Ibalong Festival '08

Feisty. Festive. Fun.

Those are the prevailing moods for this day. It isn't just me who felt mixed moods but all those who have witnessed this year's Ibalong festival. Not even the wrath of the raging raindrops could stop the gaiety.

Don't Wanna Be A Manpleaser

Who do you please?

When the world bespeaks of vileness and depravity, are you going to rejoice where evil lurks? When the law of the land is just as wrong to the ignorant as to the enlightened, will you uphold the divine law? Most of the time, what the world wants is the exact opposite of what God wants. But we are given the freedom to choose. Every minute of every day, we have a choice.

With your choices, who do you often please?

Godpleaser
by Petra

So many voices telling me which way to go
So many choices come from those who think they know
There's a way that seems right to a man, but it only brings him death
I wanna go the way that leads to life till I draw my dying breath

Don't wanna be a manpleaser
I wanna be a Godpleaser
I just wanna have the wisdom to discern the two apart

Don't wanna be a manpleaser
I wanna be a Godpleaser
I just wanna do the things that please the Father's heart

Some make a sacrifice and never let it show
Some make a point of letting everybody know
Some will live their lives as unto men, and they have their reward
I just wanna do everything I do with all my heart unto the Lord
I just want my life to glorify His Son

To make my Father proud that I'm His child before I'm done
No need to pat me on the back or stop to shake my hand
I just want to hear my Father say, "well done", "well done"
I just want to hear my Father say, "well done"

Love Truths

What makes a relationship tick and tank? What makes a bond float or sink? When should you bottle up feelings? When should you put an indelible dead end? Here's an article worth pondering...

1. Spending time apart strengthens your bond.

2. Your inkling that something is wrong in the relationship is probably right. By nature of being a woman, you have a keen intuition, so you'll feel any kind of distancing on a visceral level pretty quickly.

"When a guy wants to break up, he'll often start to create space," says Oikle. In other words, he'll stop calling quite as much, it will take him a bit longer to return your texts or emails, and he'll sometimes be "too busy" to hang out. "For the record, if a guy is into you, he'll never be too busy," says Paul Coleman, PsyD, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Intimacy."

3. If a man has a history of cheating on his girlfriends, he'll probably cheat on you too. Sometimes a guy cheats on his partner because there is an emotional or physical void in the relationship. But more often than not, philandering is indicative of something wrong with him. According to Jay Carter, PsyD, author of "Nasty Men,"

4. He wants to think he's taking care of you. Despite the fact that many women are outpacing men on the college level and in the workplace, "lots of guys still derive their feelings of masculinity and self-worth by being of value to the person they love," says Allen Berger, PhD, author of "Love Secrets Revealed." "And they feel most valuable when they're doing things for that person."

5. If a guy tells you that he's not ready for a relationship, take his word for it. Believe it or not, men really hate to disappoint women. So if he's "gotten up the guts to actually cross the threshold and tell you that he's not ready for a relationship, he means business," says Oikle.

6. Passion can grow as a relationship progresses. People used to think settling down meant saying goodbye to romance and passion. But research has found that young married couples are more satisfied in the romance department than their single counterparts are. Familiarity definitely has its perks.

7. You won't regret breaking up with a guy you're feeling unsure about. Nowadays, women may be impulsive about dating guys but not dumping them. "In fact, a lot of single women will try really hard to fit a square peg into a round hole because they want the relationship to work so bad," explains Magids. "It's only after a tremendous amount of thought and effort that they finally give up on it." So if you sense you're with the wrong person, don't fret so much about walking away to find a better mate.

8. You will always be the one to initiate a relationship talk. Unlike women, who are conditioned to take the pulse of a relationship from time to time, men don't contemplate the state of your union until something's wrong. And even then, they want to work it out in their mind, whereas women want to talk it out.

When Reality Bites, Bite Back

No-no-no. This isn't about vengeance. I'm not implying a gusto in the old "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" rule.

So what's the point?

This one is about a nonsensical (though sweet) ad I scribbled in a copywriting activity. So without further ado, I give you my crappy ad... =)

DULCE VITA
When reality bites, bite back

Chocoholics behold! Sweet news is dark chocolate has gone guilt-free. Dropping carbohydrates and peaking phytochemicals and anti-oxidants, Dulce Vita won’t make you fat nor pathetic.

Now, reality won’t stop you from a bite a day. So dream yourself some appetite…minus the guilt.

Why chocolate?

