First Aid: When Someone is Choking

     Has anyone from your family experienced this one simple yet deadly emergency situation? When I was a child, I remember my younger brother suddenly coughed up as if he cannot breathe. My mother may be out of the experience knowing what had transpired, made a strong tap on his back, and two small coins suddenly cough out from my brother's mouth. The same thing happened when my eldest was only 6 years old, remembering what my mother had done, tapped on his back too and cough-out a small coin. Another incident was when my daughter, already 18 years old suddenly choked upon a pechay veggie we were eating. Her older brother made an abdominal thrust on her back to cough out the food. Choking is the common cause of death amongst children. Choking can be fatal if not immediately and properly handled. As a mom, in a time like this, we should know how to give immediate action to rescue someone we love. Read on and be informed.

How to recognize when someone is choking?

1. When a person is clutching at his throat and unable to speak.

2. When a person is becoming distressed and panicky.

3. When a person lost consciousness because of an inability to breathe,

What happens when someone is choking?

When we swallow food, a flap of cartilage known as the epiglottis moves downward to stop food from being taken into our trachea or windpipe. If this fails to happen, food becomes stuck in our airways and choking might have occurred.

Choking if not attended to and properly handled may cause brain damage within 3 or 4 minutes due to lack of oxygen.

What are the proper immediate actions when someone is choking?

For Baby:

1. Straddle the baby's face down along your arm supporting his head. Give 5 firm taps between his shoulders.

2, If choking continues, turn the baby over, still supporting his head. Place 2 fingertips between his navel and breastbone. Press forward and downward in quick movements and repeat the movement up to 4 times if necessary.

3. If the baby loses consciousness, seek medical help immediately and begin resuscitation.

For Children:

1. Lay the child across your lap with his head down. Tap firmly between the shoulder blades 5 times.

2. If unsuccessful, turn the child over so that he faces you on your lap. Support the back of the child and give him 5 firm upward thrusts with one hand above his navel.

3. If still unsuccessful, try steps 1 and 2 again. If the child becomes unconscious, call an ambulance /bring them to the nearest hospital immediately and begin resuscitation.

For Adults:

1. Lean the patient forward and give him 5 hard taps on the back between his shoulder blades.

2. If unsuccessful, an abdominal thrust can be performed from behind a patient who is either standing or sitting.  

     a) Pass your hands around the patient and interlock them together just above his navel.

     b) Pull sharply inwards and upwards

3. If the person is unconscious, kneel astride him on the floor and perform a similar abdominal thrust with your hand (one hand on top of the other) just below the rib cage.

4. If you have tried the abdominal thrust 6 times without success, call an ambulance/bring the patient to the nearest hospital and begin resuscitation.

Step 2

Step 3

*Remember not to poke fingers down the choking victim's throat to find the object. But if the object appears in the victim's mouth, you may remove it gently.

Info and images credit to First Aid, Children's Leisure Products Ltd. 1998  published by Geddes&Grosset 

The Pixie Dust of New Year

    

The new year comes and a new hope begins. Welcoming the new year with fireworks displays all over the world signifies a new spark of hope for everyone, the spark that my younger daughter had noticed, telling us..it's like pixie dust. The spark of happy thoughts! Pixie Dust! Pixie dust of fairies from the movies Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, a magical golden glitter that grants the ability to fly. As to the Oxford dictionary, pixie dust is a substance or influence with an apparently magical effect that brings great success or luck. And as fireworks have different colors and effects, so are the Pixie Dusts. According to Disney Wikia, pixie dust have different colors with abilities and talents. Let us try to associate the colors with our gifts and talents.

Gold >> Grants flight and/or weightlessness. Helps a fairy greatly argument and strengthens its magical talents. Creates other colors of Pixie Dust when mixed together with Blue Pixie and certain ingredients.

"This could be our Hearts/Passion and Dreams that can make us fly and be successful. As our Hearts and Dreams can win an argument for us and strengthen our desire to achieve our goals."

Blue >> Creates golden pixie dust. Replenishes Gold Pixie Dust supply. Supremely powerful multiplier. Creates other colors of pixie dust when mixed together with Gold Pixie Dust and other ingredients.

"This could be the Self-Motivation and the Values that supply and strengthens our Hearts/Passion and Dreams. These gifts are powerful multiplier as it builds people to go and move on with their lives."

Green >> Grants the intellectual and intuitive abilities of a Tinker-Talent Fairy. Restores a Tinker-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments a Tinker-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Tinker-Talent fairy. Enables Tinker fairies to forge and create, mend and repair, modify and upgrade anything they make with ease.

"This could be our Mind and Reasoning ability that would enable us to think, create, innovates, and find more ways to succeed in life. "

Amber >> Grants the abilities of a Light-Talent Fairy. Restores a Light-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments and amplifies a Light-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Light-Talent Fairy.

"This could be for those who have the abilities in motivating and encouraging other people, how they give light, hope and touch lives."

