[repeat] Angels & Demons [Dan Brown]

Not as fantabuluous (a term i hear from my mom) as TDVC (read the previous post), but great nonetheless. A must-read, if you ask me. You will learn a lot (as you would have with TDVC).

By the way, Angels & Demons is a prequel to TDVC, so if you read TDVC after A&D, you'll see some references to A&D. But, that is just a miniscule matter to the real deal.

If there was one thing with A&D (and perhaps TDVC also) that made me do, it was to post on my blog!

I read A&D within a span of probably... under 24 hours. I started reading it around Saturday midnight, slept at 5am, did my usual Sunday thangs, got back at it at around 10pm, slept at around 3am, and finished the thing for about an hour before work (I got to the office early) and within lunch time. I just can't put it down. (I heard myself say that for TDVC also, which I also finished just as fast.)

In a way, the implications of the point-of-conflict in A&D was as huge as that in Day After Tomorrow (2004 motion picture), I almost cried... Imagine that.

Anyhow, there were a few things worth mentioning from A&D.

First, the simpler of the two: "Sometimes our minds see what the heart wishes to be true." (or something like that) That struck me like lightning.

Second, there was this person asking me a question that goes something like "If God was a truly good, kind, and loving God, why does he let wars, sufferings, and the like happen to us and to the world?" Dan Brown had an answer to that. And it was similar to my answer to that person. Unfortunately, Dan Brown published A&D in 2000 , if I'm not mistaken, and I thought of that just last year. My answer, very similar to Dan Brown's, is this: "If you had a child (a son or daughter), would you make him stay at home so that he won't risk getting hurt or making mistakes? I will let him go out into the real world to make mistakes, and to learn, and to grow."

Hmmmm... That thought just made me think. (A thought that makes you think?) I would let my kid out into the real world for all of that, because I want him to experience the same things I have experienced in my life. And to me, those experiences are wonderful experiences! Could that mean, by analogy, that God himself have (or at least know very well) these experiences? I always say, experience is always better than book-based knowledge. Before getting into one commitment, I used to think that it would be all this and that, all easy-enough to handle. When I got into one, I learned a lot, and most of those I learned during that experience disproved many things I learned from books, stories, and words-of-mouth.

Now imagine this, I wrote all this (and I could write more) because of Angels & Demons, and The Da Vinci Code. Read them. I recommend TDVC first (because it's more interesting from the beginning pa lang). Meanwhile, I am still a Catholic. God bless, everyone!

-- ronjie ;-)

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[repeat] The Da Vinci Code [Dan Brown]

Damn it! JUST READ IT!

Since I have my own rules and I follow them, I have set 5 as a maximum, so I rate this 5 out of 5. I could well rate it above 5. I had a midterm exam but after reading one chapter, I am lead to read the next. And here I am cramming. It's too good. I'll be reading another Dan Brown novel in the near future.

[sub-labels: CPC books]

[repeat] One Saturday Afternoon

Here's another "thought" I wrote back in November 2, 2002:
-------------------------------------------------------------

a saturday afternoon. thank God, it was a holiday for me (and for most of us filipinos) the last two days, which was thursday, and friday; eve of all saints' day, and all saints' day. the idea was, that all souls' day, which is today, is usually a special holiday, but since it's on a saturday, and so that people will get their dose of their usual, yearly 2-day all saints'/all souls' holiday, they made the eve of all saints' day a holiday.

now, i'm thanking God because, if it were just an ordinary saturday afternoon, i wouldn't have known how saturday afternoons can become so... good. sunday afternoons certainly are great, but i never knew that saturday afternoons can be like this.

because in previous saturday afternoons, i usually have my breakfast, and work my way around the house, getting myself to "really" wake up. because on friday nights, i spend it, and i mean really spend the whole of friday night to holler at the world, "what a week!" it has always been like that.

and thank God, i had only a three-day work week. i had thursday and friday as my usual "weekend", and i have today, saturday to rest my mind.

and to think, i almost had to work on those two national holidays, but for some reason, uncomprehensible to me still, i was free.

as i usually do, i spent my thursday and friday "weekend," sleeping, and spent my usual "friday night" last wednesday, spilling my guts out to the world.

and here i am, i have enough of clearness of mind to write something down, and i feel great. but not without doing nothing.

i had to take my (un)usual dose of a cup of dissolved caffeine, had two sticks of West Ice, said my prayers, had a nice bath, that would have been nicer if we only had a bath tub, and, i did a very little amount of household chores, watched two movies on HBO. ahhh. if only my saturday afternoons were always like this.

