FORGIVENESS IS HEALING

Yesterday, the healing power of forgiveness was all upon me. I reconciled with the people who hurt and wronged me.

It is not worth to live our lives harboring ill feelings for others and waiting for the time to revenge upon someone that has done us wrong. This is a dead end way of living life. Most of the time it costs more time and effort to avenge a wrongdoing than to simply forget. It is a painful process. It takes time and effort to practice forgiveness, as it does not happen overnight, and it will take humility to recognize and acknowledge angry feelings. But if we ask our heavenly Father for a gift of forgiveness, He will surely help us. Hatred retards our spiritual development and growth.

TOO YOUNG TO CHOOSE

One of the most trying things about being young is that of being in a stage where one has to choose what values to live and die for. Human society is full of models and examples of persons who have embraced their own values, and what is awful is that today's young man or woman is left alone to choose.

LOOKING INTO YOUR HEART

To discover which model to choose, we need not look beyond or outside ourselves. Instead, we should look into our own hearts. If we do, we will surely discover passions and drives that are either constructive or destructive: our capacity to love or hate, to give or possess, to build or destroy, to forgive or avenge. When we choose what is positive and shun what is negative, we will naturally discover what model or example to embrace, and there we will discover the true meaning in our lives.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - KNOWLEDGE

" There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge available to us: observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination. Our observation of nature must be diligent, our reflection profound, and our experiments exact. We rarely see these three means combined; and for this reason, creative geniuses are not common."

ARE YOU A COUCH POTATO?

A flatmate spends most of his free hours watching soap operas and DVD movies while lying on his bed. It’s kind of automatic to him. The minute he enters his room, the first thing he does is to switch on his television. This is a ridiculous physical inactivity. He spends his free time lazily. Oh, brother you are in big, big trouble. You are young and killing yourself!

Just leave me alone! Ok, you wretched couch potato. Believe me, man, your physical inactivity will give you loads and loads of health problems.

Whether we like it or not, couch potatoes put on dangerous pockets of fat much faster than was previously thought. The type of fat that are hidden among our internal organs, armed and ready to help us develop diabetes and/or heart disease. Couch potatoes who get no exercise at all could store a considerable increase in visceral fat over a short period of time.

Does exercise help reduce visceral fat? People who exercise reversed and even improved the effects of this fat. We can start at low and work up to a level that is comfortable for us. Early morning short limbering up exercises help. Up and down the stairs at a brisk, constant pace is a convenient way to exercise, too.

THE YELLOW ROSE

Yellow Rose

the symbol of
the sun in the east
appreciation
friendship
jealousy
joy
lifts spirit and brightens
the day
a dying love!

CAMEL OR HIGHWAY?

Camel-related motor vehicle collisions have claimed so many lives here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Statistics show that these collisions occur either during the early morning hours, or late at night on remote highways. Since camels cannot follow traffic rules and regulations, it is up to the motorists to do their part and drive defensively to avoid being a victim of a camel-related collision.

What came first, the camel or the highway? The answer is obvious: The camel of course! Camels have been roaming throughout the Kingdom for thousands of years, without restrictions or borders. With the increased number of vehicles and highway connecting cities throughout Saudi Arabia, the free movement of these animals is not only a danger to themselves, but to the many people that travel the Kingdom's roads.

While these magnificent creatures may appear to be harmless, in reality they can kill you if you collide with them. To ensure safety, it is encouraged to drive defensively should you come across a camel on the road. Follow strictly posted speed limits to help keep you safe on specific roads. Slow down when you see a camel in your path, giving the camel as wide a clearance as possible. The best defense is to maintain control of your vehicle, travel at a safe speed--below the speed limit.

Reference: Saudi-Aramco Panorama 2006 Edition

TODAY IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND I CANNOT SEE IT!

A forwarded message with story
to tell and a lesson to learn!

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning?"

"What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it." Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story:

Be thankful for what you have.
Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.

Great men say, "Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness.... In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience."

