My so-called Life
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My so-called Life
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No one knows the mysteries of life or its ultimate meaning, but for those who are willing to believe in their dreams and in themselves, life is a precious gift in which anything is possible.
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
Long-Distance Family Relationship
Yesterday’s messages were in line with the Father’s day celebration. The messaged preached at the first service I attended was: “A Father’s Gift to His Family”. For the second service I attended it was: “Next Gen- Builders”. Both messages talked about the father’s role. According to the first message, a father’s gift to his family would be: (a.) Gift of Pattern- a father should leave a legacy…a good legacy that is. (b.) Gift of Provision- this is what fathers are always thought of…PROVIDERS. hehe. (c.) Gift of Protection- The father is the knight in shining armor of the family. The second message pointed out that to be a next generation builder, you have to: (a.) CREATE – create a good legacy to be passed on to the next gen. (b.) REMEMBER- remember the good legacy passed on to you. The life of William Thomson a.k.a. ‘Lord Kelvin’ (physicist) and Carl Brashear (Men of Honor’s Master Chief Diver) were some of the illustrations discussed. (c.) IMPART- once you have created or remembered a good legacy, it is your duty to pass it on to the next generation. Then, there was also an illustration about a busy dad and son. The father was a politician & took a day off to spend it with his son. They went fishing but caught none. The boy has a diary and wrote about his day as the best day of his life. The father on the other hand, also kept a diary and wrote about that day as a waste of time. When you ask a kid to define LOVE, their definition would be t.i.m.e- TIME. Now, what about the kids of OFWs who would only be with their parents for a month every year or every 2 years? For some kids, they seem ok with it as long as they get their ‘pasalubongs’ & allowances. But then, deep inside there will always be the longing of being together as a family. Mr. Randy David, a columnist in the Phil. Inquirer talked about the OFW family and its present situation . Let me quote the last few paragraphs from his article, Love in the time of migration: In the age of absentee parenting, the communication of love has taken the form of a steady stream of gift-giving. This however cannot compensate for the erosion of intimacy. As the sociologist Luhmann nicely put it: “Roughly speaking, one loves not because one wants gifts, but because one wants their meaning.” We expect those we love to show us, by their actions, the depth and complexity of their inner world, not the broad practicalities of their material situation. This is true not only for lovers and spouses in long distance relationships; it applies as well to children and parents torn apart by migration. It has been very easy to measure the economic benefits from overseas work. But I doubt if one can ever quantify what the Filipino family has given up in terms of love, or what it is doing to recover it. I’ve been in an OFW family ever since birth and I know the pains & sacrifices my parents went through during the times we’re apart. But, my parents prayed and did everything so that they can witness our developmental/growing years. So despite the fact that my parents are OFWs, they never failed to give their quality time for us. And we know, it is not the material things that define their love for us, it will always be beyond that. Thanks Dad & Mom. Love you =) Happy Father’s Day Daddy =) mwah *hugs*
Thursday, June 12, 2008
On being an Office Rookie
Though, my job here in the Emirates is not actually my first job but then I consider it as my first official business-office job. I was actually reluctant to accept the job at first,but then the words of my dad to just try it first till i've found where my niche is plus the constant "pag-may-trabaho-ka-na" lines of both parents whenever i'm asking something from them that requires them to shed some 'fulus' ( arabic term for 'money') for me. haha...convinced me to give it a try. So here i am on my 3rd week at Ali & Sons Contracting Co. as a secretary-receptionist and so far all is good naman =) I read a couple of articles at boundless about work related stuff and here are some that I wanted to share with you guys: "Whatever your vocation, God calls you to honor Him, to reflect His image, and to labor with all of your might. You may not be in your dream job right now. But the secret is to honor God in the little things and to sanctify the ordinary." - Be on time. Even if the boss has flexible work hours and comes and goes as he pleases, don't assume that gives you license to.
- Be eager to listen. Don't talk too much. When you're in a meeting or have face time with the boss, listen well, take notes and ask questions when needed. That said, don't be afraid to offer your opinion. Just wait for an appropriate opening.
- Be eager to work. Having a "can do" attitude goes a long way when starting out. Most bosses don't expect great wonders from new hires. But they do expect someone who's willing to try anything that's asked of them.