[repeat] House (formerly House, MD)

Short but sweet. Watch House starring Hugh Laurie. Get the Season One DVD! And watch the first ep. You'll know it's a good show if you find yourself watching the Episode 22, even if I didn't tell you so! Search Google for House. They've got it all out there. Great websites for House-related bits and info: the fox.com/house official website, tv.com, imdb.com.

[sub-labels: CPC tv]

[repeat] Once Minutos, by Paulo Coelho

Here's one chocolate chip in the latest cookie by Paulo Coelho:

"You see that glass of anisette (wine/cocktail) before you?" he went on. "Now, you just see the anisette. I, on the other hand, because I need to be inside everything I do, see the plant it came from, the storms the plant endured, the hand that picked the grain, the voyage by ship from another land, the smells and colors with which the plant allowed itself to be imbued before it was placed in the alcohol. I I were to paint this scene, I would paint all those things, even though, when you saw the painting, you would think you were looking at a simple glass of anisette."

The person speaking was an artist. The person who created the artist is Coelho. And God created Coelho.

Overall, everyone's said it... It's a "daring" new book. To me, it's a Coelho classic. If you've read about Santiago, Veronika, Fatima, and Elijah, you don't want to miss Maria. Grab a copy now. Mine is for sale for $24.95. Hehe, I was absolutely kidding.

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[repeat] [Movie Review] Shall We Dance? (Hollywood Version)

This is a repeat of an article originally posted on 2/19/05. I do not necessarily reflect the same views or beliefs.


If you're a romantic like... this person I know very, very, very well...

WATCH "SHALL WE DANCE?"!

Well, I've seen the Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and J-Lo version, and of course, the original was Japanese...

Seriously, it is one of the best and most recommendable romance-comedies of all time! I'd put it up there with... Hmmmmmm... Now I can't remember any other romance-comedies that could measure up. Is that any indication for you? ;-)

Seriously serious now... For the average consumer like me, there's nothing wrong with the movie. I would have loved to have seen this with someone I was in love with. ...Shocks. There, I reminded myself again, damn.

Alright, I'm not professional sounding anymore. I drank three bottles of Colt Ice. 6.5% alcohol by volume.

But let me clarify something. NO, it's not the alcohol.

Well I guess you wouldn't trust me in this post anymore. Just ask someone who has seen the movie. And then you will think, seriously, "Damn, Coach Potato was right! I love this movie!"

Now like all other great romance movies, and love stories, and love songs... I hate them, because... I like them too much and they make me... think, and shed some, somehow. I am hopeless.

I am a hopeless romantic and I love this movie! Go watch it and cuddle up!

I'm starting to think of taking dancing lessons.

Seriously drunk somehow,
The Coach Potato

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[repeat] [Movie Review] Things in Common Q&A

This is a repeat of an article originally posted on 12/14/04. I do not necessarily have the same views or beliefs as when I first wrote this article.


What does Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) and Great Expectations (Gwyneth Paltrow, Ethan Hawke) have in common?

The main characters (the guys) have both been in love with one and only one girl from their childhood.

What does Matrix Reloaded and Star Wars Episode 2 have in common?

The main characters (Neo and Anakin) are very passionate - about their love (Trinity and Princess/Senator Amidala), and about the thing they're destined to do.

What do the four movies above have in common?

I love them all.

Are you a sissy, hopeless romantic like...me? (???)

Then you'll love the movie Love Actually. It's bloody marvelous. (Pronounced "bludde mahr-v-ls")

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[repeat] [Book Review] Veronika Decides to Die [Paulo Coelho]

This is a repeat article originally posted on 5/17/08. I do not necessarily reflect the same views and beliefs today as I did back when I originally wrote this piece.

RATING: 5 out of 5

Can you imagine that? It has been just over a month since my last post, and I have already finished a book that I haven't even planned yet on reading a month ago. Well it took me a while to read this book. Usually, for Coelho novels, I can finish them in one afternoon.

