Dbaa

What's the answer?

A woman , while at the funeral of her own mother, meets a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was simply ' amazing' , very much of her dream guy, she believed him to be just that! She fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him.

A few days later she killed her FIRST sister.
Question: What is her motive in killing her sister?

(Give this some thought before you answer).

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Answer: She was hoping that the guy would appear at the funeral again.

If you answered this correctly , you think like a psychopath .. This was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn't answer the question correctly, good for you.

- taken from forwarded emails

Women Are From Venus

What do husbands and wives need from each other? A best-selling book
entitled, Men Are From Mars , Women Are From Venus, explains how men and
women are different creatures. So for marriage to work, husbands and
wives must know each other’s different needs before they can meet and
fill those needs. It’s then they can have a satisfying marriage.  Today
we’ll let the ladies go first, and next time we’ll talk about husbands’
needs.

Women basically need 3 things from their husband.  Number 1:  affection.
Not just sex, but thoughtfulness, kindness, and yes, romance! Some of us
men treat our wives like they’re just our housekeeper and lover! Friend,
our wife needs our full attention and affection. So let her know how
often and how much you think of her.

Number 2:  your wife needs conversation and friendship. One of the
biggest disappointments that wives have is that their husband almost
never sits down and chats with them.  And that their husband doesn’t
treat them like a friend or equal.

Number 3:  Your wife needs faithfulness. Not just in providing money for
food and a home, but faithfulness to her personally! Your wife needs to
know that you’re a one-woman man! And that later you won’t trade her in
like an old car for a new model.

God, Who invented marriage, also gave us His manual for marriage:  the
Bible. When all else fails read the manual! In the Bible Jesus Christ
clearly shows and explains how husbands are supposed to love and serve
the needs of their wife.  But you’ll never have what it takes to satisfy
and meet your wife’s needs until you ask Jesus Christ to forgive you for
your self-centeredness and let Him take full charge of your character.
Only with Jesus’ strength and real love can you be the man and husband
your wife needs. Just think a minute…

Jhan and Iris Tiafau Hurst are a multi-cultural husband-wife team of
university lecturers and motivational speakers. Over the past 22 years
they have lived and worked professionally in the U.S., Singapore,
Indonesia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji. Jhan's bachelor's and master's
degrees in theology and philosophy were earned from universities in
Missouri and California. Iris was born and raised in the Pacific island
nation of Western Samoa. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in
business marketing and management from Emporia State University in
Kansas. Jhan and Iris have two sons.

- excerpt from emails.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee..

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;  they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

May we all be COFFEE.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

GEMS MAY BE PRECIOUS,
BUT FRIENDSHIP IS PRICELESS!

- excerpt from an email.

A story of divorce...

A very touching story I found in my email box, would just like to share:

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner,
I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you.
She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in
her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth.
But I had to let her know what I was thinking.
I  want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly,
why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks
and shouted at me, you are not a man!
That night, we didn't talk to each other.
She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our
marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my
heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that
she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent
ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted
time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved
Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had
expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce
which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something
at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very
fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care
so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want
anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as
normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple:
our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt
him with our broken marriage

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall
how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of
our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy.
Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and
thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she
has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was
explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both
appeared clumsy.
Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words
brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room,
then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms.
She closed her eyes and said softly;
don't tell our son about the divorce.
I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door.
She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily.
She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her
blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully
for a long time. I realized she was not young any more.
There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying!
Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered
what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy
returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing
again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the
month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few
dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses
have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin,
that was the reason why I could carry her more easily

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her
heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out.
To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential
part of his life.
My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly.
I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind
at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the
bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand
surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly;
it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day,
when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our
son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't
noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door.
I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs.
Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce
anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.
Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head.
Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce.
My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the
details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more.
Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding
day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and
then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs
and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my
wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card.
I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do
us apart.

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship.
It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank,
blah..blah.
These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give
happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those
little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy
marriage !

Chinese humor you can relate to

ARE YOU LAN-NANG?

1. Your standards for evaluation are limited to "not bad" (bwe-phai) and
good enough" (ham-ham)

2. You count every single centavo that comes in and out of your wallet

3. You voted Fred Lim for president

4. You make today's rice tomorrow's fried rice

5. Today's leftovers are tastefully mixed in tomorrow's bi-hun or ma-mi

6.The only thing you can read in a Chinese daily is the daily's name
(so sue me!)

