A Rainbow After the Storm

"....Because you Loved Me....."

2008-06-14T18:48:00.018+04:00

This is my Mom and Dad with my son Gabby

There was this song sang by Celine Dion that has caught my attention a long time ago. I said to myself this is a perfect song that will describe exactly what my parents do to us since childhood. The song also in my opinion best fit to be in the book of psalms as in the same way I thought about how the Lord shared His life to us , a kind of love that penetrates deeply into our soul.

On Father's Day , I am dedicating this song to my Dad ( "Tatay" ). Tay this is for you. If you will follow the words carefully you have shown and demonstrated the entire song to me. And I believe even greater. I borrowed a video from youtube and I discovered this one as shown. This is what I have thought before , I remember the Lord and believed that He could be inside you when you shared these unforgettable moments with us. In the picture above I still remember myself in the same arms held up high. And I want you to know Tay that I am very grateful all these years and I promise to live to your expectation.....to see me at peace and happy.

I love you Dad. You and Mom will always be a treasure in my heart that nobody can take away from me. I am everything I am now because you loved me...

" Because You Loved Me " - By Celine Dion

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

" Heavenly Father this is also your day. Because of your love I shall live on to complete my mission here on earth.... "

"..Keep Moving Forward.."

2007-11-16T07:57:00.000+04:00

I had a chance to see this movie by Walt Disney Pictures " Meet The Robinsons ". It's a nice movie for the kids but it has a message that can inspire you to move on and find the life that you deserve.

The story was about an orphan boy named Lewis who was abandoned by his mother in an orphanage. The boy grew up with the belief that his mother abandoned her against her will. He had a beautiful thinking that his mother chose to give him a better future in the orphanage than be with her and starved to death. Not long after the boy grew up an avid inventor. He had bad luck in getting a foster parents to adopt him. So he tried to invent a memory-scanner that will give him insight into the past. The purpose was to see his mother , reunite with her and finally leave the orphanage to start a new life.

His invention had a test when he introduced it in their science fair in school. As he was demonstrating his invention a sinister guy realized the success and tried to sabotage it.( I advise you guys to see the movie to find out the other story behind this guy ). As Lewis starts his machine it suddenly exploded and throw the science fair into chaos. Obviously he was humiliated by what happened and ran away leaving his invention. He found himself on top of the roof crushed by his "failure". Suddenly a guy named Wilbur appeared and told him to fix the machine.He happened to be his son from the future. Lewis said he will promise to fix the machine if he proved to be from the future. Astounded by the truth Wilbur showed to Lewis, he began to think about going back in time to see his mother at the time when she gave him up in the orphanage.

The movie is really cute and inspiring so if you have the time try to watch it. I just want to highlight some qualities that Lewis has in the story. He was an ordinary boy but with extra ordinary dreams. Chasing his dreams put him very far forward and in the end he finally found the life that his mother would be happy to see..a life of fulfillment. In our life we will encounter many failures along the way. Often times mistakes opens the door to success if only we learn from it and never give up. Anybody who experience failure tends to give up easily. In my case there are times that I would do the same as what Lewis did. To ran away and feel the failure in an empty space somewhere. I even thought of ending it all up and leave everything behind. But when I look at the picture of my family I felt the shame of letting go and thought about how Jesus endured the greatest pain of betrayal from the people He cares for.

In the movie there was a scene when Lewis was asked to fix the robot as nobody can at the time and it was urgent. Lewis a bit reluctant at first tried his luck to fix it. But again he failed and the work turned out bad. But surprisingly the family did not condemn him but instead applauded his failure. The reason: In "failure" we learn ; in success not so much.

A quote from Mr. Robinson , himself in the future says : " The future will depend on your doing. Nothing is set on stones, You have to make the right choices and Keep Moving Forward. "

In our time there is no time machine to correct our wrong doing. But our past mistakes and failures can help us to shape up our future just like a time machine does.

It is said that the funny thing in chasing dreams is you cannot do it alone. You will need friends around and family to make it real.

A quote from Walt Disney himself says :

" Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. "

" Forgiveness....The Mightiest Sword.."

2007-10-21T22:30:00.000+04:00

Forgiveness is a lonely word in life. I myself have experienced difficulty in forgiving. But when you seek happiness and love,learning to forgive will open the door to that destination.

There is this quote I found by Jane Eyre.

Forgiveness....
Is the mightiest sword
Forgiveness of those you fear
Is the highest reward
When they bruise you with words
When they make you feel small
When it's hardest to take
You must do nothing at all...

Jesus showed the unforgiving world that Forgiveness can conquer the mightiest foe.