Veronika Decides to Die.....

You know how some people intentionally put you to misery, leave you in agony, increase your anxiety, and all that... And then in the end, you find out, it was all a twist; a modus operandi, maybe a prank. You are actually richer than you are, and you have 15 billion pesos in the bank, left by your great grandmother who intentionally wrote in her will that her first great grandson (or granddaughter) shall inherit all her riches, no one else.

And so, can you imagine how you feel this very moment?

I loved Veronika Decides to Die because I met some people with very interesting character and very interesting lives, although I never had that interest because it is easy to judge a book by its cover... And secondly, because Paulo Coelho is just simply smart. He got me again in this novel.

Coelho is one author who writes novels which I want to finish. You cannot predict at all (or maybe you could but... you could get so much into the story!) the ending or what will happen next, you'll meet fascinating people... It helps that Coelho novels are short. Haha.

While By the River Piedra was a little more predictable... And The Five People You Meet In Heaven was very predictable (not even halfway through the book) except for a few details and well, yeah, it's got a message, but its characters were less interesting... Hey, it's hard to write a novel after all!

Veronika Decides to Die is a story you should read. It's one hell of a ride. It's a great story. Not your usual bacon & eggs, but it is cooked to perfection. The scenes and the characters are very vivid, as By the River Piedra and most other Coelho novels offer. Or, I might not have read that much yet. Did I tell you that I have something to say about Paulo Coelho in thoughts?

Next in Line (for reading): Eleven Minutes (latest novel by Paulo Coelho)

[sub-labels: CPC books]

[repeat] [thoughts] How are you, Ronjie?

This is a repeat of an article originally posted on 14 April 2004. I do not necessarily reflect the same views and beliefs today.

I feel like a bird that found itself lost in the middle of the ocean and had to travel for miles on end to reach shore. I am feeling drained, very tired, and not thinking of anything else but getting a lot of rest; feeling shocked, saying to myself, “I went through that?”; and to some extent, feeling relieved that it’s all over, hoping that there would be no important, lengthy trips I have to make soon.

The damage has been done. Recuperation is necessarily next.

For more than 12 months in a row now, I had nothing but work, school, and (some) social life (not to mention a little “romantic” life with a sad ending). Right now, I feel so tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally, my spiritual side has also suffered, and yet it is now I need it most. More than 12 months ago, I did a lot of “fun” things. A lot of sports and workouts, night-outs (“gimmicks”), and all that. I was able to watch movies at theaters more often than, well, now. For the past 12 months, I could still count with my two hands how many movies I saw at a theater. And now, after that 12 months or so, I’ve come to play more “mindless” games: Snake and Opposite (Reversi) on my 3-year old Nokia phone, and Minesweeper on my computer. Now, I sleep early and wake up early. Now, I do not know what is the latest in music and in fashion. I’m now an oldie!

Ah, how the mind, heart, body, & soul are so interconnected. One falls, the others follow. No wonder. That is probably why God created women, to provide that redundancy that men need. Unfortunately, one reason I am in this situation is precisely that, that I thought there was this one person who would provide the heart when I lost heart, the mind when I lose my mind, the strength when my body is weak, and the spirit to help lift my spirit when it is down. I was wrong.

[repeat] [Book Review] Deception Point (Dan Brown) and The Pilgrimage (Paulo Coelho)

This is a repeat of an article originally posted in 2004. I do not necessarily have the same views or beliefs as back then.

After The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, I read Dan Brown's, I think 2nd or 3rd novel, Deception Point.

Most people liked Da Vinci and Angels because, most people are Catholics, and even more people are Christians. They could relate.

Deception Point---well, it's not about religion, it's not talking about any famous paintings. It's talking about--if I could put it this way--science and politics. Let me correct myself: science and American politics.

For someone like me who has been somehow exposed to American culture and society, I didn't feel too unfamiliar with it. And science--well, I do some research work, and research work is, in general, a science in itself.

So in short, take out the religion and the "charming" Robert Langdon, put in the very alluring Rachel Sexton... What a last name, I should say!

Put in that "old" Dan Brown formula... I still love it.

