Thursday, December 24, 2009

My "Thank You God" List for Christmas Eve 2009

I have so much to be thankful for, not just for this day, but every single day that I've been blessed with in my oh-so-dramatic life. In the spirit of Christmas, I would like to focus on one thing, just one single blessing that I am and always will be grateful for.

Thank you, God, for:

1. The gift of unconditional LOVE.

Thank you Lord, for loving me and the rest of us sinners in the most precious, amazing, unconditional way. And thank you for giving me such a wonderful family and fabulous friends. My cup is overflowing, Lord. Truly, I am blessed. I love you, Lord Jesus! Happy Birthday! Mille Grazie!

Buon Natale peepz! :)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

My "Thank You God" List for Wednesday, 12/23/09

Sorry for the major delay. Would you believe I slept for almost 12 hours last night? Or should I say early this morning? Hehehe. After painting the town bright red with my favorite bunch of friends, I got home at 1am, slept past 2:30am after the inevitable txt barrage, woke up past 2pm, stretched until almost 3pm and woke up just in time for the 3 o'clock prayer. Well, I must admit, it's way different than my normal routine but I simply could not care less. I had a blast! So much fun, in fact, that I can't wait for the next "warak" (I'm beginning to love that word! lol).

So here's my list for today, albeit a bit late.

I am grateful for:

1. The gift of life, love, laughter, great friends, good cheer, and a very understanding and supportive family.

2. My 3 helpings of Gelatissimo last night, c/o our balikbayan bff, k2y. Boy, those calories were worth the intake. I had two chocolate macadamia and one chocolate biscuit. Hey, I still believe in the ice cream diet, can you blame me? Hihihi. All I can say is (other than mille grazie, k2y!) is oh my ice cream, how I love you! :P

3. That chat-filled taxicab ride from SM to Ayala. Who cares about traffic when you've got friends who won't stop gabbing, right?

4. Roaming through all the Ayala terraces restos for the best dinner place (free, thanks again k2y!) and finally settling down at Cafe Laguna. Hey, I forgot La Tegola was in Ayala too so forgive me for not taking everyone directly to my all-time favorite resto!

5. The mouth-watering staples of Cafe Laguna -- Lechon Kawali, Dinuguan, Pancit Canton, Tanguige and their oh-so-yummy shakes and juices. Free plugging na pud! Pastilan!

6. The inevitable banter that led to me being labeled as "Lady-boy" which, according to them, is what they call transsexuals in Thailand. You know, those who have had their breast implants inserted and their adam's apple taken out. You won't believe how many times our waiter left us giggling like a schoolgirl because k2y won't stop telling him I'm a guy? Man, that was sooo embarrassing yet sooo much fun at the same time! Me, a "Lady-boy", who would've thought? Oh well, my attitude was, grin and bear it. I almost went into the men's room even... nah, that's stretching the truth. I could never get away with that, even after a dare. lol.

7. Heading over to Starbucks after meeting Amy and polishing off two different cheesecakes (with their help, of course), my all-time passion, blueberry cheesecake and another one with choco on top. Amy won't tell us what that cake was called, sorry peepz. You have to ask the Starbucks peepz or else take me with you to identify the perp, er, the cake. :P

8. (Over)Staying at Starbucks (we left at 1am), talking, exchanging personal and work-related fiascos, chatting up a storm and laughing the whole time. I'm still reeling from all the sugar, let alone the laughter but I can't help but say this -- kulang pa!!! Rematch! Rather, take two please! Can't wait to meet up with Irene, Noeme, Amy and our resident balikbayan (from oz, natch!) k2y! Sa uulitin peepz ha? Dapat may part 2 jud kay we've got sooo much ground to cover.

9. The feeling of peace and contentment that comes from knowing that no matter where each one of us will end up, even as a "Lady-boy" (hahaha), we would still be the best of friends. Nothing beats grade school friendship, we may still be sip-onon until now but that's not the only thing that remains the same. The bond is still strong, stronger now, even, and for that, I am sooo grateful! Thank you, God for giving me friends like these -- fiercely loyal and protective, kind-hearted, sooo much fun to be with and way libug! As in!