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling...
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

REFLECTION - ARE YOU A GOOD LISTENER?

Do you hunger for God's words?

How good are you at listening, especially for the words of God? God is always ready to speak to each of us and give us understanding of His words. There are different ways of accepting God's words and they produce different kinds of fruits accordingly. There is the prejudiced hearer, who has a shut mind. Such a person is unteachable and blind to the things of God. Then, there is the shallow hearer, who fails to think things out or think them through; such a person lacks spiritual depth. They may initially respond with an emotional fervor; but when it wears off, their mind wanders to something else. Another type of hearer is the person, who has many interests or cares, but who lacks the ability to hear or comprehend what is truly important. Such a person is forever too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study and meditate on God's words. He or she may work so hard that they are too tired to even think of anything else but their work. Then there is the one whose mind is open. Such a person is at all times willing to listen and to learn. They listen in order to understand. God gives grace to those who hunger for His word that they may understand His will and have the strength to live according to it.

FINGERPRINTING

A very important reminder!

Many foreign workers who were repatriated earlier and are coming back on forged documents are being sent home by return flights on arrival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Even if they come with different passports, their identities are revealed after fingerprinting and iris scan at the airport immigration, and immediately they are sent back home.

Airlines are losing a lot of money because they have to bear the return passage of workers who are deported from the airport on arrival with forged documents. These workers do not realize that their identities are now registered in the database at the airport of the host country, and resorting to unscrupulous means would not work now.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - EDUCATION

"Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness;
but direct them to it by what amuses their minds,
so that you may be better able to discover
with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each."

Plato Greek Philosopher
(BC 427-BC 347)

NUMBER PHOBIAS

Because Japanese word for "four" sounds exactly like the word for "death" and they consider "nine" to be unlucky, as it sounds like the word for "suffering," there are no rooms numbered 4 or 9 in many hospitals and hotels in Japan.

Western culture's fear of number 13 is evident enough to acquire a name triskaidekaphobia, while tetraphobia is the aversion or fear of number 4, and enneaphobia, the fear of number 9.

KEEP OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM

At the prayer group's gathering last night, we discussed about keeping our faith and trust in the Lord. The very problem with us is that we really do not trust what He promises He will do in the Holy Scriptures. The object of our faith is our Lord Himself, and if we fully understand who He is, that He is not only holy and righteous, but loving, forgiving, all-wise, all-knowing and full of mercy--we should have no problem trusting Him. His love is unconditional. Can we think of anything more wonderful that could happen to us than to trust our lives completely to Him?

UNIQUE POWER IN MUSIC

I felt so nostalgic today, so I sat down at the piano and played nostalgic compositions, and ending my version of solo concert with the rendition of the most nostalgic piano piece. It isn't full moon, but I played it anyway.

To know Beethoven is to know his most familiar sonata, the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Quasi Una Fantasia, Opus 27, No. 2, composed in 1802, popularly known as "Moonlight Sonata." Although it being a great misfortune and aggravation, Beethoven's greatest work was accomplished after he had become deaf. His genius and geniality as an artist and his noble generosity won the hearts of the music lovers and caused them to condone his freaks. His entire life, of course, was confined to music as an orchestra leader, pianist and composer, and his compositions are without question the finest and greatest. He is still recognized as the greatest composer of instrumental music of all times, and even in vocal music his "Fidelio" and "Missa Solemnis" are creations of unique power. His works comprise 138 opus-numbers and about 70 unnumbered compositions.

ONLINE FRIENDSHIP

I give you my blessing!

A wonderful and exciting love story about an internet chat that doesn't involve lewd, immoral behavior. A 30-year old man and a 27-year old woman began an online friendship that culminated into a betrothal. After a period of online interaction the man requested to see a picture of his virtual paramour--which occurred under the supervision of the woman's mother, who was so supportive, understanding, and embraced the idea of this type of courtship since it adhered to the cultural norms in her view. Afterward, the man proposed to the woman and marriage was scheduled for November this year.

CONGRATULATIONS... bring out the wedding drums!!!

