Unusually Sane?

As new technologies are released to the amazed public and while babies are born and people get old, so are out of this world things take place. Other "out of this world things" are even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records which are usually made by man purposely for recording. And, of course the people who do it are not insane!

Just like one late February afternoon, I went for my rounds of jogging around the Freedom Park of our university. I saw a man probably in his late 60's having his afternoon walk but with what I thought at first glance, was a roan-colored small dog. The animal was dressed in a cream girl's spaghetti shirt. I was astonished at second glance that it was a baby goat! Instead of jogging past them, I walked in their pace and made sure that what I was seeing was really a goat. It was! A pet goat! Of course, I giggled to myself because it was really out of the ordinary to have a leisure walk with a goat! Goats are raised purposely as source of milk and meat. And in almost all of the provinces of northern Philippines, goat meat is a common delicacy. I began to wonder what the world is now doing with the minds of people!

The following weekend, I went for an early morning walk and saw the same old man with a stick in hand but this time walking with a rooster! 'This man is really amusing!' so I took time to watch them together. They went to an entrance of one of the buildings where there was a stair. He let the rooster get up, up and down the stairs with the help of the stick and was even talking to it in English. If the rooster reached the topmost stair, it's master would command it to crow. It would really flap its wings and do its morning crow boasting in triumph. Later, they approached a nearby iron pole around 3 meters long lying at breast level. The rooster was again commanded to walk on it and cross to the other end. Every time the rooster accomplished one task, it would crow and was given a reward of corn bits. What an amusement that morning!

I often saw the pair on their regular morning routine during the months that followed. The goat who has already grown up was taken for walks usually in the late afternoons.

Almost two years passed since I first saw this man with his pet goat and I was back to work when I watched them featured in one of the documentary segments on television. I learned that the rooster was named Robinhood and the goat, as Sandara.

What made this man treat a rooster and a goat the way pet dogs are taken cared of? This man wanted to teach something to everyone through his unusual efforts with Robinhood and Sandara. But for me, "Lolo" remains one of the "out of this world" animal lover.

oOo

During my semesters in the university I always had an early morning class which started from either 6:30 or 7:00. One morning I was walking to my class around 6:00 when I met a young gentleman. (One needs to keep his legs strong if in this university since students usually walk to and from distant buildings). He was fair-skinned and had clean-cut hairdo. He was wearing a neatly ironed pair of gray slacks and light-blue trousers. He was in necktie, in very-well polished pair of black shoes and was wearing a black shades (at an early morning). He was carrying a black portfolio in one hand and was pulling a string on the other hand. He was actually pulling a small marine toy car! UUuuuHHHH!!!! what a questionable look!!!! What's going on guy????!!!

Two days after, I came from the university's main library and was going for a noontime break. I saw this guy again walking around the vicinity of the library in the same looks!

I learned later from friends who happened to see him also that he was a neophyte of a certain fraternity undergoing a series of initiations!

The Irony of Parenting

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." ( KJV 1611) This verse holds a very rich message that every parent must heed.

I am a mother of a little girl who just turned six three weeks ago. Through her years I felt guilty of my sudden reactions when she misbehaved. I admit that there were times when I was at the verge of my anger I would resort to my leather belt in my aim to stop her from misbehaving and instead obey my commands. To my surprise though, many times she never admitted lose. In retaliation, she would all the more wail, kick, roll on the floor and throw anything that her little hands could reach.

Several times I asked myself why tots today act the way they do. I have witnessed children dominating their moms in malls, buses, restaurants, churches and anywhere quarreling over something. This is opposite to who I was when I was young. If my father ordered me to do something in his favor, I hadn't hesitated but was always quick to finish the task. It was my duty or obligation to comply with orders at home even if it was against my will.

Partly, my attitude in having parented my daughter in her earlier years has been influenced by the way I was brought up so that I usually wanted her to instantly obey me. It was not always the case however. I had always ended up the commanded soldier and my daughter the commanding officer in the battlefield.

oOo

One bright and cool morning, I dropped by a fastfood for a late breakfast. While on queue for my food, my attention was directed to somewhat a commotion at the back corner. I saw a boy, probably between 4 to 5 years old, deeply sobbing in difficulty while his father already at the peak of spewing hot lava, was grasping his son's one arm while pointing at the boy's face commanding him to close his mouth, stop crying and sobbing. The other customers nearby and some of the crew of the fastfood were just watching. My blood boiled at the scene. I felt the boy's horrible pain of trying to stop sobbing and crying but cannot because of the continuous shouts, pushes and grasps of the father. To instantly stop sobbing at an instant command made the boy to cry even more.

