God, Happiness and Life

One of my sons is in Bombay,India and attending a three-week technical training for a networking product. He recently moved from a customer related service job from a large telco to this company which is into network software product marketing and support. Before his move, he mentioned about feeling his career was not getting anywhere because his job at that time although it paid well, kept him stagnant for almost a year. He waited but whatever it was, never came. And so he decided to move on. All I advised him before he made the switch was, "wherever you feel happy and comfortable, that's where you should be. That is all that matters". Before he left, he seemed enthusiastic about the job, beaming with pride that he was selected as one of the trainees. I am praying that he is finally where he deserves to be.

This is another place I dream of visiting. Actually, the photo bears the replica of the Eiffel Tower. It's a souvenir item given by a friend who was there recently. She tells me that specially at night, this amazing man-made structure oozes with life and light and when you're there on top, gives a fantastic and surreal feeling of giddiness. I can only imagine.

Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down. -A.E. Newman Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other. -Francis Bacon Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave. -Bishop Hall Sleep is a death; oh, make me try By sleeping what it is to die, And as gently lay my head On my grave as now my bed! -Sir Thomas Browne O eloquent, just, and mightie Death! whom none could advise, thou hast persuaded; what none hath dared. -Sir Walter Raleigh Tis after death that we measure men. --James Barron Hope Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. --A. Sachs Men fear death, as if unquestionably the greatest evil, and yet no man knows that it may not be the greatest good. --William Mitford Death--the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening. --Walter Scott To ...

My Uncle was buried yesterday, Sunday at 2:30 in the afternoon, local date and time. His funeral rite was administered by someone who is called a deacon. A deacon is: " a clergyman who assists the bishop and priests. He is ordained, not to the priesthood but to service. He has a three-fold role of service: - Charity in which he is of service to the community. - Word in which he proclaims the Gospel and preaches. - Liturgy in which he assists at Mass, is an ordinary minister of the Eucharist and baptism, witnesses marriages, leads the community in prayer, especially funeral services and the Liturgy of the Hours. The deacon finds his identity not in what he does, but in who he is. Deacons minister in many different settings from the traditional parish to prisons, ...

My Uncle Tilyo who was stricken with Cancer died last Tuesday at 10:00 in the morning, local time. I saw him on Monday and I could not hold my tears when I saw him in the hospital. I whispered into his ear that if he wanted to rest, I thought and along with every member of his family, that he must lean on the Lord to guide and be with him at the end of his road. I told him that my father, his brother-in-law, along with the rest of siblings, an elder sister and a younger brother and other deceased relatives, will all be there at the gates of Heaven to welcome him. Later, his children decided to bring him home because the doctors thought it would be best. What's sad was his determination to reject even the dextrose :-( And so we went home and put him on his bed. He had already began to wither aggressively away. In my mind, it would not take long, from the looks of him, it would not take 72 hours he finally expires. In the afternoon of that same Monday, my son who was with me at the...

She is such a sweet and pretty girl. he was my youngest son's girlfriend for a time. She texted me the other day promising to see and take me out somewhere. I thought perhaps, she already got herself a job. But she just graduated last April 4. One ti me she passed by bringing me these very lovely flowers, which I was able to keep for almost two weeks. When all the flowers wilted, I thought of her and the happy times she spent with us when they were still together. I could not help but feel sad:-( There was a twitch in my heart. I liked the girl very much. For awhile I put the flowers on a nice vase and there it was.I didn't realize I also captured a family photo.

Wedding Paintings from a bygone era. Can you guess the paintings' names and their artists? Thanks are in order to the respective sites where these images were lifted.

No other social practice is bound by custom and tradition than a wedding ceremony. Weddings have been part and parcel of a society's cultural heritage. Regardless of religion and nationality, weddings serve as a memorable occasion meant to be spent in jubilation. It is supposed to be a happy event where every bride and groom pledge to love and cherish each other for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do they part. Oh yes, I have been invited to lots of wedding ceremonies before -- traditional Catholic, Christian, beach, chinese, ibanag, ilocano and visayan, etc. One thing seemed to be in common, there was so much anxiety, you can turn into a nervous wreck if you spent another day in it. The kind of wed dings they do these days are usually reflective of the kind of lifestyle the future married couple eagerly awaits. Large Cathedral weddings have a hodge podge of politicians as sponsors. Small town weddings have the mayors, or maybe Congress people, celeb...