7. Your pinoy friends ask for tikoy from you, and they're more excited
eating it than you are (now they ask for different flavors of tikoy pa!)

8. You aren't allowed to wear black, although you want to - to look
thinner

9. Your family car's plate number begins with 8

10. When you speak to an elder and you forget the chinese term for a
particular item, and say "ahhh hio-nge hio-nge hio-nge basta hio-nge
la!" (nyahahaha)

11. You affix "-la", "-lo" to your Pinoy/Taglish sentences

12. You affix "ba", "naman" or "pa" to your Chinese sentences

13. Your food vocabulary consists of ...kiam-pong, cha-pong, am-beh,
mi-sua, cha-sio, ma-ki-mi, hee-chee, machang

14. Your parents think that a boyfriend-girlfrien d relationship is the
same as getting married

15. You Speak chinese at home, speak Filipino with friends, and write
letters in English!

16. Your friends greet your parents "a-pe or am-a, good evening!"

17. You love Lao Fu Zi even if you could never figure out what they were
talking about

18. You know the beneficial effects of chrysanthemum tea and black duck
soup

19. You say "Wa-kah-nga !" or "In-yah-kwee- yah!"

20. You've eaten food after it has been offered to your dead ancestors

21. You pronounce "C" or "K" sounds like "KH" like "khas" instead of
cash, "khomputer" for computer (oy hinde ha)

22. You have a cough, and your mom insists that you drink 'ki-pe-lo'and
for stomack ache,'tsing- lo-ing' (effective naman kasi)

23. When seated around a chinese lauriat, you insist back and forth that
other people take the first serving (basta kung kanino natapat, siya
mauna!)

24. You mix the hard-boiled egg cooked in adobo (lo-neng) with your rice

25. Tinutusok mo nalang iyong fish/meat/squid ball with your chopsticks!

26. Kung hindi mo na matusok ang fish/meat/squid ball with ur chopstick,
kinakamay mo nalang.

27. You had culture shock in college.

28. Your pinoy friends ask for the chinese translation of 'i love you"
and certain curse words

29. You go to Hap Chan for a mid-night snack

30. The only first aid kit you bring with you is white flower

31. You are a tsinoy, when in math class, you mumble the Chinese
multiplication table when mutiplying numbers.

Ex. Di it Di (2x1=2) ; Di Di Si (2x2=4)

32. If you are male, you have a name that ends with "-son", i.e.
jefferson,emerson, wilson, harrison, stevenson, michaelson, kingson

33. You understand why "kai-shao" is more complicated than a "blind
date"

34. The first reaction from new pinoy friends is "mayayaman ang mga
intsik!"

35. At least one member of ur family has already gone to Chientan

36. You greet a friend on the phone by asking if he's eaten (dee chia
beh?) or what he is doing (leh tshong shia?)

37. You say: a. 'kain ng gamot' instead of 'inom ng gamot' (chia iyo
kasi eh) b. 'hugas ng picture' instead of 'pa-develop ng picture' (swesiong
kasi)

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

The road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called Failure,

a loop called Confusion,
speed bumps called Friends,
red lights called Enemies,
caution lights called Family.
You will have flats called Jobs.
But, if you have a spare called Determination,
an engine called Perseverance,
insurance called Faith,
a driver called Jesus,
you will make it to a place called Success.

-- Author Unknown
(excerp from emails)

Starbucks Spirituality by Brett Lawrence

Excerpt from ChristianityToday.com

Daniel Hill holds a steady part-time job working one or two shifts a week at Starbucks. It's hardly a career-track position, and it's not that he needs the extra cash or battles a secret caffeine addiction.

It's the people.

Purple hair, belly-button rings, tattoos, black-painted fingernails—those people.

For Hill, whose day job is ministering on staff with Willow Creek Community Church's Axis outreach, Starbucks provides a context to build meaningful relationships with postmodern, Gen-Next twentysomethings who are far from God.

"Nothing has been more transforming for me than working at Starbucks," says Hill, "These people matter to me."

But the moonlighting gig isn't a free pass to easy evangelism. His coffee colleagues are like a good cup of triple espresso—plenty of steam, a little bitter, and enough kick to knock you on your backside if you aren't careful.

Exhibit A: "The first day Debbie worked at Starbucks, one of the shift supervisors points at me and asks her, 'Did you hear what his real job is?' After she hears I work at a church, Debbie freaks out. She says, 'Three years ago my 16-year-old daughter was raped and murdered. Tell me, what kind of God would let that happen? I believe in God. I just have a real problem with him.'"

