or read Bo Sanchez' soulfood.

Here's a reproduction of Bo's latest soulfood on negative emotion:

Are Negative Emotions Causing You To Get Sick?
One day, a man had flu.
So he won’t spread his germs, his wife dropped his plate and utensils in boiling water.
Their 5 year old daughter saw this and asked, “What are you doing Mommy?”
“I’m boiling the dishes to kill Daddy’s germs,” she said.
The girl remained quiet. After awhile, she said, “I have an idea. Why not just boil Daddy and kill all his germs?”
Germs.
We blame them for our sickness.
But that’s only partly true.
Our immune system is so terrific, it can fight almost all germs. But we get into trouble when our immune system gets weak. And one thing that causes it to weaken is our negative emotions.
The Shocking Truth
This blew my mind.
Studies show that 85% of all disease is rooted in our emotions.
Wow.
That means that among the 17 million people who died of heart disease last year, and among the 7.2 million people who died of cancer last year, 85% of those diseases were rooted in their emotions.
Man! If only someone taught them to work on their emotions (not just on their bodies), some of them might still be alive today.
Here’s what I believe.
Most of our diseases are messages.
What message? Diseases are telling us that we have a spiritual need that we need to fill.
But instead of listening to the message, we kill the messenger. We get rid of the sickness without addressing our soul needs. Very soon, the sickness will reappear.
Sometimes, in a fatal way.
For example, our sickness may be telling us, “You need to forgive and get rid of your anger,” but instead of forgiving, we take a pill. Or our sickness is telling us, “You need to stop worrying and trust God more,” but instead of trusting, we take a pill. Or our sickness is telling us, “You need to stop working too hard and relax more with your family,” but instead of playing with our kids, we take a pill.
In primitive societies, doctors were also priests. When people got sick, the cure was holistic. Aside from giving them herbs, doctors told them to pray, to forgive, to trust in God.
And then the scientific revolution came, and doctors focused purely on the body.
Today, the old model is coming back.
Because now, my friend doctors are praying with their patients, are telling them to have faith, to forgive, and to spend time with their families. They’ve become doctors and priests again.
Two Reasons Why We Get Sick
How do our emotions cause sickness?
In two important ways.
First, when we have too much negative emotions.
Second, when we have too little positive emotions.
Let me tell you how both are deadly to your system.
1. Too Much Negative Emotions
Let’s take stress.
When I was a small boy, I regularly massaged Dad’s shoulders every night. Part of my “chore” as a kid.
But everytime I did, I’d complain.
Because his shoulders were as hard as steel! They were no match for my tiny thumbs.
Even then, I knew the tension in his shoulders came from his job. Dad was a manager in a large food company.
Mom said he also had hypertension. As Filipinos love to say, “mataas ang high blood niya”. (Wow, that’s really high.)
Dad had hypertension all his life.
All his life, that is, until he reached 65. That was the year he retired from his job. From that day on, he never had hypertension, all the way until the day God called him home at young age of 88.
One day, when Dad was already retired—but very busy serving God—I remember he was eating in the dining room. I went behind him and gave him a shoulder massage.
The difference was amazing! His shoulders were soft and supple. No more tension in them.
That’s the power of stress in our lives.
Let me ask you a question: How stressed are you?
Stress And Sickness
Who are those most susceptible to heart disease?
Those with a “Type A Personality”: People who are aggressive, easily angered, competitive, controlling, and always rushing.
Here’s a scary fact. 82% of people who have heart disease have a Type A Personality! Why? Stress. (Type A Personality isn’t just a personality. Type A is a spiritual disease.)
Here’s another fact: More strokes and heart attacks happen on Monday than at another day of the week. (We need a Presidential Decree removing Mondays from our calendar!)
I know a woman who liked her job but didn’t like the boss she was working for. There was a lot of conflict. Wanting a break from her stress, she took a 15-day vacation. And she enjoyed her two-week vacation. But on the 14th day, when she knew she was going back to her job, she suffered a massive stroke. Today, half of her body is paralyzed.
Which was a perfect picture of her life—half of her body wanted to go to work, the other half didn’t want to!
Because our bodies were not made for prolonged stress.
Another negative emotion is anger…
Anger Has An Expiry Date
One day, a man was sitting in his living room when he heard a knock on the front door.
He opened the door and saw no one. But as he looked down, he saw a snail, saying in a little voice, “Can I borrow P100?”
The man shouted, “Get outta here!” and kicked the snail off his porch.
One year later, the man is sitting in the living room and he hears a knock on the door.
He opens it and sees a very angry snail, asking, “Why did you do that?”
Some of us are snails.
After a year, we’re still angry!
