20 Pounds..... and Counting!

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of February 13-19, 2012.

http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-february-13-19-2012

The holidays are now long gone. The feasts and dinner parties have been over since the New Year came in. All is back to normal. It's quiet. People are now focusing on how to regain the pace of "ordinary" living, trying to get back to the old daily routine. As for me and my family, another focus would be on how to "revive" our depleted checkbook. The holidays can be very expensive these days!

This is also the time to take back the right balance which has been lost through the holiday "marathon" eating. It's time to regain the equilibrium after all the busy-ness, the excitement, and all the flurry of activities during the holiday season. It's now time to breathe again.

I think, um wait… no, I’m sure that I've gained a lot of weight during the holidays. I know it's already "bad" enough that I indulge in all the festivities, parties and treats, beginning on Thanksgiving (here in America) all the way through the New Year's Eve celebration, but then add to it the freezing weather.

Winter is the worst time of the year to be feasting on anything. It's cold and just the thought of walking around the block in my neighborhood already makes my bones chill. All that people want to do on winter time is to "hibernate." Bears do it all the time, why can't we? We need the extra layer of fat in our bodies to help us stay warm until the next spring. Yeah, and let's keep on telling that to ourselves, for we might actually believe it!

So after the holidays, I have to contend with an extra 5 to 10 pounds of unwanted fat (and that's on top of the extra weight I should have lost last summer!). I tell you, it's no fun at all, especially for me who hates (absolutely detests) working out. But I do love to walk --walking is my "thing."

I've started to (seriously) walk in the spring of 2011 because you know, right after the holidays of 2010 I'm confronted with the same old dilemma of extra padded weight so I've decided to do something about it. At first, I've only managed to walk for about 10 to 15 minutes a day on my breaks at work and then I cranked it up a little bit more to about 20 to 30 minutes per day. By summer time, I was already walking 3 times a day --15 to 20 minutes on my morning break, 45 to 60 minutes (that's a full hour!) during my lunch break, and another 10 to 15 minutes in the afternoon. These walks don't yet include my everyday "foot trip" from my house to the train station, and vice versa, which takes about 10 minutes one-way.

After all the "hard work" (which I don't think is too hard since I really enjoy walking), I've seen some considerable results! I've lost 10 pounds in the first 2 months of walking. That's 5 pounds per month! I've never lost that much before even from strict dieting. Then by fall of 2011, I've already lost 15 pounds. Another 5 pounds were lost before winter even began. We're talking of a total of 20 pounds lost just by walking. I'm just too excited about this!

Then I started to dread the upcoming holidays and the winter of 2011 because I always gain weight by the time New Year comes. And it's the kind of weight that sticks like butter. I can't seem to shake those extra pounds off. But I kept at it, I kept on walking.

I'm so proud of myself that even though I've re-gained some of the weight I've lost before, it was easy to shed them off again after the holidays since I already have a physical regimen in place that works for me. So I just kept on walking. My friends at work thought I was crazy because even if it was freezing outside, I’d still put on my coat, bundle up, and go out for my walks. Rain, cold or shine, I’m out there!

And oh, I would be lying if I say that it's all due to walking that I've lost all those pounds because it's not entirely true. Exercising is a huge part in losing weight and staying healthy but I do believe that it should also be a lifestyle change. I had to change the way I think about my health, about the food I eat, and about being physically active.

I know this may sound like an old cliché but I've found out the hard way that looking for something that works best in making a healthier you is the only way that would work long-term. All the health fads and diet trends out there that have been invented by man will never work for you if it's only for the purpose of losing weight quickly and fast with no evident investment in any type of physical activity and by sticking to a healthy, balanced diet.

For example, I do love my vegetables. I've never really put much thought on it since I've always been a veggie eater, but now it's different. I really take some time and effort in getting the best vegetables for our meals. I've found out that the more colorful, the more vibrant, and the deeper the colors are in fruits and vegetables, so much the better.

I was used to eating wilted and overcooked vegetables since I was a child but now I tend to eat a lot of raw, fresh and half-cooked, crisp veggies. And I can't get enough of it. One of my new favorites is broccoli. I know, I know, I'm crazy because my family says so themselves. They're not too fond of broccoli either but I love it! It's been nicknamed the "green gem" for its known properties of preventing and fighting different diseases including cancer. And that's just an added bonus for me because I'm not kidding when I say I love broccoli.

Oh, and cilantro too! I'm addicted to it. I put it on everything. It's a type of Chinese parsley which is dominant in Mexican cooking --lots of antioxidants in that herb. My husband has had enough of it in my cooking already that he "banned" it from our kitchen for some time. That's how extreme my love for cilantro is!