I took my food then sat down at the other corner of the fastfood area. I still however, could hear the angry words of the father and the boy already in terrible, frightful cries.

My hunger was gone but I still took a few sips of my hot chocolate drink. Then I counted the number of minutes since the time I entered the fastfood, queued for my food until I sat down to eat and the number of minutes the incident started because it seemed getting worse.

Upset, I stood up and got near the scene again because I couldn't bear hearing the boy wailing in pain. The tables nearby were already vacated and the other man in red shirt (companion of the father and son sitting on the same table) just kept quiet but also looked troubled. I wondered why nobody tried to interfere neither the crew! I grumbled some stupid words in my anger and was really about to go near the father to talk to him. At the end however, I did nothing to help the boy.

When I went back to my seat I saw the father already shouting and pulling his wailing son out from the eating public. What a menace and a trauma this father did to his young boy!!!

While starting to nibble on my messed breakfast, my mind started to play back the events in my father's iron hands when I was young. I blotted them out immediately since if enumerated would just botch up my day. I didn't want to be a loser against the ghosts of my childhood.

I wondered how could such a fine-looking, professional-like, educated man do such wretchedness to his son in public!? And how many times did he do this both in public and at home? He would be raising an individual with a very low self-esteem! (forgive me for thinking such).

I recalled some do's and don'ts of parenting I heard in values education programs I attended years before ---- "never downgrade the little egos of toddlers in public places by scolding, slapping, pushing, kicking and/or shouting at them or even comparing them to other kids in the neighborhood." Was the father training his son? To what?

Going back to Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go..." To other parents, however, I wonder what the phrase mean to them. To train has several methods to anyone executing it. The subconscious mind immediately defines train-ing in a military way --- to undergo rough drills even if it is against the will of the trainee. This situation is however opposie to the method of training in loving communication. This way is what young children of this generation need - by spending quality time, talking and guiding them according to Biblical inspirations. It will train them to grow in love and not the opposite.

No matter what status a parent holds in life, he still remains a parent who is responsible with how he raises up his child to become a good citizen. This goes with the statement of Barack Obama, U.S. Senator, in an interview about coping with work and family in one of the segments of the Oprah Winfrey Show to "teach kids the values of becoming useful citizens and not just being cute."

oOo

One stupid truths in parenting is a situation like: The parent shields his child anywhere from anything or event he thinks unfavorable. One example is when the child is judged by his playmates because of some misbehaviours, the parent immediately comes in rescue and many times the parent does not even investigate the real incident. In school, when the same child is lightly punished like standing in class for 10 minutes while lessons go on, drives the parent into a mad lion against the teacher and the school. The parent feels his child is prejudiced! But once the parent himself gets irritated with his same child at home, he has the nerve to kick and slap until his kid gets blue and worse is even accompanied with shouts of filthy language! This situation impels me to think that some parents sometimes do become hypocrites of their own selves!

Usually, all the right methods of parenting are easily said than done!

As a parent, one of my deepest prayers today is to maintain self-control especially during times when I go home loaded with outside pressures so that I become an easy prey of an unstable behaviour. I do train my child as I train myself in more profound prayers by claiming verses in the Bible that could only pacify my spirit and stop me from misbehaving in the eyes of my daughter when she currently misbehaves.

12 Steps To Raise A Juvenile Delinquent

1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow to believe the world owes him a living.

2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he's cute.

3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let "him decide for himself."

4. Avoid the use of "wrong." He may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.

5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced throwing all responsibility on others.

6. Take his part against neighbors, teachers and policemen. They are prejudiced against your child.

7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way, they won't be so shocked when the home is broken up later.

8. Give the child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.

9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink and comfort. See that his every desire is gratified.

10. Let him read any printed material and listen to any music he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.

11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize to yourself by saying, "I could never do anything with him."

12. PREPARE FOR A LIFE OF GRIEF. YOU WILL LIKELY HAVE IT.


(Taken from a pamphlet entitled, "Twelve Rules for Raising Delinquent Children," distributed by the Houston Police Department)
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"Spare the rod and spoil the child"

Some Messages To Ponder Upon

THE POEM

Anonymous

I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do.

I had to hurry and get to work for bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.

My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.

No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry.

No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord, I came, I stood with downcast eyes.

For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life.