10. Going to bed in the wee hours with a huge smile on my face and Alicia Keys' "The Element of Freedom" in the background. Nothing beats a fabulous night out on the town with good ole friends. I can't believe I'm still on a natural high until now. That's how fantastic these people are. I love you all, you know that right? See you soon, after Christmas, I hope. We've got lots of ground to cover and even more waiters and people to harrass. Hehehe.

And so, this list is obviously centered around my friends. I am forever grateful that God has showered us with so much blessings and yet He still gives us the chance to get together, even though it's not that often, to share these blessings with each other. Peepz, your mere presence is a blessing, so mille grazie, I, Noemz, My, and K2y! I mean it! Praise the Lord for giving me berkz like you. God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 21, 2009

My "Thank You God" List for Tuesday, 12/22/09

This is gonna be short cuz I'm all out of time. Mag "warak" pa daw mi according to my balikbayan berk. Hehe.

I am grateful for:

1. The gift of life, love, good friends, and a loving family.

2. The chance to reconnect with old friends.

3. New opportunities for growth, both personal and professional.

4. Ice cream again tonight! Free pa jud! Wheee! Gelatissimo, here we come! Hehehe. Shameless plugging na pud da. :P

5. The gift of forgiveness. Nothing can beat a conscience bereft of guilt. Praise the Lord!

Maybe one more?

6. Tita Julie's (now) infamous Leche Flan, which I heard she is giving to me as a Christmas present. Yipee! Many thanks, Julz and Yan. See you both soon, I hope!

And to everyone, much love, blessings and happiness this Christmas season and in 2010 as well! Luv y'all! Hope you have a blast! Just remember to be safe, always. Buon natale! :)

Sunday, December 20, 2009

My "Thank You God" List for Monday, 12/21/09

This time I'm including stuff that went on last night. Here goes:

1. The gift of life and love and family and good friends.

2. Catching up with one of my closest friends last night. Thanks, Noemz! I'm amazed la ka na bored sa atong chika. Mora ako ra man to cge tabi. No wonder grabe kalabad ako ulo. Hahaha. Although, it might have been the ice cream no? Choco overload 2 days in a row. Waaah! I'm officially an ice cream addict. Saonz. Dating gawi na pud? Hay. I had a blast though. Sooo much fun jud. Can't wait for part 2 with the rest of the gang (including our mysterious balikbayan? hehehe).

3. Small miracles. Like getting ahead of everyone else (about 10 people) in the vhire line to Opon just cuz I'm riding all by my lonesome and everyone else had companions. Only one seat was left you see. The driver even scolded me cuz I skipped the line but the passengers ahead of me were so nice to point out that only one seat was left. Ah, the perks of being single and free! Hehehe. Nice people, those passengers. Mr. driver was a bit mean but hey, I'm letting that go.

4. Second small miracle? Reaching church in the span of 30 minutes! Just in time to reach the final mass for the night. I arrived there at exactly 8pm, just in time for the priest, et. al. to reach the altar. Was already in the front seat when the mass officially began. Praise the Lord! I even got to help out with the projector. Seems there was a slight problem and the guy in charge had to go out for help. Unfortunately, he didn't come back after mass had started so I had to wing it. Thank you Holy Spirit for the guidance. Wasn't able to do much about some of the songs though. Not familiar with the new ones, didn't know where to find them. Oh well, charged to experience.

5. Third small miracle? Lola was in the mood to help me pray our 2 novenas for the week even after spending over an hour in church. Amazing, my nana. I don't know where she gets her "power" but I'm glad we were still able to say the novenas together after such a long day.

6. Yet another good night's sleep. Third night in a row! Yay! Thank you God!

7. Finding everyone in a good mood when I woke up this morning. Now that is such a rare occurrence that I'm sooo grateful. Lunch time with the fam! More stuff for the list later on, I'm sure. Laterz peepz!

