The Lord's Prayer (new version)

Someone wrote to Neale and i'm inspired while reading it.  You might find it nice too so sharing it here ;)

My God, I am in Heaven. Hallowed is my name.
My Kingdom has come, my Will is done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
I am given each day my daily food.
I replace Forgiveness with Understanding
for my Trespasses, as I replace Forgiveness
with Understanding for those who
Trespass against me.
I do lead myself into temptation
in order to deliver myself from the Illusions
we have created.
Mine is the Kingdom and the Power
and the Glory forever.
Amen

                    by Marian van Leeuwen 

Paano maging member ng Truly Rich Club ni Bo Sanchez Be Truly RICH How to EARN by Working @ HOME

(un)Consciousness

 i have read this over and over again and from Byron Katie too of loving what is and ako naman basta may bago shoot agad.  o kaya try out agad.  i would say life lately has been pretty well just by simply changing my perspective in every thing life is presenting me at the very moment.  indeed, when you let your mind the working of past and future, you will forget to savor the present.  when i am so caught up with what will happen tomorrow, i tend to miss the gifts of the things that's happening right under my nose.  we live one day at a time.  we cannot live tomorrow by living it today.  and this line here is sooooo true: "the greater part of any unhappiness in you is created not by situations, but by what your mind is saying about them. It's created by the self-talk in your head."  

 

so you want to be happy? be happy.  stop the self-talking and love the things as they show up not as you see it.  this is what Byron Katie means to love and accept what is  because we cannot change it by arguing with it.  we move on with life changing the way we want things to be and if they're not happening as we deem it to be, love it anyway.  ;) sabi nga nya: what is so is what is so and you cannot argue with it.  hahaahahaha way to go for me to live that consciously in my daily life too but it pays to be re-minded.  mind again. 

The philosopher Epictetus(AD55-135) wrote:
"People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of things."
If you look closely, you will find that by far the greater part of any unhappiness in you is created not by situations, but by what your mind is saying about them. It's created by the self-talk in your head. Such dysfunctional thinking strengthens the ego, but it weakens you. How to end it? Meet situations and people without judgment. Don't indulge in mental movies about past and future. Give your fullest attention to the present moment without mentally labeling it. This is the arising of Presence, a new state of consciousness that frees your mind from its old conditioning. This new consciousness will give rise to a new world.
With love
Eckhart

Be Truly RICH Work from HOME

This Too Shall Pass

Came across this beautiful reminder from my mentor, Neale.  May i always remember each day that it is SOUL profit i am after, and not my body's profit ;)

The point of your activities throughout the day is not to make a living, but to make a life; not to 'work' but to create joy.  If you are doing what you are doing merely to 'pay the bills,' you will have missed the major reason for All Of Life.

The purpose of life is to know and express Who You Are.  If you do other than that during the days and times of your life, you will have not used those days and times in a way that profits your soul.  It is soul profit we are after here, not body profit.

This TOO Shall Pass

I’ve endured this
discomfort before and
survived it, and so I can
survive it today. I’ve felt
these feelings before and
sat with them, and so I
can sit with them today.
I’ve felt like giving in
before and held onto hope,
and so I can continue to
hold on today. I made it
through yesterday, and so,
I can also make it through
today. I can do it. I will do
it. I am doing it. I am
strong and I am capable. I
will not give up.

So gusto mong yumaman?  Mag invest na sa stock market. ;)  Click here:
Be Truly RICH Work from HOME

Emotions

Rumi’s poem The Guest House is one of the most powerful poems ever written. It brings so much together.  He says, 

“This being human is a guest house. 

Every morning a new arrival; 

a joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary 

awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. 

Welcome and entertain them all! 

Be grateful for whoever comes, 

because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

Joy, depression, even meanness- all powerful teachers.  What are they teaching you?  Like all good teachers, they are pointing beyond themselves to a greater lesson.  Emotions have their own higher purpose.  

Here are 3 steps to a higher emotional education:

1. Sign up for class by turning up to your life. It'ss where your heart schools you in emotions 101.  Turn up, meet the teachers and get ready for a full immersion.

2. Complete the assignment. Do the, sometimes, hard work of diving deep into your emotions.

3. Graduate.  In other words, the aim of good teachers is to do themselves out of a job.  You have what you need within you.

When you graduate with a masters in emotional intelligence, you have emotions but you aren’t had by them.  You feel things deeply, but know that they leave just as suddenly as they came.  As Rumi says, “Meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.”

Awareness is the head of the house and student adviser.  With awareness, know which emotions are in the house, and why they’re there, and never ever forget who you are when the guests leave.

