Infinite Grace

The Five Lessons from Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"

2012-01-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

Though some pages moved me to tears, I’d still say I had a very pleasant experience of reading Mitch Albom’s “The Five People You Meet In Heaven”. It has given me a different idea of the afterlife, a VERY DIFFERENT kind of heaven, and the wisdom of giving value to life and the people in our lives -- loved ones or strangers.

I just want to highlight The Five Lessons, each one told by each of the Five people -- because it has comforted me, as I sorely miss my mom, each waking day since January 29, 2009...

The human spirit knows, deep down, that all lives intersect. That Death doesn’t just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives are changed.
Dying is not the end of everything. What happens on earth is only the beginning. Heaven is where we get to make sense of our yesterdays. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.
There will be a feeling of “lightness” when we arrive in heaven. There will never be pain. No one is born with anger. And when we die, the soul will be freed from it. To move on, we need to forgive.
Lost love is still love. It takes a different form. You can’t see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it. Life has to end. But love doesn’t.
Someday, it may be in heaven, when our questions would finally be answered. Why we lived and what we lived for. The secret of heaven is this : that each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.

December 18 - Room For God?

2010-02-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment

by Max Lucado

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. Revelation 3:20

Some of the saddest words on earth are: “We don’t have room for you”.

Jesus knew the sound of those words. He was still in Mary’s womb when the innkeeper said, “We don’t have room for you.”…

And when he was hung on the cross, wasn’t the message one of utter rejection? “We don’t have room for you in this world.”

Even today, Jesus is given the same treatment. He goes from heart to heart, asking if he might enter…

Every so often, he is welcomed. Someone throws open the door of his or her heart and invites him to stay. And to that person, Jesus gives this great promise:… “In my father’s house are many rooms.”…

What a delightful promise he makes us! We make room for him in our hearts, and he makes room for us in his house.

December 17 - Because of Our Need

2010-02-19T23:33:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment

by Max Lucado

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17

Can you imagine prospective parents saying,

“We’d like to adopt Johnny, but first we want to know a few things. Does he have a house to live in? Does he have money for tuition? Does he have a ride to school every morning and clothes to wear every day? Can he prepare his own meals and mend his own clothes?”

No agency would stand for such talk. Its representative would lift her hand and say, “Wait a minute. You don’t understand. You don’t adopt Johnny because of what he has; you adopt him because of what he needs. He needs a home.”

The same is true with God. He doesn’t adopt us because of what we have. He doesn’t give us His name because of our wit or wallet or good attitude… Adoption is something we receive, not something we earn.

December 16 - Words of Promise

2010-01-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

God has given a so

n to us… His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God… Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Every Christmas I read this reminder that came in the mail several years ago:

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, “God sent us a Saviour” – by Roy Lessin.

Christmas cards. Punctuated promises. Phrases filled with the reason ‘we do it all anyway’.

He became like us, so we could become like Him.

Angels still sing and the star still beckons.

He loves each one of us like there was only one of us to love.

December 15 - A Broken Heart?

2010-01-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment

by Max Lucado

The Lord hates what evil people do, but He loves those who do what is right. Proverbs 15:9

Perhaps the wound is old. A parent abused you. A teacher slighted you. A mate betrayed you…

Or perhaps the wound is fresh. The friend who owes you money just drove by in a new car.
The boss who hired you with promises of promotions has forgotten how to pronounce you name… And you are hurt.

Part of you is broken, and the other part is bitter. Part of you wants to cry, and part of you wants to fight… There is a fire burning in your heart. It’s the fire of anger…

And you are left with a decision. “Do I put the fire out or heat it up?” Do I get over it, or get even? Do I release it or resent it? Do I let my hurts heal, or do I let hurt turn into hate?”…

Unfaithfulnss is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.

December 14 - Every Child Has a Name

2010-01-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me. John 10:14

The shepherd knows his sheep, he calls them by name.

When we see a crowd, we see exactly that, a crowd… We see people not persons, but people. A herd of humans. A flock of faces. That’s what we see.

But not so with the Shepherd, To him, every face is different. Every face is a story. Every face is a child. Every child has a name…

The shepherd knows his sheep, he knows each one by name. The Shepherd knows you. He knows your name. And He will never forget it.

Christmas 2009 Newsletter

2009-12-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here!

just like to share all the gifts that we got this Year 2009...

newsletter page 1

newsletter page 2

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a Blessed Year Ahead!

December 13 - The Unspeakable Price

2009-12-20T18:49:00.001-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

To all who did accept Him and believe in Him He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

While we lived in Rio de Janeiro, we met several American families who came to Brazil to adopt children. They would spend days, sometimes weeks, immersed in a different language and a strange culture. They fought the red tape and paid the large fees, all with the hope of taking a child to the United States…

Hasn’t God done the same for us? He etered our culture, battled the resistance, and paid the unspeakable price which adoption required. Legally we are his. He owns us. We have every legal privilege accorded to [His] child. We are just waiting for Him to return. We are, as Paul said, “waiting for God to finish making us His own children”. (Romans 8:23)

December 12 - God Isn't Hard To Find

2009-12-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

What a surprising way to describe God. A God who pursues us.

