Unconditional Love

The weather outside is cool and windy, so I stayed in my bedroom and sat on my cozy chair in front of my desktop pondering what to write on my blog today. Hmmmm….. I’ve not much activity to write today except that I am proud that at last I can now drive ( on my own huh… meaning, without my driving instructor at my side) and able to bring my kids to school and pick them up in the afternoon. Uh, that’s a remarkable achievement…LOL…

As I am pondering what else could I share to my friends today, I remembered the story told to us by our college professor, ma’am Alice Leonardo, way back in my BSEd years. And I could hardly forget her for this interesting story.

The story is about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Basilan. He called his parents from Zamboanga City.

“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve a favor to ask, I have a friend I’d like to bring home with me.”

“Sure,” they replied. “We’d love to meet him.”

“There’s something you should know,” the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg, he has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come and live with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that son, may be we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No mom and dad, I want him to live with us.”

“Son, said the father, “you don’t know what you are asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this to interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, they received a call from the Zamboanga City police. Their son had died after falling from a building. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to Zamboanga City and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror, they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

I am deeply touched by this story that I could never forget my college professor. I've learned a lesson from this story. Many of us are like the parents of this young soldier. We only love those people who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who are burden to us or make us uncomfortable. Some of us give love because we also want to get back the love we have given. Why can’t we love without expecting anything in return? Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love, regardless of how messed up we are, and that is Jesus Christ.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. "Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you the most, You would leave me.

The Lord replied "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints... it was then that I carried YOU.

Believe it or Not!

I read this article from an old magazine(Women’s Journal, November 29, 1996 issue) while I was waiting for my children to be back home from school I am amazed by the story, try to read it and be amazed too.

Kennedy and Lincoln Assassinations: coincidences are chilling!
The coincidences between the assassinations of President Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy are so extraordinary that it’s downright chilling!
For instance, Lincoln was elected President in 1860, Kennedy in 1960, and both were shot on a Friday- in the head, from behind.
Lincoln had an aide named John Kennedy who advised him not to go to Ford’s Theater the night he was shot. J.F.K. had an aide named Lincoln (Evelyn) who advised Kennedy not to go to Dallas.
Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth shot the President in a theater. Both assassins were Southerners and both were shot dead before being brought to trial. Booth was shot while being pursued 12 days after he shot Lincoln. Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby two days after Kennedy’s assassination.
There are seven letters in Kennedy’s name and seven in Lincoln’s. And there are 15 letters in the full names of both John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were elected President after they had been defeated in attempts to win their party’s Vice-Presidential nomination- Lincoln in 1856 and Kennedy in 1956.
Both had served in the US House of Representatives, Lincoln beginning in 1847 and Kennedy in 1947.
Both lost sons while in the White House. Lincoln’s son Willie died of a respiratory condition at age 11. Kennedy’s son Patrick died of a respiratory condition just 39 hours after his birth.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson- Lincoln by Andrew Johnson, born in 1808, and Kennedy by Lyndon B. Johnson, born in 1908.

Path To Success

I was web- browsing again this morning and happened to drop by tucmuc's site. I am inspired by his story and decided to post this on my blog so that anybody especially my friends who can read it will somehow be inspired too. Here it goes:

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.
A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.
The race began...
Honestly:
No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.
You heard statements such as:
"Oh WAY too difficult!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top"
"Not a chance that they will succeed."
"The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing one by one...
Except for those, who in fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher...
The crowd continued to yell, "It's too difficult!!!
"No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up.
But ONE continued higher and higher and higher...
This one wouldn't give up! At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reached the goal.
It turned out...
That the winner was DEAF!!!

The wisdom of this story is:
Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic... because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you- the ones you have in your heart! Always think of the power words have.Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!

Therefore: Always be POSITIVE!
And above all: Be DEAF when people tell you that you cannot fulfill your dreams! Always think: God and I can do this!

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - Van Morrison
FREE MP3 DOWNLOADS @ MP3-CODES.COM

Some Golden Rules in Life

I was web-browsing and came across these lines worth posting.
> Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
> When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to... today."
> Live with the 3 E's... Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy and the 3 F's... Faith, Family, Friends.
> Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six.
> Dream more while you are awake.
> Try to make at least three people smile each day.
> Realize that life is a school you are here to learn,pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
> Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
> Life isn't fair but it's still good.
> Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
> You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements.
> Make peace with your past, so it won't mess up the present.
> No one is in charge of your happiness except YOU.
> Forgive everyone for everything.
> What other people think of you is none of your business.

Questionnaire # 1

1. What time did you get up today?
5:00 AM, i have to wake up early to attend to my children's needs, they're going to school today
2. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds- because i believe that diamonds are forever
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
A Very Special Love (John Llloyd and Bea Alonzo)I watch this movie with my mom
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Lifestyle
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? hotdogs and eggs
6. What is your middle name?
Abuton
7. What food do you dislike?
any food that contains liver
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Hanggang by Wency Cornejo
9. What kind of car do you drive?
hyundai excel sedan
11. What characteristic do you despise?
conceited and proud
12. Favorite item of clothing?
T-Shirt and maong pants
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Paris- I am romantic you know...
14. What color is your bathroom?
green
15. What was your most recent memorable birthday?
all of my birthdays are memorable to me, i consider that as God's gift
16. Favorite sport to watch?
basketball
17. Who do you least expect to send this back to you?
no one
18. Person you expect to send it back first?
don't know
19. Favorite saying
"We come to love not by finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly"
20. When is your birthday?
May 9, 1966
21. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning person - I love sunrise
25. What is your shoe size?
6
22. Pets?
love birds and a dog
23. What did you want to be when you were little?
To become a nun- my childhood role is a nun, my playmates tried to dress me like a nun.
24. How are you today?
fine
25. What is your favorite flower?
rose
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
that day when my husband be back home
27. What is your full name?
Janice May Abuton Uy
28. What are you listening to right now?
TV Patrol World
29. What was the last thing you ate?
sotanghon
30. Do you wish on stars?
No
31. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
pink- my favorite color
32. How is the weather right now?
humid
33. Favorite soft drink?
Coke
34. Favorite restaurant?
chicken ati-atihan
35. Hair color?
black
36. Siblings?
3 brothers, 2 sisters
37. Favorite day of the year?
christmas day
38. What was your favorite toy as a child?
cooking utensils
39. Sunny or rainy?
Sunny- i can do many things on a sunny day like gardening
40. Hugs or kisses?
hugs
41. Coffee or tea?
Coffee
42. Chocolate or Vanilla?
vanilla
43. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Yes
44. What is under your bed?
nothing
45. Who is your longest friend? Marivic Mantos- my best friend in college
46 . What did you do last night?
blog hopping
47. What your friends calling you?
jan
48. What are you afraid of?
cockroaches and rats
49. Salty or sweet?
Salty
50. How many keys on your key ring?
5
51. How many years at your current job?
housewife for 22 years
52. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday
53. How many towns have you lived in?
5
54. Do you make friends easily?
yes