Now if you want to be rich:  click here:
Be Truly RICH Work from HOME

when i die

On the day of my Continuation and reunion with my Beloved, i want this to be read during my burial ritual.  Inspired from one of my favorite inspirations, Rumi.

When I die
when my coffin

is being taken out
you must never think
i am missing this world

don’t shed any tears
don’t lament or
feel sorry
i’m not falling
into a monster’s abyss

when you see
my corpse is being carried
don’t cry for my leaving
i’m not leaving
i’m arriving at eternal love

when you leave me
in the grave
don’t say goodbye
remember a grave is
only a curtain
for the paradise behind

you’ll only see me
descending into a grave
now watch me rise
how can there be an end
when the sun sets or
the moon goes down

it looks like the end
it seems like a sunset
but in reality it is a dawn
when the grave locks you up
that is when your soul is freed

have you ever seen
a seed fallen to earth
not rise with a new life
why should you doubt the rise
of a seed named human

have you ever seen
a bucket lowered into a well
coming back empty
why lament for a soul
when it can come back
like Joseph from the well

when for the last time
you close your mouth
your words and soul
will belong to the world of
no place no time.

Be Truly RICH Work from HOME

Free E-Book

Hahaahahha there is no greater day than to receive a mail from my inspiration.  And may kasama pang link for the free e-book.  If you're up to reading something every day that will challenge your beliefs, go read and watch out for it in his facebook presence. ;)

Hello Rebie,

As I look at life on our planet presently it seems to me that 98% of the world's people are spending 98% of their time on things that don't matter.

That's a bold statement to make, I know. It's almost an indictment. But as I look back at my own activities in the past, I see that this was true during most of my life, and only in these past few years has it changed. 

And I see most people across the globe living pretty much as I had been living . . . so I'm going to stick with my observation. In fact, I used this exact statement to open my latest book, The Only Thing That Matters.

It's an attention getter, and I admit it: I'm trying to get people's attention.

Why? Because I think the world is moving toward an important moment in time relating to the larger process of humanity's evolution, and everywhere I go I see people searching for larger answers to the larger questions that face all of us in life. Questions such as -- trite as it may seem -- what is this life really all about?

And that is why I wrote The Only Thing That Matters; that is exactly what the book explores. It also offers the observation that most people do not know what the true reason for their existence is -- and that this is, of course, the core of the problem.

I make the point that this is not our fault. We've been told very little about the real reason for our existence -- and of the little we have been told by our ancestors, by our families, by our religions and our cultures and our tribes, nearly all of it is inaccurate.

We have been told that to be happy in life we need to get the guy, get the girl, get the car, get the job, get the house, get the spouse, get the kids, get the better job, get the better house, get the promotion, get the grandkids, get the gray hair, get the office in the corner, get the retirement watch, get the illness, get the burial plot, and get the hell out.

Our Minds have been filled with many, many other messages that have created a day-to-day reality so far removed from our real reason for being on the Earth that it's a wonder we find any joy or excitement in life at all -- much less muster the energy to change any of the things that really do need to be changed on our planet if a wonderful future for humanity is to be assured.

Yet most of the things that are "wrong" with life on Earth in the 21st Century would right themselves by themselves if the majority of human beings simply refocused their attention onThe Only Thing That Matters.

And what, exactly, is that?

It is the Agenda of the Soul. It is the Sacred Journey. It is the Divine Purpose. All of these are facets of the same diamond, and in the book I explore this gem with a jeweler's eyepiece, peering deeply into not only its breathtaking beauty, but its awesome power as well.

The book makes it clear that we are on a journey here. And no, it is not the journey from birth to death. It is a journey from way before birth to long after death. Yet our here-and-now awareness of the purpose and destination of this journey can play an extraordinary effect on our day-to-day life -- in some cases changing it forever, and in many ways maybe even changing the world by changing that part of the world we touch.

Among the concepts that are rendered functional, and not merely left as points for esoteric discussion: The Body and the Mind never die. We all know that the Soul lives forever (even the world's major religions can all agree on that), but the idea that our Bodies and our Minds are eternal as well opens us to an entirely new raison d'être and gives us an entirely new tool for the recreation of our behaviors.

And speaking of tools, the text offers five remarkable devices that offer us immediate assistance in serving, first, the Agenda of the Soul -- which approach, the text declares, automatically brings into our lives all the things that the Body and the Mind have been struggling to create: peace, health, safety, security, opportunity, creative expression, pleasure, abundance, joy, happiness, and love.

The Only Thing That Matters invites 9-to-5, day-to-day, on-the-ground application of the spiritually revolutionary messages in Conversations with God. I have been waiting to produce this book for 15 years. 

