Dreams

Dreams are meant to be free. That is why I dream too much. Dreaming proves I am human. Yes, I am satisfied of being me and what I have. But I can't avoid wishing for more things. Guess its okay to wish or want for something as long as you are still happy, thankful and satisfied although you did not get your wish or want. I have many dreams and wants. I want to have the biggest literature collection in the world. I want a large and awesome toy collection. I want a small studio with all the instruments. I want to have an advance and hightec laptop and PC. I want to be able to write a best selling book. I want to meet Jennylyn Mercado. I want to have a vacation aboard a luxury liner. I want to board a submarine. I want to go to space. I want a robot maid. I want to know the truth, if the Americans really went to the moon or if it was all a hoax. I want to win a Noble Prize. I want World Peace. I want a world with no hunger but full of happiness and love. I want these things and a lot more. Some of them are far-fetched and hard to have or attain but all things are possible. So friends dream all you want. There is nothing wrong with it. And do not lose faith if your dreams are far-fetched and seem impossible. Believe me, they can come true. I had some far-fetched dreams that came true. Just don't get tired of waiting. And do not despair if you were not able to get your dream, God has a better thing to give to you. God has a plan for all of us and everything happens for a reason. In conclusion, dream and dream all you want. Who knows.....

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Friendship

In life a person needs friends. Friendship is the best bond in the world. Friendship is so strong. Friends help each other to be better persons. Friends love and understand each other. Friends help each other in time of need. Friends share things. I think friends are the greatest possesions in this physical world. For me, before two people became lovers they must be friends first. Parents and chjildren should be friends. A ruler and his subjects should become friends. The boss and the employee should be friends. Friendship is a give and take relationship. In which a real friend thinks more about giving than recieving. If more people will be friends with each other, our world will be a better place. I thank the Lord for giving me many friends. In school, in church and in other places. I have friends throughout the whole archipelago. I also belong to two groups that I can see true friendship, the YCFC (Youth Circle For Christ) and the CCC (Cutting Classes Club or Chivalrous Citizens of the Country). These two circle of friends I have is different from each other but I both belong to them. I am lucky to be a member of great groups like these. In conclusion, I will say that friendship is the best and basic relationship.

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Girls...

Girls. Girls. Girls. Boys can't avoid admiring them (and vice versa). Well, I am attracted to some of them, too. I am attracted to girls who are beautiful, a character that can match her beauty, smart, talented, simple and a little reserved. Tall order. Luckily, In the past years of my adolescence I met four of them who, more or less, have these qualities. And of course, all four became my crushes (three in school). But of course, one of them tops them all. (Guess who) :) There is nothing wrong in having crushes. It gives a boy like me inspiration. When I see something or someone, I see the glory of God. He manifests his glory and awesomeness thru his creations. I am awed and thankful that God is able to make great things.

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The Best President of America

