Who did you think I was? -John Mayer

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Love a Little More

July 30, 2008
Love a Little More
“I love you!” The words just hung there in the air suspended for the moment, drifting, waiting for the echo…”I love you, too!”

I thought about it and wondered if there really needs be an echo, a reply of the same.

“Why do we tell someone “I love you?” I wondered. Oh, the obvious point is to let someone know you care about them. But do we say it so that we can hear it back? If we say those words they certainly aren’t taken or given lightly. There is power behind them, woven in between them and laced with tone’s of commitment. But do we also say them because we, too need reassurance? Are we really saying it this way; “I love you! Do you love me?”

I believe the best things in life come to us without expectations. It reminds me of the tradition of sending greeting cards.

“Should I send a birthday card to Uncle Joe?”

“Did you get one from him for your birthday?

“No.”

“Well, I wouldn’t send one to him.”

Or…”John we got a card from the Phillips for Christmas. Did we send them one?”

“No. I don’t remember getting one from them last year. Remember we decided to send cards only to those who send us one?”

How many things do you do that you label as “giving” when in reality you are expecting a return for your gesture?

Have you ever given something anonymously?

I’m not suggesting that it’s wrong to say “I love you” because you long to hear it. I just wondered how many times we say it without expectations.

So I experimented with it. The last several times when my wife said it to me, I didn’t reply with the same words. I would say “thanks.” In some cases I replied with a hug. Other times I said or did nothing. The words hung in mid air. Last night I sighed. That got me into trouble. The sigh seemed to give a different signal.

For me, hearing the words echo back doesn’t mean that much.   It seems too mechanical. Like “Thank you” and “You’re welcome.”   It’s polite and proper, but expected.

So here’s what I’ve come up with.

Touch a little more. A hand on a shoulder, a gentle touch on a chin. If you are sitting near each other, play “footsies” gently bumping, nudging your loved one’s foot. In this new society of keeping our distance, not invading one’s space for fear of misunderstanding the gesture, the human spirit longs for touch.

Smile a little more. In a passing glance, return a soft, gentle smile. Practice it in the mirror and you’ll see how your eyes are involved in this expression of love. They seem to sparkle and brighten as they tell the person you bring joy to my life.

Offer to do a little more. “Can I get you something?” “Let me get that for you.” “No, sit I’ll get the phone.” Watch the expression and body language on that person when you do this. They suddenly feel special, like royalty.

Call a little more. For no reason at all. “Just needed to hear your voice.” “I thought about you and thought I’d give you a call.” You won’t see it, but when they hang up they walk a little taller, the smile will linger for a while.

Write a little more. Don’t send a card. Don’t send an email. Take a piece of paper, an envelope and write a quick note to someone you love. Here in America it costs 39 cents. Do you realize how valuable that investment is? In these times what can you buy for 39 cents that could possibly be as valuable as a hand written note. Oh, yes. Send it even if you live in the same household.

Be quiet together a little more. Sitting in silence with someone you love creates an energy in that space that is breathtaking and unforgettable. Listen to the sound of love, two hearts beating in one continuous rhythm, sending pulsating waves of immeasurable force into the world.

Now try saying “I love you” without expectation. If you are doing all of these things those words will not need an echo. They will not hang in mid air and die in sadness because you didn’t hear them back. They will be absorbed by the one they were intended for and they will sigh, not in frustration or confusion, but in satisfaction of knowing it is so.

You actually do this already. When you pray, you say “I love you, God.” You don’t wait for a deep sounding voice in reply. “This is God…I love you, too!”

Why?

Because it is understood. We know He loves us not because we hear it, but because we experience it, feel it, and know it.

Our true love for Him is not in the words we say, but in the way we live. When we love each other we love God.

I write for you as an expression of love although we have never met.

If you know that, take a deep breath and sigh.

“I believe in You!”
~ Bob Perks ~

Posted by vinzmondi at 11:36 am | permalink | Add comment

Faith is Everyting

July 29, 2008
Faith Is Everything
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. He even has scripture memorized! When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would have already been raptured!”

He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. And give him a bible verse.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Then I memorize a bible verse.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life. And then I give them a bible verse.

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “Yes, it is,” Michael, said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. And you choose whether God is a part of your life or not. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.” I reflected on what Michael said.

Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. And then I memorized a bible verse.

Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. “If I were any better, I would have already been raptured! Wanna see my scars?” And he recited a bible verse.

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon to be born daughter,” Michael replied. “Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live. Then all these bible verses came to mind and comforted me.

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. Michael continued, “…the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.” “What did you do?” I asked. It was then I recited the Lord’s Prayer out loud for all to hear.

“Well, then there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Michael. She asked if I was allergic to anything. “Yes, I replied.” The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, “Gravity.” Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live and my guardian angels are all around. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead”.

Michael lived thanks to God, the angels, skill of his doctors and also because of his determination and amazing faith. I learned from him that every day we have the choice how we live.

Faith, after all, is everything

Posted by vinzmondi at 10:32 pm | permalink | Add comment

TRIVIA TRIVIA TRIVIA!!!!!

July 23, 2008

 I got some of these from my good buddies!=D Thanks for the info!
Did you know that:

-Our metabolism slows down after 7pm?
-Our nose and ears continue to grow?
-The size of our eyes are the same since we were born?
-We can only 10% of our brains capacity voluntarily?
-We’ve already seen the people in our dreams?
-The chinese invented the first mechanical clock, but they thought it was the germans?
-Our palms change every 7 years?
-French fries weren’t made in France?
-The hamburger wasn’t made in Germany?
-There are only 23 hrs. and 56 minutes in a day?
-Diesel fuels in the Philippines burn clearer than the ones in L.A.?
-The Catholic Church’s marriage limit is 14 Yrs. old for females, and 16 Yrs.old for males?
- We seldomly hear songs that don’t have the words “I”, “Me”, or “My”?
- Data stored in Room-sized Computers can now be stored in our tiny flash drives?
- Back packs or Napsacks were the ideas of the Native Americans?
- Without Oxygen, the color of our blood is blue, not red?
- Jupiter has saved the Earth’s ass so many times from asteroids?
- The Catholic Church admitted that there was no hell?
- Spaghetti originated in China, not Italy?
- If a human being would shout out for the rest of his life, he could boil a glass of water?
- Ferdinand Magellan wasn’t spanish, he was Portuguese?
- The Japanese tounges pronounce L’s as R’s?
- Consequently, the Chinese pronounce R’s as L’s?
- The Mall of Asia was intentionally built flatter because it’s standing on reclaimed area?
- Until now, the human civilization were only at peace for 8% of its whole existence?
- The toast of beer mugs was a sign of brotherhood? (It means that if a warrior poisoned his fellow warrior, the beer, along with the poison, would spill into the former.)

Cool, huh? It’s up to you to believe these. I’ll add more when I could get new ideas. =D

 

Posted by vinzmondi at 11:56 am | permalink | Add comment

Whatta Day?! July 19, 2008

July 22, 2008
Saturday. July 19, 2008.
Woke up at around 8:30 am. Nothing to do at home. Played guitar, piano, went online for a while. Worked out. Then ate lunch.

It was really a boring day. Then a friend invited me to go watch a movie. The Dark Knight! Wow! Arrived at Gateway bout 4pm. And yeah, this Batman movie is sooooooooo mature. I mean, unlike the other Batman movies, where villains just bring guns, have fancy entrances and exits. They just keep on Yapping around, taking bags of cash, jewelry, and do common villainly acts. This movie really had good meaning. It’s not just for the kids who enjoy the violence and costume. Heath Ledger? He’s trully a good actor! And yeah, it’s more than just the fancy martial arts, gadgets, rides (Cool Lamborgini!!!). It really has a good political meaning too. Just watch it. It’s really cool!

Ate dinner after KFC. Then went to timezone. Spent the 300 pesos worth of credits in an hour! Haha! Not that fun though. The BishiBashi game wasn’t there!!! That sucks! Oh well, got my ass kicked in racing, and basketball again! Haha! Damn! I won time crisis, as usual.=p Then went around the mall. Checked out the new Audi. Damn! 29kilometers/liter????!!! I said, “Stirero!!!” But, yeah, it’s true. What you’ll save on your gas, you’ll spend on the luxury and the feel of a PGA car! It’s worth 3 million Pesos! I want that ride! Haha!