People tend to complain that Deception Point, Digital Fortress, and even, Angels & Demons, have all the same plot/formula/twists/endings as The Da Vinci Code.

I don't quite agree. Or well, if it's true, I don't mind.

Actually, that is not true at all. The Da Vinci Code has the same formula as the first three novels! So if people think that because the three novels are the same formula as Da Vinci, then they are wrong! The Da Vinci Code was Brown's last novel! Da Vince Code sucks then, if the logic of these know-nothing-but-complain people are valid!

Hehe. I hope I am right in the "facts" I stated.

Coach Potato strikes again. ;-)

P.S.

I don't know if it's the novel, or it's because I've read and loved the four Dan Brown novels, but The Pilgrimage, to me, didn't sound like a great Coelho masterpiece. Any violent reactions from the crowd? ;-)

[sub-labels: CPC books]

[Repeat] Simplify and Create Abundance [Bo Sanchez]

Alright! I now have two reviews and counting! For my review (more like a "reaction paper") of Bo Sanchez' latest book, I actually wrote him a letter. It follows. By the way, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, it's a must-read I think as it is a good reminder for us all. Oh and it's cheap. Bo Sanchez is a simple and great guy. I wrote a little short something about him in the RONJBLOG, thoughts.

------------------ Book Review: Simplify and Create Abundance [Bo Sanchez] ------------------

Dear Bo,

I would just like to say that I am a big fan of yours, specifically your books. I have bought all five of your books (the P150 ones; I haven't bought "Embraced" yet. I do have "The Way of the Cross" also. I hope I got the titles right...): Thank God He's Boss, You Have The Power to Create Love, You Can Make Your Life Beautiful, Simplify and Live the Good Life, and, I am in the middle of reading "Simplify and Create Abundance."

I can't help but react to your book. It is the message that many Filipinos need to hear, I think. I just recently read the chapter/section about poor Leny and Manager (and former house helper) "Helen." I think those two are two stories many Filipinos need to hear. If I would write a reaction paper on that chapter/section, I would say this...

Christianity and the Bible tell us that we should learn to accept, and to be thankful to God for whatever we have, for wherever we are, for whatever situation or condition we are in, and for who we are. "Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God." Et cetera. We know that envy and self-pity are our enemies... On the other hand, the Bible does not tell us that we should stop there. There was this one parable about... the talents? Or basically the one wherein the master gave his slaves some money and left for a while; he came back to find out that some of his slaves made more than the others out of those he left for them. In fact, the Bible is telling us that for whatever we have, we should make something out of it, make it grow. If it's money, we should make it earn. If we are indeed, say, financially deficient, we should accept that fact, be thankful for the littlest thing we have, but the thing is, we still have something. If we have hands and feet, we could use them in many ways to earn---to get to work, to use at work, etc. We have brains that we should not waste at all; by just internally brainstorming, we could come up with lots of ideas to be able to provide for our personal needs, and for the needs of others, including our families and loved ones. If we are not deaf, we could ask others to help us in our quest, and humbly give back in gratitude for their help. Even if we are blind, we know that even blind people could be productive. If we are still alive, let us not waste a minute of it doing nothing to make things better for ourselves and for others. If we have time, we could take a rest from all the work. The thing is, there are a lot of these "little" things that we forget we have that we could use so that we may not end up poor. Like Helen, she had free time in the evening, and she used them to take classes and finish school. She had feet to walk to her job interviews, a voice to communicate with her interviewers, a mind to help guide her to give her best answers, hands to fill up the application form, etc. Haha, and this is just one very simple example. There's this one person I know who thinks more like Leny; he thinks that "Mahirap maging mayaman..." And there's this other person I know who thinks that simplicity means being poor. On the other hand, I think we can be simple and have an abundant supply of whatever we need! Bo's message is truly something that all Filipinos should hear, and apply in their lives.