Pink >> Grants the abilities of a Garden-Talent Fairy. Restores a Garden-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments a Garden-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Garden Talent Fairy. Create and control plant life and vegetation.

"This could be for those who have the abilities in caring, the supportive one. How their care and support can control and create something new in people's hearts and minds."

Purple >> Grants the abilities of a Fast-Flying-Talent Fairy. Restores a Fast-Flying-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped out abilities. Greatly augments and magnifies a Fast-Flying Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Fast-Flying Fairy.

"This could be for those who seem like to have the Midas touch in everything they do and yet able to help those who needed help in an instant without much thinking, generous."

Cyan >> Grants the abilities of a Water-Talent Fairy. Restores a Water-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped out abilities. Augments a Water-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Water Talent Fairy.

"This could be for those who have the abilities of easy adaptation and calmness in every situation/circumstances, those who give way for peace and security."

Orange >> Grants the abilities of an Animal-Talent Fairy. Restores an Animal-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments an Animal-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Animal-Talent Fairy.

"This could be for those who have the abilities of loving people, whoever and whatever they are and what they have been. Appreciate everyone's qualities and everything in its place."

Entrepreneurship: Different Types of Individual

🖌by April Brews

     Entrepreneurship comes from the French word "entreprende", which means "to undertake". It simply means starting a business that places an emphasis on the innovation of new products, markets, production/operation methods, and forms of organization. Entrepreneurship is the capacity and willingness of a person to develop, organize, and manage a business venture along with any of its risks to make a profit. It is characterized by innovation and risk-taking. Most of the time, it is scary since people who will venture into a business have no certainty about the success of the business. It is in this uncertainty that people tend to shy away or be afraid to go into business. But sometimes, the question lies in the attitude of a person towards the opportunity at hand.

  According to Joey Concepcion of GoNegosyo, there are three different types of individuals:the HARD PRESSED, the ORDINARY, and the SUCCESSFUL. Though they were all created with unique talents and abilities, there is still a big disparity among them. So let us describe these disparities as mentioned.

1) THE HARD PRESSED ATTITUDE: "I was born poor, I will die poor as a rat"

     Man's Action: "I cannot do something about it, it was the government's fault."
                  
     Think about these things:  Why is it most of the people who complain about unemployment are busy drinking or chatting around sari-sari stores day-in and day-out?


2) THE ORDINARY ATTITUDE: "I am what I am today, it's alright for me until tomorrow, my luck will eventually come."

     Man's Action:  "Let the day unfolds on me, I will try my luck betting on a lotto, I might win the jackpot prize."

     Think about these things: Why is it that people line up very early in the morning outside the betting stations to take their chances at games instead of enrolling in free vocational courses from TESDA or some private institutions? 


3) THE SUCCESSFUL ATTITUDE: "Life is getting difficult each day. I need to find ways so we can be promoted from these difficulties."
                              
     Man's Action:" I am going to talk to my contacts in the office, I will serve packed lunch. Anyway, my Mom's recipe is  superb."

     Think about these things: Notice the so many "manangs and ates" delivering corporate lunches to buildings or offices that do not have canteens or inexpensive lunches. And take notice of those housewives selling commodity goods online, even some organization that prepares food for people on dietary programs.

  The Successful attitude is a Dreamer, dreaming to get out of their present situation of difficulties. He is a Believer, knowing that taking action about their present situation will lead them to something better. He is an Achiever, for a person with the right attitude, open-mindedness, positivity, a doer of what he dreams of will surely achieve what he aims for.

    There are opportunities everywhere, some people even took the disaster or uneventful happenings into opportunities. Remember some people who took the initiative to do business out of lahar in Pampanga and Zambales. Creating something beautiful from nothing is also one trademark of an entrepreneur. Entrepreneur creates and innovates. To start a business means you have to start within your level of skill and interest, then find out the best skills and interests there are. It takes time and effort to really find the best and bigger ideas to match what is not yet being offered in the market.

My Site Was Hacked

     

image credits to blog.ipleaders.in

After posting my last blog article two months ago, I found out that readers and I were being redirected to another site whenever there was an attempt to view my site. I can't figure out what happened..did I post or open a malicious link? did I approve a comment? because the first day it appeared, I approved one comment which has a URL link related to, which I think, to my post. For many days, I kept looking through all my links, posts, ads, and HTML affiliates, checking all their contents but I couldn't find what went wrong. I even looked into Google customer service to help me, but none related and no answer to the FAQs I have sent. Searching through for many days, I found a forum on Google for the same problem that I got..."my blog site being redirecting to another site". I found out I am not the only one who had encountered the same problem. There was one blogger with the same fate and was answered by,  I think a Google staff. So I have written mine there since I have read the staff mentioned that even if the same problem occurs, it is on a case-to-case basis. A few days after, I received an email that my query was answered. The staff told me that he found a malicious link in one of my affiliate links. He told me to check on it and delete the said link. I found the one he was telling me and after deleting it, I viewed my site..wow..it worked. From that time on, I cannot write on this site and am also thinking to create another site since I was nearly losing hope at that time. And for all the bloggers out there, always log out and change your password from time to time, every month if possible.