My "Thank You God" List for the day...

Before I dive into my list for the day, I just wanted to share something amazing that happened last night when I resumed my "Miracle Hour" prayer. While I was on Scripture readings, the instruction is the same as always... ask for the help of the Holy Spirit and then open your Holy Bible to some random page and then look for a word that "leaps" out of the page and then ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to teach you through that word.

Imagine my surprise and immense glee upon opening my Christian Community Bible last night and reading the word "heaven" upon first glance. I was so moved, I immediately closed my Bible and my eyes and waited for the Lord to speak.

I know some people may find this "corny" but here's what God told me last night: "The gifts of heaven are yours, My child, if you choose to accept it." And accept it, I did. No way I'm turning that offer down, even if it means I have to take up my cross and carry it from that moment on. They say we have little crosses too, and I am so inspired these days that I don't even see them as little crosses anymore. I see them as little opportunities to turn crosses into blessings!

Amazing doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. The Lord had other instructions for me but I'm keeping that to myself for now. Some of them are a bit personal, others relate to my family.

Upon the Holy Spirit's urging, I skipped the Intercessions and Petitions part and immediately began my Thanksgiving prayer. After that, I turned off the lights, immediately dozed off, slept like a baby and woke up with praise on my mind and on my lips. This is such a miraculous experience that I just had to write about it. Imagine getting that message from the Lord! I have no idea why or how that happened but it's truly life changing. It has totally altered my outlook on life. No way am I giving despair any room from now on!

I am still on a natural high right now so you'll have to forgive my enthusiasm. Anyway, with this miraculous experience as my jump off point, I'm officially counting my blessings for the day.

Here it goes:

1. The gift of life and love. Such an amazing package, if you ask me. No other present could ever match God's gift to all of us. All I can say is, thank you Lord!

2. The gift of inspiration that did not dissipate even after a good night's sleep. In fact, it's building up to something entirely hard to keep to myself. Amazing!

3. I just have to mention getting a good night's sleep on today's list. Even after the 2 glasses of coke and yesterday afternoon's mocha (a.k.a. coffee) chocolate ice indulgence, I can't believe I had no trouble catching those oh so elusive ZZZ's. I guess peace of mind is one powerful weapon against troubled sleep huh?

4. The chance to meet up with one of my closest friends later this afternoon. It's been a while since I've seen her so this is gonna be a chika-fest. Can't wait!

5. Last night's miraculous encounter with the Lord. This is just such good news that it deserves a spot on today's list. And I choose to add it under my favorite number. Now you know, 5 it is.

6. So many opportunities, I've literally lost count. For this one, I am still reeling. God truly is great! He knows what we need even before we ask for it. I don't want to brag so I won't mention all of the job opportunities that God has sent my way. I simply want to thank Him for showering me with so many blessings during Advent, for that matter. He truly knows how to lift and heal a broken spirit. Goodbye despair, hello bright future! Thank you Lord!

7. The chance to spend lunch time with my Grandma. That's why I have to say bye for now. Need to have some quality time with my "Nana." God is good. He loves you and me. Time to spread the good news! Catch up with y'all later. Might be another list later tonight, who knows? Until then, have a blessed Sunday everyone! May God be with you! :)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

My "Thank You God" List for the day...

Wow! Now I have a total of 10 things to be grateful for. The list is growing peepz! Yay!

So here are my 10 things to be grateful for today a.k.a. my "Thank You God" List:

1. The gift of life. (natch!) Told ya this was gonna be a staple. :)

2. A good night's sleep. (Finally!) After days of too much work and stressing over it, I finally woke up at past 10am today feeling refreshed and ready for anything! Waking up past 10am is simply glorious! Everyone should try it. lol

3. Starting off the day with the first 7 parts of my "Miracle Hour" prayer book. Just a few more pages to go and I will have completed the whole hour today. Can't wait to resume. Hope to "hear from you" Lord! Love you, always!

