Thought Bubbles...

musings, rantings, and what-have-you, about my own small part of the world, and my 'sometimes' not so-ordinary life...something to read and reflect on, and which hopefully will bring a smile to your face... :)

Sunday, July 29, 2007

"Looking for your face"

Just wanted to share this beautiful poem "Looking for your face" by Rumi:

From the beginning of my life
I have been looking for your face
but today I have seen it.

Today I have seen
the charm, the beauty,
the unfathomable grace
of the face
that I was looking for.

Today I have found you
and those that laughed
and scorned me yesterday
are sorry that they were not looking
as I did.

I am bewildered by the magnificence
of your beauty
and wish to see you with a hundred eyes.

My heart has burned with passion
and has searched forever
for this wondrous beauty
that I now behold.

I am ashamed
to call this love human
and afraid of God
to call it divine.

Your fragrant breath
like the morning breeze
has come to the stillness of the garden
You have breathed new life into me
I have become your sunshine
and also your shadow.

My soul is screaming in ecstasy
Every fiber of my being
is in love with you

Your effulgence
has lit a fire in my heart
and you have made radiant
for me
the earth and sky.

My arrow of love
has arrived at the target
I am in the house of mercy
and my heart
is a place of prayer.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

10 Commandments against Misery

I was going through my old files and came upon this yellowed newspaper clipping. It’s from Fr. Joseph Galdon’s column, “Mustard Seed”, which was printed out in July 4, 1999. So now you know what kind of a pack rat I am! I decided to post it here, so I’ll have a virtual copy. Something I can refer to in the future, when I’m feeling down. Plus, the paper can be recycled! Hooray! ;->

10 Commandments against misery
Mustard Seed,
Joseph Galdon, S.J.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 4, 1999, p. D2


We life in a world where life is often very miserable. The misery in our human lives began in the Garden of Eden (the garden of peace and contentment and happiness and no misery!), when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment and followed the devil’s advice. They had to go out of the Garden of Eden then, into the world of misery.

The dictionary says that “misery” in our life is a sad state of distress. We have lots of worries about grades in school, about getting a boyfriend or girlfriend, a good job, a new car or house, or a visa to the US.

Psychologists and psychiatrists say that misery in our life is a state of distress and wretchedness. Misery makes us deeply afflicted, very rejected and terribly distressed, woeful and grievous. Our misery and our wretchedness are also because of our evil things in life and our sins. When we sin we are miserable because we are wretches and bitches. Therefore, in misery we are discomforted and not at ease, and physically and mentally distressed.

Misery comes from our suffering in enduring and tolerating evil, injury and sin. Misery is pain of mind and body, and anguish and torture.

A spiritual poet says: “Lord, I don’t feel so good because of ills that fret my soul! These little quirks in misery that come my way obscure the path for me to reach my goal. Now, Lord, You know how weak and miserable I am, so lend me Your hand here and help me rise above these sores of mine in all good faith and cheer. When sorry, grief or irritants conspire to tear my mind, remind me, Lord my God, that You can make me whole and happy and holy. Your strength is all I really need to ease these misery problems. I look to You alone, my God, to tame this wild complexity and this misery of mine!”

10 Commandments against misery

A seminary professor taught us that there are 10 commandments to overcome misery in our lives. If we do not want to be miserable, we should not violate these commandments as Adam and Eve violated God’s commandment of obedience in the Garden of Eden.

The professor said that miserable people should first not feel sorry for themselves. Self-pity makes us miserable.

Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Nothing is more certain to make you miserable than self-pity. Therefore, don’t be sorry for yourself or have pity on yourself.

Use sorrow for others and have pity for them to overcome your own misery.

Second, don’t worry about things that might happen, but probably won’t. Foolish worry is just as miserable as self-pity.

Third, don’t complain or find fault in others and every other thing. Many people cultivate complaints, and that is what makes them miserable.

Fourth, don’t insist on having your own way, but seek God’s will in your life instead.

Fifth, don’t ridicule. What is life if you embarrass and hurt other people?

Sixth, don’t over-react. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Don’t make things worse than they are.

Seventh, don’t be selfish and self-centered. Give your thoughts and life to God and others. Help the needy. Be sure to support the poor.

Eighth, don’t ignore the moral teachings of your religious tradition or the moral teachings of history and culture. Don’t disregard the ethical principles and the good things in life.

Ninth, be sure to improve your spirituality. In other words, convince yourself that you are trying to be a good person. We need prayer and we need God to help us overcome our misery.

The 10th commandment is “Don’t quit!” When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you are trudging seems all uphill, and care is pressing you down a lot, you may rest a bit, but don’t quit. Keep on trying to be a better person. Keep on smiling, praying and trying to do better in life!