English 101 - Parts of Speech (series 1)

     My first day at school with each high school class started with a review of different parts of speech. It was mostly a disappointment that needed a question rephrasing, hints, and translation for them to remember or rather let them know what it is all about. Sometimes they interchanged it with figures of speech when they started answering metaphor, simile, etc. I can't blame them during their primary/intermediate days, most of them only spent 3 hours in school due to a lack of school rooms. I hope upon writing this, some of them will stumble upon it if not to give them the site's name.

Parts of Speech is a term used for the 8 categories into which words are classified according to their functions in a sentence. This term has been labeled by linguistics into word class or syntactic category. Parts of speech are divided into two, namely, Open classes and Closed classes. Open classes are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Closed classes are pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjection.

1. Noun - a word that names a person, a place, a thing, an animal, an idea, or an event. (it is important to note that noun 'names a' not 'name of'. Noun actually give names, not the name of... since other words can be used as a noun though in a form they look like the other parts of speech).    
2. Pronoun - a word that takes the place of a noun. The noun that the pronoun replaces or refers to is called the antecedent.
3. Verb - a word that expresses an action or a state of being.
4. Adjectives - words that describe a noun or pronoun.
5. Adverb - a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
6. Preposition - a word that expresses a relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.
7. Conjunction - a   word that connects an individual word or group of words.
8. Interjection - an exclamatory word or phrase that can stand by itself although it may also appear in a sentence.

 Examples:

1. Nouns: teacher, Emily, city, Manila, cellphone, Sony, dog, Snoopy, compassion, love, birthday.
2. Pronouns: I, me, you, he, she, it, who, which, all, any, few, several, everyone, somebody.
3. Verbs: get, take, hopes, appear, seem, is, was, are, were, have, will, can, may, must.
4. Adjectives: happy, new, tall, helpful, many, more, prettiest.
5. Adverbs: quite, very, so, too, slowly, always, gracefully.
6. Prepositions: in, on, about, over, behind, under, inside, outside.
7. Conjunctions: and, but, or, while, that, thus, so that, however.
8. Interjections: oh! wow! alas! aha! hooray!..

* The category of each word in the Part of Speech is based on how it was used alone or in a sentence.

image credits to the owner

How to Remove Chiggers?

What are chiggers? Actually, they are from the family of mites, Trombiculadae. Chiggers are small, red bugs mostly found on the tips of grasses. This six-legged parasitic larva feeds not only on humans but also on rabbits, toads, turtles, quails, and other insects. Chiggers do not actually bite but inject digestive enzymes into the skin and chew up the tiny parts of the inner skin causing irritation and swelling. Chiggers affect warm-covered bodies and bites are often found clustered behind knees and tight undergarments.  Some exceptional cases have been found in the eye causing conjunctivitis. Protection from chiggers is necessary but prevention is better to avoid getting bites or allergens from chiggers. So, how to prevent chiggers from breeding in your yard and getting a bite off you?
 

chigger bites

The Chigger Habitat

Chiggers usually thrive late in summer, in dry tall grasses and thick vegetation. To avoid being bitten by chiggers, people should wear long pants and socks or boots. Anything that would cover the skin is necessary so as not to make you a chigger host. 

A natural way of removing chiggers

• If you have a lawn yard, regular mowing and pulling weeds are simple yet effective in getting rid of chiggers. Prune trees, bushes, and shrubs to allow more sunlight to go through and discourage chiggers to live.
• Flood the remaining grass, bushes, and shrubs in a mixture of soap and water to kill them off. Do it every week for a month. 
• Small mammals, such as mice, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, small dogs; reptiles, and amphibians are favorite hosts of chiggers. If you have some of these as pets in your house, do not allow them to hang around your garden or yard, to discourage chiggers from living in your yard. Remove water or a source of water and dense bushes from your yard that will invite reptiles and amphibians. 
• Prepare a natural, organic pesticide to ward off chiggers. Diatomaceous earth, made from soft sedimentary rock can be sprinkled into your yard. 
• Sulfur powder drives away chiggers due to its potent smell. Sprinkling some in your shoes and socks drives them away. 
• Household vinegar can also be personal protection from chiggers by applying it to the feet, legs, and midsection parts of the body.

 Chemical repellants

• Spraying DEET (diethyltoluamide) into your skin is one of the most effective insect repellents that can be used against chiggers. Before going on for a walk in tall grasses and shrubs, apply DEET that can last for two to three hours. Just be careful to follow the instruction when spraying or applying. 

• Permethrin repellents can only be applied in clothes against chiggers to stick into your clothes. Permethrin lasts for several days, even after second washing. Just follow the instruction for applying Permethrin repellents.