4. Getting the go signal to work wherever I want from someone who matters. (Yay me!) Amazing! Thank you Lord!

5. Losing 2 more kilos in less than a month (without a proper exercise regimen!), just found out today. That's 2x2.2 to convert into pounds so yay! Note to self: gotta get more cardio workout (walking, of course) into my daily routine. Need to get over my phobia of Tamiya (Basak) and Marina Mall (Save More). Z, you know the reason for this phobia so keep mum or else! Hihihi.

6. Sharing a single lasagna with my aunt without craving more food. Guess this means my carb and junk food craze is officially over. Sooo glad to get over that phase. Healthy me, here I come! Glad to be back on the healthy living bandwagon. I have no idea why I left it in the first place. Hmmmm...

7. This one is really special (less so compared with my Miracle Hour experience but you get my drift)... The Gelatissimo "Christmas of Chocolate" (free plugging pa yan ha! hmph!) Thumbs up for their "Chocolate Macadamia" and "Mocha Nut Crunch" ice cream flavors. Didn't even hurt that it cost me Php150.00 for the two flavors combined. Sinfully delish! I was happy and content, that is, until I remembered that mocha=coffe! There goes the perfect choco ice cream combo! Huhuhu. I just hope i get some sleep tonight after having coke for lunch and mocha near dinner time. Hehehe. Guess it'll be chocolate macadamia only from now on... until I find another flava to replace the mocha a.k.a. coffee flavored one. Oh well, still yum!

8. Getting the next vhire ride while the others had to wait for several more minutes. Thank you Lord! God is good jud oi! Hay! Plus, the added bonus of "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" blasting through my cellphone headset during the whole ride home. Nice, my regular Mimi fix.

9. Getting home in one piece to find my Uncle Buddy home from his cargo ship looking in tip-top shape with such a flattering haircut.

10. Dinner and videoke with my family. Now this is what I call a perfect end to a wonderful day. Had a blast! Thank you God! As in! My cup is overflowing! Ciao for now. Hope I don't lose my voice though. Hahaha. Z, practice na pud ko for our new year's party, this time. Bantay lang jud mo. :P

Friday, December 18, 2009

My "Thank You God" List (the second one for today!)

Here we go again! When inspiration strikes, it doesn't stop until you've written everything down, or fallen asleep trying. Hehehe. Seriously though, I have 5 more things to be thankful for today, or should I say tonight?

1. The chance to attend simbang gabi. I love our local church's idea to hold 8pm masses every night in addition to the early morning (or dawn?) masses. It's just as solemn, without having to face the hordes of people who (I heard) reach our city plaza due to their sheer number each day. Plus, I like walking to church at night. It's like going to our monthly healing mass, only better... cuz we get to do it everyday. And oh, I love the fact that different choirs sponsor the mass each night--different sets of songs every night. Gotta love the variety that offers... I know I do!
2. The opportunity to help a stranger (an old man and his family) carry their Christmas gifts from one of our local church's volunteer gift-givers. He was clearly carrying a burden (the basket was laden with gifts so I'm not surprised manoy was willing to lug it around) and, well, softie for old people that I am, I just had to help. Nothing beats helping people in need, especially the elderly. Reminds me of my lolo and lola each and everytime. Thank you manoy. Best of all, thank you Lord for that opportunity to do good today.
3. Getting $5.00 for 2 or 3 hours worth of writing. Not exactly a whole lot of wealth but it was a "something-I-need-to-prove-to-myself" project so there you go. Just glad I could help out a friend during her own version of a "writing emergency" situation.
4. Receiving a Congrats, you've been accepted to (a new writing group) email. Yay me! I just hope I can live up to their standards... or live, period. Hahaha. Wish me luck?
5. The peace of mind that comes from saying the Rosary with my family, plus our 2 pre-Christmas novenas right after the mass. Nothing like a good family prayer to prepare us for sleep.