Because of its daring, radical, and exciting approach to life, I wanted to try it first before I shared it, to see if it works.

It does. See if you agree.

Love, your friend, 

Neale


betrulyrich

No FEAR

i believe that Goddess speaks in every milli second of our life if only we listen.  i was called to listen the past days to friend's woes and dilemma and in a way i was able to visit my own.  i'm currently rereading The Road Less Traveled and answers were again given in many forms. hahahaha

today, i read Neale's healing words:

"All fear is a fear of death." Something or another is going to "die," and go away. It will "be no more." Yet when you realize that while everything ends, everything that ends begins again as something new, you never again fear the loss of anything. 


Not even income. 


And that's when your freedom bell rings. Because when you are no longer afraid of the loss of income (nor of physical death, which could result), then the acquisition of income becomes a preference rather than a necessity. 


Wow!  Messages strike you when you so need it.ü  and i agree, all fear is really a fear of death of any kind.  Fear of beliefs, of challenges, of new things, of changes bound to happen, of letting go, of trusting again, of loving 'til it hurts, of being fooled again, of being taken for granted, of being misunderstood, and of many thousands of things that we are so afraid of.
  
i'm glad to be living beyond that fear in every day.  i have so many fears too but always i would remind myself i have only one life to live and it should be lived without regrets and the only purpose is to experience myself in the grandest vision that i ever have about who am i.  it can change. it will for sure change but the important thing is i keep on with the demands of changing and re-changing to evolve into a gentler soul.

again, my prayer is: may i always choose to love in every single thought, word, and deed that i am.

it's a great Monday and it's a blessed week ahead! ;_)

BE TRULY RICH: http://www.bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=7013&i=10 betrulyrich

Time and Tide

How does music catches your attention? Is it the rhythm?  the singer?  the melody?  or the lyrics?  

As for me, a certain song can only capture my full attention if its lines resonate to what i feel, to who i was, who am i, and who i want to be. in short if it strummed a chord in me then that song would matter. ;)  I believe we sing because we want to convey some message across.  So here's Basia.  She just encapsulated how i'm feeling today. ')

It's hard for me to stop my heart
love never knows
when the time is right
I don't want to hurt
anybody but
can't help loving you
I never felt like this before
I know this is passion
worth waiting for
let love take take its course
that's the only thing
for us to do
We got time, oh baby,
there's no rush
gonna be a better
day for us
hang on
and I will
wait for you
our love will always stay as good as new
Time and tide
nothing and no one
can stop us now
for better for worse
this time I'm sure
it's gonna last
How can I stop my heart?
Love never knows
when the time is right
don't want to hurt
anybody
don't want to make them cry
don't want to make them cry
We've got time, oh baby
there's no rush
gonna be a better
day for us
hang on
and I will wait for you
Our love will always stay as good as...
new
It's a matter of time
only a matter of...
Time and tide
nothing and no one
can stop us now
for better for worse
this time I'm sure
it's gonna last
gonna last forever
We got time, oh baby
there's no rush
gonna be a better
day for us
hang on
and I will wait for you

be financially rich. visit: www.ca2020.net

Random Acts of Kindness

this is such a great reminder for me.  i hope to choose one of these to practice every week and see how it goes. give love away by being kind. ;)

Random acts of kindness are a means by which we make a deliberate attempt to brighten another person's day by doing something thoughtful, nice, and caring for them. Kindness is a way of showing others that they count and that even in the face of hostility and selfishness, you're making a stand for kindness.

Originally associated with Anne Herbert, who is said to have once written "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a placemat in a restaurant,^[1] this concept has become an organized celebration through various events around the world, as well as referring to a general call to action in the name of kindness. And you don't need to wait for someone else to instigate a day or week of celebrations to practice random acts of kindness; you can put them into play any time you like!

By doing kind acts for others, you're helping to create kindness-aware communities that value generosity of spirit and action and kindness toward others as essential parts of a healthy community. Here are some suggestions for encouraging others with your random acts of kindness.

Steps

1. 1
   
   Be kind. Kindness as an attitude is infectious. When you're willing to share your kindness, others will be inspired by your example and think about doing something as kind themselves. Fan that flame by being kind to everyone.
   