We cannot deny that the United States of America is a great country. But what makes this country great is its great people, past and present. The best examples of such are the presidents of the country through the years. My most favorite among them is Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. But if I am asked of who among the two is the best, I will pick the smart humorous witty honest Lincoln than the multi-talented intelligent Jefferson. For me, the best president of the United States of America and one of the best man ever lived is Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln was born poor but he worked hard to get a better life. He admitted that he was taught to work but not to love the work, but he is certainly a persevering, industrious and hard working person. He had several vocations before becoming a lawyer and a great politician. For example, he worked as a postmaster and a store keeper. He also had experience in the army. When he was a lawyer, he helped all the people that needs help. He asks little pay and sometimes nothing at all. He was a unique lawyer. He did not try to twist the law. He practices what is right. He lives on values more than knowledge. He was also athletic and strong. He did what is right and do not care what people think. He is also a humorous and witty person. He has many stories to tell but most of his stories not only entertains but gives lifes lessons as well. There is a great paradox in his life, he is a humorous person and loves to tell stories but he was a lonely man. Some experts say Lincoln has a sickness that loneliness will envelope him suddenly. He has many talents like giving speeches. This skill helped him in his campaign for presidency. When he became president, he did his best to keep the country together. He did his best for his country. He did what is right though sometimes his decisions were not popular. But most of all, he relied on what God can do and not through his works. He is not a religious person but he loves and trusts God. He knew that only God can help the country. During the Civil War, he was drawn closer to God and he experienced God's love and power. He was a great man indeed.
I admire this man, Abraham Lincoln. He is simple but made impacts. He do not like fame but he was immortalized. He lives on values and trusts God. He loves humor and life. He is not easily angered and if angered he does not show it oftenly. He was a man of principles. He believe that all men are equal in God's eye so all men should have equal rights no matter what is the color of one's skin. I like his qualities and wants to have them too. He is one of my real life heroes. The only downer about him was he died by assasination. I think he could have done more great things in his second term. But God has His reasons. I can write all the information and stories about him here but I think its up to you if you want to know more about him. I read many anecdotes, essays and biographies about him, and I recommend you read things about him too. My suggested reading is "The Life of Abraham Lincoln" by Stefan Lorant. It is up to you if you want to learn more about him. But do not forget that it is much better to know Jesus Christ, for he is the best. Happy readin

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Love... And the Related Topics

Love. I may be a person who does not talk about this kind of topics. But hey, I can talk about love. I had experienced it. I received and gave it so many times. Let me first tell you about my view on love. The greatest example of true love is what Jesus did. Leaving His position to save His chosen ones. He was willing to sacrifice everything even His life.
True love for me is loving a person for who he or she is. Accepting his or her weaknesses and that it is unconditional. Saying I love you is not like "I love you because....", "I love you if...." or "I love you but...." but saying I love you is like "I love you." Period. As I've said before, unconditional.
"If you haven't experience love, then how can you give it." One of my father's best sermon, for me, is his sermon on love. You can not give what you do not have. That is what he said in his sermon. Just like love, you can not love if you haven't been loved. What can be more greater than God's love? That is true love. If you haven't experienced it then you cannot completely love. And you cannot give more than the love you experienced but rather maybe you will give less than what you experienced. You must feel love first, one way or another.
As I Corinthians 13:4-7 said "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres". I love these verses. It gives the true meaning of love. It tells what are the fruits of love. Compare this verse to what you feel. See if you really love somebody. Your family. Your parents. Your siblings. Your friends. That special someone.
How about love on the opposite sex? Yeah, I love my female friends. But love is different from falling in love. In Filipino, "Pagmamahal" is different from "Pag-ibig". You ask me.... did I ever fell in love with someone. My answer is maybe. I am not so sure. I have "fallen in love" two times already. I do not know if it is real. In this early stage you will never know if it is real. That is why you must wait before making a big move. Do not make any conclusions yet. Time may come when you will be sure if it is true love. Maybe what you are feeling now is not really true love, but it may become true love if you wait.
Is it okay to have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Well, it depends. For me, it is okay. But who am I to decide. Ask your parents. For me, it is okay. As long as you love that person and that your relationship is God-centered. Maybe that love will grow. Maybe not. But hey, as long as you will not commit sin there is nothing wrong with it. As long as you will not neglect your responsibilities, obligations and priorities it is okay. Your girlfriend or boyfriend should serve only as your inspiration and strength. He or she must not become a liability. The only disadvantage of it is discovering you are not for each other. It may cause a lot of heartbreak. My advice is not to limit yourself to one person. Meet other persons. If you find a person that you think you are in love to, wait and do not make moves yet. Just make actions that shows she (or he) is special than the others. Yes, waiting is hard. But love is patient and persevering. If the time is right, tell your feelings and make the move. Waiting is important. The longer, the better (but not that long :) ). Both parties should know that. It's a test if you are really in love or it is mere infatuation. But having a girlfriend or boyfriend is up to your beloved parents. They know best. If they say, "No!" then obey them. If they say you have to break up with him or her, obey them. It may be hard, but it pays off to obey. Its all up to your parents. Show them you can obey them and be responsible. Show them you love them too and willing to obey. Maybe they will understand that you are really capable of loving. And of course, pray for it. Ask God for His will to happen. God may want you to have a relationship now or not yet. Just and pray for guidance. It will surely pay off.
Waiting is part of love. You wait to get to know the person very well. You wait to get close to a person. You wait for the right time to tell your feelings. You wait when you are waiting for the girl's answer. Or if you are a girl, waiting for the right time to give the answer. Love is patient. A person in love do not rush things. He or she waits for God's timing. Believe me, waiting pays off. It gives you more confidence. It gives you time to know the person you love more. It gives you time to think if you are really in love. God gives the perfect timing, believe me. He wants the perfect person for you. A lot deal better than the girl (or boy) of your dreams. So, wait and wait. Especially when you haven't fallen in love before. Do not rush it. God gives the best timing. Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, it said there is time for everything.
I say that teenage love is a gift from God. Making you experience having crushes, infatuation, "puppy love" and the like. You may have experienced this and also being hurt. I had experienced it, too. But, thank God, I still have not experienced being heart broken. I am not really good in this love matters. I am just telling you what I think in this subject. We may have different views on love.
An advice to guys, you must realize that you proboably won't marry your girlfriend or the girl you like, so you'd better treat her the way you would want a guy to treat the girl you will marry. I do not mean you should treat her as if you two are married. But show her respect, care and love. And never let your hormones get the better of you. You are stronger than the girl. Use your strength to protect the girl not to harm or pressure her (you know what I mean). To girls I advice that if you like a guy, please give hints (if you can't directly say it) that he is special than everybody else. And never seduce your boyfriend or the boy you like. Also never abuse the boy's patience or generosity. If both parties will do their part, it will be a great relationship.
A few parting words, facts that I learned in real life. A boy will not make a move if he will not see a sign of hope from the girl. Most girls looked their startling best and boys will become handsomer in the JS Prom. A person in love never can supress his or her smile and has glittering eyes. Flowers (I recommend white roses) are better things to give than chocolates. Being "torpe" is not that bad. The cellphone can become a handy gadget in communicating with someone you find hard to talk to. You will learn this and more when you are in the teenage love stage. Have a nice day!