First, because I love it (not much now because of these annoying braces). Second, I love sharing bars with my brothers, friends and neighborhood kids. Most importantly, I'm addicted to caffeine. I love aromatic coffee (it's one of the few things I can't get enough of). I love sparkling soda (and I don't care if my belly gets more and more protruding each day).

Goodness, I love caffeine! I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Now you know exactly how much I love it. (wink)

Another Win For Alonso

Another reason to smile. Another reason to celebrate. Oh yeah, after winning Singapore GP, Alonso has yet another victory to celebrate. Pour the bubbly champagne. A toast is just perfect. Cheers!

The headline of F1 official website reads:

Major chinks appeared in the armour of the leading title contenders at Fuji. As Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa lost their cool, it was left to a former two-time champion to show the young pretenders how it should be done. Avoiding the first-corner melee, Fernando Alonso made the most of his second-row grid slot, excellent strategy and a superbly balanced car to give Renault an unlikely second successive win, making the team firm favourites for fourth in the constructors’ championship…

I just love his courage. I just love his 'no-giving-up' attitude. I just love how he drives....aficionados crazy. I know he won't be a champ this season. But next season is pretty much promising.

With a growl, grab your title back. Grrr! =)

Flummery Of The Flesh

Flummery of the flesh. Strong sexual desire. Craving for sex. Lust for lust.

Whatever you call it, no matter how you couch it in different words, it's still SEX - no less. So when does sex goes right? When does it goes wrong?

Sex creates heavenly heights. It awakens earthly and animalistic desires. Yes, people are rational animals so craving for sex is just but natural. But don't forget the word rational to describe the animal in all of us. We don't have sex just because we want it. We use our psyche instead to know if it's right to do it right there and then.

We may have contrasting point of views as regards sex but let us not forget the drawbacks. Sex with the wrong person or with the wrong reason is the culprit that broke countless families. It is the villain that put to jail not-so-evil persons because of lewdness. Truth is, when flummery of the flesh strikes, it can unmake you. Sexual infidelities can turn sweet love into bitter hatred, solid trust into impenetrable distrust.

While you are searching for the 'G-spot,' ask this:

After the flame dies down, after the steam clears, what happens next?

How Do You Know She's The One?

I have read this article about how a man decides that his girl is the right person to spend his whole life with. What made them say "I do" ?

For me the best answer was...

Stand by your man

"Three years ago, to my surprise and dismay, I was abruptly fired from my job. It couldn't have come at a worse time: I had just bought a home and was worried about paying the mortgage. When I told my girlfriend, she told me not to worry and that 'we' would get through this together. It was at that moment that I knew I would never find anyone better. She could have left, knowing it would be hard for me to get another job, but she stayed, and I knew we had what it takes to make a marriage work." -- Chris Watts, 28, Windsor, CT.

I do believe in the sanctity of marriage. But the saddening fact is - most people don't.

My friends ask me why at 26, I don't think of settling down. Well, marrying is easy. But staying in the marriage is another story. I've seen strong people fell into temptation. I've heard confessions about infidelity. I've seen lovers fall apart. I've seen remorse in their eyes. I sensed regrets. Sigh. It's so scary to know you married the wrong person.

Marriage is a sacred vow. It's a bond of two souls. You take your spouse to have and to hold from that day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part. How many couples you know stand by this vow? Only few. I suppose.

At the back of my head, questions are fleeting. Come bumpy rides, trials and pandemonium. Will he stay by my side to fight hand in hand? What if I was struck by a dreadful disease, will he take care of me? Can we remain faithful to each other? Can we make it through thick and thin?

If those questions are thrown back to me, I'd answer in the affirmative. I'll stay with him no matter what happens. Love is the reason why I'll marry. It is also the very reason why I'll stay. But what if he forgets about the vow? That spells trouble.

Honestly, I'm happy to see couples growing old together and keeping the love as they age. I hope I can do the same. But I can't do it alone. I need this one person. One true person to share everything with - the ups, the downs, and the usual.

Top 7 Signs of Self-Sabotaging Behaviors

Reality check: Are you destroying yourself?

To help you ascertain, here's an article written by Dr. Robert Anthony...

Having trouble reaching all your goals? Are you going for what you want, but feeling like something is road-blocking the way? Are you finding yourself "not" doing some of the things you know you should be doing?

You may be a victim of sabotage---self-sabotage. How do you know, and what can you do about it? Read on and see.
1. Focusing on what is not working, not right or missing from your life.

Problem: Notice how often you speak about and think about what is not working, not right, or missing from your life. This only attracts more of the things you don’t want.