So here goes: exercise/walking... check! Fruits and veggies... check! Stay away from sodas and "junk" food... check! More water… check! Not too much salt or too much sugar on food… check! These are only some of the things that have made a better me (physically and health-wise) for 2012. This is what works for me so I'm sticking to it. I want to glorify God in my body for I'm precious to Him, and being healthy in order to enjoy a long, full life is just one way to do it. And now, to get my family into this with me... uh, that's a whole different story. I'll tell you more about it next time! Ta-ta!

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

10 (Unsolicited) Advise For Teenagers

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of January 23-29, 2012.
http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-jan-23-29-2012

"O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." -Psalm 71:17-18

I know this would be kinda hard to believe for some younger people (including my son) but yes, I was once young. I've also been a teenager before. It's not important now on how long ago that was, but it would be safe to say that it wasn't during the Stone Age.

I find it all too amusing when I hear kids or teenagers talk about getting old as something that is so, so far away for it to happen to them. I've heard a teenager on TV here in Chicago said something like: ".....when I get old, like, when I'm in my 30's....." That just sent me cracking up the whole day! Phew, these kids, they don't know what they're talking about!

My son looked directly at my face one time, with an incredulous expression on his face, when I told him that I once worked for a local TV station in Tacloban City. I thought he was looking at me with awe, probably thinking at last that his Mom was in fact cool? Then he said, with the same crazy expression on his face, "There was TV when you were young?!" Wow. These things might seem very amusing to me now (and I also find teenagers too adorable) but I got to remember that I might have been amusing as well to my parents and to my elders when I was a teenager. Hmm, were they laughing behind my back?

My son is so funny at this age that even without him trying hard, his antics, the vocal changes, and the physical awkwardness are all amusing and endearing to me at the same time. I try not to laugh at him (most of the time), because I know how teenagers get embarrassed so easily, but sometimes I just can't help it! (Just wait 'til he reads this article, ha?) It's like watching my baby trying hard to turn into a man but still doesn't really want to, not yet at least. Teenagers are like people trapped between childhood and adulthood and it's understandable why this stage can be very confusing, scary, and may also be traumatic for them, if not handled with care.

There's much talk, open dialogues, lots of self-help books, Facebook posts, etc. allotted to raising teenagers and what we can do to help them achieve success and well-being. I'm not against it or anything like that, I'm just fascinated by it all. I didn't have that same help when I was a teenager (and yes, you do hear a whine in my tone here), but I came out fine, didn't I? Okay, that may be a bit questionable, but the point is, I'm glad that our society is now more open to talk about this issue and on how to help parents know (and the teenagers as well) that they're not alone in this whole process of growing up. Everybody goes through with it.

So, on the authority of being a teenager once and having a teenager now, I give my ten unsolicited advise to all the teenagers out there (but I guess to all the parents of teenagers is more appropriate since they are the ones more likely to read this article):

(1.) You are only young once. Make every year/age count. Don't waste it on doing anything illegal, immoral or stupid, of which you will soon regret for the rest of your life. It's okay to be crazy once in a while, you are teenagers after all. I just hope you would listen more to the wisdom of your elders, especially from those who've done it all, especially from them.

(2.) Listen well. Don't just hear, listen. Make all "oldies" talk be your life lessons even though you don't know nor understand what we're talking about yet. Write them down or tuck it in the nearest accessible memory "hard drive" in your head for later use. You never know when a good advice will actually be useful in the future.

(3.) Don't be grouchy all the time. I know it's all those hormones inside you creating the havoc in your head, with your moods, and with your emotions, but please try to smile once in a while. It looks good on photos for posterity's sake and also great for Facebook! There you go...smile! See, it doesn't hurt, does it?

(4.) No matter how "modern" or "liberal" or "independent" you've become, I hope you will never forget the basic words of human respect and civility. Saying "Hello," "Please," Excuse me" (in a nice tone of voice), "Thank you," and "I'm sorry" still make a huge difference in people's lives. A kind word will go a long, long way.

(5.) You don't know everything. No matter how convinced you are that you do, you actually don't. Stay in school and learn more. Stay out of trouble as much as you can and work hard on those school projects. Pick up a book and read. Read a lot. (Surfing the internet does not count either!) If you're anything like my son who hates school but he knows he doesn't have any choice but to be there anyway, try to enjoy every minute of it. You're going to be in there for quite a long time. Better make the best of it, have fun and enjoy, rather than flunk every subject and pay for it one way or the other later on. School is not that bad. Jail is.