All in the span of 5-6 hours! And here I thought I only had to come up with 3 things to be thankful for today! Guess this is gonna be a start- and end-of-the-day habit. I am one grateful gal. Life is wonderful!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

My "Thank You God" List (the first in a series)

I picked up this cool idea from my healthy living newsletter today. It says making 3 things to be grateful for list (or what I'd like to call my "Thank you God" list) helps bring good cheer. And so, I'm giving it a shot. I just hope I can keep it up. And so, here I go... (drum roll please!)

Three things I'm grateful for today:

1. The gift of life. One more day. Yay! (I think this will be a staple on this daily list.)

2. The chance to take a break from writing.
This is why I absolutely love freelance/home-based work--you get to choose what to do and when to do it. For now, a mini-vacation... just in time for Christmas.

3. Discovering the buy one-take one burger promo at burger king (for lunch!) today. All I can say is... burp!

So that's officially my first entry for this daily 3 things to be grateful for (Thank you God) list. More to come in the next few weeks, I hope.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Weight Loss Update--12 Kilos Gone!

Yes! It's been a heck of a ride but I'm so glad this weight loss journey I started during the last quarter of 2007 is moving along quite well. Sorry, it's not my intention to brag, never has been. I'm just super excited about the latest 2 kilos that I shed in the past couple of weeks. My weight kind of stayed the same in January so it's quite thrilling to finally make some progress once more.

Here’s my secret: healthier choices+healthier lifestyle=healthier you. It's true what celebs say, you really have to overhaul your entire lifestyle in order to get consistent results. Junk foods are a thing of the past. Not so much when it comes to pastries and ice cream though. And pasta... sigh! I guess I'll never be able to turn my back on lasagna and spaghetti. Oh well, I can live with that.

Next up, regular gym visits. My flabby arms and tummy need TONING, pronto! Can't wait to hear what my old trainers, Ramil and Jackie, have to say about my long overdue visit to their gym. Can't believe it's been 6 years already. That's how long I've avoided their gym when back in college I was one of their most frequent and ardent clients. Aerobics, PRT, even karate, I did all that. Too bad I stopped. That's when I started ballooning like crazy. Hopefully, this time I can follow through on this crazy adventure. Can't wait! Wish me luck, dearest pals. I'm sure going to need it if I'm going to live up to my December 2008 pledge.

Five Kilos Gone (Part Deux)

"WHAT?!?" I literally shouted when I stepped on the scale tonight. That comment made by one of our local grocery store (La Nueva) managers that I had lost some weight was ringing in my ears all night so I decided to finally step on my scale after a seven-day absence. (I honestly thought it was merely "pity compliment" cuz I was all alone eating one lonely little hash brown.)

I can't believe the title I'm using for this blog is actually appropriate this time. I'm a bit incredulous because I still feel bloated from the holidays. Not counting PMS (and then menopause, as my friend Riri so candidly puts it), that is. Still incredulous because this latest "report" by my trusty scale is unbelievable.

Seriously!

But then, my loyal purple scale has never let me down. Hmmm... I guess this walking addiction of mine is finally paying off? This is amazing news considering that I’ve been indulging on ice cream with my officemates the whole time. I guess when you learn to forgive yourself for your excesses you’ll learn to live a happy, worry-free life.

This is such amazing news! I'll definitely take this as a positive boost to my healthy living regimen. Although Ms. Tara Boyance's sit-up regimen might prove handy too… such a great advice from such a generous friend. December 2008 goal, here I come! (I hope.) Wish me luck! :)

Five Kilos Gone

Ok. It's more than that. I just wanted to pay homage to my favorite Heroes episode, "Five Years Gone." To be exact, it's 15 lbs gone (and counting!), not 5 kilos. And a few inches off my waist as well.
But that's not the best part! It's the news that i got yesterday, outlined in a small paper sent by PrimeCare, which I shared with anyone who was willing (or polite enough) to listen.