   
2. 2
   
   Be thoughtful. Random acts of kindness can be shown through thoughtfulness about the needs of others. How many times do you wish someone could have been more thoughtful before they did or said something? Try to be an example of this for others to follow.
   • Put someone else first. If you get to the grocery store check-out line at the same time as someone else, you can decide to smile and wave them through first.
   • When you're stuck in traffic and the last thing you want to do is let a car get in front of you, just remember that somebody else had to let you in, and repay the favor to the next person!
3. 3
   
   Use your manners as a form of kindness. Manners aren't dead, they've just been forgotten in many ways. Yet, manners are the bedrock of courteous and kind relations and their use is an indication of respect for others. Hold doors open for others, hold an umbrella over someone in the rain, and be on time for everyone you've promised to meet.
   • Say thank you. Whenever anyone does something for you, be grateful and let them know it.
4. 4
   
   Give out compliments generously. There's usually an awkward silence when you're stuck in an elevator or waiting in a queue with a stranger. Instead of staring at the floor, find something you like about the other person and compliment him/her on it. Not only will it make him/her feel good, it just might kick off a conversation with a new friend.
   • Surprise your neighbor by telling her how amazing she looks today.
   • Tell your boss how truly clever he is – and mean it!
   • Tell your assistant how truly clever he is and mean it. Praise any subordinate who's stayed late or done anything extra on the job honestly. Notice those things.
   • Praise your child for her skills and good thinking. Make it something out of the blue that you've noticed rather than run-of-the-mill schoolwork or chores.
   • Write a handwritten note to a friend or family member telling them how much you care about them.
5. 5
   
   Think about people who quietly make a difference to your community and thank them. Think of all the people in your life whose faces and names you'll never know but who serve and protect you day after day.
   • Send some prepackaged treats like donuts or pastries to your local police station, paramedics, or fire department, with a card letting them know how much you appreciate their service to the community. (Since homemade desserts could be contaminated, unless they know you such homemade treats probably won't be eaten, so it's best to buy something from a reputable bakery.)
   • Send your child's clean and good condition toys and books to a local preschool. Say thank you to the early childhood carers and teachers who do so much for young children.
   • Pop over to your neighbor's house with a freshly baked cake. Yes, your neighbors are an important part of your community and they make a difference just by being about. Acknowledge their importance and role in your life.
6. 6
   
   Cheer up the lonely. Lonely people are everywhere, in all walks of life, of all ages. Helping lonely people to feel wanted is a hugely rewarding random act of kindness.
   • Write a letter to a stranger. It only takes a few minutes to write, but a letter can make someone else's day, or even their week. Think of all the people who are lonely, isolated or just in need of cheering up: soldiers fighting overseas, kids in juvenile detention centers or elderly people in nursing homes. Do a simple search online and you'll find services that will provide you with list of people who'd love to hear from you.
   • Pay for someone else's coffee in the queue. If they've got time, offer them a chat.
   • Visit a retirement home and spend time talking to the residents. You could offer to read to them, sing for them, or even get them involved in writing poems, stories, or a playing on a wiki!
7. 7
   
   Volunteer. Offer helping hands. Do you ever see homeless people and feel overwhelmed by your inability to make a difference? Even if you can't save them all, you can do a lot with one small act. Buy a pair of gloves or dig up an old blanket, and give them to someone who's living in the cold streets or to any organization that serves the homeless.
   • Clean up without being asked. The next time you see someone littering, don't just shake your head and look the other way. Pick up the litter and throw it away, and while you're at it, look around the street for any other trash that needs to be removed. If you take a walk, take a plastic grocery bag so you can collect the trash that would otherwise just make you unhappy, and know that you're doing a random act of kindness for the people who will come through after you!
   • Make up food parcels for people in need.
8. 8
   
   Shower a coworker with kindness. Offer to take them out to lunch or shout them a beer after work. Finish off something for them so they can go home early for their kid's birthday party.
   • If your coworker has had a horrible day, buy them some flowers or give them a warm hug to make them feel better. Everyone needs just a little extra love sometimes.
   • Take freshly baked muffins or cookies in to work and share them with your coworkers, staff, and others.
9. 9
   
   Share a little wealth around. Why not surprise someone completely by paying for something they were expecting to pay for? Here are some fun suggestions:
   • Pay for the coffee and cake for the table next to yours at the local cafe.
   • Pay for the movie tickets of the people in the line behind you.
   • Pay for the entrance fee for some children and their parents waiting to get into the zoo.
   • Pay for the parking for the car next to yours. Feed the meter if it's allowed to stop someone from getting a ticket!
10. 10
    
    Give your family a break. There are lots of kind things you can do for your loved ones. Some of these can include giving them a break from the more mundane chores around the house so that they can do something different for a change.
    • Make them breakfast in bed.
    • Wash their car(s).
    • Do the weeding while a family member's at work.
    • Promise to do the dishes for a week – without complaining!
    • Print out a photo of them and write exactly why it's so special to you, why they're so special to you. Tell them how that moment shows how important they are to the whole world
11. 11
    