If chiggers have reached your houseplants, take them outside and soak them in a mild insecticidal soap with a safety label for houseplants or edible plants. Do it weekly for a month. 

Apply insecticide on hotspot areas with weeds and tall grasses with the following contents: 
bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, chlorpyrifos, diazinonbifenthrin, carbaryl, and cyhalothrin.

For extreme infestation, call a pest control professional. They are licensed and trained to use strong chemical formulations. Just be sure to find the authentic company or persons so as not to jeopardize your family's health and safety.

Rosetta Translation, The Professional Translation Agency

     Rosetta is founded to provide high-end translation services to corporate clients. Rosetta Translation is a worldwide translation agency with integrated, multilingual language solution specialists in 150 available languages. Rosetta Translation's expertise ranges from (1) braille translation (2) business translation (3) certified translation (4) contract translation (5) document translation (6) engineering translation (7) financial translation (8) IT translation (9) legal translation (10)  medical translation (11) patent translation (12) pharmaceutical translation (13) technical translation (14) website translation (15) subtitling service. The Company guarantees a consistently excellent quality of translation services in each of these fields. Every document is assigned to the most appropriate specialized team of highly qualified translators, proofreaders, and editors. Aside from translation services, Rosetta also provides interpreting services. Interpreting Services include Consecutive, Court, Liaison, Telephone, Whispered, and Sign Language.

     Rosetta Translation Company complied with the ISO 9001:2008 International Standard for Quality Management and DIN EN 15038 quality standard for translation services. Rosetta Translation is a member of the UK Association of Translation Companies and the American Translators Association.   Rosetta is headquartered in London and serves its corporate clients through its 5 global offices in London, Shanghai, Paris, New York, and Luxembourg. Clients of Rosetta can benefit from this global coverage which means better, faster services as well as a truly integrated global solution to their clients’ language requirements.

GreenPeace Green Tips on Recycling Bottles

     I have received a Christmas card from GreenPeace as a token for the great year of action and change. Since I have a passion for landscape photography, I join an organization that would protect something we enjoy and has been entrusted to us. I think nature's wonder should stay for us to enjoy it more. It has been four years since I signed up to be a volunteer for this environmental organization. And being a volunteer is not only limited to donations but to sharing/disseminating the information through social media and joining the fight for a greener and safer environment. Along with the card that they sent me, they are issuing a regular newsletter for their supporters. So there goes my blog about what GreenPeace has just recently sent us on recycling plastic bottles.

     According to GreenPeace, plastic bottles take at least 1000 years to break down. Wow.. it would take iPhone to innovate as many versions as they could have until none. So, what can we do to these bottles? Here are some tips...

Coins/Jewelry /Small trinkets Organizer
1. Cut the bottoms of 2 bottles approximately 5-8 cm but it depends on the type of bottle to be used and what is intended for.

2. Combine the two plastic bottles' bottoms by attaching a zipper between the two ends by gluing them on both sides. You can add up some designs to the organizer.




Candle Holder
1. Cut off the tops of two bottles. Make the one shorter than the other.
2. Glue the two mouth ends of the bottles together, with the bigger one at the bottom.
3. Design with a ribbon or shoelace the glued portion.

 Follow these tips, take pictures
 and send them to us to be featured here.




For any recycling ideas, click  here 

 Join us and help protect our environment

What's Your Personality Type?

     

📷 credits to Chris Madden/Getty images

     Each one of us is unique. We were conceived with a combination of chromosomes that made us different from our siblings even if we're twins. We were all born with different temperaments. We have our own set of inborn traits. The way we dress and walk and talk and act is part of our personality. 

     According to Florence Littauer, author of Personality Plus, there are four types of personality. Each has its own uniqueness in every given situation and circumstance. Take the Personality Profile test

The Sanguine Personality 

The popular. The extrovert. The talker. The optimist.

Sanguine's Emotions

Appealing personality, talkative, storyteller, the life of the party, good sense of humor, color memory, physically holds on to listener, emotional and demonstrative, enthusiastic and expressive, cheerful and bubbling over, curious, good on stage, wide-eyed and innocent, lives in the present, changeable disposition, sincere at heart, always a child.

Sanguine at Work

Volunteers for jobs, think up new activities, looks great on the surface, are creative and colorful, have energy and enthusiasm, start in a flashy way, inspire others to join, and charm others to work.

Sanguine as a Parent

Makes home fun, is liked by children 's friends, turns disaster into humor, and is the circus master.

Sanguine as a Friend

Makes friends easily, loves people, thrives on compliments, seems exciting, envied by others, doesn't hold grudges, apologizes quickly, prevents dull moments, and likes spontaneous activities.

The Melancholy Personality 

The perfect. The introvert. The thinker. The pessimist.

Melancholy's Emotions

Deep and thoughtful, analytical, serious and purposeful, genius prone, talented and creative, artistic or musical, philosophical and poetic, appreciative of beauty, sensitive to others, self-sacrificing, conscientious, idealistic.