My cholesterol levels (good, bad, triglycerides) are now in the normal range. Yipee! And I didn't even have to take any overpriced anti-cholesterol medication. Take that, Crestor! 

I think our manager Frauline hit the mark when she said that my new team's Monday deadline has something to do with this breakthrough. I guess editing four final newsletter drafts in one day does burn a whole bunch of calories. Not to mention running up and down the stairs at home and at the office each day.

I guess this borders on over-sharing again; been doing a lot of that lately. I'm just very pleased with the progress I've made when it comes to my health. And to think all I had to do was eat less and walk more. It's that simple. No secrets. No need to starve myself, or fracture my other shoulder with rigorous workout regimens, or undergo liposuction or stomach stapling. (I know, Ewwww and Ouch!!!)
Seriously! My lifelong experience of frequent illnesses and losing thousands of money to doctors and pharmacies was enough motivation for me. I didn't even need a guy to be inspired. That's why I tell anyone who asks—I simply made a lifestyle change—and got a whole new outlook in the process.

One more thing... Praise the Lord! He truly makes all things possible. 

Real Friends--Why You Should Definitely Have them Around!

Ok, so I got this sms recently from one of the sweetest person I know. It goes:
"It's just something that happens as you grow up...
You realize it's less important to have many friends...
and it's more important to have real ones."

I know the message was really simple, but it really got the wheels in my brain moving. Why the heck am I wasting all this time trying to please everybody and be everyone's friend? I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, but it's stealing precious time, time that I could've spent fostering stronger relationships with the ones who REALLY matter... the ones who have stood by me through thick and thin, in sickness and in health. No, no, there's no ‘til death do us part. I'm saving that for my future husband. Seriously though, I know who my real friends are. I may have momentarily forgotten who they are amidst all the hustle and bustle of work and play and everything in between (and my PC of course) but now it's all coming back to me. You gals and guys know who you are and I know you'll always be there. So thank you! We may not see each other that often but when we do, ah... perfection! It's amazing how warm and fuzzy the feeling of having you in my life is. And for that, I'm grateful. Thank you for making my life a whole lot better. You're all amazing. In fact, I'd even go as far as calling you HEROES -- cuz you've definitely saved my life countless times. GRAZIE MI AMICI! Mi manchi! :)

P.S.

Thanks, Julie, for the sms. Inspiring, as always. That's just the kind of person you are and that's the way we like it. God bless you for being such an inspiration to us all.

Poverty is NOT a Choice!

I recently came across a comment to a blog posted by a friend of mine. The premise used by her friend who wrote it really got my “serve the people” juices flowing. His main argument was this:

“Poverty is a choice.”

Since we’re celebrating International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, and this contention really got me agitated, I decided to share with all of you what I had to say in reply to that message, with a few changes. Here goes...

I’m sorry but I just got to butt in. I resent the assumption that people are poor because they choose to be. Filipino peasants aren’t poor because they’re lazy. They’re poor because they were never offered the option to be anything but. They’re forced to toil from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. every single day because they have to till lands that they do not even own. They’re lucky if they get at least one sack of rice come harvesting time, that’s it. Until that much awaited season comes, they’re forced to live on salt and corn rice on good days, and banana with salt on bad ones. Trust me, I’ve been there. I saw firsthand how deplorable the daily lives of most peasant families can be. My fellow students and I lost a whole lot of weight in the three months that we spent there for the simple reason that the peasants we were staying with during our integration really had nothing else to offer.

So please, don’t believe the lies that you hear. Filipinos are not poor because we’re lazy; we’re poor because majority of our resources are owned and exploited by a tiny percentage of our population. And I’m not just talking about natural resources; these landlords and big business people literally own majority of our fellow citizens. Most of us are slaves in one way or another. Workers are slaves to business owners that’s why most Filipinos are forced to live from paycheck to paycheck, working for very low wages (hence, cheap labor). Peasants are slaves to the land owners, who control their every move, even the food they have on their table each day.