Dare we envision a mobile, active God who chases us, tracks us, following us with goodness and mercy all the days of our lives? He’s not hard to find. He’s there in Scripture, looking for Adam and Eve. They’re hiding in the bushes, partly to cover their bodies, partly to cover their sin. Does God wait for them to come to Him? No, the words ring in the garden. “Where are you?” God asks, (Gen 3:9) beginning His quest to redeem the heart of man. A quest to follow His children, until His children follow Him.

December 11 - Just Pray

2009-12-11T02:06:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Anyone who is having troubles should pray. Anyone who is happy should sing praises. James 5:13

Do you want to know how to deepen your prayer life? Pray. Don’t prepare to pray. Just pray. Don’t read about prayer. Just pray. Don’t attend a lecture on prayer or engage in discussion about prayer. Just pray.

Posture, tone, and place are personal matters. Select the form that works for you. But don’t think about it too much. Don’t be so concerned about wrapping the gift that you never give it. Better to pray awkwardly than not at all.

And if you feel you should only pray when inspired, that’s okay. Just see to it that you are inspired every day.

December 10 - Prepared Like A Bride

2009-12-11T01:33:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. John 3:29

John’s description of the future [in the book of Revelation] steal your breath. His depiction of the final battle is graphic. Good clashes with evil. The sacred encounters the sinful. The pages howl with the shrieks of dragons and smolder with the coals of fiery pits. But in the midst of the battlefield there is a rose. John describes it in chapter 21…

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband...

In this final mountaintop encounter, God pulls back the curtain and allows the warrior to peek into the homeland. When given the task of writing down what he sees, John chooses the most beautiful comparison earth has to offer. The Holy City, John says, is like “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

December 9 - Grace Upon Grace

2009-12-11T01:26:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. Philippians 4:11

Test this question: What if God’s only gift to you were His grace to save you. Would you be content? You beg Him to save the life of your child. You plead with Him to keep your business afloat. You implore Him to remove the cancer from your body. What if His answer is, “My grace is enough.” Would you be content?

You see from heaven’s perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain?... Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?...

If you have eyes tor read these words, hands and fingers to use to type on the keyboard, the means to have a computer and internet connectivity, He has already given you grace upon grace.

December 8 - Prayer Reminds Us

2009-12-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Prayer Reminds Us

When a believing person prays, great things happen. James 5:16

Prayer is a recognition that if God had not engaged Himself in our problems, we would still be lost in the blackness. It is by His mercy that we have been lifted up. Prayer is that whole process that reminds us of who we are.

I believe there’s great power in prayer. I believe God heals the wounded, and that he can raise the dead. But I don’t believe we tell God what to do and when to do it.

God knows that we, with our limited vision, don’t even know that for which we should pray. When we entrust our requests to Him, we trust Him to honor our prayers with holy judgment.

December 7 - No Worries In Heaven

2009-12-11T00:49:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. Revelation 21:4

What have you done today to avoid death? Likely a lot. You’ve popped pills, pumped pecks, passed on the pie, and pursued the polyunsaturates… Why? Why the effort? Because you are worried about staying alive. That won’t be a worry in heaven.

In fact, you won’t be worrying at all. Some of you moms worry about your kids getting hurt. You won’t worry in heaven. In heaven we’ll fel no pain. Some of you fellows worry about getting old. You won’t in heaven. We’ll all be ceaselessly strong…

We are not made of steel, we are made of dust. And this life is not crowned with life, it is crowned with death.

The next life , however is different. Jesus urged the Christians in Smyrna to “be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelations 2:10).

December 6 - A Heavenly Affirmation

2009-12-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment

I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18

Each of us has a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons, an expectation that our dearest friends will be our next of kin. Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how he defined his family: “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants” (Mark 3:35).

When Jesus’ brother didn’t share his convictions, he didn’t try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could provide what his physical family didn’t…

We cannot control the way our family responds to us. When it comes to the behavior of others toward us, our hands are tied. We have to move beyond the naive expectation that if we do good, people will treat us right. The fact is they may and they may not – we cannot control how people respond to us…

Let God give you what your family doesn’t. If your earthly father doesn’t affirm you, then let your heavenly Father take his place…

[And] don’t lose heart. God still changes families.

December 5 - God's Thoughts

2009-12-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment

Lord You have done such great things! How deep are your thoughts! Psalm 92:5

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor are they even like ours. We aren’t even in the same neighborhood. We’re thinking, Preserve the body; He’s thinking, Save the soul.

We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. “I’m going to live before I die,” we resolve. “Die so you can live,” He instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions. We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, “Be like Mike.” God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and torn side and says, “Be like Christ.”