YOUNG CASANOVA OFFICER

Strange News from Abroad

This young man of 20 thought he would test the idea that women love men in uniform by impersonating a police captain in a local mall. But he was all wrong. This young man would troll for dates with his fake captain rank, but something went amiss. Apparently his fishing skills left something to be desired. Instead of making the ladies swoon, he annoyed them until he caught the attention of the police--the real police. It was then that the young fake Casanova Captain learned that it is against the law to impersonate a police officer. He was promptly arrested, charged with impersonating police officer, and demoted to the rank of criminal.

THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING!

The popular misconception seems to be that filtered cigarettes are less dangerous than unfiltered ones. The opposite would be the case: people who prefer filtered cigarettes are in danger of dying two to almost four years earlier than smokers of filterless cigarettes. Filters prevent the dilution of the smoke by oxygen so that the bloodstream builds up higher levels of carbon monoxide in the form of carboxyhemoglobin. One of the effects is greater damaged to the cardiovascular system, with the danger of strokes and heart attacks.

LOVE IS A LOVING PERSON

Love has become one of the most misunderstood and confused words in any language. Some want it to mean nothing more than the attraction between the sexes. Others want it to mean no more than desire and its satisfaction. When others speak of it, it seems that love and sex are synonymous. It is all so sad because love understood as any of these is hardly love. It is confused: the wrapper is taken for the content.

As someone wrote, "the best definition of love is a loving person."

TRIVIA - THE GIANT WATER LILY

Victoria Regia

Do you know that the giant water lily Victoria Regia has leaves so large and bouyant that one can support the weight of a young child, like a raft. The leaves grow as large as eight feet across.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - LOVE

"Love isn't becoming somebody's

perfect person.

It's about finding someone

who helps you

become the best person you can be."

Sigmund Freud

MYTH - FACT

The Myth

Sharks have to keep moving, or they die!

The Fact

Not all sharks have to move. Sharks do, admittedly, need to keep water moving over their gills in order to breathe. But many species manage to do this while lying on the seabed and moving their gills to create a pumping effect. Others, however, like the great white shark, possess no muscles in their gills, cannot pump and do have to keep moving.

No wonder the great white shark is so darn hungry.

THE PINK ROSE

Pink Rose

the symbol of
admiration
appreciation
beauty
elegance
gentleness
grace
happiness
joyfulness!

INSPIRATION - THREE THINGS THAT LAST

"Though sun and moon may pass away,
His words will ever stay!"

What are the things that last which could have real meaning in our lives? If we speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, we are a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If we have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if we have faith great enough to move mountains but have not love, we are nothing. If we give everything we have to feed the poor and hand over our bodies to be burned, but have not love, we gain nothing.

Prophecies will cease, tongues will be silent, knowledge will pass away, and everything will come to an end. Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecying is imperfect. When the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Our knowledge is imperfect now, then we shall know even as we are known. There in the end three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love because it never fails.

Inspiration
St. Paul - 1 Cor 13:1-3, 8-13

I HAVE A FRIEND IN HIM

"There is no greater love than this:
to lay down one's life for one's friends."
(John 15:13)

This is one measure of greatness which is truly universal. It is a measure that goes beyond race, color of skin, culture, age, sex, wealth and what have you. Anyone can lay his life down for his friends. All it takes is greater than love one puts into it, a love which is greater than one's own self, a love which is capable of giving till "it hurts."

WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART IS!

How we discover what meaning to give our life is a story of both the environment we live in and the choice we make. What counts is what values in life we discover and ultimately make our own. "Where your treasure is, there your heart is also." (Mt 6:21).

One of the most trying things about being young is that of being in a stage where one has to choose what values to live and die for. Human society is full of models and examples of persons who have embraced their own values. And what is awful is that today's young man or woman is left alone to choose.