People who are like snails won’t enjoy optimal health.
Here’s the truth: God never designed your body to keep anger for a long time. Anger’s purpose is to spur you to action. Once that purpose is fulfilled, you should get rid of anger by forgiveness.
In other words, anger has an expiry date. Once past is due, it becomes poison in your body.
Are you angry with someone?
Surrender your anger to God.
Angry People Die Sooner
They made a study of 255 doctors and asked them to take a “hostility” test.
In other words, how they respond to drivers who cut them on the road. Or to people who criticize them. Or to friends who are disloyal them.
Thirty years later, the researchers went back to these same doctors. What did they find out? Some of those doctors who scored high in the hostility test were already dead! Their death rate was six times higher than those who scored low in the hostility test. Remember: Angry people die sooner.
Don’t Escape!
If we don’t want to get sick, what should we do with stress, anger, sadness, fear, and other negative emotions?
Ignore them? Pretend they’re not there?
Nope. That will make it worse.
Here’s my big message for you: What you can feel, you can heal. What does that mean? Don’t escape your negative emotions.
Perhaps you have money problems now.
Or you have conflicts at work.
Or you have a broken heart.
Or you have marriage problems.
Or you have problems with your kids.
Or you’re sick right now.
And you’re tempted to escape from your anxiety, stress, anger, fear, and depression.
How? Some people become numb.
Others escape through addictions: drugs, alcohol, sex, video games, food, shopping, relationships, and workaholism. Remember that all addiction is really emotional anesthesia. So we won’t feel our emptiness, our fears, our depression, our anger, we distract ourselves.
But when we don’t feel our negative emotions, they come out in our bodies as respiratory problems, ulcers, headaches, skin allergies, digestive problems, even cancers.
Even Childhood Emotions
John Sarno is a doctor specializing in back pains, neck pains, shoulder pains, and leg pains. When he was a young doctor, his main tools were like every other doctor—surgery and pills.
But soon, he got very frustrated with the results. Many times, the pains of his patients would come back—even after expensive treatments and invasive surgery.
That’s when he overhauled his method of healing.
Now, his tools of healing people are two lectures! Basically, he tells them how their unacknowledged and unfelt childhood emotions cause their pains.
He explains: Their subconscious mind was giving them real physical pains to distract them from discovering—and feeling—these very painful emotions buried in their past.
Perhaps their father abandoned them when they were children.
Perhaps they witnessed their parents getting a divorce.
Perhaps they were beaten as kids.
The fear and rage and sadness were so overwhelming, they buried them all in. They pretended everything was okay.
After ten, fifteen, twenty years, these dark emotions manifest in all sorts of diseases.
The results? (This is amazing.) For the past 30 years now, Dr. Sarno has treated 10,000 patients with a 95% cure rate.
Using what? Two lectures!
Some of his patients experience instantaneous healing. Others took a longer time to heal, as they had to discover these painful emotions within them—and feeling them again. They did this via small groups, journaling, or psychotherapy.
Friend, do you want to experience healing too?
Feel Your Feelings Before God
If you want to be healed from your diseases, feel your negative emotions. More specifically, feel your darkest emotions before God. Weep. Be angry. Question Him. (Believe me, He’s big enough to take it.)
Go to God now. And share your inmost heart. Tell Him what you feel, whether it’s anxiety, stress, fear, anger, sadness…
The Psalms of the Bible are exactly like this! They contain what I call “terrible” prayers.
For example, Psalms 22 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer…”
And in Psalms 55, it says, “My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.”
But that’s precisely why they’re in the Bible.
God is telling you to go to Him no matter what you’re feeling.
Friend, God is waiting for you now. So go ahead. Before Him, feel your darkest emotions.
Soon, those negative emotions will pass.
Because all storms come to an end.
And you’ll notice the healing of your body too.
And here’s the second reason…
2.Too Little Positive Emotions
Two weeks ago, I met Fr. Georges-Etienne Beauregard—an old Jesuit priest.
His age? 97 years old.
He’s led an incredible life: Imprisoned in China, built churches in the Philippines for 12 years, and worked with the aborigines in Taiwan for the last 42 years.
What is he doing today at 97? Still very busy, working in a parish and hospital (which he also built) among the aborigines in Taiwan.
How healthy is he? When he was 95, he was still riding his motorbike!
I asked him, “Father, what is the secret of your long life?”
He chuckled and said, “I have no problems. Others have problems with me, but I have no problems.”
In other words, he didn’t focus on his problems.
In my short time I had with him, I noticed he chuckled a lot. He loved to laugh!
The secret to his long life was no secret at all. It was very obvious. He had a light, jolly heart.