    Hold a friends night-in. Order pizza for everyone, and play board games or watch movies together. Treat them to a special cake at the end in honor of the friendships that each of you share together.
12. 12
    
    Send a message. Write down your favorite poem on happiness or jot down some thoughts on hope, then leave it somewhere for a stranger to find. You could also leave a message in a favorite book you've enjoyed, letting someone else know they can have the book to read and hope that they love it as much as you did; leave the book somewhere for them to find.
13. 13
    
    Forgive somebody. You'd be amazed at the ripple effect an ounce of forgiveness can have in your life and in the lives of others. Unburden yourself of the past and think kind thoughts again about that person.
14. 14
    
    Share a smile. When meeting a new person, or even chatting with an old one, express joy. Show that you're happy to be with them, and that they make you happy.
    • If you meet someone grumpy and frowning, give them your smile. Ask them if they're having a hard day, commiserate with them, and wish them better luck from this point on. Don't see it as their bad mood reflecting negatively on you; instead, make it about how you can help them to feel better.
15. 15
    
    Expect nothing. The greatest act of kindness is the one that is freely given because you care about another person and want them to be happy and you don't expect anything in return. The thing about kindness is that it has its own rewards and will improve your sense of well-being and happiness; what more could you possibly want?

be financially rich. visit: www.ca2020.net

Raise your Consciousness

with the suicidal death of then AFP Gen. Angelo Reyes yesterday, i posted this in my facebook:

omg! Angelo Reyes is dead. he shot himself. in the end, truth will really prevail. another universal truth proved to be right: in every action there is a consequence. he's such just a coward in facing it. tsk tsk tsk. bless his soul

then one of my good friends reminded me not to be judgmental.  i am thankful for the reminder.  and so today i googled something about raising my consciousness and stumbled on this and number 5 caught my attention.  Hope you get something out of this and practice it in your daily life. ;)  have fun and enjoy life!

Life can be a GIFT or a NIGHTMARE, depending on where you choose to operate from consciously. Practiced regularly, the following 10 tips will assist you in shining your beautiful unique light so brightly that your resulting raised consciousness will be a GIFT to yourself, humanity, and the Cosmos.

1. Forgive yourself and others.

Life is too short to hold on to regrets, grudges, miscommunications, or disappointments. Free yourself by forgiving and letting go of any negative energy you’re holding on to about yourself and/or others. There are many ways to do this. One way is to write down anything you’re ready to let go of and ceremonially tear it into small pieces and throw it away as you forgive. You may even choose to verbally forgive anyone you’ve been resenting. Either way, the process of forgiving yourself and others will result in your feeling light and free, and consequently raise your vibration.

2. Practice gratitude and appreciation.

Whatever you focus on grows. So, when you focus on every thing in your life you have to feel grateful for and all the wonderful people you appreciate, the universe hands you more to feel grateful about. It’s a wonderfully reciprocal consciousness raising process.

3. Live each day as though it were your last.

If today was your last known day in this lifetime, with what type of people would you surround yourself? What would you say to the people you care about? What personal gifts would you make sure you imparted to humanity and the earth? Live each day as if it was your last, and you will be living in a state of light, love and unconditional contribution.

4. Meditate/Pray.

You open up a direct link between yourself and the spiritual realm when you meditate and/or pray. Meditation and prayer can be used to bring you closer to your creator energy, raise your vibration, bring you peace, clarity, joy, and connection, as well assist you in experiencing a perfectly balanced state between your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies.

5. Suspend judgment.

This world is laden with judgment, irresponsibility, and finger pointing. One judges another to feel less guilty about one’s own misgivings. Judgment energy is dense, dark, and heavy. On the other hand, unconditional acceptance is light, free, and accepting. Let go of judging and criticizing yourself and others. Everyone is on a different path, and some appear to be further ahead on their path than others. Neither path is better nor worse than another. Raise your consciousness to one of acceptance.

6. View every experience as a GIFT.

If you look back at occurrences in your life, you can easily see how even the worst situations you experienced in your life ended up teaching you invaluable lessons and therefore ended up putting you in the perfect place for your continuing development. When you view every experience, the good, the bad, and the ugly as a GIFT, life flows more like a gentle, inspiring breeze.

7. Stay consciously aware of all of your thoughts and feelings.

Until you raise the consciousness of the entire human race, it is extremely easy to fall back in to all pervasive negative patterns of complaining and feeling like a victim of society and a victim of your life. To stay out of these patterns, check in with yourself your present thoughts and feelings several times a day. When you catch yourself in the Negative zone, don’t feel badly about it and beat yourself up. Simply choose to switch your consciousness to one of gratitude and positive thinking. Remain conscious.

