Climbing a Tree

When was the last time you wished for something really hard? Having been schooled in a Catholic school all my life, I believed in the power of prayers. As a child, I would pray for trivial things like a new toy, to go somewhere fun or to get high grades in school. It's been years since I prayed for something really hard. This is not because I am losing faith but perhaps I really didn't want something as much as my heart desired.

Each one of us has our own faith depending on our own religion. It doesn't matter to whom you believe in. What matters is that you know that there is someone out there whom you can count on in times when matters are out of your hands. However, God helps only those who help themselves. It is not enough to just pray and pray and not do your part. It is not enough to be cocky and complacent. Laziness is not at all tolerated by Him.

In achieving our dreams in life, there are many pathways to take. It is usually not a straight line. You may need to go a step backward in order to move forward. Just like in climbing a tree, there are many ways to do it. Having brains is not enough. Having guts alone is also not enough. You need a mixture of both to reach the top combined with a lot of prayers to sustain you when things are getting tough. Surely, with this combination, you would reach the top of the tree.

Bits and Pieces

All Soul's Day passed and each was one was reminded of their departed loved ones. People flocked to the cemetery bringing flowers, candles & food. It is also the time when families get reunited since this is a holiday and mostly, people went back to their own provinces. But I wonder, in the midst of all the fun & noise, can one truly remember and pray for their deceased family? My parents are both gone now and I never visited them on November 1. I would rather go on an ordinary day when there are less people. In that way, I can pray for them in tranquility and in solitude.

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I'm sure most of you know already that Joseph "Erap" Estrada was already pardoned by the ever powerful and mighty President Arroyo. This did not come as a surprise to me anymore since I wrote about this in my previous post that a pardon was seen forthcoming. The administration justifies its decision by saying the man has repented already with 6 years in house arrest in Tanay province. But, did Erap really repented? It isn't forgiveness he wants but freedom. So how could you forgive someone who has not truly repented? Well, all things said, it is only in the Philippines where corruption is tolerated with a lot of icing on it.

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Recently watched 30 Days of Night and it was freaking scary! Initially, the movie was slow but later on it switched gears and there was lot of screaming. As the title implies, it was 30 days of pure evil and terror that one would fervently wish for the 30 days to come to an end. I will not tell you details of the story so as not to spoil the fun but if you are keen on scary films then this one is definitely for you.

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