Your Need For Joy
Your body was made to operate with the “oil of gladness” flowing through your veins, tissues, and cells. You were made to laugh, to celebrate, to be happy!
One day, Norman Cousins was diagnosed to have heart disease. In his book, The Anatomy of An Illness, he shares how he got healed: By taking Vitamin C and mega-doses of laughter. Everyday, he would watch comedy films and enjoy 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter. And he was healed! Doctors thought he would live a short life. But he lived for 30 more years.
That’s why the Bible says, A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22).
Are you a happy person?
Do you enjoy life?
Are you fulfilled?
Are you self-assured?
Many studies show that positive emotions strengthen your immune system.
Optimists Live Longer!
Scientists studied 1,100 patients at the Mayo Clinic and asked them to do a personality survey. These studies classified them according to optimists and pessimists. Thirty years later, they went back to these patients.
Here’s what they found out: Optimists have a 19% higher chance of still being alive than the pessimists.
Here’s one fascinating explanation.
In one study, scientists studied one of the body’s natural “good mood chemicals” called serotonin.
When they placed serotonin in a test tube alongside tumor cells of Burkitt’s lymphoma, the cancer cells kill themselves.
Here’s a quote from that study: “An exciting property of serotonin is that it can tell some cells to self-destruct. We have found serotonin can get inside the lymphoma cells and instruct them to commit suicide.”
How To Have More Positive Emotions
How can you be happy more often?
How can you have more content, self-assurance, fulfillment, and a deep sense of profound peace more often?
Let me end this discussion by showing you two ways:
First, Gratitude
Maricel is our house helper.
She shared to me a very touching story.
Last month, she went home to her province in Dumaguete. She borrowed money from us to buy the little plot of land that her family house was standing on. She also brought home her savings, buying a sack of rice for her family.
She also went home to spend time with her siblings and their children—her little nephews and nieces. So one bright morning, from the barrio, they travelled to Dumaguete City. Maricel paid for all their jeepney fares.
Everyone was excited, she said. Because for some of them, it was the first time to visit the city.
She brought her family to a mall—and the kids were beside themselves with joy.
What they loved most was the escalators. They shrieked with delight, “Ate, yung hagdan, tumatakbo!” (The stairs are running!)
When they went home, everyone was so happy.
One of her little nieces hugged Maricel and asked, “Tita, sa susunod na taon, ipasyal mo kami ulit, ha?” (Auntie, bring us out next year, okay?) Clearly, it was the high point of their year.
Casually, I asked Maricel, “What did you eat in the mall?”
“Hindi po kami kumain, Kuya Bo. Walang budget, eh.” (We didn’t eat. I had no budget.)
Her answer brought me to tears. Those kids went to the mall and went home without eating, and yet they were so happy.
Sometimes, I forget how blessed I am.
Sometimes, we have food in front of us, and we even have the gall to complain that it isn’t our favorite.
No wonder we lack happiness in our lives.
And no wonder our bodies are sick!
Learn to be more grateful for life. Live in gratitude. Celebrate God’s goodness, even in the smallest blessings!
Soon, happiness and healing will flow into your life.
Second, Trust
Heart disease has killed more people than any other disease in the world. It’s the number one killer in the world.
And I believe the number one cause of heart disease is stress.
From my experience, there’s only one antidote to stress: Trust in God. It’s the greatest stress-buster in the world.
How much do you trust in God?
A deep trust in God will make you avoid stress and keep you healthy!
I invite you now to surrender your problems to God. Follow the Bible when it says, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
He does care for you, my friend.
Give Him all your fears.
Surrender yourself to God.