Melancholy at Work 

Schedule-oriented, perfectionist, high standards, detail-conscious, persistent and thorough, orderly and organized, neat and tidy, economical, sees the problems, finds creative solutions, needs to finish what has been started, like charts, graphs, figures, and lists.

Melancholy as a Parent 

Sets high standards, wants everything done right, keeps home in good order, picks up after children, sacrifices own will for others, encourages scholarship and talent.

Melancholy as a Friend  

Makes friends cautiously, is content to stay in the background, avoids causing attention, is faithful and devoted, will listen to complaints, can solve others' problems, has a deep concern for other people, moves to tears with compassion, and seeks an ideal mate.

The Choleric Personality  

The powerful. The extrovert. The doer. The optimist.

Choleric's Emotions

A born leader, dynamic and active, compulsive need for change, must correct wrongs, strong-willed and decisive, is unemotional, is not easily discouraged,  independent and self-sufficient, exudes confidence, and can run anything.

Choleric at Work  

Goal-oriented, sees the whole picture, organizes well, seeks practical solutions, moves quickly to action, delegates work, insists on production, makes the goal, stimulates activity, and thrives on opposition.

Choleric as a Parent  

Exerts sound leadership, establishes goals, motivates a family to action knows the right answer, and organizes the household.

Choleric as a Friend  

Has little need for friends, will work for a group activity, will lead and organize, is usually right, excels in emergencies.

The Phlegmatic Personality  

The peaceful. The introvert. The watcher. The pessimist.

 

Phlegmatic's Emotions  

Low-key personality, easygoing and relaxed, calm, cool, and collected, patient, well-balanced, consistent life, quiet but witty, sympathetic and kind, keep emotions hidden, happily reconciled to life, all-purpose person.

Phlegmatic at Work  

Competent and steady, peaceful and agreeable, have the administrative ability, mediates problems, avoids conflicts, good under pressure, and finds the easy way.

Phlegmatic as a Parent 

Makes a good parent, takes time for the children, is not in a hurry, can take the good with the bad, and doesn't get upset easily.

Phlegmatic as a Friend  

Easy to get along with, pleasant and enjoyable, inoffensive, good listener, dry sense of humor, enjoys watching people, has many friends, has compassion and concern.

     Knowledge of the personalities of each person can help us to understand other people and for us to function better in certain situations.  When we begin to understand our differences, we can positively look at each other and not try to make everyone be like us or vice versa.

My Thinning Diet Regimen

     The summer season is the best time of the year for me to lose weight. During this time, metabolic change occurs, or rather my appetite changes because of the summer heat. Breakfast is a heavy meal for me all throughout, but it lessens as the day goes by...with some exception of course if the dinner menu is really superb. Summer's heat lessens my consumption of rice and meat but not pasta ('',). Though I love vegetables, I do love beef. Summer is also that time of the year wherein you can see different types of fruit and the mango season which I really love!

       So, how do I do my thinning diet regimen? 

     During ordinary days, I follow the after 6:00PM diet. Why after 6?  During this time, less energy is expended when relaxing at night and for bodily functions while sleeping, so any calories you consume at night go straight into fat storage according to James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado. The 6:00 diet theorizes that calories from food consumed during the day are burned off, leading to weight loss. This kind of diet follows the age-old advice to eat more on breakfast since it is the most important meal of the day. As I have said breakfast is a heavy meal for me, I can skip lunch or dinner but not my breakfast. There goes the saying, during breakfast eat like a king, at lunch eat like a  prince, and at dinner eat like a pauper. Following that principle will lessen your weight problem as well. If it works for me, it will work for you but it requires discipline and self-control. 

     During summer days, less work for a teacher like me so I eat less and it's my time clock to eat more fruits than anything. My breakfast during this season depends on the time I wake up. If it's too early like 6 or 7 AM, I would stick to my old habit of heavy breakfast meaning more rice, bread, coffee, and fried dishes. If it's rather late I would eat sliced or diced fruits (papaya or mango or avocado or banana-lakatan, ) blended in a cold glass of milk (3-4 tbsp. of powdered milk without sugar), but fresh milk is much better. To avoid lactose intolerance, I've tried different fruit settings. So it goes the same for me the whole day with some bread though not regularly because I do indulge in some luscious meal of having veggies sauteed with ground beef.   

     Eating fruits have lots of benefits too, less fat and more anti-oxidant which is good for our skin, and I thank myself for that, I still have that supple skin at my age. By the way, I rarely drink soft drinks, just for emergencies if nothing I like is available or if there's no water. I always go for iced tea or natural fruit juices.

 #diet #thinningregimen #summer #aftersixdiet

The Cross

'Ants are crossing through a stick leading to the water. A child noticed that the ants might get drowned, so he was shouting at them. "Hey, ants, don't go there! You might get drowned, go back!" He keeps shouting at them then came his father and said, "my son, they would not understand you. You are human, they are ants. You should be one of the ants so they would be able to understand you.' 