I can talk all day about the anti-worker and anti-people policies that politicians past and present have implemented but I won’t. It’s too depressing. And I don’t want to point fingers anymore. We already know who the culprits are. I’d rather focus on what we can do to change things. I’ll get to that in a minute. I need to correct a few misconceptions first.

If you think those groups constantly marching in the streets, including Satur Ocampo, the man you dubbed a “shameless freak”, are merely out to manipulate issues to push their own agenda, my heart goes out to you. You’ve become not just blinded but cynical as well. It’s sad how people never seem to get past these groups’ marching and chanting and see the things they do behind the scenes. They don’t just talk about changing our society; they’re actually doing something about it. I challenge everyone to spend one day with a Non-government organization affiliated with these groups, just one day, and you’ll see how they spend time in urban poor areas or some other place, organizing the mothers, and other dwellers who have no jobs and helping them jumpstart their livelihood programs, patiently educating every single one along the way to make the program sustainable. And they do this without the generous compensation or kickbacks that people in congress get whenever they launch a livelihood project. It’s a wonder how people could ever believe that these people are evil. I’m amazed at how quick some people are to judge. It pays to investigate and get to the root before making any claims. It’s not even fair to pass judgment on others. We just don't have that right.

I don’t mean to be harsh but I just have to say this – our ignorance and apathy are the very things that are keeping us from ending all our country’s problems; whether it’s corruption or exploitation or repression or the most blatant human rights violations committed against Filipinos every single day.

And the killing! Who gave us the right to end the life of another? When did that happen? How one could ever justify killing a person is beyond my comprehension. I had a friend who died before he reached the very young age of 25 simply because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The military wounded him in the leg, he was alive when they dragged him off. But after hours of torture, his body finally gave out and he left this world, all because some people lack the capacity for mercy. It breaks my heart to even talk about this but I think it’s time we face the facts. Human rights violations, whether committed against rebels or against the military or even against my friend, would still remain that – a blatant disregard for basic human rights.

We have the capacity to think, make our own decisions and choose sides. God gave us free will after all. But He did not give us the right to trample all over the rights of others. So whether the victims are from the left, middle or the right side of the political spectrum, it doesn’t matter. We simply don’t have any right to abuse the rights of others, we just don’t. So why should we have to condemn one side and uplift the other? Why should we let our prejudice cloud our judgment? Every single person has rights. That’s my point. There’s no need to count bodies or point fingers. The keyword here is RESPECT. It’s that simple.

As to your question regarding what we can do, there’s a world of options out there. All we have to do is venture out of our comfort zone, our cozy little nook where life is grand and everyone else is to blame for their own misery. There are basic human rights to defend, houses to be built, livelihood programs to be planned and implemented, people to clothe and feed, masses to educate… the list is endless. My challenge to you and everyone else out there who still live in the illusion that we are not being exploited is this – find one organization that is currently working on at least one of those projects that I mentioned and help out. It’s the least we could do. No, you don’t have to join the leftists or head to the mountains, there are other options besides that. We just have to find the right fit for us.

Religious groups have activities to help out. If you’re interested, I’m sure your local church group can guide you. If you’re interested in helping NGOs, there are also hundreds of those in Cebu, just waiting for you to contact them. If you’d rather help international groups like Habitat for Humanity, etc., I hear they’ve got local chapters already. All we really need to do is strike a balance between our individual capacity and our ideals, beliefs and aspirations. My point is, do something! Let’s end this deception once and for all and work together to break the bonds of exploitation that has gripped the masses since time immemorial. Let’s put an end to apathy and start working for genuine democracy. Let’s give power back to the people! Like you said, we are the government. Isn’t it time for us to get back the dignity that we’ve been denied for so long? After all, the right to dignity is the most basic human right of all.