May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

For more of Bo' soulfood, go to: BoSanchez.ph

"but alas for him who did not fear Me! " (from our Lord)

I, Yahweh, am your Father; come, you will accomplish your work by My side, daughter; I shall reinforce you every day because this will be necessary for My Work that will go over the whole world; I have lit your lamp so that you see, My child; I have chosen you to teach you from My Hall; from My Own Mouth you have received My Word; keep My Teachings as the apple of your eye;

Yes, my Lord and God.

even now in your nothingness, I who am Everything shall expand and like mist that creeps everywhere I intend to envelop all My creation in Me, from the stranger to My best friend, for My Jealousy1 has bypassed Me wanting to check it; I have created you for one purpose: I have created you out of Love to love Me; when body and flesh are going to be consumed and wear out, he who was pleasing to Me shall be drawn into My Soul for ever and ever;
but alas for him who did not fear Me! alas for him who never saw wickedness as folly and foolishness as madness! alas for the heart who believed that he could reach the zenith of his strength by his own efforts and without Me! alas for him who has not obeyed My Commandments! alas for him whose heart is filled with malice! alas for the jackal that plotted by night! alas for him who judged his brother and caused him to live in terror! alas for the lips that bore false-witness! alas for those who shed innocent blood of unborn infants! your compensation shall be hell! alas for the impure who receive My Son's Flesh and Blood in a state of sin, how abhorrent you are to Me! alas for those who offend Me by refusing confession and absolution and come to receive My Son, guilty! repent! repent for your sins! what good is your offering to Me when you have a serpent coiled inside you? if you ask Me: "what must we do then to gain eternal Life?" I tell you: repent! follow My Commandments, produce the appropriate fruits, and I, in the presence of My angels, I shall offer you the room I have reserved for you; watch and be on your guard against all these things; allow Me in your wilderness to manifest My Spirit as I please and when I please and upon whom I please: to save you;

Correct us Yahweh, all loving Father, gently and with mercy but rapidly too!

Love Me, adore Me and place Me as first and above all ...

Teach us to love You without anymore offending You. I am desperate without You, O Abba!(Father)


My Eyes are upon you, My child, constantly, and My Spirit shall invade you more than ever to leave nothing of you; I Am All and I can fill you with My Light; ah creation! I am Loyal and Gentle, leave Me free o creation and with most loving affection I shall fill your spirit with divinity out of My Spirit; leave Me free to annihilate your lethargy which led you into this great apostasy and the ruin of your soul; allow Me to fill you with My Fire to become loyal and fervent servants of Mine; let Me transform you to become the delight of My Soul, I Am who I Am is with you; be blessed and have My Peace, you who read Me;

This is the message of the Lord on March 20, 1991 yet, but what have we done. Some people declare this message as untrue, or they just turn faces away, upon seeing that it is about God.

DEUTERONOMY 7:9

Know therefore that the Lord your god is God; he is the faithful god keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. But those who hate Him he will repay to their face by destruction, He will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate Him.


PSALM 103:11

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is His love for those who fear Him

With the above scriptures, are we surprised at the disasters that happen all over the world?

Repent and follow God's commandments, and be saved!