God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"

Easy vs. Hard

Why is it so hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie?
Why are we so sleepy in church but Right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up?
Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty stuff?
Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine, but yet so easy to look at a nasty one?
Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e- mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones?
Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger?

Do You Personally Know Him (Part II)

My daughter (turning 6 by the end of next month) and I were on a jeepney that same Sunday morning just after we attended church. We were on our way to the city around 18 kilometers from our town. We sat near a mother who cuddled her more than a year old (to my knowledge) boy. She was with other two mothers and two grade school-aged girls.

Upon sitting down I noticed the group not to be locals in our place or anywhere around Northern Luzon because of the way this mother carried her young boy --- with a sling cloth. The Igorot tribe, whom I am one, also carry their toddlers with a sheet cloth, but this group didn't look like one. They spoke in a dialect that seems I've heard before and I guessed them to be Badjao's, a small tribe in Southern Mindanao. Sometimes they are referred to as sea gypsies because they live along coastlines floating on sea. I softly asked them if where are they from. The woman beside me smiled and said, "Basilan."

Basilan is a province also in Southern Mindanao long known as a battleground between the government soldiers and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other groups of bandits. Currently, the mountains of the said province is a haven for the Abu Sayyaf group, an Islamic terrorist.

It was in the mid '80s, I was in highschool when I first read stories in newspapers about the peace and order situations in Basilan. The residents are generally of the Muslim tribes. Recently, however, 14 marine soldiers who were with the batallion to rescue Fr. Carlo Bossi, an Italian Catholic priest assigned in the area, kidnapped by members of the Abu Sayyaf, were killed in an encounter.

Knowing Basilan to be war and poverty-stricken usually drive away the residents to nearby regions just like what this group with us in the jeepney did and decided to come north probably to find peace. As our conversation went comfortably, I slowly asked again if they belong to Muslims. They softly answered, "Hindi po. Badjao kami." (No, we are Badjao's). I was right with my earlier guess. I've seen some of them before in my travels to other cities in Luzon roaming the streets. I asked them if they have relatives around whom they visited but said, nobody. "Mahirap ang buhay sa Basilan," (Life in Basilan is so difficult). According to them they just ride and walk, ride and walk to any direction their feet would find them and beg for food. They spend their nights along street corners. It was visible though on how they looked --- tired, rugged and hungry.

I asked my daughter to give to the thin young boy, one apple fruit from the four pieces she was carrying while I continued to tell the group to hang on to life's challenges. Knowing the conditions of Badjao people in the Philippines ever since, I cannot help but pray for material help to reach them. I cannot give more than anything to these souls beside me but told them that our physical bodies are just temporary here on earth, so that even though how difficult circumstances are to each one, there is still Someone who loves and truly cares for us. I wondered though if they believed what I told them when in fact, materially, they are not well taken cared of. Nevertheless, I can see traces of happiness on their faces no matter how tough life for them is.

Finally, I said to the woman beside me, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ the Saviour?" I was so delighted to hear her answer, "Yes, I believe in Him. I just don't know with others." Her second statement seemed askew with the first one but her answer made me more comfortable to share to them the goodness of God even though many times we don't understand why we have to suffer poverty, wars and many pains that our physical and temporal bodies have to bear. If we personally believe in Him and ask Him to become our Saviour, then we are assured that once the time comes for us to leave this world, our souls will surely go home to our God to His kingdom in Heaven.

Reaching the city, we all parted with smiles and blessings. My daughter and I left them with their chorous of, "Thank you."

Do You Personally Know Him (Part I)

"You may be a very rich and intelligent person, well-travelled, have earned several degrees in prestigious universities and have elite friends. You may be a well-updated person in current world events, have read shelves and shelves of books, know the biographies of famous mathematicians, scientists, politicians and world leaders like Aristotle, Einstein, Graham Bell, Queen Elizabeth and scores of others... and personally you may even know them. But did you ever know that there is a Person greater than your elite friends and greater than all the famous people the world has ever produced? Have you ever read His biography? Are you well-updated with His constant encouragements and promises to you?" These were some of the lines and in whole, the message one Sunday morning in church this month of August.

Well, it's not bad to be the individual in the message because God wants each one of His children to become rich, intelligent and comfortable in life.

It was not my first time to hear a similar message in a Gospel-based gathering urging each one to become aware that there is a person greater than anyone else and who loves each one so much. Because of His unconditional love for you and for me and to all human beings, He paid the penalty for out sins when He was nailed at the cross more than 2000 years ago. His name is Jesus, the Christ.