December 4 - The Soul Killer

2009-12-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment

When people sin, they earn what sin pays – death. Romans 6:23

Sin does to a life what shears do to a flower. A cut at the stem separates a flower from the source of life. Initially, the flower is attractive, still colorful and strong. But watch that flower over a period of time, and the leaves will wilt and the petals will drop. No matter what you do, the flower will never live again. Surround it with water. Stick the stem in soil. Baptize it with fertilizer. Glue the flower back on the stem. Do what you wish. The flower is dead…

A dead soul has no life.

Cut off from God, the soul withers and dies. The consequence of sin is not a bad day or a bad mood but a dead soul. The sign of a dead soul is clear: poisoned lips and cursing mouths, feet that lead to violence and eyes that don’t see God…

The finished work of sin is to kill the soul.

December 3 - The Cure for Disappointment

2009-12-03T02:44:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

The ways of God are without fault. Psalm 18:30

When God doesn’t do what we want, it’s not easy. Never has been, never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and He will get us through it.

Remember, disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it.

The next day, the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to fee the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he’d been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

“What do you want,” the store owner responded, “a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?”

Good question for times of disappointment.

December 2 - God Is For You

2009-12-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

He will rejoice over you, You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you. Zephaniah 3:17

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.

God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If He drove a car, your name would be on His bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, He ‘s carved your name in the bark…

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” God asks in Isaiah 49:15 (NIV). What a bizarre question. Can you mothers imagine feeding your infant and then later asking, “What was that baby’s name?” No. I’ve seen you care for your young. You stroke the hair, you touch the face, you sing the name over and over. Can a mother forget? No way. But “even if she could forget,… I will not forget you,” God pledges (Isaiah 49:15).

December 1- The Winner's Circle

2009-12-01T03:46:00.000-08:00

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. Ephesians 6:8 NIV

For all we don’t know about the next life, this much is certain. The day Christ comes will be a day of reward. Those who went unknown on earth will be known in heaven. Those who never heard the cheers of men will hear the cheers of angels. Those who missed the blessing of a father will hear the blessing of their heavenly Father. The small will be great. The forgotten will be remembered. The unnoticed will be crowned, and the faithful will be honored.

The winner’s circle isn’t reserved for a handful of the elite, but for a heaven full of God’s children who “will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NIV)

Remembering Rody - invite, prayer, and pix link

2009-07-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, I forgot to include these in my previous blogs . Some have been asking for copies, so I thought of posting these here. Better late than never?!!?

Want to see the pix taken last Sunday at Holy Cross? Click me

Y Grace

Say a little prayer for you....

2009-07-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday night, July 21, my sister Emmie texted me (and probably everyone in her phonebook who knows Kuya Rody) to light a candle and say a prayer for Kuya Rody.

Earlier that day, I was able to compose and finish my blog about last Sunday's get-together for Kuya Rod's 1st year in eternity -- but actually had a hard time uploading it here on blogger together with the pictures. I didn't want the pictures bunching up together -- but they keep on sticking like glue to each other! I wanted to have the words, then a picture, then words, then a picture, but I just couldn't get it that way. So I tried and tried. And after much trying, succeeded.

Boy, was I so thankful to have composed that blog and didn't grow tired of trying to publish it -- most of the people who have read it made them reminisce their good times with Kuya Rody. If not moving them to tears, they felt emotional and suddenly missed his presence.

To everyone who joined us in lighting their candles and saying their prayers for Kuya Rody last July 21, your gesture is sincerely appreciated!

Remembering Rody on his First Year in Eternity

2009-07-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Today is Kuya Rody’s first death anniversary. I can’t help but look back on this day last year – our exchanges of texts in the morning and throughout the day -- to calling him to have a short chat, and our last exchange of ‘goodnight’ texts a couple of hours before I got a call from my sister Malou informing me that Kuya Rody was rushed to the ER of Chinese General Hospital. It’s hard to forget those. And then the hospital scene. And the funeral. And now, everything’s been a year.

Together with my 2 sisters Emmie and Malou, we organized a simple yet memorable get-together remembrance for dear Kuya Rod. It was held last Sunday (July 19) at his gravesite in Holy Cross. Years ago, Kuya Rody gave us the name the G.E.M. Team – of course those letters stand for Grace Emmie Malou – and gratuitously flattering us with, “because you guys are truly a gem”. So in our invite, we decided to sign our name as that.

The get-together was a success. We had a very nice breezy overcast weather – with just a drizzle of rain – blessing each one’s arrival.

It was a potluck picnic and most of the food shared was Kuya Rody’s favorite chow. There was dinuguan, misua, mango-tomato salad with bagoong, itlog na maalat and tomatoes, Korean beef with cream sauce, chicken cordon bleu, fried spring chicken (ala Max’s), spaghetti, bringhe (similar to paella), chicken macaroni salad, minatamis na saguing saba, and for drinks, we had gulaman, soda, coffee and of course water. Fresh fruits like ripe mango, watermelon, bananas were also served. So you could imagine how full we all got!

