A gift is a gift

Post-Christmas post: Have you ever given gifts that were barely appreciated? Not even opened? Did the receiver even thank you at all?

That happens to me. Yes, in the present tense because it's a regular occurrence. Especially this one person who was joking about someone else not opening my gift for a year, and it turns out the one joking was the one who has not yet opened their gift from me. 

Four days and counting.

Sigh. If that person only knew how expensive that gift was!

If that person knew how much *I* wanted that gift for myself!

Would the person even notice if I took back the gift? I might as well enjoy it for myself...

But I am suddenly reminded (by guess Who):

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

(Romans 11:29)

Irrevocable. If God won't take back His gifts, who am I to do otherwise? 

I was convicted and chastised about the times I ignored the gifts He gave me... and the times I misused them (such as for personal gain, or to hurt others). 

Yet God never took back His gifts and His calling. They're still there, waiting for me. And God does not just wait for me to figure out my way to them -- He gently restores and reminds:

• by His Holy Spirit;
• by His written Word;
• by the God-centered people around me;
• and by circumstances (failures teach more effectively than successes!).

Now I remember why I gave that gift to that person. It was a deliberate act of love and goodwill. It was my choice --- independent of the receiver's response.

So without further ado, I left the gift where I found it. Unopened, unacknowledged, unappreciated.

A few hours later, I got this text:

"Teci, I started reading the book ----- that you gave me. It's great! I love it. Uumpisahan ko sa January 1 ulit, hehe! Thank you very much!"

Whoa. (Whoa to the infinity, since this comes from a non-expressive person.) Thank God I didn't take that gift back! The joy and blessing is now greatly multiplied. 

And now to make more use of God's gifts and calling for me.  :)

Mom's (and Dad's) Forgiveness

An unlikely friendship has formed between the mother of a 9/11 victim and the mother of one of its main conspirators. (More stories like this can be found over at The Forgiveness Project.)

"I have come to see forgiveness as more than a word; it's a context, a process. I don't forgive the act, but trying to understand why someone has acted in the way they have is part of the process of forgiving. Forgiveness is being able to accept another person for being human and fallible."


This reminded me of another scene between two mothers - those of 2Pac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. These rappers were based in rival territories (West Coast vs. East Coast), and both were murdered. Here, their mothers made a public appearance together.

We've heard it said that a mother's love is unconditional. How deep that love must be, to extend even to the *enemies* of her children!

Yet we are also aware of how fallen even our moms can be. God says,

"Can a woman forget her nursing child,
   that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
   yet I will not forget you."
- Isaiah 49:15


As we receive the imperfect love of our human mothers, may we appreciate all the more our Heavenly Father's perfect love.

Just giving (back) the glory, the blessings

The NIV Student Bible explains:

David's prayer at the beginning of temple construction shows why he was a man after God's own heart. Despite all his achievements, he was deeply humble. He wanted glory to go to God, not Himself.


Here's the gist of the prayer from 1 Chronicles 29:

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,


Praise be to You, O LORD,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.

Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
You are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from You;
You are the ruler of all things.

In Your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give You thanks,
and praise Your glorious name.


But who am I, and who are my people,
that we should be able to give as generously as this?
Everything comes from You,
and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.


As for all this abundance that we have provided
for building You a temple for Your Holy Name,
it comes from Your hand,
and all of it belongs to You.


I know, my God,
that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.
And now I have seen with joy 
how willingly Your people who are here have given to You.


O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever,
and keep their hearts loyal to You.


And give my son the wholehearted devotion
to keep Your commands, requirements and decrees.

Father's forgiveness

It is much easier to feel a mother's love than that of a father.

But whether one's father has been abusive or absent,
we are called by our Heavenly Father to forgive,
as He Himself has forgiven us.

May we all have a meaningful Fathers' Day. :)

Coming Home

I just love this song from a much older and wiser Diddy, "Coming Home". It's so repentant yet triumphant at the same time. The original video is here. Below are some of the lyrics :)

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming...

I'm back where I belong

I never felt so strong

I'm back and I 'm feeling there's nothing I can try

And if you with me put your hands high...

What am I s'posed to do when the club lights come on?

It's easy to be Puff, but it's harder to be Sean
What if the twins ask why I ain't marry their mom?

Why? Damn! How do I respond? 

What if my son stares with a face like my own

And says he wants to be like me when he's grown?
Shit! But I ain't finished growing
Another night the inevitable prolongs

Another day another dawn
Just tell Keisha and Taresha I'll be better in the morn'
Another lie that I carry on
I need to get back to the place I belong...

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming...

Is a house really a home when your loved ones are gone?...

But you felt it and still feel it 

And money can't make up for it or conceal it
But you deal with it and you keep ballin'...

Baby we've been living in sin 

'Cause we've been really in love but we've been living as friends
So you've been a guest in your own home
It's time to make your house your home
Pick up the phone, come on

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming...

"Ain't No Stopping Us Now", I love that song 

Whenever it comes on it makes me feel strong
I thought I told y'all that we won't stop
'Till we back cruising through Harlem, Viso blocks
It's what made me, saved me, drove me crazy
Drove me away then embraced me, forgave me
For all of my shortcomings
Welcome to my homecoming
Yeah it's been a long time coming

Lot of fights, lot of scars,
Lot of bottles, lot of cars,
Lot of ups, lot of downs,
Made it back, lost my dog
I miss you B.I.G.
But here I stand,
A better man
Thank you Lord
Thank you Lord!

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away

(Feels so good)

All the pain of yesterday

(Feels so free)

I know my kingdom awaits

(Ain't no place like home, baby)

And they've forgiven my mistakes

(Ain't no place like home)

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming...

I'm coming home

Do you not know?

Perhaps, perhaps...
... Cinderella's stepsisters were not cruel out of choice,
but rather out of ignorance.

"Forgive them," a Man once said,
a Man who did nothing wrong
yet was sent to die in the most brutish way possible,
"Forgive them for they know not what they do."

Perhaps "they" don't know
that there's a better way to live;
that it is strength, not weakness,
to admit mistakes,
to serve others,
to love.

Perhaps they don't know
the One who is able to do all these
the One who can enable us to do all these...

Perhaps they know, but have forgotten.

What about me? Do I know God?

Knowing Who I know
makes it easier to forgive those who do not know (or have forgotten)
and hope that they would know (or remember) Him too.

They say, "To err is human, to forgive is divine."
Perhaps the very act of receiving forgiveness
for doing what one knows not,
would lead one to the One
whom one knew not.

Our lives are made in these small hours :)

Last night, I "met the Robinsons" again.
Thank You God, for leading me to the best life possible, in my past, my present, and my future.
Thank You for my destiny, for glimpses of my future,
and for the choices and actions that lead to this glorious tomorrow.
Thank You because we can afford to learn from the past yet keep moving forward;
for with You, each new day is better than the last.

