U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came for a 24-hour visit and showed us how she handles awesome power as the symbol of her country’s foreign policy.

An enigma. A Cheshire Cat in Wonderland. 

I bought my first two pots of Christmas poinsettias – their bright red leaves heralding the coming of the holiday season.

On Monday will be the opening of the photo exhibit of the wake and funeral of Tita Cory at 6 p.m. at the South Court, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell.

Healer priest Fr. Joey Faller will be at the Kerygma Conference 2009 which will be held in Cebu City on Nov. 28-29.

It would have been the 55th wedding anniversary of Cory and Ninoy, the nation’s most loved and admired couple today.

Disasters bring out the best in us.

It has been a hectic for us…from welcoming the new general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Manila, the young and good-looking Mark Bradford, to driving to Tarlac City on a pilgrimage to celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross with the monks of Fr. Archie Cortez.

The political landscape drastically changed after the “people’s burial” of our Icon, Tita Cory. Destiny? Divine intervention? Written in the stars?

We are all still hurting over the loss of our “Tita Cory”. But thankfully, she left us a legacy of love—for God, country and each other—that can ease our pain.

So planted Tita Cory – seeds of honesty, goodness, humility, forgiveness.

"He who fears the Lord will have a happy end even on the day of his death He will be blessed.” 

“We must all learn to live together as brothers. Or, we will perish together as fools.”  -Martin Luther King Jr.

“Life is good when you’re happy and life is better when you make others happy. But life is at its best when God is happy and pleased because of you!”   ---- Heidi Kahn

Allow me, as a PWU alumna,  to greet former senator and now Board Chairman Helena Z. Benitez a very happy 95th birthday this Thursday.

“Who is it that loves me and will love me for ever with an affection which no chance, no misery, no crime of mine can do away?
It is you, my mother.” Thomas Carlye in a letter to his mother - August, 1824

My garden in Tagaytay is growing nicely.

The number of families suffering hunger has gone down according to the latest  SWS survey and this is confirmed by beneficiaries of government and private feeding programs.

As we approach Holy Week, the political scene is beginning to resemble a “ Cenaculo” especially with mud-slinging and wild and furious accusations of deceit, treachery, lies and back-stabbing.

Tourism is a sunrise industry for the Philippines in these economically troubled times, and everyone is a stakeholder.

Mercy in this case is the lady ombudsman, Merceditas Gutierrez, who is undergoing her own early scourging, being spat upon and crowned with accusations, and it’s not even Holy Week yet.

We paused for some prayers of thanksgiving last Feb. 25 for EDSA 1 People Power Day! Twenty-three years ago, we finally  regained our freedom and democracy from over two decades of a dictatorship!

We paused for some prayers of thanksgiving last Feb. 25 for EDSA 1 People Power Day! Twenty-three years ago, we finally  regained our freedom and democracy from over two decades of a dictatorship!

"If you find yourself in a difficult spot,

just remember that God meant for you to be where you are.

He who has carried you this far

is not about to drop you…

not now…

not ever!" – Dolly Nazareno

ANGEL THOUGHTS

“The Eleventh Commandment – Value Yourself. The only people who appreciate a doormat are those with dirty shoes! What you learn about yourself will help you to understand others. You are at the center of all your relationships; therefore, you are responsible for your self-esteem, growth, happiness, and fulfillment. You must live as if you are alone and treat others as God’s gifts to you.”

– Dolly Nazareno
 

ANGEL THOUGHTS

“Never explain yourself to anybody. Your friends don’t need it, and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.”

– Elbert Hubbard, sent in by Chuchi de Vega

ANGEL THOUGHTS
“The Common Man says – erasers are for people who make errors. But the Wise Man says – erasers are for people who are willing to correct their mistakes!”
– Chuchi de Vega

ANGEL THOUGHTS
"Life is partly what we make of it and partly what is made by friends we choose. So choose your friends well because these choices can make or break you."
–Pempe Rodrigo of the Rivers of Living Waters Community

ANGEL THOUGHTS

“So don’t worry about having enough
food or drink or clothing.
Why be like the pagans
who are so deeply concerned about these things?
Your heavenly Father already know your needs
and He will give you all you need from day to day
if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God
your primary concern.”