After lunch chow, we gathered for the prayer. I read the Bible Reading from 1 Corinthians 15: 35-44. Then Emmie led the Prayer for the Souls, Malou led the Prayer for the Dead, and Ate Aurie led the Closing Prayer.

For our finale, we sang the Family Power Theme Song – the Arceo clan theme song - whose lyrics were composed by Kuya Rody in 1982 (upbeat melody given by Kuya Rolan). We haven’t sung that song in ages! And we were moved to tears as we sang – each word gently melting our hearts, each of us being touched by its message. Truly, everyone felt Rody’s presence.

Then it’s time for some laughter. After all, it’s a celebration of Rody’s 1^st year in eternity. I prepared 2 trivia games about Kuya Rody.

The first one is a word game, wherein the answer will be taken from the letters of

R-O-D-O-L-F-O A-R-C-E-O.

And the second game is a question and answer game wherein each of the 2 teams race in writing the correct answer on a white board. The games turned out to be hilarious as each participant ‘contests’ each other’s answers. Haaayyy, naku, si Kuya Rody talaga. After the game, everybody got a treat from Manong Felix -- a bag full of chichirya! Whooppeee! I grabbed the Caramel popcorn and some flavored pulburon. Yum yum!

Well, as it turned out, the belly laugh made everyone hungry. So at snack time, we munched some more – of what’s left on the buffet table – and some started ‘hoarding’ for their ‘take-along’. While snacking we chatted away, and the topic? “What were you doing/where were you last year of July 21, and what was your reaction when you found out about the passing away of Kuya Rody? “ The scenes are still vivid for a lot of us – especially Manong Felix, Ate Aurie and Roma, who were one of those who rushed Kuya Rody in the hospital.

It was indeed a day full of fun, food, family bonding, and fitting tribute to Rody. We were savoring the moment -- we all wouldn’t want it to end.

To everybody who came and joined us, brought their share, and helped to make it a success, maraming salamat po.

And to you Kuya Rody, maraming maraming salamat sa magandang alaala na iniwan mo. Hinding hindi ka namin malilimutan. Mahal na mahal ka namin!

Facebook + Farming = Fat *ss

2009-07-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

It has been a while. A year to be exact. And here I am publishing my first blog in a year! I actually have ~~tons~~quite a number of blogs that are unpublished/unfinished due to my being ~~a facebook addict~~ very busy.

My name is Grace and I’m a Facebookaholic. I admit, it’s the first thing that I do in the morning, and probably the last thing I do at night, well, yeah, apart from yawning. I must admit that I’m currently crazy with farming – maintaining farms at Farm Ville and Farm Town. I have recently been intrigued by my niece’s Barn Buddy – but I had to constrain myself from getting ~~hooked~~ started. FT and FV was introduced to me by my Super Kumareng Vangie – and the rest is history.

Anyways, I have only been farming for barely a month now and the levels that I’ve reached so far is no comparison to some of my ‘neighbors’, but I’m extremely enjoying it thus far. Hence some points that I’d like to share:

Virtual farming is a lot like how you deal your life. The cliché ‘you will reap what you sow’ is exactly true here. If you carefully plan / decide what you plant, you will make a good harvest and earn ‘coins’ for you to be able to ‘afford’ things for your farm. You have to choose which to plant among the ‘seeds’ that will grow on a given time period. Let’s say you want to plant strawberries which will grow in 4 hours. You really have to make sure that you will be able to check on it after 4 hours or it will wilt and go to waste. To enable myself to do ‘something else’ (in my non-virtual world), I make sure that I plant seeds that will take days to grow – especially if I will be busy for the next couple of hours or days. Planning is essential in planting. In real life, planning directs your life to the better path.

Sending gifts to your neighbors is a very good feature of FT and FV – as you may send out various farm essentials to your friends / neighbors -- free! This include trees, flowers, animals, etc. which they can use in their farm. This reflects your generosity and thoughtfulness and that of your friends. Since gifting is free, you may only do it once a day to each friend, or you may send one again until that friend has sent you back a gift. I know this is only a virtual world and a game at that, but I noticed that my friends who are really generous and thoughtful in real life -- are the ones who make an effort to send me gifts to my farms. (You know who you are. I love you a bushel and a peck! )

In Farm Town, you could bless other people by hiring them to work in your farm as they can earn extra coins. What’s even better is that harvested crops generate more value when you let other people harvest it for you. This pretty much encourages players to ‘help’ other people earn more coins. Most of the people you hire are very appreciative – as they make additional money from you that enables them to buy more virtual thingamajigs for their farm. If they are already your friends, you feel happy when they hire you -- your bond becomes stronger. But some total stranger playing the game may also hire you, and you end up being virtual buddies. Much like being an entrepreneur – you bless people with work, you gain numerous rewards, one of them is having a steady income for you and your family, not to mention your workers’ respect, good service and loyalty.