(Thank You also for science fairs, notebooks of ideas, for magnificent failures, for big loving families... and for telling my future husband that I'm always right. :p )

http://torpin.blogia.com/upload/20070126141910-robinsosns.jpg

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
- Walt Disney

Little Wonders
by Rob Thomas
featured in the movie "Meet the Robinsons"
video here


Let it go
Let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know
The hardest part is over
Let it in
Let your clarity define you
In the end
You will only just remember how it feels

Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours
These small hours
Still remain

Let it slide
Let your troubles fall behind you
Let it shine,
Till you feel it all around you
And I don't mind
If it's me you need to turn to
We'll get by
It's the heart that really matters in the end

Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These small hours
Still remain

All of my regret
Will wash away somehow
But I cannot forget
the way I feel right now

In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Yeah, these twisted turns of fate
Time falls away
Yeah, but these small hours,
These small hours
Still remain

Yeah, oh they still remain
These little wonders
All these twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These little wonders
Still remain

happy birthday paps! :)

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
1 Chronicles 29:17a



Today we celebrate the birthday of my father, Angelo Pulido; a man who has taught me conviction, principles, and integrity by the life that he is living.

This year, may God pour out so much more of His living Spirit in your life; that you will be blessed with greater wisdom, hope, joy, strength, and love.


Proud to be your unica hija,

Ate :)

my mom loves me so much...

my mom loves me so much...

...that she gave me her phone...on her birthday :p

(hey, only for the meantime! it's an emergency...!)

Happy Birthday again, Moms :)


Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" — which is the first commandment with a promise — "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." (Ephesians 6:1-3)

HBD to the best brother in the world :)

Kita-kits sa kainan mamaya :)




"The Miracle of a Brother's Song"
(forwarded by our dad)

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required?

Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.

Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. 'I want to sing to her,' he kept saying.

Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU.

The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed.' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated.

Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing.

In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.'

Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

'Keep on singing, Michael ,' encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.

'You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away.'

As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr.

'Keep on singing, sweetheart.'

'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms.'

Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.

'Keep on singing, Michael .'

Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed.

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away...'

The next day --- the very next day --- the little girl was well enough to go home.

Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother's Song. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love.


NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.

LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

Life is good.

Have a Wonderful Day!

In God We Trust!

'The evidence of God's presence far outweighs the proof of His absence.'

Contradicting Contraception

Thanks to my labmate/colleague JRob for the heads up...A contraception-based lifestyle tends to promote sex over love, marriage, and family. (The best case, of course, is having all of the above. Like other things --- and especially in the Christian lifestyle --- this is an all-or-nothing scenario.)

Disclaimer: Catholic and Evangelical Christians promote sex only within the marriage of one man to one woman, but where the former support only natural means of birth control, the latter support artificial contraception as well. Again, as long as within marriage.


UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CONTRACEPTION
Family-Life Speaker Links It to Abortion and Divorce
from http://www.zenit.org/article-23338?l=english


(EXCERPTS:)


ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida, JULY 25, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is an excerpt of a talk titled "Why Contraception Matters: How It Keeps Us from Love and Life," given by Steve Patton, director of the Diocesan Center for Family Life in St. Augustine. The talk is being distributed by One
More Soul.

* * *

It used to be, before the contraceptive revolution, that there was a pretty clear and firm connection between sex and marriage. Married people had sex, unmarried people didn't, or if they did, they more or less knew that they weren't supposed to. Most everybody knew this.

But over the course of the 20th century, as contraception became more socially accepted, more available, and more effective, all that began to change. By the time the sixties rolled around it was becoming clear, to married and unmarried people alike, that you didn't have to be married to have sex. Contraceptive practice had made sex into a recreational activity that everyone has a right to.

...Widespread use of contraception by married couples also led to an increase of adultery. Once you take away one of the greatest fears of extra-marital sex -- which is pregnancy -- you're going to see an increase of that activity. And when there is an increase in adultery
there's also going to be an increase in divorce.

...What Dr. Morse touches upon is our culture's prevailing disconnection between sex and babies. Before contraception was king, the prevailing assumption was that a baby was a natural consequence of sex. If you chose to engage in sex, you knew it could result in a baby. You might not have wanted that to happen, but you assumed that it could happen. If a baby did result, it was because of your freely chosen action, and so you were likely, not necessarily, but likely, to feel a certain kind of responsibility toward that child.

Now couples who think this way do know that keeping a baby out of the picture doesn't just happen by itself; you have to do your part. You have to do something to the sexual act to make sure that a baby won't be conceived. That's what, quote unquote, taking responsibility for your actions now means with respects to sexual activity.

But if a couple has this kind of attitude, then when the contraception fails, as it often does, and there's a pregnancy, they're not going to tend to think the baby's there because of their actions. They're going to tend to think the baby's there in spite of their actions. In other words, their mindset is not so much that this is their child that they conceived. Rather, they're going to tend to think it's an invader that they failed to repel. This kind of thinking is likely to foster quite a different sense of what's the responsible thing to do next.

Before you place your child in day-care...

Before you place your child in day-care...
See the entire article in http://www.bible.ca/f-daycare-thoughts.htm


(Excerpts:)

The first six years are most important. Stay at home! Quit your job! Pre-school day cares should be considered only in desperate circumstances.

The rapid statistical increase of kids who kill is linked to a lack of parent-child bonding in these young murderers.

The absence of attachment leads to "affectionless phychopathy...beginning with an initial phase of clinging, dependant behavior followed by attention-seeking, uninhibited, indiscriminate friendliness & finally, a personality characterized by lack of guilt, an inability to keep rules & an inability to form lasting relationships."

The real solution is personal & relational. Children need the full-time love & care of their parents. Nothing can take the place of the strong bond formed between parents & their children.

...Conscience & character are not self-creating. These qualities will not form in a child who is not closely nurtured in the first five years of life. Research shows that neglect for even relatively short periods in a child’s life (due to patient illness, death, moving, etc. ) can damage the child’s character.

honoring his fellow fathers :)

The following is taken from http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/cr0706.html. Happy Fathers' Day everyone! :) May we give back to our fathers (biological, professional, spiritual, etc...especially our Heavenly Father!) the honor and appreciation they deserve :)

Thanking Father on Father’s Day
-an article for the June 2007 Deep Cove Crier


This Father’s Day, I am so grateful to both have a father and be a father. I have had a father for 52 years and been a father for 26 years.

My first Deep Cove Crier Father’s Day article was 18 years ago in 1989. I had only been a father for six years at that point. In 1910 a special Sunday to pay tribute to fathers was set aside by the Ministerial Society of Spokane, Washington at the suggestion of Mrs. John Bruce Dodd. This was just 3 years after the kickoff of the enormously popular Mother's Day. In 1911, Miss Jane Addams of Chicago, the well-known social worker of Hull House, stirred up Chicago with the same idea. "Poor father has been left out in the cold:' she said. "He doesn't get much recognition".