This short story tells us that God the Son was to be like us for us to be understood and for us to understand Him. So we could be saved just as he wanted us to be saved.

The cross where Jesus was crucified took on a new significance whereas before, the cross had been used as an instrument of torture and death in Babylon and Rome. On the cross, Jesus Christ shed His blood as God wanted to rescue us from the dominion of darkness and for Jesus to bring us into His kingdom. On the cross, we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. 

Before, we were enemies of God because of our evil behavior, but now He has reconciled us by Christ's physical body through death to present us holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusations. We have to know, understand and believe what Jesus did for us on the cross. We must humbly come to Him in faith. All our efforts are nothing but Jesus' work is everything, His work on the cross as He declared "it is finished." When it's done we receive full forgiveness of our sins.

The cross of Christ is the bridge between man and God. 

When Jesus breathe His last breath, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. For many years before Jesus' death, the most sacred place on earth had been the temple, where the presence of God dwelled behind a thick curtain. Only one person a year, the high priest, was allowed to pass by that curtain and enter the presence of God on one day, the Day of Atonement. At the death of Jesus Christ, the temple curtain ripped from top to bottom, signifying that God had opened his presence to the world through the cross of Jesus.

 " Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV John 14:6)

7 Things That We Can Do In Discovering God's Will

  

   
     According to Joanie Yoder, one of the writers in "Our Daily Bread", a daily devotional guide, some people love to serve God, but they don't know what to do. The best way to discover God's specific will for your life is to obey His clearly revealed will. There she enumerates a list of how God wants us to live and what He wants us to do.

1) Love and pray for your enemies.

     "But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  - Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

2) Walk by faith and not by sight.

     "We live by faith, not by sight." - 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

3) Love God by enduring temptation.

     "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has  stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." - James 1:12 (NIV)

4) Serve one another.

     "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." - Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

5) Lay up treasures in heaven.

     "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." - Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)

6) Share the gospel with the lost.

     "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -  Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

7) Exercise your spiritual gifts.

     "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." - Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

Wonderful Opportunities

Life is full of opportunities, but they say opportunity knocks once. As I am reading a lesson on Pre-encounter to an Encounter with God, opportunities are in abundance. It changes my outlook on opportunities. As long as we live, we could have these opportunities, the four wonderful opportunities that would change us ...

1) The Encounter Opportunity

This struck me the most..no matter how far we have strayed from God, we can STOP right now and TURN BACK to Him. Remember the story of the prodigal son? The son made the decision to return to his father's house looking for a second chance. (Luke 15:11-20), we can do the same thing by deciding to have an encounter with our Father God. Anyone ...ANYONE .. who desires to have an encounter with God CAN do so. God is always close to us, as close as the air we breathe."We are His offspring"(Acts 17:27-28).

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

2) The Reconciliation Opportunity

We can have true reconciliation with anyone if we recognize our sins, and our faults and ask for forgiveness. The same thing with our God, ACKNOWLEDGING our sins, REPENTANCE and ASKING for His forgiveness, and RENOUNCING all the evil we have committed. When we do this, God stretches forth His merciful hand toward us. 1 John 1:9 assures us: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness. Just like the prodigal son, seeing his fallen condition he decided to come back so as not to stay in that condition and take the risk to find a new opportunity. An opportunity to be in his father's place once again.

"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against You. I am no longer worthy to be called Your son; make me like one of your servant men." - Luke 15:18-19

3) The Restoration Opportunity

As to how an old painting is being restored by its painter, a new set of coloring kits is being dabbed in and a time spent to bring back its natural and original beauty, God does it to His sons. All of our sins deserve punishment, but God allowed His Son Jesus Christ to take our place and pay for our sins. Just like the father in the prodigal son, he decided to restore his lost son's dignity when he came back and ask for his forgiveness. He ordered a fattened calf to be a sacrifice in honor of his son's return. 

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

4) The Provision Opportunity

As children of God, we have all the privileges that we could enjoy. God considers us His dear children, making us participants of the same riches and glory as Jesus Christ. Once, we had lost these privileges because of sin. Coming back to Him, He dresses us in the best garments, puts the best shoes on us, and gives us the ring that represents the authority we now enjoy as His children and heirs. God treats us as His beloved children.

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." - John 1:12

In general, when there is an opportunity, there will be an encounter a new task, a new life. Opportunities would open a new door to a new beginning. Specifically, these opportunities are always available to us, life-changing opportunities, to begin with.

The Promise

These are the promises that God has given us and in turn can be our guide to love, to guide, and to say to our spouses. Love them as God loves us unconditionally.

1. He has promised He will never leave you. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)...say:" Dear, I promised not to leave you just as God will never leave me.."
Can you say this to your spouse, and truly mean it as God means it toward you?

