don't get too happy YET...

In my experience, it is better to limit your celebration when things are going well in your life. Why?

Because nature has its way of robbing happiness away. If you get too happy...the next thing in line for you is..well, some kind of sadder event. hahaha

If you earn a salary and you get too happy about it, you won't save a single penny. Gagastusin mo lahat yun.

If someone tells you that you look good, and then you reacted with extreme happiness, it's easy for the other person to say, JOKE LANG.

So I think the right kind of happiness is "controlled happiness". lol. It is also called "delayed gratification".

Limit or delay your celebration if something good happens to you. Place your successes in a box until a quieter time (as the Dave Matthews song goes.)

There's another side to this, and it is sorrow.

Remember that if you're experiencing too much sorrow right now...keep in mind that the next thing in store for you is joy, happiness, success, triumph.

It's true.

I'm starting to think that this is what the Bible means when it is written, "Sorrow is better than laughter". I think sorrow speaks of good things ahead. But present laughter (I mean, too much of it) leads to future grief.

So I think the pattern of nature is this:

Cry before you laugh.
Fail before you succeed.
Pain before gain.
Practice before perfection.
Work before play.
Rejection before approval.


I've found that if you turn this pattern around, in most cases you end up losing in the end in some way.

Kaya pala si FPJ pabugbog muna. hahaha.

I mean, I admit this is not true 100% of the time. There are exceptions. But if you're experiencing minor successes right now......don't give your class A celebration yet. There are greater things ahead of you!

Good day.

if you have a cat, read this. :)

Just a few days ago, I have been reading a magazine article, and one writer wrote about an interesting attitude that all cats have in common.

Now, I'm not sure if this is 100% real, but I just feel like blogging about it. lol

Research has shown that when a cat enters a room full of people, the animal usually approaches the person who has the most amount of indifference (in other words, kung sino yung taong pinaka-hindi namamansin sa pusa...yun ang lalapitan ng pusa..haha).

This attitude is hard-wired and automatic in cats. To prove if this idea is true, I tried it on our cat, Blessing. When he entered the room one morning while everyone is having breakfast, I didn't call him or throw him any food. I acted as if I didn't see the poor cat. After a few minutes, I can see the cat (through my peripheral vision) approaching me slowly! Then he started to play with my foot, trying to get my attention.

Confirmed.

Anyway, the research also found that the same trait or attitude of cats toward indifference ARE PRESENT IN MANY HUMAN BEINGS! lol

But don't bother trying this on people. Do it to your cat first!!! hahaha.

Why the Bible and my iPod go great together.....

Most people today equate the Bible with religion, rules, and worse yet, superstition. (To us apostolics, it's a different story). On the other hand, people associate iPods with pop music, technological advancement, keeping up with trends...

In my opinion, the two can be used together for worthwhile personal purposes...if you know how.


For example, just recently I downloaded the audio version of the King James Version of the Bible on my Apple device. Thank God for modern technology (well, it's not exactly a new technology, but I'm just happy about it). Now I can listen to the Scriptures everywhere I go, and "encode" the Words of Truth in my heart and mind on a much greater scale.

By listening, I am able to see a new perspective of the Bible that I've never had before. For example, in the book of Proverbs, I usually just read on and on for a long time, and have trouble grasping the meaning of each verse when I start feeling sleepy. But when I began listening to the audio (thanks Steve Jobs!), the book of Proverbs is clearer to me now. :)

By the way, you can use the "Audiobooks" feature of iTunes to start syncing Bible files in your device. If you want to know how to do this and where to get te files, let me know at 09162275715. You can do this at absolutely no cost.
"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God". (Romans 10:17)

But of course, I still believe in reading the Bible! If you already do read yours, keep it up! But if you could add AUDIO to your spiritual menu, that would be better.

So let me ask you, what's in your iPod? :)

Don't lose the opportunity. Put the Greatest Book in History inside the best gadget of the modern age.

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(Happy birthday to my brother, Charis, who's celebrating his 27th birthday today. God bless you bro!)

new year's eve / overflowing food / beef or sugar?

Please don't ask for videos. I'll post them later. (Or I might, depends on the mood).

So........

I made it to 2011!! As I played Kenny G's version of Auld Lang Syne on my iPod minutes before 12 midnight of Jan 1, I felt like having a toast (soda only) with my brothers and cousins for such a wonderful year that has passed. I mean, lots of people didn't even make it! So thank God we're here.

Food was, well..."overflowing" was an understatement. Up to the last minute of 2010 I was hoping that I could at least lose a few inches off my bulging tummy...but to no avail. Why did they ever invent New Year celebrations?? It's just a way for people like us to fall for all the yummy recipes being offered. :)

Kidding aside, I had an awesome N.Y. celebration. What better company to have than family, right? And besides, I have no choice. They have no choice too, they're stuck with me...so hey we might as well celebrate together and drown in food. :)


Just before midnight we found time to kneel and pray and just thank God for all His goodness.

Gifts were cool. I got a new towel, new socks, and a piece of yellowish paper with Ninoy's face printed on it. :) (they said I could use that paper to buy things from the store. What are stores???)

Traditionally, we celebrate New Year's eve with lots of family members, in-laws and relatives. But this year, it wasn't possible, so here are the only people present:

We decided not to participate in any "firecracking" or fireworking..but we did make noise by the sound of the DRUMS...lol. I'll try to post videos of that. I also took video clips of fireworks from our neighbors.

AFTERMATH: Today, January 3, 2011...I woke up at 6 pm and couldn't stand up. My thighs are numb, my muscles are weak, and I couldn't move! I thought I was going to go lame (which is a lame theory)......thank God I'm ok now. They say it's because of too much sugar I took the past few days (soda, chocolates, fruitcake, rice, pasta, etc......). Others say I had too much BEEF (bulalo, beef steak, meatballs).

So which one is the culprit? Beef or Sugar? Post comments. :)