In my several acquaintances, I've met people of different colors, of different cultures from different lands or in short --- from different walks in life. There were many who were so intelligent that I always got a childish curiosity to ask myself how and why are these people so intelligent? Why am I not like them? Why is their comprehension so full while I don't have? They know so many things than me under the sun. How come and why like that?

Many intelligent people upon asking if they personally know who gave them their intelligence, would give a loud and defensive answer. I attacked a point in their ego!

Some I've met brag about their achievements in life and their good works, their successful children, successful career, etc... I feel happy for their achievements and I envy them. Only I feel pathetic when along their stories, they don't personally know who gave them all the intelligence, comforts and successes in their lives. They may answer that God gave them their assets when asked them but who is this God? There are many, many gods out there.

When it comes to spiritual beliefs, many still grip on superstitious beliefs/omens and ghosts! I pity these fine-brained people who don't know the very basic reason why they are alive. They don't know the most intelligent Person of all.

I am a born-again Christian because I humbled down before Jesus Christ, gave Him all my being, my problems, my achievements, my family and friends and everything of me and allowed Him to cleanse away all my sins and finally allowed Him to control the throne of my life. I prayed and received Him as my Personal Lord and Saviour 15 years ago. My feelings and views of worldly things became different from that moment because of the assurance of salvation that I received.

Along the years though after I got saved was not easy for me because of my inner enemy--- my own stubbornness. Trials and struggles popped along the way so that Satan became so occupied to bring me back to my old habits. It is his job to destroy each and every Christian as much as he can. At times I gave in, but Jesus my God would always hold my hands. I was so thankful because despite all the struggles I've gone through, my faith in my Christ never faded. Until now, He keeps on directing my feet to the path even if I get obstinate so often. He is truly a caring and loving God.

With lifestyles these days however, being too much occupied having no time even to sit down for a minute to say a short prayer of thanks, the more we lose updates on the goodness of God so that the preaching that Sunday morning became a bullet that pierced my heart. I claim to be a Christian for long, long years but do I regularly update myself with His words --- the Bible? My Christian friends out there -- this is a question I also leave to you. If we claim to be born-again Christians, do we really know Him? How deep?

To readers who want to know Him personally and become a Christian right now, here is a prayer of acceptance or sometimes called the sinner's prayer. It is short and simple. Pray it sincerely and allow the Lord Jesus Christ to work in your lives:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. I have sinned against You and against others. I confess that I am a sinner. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen."

If you prayed this simple prayer and want to know more about Jesus Christ, our God, you can go to any full-Gospel church near you and fellowship with other Christians.

God bless and praise the Lord!

Ways To Destruction

Before the GATT-WTO (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades of the World Trade Organization) came into world scene, product exchange or transfer of goods (i.e. barters and trades, imports and exports) was not as easy because there were many restrictions on the standard operation procedures that must be followed. Export and import of fresh products between some countries were not even allowed. Supply of certain goods or products either for export or import were thus regulated.

When the world opened into an agreement on tariffs and trades in the mid '90's, Research and Development boomed to the extent that some research technologies went beyond the limits of morality and ultimately posing danger into the human race. As a Bible-believing Christian, I believe in hermeneutics that World War III is at hand. This war however is very much different from the past World Wars I and II. It is not of arms and nuclear bombs but rather of an economic war.

True, it is happening today of the unpredictable fluctuations in the world economy. This situation is prophesied in the Book of Revelation in the Holy Bible of the Christian faith.

Aside from famines, earthquakes, floods and wars, many events were and will still be fulfilled before the final hour of these worldly things will happen. One is the One World Government. There will only be one ruler of this world. The transfer of basic food items from one country to another will easily be controlled.

Basing some events in what Revelation tells, many countries will unite into one big nation. As we know, the European countries agreed to have one currency called Euro as against the present World currency, the $US. Is this a prelude to the one world government?

The division of food crop species with headquarters based in strategic parts of the world including the Philippines, is another way of preparing the world as prophesied. In just a snap of a finger, thousands of food crop species can be destroyed forever. You may ask, how? Through the introduction of virulent crop diseases and devastating pests! Food supplies can be easily controlled through this situation! Result? Hunger. Eventually, massive death of the human race.