– Matthew 6:31–33 from Bea Azcuna 

ANGEL THOUGHTS
“How pleasant it is for a father To sit at his child’s table. It is like an aged man Reclining under the shadow Of an oak he had planted.”
-Sir Walter Scott, in honor of all fathers this Christmas

“ We learn, as we go along, that life is not one big, beautiful jewel we can hold –or lose- in our hands. Each one of us is an hourglass, and in the course of our lives, we get the diamonds that pass through the sands of time”
-Douglas Pagels

"It’s not how much we Do But how much love We put in Doing. It is not how much we Give But how much love we put In the Giving that matter!"
-Dr. Jazmine Gongora
 

ANGEL THOUGHTS

“If there is righteousness in every heart There will be beauty in every character. If there is beauty in every character There will be harmony in every home. If there is harmony in every home, There will be order in every nation. If there is order in every nation, There will be peace throughout the world.”

- Lao-tse

ANGEL THOUGHTS<br>

“If there is righteousness in every heart
There will be beauty in every character.
If there is beauty in every character
There will be harmony in every home.
If there is harmony in every home,
There will be order in every nation.
If there is order in every nation,
There will be peace throughout the world.”
<br>
-Lao-tse


 

Angel Thoughts

“In prayer, a man asked ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He answered, “I AM.’ But who is ‘I AM, the man asked again. The Lord said, ‘I am Love, I am Peace, I am Grace. I am Joy. I am the Way, the Truth and the Light. I am the Comforter, I am Strength. I am Safety, I am Shelter. I am Power. I am The Creator. I am The Beginning and The End. I am The Most High.’ The praying man was moved to tears. ‘Now I understand, Lord. But who am I?” And the Lord answered, ‘You are MINE!’

– From Chito Bertol of the Manila Seedling Bank Environmental Center

ANGEL THOUGHTS “The two hardest tests on the road of life: the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed by what you encounter.” – Charito Planas, director, New Nayong Pilipino
 

ANGEL THOUGHTS “There is no force in the world more powerful than a mother’s love for her child.” –Anonymous “ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” –Romans 12:12

ANGEL THOUGHTS “Some lessons are best learned through pain. Sometimes, our vision clears after tears are shed. Sometimes, we have to be broken in order to be whole again. Think…if God meant the day to be perfect, He would not have invented tomorrow.” – Chito Bertol, Manila Seedling Environmental Center
 

ANGEL THOUGHTS “The Filipino is worth dying for.” – Ninoy Aquino (Continued from Saturday with apologies to Fernando Pena, president of the Timor-Philippines Business Council for failing to mention him. He was responsible for Pres. Jose Ramos Horta’s visit here.)

ANGEL THOUGHTS “How long does a lamp burn? Through continuous inputs of small drops of oil, Like the small things of daily life. Faithfulness, kindness, a listening ear, a caring heart, joy shared in the triumphs of life. What keeps our lamps burning? Family, friends and God! These are the drops of oil in our life!” –Supreme Court Justice Consuelo Y. Santiago
 

Angel thoughts “ Next time you are about to lose your temper, remember these wise words- anyone who causes you to flare up in anger conquers you.’ ” -Pempe Rodrigo, Rivers of Living Waters Community

“ Confucius once said – ‘Be a lotus .’ This means, no matter how ugly, evil and how sinful everyone around you might be, do not allow yourself to be stained. A lotus remains beautiful even as it lingers in the dirty waters of the pond. So be a lotus….for it just has to start with one to fill the pond with more beautiful flowers.”- Dr. Lorina Cabaluna

In the history of Philippine-American relations, up until 2006 that is, we never had a lady ambassador from Washington, D C.

ANGEL THOUGHTS “The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is prayer.” Blessed Mother Teresa of the Missionaries of Charity

Angel Thoughts “Falling in love is like being the first to discover the most beautiful thing in the world and to find someone to share it with. It’s like glimpsing the first evening star or the rainbow that unexpectedly appears in the midst of a storm. Love often starts in little ways. It comes quietly with a smile a glance or a touch, but you know it’s there because suddenly you‘re not alone and the sadness inside you is gone. Love means finally finding a soulmate of your own, someone to share your dreams and grow old with..”

ANGEL THOUGHTS “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Psalm 34;19

 

ANGEL THOUGHTS “In marriage, Walk the path together, Side by side whenever possible. Remember to hold each other When the air is cold. If the air becomes too close, So each one can breathe. When the path ahead is narrow, Pick one to go first. Always be willing to follow; Don’t be afraid to lead. Trust your partner, trust yourself, For marriage is a journey That leads to great love.”

 

“Let the light of the day rise in your heart; Let the joy of the morning be seen in your smile; And may God’s favor be yours today and everyday!” –Monet Guevara