Action: Ask yourself a new question: "What's going right?" or "What IS working?" Begin to notice all the things, no matter how small, that are working well. Keep an evidence journal and each day write down everything, I do mean everything, that is working and you will attract more of what is working!
2. Being stuck in fear:

Problem: Do you worry a lot about the future and what is going to happen or might happen? Are you thinking about your fears so much that you are paralyzed and take no action because of fear of what might occur?

Action: It is time to put your focus on the present. We can't control or predict the future or other people's behaviors. All we can control is our own, right here, right now.

Ask yourself the question "What is the worst thing that could happen?" Then, let go and know that rarely do the scenarios we create in our heads occur. Take a moment to put things into perspective by writing down the things you can not change, the things you want change, and accept that the Universe, God, Spirit, whatever you call it will take of the rest. It always does!

3. Feeling you have no value.

Problem: Do you forget all your accomplishments and lack pride in who you are and what you have accomplished? If you obsess about the past or your lack of success or lack of achievement, then you'll be stuck in noticing how much you lack as a person. If you often criticize yourself or can't accept compliments, it’s a definite sign that you have fallen into this trap.

Action: You can choose to notice what you do that is good and the things you can be proud of, no matter how small they may seem. Each day keep a log of what you are grateful for about YOU. When you hear your mind chattering about what you haven't done right or well, turn down the volume and turn up the volume to hear the voice that knows the TRUTH about who you are and how you add value to the world.

Acknowledge yourself for at least 5 things each and every day that you did well. Each day, compliment yourself on something you did that you feel good about. Notice your small successes and accept the compliments others give you.

4. Comparing yourself to others.

Problem: Do you constantly compare yourself to others and then feel badly when compared to them? Comparison doesn't motivate us to do more or be better, instead it makes us feel we'll never be good enough and we aren't right now.

Action: Write out the 5 qualities you like best about yourself. Then write out what you value most in your life. When you go to a place of comparison, notice how similar you are with the other person vs. what is different. Begin to create a list of adjectives that describe you - at least 25 positive words about your greatness. Whenever you notice yourself in a comparison mode, think of some of the adjectives that describe YOU.


5. Self-Sabotage – getting what you want and then losing it.

Problem: Do you not believe that you deserve to have what you want? When you get what you want, why do you often lose it or mess it up? What is the true story underneath - maybe that you think aren't good enough to have it?

Action: List all the things you have accomplished that faded away. Simply notice these things, but don’t place any judgment on the fact they disappeared. How did they bring you satisfaction? How did they make you feel? What is the limiting belief that you have that tells you inside why you can't have what you want? Be quiet, be still and listen to it.

Write down how you felt when you had what you wanted. Write down how you feel now, without it. Then write a "bridge belief": A very, very small belief that feels a little bit better than what you now feel. Each week, create a new bridge belief, not matter how small, that you can really believe. By using these bridges as stepping-stones, you'll shift your limiting beliefs slowly and be on the other side of the bridge and able to maintain it because you will have a new belief inside of you.
6. You chase away relationships.

Problem: Do you always feel something is missing in your relationships or find fault with the other person? Perhaps you are afraid of intimacy. Underneath this is usually a fear of abandonment or exposure that causes you to distance yourself from others.

Action: Create a list of the qualities you value in a relationship and the qualities you want to attract in your partners. Express what you want and don't want to the other person and allow them to express the same to you. Create time to acknowledge the other person on a regular basis. Notice when you feel afraid. Don't try to push the feelings away. Know that the feelings are there and that is fine. Then, in that moment, focus on what feels good about the relationship.

7. Having no purpose.

Problem: Do you feel you have no purpose in life? We all have some purpose for being on the planet and it is time to notice yours.

Action: Write down all the things that are important to you – the thing you want to create in your life. Then write out what you want to contribute to the world. From your writing, create a statement of purpose for yourself that you can read each and every day.

Then stop worrying about not knowing your purpose and start creating what you desire now. It doesn’t matter what you want in the future. So start creating something you want in your life NOW. This action will ultimately put you in alignment and bring you closer to your overall purpose.

Has My Monday Gone Bonkers?

O-m-i-g-o-sh!

Has my Monday gone bonkers? Or is it just me?

Give me the wisdom to discern. Give me the courage to be strong. With all these things that I am going to execute, how am I supposed to handle them all? How am I supposed not to care? Can I just don a calloused heart and mind?

This thing is totally crazy. I admit, this is the saddest and hardest part of my task. My other side of the brain is telling me not to and be still. (Sighs)