Speaking of rides, the MRT seemed to be full. And a definite standing ovation from all the passengers, including us. So it was decided to go and take the bus for a comfy ride to Alabang. Talking.. Texting.. Sharing jokes.. And wow… As we got passed Buendia intersection, “HOLDAP TOH!”, a man with a gun screamed! We were like, “What the hell, mehn?!”. There were two guys. A man with a gun, and a man with a knife. Wow! First time I’ve seen a hand gun not held by a policeman or hanging on a shelf in a gun store. Thank God no one got hurt! All they took are just our cellfones and some cash. Thankfully not our lives! Then, we went to the police station to report it. I pity the conductor and the bus driver. The passengers were cheap shooting them with words. Sugarcoating the blame on them. They think that the driver and the conductor intentionally let them in to steal our things because the fare collection wasn’t stolen. Oh well. I’m just really thankful that nobody got hurt. =) I just pray that the thieves would have guidance and find a better way to live their lives.

So yeah, it was a good day, still! Hehe! I learned a lot from this experience. In fact, it’s an experience of a lifetime. And I really don’t wanna be in that situation again.

Posted by vinzmondi at 11:59 am | permalink | Add comment

Wise Words From a Man I Don’t Know.

July 16, 2008
A friend of mine was in a jeepney and there was a guy, soaking wet and very angry. And he kept on complaining, and whining around about the rain. Then there was a wise man riding along in the jeepney who said:
“Ganyan lang talaga ang buhay. minsan, talaga uulan. Mababasa ka.. Pero matutuyo ka din naman. Di mo yan mapipigilan dumaan. Kung reklamo ka lng ng reklamo, edi hindi mo na nakita na pagkatapos umulan, tumutubo ang halaman. Kelangan din ang araw. Ganun lang talaga. kung ano ibigay sayo, wag mo nang hanapan ng iba. Ganyan maging masaya.”

O diba? Who ever said to never listen to strangers? Very well said, mister anonymous!

Posted by vinzmondi at 9:17 pm | permalink | Add comment

The Story of Midas

July 15, 2008

The Story Midas has good messages. Read on and you’ll see it.=)

THE STORY OF MIDAS

Midas was a very kind man who ruled his kingdom fairly, but he was not one to think very deeply about what he said. One day, while walking in his garden, he saw an elderly satyr asleep in the flowers. Taking pity on the old fellow, Midas let him go without punishment. When the god Dionysus heard about it, he rewarded Midas by granting him one wish. He thought for only a second and then said I wish for everything I touch to turn to gold.” And so it was.

The beautiful flowers in his garden turned toward the sun for light, but when Midas approached and touched them, they stood rigid and gold. Midas grew hungry and thin, for each time he tried to eat, he found that his meal had turned to gold. His lovely daughter, at his loving touch, turned hard and fast to gold. His water, his bed, his clothes, his friends, and eventually the whole palace was gold.

Midas saw that soon his whole kingdom would turn to gold unless he did something right away. He asked Dionysus to turn everything back to the way it had been and take back his golden touch. Because Midas was ashamed and very sad, Dionysus took pity on him and granted his request. Instantly, Midas was poorer that he had been, but richer, he felt, in the things that really count.

Interpretation:
Midas was a man who already had everything. Though not stated, he seemed to be a bit greedy. If asked to be given one wish granted, a man would not make any wishes if he realizes what he trully has right in front of him. Midas didn’t think of the consequences that would come if his wish was granted. Thus Midas, given the power of the Golden Touch, has lost everything inspite of all the riches (Gold) that he made for himself.

Now, some people say that it is natural for every person to want something more that what he/she already has. Well, it’s sometimes true, and seldomly not. But whether a king or a mere peasant, there will always be people who would chase dreams that they thought are worth sacrificing what they already have in hand. These people, I believe, haven’t given their decisions much thought. And as a result, it backfires, slams right at your face and puts you in the worst situation that you could ever be. Every stupid thing you do, will come back a hundred times worse and haunt you!

There is a possibility that you would NOT reach the stage where you get Golden Touch. But whether you do get that Golden Touch or not, there also be no certainty that a “Dionysus” would be there to tell you how to fix things. There may be a possiblity that you, however hard you cry and try, pray, and wish, will not be able to get back to where you were really complete! And in the end, you’ll end up with NOTHING!

This story is applicable to everyone. And it calls out to, whether a political figure, a TV/Movie star, a son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, a friend, or even a lover, never take for granted the Gifts that God has granted you. Love the people around you, and appreciate their efforts. Before deciding to chase some dream that you think is much better that the reality that you are in today, look at what you have, and think if the people around you will be alright with it. Also, try to see if having the “Golden Touch” is worth losing what you have right now. You see, it doesn’t take a king to realize the meaning of “Everything”. But it takes an IDIOT to ruin It!

