First Love

Today I watched a splendid Christmas play at a church in Makati with my students, Andy and Jin. It was so beautiful! The performers were fantastic, their voices angelic. Indeed the title "From Heaven's Throne" truly describes their message... and once again I am reminded of that day, two millenia ago.

The day when the One who would perform the greatest act of love for you and me... was born. The One whose Name almost everyone knows and yet whose life and message not everyone understands... Jesus.

When I think of Him, my heart overflows with wonder and awe... How can I describe it? In my deepest, darkest hours... He is my comfort, my source of strength. When problems get too heavy to bear... He carries me. In my happiest moments... He smiles at me through the clouds, flowers, trees... and through the eyes of people I love... He give me wings.

Words are not enough to express the joy of knowing Jesus... He is our Light in this life and beyond... our First Love yesterday, today and forever.

Merry Christmas, everyone! May your lives be truly blessed!

Delicate Girl

"Delicate Girl is a song about meeting someone that you're never gonna see again." - Chris Collins, lead vocalist, Planet of the Stereos

"Delicate Girl" is the title of a song I really love nowadays. I discovered it in my phone... it turned out to be a composition by an Australian band called Planet of the Stereos (formerly The View).

I especially like the message of the song... Haven't we all experienced that kind of feeling before? Life can be so fleeting... faces, memories pass by ever so quickly... like the pages of a book blown by the wind...

I still believe, though... that it's up to us to nurture relationships... despite the distance. This song reminds me to live, really live and cherish each moment with special people in our lives.

I also think we're all "delicate," meaning we are all vulnerable, in a way. We need each other. And we need to listen more, to give more and to love more.

Here is the music video for "Delicate Girl." Let me know what you think :)

Forgive and... I forgot!

This morning I stopped by MiniStop to buy a little something and thus get change for my hundred peso bill. I grabbed a sandwich and went to the counter. As the cashier ran my purchase, a shop assistant went to heat it in the microwave. I took my change, put it into my wallet and then into my bag. Then I hurriedly walked out of the store.

I was already on the jeepney when I realized I had forgotten something very important... my sandwich! It was still being heated in the microwave! I can only imagine how the people in the shop reacted! I mean, I think I walked out too fast before they could catch me!

I suddenly remembered a scene from a Korean movie, "A Moment to Remember." The girl left her Coke and her wallet in the store. When she came back, she accidentally bumped into a guy holding a Coke... which she thought was hers... so she took it and drank it in one gulp! When she came to the counter, the cashier dutifully returned her wallet and her Coke!

Later in the movie, she bumps into the guy again.. who actually turns out to be the great love of her life! Alas, the movie is a sad one... she eventually loses her memory (Alzheimer's), which causes a lot of pain for them both...

I can be very forgetful sometimes... I always lose things such as pens, handkerchiefs, and umbrellas (I always end up buying a new one)... My forgetfulness worries me sometimes. I thought about this on my way to work this morning...

I also realized that sometimes, we forget what we should remember the most... God, people, relationships... things that really matter. And sometimes, we tend to remember things which are better left forgotten... pain, grudges and worries.

In the course of life, I hope I always know when to forget and when to remember. At all times though, I hope I always know how to forgive.

As for my sandwich... Should I go back and get it? Who knows... I just might bump into someone!

Love, laughter, bridges & walls

This morning I watched a CNN show about a North Korean family defecting from their country. A South Korean man, who is a Christian, was helping them.

I cried at the young girl's words... at how sad she felt at having to leave the country of her birth, yet she knew it was the right thing to do. Her father shared that its not that he was betraying his country... he just wants to find his freedom.

I felt so moved, so sad. People should never have to feel that way about their own country.

And I feel blessed to be where I am now... to have been born in a country full of love and laughter... where there is freedom, despite the pains. Wherever I go, I will always be grateful for the blessings I am given.

Speaking of pains, there has been a lot of hype over American TV show Desperate Housewives' remark about "med schools in the Philippines." The one where Teri Hatcher's character implies that Filipino medics were... not good? Unqualified? Come on!

In my indignation, I signed on an online petition for the show's producers to cut that line in subsequent airings. For their part, ABC expressed an apology... but is it enough? I heard that the Philippine Medical Association would not accept such a thoughtless remark about their abilities as health professionals.

I have often encountered such remarks. These can be racist, makes fun of people's appearance or looks down upon their social status. Whatever you call it, and however its delivered -- its offensive. Period.

In this day and age, I like to think that "racism" and discrimination no longer exist... but they do. Perhaps not in the same way as they used to be known, but in other ways... perhaps more subtle... but just as potent.

I think, a person cannot really understand oppression unless he or she experiences its sting. And we, as Filipinos, have taken its blows over and over again. And we have always stood up, ever stronger, ever more aware that we shouldn't do it to others as well.

In the end, its no longer a matter of race, appearance or social status. Its whether we took the time to be kind, to protect and to care from the heart. Its about building bridges of love, not walls of hate or indifference.

And love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Shades of green and red

The other day, a student of mine shared that he was color blind. Particularly, he cannot see red or green colors... only shades of gray in their place. It was my first time to meet someone like him.

I was absolutely stunned.

Imagine... riding a banca over the Pagsanjan rapids, looking up at majestic emerald cliffs covered with trees and grasses and shrubs... Imagine not being able to see the lush, beautiful shades of green!

Picture these... a delicious apple, long-stemmed roses, cheeks smeared with lipstick... Imagine not being able to be delighted by the bold, electric shades of red!

Imagine seeing violet and recognizing only the blue (red plus blue equals violet, remember?)... Or mistaking an orange for a circular lemon (red plus yellow equals orange, yap)...

Imagine not being able to read traffic signals!

The encyclopedia shows that color blindness occurs primarily in men (thank goodness), with eight percent of the total population... as compared to women, with only 0.44 percent.

I cannot imagine a world without colors... Even my dreams come in multicolored episodes!

I wanted so much to explain to my student how "cool" green was and how "hot" red was... how soothing, gorgeous and wonderful they were! But how could I explain this to someone who has never seen them?

We live in the same world. And yet a slight difference in genes alters our whole universe. And that's just talking about eyesight. Imagine differences in culture, language and ideas. I remember what my psychology teacher once said, "Each one of us has a totally different way of looking at the world."

So... how can I describe red and greed to someone who sees only shades of gray?

I don't know... but I'd certainly like to try.