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High School Reflections

I graduated from high school last March 31 in a nice graduation ceremony. Therefore, my high school life is over. The last four years were the best of my life. I learned many things. My interests widened. I met many wonderful people. My perspective upgraded. Identity settled. Talents discovered and improved. Memorable moments collected. Experiences gained. Missions accomplished. And… I grew 15% taller during the time.
I learned many things in high school, inside and outside the classroom. I learned of atoms, theorems, grammar, literature, Broadway, chiaroscuro, axioms, GDP, html, etc. I also learned of emotions, values, principles, rules, community, life and such. I also enjoyed amazing quotes from our teachers like the one of our Physic teacher’s “In the ocean of life, God is our buoyant force, no matter how strong the winds or gigantic the waves are, we shall not sink as long as we are anchored on Him…” and witty comments like our TLE IV teacher’s “The reason students get very low grades in tests is that they don’t follow instructions… the instructions say ‘choose the correct answer’ but they choose the wrong one instead!”
My interest also widened. Reading has maintained itself as my primary pastime, but I only learned to appreciate all kinds of literatures in the early part of my teenage years. I am a gamer since elementary, and I still am. And as new games came, I found myself “addicted” as they arrive. My love for music also increased during high school, prompting me to improve my musical skills. I also learned to play basketball during high school and it became my favorite sport. I am not athlete material but I am thankful I learned to play basketball.
I met many unique and interesting people. I had great friends that shared high school with me. They were amazing people, especially the CCC. CCC members were the collection of the best boys in our batch. Talent, brains, looks, charisma, etc… you can find all of them in the CCC.
I also met in high school a very wonderful girl that captured my heart. In the first year of my high school life, I said to myself that I do not want to have a girlfriend. I was so sure of myself that I will never fall for someone. Three years later, I discovered that my feelings to a girl I like is not simple “crush” anymore. Few months later, she became my girlfriend.
It was another thing I learned in high school. You can never be so sure. You change. Identities and personalities vary. High school is a transition period. In those four years, I really grew and changed.
I have to admit that I was not exactly a “model student” in high school. I was very mischievous and fun loving. I like “trippings” and practical jokes (I will miss those things). I was not a notorious rule breaker, but it does not mean I did not break any rules. I have a clean record in the guidance office, but it does not mean I did not get into trouble. I am not a warfreak, but I had one or two fights when I was not able to control myself (I avoid fights but I am not a pushover). I have no vices but I cut classes when I get tired. I cut classes when I grew tired of schooling, occasionally going to the café or just hanging around. CCC members cut classes in small groups or in wide scale walkouts (when protesting because the lessons are boring). But we were able to get good enough grades anyway since we are not really bad students. Boys are just full of mischief and fun.
High school is certainly the best. Now it’s all over. The four years I spent in high school was one of the most wonderful years of my life. I will never trade them for anything. I thank God for those blessed years. It’s a bit sad that it is now all over. But like before, I need another transition. I need to “grow up” again. I need to grow out of the mischievous boy to become a responsible young man. I need to learn new things, obtain new knowledge, discover new talents, find new interests, gain more experiences, upgrade perspectives, improve my identity, meet new people, collect more memorable moments, accomplish new missions and maybe grow a little taller. I need to move on with my life. College is a lot different from high school but I think it’s not that bad. It might be interesting, too. We’ll see what college has to offer.