To discover which model we have to choose, we need not look beyond or outside ourselves. Instead, we should look into our hearts. If we do, we will surely discover passions and drives that are either constructive or destructive: our capacity to love or hate, to give or possess, to build or destroy, to forgive or avenge. When we choose what is positive and shun what is negative, we will naturally discover which model or example to embrace. And there we will discover the meaning in our lives.

HIGH PROFILED LANGUAGE

We are experiencing a period of unprecedented advancement in communications technology. From facsimile machines to cell phones, from voice mail to the internet, our communications tools especially have become more advanced and sophisticated. Today, we are able to organize, transmit, and utilize information at speeds unimaginable only a few years ago, and we should anticipate future developments that are equally unimaginable today. Nevertheless, the "information super highway", to borrow this phrase from a well-known author, notwithstanding, communications technology has not supplanted communications know-how. We still require information and ideas to be expressed in clear, comprehensible prose, and the person who can compose such prose is still a vital part of any business organization. Therefore, solid control of the English language continues to be a highly marketable skill in today's workplace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - HOPE

"We'd never know how high we are
till we are called to rise;
and then, if we are true to plan,
our statures touch the sky."

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson

A prolific American poet, who became known
for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance
to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room.
Most of her friendships were, therefore,
carried out by correspondence.

REFLECTION - BROKENNESS

When we look into ourselves, we discover one thing in particular, our brokenness. Something in us tells us that we are not meant to live and die in that brokenness. Something in us tells us that somewhere in our growing up we would reach the experience of wholeness, of unity, and above all, of communion with life itself and with the rest of all living things. Something in us tells us that all our miseries are not meant to last forever; that all enmities will cease, and that peace will settle and become permanent.

LONELY AND BLUE!

Being alone is sometimes lonely

Whenever I feel lonely, I try not to ask why anymore, for I know it is part of my being human. I ask instead, what I may have done to have made myself feel isolated, walled-in, and alienated from the others. In fact, loneliness comes during those moments of isolation, when around me I have built an invisible wall, perhaps, after I have been hurt by others. The same wall protects me from getting hurt again, but, alas, it also imprisons me.

WORK... WORK... WORK!!!

"From the beginning, work was supposed
to be liberating, creative activity through
which man found joy in being God's co-creator."

People speak of work in terms of gain, salary or pay alone. In short, in terms of money. Of course, work is one of the ways man earns his keep; but there is much more in it than earning a living. There is something in work which makes man like God. There must be something in it which is more than mere toil or sweat.

Work has not to be taken as something opposite to play because, truly, work without the creating and liberating element, which play provides can only be unpleasant, boring, and at the same time, depersonalizing. No human being will remain human if he is either treated no more than an element of production or the extension of the machine he uses. And no human being would appreciate and enjoy work if his attitude towards it is reduced to what he gets from it.

Perhaps, the time would come when men would no longer be driven by greed and lust for possessions when they work, or when men would look for work as not just a manner of earning money but a manner of affirming their dignity as God's co-creators!

THE TAJ MAHAL - Agra, India

An elegy in marble!

The Taj Mahal, one of the world's most beautiful buildings, was scheduled to be torn down in the 1830s so that its marble facing could be removed and shipped to London for sale by auction to the landed English gentry. Wrecking machinery was moved into the garden grounds and work about to begin when word came from London not to proceed. The first auction of marble facades of Indian monuments and edifices had been a failure, and it would not be worth it to tear down the two-hundred-year-old mausoleum.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Robert Lee Frost

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


Robert Lee Frost

American poet, four times Pulitzer Prize Awardee.
Nature and rural surroundings were for him a source for insights
"from delight to wisdom", or as he also said: "Literature
begins with Geography."

THY BEAUTY IS TO ME!

The Padaung people of Burma believe that a long neck is beautiful. When a woman is young, she has a brass ring fastened around her neck. Over the years, rings are added until the neck becomes elongated and the beauty is achieved. She also wears brass rings around her legs, and daily carries around about twenty pounds of brass.

THE WHITE ROSE

White Rose

the symbol of
humility
innocence
light
purity
secrecy
spirituality
sympathy!