Magtanim ay di biro. Maghapong nakaupo. This is the downside. I have spent countless additional hours sitting in front of my mac for Facebooking. This doesn’t help my attempt to gaining back my shapely *ss from the not so distant past. I typically do office work, so my job usually requires me to sit in front of a computer most of the time in a day for 6 days. So~~getting addicted~~ playing Farm Town and Farm Ville robs me of the time to at least do some stretching and exercise like walking. And not to mention my laundry almost walked out on me to go to the nearby laundry shop. And what about my reading backlog? And my blogging backlog? And this list will be endless.

So I digress. This blog also serves as a warning. A warning that is maybe too late to come. If you are reading this, you are, I’m sure, a citizen of the internet. And you probably have a Facebook account. And you probably play virtual games and do a lot of stuff in there too. So I guess this is more of an advice. DON’T OVERDO IT. Like life, if you overdo and overstuff yourself with anything, you reach a point of breakdown. Systems crash. So after reading this, go and find yourself better things to do than sitting. Hug your mom. Offer your dad a cup of coffee. Play or walk your dog. Tend your garden (the REAL plants this time!) Get up and move your *ss! And I mean NOW!

It Will Never Be The Same Again

2009-06-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

this blog was written last year, after my dear kuya (older brother) rod passed away. i first published it in my multiply website. almost a year has passed, and i still miss him. and i will probably miss him all the days of my life....

He has known me all 36 years of my life. He saw the day I was born, my growing up years, and he’s one of the many people who truly cared and loved me. We have shared many memories, memories that I will forever keep and treasure. His remarkable traits have taught me a lot, just by his show of example.

He is very creative

I remember in 1980, he spear headed what would become our annual “themed” family reunions. He coined the name FAMILY POWER (6 years before the Philippines’ PEOPLE POWER), initially to refer to our annual family gathering, but more aptly to describe the enormous power each of the members of our clan emit whenever we unite in every activity, event, or situation. Tasks that needed to be accomplished, or any problem that needed a solution, family power would be there. Our first FAMILY POWER event was a costume party, with almost 80% of the costumes created by him, marvelously transforming scrap materials into a mermaid’s tail, a gladiator’s shield, or a head dress full of plastic fruits. His talent for singing, script-writing, and stage designing is a staple in every Family Power event. He would lead us into planning, and regardless of age, he would welcome the ideas of the young ones, encouraging us to participate in creating a fun-filled show for our clan to enjoy. His overflowing creative juices even propelled him into writing the meaningful lyrics of the “Family Power Song”.

He is everybody’s sweetheart

His ”very-fun-to-be-with” character made him a favorite companion by everyone. I mean EVERYONE. As far as I can remember, he was always our grandmother’s companion to church. They will visit San Roque church and he will patiently hold my grandmother in her arms and they will slowly walk around and pray and light a candle to each saint or statue around the church. In our clan, he was a popular (if not THE MOST POPULAR) person to every generation. He managed to be always there for everyone (for the grandparents, uncles, aunts, older cousins, relatives his age, down to the newborn infants). His uncanny ability to be always-there-for-you couldn’t be beat. He’s very easy to be reached. He’s the person to call if you needed company to go to Divisoria (a famous flea market/source of all supplies place in the heart of Manila, Philippines), or assistance in sprucing up your home (he could’ve been a terrific interior designer), or a restaurant buddy (he’s a food connoisseur, from Aling Simang’s to Spiral), or somebody to talk to (sensible to discuss anything under the sun), or a hand to hold in times of distress (even if his hands are trembling too, he would try very hard to put a strong front!). He was always there when I needed somebody to laugh or cry with. He was there in my childhood and teen years. He knows all my close friends and the guys I dated (well, not really, all, but maybe the guys that I went out with who deserved to be introduced to him). He was there helping me shop and decorate when I moved into my own house. He was very happy for me when I got married to Neil. He was there when I became a member of the Dead Dads Club. He was there praying with us when my mom underwent heart bypass, but unintentionally, I wasn’t physically there for him when his mom died because I was in the States. In spite of his busy schedules, he still was able to make his presence felt in my adult life. He would rejoice at all of my successes and adventures, and would always have a positive remark even at my low and sad points, especially at times when I needed it most.

He is equipped with a tremendous sense of humor

His amusing ways and witty one-liners complete with his animated antics would always result in guffaws, and his funny stories and jokes not only keeps us in stitches, but makes us pee in our pants. Everyone within earshot and viewing distance can die laughing. Seriously!

He is very loving and kind-hearted

He had so much love to give for everyone. Unconditional love at that. He sincerely sees the goodness in people. He was never a fault finder, rather he corrects mistakes constructively. I do not remember a time that he criticized me of any offense that I made either to him or to other people. He would imply that certain things were done wrong, and he will leave you with a better judgment to undo whatever error that you made. He will never impose. His tremendous capacity to love even the “not-so-lovable” is a hard feat to follow. But he has shown that it is possible, and that it can be done. And as I’ve said, I have learned so much by his show of example.

He is trustworthy and dependable

He knows almost all the secrets and problems of my own family. We have always trusted him with anything, from the mundane things to the very delicate and important. We could trust him with anything, be it money, valuables, or our loved ones, and we’re confident that he will protect and guard it with his life. He has always been somebody whom our family can depend on, and when he says he will do it, consider it done.