There seems to be few people who cheer for fathers. In the 1990 Deep Cove Crier, I commented that “too often, today's fathers are portrayed as absent, ineffective, inconsistent, abusive, or weak. It’s time to build up our fathers, not tear them down. Fathers, we honour and appreciate you. We respect your hard work and your commitment to your wife and children. We value your desire to make time for your family, and to nourish your wife. Your steadfastness and dedication are a real source of security and joy to the families of our community.”

Why are fathers so significant in each of our lives? As I mentioned in the 1991 Deep Cove Crier, fathers are significant, because they represent the world beyond, the unknown beyond the mother's arms, the halfway house from childhood to adulthood. When there is no father to serve as a bridge into adulthood, adolescence can be a turbulent time.

What do I particularly value about my father? It is his gift of stability. As I said in the 1994 Deep Cove Crier, my father is "a rock". Whenever I need help, he is always there for me.

I love my father. My best friend Jesus loves his Father. I love my father because he first loved me. Jesus said: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.” (John 3:35). My father has generously poured his life into me over many years. Jesus said: “The Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” When Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray, his very first words were ‘Our Father’. He called God ‘Father’ 191 times in the Good Book, more than anyone had ever done before. This Father’s Day, may the Son show you how much the Father really loves you.


The Reverend Ed Hird
Rector, St. Simon’s Church North Vancouver, BC
Anglican Coalition in Canada
http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/

Sinners not allowed?

i have some misgivings about this article (enough to abruptly break my over-three-month-old "blog fast"!):

Vatican ‘corrects’ Couples for Christ’s ‘GK’ focus

(i'll reprint the entire article here only when it is no longer stored in the Inquirer archives.)

(1)

Reyes further said the [Couples for Christ] had always been against artificial family planning but that Gawad Kalinga had been receiving funds from companies manufacturing contraceptives.
“If you do that, you are forgetting Christian values,” Reyes said.
“You can always work with everyone—Muslims, Buddhists—but still not forget Christian values. We can remain Christians. We should not forget our Christian values,” he said.

---> There was a good disclaimer about being able to "work with everyone" but maintaining high standards for "Christian values". But how do we draw the line? How different would refusing donations from contraceptive manufacturers be from, say, *not* greeting an adulterer or *not* praying for the corrupt politician? Even if we have God's standards of holy living, we must be careful not to judge others because we have all sinned anyway.

Without going into a debate over the immorality of contraceptives (a 'bad' thing, according to the Catholic Church), shouldn't the companies who manufacture them at least be lauded for supporting GK (perhaps we would all agree is a 'good' thing)? Are we keeping 'sinners' from doing the little 'good' that they can still do? Do these sound like "Christian values"? Shouldn't we rather work together and even encourage each other to do good? Each deed is a good place to head in the right direction.


(2)

According to Reyes, the letter carried a quote from Pope Benedict XVI that said: “Whoever does not give God, gives too little.”
“That’s before the part where it says CFC should counterbalance the overemphasis on social work,” the bishop said, adding:
“Overemphasis on social work is not good when you are already neglecting your relationship with Christ.”

--> Truly we must have God as the God of our lives, whether we serve the poor or work for the rich and so on. It's important to be reminded to put "your relationship with Christ" first.

But that relationship is personal and cannot be judged by others on the basis of appearance or behavior. Just because someone is helping the poor doesn't make him less spiritual, or distant from God. On the contrary! The one who helps the poor is actually more likely to be following the God of mercy and compassion; and one who says he follows God should be obeying what He says about unconditional love and goodness.

Are the Pope and other leaders signifying that GK should do less social work and instead preach more (and/or pray more)? I've learned that there are different approaches to sharing about God, because people have different personalities and different needs (financial or otherwise). Can a homeless man listen to a preacher above the growling of his stomach?

Serving God entails feeding His sheep. Even if the most important aspect of this context is spiritual, will we merely say "God bless you" to a hungry man before walking away?

Conspiracy of the Season :)

from ThinkChristian.Net :)

WHO DOESN'T LOVE A CONSPIRACY?

Found an article this morning on Ethics Daily about the Advent Conspiracy .
Sounds mysterious.

"We celebrate Jesus' birthday by giving ourselves presents," McKinley says. "We don't give him anything." McKinley is pastor of the Imago Dei Community…

[Last year] McKinley and a few pastor friends from around the country hatched what they called the Advent Conspiracy. They challenged their congregations: Spend less on Christmas, give relational gifts and donate the money saved to the poor."
Three congregations collected $430,000—Imago Dei collected $110,000 on a single Sunday—and gave most of that to Living Water International, a nonprofit project that digs wells in the Third World…
This year, about 491 churches from 10 nations have joined the conspiracy…World Relief, an evangelical mission group, has recruited 500 more churches to participate. About 1,700 individuals have joined on the Internet
And the obvious benefit:

And there was another gift that neither Blakeman nor McKinley anticipated. Families spend more time together as they plan and make gifts. It all becomes relational if people resist consumerism.

"We're not asking that you don't spend money on Christmas," McKinley says, "just that you do it with the poor in mind."
I'm seriously considering joining the conspiracy.
Anyone attend a church that's participating in the Advent Conspiracy? Anybody wish they could get their family to agree to this?
HT: A Guy In The Pew

Finding Hope in the City Park :)

SIX FIND HOPE AT QUEZON MEMORIAL
November 05, 2007 04:50:00
by Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer


MANILA, Philippines -- For six people, the Quezon Memorial Circle is more than a park smack in the middle of busy, exhaust-choked Elliptical Road in Quezon City. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, it is a place of hope and new beginnings.

A simple admission to a social worker of Child Hope Asia Philippines that they had stolen cell phones in the park changed the lives of Jeffrey and Bernard (not their real names), aged 16 and 18, respectively.

The social worker told a colleague who informed Quezon City Parks Development Foundation Inc. (QCPDFI) chair Charito Planas.

Planas was touched by the boys’ brave admission and asked to meet with them. She felt hope for them because they still had a conscience and helped them go back to school.

Now, Jeffrey is at the top of his high school sophomore class at the Culiat Annex school, while Bernard is taking a vocational course in air-conditioning repair.

“We now have plans for our lives,” Bernard says in Filipino as Jeffrey nods in assent.

In the past, the boys worked as jeepney barkers at Philcoa and Tandang Sora avenues in Quezon City.


So much distrust

Jeffrey says they used to hate the rich because “they distrust us so much. We go near them and they avoid us.”

In one incident, he overheard an overprotective mother tell her young child: “‘Get away from him. He’s a snatcher.’ We were always insulted by the rich and looked down upon.”

Jeffrey says the few coins they earned as barkers they used to buy solvent or a bowl of rice swimming in beef or chicken stock. If they were still hungry, they would steal food from tables inside fast-food restaurants momentarily left unattended by customers.

Bernard says they usually slept at the circle.