The seminary professor said that if you really don’t want to be miserable, it isn’t very difficult to overcome misery in life. These 10 commandments always work!

If you follow them you will overcome the misery in your life. Holiness will also help overcome our misery. Jesus says: I am the vine and you are the branches. He who lives in Me, and I in him, will not be miserable. Live in my love! You will live in my love if you keep my commandments (which are like all these commandments of the Professor!). I tell you this that my joy may be yours and you will not be miserable.”

We are often miserable, but we should not do all those things that cause the misery in our lives. We must follow the rules of the professor and the rules of Jesus that will help us overcome misery in our lives and make us happy.

The Sunshine Smile

In our misery, we need the sunshine smile of God! “Our day is not complete or happy when you are not around, Oh Lord! Your cheerful face shows how much You love and care for us, even if the dark clouds push away the sun. When we see You smile, Oh Lord, it brings back the sunshine in our lives and overcomes our misery.”

It is true that we must smile with God in our lives to overcome our misery. We must let a song of happiness be our smile when we hear God and the Holy Spirit, as well as the thoughts of the seminary professor, in our misery. Christ says: “Come to me all you who are in misery and I will give you comfort and healing. I will help you smile!”

The smile of God and holiness is really the best cure for the misery in our lives!

So let us pray to God and the Holy Spirit in our misery, and follow all these suggestions for the removal of our misery.

“Come, Holy Spirit, spirit of God and spirit of Christ!
Be with us today and always in our misery!
Be our light and our guide and our comforter, our strength,
Our courage, and our sacrifice.
May you be a deep spiritual growth for us in our misery.
May we welcome your graces and your gifts,
Instead of all our personal worries in our misery.
May we forgive freely and unconditionally every one else and
All our problems, and grow in virtue and goodness instead of misery.
Come Holy Spirit, and be with us today and every day in all our misery.”

We will not be miserable if we are holy. We will be happy if we are holy!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Cute overload

I read about this blog site which features pictures of cute animals. Check it out, and i'm sure you'll find yourself "awww-ing" at the cute pics. :)
www.cuteoverload.com

Friday, July 20, 2007

Robbed

We were robbed last June 17. Yup, Father's Day. Over a month ago. And just a few days after my birthday. :( We heard our dog Dustin barking angrily around 3:30 a.m. I didn't mind it and instead "shusshed" him. My brother didn't mind him either, until he realized that Dustin doesn't bark! No, not even when we have guests at home he doesn't know. So when my brother realized that something was terribly wrong, he got up and went downstairs. Too late! Cabinet drawers were open, and our back door was wide open.

I'd rather not list down what was lost. and yes, i purposely didn't blog about it that time as it wasn't something that i wanted to be reminded about. I was just thankful that the robber/s didn't get a chance to go upstairs to our room. For what would have happened then? I shudder at the thought...

Anyway, a friend recently sent me a text message which related to that incident. I resonated with the message and now, I'd like to share it here.

" A man experienced being robbed by thieves. In his diary, he wrote:
"Let me be thankful:
First, because they took my purse and not my life;
second, although they took my all, it was not much compared especially to my faith;
and third, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed." '

Sunday, July 15, 2007

True love means...

Something i just thought of reposting here. Ok ok, it's kinda corny. but you gotta admit, it's sweet as well... :)

=================================
True love means...

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot...

.....who calls you back when you hang up on him...

.....who will stay awake just to watch you sleep...

.....wait for the guy who kisses your forehead...

.....who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats...

.....who holds your hand in front of his friends...

.....wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares
about you and how lucky he is to have you...

.....wait for the one who turns to his friends and says, "...that's her, or
that's him"...

Friday, July 13, 2007

Top 20 Principles of the Wealthy

BEING BROKE MAKES NO $EN$E!

Why are you still tired, broke and enslaved?


Top 20 Principles of the Wealthy

1. The Broke think everything is too good to be true, while the Wealthy think that getting a job sounds too bad to be true.

2. Broke people give up when things don't go their way; a few disappointments and they are onto something else, saying things like "it wasn't for me." The Wealthy work harder and become more determined when things go bad, and understand that you have to take the bad with the good to make it.

3. Broke people always have an excuse. Wealthy people say "my fault" and refuse to make excuses.

4. Broke people think that not getting what they want is OK. Wealthy people are disgusted at the thought of not getting what they want and will do whatever it takes.

5. Broke people always have to talk it over with their broke friends to make sure no one will make fun of them if they make a decision. Wealthy people think for themselves and could care less what their broke friends think.