In a scene in the movie Jesus of Nazareth, Barabas knew that Jesus can play a
big role in leading the Jews to a major uprising against the Romans.He continued
to persuade Jesus to join him and gather the people for war. But Jesus replied and Barabas did not like the answer..."Love your enemies, Forgive those who do you wrong".Jesus continued to say that there will come a time when the Lion will lay down with the Lamb and there will be no more fighting.There will be lasting peace.

Barabas then has no idea of the deeper meaning of what Jesus had in mind. He was about to conquer the Romans and the world without using the sword.He was about to draw the world to Him by offering His life and forgiveness. Eventually, what was then an empire that persecuted the early Christians and the Jews has become His very throne marked by the symbolic Keys of Heaven in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. A clear victory indeed and His kingdom have expanded all over the world as many people accepted salvation through Him.

It is said that Love has its power through Forgiveness. You cannot totally love
anybody if you don't know how to forgive. So when Jesus said when He was about to die on the cross full of Love in His heart for His people, He continued to say " Father forgive them for they know not what they do ".

Instead of losing His people to sin, Forgiveness opens the door for a new beginning. A chance to make things much better than before. And looking forward for a union with God in Heaven. Forgiveness offers serenity and peace. Happiness can be achieved if there is peace and serenity around you. Constant forgiveness makes a hardened heart melt. And sets free the living soul inside you.

In Christianity the " Lord's Prayer " tells us that when we seek forgiveness from God we must forgive those people who have sin against us first. God wants to see the sincerity in our hearts. It is not easy but the rewards are much greater. No earthly wealth can buy peace. It is earned and the only way to lasting peace is forgiveness.

" What power has love but forgiveness " - W.C. Williams

" He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love " - Martin Luther King Jr.

The Wind Beneath My Wings

2007-10-16T22:27:00.000+04:00

It was my mom's birthday the other day. I called her on the phone and as expected she was so happy to hear my voice again and my greetings. As most of you may not know, I have been away from my homeland for a long time since I decided to take my chances abroad to support my family.It has been awhile since I last embraced my mom during her birthday.

My mom , Im proud to say , is the greatest mother I have ever known in this world. There was no time I can remember that she makes me sad even for a second of my life.
My world with her has been so bright and beautiful. I even almost forgot that I am not perfect because she makes me believe that I have everything one can ever have in life. When I am down she easily release those encouraging words that washes my fears away. And whenever we need something or needed help she acts so swiftly like the Rescue 911 in America. She never gets tired of doing things that concerns her children and to our dad. For me she is a treasure in my life, the greatest gift I can ever have from God.

There is this song that reminds me of my mom. A song that has been played for so many years. It is Bette Midler's " The Wind Beneath My Wings ". Whenever I hear the song I can see her ever smiling face in my mind.

Thank you Nay. You stand tall as my hero....The wind beneath my wings...

" The Wind Beneath My Wings "
By Bette Midler

It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.
You always walked a step behind.

So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strength.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings.

Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Oh, the wind beneath my wings.
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.

Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,
so high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you,
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings

The World of A Child

2007-09-22T10:31:00.001+04:00

I remember the day when I attended an orientation seminar for parents as the school starts for my daughter in Kinder. The Director of the school explains the important points for a child's learning development. According to her a child's world must be in order for them to be ready to absorb wisdom and knowledge that the school offer.

What is the world of a Child ?..

I was moved when she explained that the world of a child is their mom and dad.

Suddenly I began to be aware of that great responsibility. As we all know marriage is not at all perfect at all times. We encounter stormy paths along the way and it brings unpleasant environment in the family. At times inevitable we are caught in a middle of a quarrel in front of the child.

I remember one incident that my daughter cried when she saw us raising voices to one another. Both of us in a high steam of anger suddenly collapsed in shame as we hugged her together as she cries emotionally.We tried to explain to her that things happens like this but we still love each other.

Unfortunately according to studies a trauma like this already engraved the bad memory to her brain permanently. So I felt then that she was never the same again when that happened. Years have passed and until now I can't forgive myself in getting into that situation with her. The Director of the school continued to explain that a beautiful world for a child will depend on how adequate love, care and understanding exists within the family. Where there is love there is always time for bedtime stories and recreation together. There is always forgiving, understanding and trust as we make their world a better place. It is only then that they will begin to learn and care for wisdom.

When I think about all these things I realize that we have a great responsibility to our child. And there is also this great responsibility to make our marriage work because it all evolves in this sphere. It is known that a child's world begins to shape as we live our lives as Dads and Moms.