Okay, well that's that. But Bo, if I may make a suggestion. One thing I have observed is that, while many Filipinos understand English, like say when the LRT makes an announcement like "Next station is Araneta Center, Cubao", Filipinos can easily understand that; it's just one sentence. Most Filipinos know what "Stop" means, or "One Way", "Yes", "No", or "No Left Turn"... But I think not a lot of Filipinos really understand "Turn right anytime with care"... Haha, I might be being too judgmental of my fellow Pinoys now. Anyway, to explain my point better... I was an instructor for one semester at one of these universities and I made all of my students submit an index card with their full name, identification numbers, contact numbers, and I asked them to answer the question "What do you expect to learn in this class?" When I got the index cards, all their answers had all-English words, but I got frustrated because it's not even close to 50% who gave grammatically correct English sentences. My point is, though Filipinos are proud because we're probably the third largest English speaking nation in the world, it is still not our first language. It is not our natural language. Maybe only a few of us really may have had very good grades in our English classes back in Elementary or High School...

My point, Bo, is I think your books, your message should reach more Filipinos. Your books are not just for us who understand English. I appreciate it that your books are affordable (to me at least) at P150 each. I think it would be great if you would have your books translated into the natural language for most of us. Maybe you could have at least a Tagalog or Filipino version, or a Bisaya version... What do you think?

Nway, keep up the Good work, Bo. By the way, I did listen to one of your tapes already, "Loving difficult people." Hehehe.

That's it for now. God bless!

Ronjie Aquino

[sub-labels: CPC books]

[Repeat] Bo Sanchez

Bo is a living example of a man who has a lot of time to serve God first, and still have time to earn a lot of money. He earns more than enough money to feed his family, and more than enough love for other people to give some of that extra money to the needy. That is how his latest book, “Simplify and Create Abundance,” impressed upon me. It is a must-have book. Go get a copy for yourself and your loved ones!

ronjnote: i'll be most likely reviewing Bo's "Simplify..." book and a few others (recently read and not so recently) at the coach potato's corner.

[Repeat] Book Review: T5PYMIH

this is a repeated article published originally on the Coach Potato's Corner on 8 February 2004. i do not necessarily have the same views/beliefs/ideas as from years back.

the last two movies i saw (on the big screen) were Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions.

who's michael buble?

and who won the super bowl?

i guess you get the idea by now. what am i going to review? ahhh, yes, the books. i've been reading!

well, the last book i read was... The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

i have one word for T5PYMIH: CREEPY!

imagine dead people talking to each other! recounting some incidents while they were alive!

my advice: DON'T READ THE BOOK AT NIGHT!!!! or you'll end up like me, still wide awake at 2:24 in the morning!

i had to skip "part three" and "part four" of the book. i learned that, it was just a story as simple as a sandwich!

all you need to make a sandwich are two buns and something in between. in the case of T5PYMIH, the buns were as plain and simple as white bread, but in between, there's something like tuna with a whole lotta pickles and tomatoes. in other words, a lot of vitamins, and a lot of healthy stuff!

and yeah, as with all specially made sandwiches, you know, the type your mom prepares in front of you, there's always a story to tell that goes beyond the sandwich. while your momma's making your hamburger, she's probably telling you stories about how she used to cannot afford to eat burgers!

so that's about it. i could try to make a sandwich of my own, because the formula's pretty obvious, but wether it will be as good a sandwich as mitch albom's... bah, i'll just buy sandwich. why punish myself with making one?

so... all reviewers have some sort of rating system. others have five stars for really good stuff, others just either give a thumbs up or down sign, others---well they just want to always say the really bad thing about the book. pessimists. i'd rather be calling them pestimists!

anyhowsers, i give this book, a rating of five. because it has the number five in its title! harhar. that wasn't funny. but i'm serious. for the five bucks or so you pay for this mother, it's worth it.

GO BUY THIS SANDWICH! it's good for the bones!

yahoo! i'm done with my first review!

p.s. and have i mentioned that part of the story takes place in the philippines? but soldier is not "sundalong", mr. albom. unless that kid is under three years old.

[Repeat] On being 'mabait': a quote from Benjamin Franklin

This was originally posted on February 3, 2004 (2/3/4!). If I may add to this a quote (although possibly off-topic) from Edmond Burke: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

I read this from "If I really wanted to SIMPLIFY MY LIFE I would..." from Lighthouse Books. It's a great simple little book! =)

"When you do for a man what he can and should do for himself, you do him a disservice." - Benjamin Franklin

Though I am going to expound on this topic (being "mabait") in a later post, can I say this: Teachers, you're not doing service to your students if you give them a passing grade that they do not deserve!