6. Broke people are never coachable and teachable. Wealthy people are alway learning, even when the money starts coming in, they never stop learning from those who were there first.

7. Broke people are scared of others. Wealthy people entrust in others and know that other people are crucial for their success.

8. Broke people are always procrastinating; they would rather talk about it, read about it, think about it, but never seem to do anything. Wealthy people hate doing anything but getting it done.

9. Broke people are glad when the day is over. Wealthy people love when the day begins.

10. Broke people think Wealthy people are lucky. Wealthy people put themselves into a position to be "lucky," and then work hard to make the "luck" show up.

11. Broke people work by the hour. Wealthy people work by the month.

12. Broke people want to know that after 1 hour of work they have something to show for it. Wealthy people find broke people who think like that and make them their employees.

13. Broke people get excited they just got hired. Wealthy people think it is funny that someone could be fooled that easily; they are just making the wealthy person wealthier.

14. Broke people complain a lot. Wealthy people are thankful that no one shot at them today, they didn't have to fight in a war, and that they don't have a job.

15. Broke people are too concerned about what other people are doing. Wealthy people are only concerned about what they can be doing to get more done.

16. Broke people think that if no one is doing something, it must suck. Wealthy people think that if no one is doing something, it means more money for them.

17. Broke people think that if everyone (all 200 people at the meeting in a city of 1 million) is doing something, it must be saturated. Wealthy people think that broke people aren't too bright.

18. Broke people think it is OK for other people to live where they want to live, drive what they want to drive, and do what they want to do.

19. Broke people are OK with the fact that they can't do these things. Wealthy people get sick just thinking about being average.

20. Broke people think that other people's opinions are worth more than their dreams. Wealthy people know that their dreams are worth more than other people's opinions.

You have to learn to be wealthy, you must learn from the broke and don't do what they do nor think how they think. The best thing you can do for a broke person ... is not be counted as one.

Contributed by Luther Thompson, Jr.

http://www.nbbta.org/broke1.htm

"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon will inevitably come to pass"

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Play 20 Questions and Revitalize Your Love Life

Play 20 Questions and Revitalize Your Love Life
By Ellyn Bader & Peter Pearson


Do you remember the game "20 Questions"? You could ask 20 questions to elicit and eliminate and finally discover what animal, vegetable, or mineral the other person was thinking about. You can use a variation of this game to enrich your love life and build a stronger bond in your most intimate relationship.

In our work with couples, we like to help them formulate a vision of the kind of life they would like to create together. A powerful vision involves recalling and revising the important dreams you had when you first got together and identifying new hopes as well. Sometimes this means exploring "little buds" that are unconscious, but waiting to blossom. A vision contains something you really want and evokes enough passion that you are willing to invest sustained effort to bring it about. Your vision contains strong desires that are aligned with your values and supported by a plan.

In order to think creatively about the type of relationship you desire, ask each other a few of the following 20 questions on a dinner date, or set up a special time to explore these together. They will help you connect on a deeper level than the usual topics of careers, kids, vacations, politics, and movies. They can illuminate areas of joy, passion, and connection. Most couples ask each other questions like these when they first meet, but as time hurtles by, these meaningful questions get neglected and then abandoned. They'll be the starting point for an interesting and stimulating conversation that will create the foundation for your vision.

Developing Your Partnership Vision

* What things in your life bring you the greatest pleasure?
* What things do you look forward to each day?
* What excites you about the future?
* In what settings are you the happiest and most comfortable?
* On your drive to work, what consumes your mind the majority of the time?
* In a regular day, what do you find yourself thinking about the most in addition to work?
* If you could change one or two things in your life, what would they be, and why?
* What accomplishments do you value most in your life so far?
* If you had three wishes that would come true, what would they be?
* When you reach the rocking chair stage of your life, what do you wish you had done that you didn't do?
* Is there a belief or attitude that seems to interfere with creating or pursuing a big dream?
* What activities do you most like to do by yourself?
* What are a couple things that you appreciate about our relationship, and why do these things seem significant?
* How strong is your desire to do something together?
* Describe a memory of a time when you felt like we collaborated well.
* What kinds of projects or activities would you consider doing together?
* What projects or activities do you think we do well together?
* What talents or strengths do you believe we each bring to a future project?
* What question would you ask that we have not included?
* Bonus Question: What would be the next step you suggest we take from here?

Here are some guidelines to help you get the most out of these conversations. Treat your partner's answers with respect. Please don't argue or negatively judge any of your partner's responses. Be like a compassionate reporter who is exploring an unknown subject. Ask your partner to do the same for you. Approach it like the game of 20 Questions. You will be delicately ferreting out the overlap in all the answers to arrive at what is most meaningful to each of you. Don't simply race through the questions. This process takes time and dedication, yet returning to these questions will pay huge dividends in your life together.