I am thankful to my parents because I remember my world as a child then was a better place. And until now with them. They have succeeded to bring us to a position where we can defend ourselves in life's battles. They passed unto us a sword of faith. I remember my world then was full of love and sharing. I'm proud to say it was beautiful and until now. Thanks Dad and Mom I am so proud of you.I found my strength because of your love. Now it's my turn to make my children's world a better place. I know its not going to be easy but I believe it is worth living for.

I want to share this song by Whitney Houston to all parents out there . Its another old song but it gives a timeless message for us.

Our children finds their strength in LOVE.

" The Greatest Love of All "

By Whitney Houston

Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water

2007-09-13T22:38:00.002+04:00

I want to share this powerful song by Simon and Garfunkel. Most of you have heard this before specially the older ones. Based on my research, Bridge over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon and Garfunkel. First released on January 26, 1970, it reached number one on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list. It won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, as well as for Best Engineered Recording, while its title track won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in the Grammy Awards of 1971. It has since sold over 25 million worldwide.

The album proved to be a vast success in the United Kingdom, enjoying several runs at number one, spending some years in the charts and eventually becoming the country's biggest-selling album of the 1970s. In August 2006 the continued popularity of the album was proven when it charted 7th place in The BBC Radio 2 Music Club Top 100 Albums.

In 2001 the TV network VH1 named Bridge over Troubled Water the thirty-third greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 51 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

A great success indeed for that song simply because it carries a beautiful message that will dry your tears away.If you will follow the words carefully you will experience the presence of a loved one or a dear friend reassuring his or her unselfish & unconditional love.

Many will remember how our Mom and Dad struggled to weather every storm that comes their way unwilling to surrender to the pains of life because the lives of their children are at stake.

Thanks Dad and Mom. I like to take this oppurtunity to give thanks for the many sacrifices and at times humiliating experiences you had just to make my life and my sisters'lives better.I guess nobody else can do it any better than what you did to us.I love you Nay and Tay.

Above all this song also reminds me about God's promise to us. I felt the nearness of the Lord as I absorb every word it says. It is as if He is speaking to me in person. I actually heard this song a long time ago like most of us did but only now I began to see and understand that the lyrics must be inspired by a Divine Being.

..."Thank you Lord for drying my tears. I can now see the bridge ahead. Life is great when you are near."....

Bridge Over Troubled Water
P. Simon, 1969

When you're weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
When you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

The Pursuit of "Happyness"

2007-08-18T11:38:00.000+04:00

I want to share this very touching movie of Will Smith " The Pursuit of Happiness ". Not everybody have a heart that he has.If you have the chance try to see it.

The pursuit of happiness is not the simplest task we have in this world. You have to know and identify what makes you happy and gain that fulfilment. Everybody has a unique form of happiness. For me happiness is having peace and harmony with your loved ones and the people around you. When I see laughter and a smile from my family it makes me feel that life is not that bad at all and that life is worth living.

The state of being happy is a result of an achievement or a simple good deed that you have just done.It takes a lot of patience and hard work sometimes for anyone to achieve it. I actually never thought then when I was younger that the pursuit of happiness can be so complicated that anybody who is weaker in faith can just give up so easily and may never experience the Ecstasy.

In the movie , Will Smith identified an obstacle to the family's happiness. In his case due to his unfinished education, life has been hard in his quest to support his family. His wife began to feel insecure when things are getting tight.Sometimes this have to happen so you will find out who is really with you all the way. And it happened , his wife lost hope in him. She actually think he cannot change things as they are then when everything went so wrong in their life. Will Smith unwilling to give up , he made sure that he will be with his son as he struggle to survive.

There was a line that struck my mind in the movie. Will Smith said to his son :
" Don't ever let anyone tells you that you cannot do anything ... not even me ".

Being a father to a son , we tend to be assuming due to our own capacity that our young child will have a hard time if not fail to do something greater than our thoughts. Little that we know that we have brought into this world God in His image and likeness. In short, our child can transform into a better person even greater than us parents due to his inherit godliness from God.

My son was playing one day in our room. I was with him watching him play. He was just one year old then. The ball he was playing with bounced towards the bed below.He has just learned to walk then. I was worried he will fall down as he tries to grab the ball below. But he hanged on to the bed frames with his little hands as he grabs the ball without falling and he did it. As a parent we tend to worry for our child believing they have not learned that much to go on. In the movie, Will Smith demonstrate his respect to that fact that anyone under God's hands can be a winner.

With his mind set to win , Will Smith would only need a moral boost from his child. He promised to his child that he is going to look for a better job and he needs his trust. The go signal was given..." Yes Dad I trust you ". As he struggled to climb a high mountain to reach his goal Will Smith reached the top. You will be surprised how he end up on top after all the humiliating experiences he had. I can imagine myself the pain that he have gone through( watch the movie ). But like a pregnant woman giving birth to a child, the birth pains becomes meaningless after seeing the child alive and well. That's what Will Smith felt that special day of victory. He was almost without a word but tears was shown in his eyes with gladness.