- Be a good steward of the work day. Take care not to spend an inordinate amount of time surfing websites of personal interest, sending personal emails, and talking on your cell to friends. You can do things on your own time, over lunch if it's permitted.
- Be well groomed. Don't get too crazy expressing yourself with your hair, head, facial or otherwise. And look sharp whatever your office dress code.
- Ask questions. The old adage that there's no such thing as a dumb question is true. Put aside your fear of looking stupid and ask lots of questions.
- Take responsibility for your mistakes. When you mess up, own it. Don't shift the blame or make excuses. Be direct and say "the fault is mine." Then move on.
- Stay put. Unless you're going through some unbearable circumstance, stick around for at least a year before moving on.
So there's some of the helpful articles that enlightened me today, hope it did the same to you too =) Goin' home now..half-day lang kami today.yay!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Being a modest woman...
It's been quite a busy day for me without Leah around, i'm left with answering all the phone calls & all the secretarial/receptionist job that we do here...but nonetheless, i found the time to bloghop and share one post by this blogger they call "kuya kevin". Nowadays, its really so hard to be a modest woman in this society that we're living in...as in...but then it's really a true test of ur character and the sincerity of the guy. oh well, here's kuya kevin's blog entry (w/ his permission of course, thanks a lot kuya!). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If it is harder to drag men to the altar today than it used to be, one reason is that they don't have to stop there on the way to the bedroom.
-Robert Wright
Right now I'm reading Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart by John Ensor. I'm almost finished with it, and so far it's a great book. Ensor has a lot to say about male/female roles in relationships. I'm quite familiar with the principles in this book, but I've enjoyed hearing a fresh expression of these Biblical truths.
Ensor mentioned the power women have in deciding to abstain from or engage in sex. Men are usually the initiators of physical intimacy, driven by urges that women can never completely comprehend. Women, on the other hand, have been created with a different nature. He puts it this way: "Most men are driven towards sexual intercourse in ways that that most women merely decide."
The author proceeds to talk about the value of female modesty. In past times, a woman's modesty was considered an essential part of her feminine glory. This value seems all but lost in American culture, in which men and women are sinking to equally low levels of morality. I am afraid that the Philippines is not far behind--it seems that Maria Clara* is being replaced by celebrity scandals in the psyche of young Filipinas.
I pray that some of you, my readers, will help to change this trend. Let me explain a few benefits of sexual modesty/abstinence. These ideas were sparked by Ensor's book, though I have seen them elsewhere:
Modesty will test a man's true character. Ensor notes that "The immature, self-centered, ungodly man will test negative in a matter of weeks. The deceitful and cunning predator will test negative in a matter of days. Men willing to wait, and wanting to wait, will test positive." How true this is! As I have mentioned before, a man's desire for sexual intimacy is incredibly strong. Force him to choose between his own physical urges and your well being--then he will reveal his true character.
Modesty is your way of assisting young men in their process of maturity. A virtuous woman's heart is a precious prize to be won. She can only be won by man who has truly proven himself. He must prove his sacrificial, committed love. He must prove himself as a leader and provider. He must prove himself as one worthy of taking her hand in marriage. Then, and only then, will he earn total access to her heart and body.
Premarital sex has the opposite affect on young men. When you give yourself sexually to a boyfriend, you are no longer a prize to be pursued and won. The young man senses no urgency to move towards a deeper level of commitment. There is no rush to establish his place in the world. Instead, he will spend more time as a hormonal boy, choosing only women who do not insist that he become a real man. He may grow up one day, but only if he decides to make some radical changes. He will probably break many hearts on his selfish journey.
Finally, modesty will help good men stay that way. Godly men desire to protect the purity of women: "Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters" (1st Timothy 5:2). As I've mentioned before, it really takes two people to be committed to purity. You can help us remain pure by not putting us in tempting situations. As we treat you with the utmost respect, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of our respect. We will admire you and appreciate your godly example. We will be better men because of you and women like you.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
-Proverbs 31:30
*For my non-Filipino readers, Maria Clara is a fictional character from the writings of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. She is often depicted wearing Victorian-style clothing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope we all learn from this girls...and guys too =)
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