Asked where in the park they used to sleep, he answers in jest: “We have a very big mansion here,” gesturing at the vastness of the park.

Their aversion toward the “rich” was somewhat reduced when they met volunteer social workers from Assumption College.

“We used to insult them. We told them that they should avoid us like the other rich people. But they did not give up. They showed us that not all rich people are snobs,” Jeffrey says.

It was the Assumption volunteers who introduced them to Child Hope, a nongovernmental organization helping children get off the streets.

Faith Elahe, Child Hope social worker and street educator, met the boys early this year.


Touched by sincerity

Jeffrey and Bernard were so touched by the apparent sincerity of Child Hope, they expressed remorse and confessed to having stolen cellular phones from visitors to the Quezon Memorial Circle. They said they did it to help a third accomplice, who needed the money to buy medicine for a sick parent.

“They really wanted to return the cell phones but since [they had already sold the phones] and had no means of [getting them back] or returning them [to the owners], they said they wanted to change,” says Elahe, who arranged the boys’ meeting with the QCPDFI chair.

Planas asked the boys what they wanted out of life. Jeffrey said he wanted to finish high school, while Bernard said he wanted to get a job.

Planas learned from Elahe that Jeffrey came from a dysfunctional family and was forced to stop school because his parents could no longer afford his education.

She offered to send him to Culiat Annex. During the first few months, she discovered he was a smart boy.

“His grades were not that high then but I told him that if he pulled up his grades, I could get him a scholarship and put him through college,” Planas says.

At the end of the third grading period, Jeffrey went to Planas’ office with his report card. He was at the top of his class.

“I want to take up civil engineering, then maybe buy myself a mansion,” Jeffrey says. Bernard dreams of getting a job and starting a family.

Second chance

Misfortune hounded Michael Burgos, 31, and his common-law wife Jill Cruz, 18, and their 9-month-old daughter Maria Crystal before life gave them a second chance at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

Burgos used to work as a security guard but lost his job because the agency he belonged to turned out to be operating illegally.

“I could not find a job that could help my family survive. I tried construction work and ended up being a scavenger because without papers, nobody wanted to employ me,” says Burgos, adding that the fly-by-night security agency refused to surrender his credentials.

Neither could the couple return to their families who were strongly against the relationship.

“I love my wife and I cannot bear being separated from her,” says Burgos, adding that Cruz’s family was willing to take her back on condition that she left him.

So they moved from place to place, their belongings in plastic bags, reaching as far as Pasay City. At one point, they were sleeping at the Luneta where most of their possessions were stolen, prompting them to find a safe place to stay.

After Maria Crystal was born in February, they moved to the circle. They begged for alms in the day and slept in the park at night. They did this for three months until a park employee convinced them to approach Planas.

The QCPDFI chair initially offered Burgos a job with the barangay (village) but eventually told him to rent one of the rest rooms in the park as a concessionaire.

Planas also allowed the homeless family to live in the men’s rest room near the park’s food court until they could find a place of their own.

“I now have a source of income and a place to live … until we can bounce back,” Burgos says.


Mama Planas

Samantha Grace Planas Maceda was abandoned by her mother at the Quezon Memorial Circle when she was just 2 months old. This was in 2000.

Maceda now considers Planas her mother.

Planas says the child, now 7 years old, has grown up to be a well-rounded individual who is wise beyond her years.

The QCPDFI chair says that although Maceda is not interested in going back to her biological mother, the little girl is curious about the identity of her parents.

“I told her I know the name of her mother but I cannot tell her because I made a promise,” Planas says, adding that the child’s mother had called up the QCPDFI at least three times.

Maceda’s mother had asked Planas for one thing: “Please take good care of my daughter.”

This is something Planas has been doing since Maceda was left in her care.

“She can carry her own in a conversation with adults and is never shy talking with public officials, including Mayor (Feliciano) Belmonte,” Planas says.

She adds that Maceda once told her: “Mama, I will be president.”


© Copyright 2007 INQUIRER.net, An INQUIRER Company

worth the wait (and thank God, NEVER too late :) )

DADS HELP DAUGHTERS PLEDGE 'SEXUAL PURITY'
Dance this week will help drive home message about abstinence
by Stephanie Innes
Arizona Daily Star
Published: 10.07.2007

At the event, daughters sign this pledge to remain faithful to
"a lifestyle of purity that will honor God, myself, my family and my future husband."
PHOTOS BY Mamta Popat / arizona daily star

When they were 10 years old, twins Jessica and Jennifer Worcester received a gift from their dad — silver rings that they slipped on their fingers with a promise: They would remain sexually pure until marriage.

The Worcester twins, now 13, have made their abstinence vows an annual celebration. Along with their dad and other fathers and daughters, they will attend the annual Purity Ball in Tucson Friday night.

Proponents view Purity Balls as fostering healthy bonding between fathers and daughters and teaching girls and young women that they are valuable and worth waiting for.

They've heard what critics say, that the Purity Ball concept puts a girl's virginity in a metaphorical lockbox to which Daddy holds the key. But they say that's a misinterpretation of the event's purpose.

"It's not about a bunch of rules, about bolting a chastity belt on them," said the twins' father, Tom Worcester, 47, a Raytheon engineer. "That would really not be a successful approach. It's about a choice a young lady can make and stick with."

Jennifer Worcester, 13, shows the price tag on a dress to her father, Tom,
during a shopping trip to find something to wear to the Fifth Annual Purity Ball.
"It's not about a bunch of rules, about bolting a chastity belt on them.
That would really not be a successful approach," Tom Worcester says of the ball concept.

The Tucson Purity Ball, a Baptist-based event, began in 2003 and has inspired similar balls in Phoenix and Yuma. The Tucson event typically attracts 200 girls and their fathers, who wear their best dress-up clothes and sign "integrity and purity" covenants with one another.

They will each receive a white rose to place under a Christian cross, and the girls will receive silver-and-pink necklaces that say, "Worth Waiting For."

Daughters attending the Purity Ball receive a "Worth Waiting For" necklace.

"It's making a commitment, and they make it like a prom," said Jennifer, a student at Mountain Vista School.

"You are saving yourself until marriage — waiting for the right man to give yourself to," added Jessica, who attends Pusch Ridge Christian Academy.

Girls pledge sexual purity to themselves, God, their families and their future husbands. Dads vow to be men of accountability and God as they "lead, guide, protect and pray" over their daughters.

Though she can recall abstinence-only dances going back to the '80s, Abstinence Clearinghouse president Leslee Unruh traces the beginnings of the current Purity Ball movement to Colorado Springs, Colo., where parents Lisa and Randy Wilson first held a ball in 1999.

Unruh estimates 1,300 Purity Ball events have been held in the United States during the past year, and she says enthusiasm is growing. While Wilson's event, like the Tucson Purity Ball, is faith-based, most around the country are secular and funded with federal abstinence-only dollars, she said.