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CATS

My pets are cats. Cats, for me, are better than dogs. Cats are more fuzzy and cuter. When I was a small boy, I had a small black kitten. I had fun with that kitten. We played and played throughout the day. Unfortunately, we have to leave that cat to our neighbor when we have to move to a new house. After a year in our new house, my mother brought home a black kitten. He was so cute and funny that we became friends very fast. My father also likes him and we let him sleep inside the house. That cat was an offspring of Martina, a Siamese cat that is owned by the Oloyas. That cat was disciplined and it does not litter inside the house and steal our food. It was also brave and strong, and is not a pushover by other cats. My father named him, Blackie. When he grew up, we found another cat that we considered his wife. We adopted her. That cat bore three kittens. I named the mother Shiela and I named the kittens Henry, Toto and Tina. When Toto was a grown up, he died. That left four cats, Blackie, Shiela, Henry and Tina. Blackie protects his family very well. He protects his territory and family from stray cats, and even dogs! That was my first batch of cats. Many followed. Many cats came from that first batch. There are also many stories as well. I use to call my cats a pride. I considered them like lions. There were a lot of them and I cannot remember the names I gave them. Some of them died when young and some died later. Others got lost or we gave away. Shiela died the most tragic, she was bitten by our neighbor's big dog and died. I tried to stop the dog by shooting it with my pellet gun. I failed, and I cried hard when she died. While the patriarch, Blackie, died when he was very old. The most interesting story about my cats was when Tina found a stray kitten left by his mother. Tina adopted the kitten and considered it as her own. She recently gave birth to three kittens and adopted another one, so she had four of them. The pride took him as one of their own. Sadly, as the kitten grew, it disappeared. The first cats are all dead now, as well as the second. All left here are the third or fourth generation. The pride has currently four members. At one time, the pride was composed of up to ten or twelve members. This generation is a contrast of their ancestor. They are a bunch of "scaredy cats" compared to the brave and proud first batch. They also litter outside our house and my mother is very irritated when she have to clean the front yard. The first batch litter far from our house. This generation also steals our food, unlike the first batch that are often behaved. However, I still like those cats. I think I inherited my love for cats from my father. He loves cats. He took care of some cats when he was young. My father is currently the one who often feeds our cats. Compared when I was a boy, I did not play much with these cats. I missed Blackie. He was my best cat ever. I promised that when I grow up, I would find a black cat and make it my pet. Who knows, maybe I will start a new "pride".

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