To read more click here.

Mirror mirror on the wall

Mirror mirror on the wall
BUSINESS MATTERS (Beyond the bottom line)
By Francis J. Kong

One businessman complained and said:

"The other night, my wife and I were going out for dinner."

She put on eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, eyeliner, eyelashes, mascara,
toner, blush and lipstick, then turned to me and said, "Does this
look natural?"

Men find it hard to understand women and that's the beauty behind
it, the mystery of discovery.

Another one said, "Today is the fifth anniversary of my wife's
39th birthday."

Now you tell me whether you can understand that or not.

Have you ever watched Fashion TV?

When I was still with the garments industry my wife and I watched a
great deal of them and I realized that we were watching many of the
world's most beautiful women. The clothes may not be great all the
time but when these women wear it and walk with it, the beauty comes
out. The next thing I discovered is that many fresh and young faces
would walk the ramp. And it's only a matter of time before the once
hot faces disappear from the scene only to be replaced by the younger
ones.

NO amount of cosmetics could ever fight off a woman's terror and
trepidation: aging. Age catches up with everyone and there's no
exception to the rule.

One woman I know who is in her mid-forties prohibits her children to
call her mom. She commanded that all of her grown up kids call her
Auntie and of course it breaks the children's hearts. I wonder
how long she could stay in the stage of denial. Yes. Some people live in
denial and somebody says it correctly that denial is not a river in
Egypt.

Vanity? A refusal to face one's real age?

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?

What an unforgettable scene in the immortal Disney Classic Snow White.

Are women vain?

Some are of course and then some are not.

Today there are many men who are vain too. Look at the rise of cosmetic
products for men.

The cosmetics industry is a major money making industry this is itself
would reveal the fact that men and women do pay a lot of attention to
how they look.

It is important to look good especially when you are in the work place.

In my seminars I always warn my audience to be wary of speakers who say
otherwise. When you hear speakers tell you that "beauty is not
important I can assure you that the speaker is ugly."

Of course beauty is important and we have to make ourselves presentable.

The way we look represent the company we are working for.

But looking good is not as important as being good in person and
character.

I got me an article that deals with this issue.

The title is How Females Look in the Mirror.

Age 8: Looks at herself and sees herself as Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty.

Age 15: Looks at herself and sees herself as Cinderella/Sleeping
Beauty/Cheerleader or sees fat/Ugly. (Mom I can't go to school
looking like this!)

Age 20: Looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too/short/too
tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she's going
anyway.

Age 30: Looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too
tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she doesn't have time
to fix it, so she goes anyway.

Age 40: Looks at herself and sees "too fat/ too thin, too short/to
tall too straight/too curly"- but says: "At least I'm
clean" and goes anyway.

Age 50: Looks at herself and sees "I am" and goes wherever she
wants to.

Age 60: Looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who
can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and
conquers the world.

Age 70: Looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter and ability, goes out
and enjoys life.

Age 80: Doesn't bother to look. Just puts on a purple hat and goes
out to have fun with the world.

That's the way to live life.

But why wait until 80 to develop this great attitude?

Beauty is in the character not on the skin.

A wise guy says: Beauty always comes from within ”within jars, tubes,
and compacts. That's not what I mean.

A French proverb says: Beauty without virtue is a flower without
perfume.

True beauty is that which reflects the beauty of Her Maker.

A godly life and a great positive disposition.

Who can resist such charm?

You don't need those low waist-hip hugging-panty revealing jeans to
be beautiful.

Show the love of Christ and exhibit His character by being a woman of
virtue and I can assure you you're beautiful anytime all the time.

So relax. Be happy and be beautiful.

-excerpt from CCOWE emails

THE PARABLE OF THE STONES by Max Lucado

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than
   rubies. -- Proverbs 3 1:10 (NW) --

   I MUST WARN you, reader; before you begin. These words are ancient
   jewels mined from the quarry of my life. Read them only if you dare
   treasure them. For it would be better to never know, than to know and
   not obey.

   The hand which writes them is now old, wrinkled from the sun and labor.
   But the mind which guides them is wise.
   wise from years
   wise from failures
   wise from heartache.
   I am Asmara, merchant of fine stones.