Some boys are getting their own events. Unruh says more and more "Knight to Remember" purity events for moms and sons are taking place.

"Where in our culture is the father exalted? The father is a buffoon. He's ridiculed, mocked, made the fool in the media," said Randy Wilson, a former pastor now with the Family Research Council.

"(But) girls whose fathers are in their lives are less likely to be promiscuous, get depressed, have thoughts of suicide. We believe a girl's identity and self-worth comes from the father.

"If the father is not there," Wilson added, "she will wander outside the home and look for the answer to whether she is beautiful and worthy of being pursued. She will be devoured."

Girls must be at least 10 to attend Tucson's Purity Ball. Most attendees are in their teens, but some young women in their 20s also take part.

Tucson native Jennifer Robison, a 24-year-old graphic designer in Phoenix, will drive to Tucson Friday to attend the ball with her father, Rod, who is a vice president of Family Life Radio in Tucson.

"Being 24 and an unmarried virgin is obviously rare," said Jennifer. "I'm guarding my heart and my body, and I want to be a role model for the younger girls."

From that standpoint, said Rod Robison, "she's pretty countercultural. But we've never put pressure on her in that way."
He and Jennifer, who is the eldest of five, have always had a close relationship, one that has been strengthened by "date nights" when the two of them go to dinner or a movie together.

When Jennifer was younger, the pair talked about subjects like how to be friends with boys.

"I have no qualms about my daughter understanding all options when it comes to sexual education, as long as it's within the context of knowing that the best option for not having her heart torn apart is abstinence," Rod Robison said.

Jennifer said her Christian faith has fueled her commitment, and she's not shy about her chastity. She sometimes wears a T-shirt that says "Virgins are Hot."

As she's grown older her decision has been reinforced by what she's learned from friends and acquaintances. Young women who didn't feel loved by their fathers will often seek attention from other men in their lives, and that can lead to problems, she said.

"Dads have a kind of practical wisdom. They can provide us with that sense of male protectiveness and leadership we need, versus trying to find it somewhere else," she said.

The first time Christie Raaum's dad invited her to the local Purity Ball she was 12 years old and still into Barbies and princesses. She loved the idea of a ball and bought a floor-length dress. Now a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Tucson Country Day School, Christie is about to attend her third event.

"I want her to pick the kind of man who treats her the way I did," said her father, Randy Raaum, 40, who is pastor of Pima Street Baptist Church.

Christie and her dad also go on date nights. Often they will go to dinner and a movie. Other times they just go to the grocery store or the hardware store.

Staying pure until marriage doesn't seem like it will be difficult, says Christie, though she's not even sure she'll get married at all.

"I have too many things I want to do — NASCAR driver, author, oceanographer, Egyptologist — I'm pretty independent," she said.

She added one more thought: "Without my dad, I don't know where I'd be."

Jennifer Worcester, 13, left, holds up a gown that might be just the one for the Purity Ball
she plans to attend this week with her twin sister, Jessica, at right.
Kim Worcester, the girls' mom, helps with dress selection at Macy's in the Tucson Mall.

Gospel Supplies in Tucson, where the Worcester girls found their purity rings, has several items related to purity, one of the most popular being a book titled "The Princess and the Kiss: A Story of God's Gift of Purity." In the book, God gives a young girl the gift of a kiss, which her parents keep in a safe. The girl learns that the kiss is a valuable gift, and she must decide whether to keep it or give it away.

The Worcester twins don't watch much mainstream television, though they enjoy reruns of "Gilmore Girls" and "Seventh Heaven." They like contemporary Christian singer Rebecca St. James, who is passionate about sexual purity. Recently the twins have become involved in "Secret Keeper Girl," a Bible-based program that teaches girls not only about purity, but the power of modest dressing and inner beauty.

The Worcester twins' eldest sister, Ashley Ellingson, is organizing this year's Purity Ball, part of her job as development coordinator for Arizona Baptist Children's Services, which is hosting the event.

Ellingson, who is 22, says she remained pure until her wedding three years ago.

During the past year she's had media calls about the ball from all over the world.

"It's obviously not something our society is used to," she said. "It's so abnormal that I get calls about it all the time. I think people are curious. But what does that say about our culture?"

New Life Pregnancy Center, a ministry of Arizona Baptist Children's Services that advocates adoption over abortion, sees girls as young as 12 and 13 for pregnancy testing, and sometimes the tests are positive, she said, explaining why 10 is not too young to understand the Purity Ball.

Ellingson said she believes premarital sex leads to a whole host of problems for young women, among them poor self-esteem, a risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy.

But she added that girls who have had sex can always start anew and make purity pledges.

"To me, it's not about how many girls kept the commitment. This is important no matter what. It's still worth it to try," she said. "We are encouraging people to make healthy choices. STDs, teen pregnancies, those things are not good."

Tom Worcester jokes that any guy responsible for his daughters' breaking their purity promise will be buried in his backyard. Speaking more seriously, he said people make mistakes, and nothing would change his love or commitment to his children.

Randy Raaum, who has five daughters, puts it this way: "Even if they do break the promise, how could there possibly be a downside to having a close relationship with family members?"

On StarNet: Watch a slide show about the dance at http://www.azstarnet.com/slideshows.

● Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or at sinnes@azstarnet.com.

learning to listen, trying to talk: communicating with God is two-way

The titles are linked to the articles themselves :)


1. Is That You, God?
Learning to recognize your Father's voice.
by Alicia Bruxvoort

2. The Busy Woman's Guide to Prayer
(No matter how packed your daily planner is!)
by Cheri Fuller

3. A New Dimension
Fresh ways to deepen your prayers for your loved ones
by Julie-Allyson Ieron

Man, the Leader 3: To Be a Man

before giving the book "For Men Only" to my dad, i just had to read it first. not all of it, just about "The Man and His Marriage" (but of course!!!). so here goes =)

from the book: "For Men Only"*
the section: "The Man and His Marriage"
the article: "Man, The Leader"
by David W. Augsburger (radio speaker, 'The Mennonite Hour')


To be a man
Is to possess the strength to love another,
Not the need to dominate over others.

To be a man
Is to experience the courage to accept another,
Not the compulsion to be an aggressor.

To be a man
Is to keep faith with human values in relationships,
Not to value oneself by position or possessions.

To be a man
Is to be free to give love

And to be free to accept love in return.