(6.) Family is everything. (I see you roll your eyes!) But yes, even though you might think friends are everything right now, they really are not. Friends are very nice to have. Friendship is so precious and is a great gift but friends come and go and family always stay. We can choose our friends but we can't get rid of family. Believe me when I say when trouble comes, friends may be hard to find but family is more than enough.

(7.) Eat what you love and eat as much as you can. Be adventurous with your food. Try everything. You are young, you can take almost anything. So when you get older, you already know your favorites and would enjoy more. But please do this without going overboard or resorting to gluttony. And also don't make your parent's monthly budget for food shrink to cover only a day. Anything to the extreme is always bad. Also learn your family's medical history in order to make intelligent food choices. And when the word "teen" drops out of your age, stop. Health is always wealth.

(8.) Exercise! Since you're doing number 7 above, do number 8 as well. I know you're young. You're active and busy, but please don't neglect a good exercise. Walk, walk, and walk. If you can run, by all means, run! You like the gym? Go! "A body in motion tends to stay in motion," I've heard that line from a commercial. I hope that a good physical regimen will always be a part of your life.

(9.) Experience life! Do exciting, normal teenage activities with your friends and family. Travel if you can, go play sports, experience something new and exhilarating (again nothing illegal here, okay?). Don't wait until you're a middle-aged, arthritic version of yourself to do some stunts that your body nor your bones can't handle anymore. Take photos, soak in everything. Make memories and remember for a lifetime.

(10.) Give back. It's always a blessing to give back to family, friends, your church, and specially to strangers, to the poor, and to society. For every blessing we receive, more blessings should be given back. It feels good. It's the right thing to do. Give back to your parents and honor them always, it's the only commandment in the Bible that has a promise that comes with it --a long, full life.

"And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you." -Isaiah 46:4

"Mano Po!"

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of January 16-22, 2012.
http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-january-16-22-2012


To all my American and non-Filipino friends and readers, I guess I owe you a short explanation on what the title for this article means. The Filipinos have a tradition which has been handed down through generations, and of which I believe has its origins from our Spanish heritage, which is called "pagmamano." It's the tradition of asking for blessings upon us while giving deep respects to the elderly, especially among our family and relatives. It's a gesture that involves kissing or placing the hand of the elder unto our forehead as a way of greeting. This is one of our cultural traditions that I really, really like, and of which my husband and I have decided to hand down and teach to our son.

Our son was brought up in a sort of "modern" family environment. Modern in the sense that we shower him with much "visible" and affectionate love that includes hugs and kisses everyday ever since he was born. I believe this was unheard of in most of the "older" families in our country. At least my own family (parents and siblings) wasn't like that when I was growing up.

And also, my husband and I brought up our son teaching and speaking a foreign language (English) because we wanted him to be ready for the "global world" in the future, and besides, we reasoned, he would learn how to speak Tagalog or Filipino, as well as my mother tongue or dialect, Waray-waray, as he goes to school and interact with his Filipino friends. This was without foreseeing that we would leave our home country and raise him in America eventually. So much for wisdom and vision on our part, huh?

As we shower him with hugs and kisses, and many "I love you" everyday, we sort of forgotten the old tradition of "pagmamano" (in Tagalog) or "pag-amen" (in Waray-waray). It was more from a lack of foresight rather than from voluntarily disrespecting our culture's time-old tradition.

As I've said before, as long as a tradition does not go against the commands and the truths of God in His Word, the Bible, any traditions are fine with me. Traditions can be a great way of preserving morals and family values that have been passed down throughout the years. This is the reason why, too late or not, we've decided to teach our son to do the "mano po!" (bless me!) in our home.

When he started practicing the pagmamano, my son was a little too self-conscious about it because he hasn't done it in all the 16 years of his life! And we understood. It takes time and practice, aside from learning and understanding what it means, and what does a particular tradition stand for in a family.

We were gentle yet firm on our stand about it, reminding but not pushing too hard, and letting him take on the tradition to be his own. He's been doing this for only about 3 to 4 months now and, I must say, he's getting better at it. Although he can't remember to say "mano po" all the time, but he does say, "Hello, Mom" or "Good evening, Dad" whenever he does it, and that's more than enough for us.

Little, but precious things, like this tradition of pagmamano is very important to the family and to society as a whole. It what makes us grow closer together and it gives meaningful essence to life and to our relationships. I know that in other cultures and in other homes, families have their own traditions that they call their own. Sometimes when certain traditions are broken for no apparent reason at all, it tends to be difficult on the family members, especially the children. They don't know and can't understand what's happened and why something so precious in their own home has been broken so suddenly.