The More Detail Your Vision Has, the More Compelling It Will Be

Sarah and Jim used this exercise repetitively over time. From the beginning, Sarah answered what excites her about the future by saying "leaving a legacy." Jim responded to the question of what kinds of projects or activities he would consider doing together by saying that he'd like to work on something together for the well-being of their children. As they asked each other these questions again and again, their responses evolved. Their answers would incubate and stimulate additional ideas. One session would prove to be a springboard for the next. Sarah and Jim eventually decided they wanted to do something for their children, which also met Sarah's desire to leave a legacy.

Their answers kept returning to doing something that reflected their interest in teaching and also strengthening the family. They both believed the old saying that if you really want to learn something, then you should teach it. They decided to begin with teaching a Sunday school class together. After sitting through some tedious Sunday school classes when they were children, they decided they would make it enjoyable for themselves and the kids. They became increasingly passionate about creating a very different learning experience for kids in Sunday school.

Alert! Alert! In the beginning stage, do not discuss potential obstacles. The best way to kill a budding dream is to ask, "Well, how is that going to happen?" or "Are you really serious about wanting that?" Asking these questions will surely strangle emerging desires before you see the bigger picture.

Rather, Sarah and Jim jumped in and discovered they enjoyed teaching together. Through trial and error they learned a lot about collaborating and how to better negotiate when they had sharp differences of opinion. However, they also discovered they did not like the bureaucracy telling them what to teach. Over time they kept returning to their vision questions. Eventually, they started a small, interfaith Sunday school with other families who had a similar vision. The project was more work than they had anticipated. Much more. But the work they had put into building a collaborative vision and learning to negotiate sustained them through the tougher times.

You will know you have accurately described your vision when...

* the results are hard to achieve; success will require "stretching."
* you are excited when you think about it.
* the results of the vision are meaningful to you.
* the results make a difference in your life and your partner's life.
* the results are visible, can be written down, and, at least to some degree, can be measured.
* the results will reflect your strengths and core values.

Your vision will evolve as you move toward it. You will meet obstacles along the way. Ask yourself an important question: "What will I have to do that I don't want to do to realize this vision?" Every worthwhile vision carries with it some undesirable tasks. Don't let these make you believe your vision is wrong. Accept that your vision will involve some challenges that you won't enjoy.

Realizing your vision as a couple will require new skills in problem solving, negotiation, and decision making. They're not always intuitive. And remember: you can't create a flourishing relationship just by fixing what is wrong. You achieve your vision by building on the best in each of you.

===========================================
About the Authors:
This article was written by Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson, contributing authors to "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 2." Peter and Ellyn are founders and directors of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California. As therapists, workshop leaders, authors, and speakers, they are dedicated to helping couples fulfill their dreams. Visit http://www.couplesinstitute.com for free articles to help you develop the best possible relationship skills.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

"Harry Potter" rules!

"Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix" opened in Metro Manila theaters today. And I just had to watch it with my sons. After my seminar, rushed with the kids to the mall. And were part of the tens of thousands who watched the movie on it's 1st day of showing!

The book is still better than the movie, but even then, the movie was pretty good. I wasn't going to miss watching it with the kids. Especially since Paolo got hooked on reading the Harry Potter series this past summer vacation. Imagine, he finished reading all 6 Harry Potter books in just two months! Whoa! So with the last of the HP series coming out this month, I'm already expecting that we'll be fighting over who gets to read the book first. :)

Monday, July 02, 2007

Baseball mania

Baseball mania has hit! No, am not talking about the professional ball game. But my kids, of course! They just got spanking brand-new mitts and baseballs from their grandparents. And so Sunday, they spent the afternoon learning how to throw, and catch the ball. They had great fun, and were so proud of themselves whenever they caught the ball thrown at them. After just a few minutes of playing, they were all sweaty. A time out was called when hot maruya (saba bananas dipped in batter and fried), pandesal from Pan de Pugon, and fresh mango shake was served! Now that's what i call a great weekend. More of this activity and great food and they're bound to keep those pounds that piled on during their summer vacation. :)

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Transformers (the movie)

Saw "Transformers" with the kids last night. After just a few minutes into the movie, all i could say was "Wicked"! LUPET! (Sounds better in Filipino. hehehe...) Great effects! The kids were mesmerized. Told them to look for the old Transformers cartoons so they could compare the old cartoons to the ultra-high tech movie.