* “For Men Only: The Dynamics of Being a Man and Succeeding at It,” edited by J. Allan Peterson, Living Books, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Illinois. 1973.
Article originally from “Cherishable: Love and Marriage,” Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa., 1971.

thesis thanks! =)

(what follows is the entire SIX-PAGE acknowledgement section on my master's thesis. i could not thank everyone (there are still those i didn't get to mention), and that very fact is something i'm thankful for as well :) i also noted at least two grammatical errors, one in English and one in Filipino, but i'll keep them here for sentimental reasons...and so you'll be forced to read everything, ha! pero really, thank You God. it is over; it is finished; it is done. :) )

===========================================

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27 :)


My MS life and this MS Physics thesis could not have been possible if not for the following people. I am so blessed to know, to work with, to laugh with, to laugh at (hehehe!), and to be with all of you. :)

Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Lord: Though i’m such a bratty evil kid You’ve never loved me any less. In grad school i've learned so much about You. Life with You is nothing short of amazing and truly without comparison. Thank you so much for speaking my language, for realigning my dreams, for reawakening my talents…but most of all, for dying so that we would live together forever. All of me is all for You. :)

Sir Caesar Saloma: Sir, thanks so much for all the insights and for always looking at the big picture when i get bogged down with details. Thanks for reminding me through example that scientists need not be oblivious to the world around them but should actually share their expertise with society. Thanks for all the big laughs, even those at my expense, hehehe! God bless sa pagiging CS Dean and always, more power and more grace (hindi po grace sa pagsayaw!) :)

Ma’am Marisciel “Dixie” Litong-Palima: Ma’am! Sana po hindi lumaking katulad ko sina Ned and Mat! Or kung maging katulad ko man, at least nahasa na po to the max ang inyong patience and tolerance. Ma’am Dixie, i cannot thank you enough for being my adviser. Kung meron mang magtatanong about God’s bottomless immeasurable mercy, tandaan niyo na lang po ang tiniis niyo sa akin during thesis time. Hehe...Paano ba ‘yan Ma’am, i'm still here! Ayoko pong mangako at mapako, pero sisikapin ko po na hindi na maulit ang (in your words) “harrowing experience” na ito. :)

Sir Christopher “Chris” Monterola: Hi sir! Sana nakapag-adjust ka na sa “new me”, hehehe! Sir, more than the drive to be excellent, natutunan ko po sa inyo na binigyan tayo ng talents and blessings para gamitin. PhD? Indeed, why not? Thanks for having not just one motivational talk with me: it paid off, i’m here! It’s inevitable that your enthusiasm and energy would rub off on everyone you meet, including moi. Thanks for reminding me why i'm here, and why, despite all my “outside plans”, i choose to stay. God bless on being a daddy :)

Ma’am Cristine Villagonzalo: Thank you po for being a fine example of a scientist and teacher. Ma’am, kinuha ko po kayong reader because a dear friend said that having you as a panelist/reader sets the bar much higher up. Totoo po ‘yan! Even without saying anything you exude excellence, and if i'm going to do anything why should it be anything less than excellent? Thanks po for showing that, even if pass-fail lang ang thesis, mayroong 100% and 1.0 na grade because these standards can be and are being reached. :)

Sir Ronald Banzon: Thanks po for being all cheery and lighthearted! Kaya po na-mislead niyo ang buong batch namin nung nag-102 kami, akala naming madali lang, nyuk nyuk nyuk…Thanks po for being the reachable, accessible one, na pwedeng bulabugin even for a change of grade in 232 kahit wala nang pag-asa. (Well, hindi nga po napalitan yung grade, pero at least hindi po nakakahiyang lumapit, hihi…tsaka abot pa rin po pala sa 2.0 grade average cutoff so ok lang…) Sir, let’s continue smiling! (Hehe, sinama ko pa sarili ko!) :)

Johnrob “Jrob” Bantang: Hey Jrob! Thanks so much for all the input and meticulous program encoding…With your readiness --- nay, eagerness! --- to help, grabe, i sometimes forgot that you were doing your own dissertation and advising two people who were defending their own theses! You were never too busy to help this lost girl, and i really appreciate that. And, more importantly, thanks for the eye-opening discussions on faith. Like the scientist that you are, continue searching for the answers, and like the teacher/adviser/mentor that you are, continue sharing what you’ve learned with others. God bless being a new daddy! :)

Ma’am May “May” Lim: Thank you for being such an inspiration. Even though wala ka dito sa lab, it’s still your abilities and your mark of excellence that sets the standard for us, and for me. You do everything so well and it seems so effortless, compared to few results and much effort for me. A, tama, tayo yung bin-alance out ni Lord! Hehehe. We can’t wait to have you back with us and share what you’ve learned from the “outside world”, but in the meantime we’ll slacken off muna, joke! :)

Margaret Louise “Meggy” Honrado: Hey meggy, grad students na tayo! When are we going to write those books ala Tolkien and Lewis? Yeah! Let’s start early para marami tayong magawang international bestsellers, diba? Thanks for being my outlet for cheesiness! Thanks because i love to disagree with you, even if deep down i know you’re right…ooops! Siguro tayo na ang best proof that Jeannie has a split personality, nyuk nyuk nyuk…Bring on the Wolvie movie para ma-okray ko na!!!... I love being a girly giggly fan (of anything!) because you are too. Thanks for telling me *years* ago that if i want to do something (write, join UP Quill), i should just go ahead. Hindi ko agad nagawa then pero i'm getting there…And thanks for giving me enough slack in thinking that i just need to be “reminded” of some things, hehe. Thanks for the friendship, see you sa New Worlds! :)

Sarah Katherine “Achee” Alfonso: Hi Paris Hilton in overalls! Hahaha! OK lang yan, di ka naman kilala ng karamihan dito…Salamat sa…free ride sa kotse! Yun lang! Hahahahaha!!!! Chee, sino ba mauuna sa atin ikasal? Baka unahan pa tayo ng apo ni nina! Pero all in His perfect timing diba? (Lord, paunahin mo na ako ke ach! Hehehe!) Chee, salamat talaga for all those loooong talks long ago, kahit ako lang naman talaga yung nag-talk at nasa very public place ako umiiyak. Ang galing ni Lord, ‘no, you were there all along. Chee, remember how we became friends? Me fanfiction pa tayong nalalaman ‘nun! E ngayon, me real-life adventures ka na; ako meron din pero dito lang sa good ol’ Diliman. Alam mo, our lives run better than any fic or fanfic. Grabe, it’s eleven years since high school, and eleven years na tayo friends! Coolness! Here’s to another decade of…me hitching a ride! Mwah mwah! :)

Anna Nina “Ninsky” Chua: Ninski! Kelan ba kayo magkakaanak ni Dan? Para ninang kami ni chee! Alam mo bang you’re my friend for the longest time? It’s been 17 years girl! Salamat for your loyalty, salamat for all the times we just hung out and bummed around, salamat for just being there. Sino ba sa mga Battle teammates ang totoong friends, and still communicate, hmmm? Tayo lang! (Ooops oo nga pala, dalasan nga natin mag-email!!!) Life is fun because of you. Sana you’re having a blast sa Oz. (Nakita nyo na ba yung Wizard? Ay corny…) Dalaw ka naman minsan, you know we all miss you girl! Or basta, usap naman tayo, kahit email para “free”, pero gusto ko sing-haba ng PhD dissertation ang kwento mo ha? Ha? Ha? Just show them how great you are! Mwah! :)