So as we see life is difficult as it is but the winner always get to finish the game till the end of the line.In the movie the word Happyness was misspelled on the wall with "y" or why but it should be "i" or I...because the message tells us it is I or ourselves who can make it happiness.

If We Hold on Together

2007-08-18T08:42:00.000+04:00

I want to share this old song of Diana Ross. Im sure you have heard it before. It was in Singapore when I first heard the song with awareness of its lyrics and content.

I attended a product presentation and at the end of the seminar the exhibitor shared this message song to all the participant. It was all about a business oppurtunity seminar and a prospect additional source of income. I have observed then that most of us who attended have this simple dream , to earn a little bit more to make ends meet for the family. And the key to its success is to work together as a team.

I hope this song will give you hope and inspiration like we did in that seminar. It adds sense in our lives and sooner or later you will find out that life is worth living for.

"If We Hold on Together"
By Diana Ross

Don’t lose your way
With each passing day
You’ve come so far
Don’t throw it away
Live believing
Dreams are for weaving
Wonders are waiting to start
Live your story
Faith, hope & glory
Hold to the truth in your heart

If we hold on together
I know our dreams will never die
Dreams see us through to forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and i

Souls in the wind
Must learn how to bend
Seek out a star
Hold on to the end
Valley, mountain
There is a fountain
Washes our tears all away
Words are swaying
Somebody is praying
Please let us come home to stay

If we hold on together
I know our dreams will never die
Dreams see us through to forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and i

When we are out there in the dark
We’ll dream about the sun
In the dark we’ll feel the light
Warm our hearts, everyone

If we hold on together
I know our dreams will never die
Dreams see us through to forever
As high as souls can fly
The clouds roll by
For you and i

Rainbow in our Soul

2007-08-04T21:41:00.000+04:00

Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky it reminds me of God's promise to man. That never again will He destroy the world like it was.

Did you ever wonder what a rainbow was made of? ...It is made of light. In fact, it is made of seven colors of light. It only occurs when it rains. The light of the sun shines through the rain, causing the light to bend (or refract) and reflect off the rain. The rain acts like a prism, splitting the white light into the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (deep blue), and violet (purple).They always stay in the same order, because the frequency is from low to high. It always forms an arch. It is very orderly and dependable as it shows consistency for everybody to see after every rain.

But before we see the rainbow it has to rain first......

The world experience variable storms and weather disturbances every year. The thought of an imminent storm can cause fear to many as extreme cases put many people homeless if not half of their house are submerged in water. In some cases may even take many lives to those who were caught unprepared.

Like the physical storm we encounter , Life too has its storms. Life's storms are not different from the physical storms. The first encounter makes a man's faith shaken like the strong winds that cause our windows and doors to tremble. Those who are weak tends to surrender and lose hope like a strong typhoon putting a house down leaving it completely wrecked and un repairable.

Life's storms are as devastating to man's life just like all the physical storms we know. But is there a way to survive?

When I first read St. Mark's gospel about " Jesus Calms the Storm " I was a child then. My faith in God began to grow as the event automatically makes Him my super hero. I can imagine the apostles' reaction as they witness deliverance from an imminent death. Then Jesus said : " Why are you afraid ? How is it that you have no faith? " Most of us fall in this kind of situation. We knew that He is in our boat and yet we tremble in fear and unbelieving.

In my personal experience of life's storms , I have to confess that most of the time I tremble in fear. Completely lost I often shed tears as my emotions takes me to the edge as it devastated my soul. Maybe because I have seen many failures along the way, my mind tells me that I am a certified loser. Sometimes I feel like a helpless child longing to be rescued by my Mom and Dad. They dont know how weak I could be that I wish I were at home with them. As I drop my sword in battle , tears flow unwillingly as I kept quiet in my room. It seems the rainbow is still far ahead to see.

There is a quote that answers the question in my mind. It says : " The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears. " ~ John Vance Cheney

I began to understand that tears are as important to our growth as the rain is to a flower. They help release the pressure of sadness so we can feel better.

After our tears, our inner sunshines, and rainbows are formed from our pain.

Yes ...it did came. Like the rainbow seen after the rain , I began to see a new beginning. A new hope and a life to start again. I told my daughter we will be together again. I told my wife we will start a new life. And I whisper to my young son that he will get to see the rainbow.

......A rainbow as beautiful as God's promise to us.