2. He is always thinking only the best about you. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. (Psalm 139:17-18)...say: "Dear, I am always thinking only the best about you!"
Can you say that your mind is always filled with only good thoughts about your spouse?

3. He is gentle toward you when you’re broken. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  (Psalm 147:3) ..say: "I will be gentle toward you if you're broken.."
Are you gentle toward your spouse even when he/she is angry or unlovable – which is how he/she often responds when he/she is hurt?

4. He promises nothing will ever come between the two of you. (Nothing) will be able to separate us from the love of God... (Romans 8:39) ..say: Dear, I promise nothing will ever come between the two of us.."
Are there any conditions or exceptions in your mind when it comes to loving your spouse?  Is there something in the back of your mind that he/she could do that would end it for the two of you? God holds none of those reservations about you. He has promised nothing – that includes nothing you can do – will ever come between you and God. Can you say the same to your spouse?

5. He delights in you, quiets you with His love, and sings over you. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)...say: "Dear, I delight in you, quiet you with my love, and sing over you.."
Can you delight in your spouse and rejoice over him/her, simply because of who he/she is – one who is loved by his Heavenly Father and by you? Think about the joy and comfort you have, knowing God feels that way about you. Now, what would it add to your spouse’s life if he/she knew you truly delighted in him/her?

As I am typing all these, I am thinking if I could do that, and thinking if he could do that. Easier said than done, but with a determination to save my long ailing marriage and with God beside me, I pray that it's all done. I am holding on to what God said..what He has joined together, let no man separate. It is my decision to love him even before we got married, still, do when things get rough. Maybe he didn't know that even with his imperfections I have love.
God has taught me many things, the hard way. Nobody knows. I may be seen as strong but it is because I have God and He is with me since the time I was born. I never questioned God for everything He has done, it is because God has given us..me..something ..a gift.. to conquer it all, to serve our purpose.
I assure you guys, God will never give us what we cannot bear and it is the other way around, God has given us those trials because He knew we could surpass it through the gift, the skills He has given us. I just do hope to inspire everyone who reads it...(",) May God bless you...

Acknowledgment to http://www.crosswalk.com

World Teachers' Day

Since 1994, World Teachers' Day is celebrated across the world on October 5. The importance of teachers has been recognized by UNESCO as an appreciation for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development. Over 100 countries observed World Teachers' Day. Education International (EI) the global union federation that represents education professionals, launches a public awareness campaign every year to highlight the contributions of the teaching profession.
In the Philippines, Teachers' Day is actually celebrated in schools between September and October by Presidential Proclamation No. 479 to honor more than 500,000 teachers nationwide. These activities are planned by senior students in the Student Council/Government who coordinate the activities well in advance.

 

Teacher, as they say, makes a man perfect. They could make a wonderful experience and a difference in the lives of their students. What is sometimes lacking in their homes, the teacher fills it and tries to save what was left of them.
Teachers motivate and do not put an end to a dream or goal or strength or ability of their students. Teachers let their students come out and bring the best in them and from them. The teacher equips his/her students to learn how to learn.

Legal Separation, Annulment and Divorce..

 

     Approval for RH Bill is not yet done and here comes the fuss on the Divorce Bill. After the Malta referendum on legalizing divorce, the Philippines is the only country without a divorce law. Following the referendum on Malta, the Philippine House Committee on the revision of laws announced it would begin a discussion on legalizing divorce in our country. Of course, the Catholic Church will vehemently oppose such a bill as in the case of the RH Bill. The Divorce Bill is a very complicated matter and maybe a referendum will echo the real voice of the people.

     When I was teaching Ethics, under the topic of marriage our lessons were only limited to legal separation and divorce. I had asked some students then to research annulment and how it differs between the two.

Legal Separation gives the spouses the right to live separately from each other, dissolves the conjugal partnership, awards the minor children to the innocent spouse, and disqualifies the offending spouse from inheriting from the estate of the innocent spouse.

Grounds for Legal Separation:

1 – Repeated physical violence or grossly abusive conduct directed against the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner.

2 – Physical violence or moral pressure to compel the petitioner to change religious or political affiliation.

3 – Attempt of respondent to corrupt or induce the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner, to engage in prostitution, or connivance in such corruption or inducement.

4 – Final judgment sentencing the respondent to imprisonment of more than six years, even if pardoned.

5 – Drug addiction or habitual alcoholism of the respondent.

6 – Lesbianism or homosexuality of the respondent.

7 – Contracting by the respondent of a subsequent bigamous marriage, whether in the Philippines or abroad.

8 – Sexual infidelity or perversion.

9 – Attempt by the respondent against the life of the petitioner.

10- Abandonment of petitioner by respondent without justifiable cause for more than one year.

Divorce is a dissolution of marriage that seeks a judicial ruling to dissolve a valid marriage.

Grounds for divorce are almost the same as in legal separation and vary from one country to another. Legal Separation, however, cannot remarry unlike in Divorce.