Gwendolyne “Gwenee” Pascua: Thanks for your noble spirit: it keeps me going! Lagi nating tandaan ang Philippians 4:8! At tanggalin na natin ang ating pagiging ___-hater, hehehe! Let’s keep fighting the good fight, superwoman! :)

Geraldine “Gege” Dumlao: Thanks for being cool and quirky! Your looking at the other side of things balances me out. Thanks for being sensible when i'm just…fanatical! Ge, i-me-makeover mo pa ko right? At mag-v-Victory Weekend ka na right? :)

Aristotle “Aris” Calamba: Your humility and your gentleness and your kindness amaze me. Clean slate talaga! Instead of being resentful or envious i should be inspired, and i am. Thanks for being an inspiration --- pero someone i can still laugh with, and laugh at! Ooops! :)

Catherine “Cathy” Serrano: To my 2006 Valentine, yihi! Some people just click ‘no? Well, magka-wavelength talaga eh! Ang difference lang ata natin ay field of specialty, pero pareho pa rin namang science! Pero there’s enough “differences” to keep our friendship from being boring. Thanks for your being you, an instant friend for keeps! :)

Gay Jane “Gayjane” Perez: Hi batchmate! Bumabalik na unti-unti ang batchmates mo pero that will never stop our being…”sisters”! Diba sabi ko nga nung grad party with us hindi halata kung sino ang counselor at sino ang counselee! Gay, i love how you can balance our acads and socials. Hindi ako ganun pero knowing you keeps me sane (and insane, hahaha!). Bili uli tayo flowers for ourselves, hehe! :)

Godofredo “Gudz” Bautista, Jr: Uy gudz andito pa rin tayo! Yihi, most outstanding MS student! Salamat sa many good times we’ve had, palibhasa araw-araw na ginawa ni Lord e nagkikita tayo! Gudzie ikaw na lang ang matulog at kumain for me, ako na lang mag-games, o diba? Abay kaming lahat ha! :)

Maria Leilani “Lani” Torres: Thanks for being a source of wisdom and maturity. Early on nag-PDL ako at nakapag-cell at nakapag-kids church dahil sa iyo, things that hey, we’re still doing now! Your experiences and examples keep me balanced. Undergrad pa lang nagtatanungan na tayo kung ano gagawin natin, and look at us, papunta nang PhD! Yeah! It’s great walking with God along the physics path because you’re walking with me :)

Vera Marie “Vera” Sastine: We love BuBu ChaCha and Bo Sanchez…and everything that’s ideal and noble and good-hearted. Thanks for those insightful overnights, even if wala akong nakuhang data e nag-grow naman ang spirit ko. You’re such a kindred spirit. Ngayon, wala na akong madadaldal nang ganun katagal at ka-effortless, pero i just know that God is both with you and with me even if we’re far apart :)

Joy “Joyguev” Guevara: Thanks for being a great example of what a woman of God should be: strong, sensible, selfless, offering all her talents and her very life for His glory, never afraid to think out of the box, still managing to laugh at the simple things. Ma-mi-miss kita Joy; you’re an effective discipler because you live it. :)

All my ka-kosa (cellmates) --- Je, Imon, Leila, Cathy, Gen, Dinky, Sherille…Ron, Malkha, Scion, Bing…Cherry, Andrey, Angie, Jenny (Caspe), Winkie, Lala…Tin, Jenny (Constantino), Gwen, Cel, Lani, Yel, Marge, Bess…and everyone else i failed to mention because we’re so many (!!): You’ve all been there with me, shared, cried and laughed with me. Thank you for your time, your stories, your love, your welcoming arms. Thank you for helping me know God and how to deal with life as we follow Him. Thank you for friendships that suddenly bloom and will never stop growing. Truly, sisters in Christ are friends forever :)

Jeni Rose “Jeni” Lazarte: Thanks for being just a text away, for supporting and encouraging me even if we don’t see each other much. Salamat for being such a friend. Hindi tayo makapag-gimik masyado, dahil sa ating mga workload, pero pipilitin ko talaga i-postpone ang lahat ng iyon para makapag-bond tayo uli. Salamat sa friendship talaga, for being such a wonderful person :)

Liza Marie “Liza” Villorente: Naaalala mo pa ba nung in-apply natin ang physics 121 (or 122?) sa pag-optimize ng combination ng fishballs-cheesesticks-squidballs? All right! Sayang pagkatapos natin magka-lab hindi na tayo magkasama masyado. (Who am i kidding? Nahiwalay ako dahil nagpa-distract ako sa ___, hehe!) Thank you for all the BIG laughs; thank you for being my best friend in college. Thank you for still being the same ol’ Liza that’s so easy to be friends with. I love you! :)

Ricelle “Cel” Parinas: Once upon a time nagkapareho tayo ng circumstances pero magkaiba ang ating reaction. (Kaya nga nangayayat ka, tumaba naman akoh!) I know you’re living your life right now, pero always remember what we’ve learned ha? Don’t ever forget how He rescued us. PDL reading buddies tayo, cell-mates, and true friends. Bon voyage! :)

Charlene “Len” Hintay: Salamat for the privilege of knowing God more through you. Alam mo ba, your questions keep me on my toes, they keep me alert and relevant and sensible. Salamat for the honor of answering them and for just being a friend who can be there with you. Thank you for reminding me of the important things. Here’s to newfound life, eternal and complete, with Him! :)

Melissa “Mel” Camacho, Jennifer Anne “Jenny” Constantino, and Portia “Porsh” Mendoza: Thanks for the honor of going through the foundations of faith with you. More than disciples, you are my friends. (It’s He we all follow.) Thank you for opening up to me, for listening to my own stories, thank you for the chance to grow together in the likeness of Christ. :)

Maria Bleshielda “Mayshelle” Flores: Maysh, thanks for all the food and style advice and emergency outfits! Salamat sa shoes sa defense day, woohoo! Galing! Continue walking with Him! Buti na lang ginawa tayo ni Lord na roomies though hindi pa tayo nagkasama um-attend ng service. All things for His glory! Mwah! :)

Loujie “Louj” Senatin: Si Louj lang ang parang pagagalitan pa ako nung sinabi kong gusto ko na mag-give up sa thesis…”Ano ka ba?” sabi niya, “Many of us believe in you!” Grabe, na-shock ako nun, at sobrang na-encourage. Salamat louj, napakalaking tulong ng simpleng sagot mong iyon. :)

Maria Veronica “Bonics” Sibayan-Torralba, Katherine Valerie “Val” Ballesteros, and Florence “Flojo” Binua: I miss you both so much! Minsan lang talaga tayo nakapag-chikahan, pero pag nagkaabutan parang walang lumipas na…taon! (Hala ang tanda na natin friends!) Sana magkaroon uli ng chance na magkita-kita tayo, but i know that you’re all going to be successful and bless others so much with who you are. Mu-wah! :)