   I am a seller of stones. I travel from city to city. I buy jewels from
   the diggers in one land and sell them to the buyers in another I have
   weathered nights on stormy waters. I have walked days through desert
   heat. I have dined with kings. I have drunk with paupers. My hands have
   held the finest rubies and stroked the deepest furs. But I would trade
   it all for the one jewel I never knew.

It was not for lack of opportunity that I never held it. There was a
   chance in Madrid when I was young. No, it was not for lack of
   opportunity. It was for lack of wisdom. The jewel was in my hand, but I
   exchanged it for an imitation. And now I fear my days will end without
   my ever knowing the beauty of the precious stone.

   I have never known true love.

   I have known embraces. I have seen beauty. But I have never known love.

   If only I'd learned to recognize love as I have learned to recognize
   stones.

   My father taught me about stones. He was a jewel cutter. He would seat
   me at a table before a dozen emeralds. "One is true," he would tell me.
   "The others are false. Find the true jewel."

   I would ponder"studying one after the other. Finally I would choose. I
   was always wrong.

   "The secret, "he would say," is not on the surface of the stone; it is
   inside the stone. A true jewel has a glow. Deep within the gem there is
   a flame. The surface can always be polished to shine, but with time the
   sparkle fades. However, the stone that shines from within will never
   fade."

   With the years, my eyes learned to spot true stones. I am never fooled.
   The stones I purchase are authentic. The gems I sell are true. I have
   learned to see the light within.

   If only I had learned the same about love.

   But Ive been foolish, dear reader, and Ive been fooled.

   Ive spent my life in places I shouldn't have been, looking for
   someone
   with sparkling eyes, beautiful hair, a dazzling smile, and fancy
   clothes. Ive searched for a woman with outer beauty, but no true
   value. And now I am left with emptiness.

   Once I almost found her. Many years ago in Madrid, I met the daughter
   of a farmer. Her ways were simple. Her love was pure. Her eyes were
   honest. But her looks were plain. She would have loved me. She would
   have held me through every season. Within her was a glow of devotion
   the like of which Ive never seen since.

   But I continued looking for someone whose beauty would outshine the
   rest.

   How many times since have I longed for that farm girls kind heart,
   her
   sweet smile, her faithfulness? If only Id known that true beauty is
   found inside, not outside. If only Id known, how many tears would I
   have saved?

   Id trade in a moment a thousand rare gems for the true heart of one
   who would have loved me.

   Dear reader, heed my warning. Look closely at the stones before you
   open your purse. True love glows from within and grows stronger with
   the passage of time.

   Heed my caution. Look for the purest gem. Look deep within the heart to
   find the greatest beauty of all. And when you find that gem, hold onto
   her and never let her go.

   For in her you have been granted a treasure worth far more than rubies.

   Seek beauty and miss love.
   But seek love and find both.....:-

"Love is a commitment of the heart that will stand the test
of wavering emotions, intellectual rationalizing, circumstantial
allure, hormonal infatuation, and even the wounds of your lover.
Anything less is not true love."

                              

           MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

4 Wives

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated
her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to
neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him
for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind,
considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he
could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great
contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not
love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of
her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his
luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die,
I'll be all alone."

Thus, he asked the 4th wife , "I loved you the most, endowed you with the
finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will!
You follow me and keep me company?"

"No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.

Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all my life. Now that I'm
dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" 
"No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to
remarry!"

His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've
always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me
company?"

"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the
very most, I can only walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him
like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where
you go."

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she
suffered from malnutrition and neglect.  Greatly grieved, the King said, "I
should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in
making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all
go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been
there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power
and pleasures of the world.  However, our Soul is the only thing that will
follow us where ver we go.

Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that
will follow us to the throne
of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day:
Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect
position to pray.

Interesting Conversation

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class
on the problem science has with God, the Almighty.

He asks one of his new Christian students to stand
and.....

Professor: You are a Christian, aren't you, son?

Student : Yes, sir.

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student : Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student : Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed
to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help
others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God
good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again,
young fella.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to
identify and

observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you
ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student : No , sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God,
smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory
perception of God for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do
you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student : No sir. There isn't.

The lecture theater becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more
heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat
or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We
can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but
we can't go any further after that. There is no such
thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe
the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is
energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat,sir, just the
absence of it.

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there
such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal
light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have
no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it
were you would be able to make darkness darker,
wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise
is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of
duality. You argue there is life and then there is
death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the
concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It
uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,
much less fully understood either one. To view death
as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact
that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.

Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students
that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary
process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your
own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning
to realize where the argument is going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process
of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this
process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a
preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever
seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the
Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt
it?.....No one appears to have done so. So, according
to the established rules of empirical, stable,
demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no
brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then
trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the
student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir.. The link between man & god
is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving &
alive..

Eats!

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Dunkin and Krispy Crème Donuts. And Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "And as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles."
And they gained 10 pounds.  And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels.  And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!"  And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

-excerpt from email

THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA!

The computer swallowed grandma.
Yes, honestly its true!
She pressed 'control' and 'enter' And disappeared from view.
It devoured her completely, the thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a virus Or been eaten by a worm. ; I've searched through the recycle bin And files of every kind; I've even used the Internet, But nothing did I find.
In desperation, I asked Jeeves My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative, Not a thing was found 'online.'
So, if inside your 'Inbox,' My Grandma you should see, Please 'Copy,''Scan' and 'Paste' her And send her back to me.

This is a tribute to all the Grandmas who have been fearless and learned to use the Computer.... .... They are the greatest!!!
We do not stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing.
Never Be The First To Get Old

-excerpt from "Angelscots Mailing List"

What love is....

 A group of professional people posed this question to a group of
4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think :
_____
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8
_____
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4 (I love this one)
____
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
___
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
____
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
_____
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
_____
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
_____
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
____
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
_____
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
_____
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
_____
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
_____
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
_____
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
_____
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
Mark - age 6
_____
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
____
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
____
When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that
God is all you need.

Reasons for marriage

Eduardo Calasanz was a student at the Ateneo de Manila where he had Father Ferriols as a professior. Father Ferriols, at that time, was the Philosophy department head. Currently he still teaches Philosophy for graduating college students in Ateneo. Father Ferriols has been very popular for his mind-opening and enriching classes but is also notorious for the grades he gives. Still people took his classes for the learning and deep insight they take home with them every day (if only they could do something about the grades...)

 

 

Come grade-giving time, Father Ferriols had a long discussion with the registrar people because he wanted to give Calasanz an A+, which the student eventually received.

 

 

Read the article below to find out why.

 

 

"Partners and Marriage"
by Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz

I have never met a man who didn't want to be loved. But I have seldom met a man who didn't fear marriage. Something about the closure seems constricting, not enabling. Marriage seems easier to understand for what it cuts out of our lives than for what it makes possible within our lives.

When I was younger this fear immobilized me. I did not want to make a mistake. I saw my friends get married for reasons of social acceptability, or sexual fever, or just because they thought it was the logical thing to do. Then I watched, as they and their partners became embittered and petty in their dealings with each others. I looked at older couples and saw, at best, mutual tolerance of each other. I imagined a lifetime of loveless nights and bickering and could not imagine subjecting myself or someone else to such a fate.

And yet, on rare occasions, I would see old couples who somehow seemed to glow in each other's presence. They seemed really in love, not just dependent upon each other and tolerant of each others' foibles. It was an astounding sight, and it seemed impossible.

How, I asked myself, can they have survived so many years of sameness, so much irritation at the other's habits? What keeps love alive in them, when most of us seem unable to even stay together, much less love each other?

The central secret seems to be in choosing well. There is something to the claim of fundamental compatibility. Good people can create a bad relationship, even though they both dearly want the relationship to succeed. It is important to find someone with whom you can create a good relationship from the outset. Unfortunately, it is hard to see clearly in the early stages.

Sexual hunger draws you to each other and colors the way you see yourselves together. It blinds you to the thousands of little things by which relationships eventually survive or fail. You need to find a way to see beyond this initial overwhelming sexual fascination. Some people choose to involve themselves sexually and ride out the most heated period of sexual attraction in order to see what is on the other side. This can work, but it can also leave a trail of wounded hearts. Others deny the sexual side altogether in an attempt to get to know each other apart from their sexuality. But they cannot see clearly, because the presence of unfulfilled sexual desire looms so large that it keeps them from having any normal perception of what life would be like together.

The truly lucky people are the ones who manage to become long-time friends before they realize they are attracted to each other. They get to know each other's laughs, passions, sadness, and fears. They see each other at their worst and at their best. They share time together before they get swept into the entangling intimacy of their sexuality.