I am an avid viewer of the CBN news via the Trinity Broadcasting Network and the British Broadcasting Cable (BBC World). I watch daily the short noontime world events aired through CBN and it is from this network where I learned that certain foods that China export to the open world were detected to contain amounts of formaldehyde. Later, this situation was aired through the local networks identifying particularly the white rabbit candy coming from China that has a water soluble and edible secondary wrapper to contain the same chemical. Later, other Chinese products were scrutinized by BFAD wherein certain Chinese food companies use formaldehyde as one of their preservatives. Cosmetics and perfumes from the same country were also found positive of the chemical.

Formaldehyde can be available either in gas or liquid and aside from being used as preservative can be used as disinfectant and in making resins and dyes. If accumulated in the body will cause cancer.

Recently, children's toys coming from China manufactured particularly by Fisher-Price company were found to contain lead element. This includes the toys that Mattel, a US-owned company, distribute to the world market to also contain the same element. Mattel's toys are made particularly in China.

A man's heart is plagued with sin thus by ruling his selfish desires he can manufacture anything under the sun without considering the offensive consequences gradually poisoning the human race. The ultimate goal is an early rendezvous with death!

Before these world issues, the Philippine media was plagued with news about the abrupt increase of several brands of infant formula prompting most mothers of this generation to have their babies depend solely on the said synthetic milk instead of breastmilk. Almost all milk manufacturing companies today continuously establish tie-ups with government health centers to promote their products. Because of very promising advertisements, these companies make mothers more fickle-minded. The milk products are advertised to make babies geniuses even at the ages of 2 to 3. Who could not be enticed however! All mothers of course want their children to be strong, healthy, good-looking and have high IQ level! But irony of all ironies, after all the perfectly structured lines of enticements however, the last and brief lines to be said is, "Breastmilk is still best for babies up to 2 years." Wow! It's not a guarantee that if a baby is fed with golden infant formula will make the child so bright. Synthetics are still synthetics and natural is still natural!

I salute the unsung heroes of the rural health units in the country who promote breastfeeding and continuously discourage the sole use of infant formula. May your tribes increase!

The reason why infant formula were made is for emergency alternative in extreme cases like, mother's death where no breast milk is at hand, serious/debilitating disease that the mother carries wherein the pathogen can be transferred to her baby through her milk and in such that the mother is physically unable to breastfeed. But these reasons were ignored however, and instead the use of infant formula became a trend or fashion thereby continually psychologically inverting the reasoning powers of most mothers today.

The many reasons I've heard from lactating mothers this generation why they resort to infant formula is the limited volume of milk that they can give their babies. Of course for a reason to defend are many other reasons! I then paused to raise a question on this case. The trend today is that every pregnant woman has to has a private doctor (OB gyne). All the drugs, be it milk for pregnant women, vitamins and all that the private doctor prescribe are religiously taken in. To my surprise, if all the drugs tell the truth including the stimulation of the production of breastmilk during the lactating period, why is it that young mothers of today complain of limited milk production? What are the secret contents of these drugs that delimit the natural production of breastmilk in lactating mothers? In my own opinion, maybe these vitamins, milk, other drugs and every synthetics that are prescribed to pregnant women has something to do with the limited production of breastmilk later on so that all these infant formula available in the market will be sold ---- selfish desires! These companies make senseless profit from should be lactating mothers!

Comes now the time to let the baby receive doses of vaccines. A parent of course is branded crazy if he/she doesn't allow his/her baby to receive vaccinations against harmful pathogens.

One time, I watched a world health news on television posing a question, "Are all vaccines safe?" Alleged victims of vaccinations were shown on screen as either autistic or with very low IQ level. One 18 year old boy was shown as thinking and acting like a three-year old. Another was a child who after receiving an anti-polio vaccine became a polio victim instead. These cases are not isolated I guess because there had been other previous cases around the globe.

I just don't know but my observation, question and conclusion is: Why is it that around 10 years ago to this date, cases of autism in the Philippines is very high in children? Is it because of these vaccines that babies receive? The symptoms of autism usually manifest when the child reaches pre-school years around 3 to 4.

Autism is considered a mental illness just like schizophrenia. It is an organic condition in children caused by neurological disorder. Autistics may excel in one or more skills and they barely remember their names.

Somehow, I am convinced that these said disorders can be acquired through medicine, vaccines and other instant food products because of either what some unscrupulous researchers mix and match to come up with results that are immediately released for consumption even without completing the required product screening in the units of research and development or because of accidental procedures that went unnoticed during the process. The toy on the playground is the food chain.

We live with all the advanced technologies, the products of advanced researches, thereby we become robots of advertisements. Our eyes are very wide open. Yes, we can see but we are blind on the way to destruction!