He is decent and respectable

I cannot end this blog without mentioning a bit about our love life. I consider myself one of the few (?) whom he has trusted with his romantic escapades and sexcapades. I, in turn, have shared with him a few, if not all, of mine (but cross my heart, I didn’t have any sexcapades to share). But let me just say that he is one person (aside from my doctor) who knows my ovaries (simply put, that’s how comfortable I am with him to discuss my reproductive health and seek advice even with my sex/married life). Though my love life is not at all colorful compared to his, I must say that the kind of relationship that he has is downright honest and true. He didn’t have to hide anything, but he didn’t have to tactlessly flaunt it too. Everything done in the realm of decency and propriety. He never asked for approval. He just needed acceptance and respect, rightfully so it was given to him. All because he was first to give it.

Fast forward to more years, we both got busy with our jobs, our own families, and me spending time outside the country, but we have managed to be in constant touch with each other. We have kept the bond that strongly bound us through the years. Lately as we grow older, and with our genes inevitably affecting our state of health, visiting doctor’s clinics and hospitals or free standing laboratories to undergo blood work have now been a regular “bonding” activity for us. We would discuss whatever we’re feeling, complain about certain ailments that we now have, and give advice to each other: from reminding each other in taking medicines, to taking time off to rest and re-charge from a hard day’s work.

July 21, 2008. Monday. Our usual exchange of text messages went this way:

11:16 am/G : Hi, kuya rod! Musta ka na?Naalala lng kta kc 1 week na me di nkkainom ng gamot sa HB, kya ayan, hinayblad yta ako kgabi, takot ako, prang mga ugat sa ulo, gumagalaw!

2:20 pm/R : Nasa lahi na natin ang HB, kaya dapat maintenance na, ako, 3 or 4 inom ko sa puso, hb at para veins, nagpa-2^nd opinion nako and be back sa Dra. ko dis week at sana may gud result kaya inom na at ingat

2:25 pm/G : Ano yung para sa veins mo? Mukhang yan yata kelangan ko, kc nararamdaman ko, parang ung mga ugat ko nga sa ulo, prang gumagalaw La nman me pain whatsoever, pro weird lang. Dikya may katok lang ako sa utak? He he he! Nxt week pko balik sa doc, isasabay ko na lng lhat check-up ko. Kk-HB ang mga gastos!

2:37 pm/R : Captropil at vestan wag ka na kain masyado meat at more fluids or water dapat

2:50 pm/R : Pag nag-shower ka dapat head to foot na wag body lang para ang init di punta sa ulo, grabe mga gastusin, ang pinagwo-work ko yata para lang sa gamot ko, hayy

4:08 pm/G : More fluids ba dapat? Cge, thanks sa advice. Mejo stressed din cguro, work, etc. Nagre-relax relax nga ako, mas gusto ko gumastos pang relax kesa panggamot!

6:38/G : Kakainom ko lang ng gamot ko, dilahex 5 mg. Hopefully um-ok nako, ngyon pahinga nako. Asar talaga pag may nrrrmdman ka, no? Dami ko pang labahin!

7:33 pm/R : Palabhan mo na lang yang mga damit mo don’t exert much effort at nasa ugat yan ramdam mo. Ako parang hapo at mainit mga mata pag na ha hiblod

7:36 pm/R : Who told u about d gamut na dahilex?

7:37 pm/G : Dilahex? Bket? Si dra. Mendoza, ung cardiologist na pinuntahan ntin sa infant. Gamot mo din ba? Mas mura sya kesa lifezar 50 mg

7:38 pm/G: inaayos ko na (laundry) para dalhin sa laundry shop bukas. Mga underwear lang laba ko, pero tom na, babad ko lang ngyon. Gus2 ko ma2log ng maaga, kc dami ko gawa sa ofc. Haayyyy!

7:40/R : Okay, akala ko sabi lang sayo, rest ka na.

7:45/G : ayaw ko inom gamot basta basta ng di nagppdoctor.tapusin ko lang tong inaayos kong labada at magredi na me for bed.Thanks sa lhat ng advice mo at txts. Na-nyt!

I never knew that that will be our last exchange of text messages. I couldn’t believe it. It still is hard to believe. It doesn’t help because until now I refuse to. I just can’t bring myself to finally accept that I have lost one great person in my life. My dear Kuya Rody had a massive heart attack and got promoted to heaven that night. His “going home” has left a huge void in the lives of all the people that he has touched, a great loss to those who love him. And I am one of them. Without him, without his touch, things around here will never be the same again.

Time For Some Good News

2008-07-06T20:15:00.001-07:00

Halleluiah! There’s always a silver lining after a storm. A hope of a new day. And as we are being drowned with sad news, there is definitely a time for some good news.