This is the ideal, but not often possible. If you fall under the spell of your sexual attraction immediately, you need to look beyond it for other keys to compatibility.
One of these is laughter. Laughter tells you how much you will enjoy each other's company over the long term. If your laughter together is good and healthy, and not at the expense of others, then you have a healthy relationship to the world. Laughter is the child of surprise. If you can make each other laugh, you can always surprise each other. And if you can always surprise each other, you can always keep the world around you new. Beware of a relationship in which there is no laughter. Even the most intimate relationships based only on seriousness have a tendency to turn sour. Over time, sharing a common serious viewpoint on the world tends to turn you against those who do not share the same viewpoint, and your relationship can become on being critical together.

After laughter, look for a partner who deals with the world in a way you respect. When two people first get together, they tend to see the relationship as existing only in the space between the two of them. They find each other endlessly fascinating, and the overwhelming power of the emotions they are sharing obscures the outside world. As the relationship ages and grows, the outside world becomes important again. If your partner treats people or circumstances in a way you can't accept, you will inevitably come to grief. Look at the way she cares for others and deals with the daily affairs of life. If that makes you love her more, your love will grow. If it does not, be careful. If you do not respect the way you each deal with the world around you, eventually the two of you will not respect each other.

Look also at how your partner confronts the mysteries of life. We live on the cusp of poetry and practicality, and the real life of the heart resides in the poetic. If one of you is deeply affected by the mystery of the unseen in life and relationships, while the other is drawn only to the literal and the practical, you must take care that the distance doesn't become an unbridgeable gap that leaves you each feeling isolated and misunderstood.

There are many other keys, but you must find them by yourself. We all have unchangeable parts of our hearts that we will not betray and private commitments to a vision of life that we will not deny. If you fall in love with someone who cannot nourish those inviolable parts of you, or if you cannot nourish them in her, you will find where you share the business of life, but never touch each other where the heart lives and dreams. From there it is only a small leap to the cataloging of petty hurts and daily failures that leaves so many couples bitter and unsatisfied with their mates.

So choose carefully and well. If you do, you will have chosen a partner with whom you can grow, and then the real miracle of marriage can take place in your hearts. I pick my words carefully when I speak of a miracle. But I think it is not too strong a word. There is a miracle in marriage. It is called transformation. Transformation is one of the most common events of nature. The seed becomes the flower. The cocoon becomes the butterfly. Winter becomes spring and love becomes a child. We never question these, because we see them around us everyday. To us, they are not miracles, though if we did not know them they would be impossible to believe. Marriage is a transformation we choose to make.

Our love is planted like a seed, and in time it begins to flower. We cannot know the flower that will blossom, but we can be sure that a bloom will come. If you have chosen carefully and wisely, the bloom will be good. If you have chosen poorly or for the wrong reason, the bloom will be flawed. We are quite willing to accept the reality of negative transformation in a marriage. It was negative transformation that always had me terrified of the bitter marriages that I feared when I was younger.

It never occurred to me to question the dark miracle that transformed love into harshness and bitterness. Yet I was unable to accept the possibility that the first heat of love could be transformed into something positive that was actually deeper and more meaningful than the heat of fresh passion. All I could believe in was the power of this passion and the fear that when it cooled I would be left with something lesser and bitter. But there is positive transformation as well. Like negative transformation, it results from a slow accretion of little things. But instead of death by a thousand blows, it is growth by a thousand touches of love. Two histories intermingle. Two separate beings, two separate presence, two separate consciousness come together and share a view of life that passes before them. They remain separate, but they also become one.

There is an expansion of awareness, not a closure and a constriction, as I had once feared. This is not to say that there is not tension and there are not traps. Tension and traps are part of every choice of life, from celibate to monogamous to having multiple lovers. Each choice contains within it the lingering doubt that the road not taken somehow more fruitful and exciting, and each becomes dulled to the richness that it alone contains.

But only marriage allows life to deepen and expand and be leavened by the knowledge that two have chosen, against all odds, to become one. Those who live together without marriage can know the pleasure of shared company, but there is a specific gravity in the marriage commitment that deepens that experience into something richer and more complex. So do not fear marriage, just as you should not rush into it for the wrong reasons. It is an act of faith and it contains within it the power of transformation.

If you believe in your heart that you have found someone with whom you are able to grow, if you have sufficient faith that you can resist the endless attraction of the road not taken and the partner not chosen, if you have the strength of heart to embrace the cycles and seasons that your love will experience, then you may be ready to seek the miracle that marriage offers. If not, then wait. The easy grace of marriage well made is worth your patience. When the time comes, a thousand flowers will bloom… endlessly

- excerpt from email

NAIL IN THE FENCE

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.