So we try to practice and keep traditions intact within our homes, the traditions that are sweet and precious, the ones that promote love and care among family and close friends. Even the traditions which include strangers into our life --these are the traditions that are worth keeping.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." -Colossians 2:8

But whenever I get caught up in the sentimentality of family, friendship, relationships, and traditions, especially from my home culture, I always try to remember a word of caution for myself, lest I forget or if ever I get too drawn in by such things, that traditions are only well and good if they don't surpass or go against my faith in God and His truth. And that my relationship with God and my "traditions" with Him supersede all other things in this world, for without Him I can do nothing.

"Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." -Matthew 12:48-50

Why the Bible is True and Infallible

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of January 2-8, 2012.
http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-january-2-8-2012


"...it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." -Luke 16:17


When I was growing up, I can't say that reading the Bible was part of my daily routine. I can't even remember if I've ever opened one and if I've actually read it during my childhood way up to my teen years. This may sound horrible to you now as I tell you this truth of my younger years but, honestly, I didn't think much about it then.

We're not a very religious family. (And we're still not.) Yes, we went to church and I was raised in a Catholic school all through high school but the Bible was not a "normal" part of our daily lives. Not reading it was what’s "normal" for me back then. The only passages from the Bible that were familiar to me were the common ones used during the Catholic Mass and some of the verses that we read from children's books. I didn't even bother to check out those passages against a real Bible. I just didn't have any reason to. And as I've said, it was no big deal for me then.

But since the moment when the Lord found me and made me comprehend His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone, on how He died on the cross to pay for my sins, Bible reading is now a daily "routine" for me and my family. Maybe if I tell my son about the "small" truth from my childhood, I guess he would be a little surprised because what's "normal" for him includes a daily Bible reading in our household.

I'm not blaming anyone for what has occurred in my childhood (or, has not occurred), for it is what it is. There are things God allows to happen in our lives without Him explaining every bit of the why part. One of the reasons I know why I wasn't reading my Bible when I was young was simply because my family thought it was not important. I thought it was not important.

Yes, since I was raised by my parents then the responsibility for my spiritual well-being lies on them but they didn't know any better. The same way I don't know any better about a lot of things for my son's well-being today. But I thank God that reading the Bible regularly at our home is not one of them. This is not because I'm smarter or wiser than my parents on how they raised their children. No. God just showed me then my husband and I decided to take this route for our family.

After I became a Bible-believing and a serious "Bible-studying" Christian, I took notes on some reasons why I believe the Bible to be true and infallible. These reasons are not just my own. They are shared by millions of Bible-believing Christians around the world. These may be very simplistic and basic which come from my simple thinking and layman deductions, and for that I apologize. If you expect some earth-shattering or deep theological arguments to be presented on here, you're reading the wrong article. So, here are the reasons:

First. The Bible (the term originated from Latin, then Greek, meaning "books") is actually a compilation of several books --66 to be exact. It is divided into two periods: the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). The OT, simply put, is the time from God's creation of the world up to before the time of the birth of Jesus. The NT is from the time of Jesus Christ's birth up to the book of Revelation, which covers some part of the future.

As I continue to study the Bible, it shows that the OT books mainly spoke of the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, of God in the flesh, to save mankind. Then the NT books speak mainly of the fulfillment of those prophecies. These NT books also point into the future of the same Messiah's second coming.

Each of the OT and NT books span several hundred of years apart. They were written in different places, in various cultures, and in different ages, by several different writers who (most likely) didn't even get to meet each other in their lifetimes. So how did their writings coincide with each other? How did all the OT writers penned about all of the prophecies on Jesus and then the NT writers came later to write about its fulfillment? Nobody, even in this digital age or with all the talents and genius of Steven Spielberg, can conjure such an uncanny coincidence. And by the way, I don't believe in coincidences.

Second. Most, if not all, of the historical events recorded in the Bible, especially in the OT, are backed-up by an innumerable proofs and evidences. These evidences are scientific facts, archeological proofs and findings, artifacts, and ancient physical materials that can be found in museums and places where experts keep such priceless things for safekeeping.

Fossils and the remains of sea creatures have been found on mountaintops which confirm the story of the flood as recorded in the book of Genesis. Stuff used for everyday life that are said to possess "Israelitic" origins have been found at the bottom of the Red Sea which prove the story of how God parted its waters to save the Israelites from the Pharaoh of Egypt. And the places and streets on which Jesus has trodden while He was here on earth which can be found on Google map today is proof enough that the stories of the Gospels are not merely from the NT writers' imagination. Real coins, real types of grains, food they ate, the style of clothing they wore, and all the historical data of actual people who lived mentioned in the Bible can be researched by anyone who wants to find out more about them. They are not fictional stuff. Some historians even use the Bible as a historical reference although they don't necessarily believe in God.