The Philippines’ Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao arrived Manila with the whole nation rejoicing over his latest victory over Mexican boxer David Diaz. The Pac Man is an epitome of the Filipinos’ fighting spirit in the midst of problems that has punched the nation left and right. Fuel prices ALWAYS going up. Rice shortage. Typhoon devastations. Grief-stricken families of the Princess of the Stars victims. Unreliable Government officials. Inflation. Self-centered Business owners. And just as this list goes on and on, a hardworking boxer shows us the road to claim victory through faith in God and faith in oneself. His homecoming is a silver lining after a storm. A hope of a new day. A promise that good things are on our way.

Indeed, it is time for some good news. I just came home from a hospital confinement, and thankful that I agreed to have the procedure after putting it off for quite sometime. My anxiety for what-ifs over ruled my capacity to arrive at better decisions, undermining my state of health. I always kept myself busy with work and with a lot of other things, that putting my health on top priority was nowhere in my list. But no matter how we neglect ourselves, God always have a way of carrying out His plans for our good.

There I was, sitting on an operating table, bent like a shrimp.

I was praying when that cold spray on my back and the gauge 27 spinal needle was tapped onto my lower spine. In a few winks, the general anesthesia numbed me from waist down. I complained difficulty in breathing when they placed me in a lying position, so they had to immediately put me back in a sitting position. Nurses took turns asking me questions to maybe check if “I’m still with them”, to which I mustered to mumble some answers in a slow motion way. In less than 5 minutes, hearing the anesthesiologist mentioning my hemoglobin count, I suddenly felt a gush of air inside me that “refreshed” me and made me say “I’m now okay”. I was completely awake during the whole procedure which was done in less time than I expected. Afterwards, the whole two hours went by with me having the chills, feeling unpleasantly cold, apparently the effect of the anesthesia in my system. Gladys, my OR nurse, kept asking me how I feel, and as soon as I was able to slightly move my feet, and told her that I’m okay, I was brought back to my room to sleep and rest.

Now I’m here at home resting very well. Although I’m still comparatively moving slower than usual, and moving extra careful especially of my back (lower spine area), I can say that everything is going well. I have to go back to my doctor next Friday for the biopsy result, and I believe that more good news will come my way.

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be Healed!” Matthew 8:3 ….. Oh the power of a godly touch. Haven’t you known it? The doctor who treated you, or the teacher who dried your tears? Was there a hand holding yours at the funeral? Another on your shoulder during a trial? A handshake of welcome at a new job?... Can’t we offer the same? Many of you already do. Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren’t touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch. But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it’s just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be… Aren’t we glad Jesus didn’t make the same mistake?

– Max Lucado, Just Like Jesus

Typhoon Frank

2008-07-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

It was a chilling and heart wrenching sight watching the news these past few days. My country, the Philippines, was terribly hit by Typhoon Frank last weekend and it brought much devastation not only on properties and businesses, but a lot of lives were lost. And the greatest news and probably the most fatal is the overturning and sinking of the passenger ferry MV Princess of the Stars, with more than 800 people onboard. It was reported that only 57 people survived this latest sea mishap. This means that hundreds of people were either trapped inside the sea vessel under the sea, or were lost to the angry waves and still not found.

It melts my heart to see the victims’ relatives grieving – completely uncertain of what has become of their loved ones, losing all hope of ever seeing them again. As their grief turn into anxiety, anxiety into despair, and despair into rage, I can’t help but just close my eyes and be grateful that most of my loved ones are still here, and that the only “frustrating” thing that happened was floodwater coming inside our house which had us cleaning for 2 days. I am definitely not complaining!

But this is definitely a time for us to bow our heads and offer prayers for our country and our countrymen greatly affected by this tragedy. It is good to know that most private sectors and non-government organizations have already started coming up with donation drives for the victims and not just wait for the government’s action. At a time like this, pointing fingers on who’s to blame isn’t really gonna solve the problem. Let us just do and give what we can to help and ease the burden. And the rest we leave it up to God.

Dead Dads Club

2008-07-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

(This blog was written and published last June 15, 2008, Father's Day).

“Welcome to the Dead Dads Club!”

These are Cristina Yang’s words to George O’Malley after the latter’s dad died in Seattle Grace Hospital. I am, of course, referring to a scene in one of the episodes (from the third season) of Grey’s Anatomy. (hello?? Need I say that Grey’s Anatomy is the hit American TV series about medical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital?). In that scene, no amount of comforting words and sympathetic gestures from fellow interns seem to work for the devastated George. Somehow, the scene gave me a familiar feeling that made it quick for me to relate.

Dead Dads Club. I didn’t get it at first. Did I hear it right? Dead Dads Club. Then it hit me. Oh of course I know why. I AM A MEMBER. But because I do not acknowledge my membership 24/7, I needed a Cristina Yang to make me acknowledge that fact. Now It actually dawned on me. I am now completely aware of my membership, along with a lot of people that I know who are club-members too.

