The Seven Wonders of the World

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present
Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the
following got the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student
hadn't turned in her paper yet, so she asked the girl if she was having
trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't
quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said,
"Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl
hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. TO SEE
2. TO TASTE
3. TO TOUCH
4. TO HEAR."

She hesitated a little, and then added,

"5. TO FEEL
6. TO LAUGH
7. AND TO LOVE."

The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop.

Those things we overlook as simple and ordinary are truly wondrous.
This is a gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot
be bought...but are gifts from above. (James 1:17)

>From Mikey's Funnies at www.mikeysFunnies.com

Fire-Words

for a writer and an editor, the following poem from Amy Carmichael is terrifying to contemplate...

Fire-Words
Amy Carmichael

I cried and said, “O God, my words are cold!
The frosted frond of fern or feathery palm
On whitened window wrought
As near to burning are, as these my words;
Oh that they were as flames!”

God answered me:
“Thou shalt have words
But at this price, that thou must first be burnt,
Burnt by red embers from a secret fire,
Scorched by fierce heats and withering winds that sweep
Through all thy being, carrying thee afar
From old delights. Doth not the ardent fire
Consume the mountain's heart before the flow
Of fervent lava ? Wouldst thou easefully,
As from cool pleasant fountains flow in fire?
Say, can thy heart endure
Or can thy hands be strong
In the day that I shall deal with thee?

For first the iron must enter thine own soul,
And wound and brand it, scarring awful lines
Indelibly upon it, and a hand
Resistless in a tender terribleness
Must thoroughly purge it, fashioning its pain
To power that leaps in fire.
Not otherwise, and by no lighter touch,
Are fire-words wrought."

-=-=-
... “I am convinced that the world is not a mere bog in which men and women trample themselves and die. Something magnificent is taking place here amidst the cruelties and tragedies, and the supreme challenge to intelligence is that of making the noblest and best in our curious heritage prevail.”
-- C.A. Beard


"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!"

Frustrations of an editor

*Bible Bafflement *

My friend opened a ministry, using a snippet from the Bible as the name.
But he soon regretted his decision to order office supplies
over the phone. When his stationery arrived, it bore the letterhead
"That Nun Should Perish."

this happens a lot... ;-)

Sagot ni God sa Crisis

Ruth 2:5-12; 15-16

Intro:

Maraming OFW at Pinoy na nandito sa Pilipinas ang nakakaramdam ng crisis. Subsob sa trabahao at said ang lahat ng oras sa trabaho para kumita kaya wala nang time o pera para sa ibang bagay. Ganyan lang ba ang takbo ng buhay?

Sa kwento ni Boaz at Ruth, makikita natin ang isang utos ng Diyos sa kanyang bayan tungkol sa pag-handle ng harvest ng trigo at iba pang pananim. Basically, sinasabi ng Panginoon, kung magha-harvest ka, magtira ka ng konti para sa mga mahihirap na sisimot ng tira-tira mo. Anong lesson ang mapupulot natin? Based sa Leviticus 19:9-10, inutusan ni Boaz ang kanyang mga tauhan na hwag gambalain si Ruth sa pamumulot. Marami pang favor ang binigay ni Boaz. Pero nag-ugat ang lahat sa utos ng Diyos tungkol sa pakikipag-ugnay sa mga foreigner, kawawa, at api.

3 mensahe ng Diyos para sa Cristianong manggagawa:

1. “Magtira ka naman. Ako ang may-ari ng lahat.”

   Ano ba ang mahalaga sa atin? Hindi naman tayo farmer. Pero meron tayong sweldo. Meron tayong oras o panahon. Sabi ng Diyos, “Magtira ka. Kasi may paggagamitan ako dyan.” Hindi lahat ay pwede mong gamitin para sa gusto mo lang. Atsaka, hindi tayo ang may-ari. Steward lang tayo.

2. “Ako ang magpupuno sa kulang kung magtitira ka.”

   Sa dami ng needs, hindi talaga sapat ang ating kita. Totoo yan. Alam ng Diyos yan. And yet, sinasabi ng Diyos na pwede tayong magtabi ng konti o proportion ng ating resources para sa kanyang purpose. Paulit-ulit yan sa OT at NT. Sa Malachi 3:10, magbigay ka raw ng tithes at sisiguruhin ng Diyos na hindi mapepeste at masasalot ang ating mga pananim. Sa Matthew 6:24-35, hinahabol ng mga pagano ang pangtustos sa kailangang kainin, suutin, tirhan, etc. Hinahabol nila ang panggastos, kaya wala nang panahon sa ibang bagay. Sabi ng Panginoon, hep, hep, teka muna. Unahin mo ang agenda ko. Kingdom ko muna at katuwiran. At lahat ng pangangailangan mo ay masasagot. Pero ito ay laging step of faith. Hindi ito mapipilit sayo. Mapapatunayan lang ng nagtitiwala sa Diyos pagkatapos ng hakbang ng pagtiwala at pagsunod.

3. “Mas unang priority ang glory ko kaysa specific needs mo.”

   Parang negative. Pero, kung titingnan sa tamang perspective, sinasabi lang dito na makukuha at matatanggap ni Lord ang glory at honor na para sa kanya whether masagot ang needs natin, hindi masagot ang needs natin, o masagot nga pero sa unexpected na paraan. Hindi natin pwedeng ikahon ang glory ni Lord in terms ng ating needs and concerns. Mas malaki, malawak, malalim ang purpose ni Lord. Sa pananaw ni Lord, pareho lang opportunity na maka-receive sya ng glory at honor whether we live or die, be healed from sickness or succomb to it, become rich or become poor. Gusto natin ang ating definition ng magandang kapalaran. But sometimes, God gets glory in something we don't like.

   In the end, God will get glory. How we respond to needs and worries determine if we join in giving glory to God or not. Katulad ng love story ni Boaz at Ruth, nagsimula sa personal needs and concerns. Pero sa mas malaking story, part sila ng history ng pag-save ng Diyos sa sanlibutan. There were some negative aspects of their lives that we can point out: old bachelor si Boaz; foreigner na byuda si Ruth. Mahirap lang si Ruth and Naomi. Maraming tsismisan. However, they were people of faith, and they trusted God, and obeyed God. They gave glory to God. God received glory, their needs were met, at natupad ang purpose ni Lord sa kanilang buhay.

   Mangyari din sana sa atin.

Spell Checker

Spell Checker
==============

Eye halve a spelling checker,
It came with my pea sea,
It plainly marks four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rarely ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I'm shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it's weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Richard Eastman
Do your best, Bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!!
Yesterday is Gone.
Tomorrow is not Promised.
What have you done for Christ today?

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Mabuhay Ka, Francis M.!

Ngayon, March 10, 2009, ang huling lamay para kay Francis M. Iki-cremate na sya bukas. Marami syang iniwang idea at prinsipyo. Sa akin lang, para sa humahanga sa kanya, hindi tayo kailangang malunod sa lungkot. Isipin na lang natin ang saloobin nya na nilapatan nya ng musika. Sabi nya sa "Mga Kababayan Ko", kaya nating abutin ang ating minimithi. Na hindi kailangang ibaba ang iba para maabot ang gusto. Sinabi nya rin na magsisimula ito kung bibilib tayo tayo sa ating sarili. Realistic naman siya sa pag-observe ng nangyayari sa paligid, nevertheless meron siyang message ng pag-asa. Marami pa, pakinggan mo ang ibang sinabi nya sa mga kanta nya.

Mabuhay Ka, Francis M! Bayani ka rin.