8. Treat your physical body as your temple.

Your body is the only vehicle you’ve been given for this ride called “LIFE.” The better you care for your body by eating a healthy, balanced diet, and by implementing a regular exercise routine, and by giving your body the rest it requires, the more you will experience increased energy, vitality, joy, and freedom. Honor, love, appreciate and take extra good care of your body, and you will be raising your energy and your consciousness.

9. View the world through the eyes of a child.

Observe a baby or a young child. It won’t take you long to notice that young children are constantly totally enthralled by the process of observing and experiencing the wonder and beauty in every single thing, color, texture, and person they meet. They can’t get enough! Look at every tree, sunset, cloud, and human being as a child would and you’ll be in a constant state of wonder, joy, surprise, acceptance, and enlightenment.

10. Give LOVE, LOVE, LOVE from your heart.

It’s all about love. Do you remember the feeling of being in love for the first time? Why was it so wonderful? That’s because love is the highest vibration. Allow yourself to receive love unconditionally from others. Give love from your heart unconditionally to yourself and others, and you will experience the highest state of consciousness possible.

be financially rich. visit: www.ca2020.net

bottled water versus tap water

Presented by Online Education

earth hour

Found this nice note in Kids Ahoy site. ;-) i was in an organic market at the back of Bacolod Capitol having a late dinner when Earth Hour started and i also ended it there chatting with the stall owner who is an agriculturist and her assistant who happens to be my 'kababayan'. it was a goooood long chat and i remembered a lot. makes me go into organic farming now. ;-)

Earth Hour Acrostic
By the KA NatureKeepers

E - Electricity must be saved when it is not needed
A - A tree needs more water to give food to people
R - Reuse those old bottles
T - Tree Planting
H - Help other people to save the earth

H - Help Earth by saving electricity
O - Observe proper usage of appliances
U - Unplug appliances that are not in use
R - Recycle things that can be reused

woman: 2nd class citizen?

Is a woman allowed to speak? Is a woman allowed to lead? Is a woman allowed to have authority over men? Is a woman allowed to hold a position of responsibility in God's church? By the way, which church IS "God's church"? Is it fair to ask that question? Would anyone care to answer it?

Any comments of you Christians and Muslims out there? help me out. assist me in understanding What God Wants with regard to how we should hold womanhood in our society; how we should treat females. And, specifically, what I would like you to tell me is whether you agree or disagree with the understandings about What God Wants as they are outlined above.

Christians, do you agree with the Bible at 1 Timothy 2:11-14? Again, that passage reads...

"Let a woman learn in silence in all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent."

And you Muslims out there...help me out. Should women receive half the inheritance of male members of the family, simply because they have vaginas? Should the testimony of females at court be worth half that of a man simply for lack of a penis? Please tell me, members of the Nation of Islam, What God Wants with regard to all of this. I am asking in all sincerity. I really want to know. I really yearn to understand. Not only what Allah, bless His holy name, wants, but why. What is the reasoning behind all of this?

Or could it be that it is Conversations with God which is closer to the truth about all of this -- and that God wants nothing of the sort?

And you women out there...what do you think? Is this what God wants? And you men out there? Is this what God wants?

The Vatican can give us wonderful guidance on how to treat women. Before I continue though, let me explain something I've learned from a lifetime of Catholicism ...

if the Vatican says it is right and good, then it probably isn't.

Now, regarding these issues, take what the Vatican pontificates, do the reverse, and it will be correct.

I'm not sure that the Vatican is inaccurate about every single solitary thing that it has to say...but I agree with you that its ideas about sexuality, the role of females in the church, and such things as birth control, divorce, and abortion are outdated, outmoded, and outlandish.

Rabia al-Basri, a Sufi saint of the 8th century had this to say, and it is as resonant today as then:

"O Allah! If I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell,
and if I worship You in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise.
But if I worship You for Your Own sake,
grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty."

Thank you for that contribution. I shall quote it the rest of my life to audiences everywhere!

I also loved THIS from Albert...

The antidote to fear is nakedness, openness, lightness and direct engagement.

5 Natural Emotions

Grief is a natural emotion. It's that part of you which allows you to say goodbye when you don't want to say goodbye; to express--push out, propel--the sadness within you at the experience of any kind of loss. It could be the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a contact lens.

When you are allowed to express your grief, you get rid of it. Children who are allowed to be sad when they are sad feel very healthy about sadness when they are adults, and therefore usually move through their sadness very quickly.

Children who are told, "There, there, don't cry," have a hard time crying as adults. After all, they've been told all their life not to do that. So they repress their grief.

Grief that is continually repressed becomes chronic depression, a very unnatural emotion.