His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper,   he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually     dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The  days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.

You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It  won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. "

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.         

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.

They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us."   

YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.

- excerpt from an email.

Di ta guae yong khee

Nag-aaral ako sa La Salle.

Ang dami kong kaklaseng Intsik. Apelyidong Uy, Lim, Tan, Co, Go, Chua,
Chi, Sy, Wy, at kung anu-ano pa. Pero sa kanilang lahat kay Gilbert Go
ako naging malapit. Mayaman si Gilbert kaya mangyari pa, madalas siya
ang taya sa tuwing gigimik ang barkada.

Isang araw na-ospital ang kanyang ama. Sinamahan ko siya sa pagdalaw.
Nasa ICU na noon ang kanyang ama dahil sa stroke. Naron din ang ilan sa
kanyang malalapit na kamag-anak.

Nag-usap sila. Intsik ang kanilang usapan.... hindi ko maintindihan.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minutong usap-usap, nagkayayaan nang umuwi. Maiwan
daw muna ako at pakibantayan ang kanyang ama habang inihahatid nya ang
kanyang mga kamag-anak palabas ng ospital. Lumipat ako sa gawing kaliwa
ng kama ng kanyang ama para ilapag ang mga iniwan nilang mga gamit na
kakailanganin ng magbabantay sa ospital. Nang akmang ilalapag ko na ay
biglang nangisay ang matanda.

Hinahabol nya ang kanyang hininga... Kinuyom nya ang kanyang palad at
paulit-ulit siyang nagsalita ng wikang intsik na hindi ko maintindihan.

"Di ta guae yong khee"..... "Di ta guae yong khee"... "Di ta guae yong
khee".. paulit-ulit nya itong binigkas bago siya malagutan ng hininga.

Pagbalik ni Gilbert ay patay na ang kanyang ama. Ikinagulat nya ang
pangyayari ngunit marahil ay tanggap na rin nya na papanaw na ang
kanyang ama. Walang tinig na namutawi sa kanyang bibig. Ngunit iyon na
yata ang pinakamasidhing pagluha na nasaksihan ko.

Nagpa-alam muna ako, dahil siguradong magdadatingin uli ang kanyang mga
kamag-anak.

Sumakay ako ng taksi pauwi. Habang nasa taksi.. tinawagan ko ang iba pa
naming kabarkada. Una kong tinawagan si Noel Chua. Dahil marunong si
Noel mag-intsik, tinanong ko muna kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng "Di ta
guae yong khee".

"Ina-apakan mo oxygen ko. "... "Bakit saan mo ba narinig 'yan?".

A peny for your thoughts

To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.

He, who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others
You can't live long enough to make them all
yourself.

Friends, you and me...
You brought another friend...
And then there were 3...
We started our group...
Our circle of friends...
And like that circle...
There is no beginning or end...

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.
That is why it is called the present.

- excerpts from emails

Judge Gently

Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps
Or stumbles along the road.
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt
Though hidden away from view.
Or the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.

You may be strong but still the blows
That was his if dealt to you
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time
Might cause you to stagger too.

Don't be too harsh with the man that sins
Or pelt him with word or stone
Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -
That you have no sins of your own.

For you know, perhaps,
If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray
It might cause you to falter too.

-- Author Unknown
from a email.

Start Over

> When you've trusted God and walked his way
> When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
> But your steps now take you another way ...
> Start over.
>
> When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
> When you've tried your best and there's no more try
> When you've failed yourself and you don't know why
> ...
> Start over.
>
> When you've told your friends what you plan to do
> When you've trusted them and they didn't come
> through
> And you're all alone and it's up to you ...
> Start over.
>
> When you've failed your kids and they're grown and
> gone
> When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
> And now your grandchildren come along ...
> Start over.
>
> When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will
> When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know
> still ...
> When you want to stop cause you've had your fill ...
> Start over.
>
> When you think you're finished and want to quit
> When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
> When you've tried and tried to get out of it ...
> Start over.
>
> When the year has been long and successes few
> When December comes and you're feeling blue
> God gives a January just for you ...
> Start over.
>
> Starting over means "Victories Won"
> Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
> Starting over means "God's Will Done"
> Don't just sit there ............ ..
>
> START OVER
>
> by Woodrow Kroll of "Back to the Bible"
excerpt from an email.