[Repeat] On Depression: A Letter To A Friend

This is a repeated article originally posted on 1/24/04 on the prustrations blog. I do not necessarily have the same views, beliefs, and ideas from years back.

Working so hard, giving 100% of your time and effort, sacrificing personal life but not getting appreciated to the point of feeling inexistent? Been there, done that! Getting a lot of backstabbing from the people you least expect to do that? Oh I've been there, and I've done that! From, even during my fragile, less-mature days while in high school and during college... to just last year, when things went one way when I was almost absolutely sure it would go another way.

Hey! Being depressed, or feeling "down na down", and very disappointed is not good for your health!

I've been there before... I myself have even considered suicide. Thank God, but somehow, I was brought up to have just a little more faith in my system that was enough to bring me here to where I am right now. But I am not yet complete when it comes to faith. There are still these things about me, things I do or think, that show that I myself have a lot to improve on. But, over the course of time, I have learned one important lesson.

To have more trust and faith in the LORD. After all, after a time of trials comes a time for joy.

To do that, we'll have to be ready for change! We've heard of the answer before: we can't change others, only ourselves.

We could change our attitude towards things and others, and that goes first. It doesn't seem easy, and it takes a lot of mental strength. [(Filipino) women are somehow better than most (Filipino) men!] So, while for you, it might be hard, for me and a lot of other people, men and even women alike, it will be much harder! It's not impossible... :-)

Also, it's always healthy to think and act positively! And it's always a good medicine for depression. It requires quite a lot of change in our systems. It's not easy! So we'll also need friends or our immediate community, who know and share the same goals, ideals, and principles as us, to support us and/or guide us!

And prayers---they are always good! You might be one of millions who offered your prayers and your big and simple sacrifices to Him through the feast of the Black Nazarene, held at Quiapo early this year. That's great! It's one step in the right direction! We can also talk to Him in the comfort of our own home, and in the comfort of our own time, like during lunch break, perhaps, or during our trip to the restroom...

So what if you are, like someone I know, "trapped" inside a job or place or environment from which you just can't grow, because there's no more space to grow (like you don't have time for other "healthier" things, and people around you most of the time are your greatest critics)? Get out of that trap! The universe is huge, there are many more places to go!

Yes, by now, you could probably predict what I'm about to say: I've been there, done that. How did I do it? Well, in simple terms, I thought that... If I'm in a situation that's really bad and yet somehow I needed to be there, could it become worse if I did something else? If I choose Option B instead of sticking to Option A, may be I wouldn't get the same things that I used to get out of Option A, but may be I would feel better and more productive if I choose Option B! I would have to change my attitude though, towards those things I needed that Option A provided. Maybe I didn't really need them at all. I mean, if my apartment rental costs me half my whole months' salary, maybe I didn't need to stay in that apartment!

What if Option B proves to be worse? There's still Option C! What if I've come to Option Z, and it still isn't what I wanted? Uh-oh, wait a minute, I know where things could have gone wrong... It's with my attitude. Why would I want to buy a fancy car, if I would have to be extremely patient with my extremely impatient boss everyday of my life, and cause myself unneeded stress which eventually makes me go on weekly drinking sprees with my "barkada" and smoke half-a-pack a day, and which would eventually kill me at a young age, and probably leave my future wife and kids behind with... well, not much; or probably, people will just say about me, "kawawa naman" ("Such a pity.")?

I could also... change my attitude towards my boss! Well, I could choose to accept the fact that my boss is like that. Maybe instead of being affected by his impatience, I could just be an example to him. I'll smile all the time while working! And maybe if he asks me to do overtime this weekend, I do have the option to tell him that I can't! Because it's not mandatory to do overtime! If he kicks me out because I refused to do weekend overtime, let it be!

Well, the things is, we have a lot of options! We always have a choice! Well, we can't control the consequences of that choice, but again, we can choose our attitude towards those consequences!