People have killed because of chronic depression. Wars have started, nations have fallen.

Anger is a natural emotion. It is the tool you have which allows you to say, "No, thank you." It does not have to be abusive, and it never has to be damaging to another.

When children are allowed to express their anger, they bring a very healthy attitude about it to their adult years, and therefore usually move through their anger very quickly.

Children who are made to feel that their anger is not okay--that it is wrong to express it, and, in fact, that they shouldn't even experience it--will have a difficult time appropriately dealing with their anger as adults.

Anger that is continually repressed becomes rage, a very unnatural emotion.

People have killed because of rage. Wars have started, nations have fallen.

Envy is a natural emotion. It is the emotion that makes a five-year-old wish he could reach the doorknob the way his sister can--or ride that bike. Envy is the natural emotion that makes you want to do it again; to try harder; to continue striving until you succeed. It is very healthy to be envious, very natural. When children are allowed to express their envy, they bring a very healthy attitude about it to their adult years, and therefore usually move through their envy very quickly.

Children who are made to feel that envy is not okay--that it is wrong to express it, and, in fact, that they shouldn't even experience it--will have a difficult time appropriately dealing with their envy as adults.

Envy that is continually repressed becomes jealousy, a very unnatural emotion.

People have killed because of jealousy. Wars have started, nations have fallen.

Fear is a natural emotion. All babies are born with only two fears: the fear of falling, and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned responses, brought to the child by its environment, taught to the child by its parents. The purpose of natural fear is to build in a bit of caution. Caution is a tool that helps keep the body alive. It is an outgrowth of love. Love of Self.

Children who are made to feel that fear is not okay--that it is wrong to express it, and, in fact, that they shouldn't even experience it--will have a difficult time appropriately dealing with their fear as adults.

Fear that is continually repressed becomes panic, a very unnatural emotion.

People have killed because of panic. Wars have started, nations have fallen.

Love is a natural emotion. When it is allowed to be expressed, and received, by a child, normally and naturally, without limitation or condition, inhibition or embarrassment, it does not require anything more. For the joy of love expressed and received in this way is sufficient unto itself. Yet love which has been conditioned, limited, warped by rules and regulations, rituals and restrictions, controlled, manipulated, and withheld, becomes unnatural.

Children who are made to feel that their natural love is not okay--that it is wrong to express it, and, in fact, that they shouldn't even experience it--will have a difficult time appropriately dealing with love as adults.

Love that is continually repressed becomes possessiveness, a very unnatural emotion.

People have killed because of possessiveness. Wars have started, nations have fallen.

And so it is that the natural emotions, when repressed, produce unnatural reactions and responses. And most natural emotions are repressed in most people. Yet these are your friends.

These are your gifts. These are your divine tools, with which to craft your experience. You are given these tools at birth. They are to help you negotiate life.

excerpt from conversations with god - book 3

housing operation in Aklan

went for another trip to Aklan. this time we brought along with us a canter filled with nipa and some more goods for distribution. i went ahead with Kim and 3 reps from DMCG Barrio Obrero: Nong Ronnie (president), Biboy (vice president) and Nong Tote (member)

with Nong Tote (right) and Nong Ronnie (left)

we went back to see how Laserna people are after over a month of 'Frank'. some have started to pick up the pieces and have built a temporary shelter, those without roofs and walls have made use of what Red Cross has given them, a tarpauline.

kalooy man ang pamilya nga may mga kabataan. everytime gaulan gasilong sa basa. ang hirap din maghanap ng mabibiling nipa ngayon. kung meron man sobrang mahal na like P700/hundred pieces @ 5ft. long
ang kawayan naman pinakamababa ang P50/each good for haligi ng bahay. ang kilo ng pako tumaas na hanggang P80/kilo ang plastic rattan @ P160/kilo. after what happened di ko pa rin maintindihan bakit di makontrol ng gobyerno ang pagtaas ng housing materials. kaya hanggang ngayon lugmok pa rin ang karamihang bahay kasi wala na ngang pambili ng pagkain o kaya man lang gamot ang mahal pa ng bilihin para ipaayos ang bahay. kaloka!

bakit kaya ang tao gusto laging manlamang sa kapwa? bakit ang hirap intindihin na ang nilalamangan mo kapwa mo, bahagi ng iyong pagkatao, kadugo, kababayan, kapatid, kaibigan? oo andun na ako na tumaas na lahat ng presyo pero sa ganitong pagkakataon ba naman tayo tayo di pa rin magtutulungan? pa'no na lang ang mga taong di makabili ng nipa o kaya kawayan o kaya pako man lang? pa'no na sila?

sana po magising tayong lahat sa katotohanan na tayo'y iisang dugo lamang.

attachment

"I have no idea of what tomorrow will bring, so I wish to prepare for it."

