Just Passing Through

To the November 2019 Civil Engineering Board Exam takers, By this time, you are probably exhausted. You feel that the pressure is already on. You look at the calendar and your day of examinations is fast approaching. You stare the Manila paper you hanged on your walls and wonder if the formulas you have written there are already mastered. You open the index cards or the apps you downloaded filled with another sets of formulas, theories, or abstract principles and turned awestruck with enormous things you think you have already studied well. You become tired of your everyday routine – to solve problem after problem.   Your day and nights are filled with monotonous tic of calculator’s keyboard. Maybe you are now asking: Am I ready to take the board exam? Will I be able to make it on November? I must admit, I was in the same position as you 10 years ago. I understand your situation. Before thinking of quitting or before experiencing breakdown, let us put the question this wa...

It was August of last year when my niece asked me to help her making a commitment speech for their induction program. We tried at least to become relevant – August is Buwan ng Wika, so we decided to use most of it in Filipino; she loves Mathematics, so we agreed to use and relate Math as her introduction; she is not actually fluent in English (and she admits that), so she practiced her pagka-maka-bayan kuno! 😁 Below is the full text of her speech and I found it saved on my laptop. ****************************************** Our esteemed Guest speaker, our active School Principal, Faculty and Facilitative Staffs, Fellow Officers, Fellow Students, Ladies and Gentlemen, a pleasant morning to one and all. Hayaan po ninyo akong gumamit ng wikang Filipino bilang bahagi sa pagpapahayag ng aking talumpati sa umagang ito. Ngayong ika-anim na taon ko sa paaralang ito, naisip kong paano kaya kung wikang Filipino ang gamitin sa pagtuturo sa asignaturang Sipnayan a.k.a. ...

(Biblical advice by our beloved Pastor, Rev. Provy R. Cadeliña, to Preacher Dennis on his wedding day. Glad, I was able then to record on my phone. A very good counsel to keep and such wisdom to share.) Unless a man has a sense of wholeness in his heart, satisfying everyday with the love of God, there is no way that he would be able to endure all the trials in married life. Kaya dapat ang lalaki bago pa yan nag-asawa, satisfied na siya sa pag-ibig ng Panginoon sa kaniya. It so happened that the Lord had to create a partner to Adam, not because he is lonely but because he was alone. There is a difference between being lonely and being alone. Lonely means that you are sad. Alone means that you do not have companion. Adam was not lonely, he was just alone. And so God had to give him a partner to tend the garden. And that is the wife. The man or the husband is only capable of dispensing love to his wife in the same measure that he would be able to feed on God’s love toward him. ...

1. Sitting for instruction. Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 2. Standing for warfare. Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 3. Walking in fellowship with God. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 4. Running for progress. Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 5. Leaping for praise Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 6. Mounting up exaltation. Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew the...

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Corinthians 1:20  1.        Life is full of needs but God supplies. Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 2.        The future is uncertain, but God directs. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 3.        Things are temporary, but God will not leave us. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 4.        Life is always challenging, but God enables. Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us...

  Ebuenga-Ang Nuptials Such an honour to be one of the ushers of this wedding. Stood there at the back, I thought of taking this photo while we were joyful listening to Kuya Roldan, the groom. Then a sudden shake was felt. This captured that moment when magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit Ilocos Norte on Monday, May 6, 2019. The groom then was delivering his powerful vow. The bride was still and calmed listening attentively to her groom. The groomsmen, the bridal entourage... everyone was prayerful. A picture of love even the earth trembles. The officiating and exhorting minister was ofcourse our beloved pastor, Rev. Provy R. Cadeliña. He shared 7 vital keys to lasting marriage:           1. Fortify faith.           2. Remember your roles.           3. Cultivate contentment.           4. Vanish bitterness.           5. Continue c...

This CE Reference has recorded bitter-sweet memories, something that evokes others called nostalgia. Those months when Manila papers with various boldly written formulas were hanged on the ceiling and walls of our room and gave at least studious ambiance where we used to cook, eat, sleep, study. Those sleepless nights with the monotonous tic of calculator's keypad as our background. Those stillness means my review-buddies were beginning to be serious, concentrated, determined, focused. And because each has different music preferences, each one has also our own headset on our ears to break that silence. Those instances when I tried to become polite to my housemates by offering them a cup of hot water but actually I was requesting a free sachet of 3-in-1 coffee. That ice cream on Mini Stops too, the balut and street foods near Legarda, the jingle in Liana's (na-LSS ako!) , the pastries and sweets from cute Bulacan State University girl, the pusit and ihaw-ihaw along Galic...

(With the culture and lifestyle that we have, something fascinates me with the past. I am learning to love history.) It has been said, "Change is coming!" I am wondering why the face of P5 coin has been changed.. Pagpaparangal po ba ito sa sinasabing totoong UNANG PANGULO NG PILIPINAS? Two icons of the past. The one was called Supremo and the other was El Presidente . Both with great influence. The one was a brave 'leader' and the other was treated as an 'idol' by his followers. Both dreamed for Phillippines' independence. The one led for Katipunan, a then secret society that ignited the flames of Phillippine revolution against the Spanish empire. The other was a capable general who waved the Philippine flag and declared the country's independence on June 12, 1898. He later brought Filipinos to Intramuros, just a step way for liberty from colonizers. But at the very moment that he needed to be strong and cunning, he chose ...

(Just a personal musing) You are beautiful. You are like a princess staying inside the castle and patiently waiting there your prince charming.  You are not fearful. You chose not to go beyond the boundary because you know you are not deprived but secured and protected. You are courageous. You are brave to obey in staying inside because you trust and believe. I am sorry if you are waiting that long. I look myself unworthy to be called your prince. I am wounded and weak. I have not engaged in a battle before where this kind of valor is a prerequisite. I kept telling myself that I am a warrior. I do not trust on my chariot and horses. But I am waiting for that day that they will bring me where you are. I am waiting for that day that I could tell to you that I will not promise you to be the best prince charming in the world - our story will not be a fairy tale and fantasy. I am waiting for that day that I could boldly say to you with God's grace that I will stri...