One time, when I was really feeling "challenged" in life, I went to the Blessed Sacrament at the UP Chapel to pray and to ask for comfort from God. And then this picture came into my mind: imagine Jesus having to accept that he was going to suffer and be killed, understanding that it was God's will. Though he suffered much, having to accept his purpose (the story of The Agony in the Garden), what did he turn out to be? Oh, he just rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father! But he's just quite the perfect example, isn't he? :-)

So... Basically, we could either choose to accept where we are, make the most out of it, and act enthusiastic and think positive all the time, or take the alternate highway with less humps and potholes. If things will go wrong, they will. But after all has been said and done, let us trust and have faith that God has a purpose for all this, and it is universally a good one.

[Repeat] On being "mabait": Bo Sanchez' reply to an enduring wife

This is a repeated article originally posted on 1/14/04 on the prustrations blog. I do not necessarily have the same views, beliefs, and ideas from years back.

Do you think we should call the letter-writer (the wife) in this story, just being "mabait" to his husband? My answer is NO. Thus, I see being "mabait" more closely associated with being loving, or "mapagmahal", rather than with just simply being tolerant.

This is the January 6, 2004 issue of Kerygma Soulfood Bulletin, provided by Sheperd's Voice Communications, headed by Bo Sanchez (one of my favorite writers), and based in Metro Manila, Philippines. To subscribe to the bulletin, send an e-mail to soulfood@shepherdsvoice.com.ph.

--------- forwarded message starts here ---------

KERYGMA SOULFOOD
by Bo Sanchez
January 6, 2004

SHOULD I STICK IT OUT WITH MY HUSBAND WHO’S ON DRUGS?

Hi Bo,

I just read your last bulletin where you answered a wife's question. I have one of my own. I guess I would like to say that I really need guidance. I have two spiritual advisers, very close friends of mine, who belong to two different communities. When I told them about my marital problems, they both suggested that I stick it out with my husband. But I cannot hold on to this marriage forever.

My husband is a drug user. He and I have gotten into arguments about his habit, and it would sometimes turn into violent fights. He has violent tendencies, because he also gets into spats with his siblings. He also spanks or pinches our son very hard when the latter misbehaves. He has lost his job because he always seems to think that he is above the law (he was caught accepting bribes). Now, what he does all day is play with his PS2 games and expects me to wait on him hand and foot.

He earlier confessed to me that he was put into jail because of drug possession, and that he has since mended his ways, but I keep catching marijuana in his car.

I love him. I have prayed for him over and over again, but he is very easily swayed by his friends. I do not want to give up on him, but he seems unwilling to help himself.

Please pray for me and for my family.

Frustrated


Dear Frustrated,

Leave your husband. And don’t reunite with him until he goes into some counseling or rehab for his drug abuse and violent behavior. That’s the firm condition you’ll set.

Will leaving him make him change? There are no guarantees.

But the probability that he changes is much more if you leave him than if you stay with him. Why? Because when you stay with him, the message you’re giving him is this: "It’s okay for you to take drugs—anyway, you’ll still have a wife here beside you and life goes on normally." I don’t care how intense you nag him about his destructive habit, he won’t change. Because your actions are louder than your words.

But when you leave him, the message you give him is totally different. By leaving him, you’re telling him, "You’re destroying your life. Unless you change, you’ll lose everything. Even your family."

In other words, you need to allow a crisis to happen to his life.

By taking drugs, he’s causing the crisis—but until now, you’ve prevented it from happening.

Don’t prevent it.

Sometimes, the most loving thing to do for a loved one is to allow the bad consequences of their bad decisions to happen. So that they taste the bitter experience and learn—and mend their ways.

Let him feel what it means to lose everything, including family.

Again, I cannot give you guarantees for his change. It may be possible that for awhile, he may even become worse.

In the meantime, you live your life. Focus on the Lord, and let God build you up.

Explain to the kids that you’re doing this so that the family will be saved.

Call up our counseling center at Tel. 9950303 and our counselors will pray with you.

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

--------- forwarded message ends here ---------

[Repeat] destiny?

This is a repeated article, slightly edited though as the original, posted on 1/7/04 on the prustrations blog, was a "draft." I do not necessarily have the same views, beliefs, and ideas from years back.

Quote me on this... Though other previous sources are expected.

Where we are now is where we ought to be. Where we will be tomorrow, we have a choice to make. But what will happen tomorrow to us will not be based on our individual choice alone.