"You fear tomorrow - not realizing that yesterday is just as dangerous."

redemptorist church closing down

words are out today that a certain Redemptorist church here in Bacolod is closing down before this year ends because there's no younger priests to take on the job. adult priests are all in retiring age.

hmmm......why is this so? i believe the catholic church must do something about this. like why not allow women to become priests? unthinkable for a catholic church???? no matter how unthinkable it is, they should give it a thought. it has been so long that men are up there and women are down here.....talk about justice and fairness, huh?!

indeed, why are women not allowed to lead among catholics and it's ok with other religions? but with news like this....it excites me. i guess it's about time to welcome priestess. my God has no preference as to which gender leads her kingdom, does your God has any preference?

can WOMEN serve God?

Must human beings have male parts in order to be eligible to serve God as a member of the upper administration of His Church? Or, to put it more directly, can women be bishops? What does God want? And why?

Of course, the Catholic Church has had a prohibition against female priests since the beginning, as we all know, whereas the Anglican Church a number of years ago lifted its similar ban. Then that rogue British church also announced that it was accepting openly gay men as bishops. All of this pretty much scandalized the Catholic Church heirarchy, but for the most part it looked the other way and spoke openly of reconciliation and closer workings between the two churches.

But now the Anglicans appear to have done too far. The Vatican issued a formal statement on Tuesday saying it "regrets" a decision by the Church of England's governing body, taken the day before, to allow the ordination of women as bishops.

A report on the controversy from CNN says that "the move by the Anglican Church's General Synod 'is a rift to the apostolic tradition' of ordaining only men as bishops, the Vatican said in a statement, and is another obstacle to reconciliation between Anglicans and Roman Catholics."

"This decision will have consequences on the dialogue which had brought good fruits," the Vatican statement said, according to the CNN report.

The General Synod of the Church of England passed a resolution Monday night that allows women to become bishops. The CNN report said that it acted "over the objections of traditionalists who argued that Jesus only wanted men in leadership positions."

Is it God's requirement that each of His servants in the clergy (or, at least, in the upper reaches of that clergy) have a penis? What if they have a vagina? Can people with that kind of physical construction nevertheless serve God in such authoritative capacities?

CNN says that "Some traditionalists have threatened to abandon the Anglican Church for the Roman Catholic Church if women become bishops. Several hundred Anglican priests made that move when women were first ordained 16 years ago."

Apparently, some folks feel very strongly about this.

"The theological debate over women bishops has centered over the question 'What would Jesus do?' The traditionalists argued that bishops must be men, as were Jesus and his apostles," the CNN report said.

"Christina Rees, with the pro-women lobby Women and the Church, described what was at stake as 'an acceptance by the Church of England of women on equal terms as men in the ordained ministries'," the CNN report went on.

The Vatican apparently finds that a novel concept. Too novel, in fact. Woman are not to be treated or accepted on equal terms with men in the ordained ministries, according to official Catholicism. Why? Because, presumably, this is not what God wants.

All of this raises the question: What kind of a God do we have, anyway?

Why is God so dead set against having women lead His people as members of His clergy? Or, to ask an even bigger question, Who says that God is a 'He'?

Was it men who told us that God is a man? Was it men who told us that only men could serve as priests and bishops?

Help us here. Please...and I mean this sincerely...enlighten us. What DOES God want? With regard to who shall send and bring God's message to the world, what DOES God want?

Is it okay to be gay? It is okay to be female?

Somebody help me here. i really want to understand.

edited and reposted from Neale's blog

ang tanong

bakit ba
kahit saan ako magpunta
ang laging tanong
kung meron na akong asawa?

sawang-sawa na
sa mga tanong kung bakit wala pa.
eh, mismo ako
nagtataka.

para ano pa ang mag-asawa?
para singsing may mapapakita?
kaya kong bumili
kahit dala-dalawa pa

para iba na ang apelido?
ilang lakad lang sa City Hall
pwede na akong
Pitt, Cruise o Di Carpio

para may katabi
sa gabi?
kaagaw lang sa kumot 'yan
baka malakas pang humilik.

para paggising may kasama?
kailangan ba?
mouthwash naman ang hanap
sa mabahong hininga.

para sumaya?
kung talagang hindi masaya,
walang magbabago sa pag-aasawa
mandadamay pa ng iba.

mag-asawa lang
sa tamang dahilan
kahit wala na sa lotto at kalendaryo
basta tama sa panahon.

e, paano kung talagang wala
eh 'di wala
ang mahalaga sa buhay
kuntento ka.