Posted by vinzmondi at 1:23 pm | permalink | Add comment

Humans

July 9, 2008

We are all humans. We were made to feel, to heal, to fall, and be false. That’s who we really are. We all make mistakes, even the stupidest of all. It’s true, it’s true. And it’s natural. We weren’t made perfect. We weren’t made to always be correct. But not every human forgives. Not every human deserves a second chance. With mistakes that were done, you lose everything. And whatever you say or do to redeem yourself, to regain your loss, you won’t get another chance. It’s unfortunate and sad that this is true. Though there are lucky ones who get the chance to redeem themselves, they ruin it all over again. Yes, we are humans. We make mistakes. We were made to feel, heal, fall and be false. But we are also made to think, risk, realize, and save people, including ourselves.

So think deep before you act. Cuz if you hurt somebody, they might not take the risk to give you a second chance. Never think that you can always redeem yourself for this is the one that causes you to make mistakes. And once you lose everything, you’ll be lucky to even breath through all the pain. Karma exists. Pain and suffering does not end. It only circulates and comes back to the ones that caused it. The wound that you’ve inflicted will come back to you a hundred times deeper.

You don’t know when the pain will hit you. But beware that all of it might stab you all at once, that you won’t be able to survive it.

That’s why humans must all do what they were made to do in harmony. Think before you act. Risk if the fall is worth it. Realize what you’ve done. Redeem what you can. Feel the pain that you have caused. Feel the joy that you deserve. Share.. Save.. Have Faith.. For this is what it means to be a person.

Posted by vinzmondi at 11:58 am | permalink | Add comment

The Worst Torture

The worst torture is the one that doesn’t leave you dead. You’re dying, but you don’t die. All the rivers of sadness flowing in your veins. Pain, anguish, tears, cries… It won’t end.  But you know that you don’t want to get out of this punishment if you’re not gonna end up happy. You don’t want to sleep because you’ll only get in a dream where you don’t wanna get out of. The worst torture is the one that doesn’t leave you dead. In fact, it’s the one that you’ve caused anyway. But the worst torture is also the best torture. It’s the best way for you to learn a hard lesson. The best way for you to realize what you’ve done. The best way for you to feel the pain that you’ve caused.
Posted by vinzmondi at 11:53 am | permalink | Add comment

Rocking with Calliope

July 8, 2008

Thank you for choosing Calliope to make your mark on the world wide web. You’ve made an awesome choice. because Calliope doesn’t just give you a blog, It gives you:

Unmatched privacy and security
Calliope gives you the power to create your own “Me Wide Web”, a slice of the internet that is truly your own, made available to who you choose, be it everyone or a select few.Simply add people you want to give access to via the control panel and set permissions every time you post new blog posts, photos or audio files.

A whole new level of customizability
Calliope allows you to edit all aspects of your blog on the fly, quickly and easily.

The most complete profile page
Our profile page brings together the essential content you have put out on the web, be it your social networks, your online photos and videos even your social bookmarks and anything else you consider significant. Your new profile page doesn’t just say who you are in the Calliope network, it’s a roadmap to who you are on the internet.

A powerful photo gallery
Calliope’s powerful photo gallery allows you to showcase your best photos to the world; the photo gallery also allows for easy organization of your digital memories and comes with advanced privacy and security options so you can control who sees which of your pictures.

Integrated Audio player
Calliope comes integrated with an audio player that allows you to upload your favorite songs and podcasts and organize them with ease. Stream your audio files from Winamp and iTunes; you can even set privileges so that you control who gets to stream or download your audio.

Your very own domain. (example: username.i.ph)

Mail forwarding
All email messages sent to yourusername@i.ph are automatically forwarded to the email address you used to register, giving you a unique, conveniently short email address.

Calliope was not designed with an aim to outdo all the existing blog platforms out there, but by thinking of ways to enrich YOUR online experience, that’s exactly what we ended up with. If we strip everything down, the internet is all about people. Lots and lots and lots of people. We understand that it’s easy to get lost in the pack. We want you to stand out. This is why Calliope is all about you. Enjoy!

Posted by vinzmondi at 10:22 pm | permalink | Add comment