I hope I haven’t maligned anyone’s ideals. I'd hate to offend others. I just wanted to share what I learned from personal experience in the hopes that more people would work towards a better society, one that’s free from slavery and exploitation, one where people get what they deserve and treat each other with respect, one where everybody is free to exercise their rights with no fear of violence or any other inhumane treatment, one where we each have our dignity intact. Is that too much to ask or hope for?

Abortion should be Banned, Abolished & Buried Underground!

Abortion is such a horrible topic—but one that should be talked about until every single item relevant to the whole issue has been worn out. First off, abortion is horrible. Medically speaking, it is a whole bloody mess. The whole procedure takes a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears with little or no relief for both the doctor and the patient. Literally, abortion is a procedure that should never, ever be performed, let alone discussed. Yet discuss it we must.

With the approval of the pro-abortion bill, one might think that the entire member of congress has gone nuts! Why anyone would ever approve the inhumane and deplorable murder of an innocent, unborn baby, a living entity, a would-be grown human being with feeling, rights and privileges is something that boggles the mind. I kid you not!

I’ve been meaning to write about this subject but I never got around to it. I kept thinking, oh if I put it off for one more day it won’t bother me as much. But with each day that goes by, the knowledge that such an unforgivable practice would not only be condoned, but even legalized and given extra means to grow and prosper gives me the heebie-jeebies!

Today, I took one look at Bo’s KFam Report and decided to put into writing my opinion about the whole matter. FYI, Bo’s KFam Report merely states the amount they spent in order to rescue 15 babies from abortion, with a bit of vital information thrown here and there. And yet, this simple email struck a chord in me that just would not stop reverberating.

Abortion is wrong! It is unpardonable! It is shocking! It is dreadful! It is appalling! It is downright unacceptable!

Why anyone would approve such a bill only goes to show how loose the morals of our lawmakers have become. Not only have they given free-rein to the outright murder of innocent lives many times over every single day or even hour for that matter; they have also let loose the unborn babies’ version of one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse. I am not exaggerating either.

We should be scared, very scared! Abortion does not just snuff out an innocent’s life it endangers the life of the expectant mother as well. Both baby and mother are in mortal danger each time a procedure for abortion is performed or even attempted.

I remember watching the movie “The Cider House Rules” featuring my favorite actor, Tobey “Spider-man” Maguire, and I recall cringing every time he would bring out this small “arinola” as we call it here in the province, knowing that it contains one or more fetuses coming from the young girls or women who visit their clinic just to have their babies aborted for reasons ranging from their youth, the fact that they were raped and don’t want the baby, or simply because they weren’t ready and not expecting to get pregnant, like Charlize Theron’s character.

Abortion is such a depressing topic—the mere mention of it makes me want to rant and cry at the same time. For the life of me I have no idea why anyone would condone let alone promote such a practice. My best friend, who happens to be one heck of a doctor (she’s a genius, you see), was once asked to perform an abortion on one of her friends. Even though the approach was discreet, my friend was appalled and she said a firm “No!” right then and there. This makes me love my best friend even more. I know I’m biased and all but the mere fact that she would not even consider the request restores my faith in doctors and humanity, even only for just a little while. Knowing that there are many doctors out there who would never perform such a lamentable procedure like abortion makes me smile, for just a minute or so. That smile is still on my face right now. Hey, I really love my best friend!

To put it bluntly, abortion should never even be mentioned in any circle, whether out loud or in hushed tones. It’s something that should be kept 10,000 feet underground, under hundreds of locks and guarded by that three-headed dog in Harry Potter. That’s how unpardonable abortion is in my opinion, and nothing would ever change that!

So there, I’ve finally said my piece on abortion. This has been a constant reminder for me. A voice keeps telling me each and every night to take time out to write about abortion. In my head, that voice is God. Out of deference to Mama Mary’s Immaculate Conception feast, which happens to be today, I am publishing this blog on all of my social networks. Don’t care what anyone thinks about this last part. At least tonight I can sleep soundly knowing that I have finally done what God has been asking me to do for so many weeks now. Abortion should be abolished! Right here, right now!