Third. This is my last reason and really, I don't need any more. Three is compelling enough especially when the Holy Spirit continues to give me His quiet assurances of God's truth from the Bible.

The third reason for me is the "unhuman" teachings from the Word of God. I believe not one person can think up of such passages out of imagination or thin air, no matter how much he tries. The best of the best of man's literary works throughout the ages may be considered great, thoughtful, spiritually moving, intellectually stirring, and provocative at its best, but never has anyone written anything that can be considered as totally stripped off of human tendencies and human nature.

Only the Bible can tell a person to go against one's own natural inclinations. What man can honestly think of loving one's enemies or to offer the other cheek after we've been slapped? Who in their right mind would think that having hatred in our hearts is equivalent to murder and looking at someone with lust is the same as the sin of sexual immorality or adultery?

And what best proof of the Bible's truth and infallibility but from the testimonies of the billions of Christians from around the world? On how each Christian would attest that the Bible has changed them, changed them from the inside out, changed us for the better. And on how the lives of Bible-believing Christians will never be the same again after the truth of the Bible got a hold of their hearts and has gripped their minds and souls forever.


"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." –Matthew 5:17-19

Genesis 1:1

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of December 19-25, 2011.

http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-december-19-25-2011

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." -Genesis 1:1


This is where everything we know about our world and the whole known universe all started. This was the beginning of the story of man and the earth. I don't know about you but this short passage in the Bible is more than enough for me to know that God literally created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, just by the Word of His mouth, at the onset of time.

And yet, apparently, this is not enough for some people, especially for the scientists and the "so-called" experts in the field of life sciences. They've been searching, and are still searching to this day, for the origins of human beings and all the living things on earth. They've conjured up various theories and hypotheses throughout the years to satisfy their own questioning and insatiable minds. Sadly, all those theories and hypotheses remain as that --just a bunch of theories and hypotheses.

There is still a great deal of things that I personally don’t know and of which I probably won't know or understand in my lifetime but I’m not afraid to admit it. This is not due to my lack of knowledge and education, or of any ignorance on my part (of which I'm sure I have a heaping measure in me). This lack of understanding is because I'm a limited being. My mind can only grasp so much and my wisdom is finite. I don't care if you are some kind of a genius, it's still a fact that your intelligence and comprehension can only go so far, and your knowledge can never be invincible, your thoughts will never be endless.

So whatever theories all the geniuses of this world come up with in regards to the creation of the world for as long as they're not in line with God's Scriptures, I'm afraid that I have to say this: they're all figments of man's imagination, and are therefore, fiction and inaccurate at its best. This may sound like a closed-minded attack on science and all the logical studies in the realm of education known to man, but really it is not.

Science is a great tool given to us in order to learn the wonderful facts and lessons about the living world and all of creation. There are even scientists who live and work in their own fields of specialized studies who make it their life's mission to show the unbelievers that God's Word is true and infallible through the use of scientific methods, facts, proofs and evidences.

The Bible and science are not necessarily opposite. They don't necessarily contradict each other. Science when used properly can be a great way to back-up and prove that what the Bible has recorded from years past and what it teaches us today are true and factual. There are innumerable material and physical evidences available here on earth alone which point to show that what the Bible says is true. Those evidences are overwhelming but not necessarily popular nor commonly known. For some reason, most of the school systems in the world refuse or somehow neglect to teach these scientific and biblical facts which are in conjunction with each other.

Also, one of those things I don't necessarily comprehend now is how and when the "beginning" actually started. I do know that God is not bound by space nor time, or by age as we know it, but He knows that the notion of time is important to man. So when God says "in the beginning," it meant the beginning of time as known to people and not to Him. God is immortal. He has existed beyond the limits of time. God came from eternity past and will continue to exist unto the eternity future as He has promised in His Word.

These are mind-boggling truths which I don't even dwell upon too much for fear of a brain hemorrhage. I will leave it up to God and I'll wait patiently until the day when He shows me the "big and complete picture." I can't wait to spend eternity with Him and with the multitudes of His children, and all the angels in heaven, as we worship and praise Him day and night, and also swap stories of how things went from before time into the beyond. What a majestic truth to behold! Glory to God!


"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." –John 1:1-6