There’s my husband. His mom. My mom. A number of my uncles and aunts, a great number of my cousins and friends. My own father was a member for 29 years before unintentionally placing his own children into the club. I have one neighbor that is also a member, which at least is a a good thing knowing for a fact that a lot of dads still live in the 21 homes that is on our street.

Dead Dads Club. I still remember quite vividly that fateful morning of April 6, 2001. The day that my Tatay (Filipino term for dad) inducted me into membership. It wasn’t at all pleasant. It was painful. It was dark, scary even. A lump-in-my-throat-can’t-breathe-get-me-out-of-here kind of mixture swirling around me as I froze numbly while everything that surrounded me move at a steady slow pace leaving me at the center, helpless. I’m not too sure if maybe this is one of the things newly inducted members go through before proceeding to the next level.

And so I figured. Random thoughts came into my mind. Dead Dads Club. Are there perks (?) that come from being a member? Are there levels that each member has to conquer? Silly questions with maybe some definite answers I don’t know where to get. But what I have now is a shortlist of my own random thoughts. Randomly, not numbered, not consecutive. Just random. Okay enough. Here it goes:

· The Dead Dads club is open for everyone. Young and Old, Rich and Poor, Male and Female. It doesn’t choose. No restrictions on age, gender, social status, or level of intelligence. An inevitable fact that everyone can be a possible member. Though everyone will ALWAYS have a degree of hesitation to join.

· EVERYONE avoids membership. Most, if not all, would do everything just to prolong their being “still-not-a-club-member” status. I don’t want to know of anybody who would be eager in joining. Everyone is a reluctant member.

· The club has a one-time membership fee, due at the time of daddy demise, paid with anything, usually a bucket of tears. No annual renewal of membership needed, because membership is lifetime. So don’t ever think of resigning. It’s just not possible.

· For most members, a number of months into the club brings forth their ability to be independent. Some would be bestowed with the wisdom of showing the best of their father’s legacy. Some may take a while. But mentorship is vastly available to those who are open for it

· Sometimes members may also be equipped with the believable sense of extending the sincerest sympathy to new members.

· Membership is often, if not always, painful. Realizing the painful fact that it’s your own father who dragged you into it, and worse because he’s never gonna be there to hold your hand, or see you through it. It is actually the start of the painful reality of him-never-gonna-be-there-with-you, well at least, physically.

· Members would ALWAYS feel a nudge in their heart every time they will be reminded of daddy memories. This is the If- only-I-could-turn-back-time syndrome.

· Members would dread the fact that they won’t get to show off whatever accomplishment they achieved to their dear dads. It would now be impossible to make their dads feel proud of them. At times like these, members recall the lessons preached to them and would now easily come to understand that it (the preaching) is for their best interest after all. This is the I-wish-he-could-see-this-and-be-proud-of-me syndrome.

· Members will miss their dads often. Especially during special occasions. This is the I-wish-he-is-still-here syndrome.

· Members lose all privileges of letting their dads feel how important they are in their lives. So it is an important pre-requisite for would-be members to have completed this task, while they still can, and way before time runs out. Some had the mistake of thinking this privilege (time to show love & respect) is unlimited. Sorry. It's not.

So there. The end of my shortlist. I just put into writing what’s randomly going on in my mind. Maybe because up until now, seven years into the club, I still get that sad feeling just thinking about my Tatay. I miss him. Although I don’t necessarily have that depressed feeling, I still get those days, those lump-in-my-throat-welling-of-tears-in-my-eyes kind of sadness every time I’m reminded that he’s gone. I just kick myself out of it the moment I look at myself and acknowledge his huge contribution to what I have, what I’ve become, and of what I will make of everything that’s been laid out for me. For some, who maybe didn’t have the kind of father that I had, I’m so sorry. I do know of some who were born into this world and never got the chance of knowing their real dads. And then there are people I know, who, for one reason or another, never saw their dads anymore after walking away from them. Which club do they belong? I don’t know. And this is certainly not about them. There are different situations and each has a different story. I’d like to believe that generally, fathers aimed to be the best father they know how. They tried and might have failed, but let’s not forget that we live in an imperfect world along with them. Didn’t we at times, made them accept the kind of children we have become even if we also tried and failed to become the kind that they hoped and wanted us to be?

So to everyone who still enjoy their being “still-not-a-club-member” status, do me a favor. It’s June 15, 2008 and it’s FATHERS DAY. Please make it an extra-ordinary day for your father. And as you do that, think of us who will probably spend it lighting a candle, and saying a prayer for the one who made us join the Dead Dads Club.

My Very First

2008-06-18T01:53:00.000-07:00

Actually this isn't my very first blog. Could be called my second perhaps. But still, it is my very first in this Infinite Grace blogsite. I do have my multiply account : gracegab.multiply.com where I also blog, but I just tried this blogger site and typed away.....

Infinite Grace would be unbound. Meaning, the messages here would be about almost anything under the sun (oh yeah! trite as it may sound). Or at least, of how I see and feel about things that are of interest to me.

I'm hoping this would be the start of something good. A place where I can vent and unleash my infinte grace!