Kharim “Khar” Omambac: Salamat sa pagiging sober kapag kailangan. Salamat for giving us a taste of BS life outside NIP, para maiba naman diba? Salamat sa iyong sing-song voice na kahit hindi ko pa naririnig yung sinasabi e alam ko na na joke-joke na naman yun. Hay khar, instant batchmate ka talaga namin. Thanks for all the laughs! :)

Mark Jayson “Mark” Llena: Thanks sa dedication mo sa kids and reaching out to friends! Talagang you’ll go out of your way to serve and minister. Mark, be a blessing sa industry, cutthroat competitive world pa naman yan, be a light! :)

Marko “Marko” Arciaga: Si Marko pasimple lang pero pamatay ang mga hirit! Soft-spoken pero ang tindi ng mga sinasabi! Salamat sa pagiging inspirasyon sa teaching at acads. Well, ganyan talaga ang mga genius e! Continue to do everything for His glory! :)

Jenny “Jen” Aggangan: Thank you for your simple quiet ways that say a lot about Who’s in your heart. Iba man ang personalities natin (hehe) pero you’re still such an inspiration. Continue to be a shining light wherever your feet take you. :)

Mary Grace “Ghing” Bato: Hi ghing! Thanks for being so cool and fun. Parang ipinamana ko na sa iyo yung econ topic, so naging ok yung closure for me to move on to other things. Kita ko namang fruitful sa iyo yun e. Parang wala tayong age gap (sabi ko lang yun!)…Just keep on being a well-balanced gal :)

Stephen Daedalus “Dael” Separa: Dael, thanks for continuing to be my friend. I’m happy to see na umuuwi ka na sa inyo, yay! Take it from me and play more with your nephew, awww! Although mawawala na ang housemate ng bayan sa lab, you really owe it to yourself to be with your family…and play more soccer! Yung totoo ha, hindi yung pc or cellphone game! Oo nga pala, “Stephen” na itatawag ko na sa iyo ha :)

Andrew Rafael “Andrew” Banas: Thanks for being so funny and quirky even with the simplest almost-unintelligible words you mumble. You make working overnights much more interesting :)

Mary Jacquiline “Jacq” Romero: Sino pa ba ang maaasahan kong mag-sub sa lecture even without my asking? Jacq can do it all, and with class and style, too! Thanks for being an inspiration, a friend who’s always ready to help out, and most importantly someone who really lives out her faith :)

Elaine Juliet “Laine” Fabonan and Rowena “Weng” Matusalem: Hi lain! Your simple quiet ways are...not my ways, hehe! Magkaiba tayo ng ugali pero oks lang! Weng, ang tagal na nating hindi nagkita, kwento naman dyan! Sana makapag-bonding uli tayong lahat. Thanks sa friendship! :)

Louella Judy “Wewe” Vasquez: Thank you for an example of what it means to follow Christ and to grow in maturity in Him. Thank you for your fearlessness and honesty in just pressing on, and walking by faith and not by sight. Salamat sa privilege of delegating the NIP Women’s cell to me, naaalala nga kita nung pinag-usapan namin kahapon yung Philippians 1:1-11. We, just go forth in His power! Hugz! :)

Alfred “Edu” Samson: Si Edu laging me quiet smile sa mukha --- pinagtatawanan na naman ata ako e! Thanks for all the inspiring text messages and for being a reliable friend. And for all those SonicFlood mp3’s, although, na-co-convict ako na bumili na lang ng sarili kong CD’s, hihi! :)

My texting angels --- Erwin “Erwin” Navarro, Cielo “Cie” Ferraz, Janice “Jan” Navarosa, Kristine “Tin” Velasco, “Julie”, and “Ricky”: Salamat sa napakagandang mga text messages na pinapadala niyo sa akin. They inspire, motivate, encourage me. Salamat for using technology to share God’s Word with everyone. And so i shall do the same :)

Maria Ella Angela “Mea” Marfil: Thanks for the mutual sharing of insights…and dreams! Hihi! Truly, God has written a beautiful love story for each of us, something far better than what we can imagine or hope for. Ang hirap mag-walk by faith, and long-term pa, pero because He has been faithful in the past we can trust Him with our futures. Thanks for reminding me of all these :)

My RM-mates --- Merv, Meggy, Carlo, Gay, Ekkay, Tons, George, Jan, Harry, Earl and Johnrob: Thanks for all the input and for simply taking the time to listen to me. (Na madalas lang sabihin nung thesis crunch-time eh, “Sir, debugging po.”) Your support helped my head and my heart. Even if our research pursuits are individual, truly no woman is an island. :)

Cedric Ivan “Ivan” Pulido: My day immediately brightens up when i hear that chirpy little voice saying, “Ninang!” i am so blessed to be the godmother of the most wonderful child in the world! i love you so much ivan! MWAH! :)

Kim (our puppy): thank you for being so gosh-darn cute! Some people have punching bags to release frustration, but God sent me the cutest puppy in the world when I was this close to the breaking point. Yay =)

Maria Ophelia “Mama” Pulido and Angelo “Papadey” Pulido: Ma, salamat sa advice, sa laging napakasarap na pagkain, sa pagiging konsensya ko especially when the truth is hard to face. Paps, salamat for the opportunity of being your daughter and sharing my faith. i am so blessed that i belong in a complete home, and that you both encouraged me to follow my dreams and not your own. Thank you so much. :)

Dexter Daniel “Jing” Pulido: The coolest bro in the world. i loved you as a cute little cheery baby, pero even when you outgrew that and “out-talled” me i still love yah. Thanks for being my kenkoy outlet, and my connection to being young and un-stressed. i can relate well to my students and to kids because i had much practice early on. Thanks for being you :)

Instrumentation Physics Laboratory: i lab my lab! Thank you for all the opportunities to grow, for all the challenges and skills, for the chance to work with the best so i can be the best. Salamat :)

The Filipino people in general, and the Department of Science and Technology in particular: You have been sustaining and providing for me for eleven years now. Thank you so much. i will pay you back with my efforts. Again, thank you :)

My clans --- The Pulidos, Riveras, Lizardos, and Libunaos: I love being part of a large family, with so many extensions and family friends pa! (Kaya nga abot ng six pages ang thank-you’s eh!) Just belonging, even with all our differences, makes life worth living. Salamat sa inyo :)

Victory Christian Fellowship: I cannot thank you enough. You’ve welcomed me even without knowing who i am, and when you did know you still loved me. You’ve watched and helped me grow as i've watched and helped many of you grow as well. Truly this is a fellowship, truly we are victorious, but all because we are in Christ as Christ is in us. :)

My students, old and new: Thank you for the privilege of being your teacher and being your friend. i hope that i would be able to inspire you, to give you both knowledge and wisdom, and a hunger for the most important One in life. Thank you for the time we have together. i will remember you all :)



Salamat sa inyong lahat.
May God be with us all. :)