I think this is what makes life interesting. This is what we know as life.

The fact is, there is a tomorrow, whether we like it (that fact) or not. Whether we believe in that fact, or not. What will happen tomorrow, we will either like or not like. What will happen tomorrow, will happen tomorrow.

Thanks to "The Matrix philosophy"* by the Wachowski brothers, and to others who have contributed to the "world" of that "philosophy" like fans posting comments, and their own two cents worth on different fora (such as at www.imdb.com, and at www.matrixtheories.com), and philosophers' (such as those at www.thematrix.com, and traditional paper books) and scientists' views, and also to the book, "A Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren and other fine books (I should note Paulo Coelho), I have come to realize that there is only one reality--it is that where you are in right now.

Imagine you are a person playing/participating in a virtual game/environment. Imagine you're logged-on on one website which has links to webpages outside of that website. Imagine you are an engineer, pondering "what if i was an artist or book writer?" (Sounds familiar!?) Imagine you are in Heaven!
_____
* I just term it a "philosophy" and not just a movie or a trilogy of movies, because it is more than a movie--it is also a computer game, a comic book, anime, an online game, a website... it is now a sub-culture; it is a phenomenon**.
** It is not a phenomenon if you do not see it that way. And vice versa.

[Repeat] Paulo Coelho, on death

This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 13 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.

Here is an excerpt from Paulo Coelho's "Maktub", freely downloadable from www.paulocoelho.com.br. "Maktub" is a collection of short, mostly fictional anecdotes and ... well, simply inspiring short prose from the same author of the bestselling "The Alchemist." I should say that this is not one of the best of all 170+ "anecdotes" from "Maktub". But it fits the previous series of topics in this blog.

--- excerpt starts here ---

The master says: "A great many of the primitive civilizations practiced the custom of burying their dead in a fetal position. "He is being born again, in another life, and we must place him in the same position he was in when he came into this world," they said. For those civilizations, death was only another step along the path of the universe. "Little by little, the world has lost its calm acceptance of death. But it's not important what we think, or what we do or what we believe in: each of us will die one day. "Better to do as the old Yaqui indians did: regard death as an advisor. Always ask: 'Since I'm going to die, what should I be doing now?'"

--- excerpt ends here ---

[Repeat] life versus death

This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 11 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.

death is something that happens. life is something that remains.

[Repeat] dead and alive

This is a repeated article, originally posted on the prustrations blog on 11 october 2003. Every new RONJIE.COM issue will feature some repeat articles from the past, to be able to "bring out to the world" some early RONJIE.COM posts. Warning: I do not necessarily have the same thoughts, ideas, or beliefs today as from so many years back.


dead and alive

We have come to think that we are either dead or alive. Or that we should be either dead or alive. When keepers of the law are looking for violators of the law, they want them dead or alive.

Yet, we could be dead, but still live. We could be alive, but be dying.

Jesus died many years ago, but He lives among many of us, we see Him still perform miracles, or we still see millions of people still listen to His teachings.

We recognize many heroes and saints who have died and fought in battle, that, had they not, we would not be where we are, and we honor them by celebrating their triumphs on the occassion of their beginning or end of life as we all know.

And there are those among us, who live among us, sometimes under the same roof as ours, under the same moon and stars as us, and yet they are dying. They die when they are hurt, heart-broken. They die when we shout at them in anger, sometimes when they commit mistakes even when covering up for our mistakes.

And there are those whom we may have not met, and yet they are hungry, or they are paralyzed, or they are ill; they are dying. And yet they still inhale and exhale. And yet their hearts are still beating.

And there are those who are alive, and are dying, who choose instead to be dead.

And there are those who choose to live after they die.

Life and death are not two separate, exclusive things. They could co-exist. We cannot really choose between them. But by choosing death when there is life is the end of life. But by choosing life even after death, is life as it really is.

Many of us alive are dying. Do we choose to die and end life?

And yet, though we may be dying, life is still at hand. Why end life, when it is something given to us?

Instead, let us look into living after our death. Just as heroes, and martyrs, and saints have--people who, during their lives, did something so humble and yet so great so as to be remembered and remain here on earth in our hearts and in our minds, and sometimes even in our actions--let us choose life.