Annulment refers to a marriage that is considered valid but there are grounds to nullify the marriage. However, a Declaration of Nullity of Marriage refers to a marriage that is void or invalid from the very beginning as if no marriage ever existed.

Grounds for Annulment:

1. Absence of Parental Consent. A marriage was solemnized and one or the other party was eighteen (18) years of age or over but below twenty-one (21) and consent was not given by the parents, guardian, or person having substitute parental authority. The Petition of Annulment must be filed within five (5) years of having attained the age of twenty-one. However, if the parties freely cohabited with each other as husband and wife after having reached the age of twenty-one (21) a Petition of Annulment can no longer be filed.

2. Mental Illness. One of either party was of unsound mind at the moment of the marriage. But if the parties freely cohabited with each other after he or she came to a reason the law prohibits the filing of a Petition.

3. Fraud. That the consent of either party was obtained by fraud unless such party once having knowledge of the fraud freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife. The petition must be filed within five (5) of finding out the facts of the fraud.

4. That the consent of either party was obtained by force, intimidation, or undue influence. Except when the same has ceased and the party filing the petition freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife. The injured party must file within five (5) years from the point in time the force, intimidation or undue influence disappeared or came to an end.

5. One of the other parties was physically incapable of consummating the marriage, and such incapacity continues and appears to be incurable. The filing of the Petition of Annulment must be filed within five (5) years after the marriage.

6. Either party was at the time of marriage afflicted with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) found to be serious and seems to be incurable. This may also constitute fraud. The filing of the Petition of Annulment must be filed within five (5) years after the marriage.

SEPARATION: being separated from your spouse with or without communication is not grounds for annulment. It does not matter how many years you are separated. No law annuls or voids a marriage automatically. Only a judge in a court of law can annul, void, or nullify a marriage.

INFIDELITY: is not grounds for annulment.

Grounds for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage:

A – Those contracted by any party below eighteen years of age even with the consent of parents or guardians; (lack of legal capacity to marry).

B – Those solemnized by any person not legally authorized to perform marriages unless such marriages were contracted with either or both parties believing in good faith that the solemnizing officer had the legal authority to do so;

C – Those solemnized without a license except if otherwise covered by other laws.

D – Those bigamous or polygamous marriages except those covered by the laws of presumption of death of the absent spouse.

E -Those contracted through mistake of one contracting party as to the identity of the other;

F –   A remarriage shall be null and void if the partition and distribution of the proprieties of the spouses, the children's presumptive legitimacy, and the judgment of absolute nullity of the marriage are not recorded in the necessary civil registry and registries of property.

G – Any psychological incapacity at the time of the marriage celebration, which prevents either the husband or wife from fulfilling the essential marital obligations of marriage, shall also be void even if such incapacity becomes manifest only after the solemnization.

(Psychological incapacity is not automatically lunacy but it does mean that one or both spouses have abnormal interpersonal behavior or a psychological characteristic that inhibits the spouse to fulfill the essential obligations of marriage.)

H – Marriages between ascendants and descendants of any degree; between brothers and sisters whether full- or half-blood are incestuous and void from the beginning.

What is CHURPCHURP?

The word churp probably means a tweet from a bird. According to the Urban dictionary, it is an exclamation or a declaration that must be yelled at high volume for full effect. Nuffnang Philippines, a blog advertising community brings in Churp Churp wherein you will be rewarded for sharing messages across your social media network. It is actually a web software that interconnects Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger for every campaign that they will be sending to the members. Referring to your friend through all the social media that you have, you can earn  P 15.00 for each successful registration.
So be a media influencer now..infect everyone to have churp churp..help your friends to earn too!

For more details, click here 

#churpchurp #bird #socialmediasharing

Remembering Our MoM

You were once connected. The cord of life, the umbilical cord, connects you to your mother. All of us came from our mother's womb. Every single cell, flesh and blood, carried us and make us see the light, the life. According to psychologists, 70% of our intelligence came from our mother.  Their nurturing hands become what we are. Everything God has planned for us, every detail..God uses our Mothers to make it happen...

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A MOTHER is something absolutely new." - Rajneesh

"Men are what their MOTHERS made them." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Though once we're connected to them, we can always reconnect. This is the best time. Indeed there are many ways to reconnect with our MOTHER..hug her, say "I love you", pamper her, give her flowers, offer a help from household chores, treat her, pray for or with her, spend time talking to her, cook for her, think of many ways you can make her happy..And if she's already gone, talk to any member of the family or someone close to your MOM, reminisce times with them, celebrate and offer her flowers..For the many MOmmY bloggers out there,  

 

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY...

Below is the blog title's translation. Click, watch, be reminded & share this to all in memory of our MOMs:
You were once connected. She takes good care of you. Remember her always especially today. For my NANAY, & to ur MOMMY. Happy Mother's Day!#PLDTMothersday

#mom #mother #connection #womb #pldt