Thank you to those who help to my mom

PLEASE SEE LINK BELOW ! THANKS

http://urlifes.blogspot.com/2009/07/medical-assistance-for-cancer-patient.html


To All,

To All of my friends and to those person who help to my mother ( A lung Cancer Patient stage4) financially and emotionally, For the prayers thank you very much..

Annie Mae estillore of USA thanks for the help before financially .

To My Aunt Ms. Jenny Conception of USA thanks for the help we used the money for the rent and refill of Medical Oxygen. $150

To Ciruela Family of Bgy. Kap. Kua GMA Cavite - Thank you for the
medicines that you donate to my mom.

To My Friend Mona Gaspar of Canada - Thanks for the help and Prayers. P2,000

To My Friends and clients, Airies Bautista, Raquel Buenafe,Claire Coronel Glo Musa, Mrs. Dolly Baquiran,Ate Precy Villanueva, Rose San Victorino, Ms. Sol Josef, Lyn Negrosa, Mr. & Mrs. Buhion,Mr. Amon, My officemates Apol Apuntar, Jay Araneta, Rhea Gajo, Pinky Cardillo, Arriane Serrano ,Tina Villa, Joy Lebico , For the Prayers Thank you so much.

Senior Citizen Association of Bgy. Kap. Kua . Ph 1,000

Rachelle Lee of Provident Marikina - 1,000

To Bgy. Capt. Roy Sarmiento of Bgy. Kap.Kua GMA Cavite P500

To. Mrs. Adelina Torralba of Gen. Manager Water District GMA Cavite- P400

To. Mrs. Josefina Gabutan you are the true friend of mom you always here for my mother
in the hospital, during here up and down and Thanks for the money that we barrowed.

To Mr. Adel Laguna of Bgy. Kua Thank you for the help being a driver to my mom everytime we need to bring her in the hospital.

To Our neigborhood Buhay Family, Reynoso Family, Roxas Family, Mesano Family, Bacol Family,Umbao Family, Valenzuela Family, Punzalan Family, Basera Family, Tere Palacious, Tessie Inubat of INC, Abella Family .Boy Carpio..

To Mr. & Mrs. Bong Freyra of Piela Dasma Cavite - for the extra oxygen tank and regulator.

To Maricel Echevarria of GMA Cavite -thanks sa help sa Phil-Health.

To. Dr. Ong and Laguno of Trece Martirez Hospital, Dra. Lalaine Nicolas, Dra. Jayde Freyra of Dela Salle Dasma Cavite and to all nurses. and the staff of M3 Medical Clinic GMA Cavite

Grace Tugna- Thanks for the Referral for M3 Medical Clinic

To Gloria Digos - Thanks for the help for giving me the step and procedures how to find med assistance in the other govt. ( Sana hindi kami pahirapan)

http://urlifes.blogspot.com/2009/07/medical-assistance-for-cancer-patient.html

Read more...

Let us all pray that Pepeng moves out northeast!

It happened to Albay several times when the whole church prayed for no typhoons. It has been free from it in the last 3 years.

Let us pray that Metro Manila be free from another onslaught of nature.

Let us ask, believe and receive (Mark 21:22)

Let us pray to the Father through Jesus...in humility.


The Oratio:

“Almighty Father, we raise our hearts to You in gratitude for the wonders of creation of which we are part, for Your providence in sustaining us in our needs, and for Your wisdom that guides the course of the universe.

“We acknowledge our sins against You and the rest of creation.

“We have not been good stewards of Nature.

“We have confused Your command to subdue the earth.

“The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference.

“Global warming is upon us. Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruption, and other natural calamities occur in increasing number and intensity.

“We turn to You, our loving Father, and beg forgiveness for our sins.

“We ask that we, our loved ones and our hard earned possessions be spared from the threat of calamities, natural and man-made.

“We beseech You to inspire us all to grow into responsible stewards of Your creation, and generous neighbors to those in need.

"We pray through your Son Jesus Christ.

“Amen.”

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Some Tips for the Storm

BEFORE THE STORM
1. Monitor the news or your local weather station for updates on the storm
situation, when it will hit and how strong it will be.
2. Move to higher ground. Move away from creeks, streams, rivers, and
storm drains. Flash floods can sweep over an area without warning, and you
may only have minutes to get to safety. Note that flash floods can occur
up to 12 hours after heavy rains.
Move animals and livestock to higher ground, bring pets inside. Move your
valuable and furniture to higher floors of your home, if possible. Check
your gutters to make sure they are clear of leaves and debris. You may
also opt to park your cars on higher ground. You can opt to leave some
possessions with someone who is not at a flood-prone area.


3. Stock up on supplies. Fill up clean plastic bottles with clean water
and store as much water as you can, especially if you live in a
flood-prone area. Immediately charge all essential electronics like
cellular phones, which you will have to use in case of emergencies.
You should have a family emergency kit stocked with essential supplies
that can last you a minimum of 3 days. Items include: flashlights,
battery-operated radio, weather radio, water, canned food, can opener,
first aid supplies, medicines. Prepare and emergency kit for your pets as
well. If applicable, keep copies of your home or insurance papers inside
sealed plastic bags.
4. Prepare your escape routes. Practice what you will do in case of flood.
Map out safe routes where you can get from your office to your work.
Coordinate with your neighbors, in case of extreme floods. Figure out how
you can get from your location to safer ground.
Decide on a meeting place away from your home where you and your family
will gather if you need to leave your home and family members become
separated. Prepare escape gear like floating devices, snorkels, swimming
gear or inflatable rafts for worst-case scenarios.
5. Keep note of emergency hotlines in your area. Philippine hotlines are:
734-2118, 734-2120; 911-5061, 912-5668 (National Disaster Coordinating
Council), 527-6136 (Coast Guard); Meralco (16210).
DURING THE STORM
1. Keep your radios tuned to a local radio station and follow all
instructions. If you are told to evacuate, move out of the house or
building to safe, high ground.
2. Turn off all electricity using your breaker box (main power switch) and
turn off the main gas valve. Disconnect any equipment that uses water
(like washing machines and dishwashers). Avoid burning candles for light,
and never leave fires unattended.
3. Never walk or swim through swiftly moving water. Avoid flooded areas.
Floodwaters that are above your knees are dangerous. Turn around and go
back to higher ground.
Never try to cross floodwaters standing or in a vehicle. Water that is 2
feet deep can carry away most cars, including Sports Utility Vehicles
(SUVs). If you find floodwaters on the road, turn around and find an
alternate route. Abandon your vehicle immediately if it becomes surrounded
with water or the engine stalls. Seek higher ground immediately.
4. Try to stop water from entering your home by putting plugs in sinks and
baths and weigh them down with a sandbag, pillowcase or a plastic bag
filled with garden soil or a heavy object. Plug water inlet pipes with
towels or cloths.
5. Attempt to keep contact with your neighbors to make sure everyone is
safe and so that you can pool (and later ration) supplies when the
situation calls for it.
6. If your car is swept into the water and submerged, do not panic. Stay
calm, hold your breath, force your wait outside, and swim to the surface.
If you are swept into fast-moving floodwater outside of your car, point
your feet downstream. Always go over obstacles, never try to go under. Do
not enter floodwater.
7. If you are stranded on something above floodwater, such as a tree or
building, stay put and wait for rescue. Call for help if you are in
danger.
AFTER THE STORM
1. Even if the storm is clear, keep listening to weather reports and only
return to evacuated buildings if you are told it is safe to do so. Beware
of sharp objects and pollution in flood water.
Watch out for live electrical wires. Be sure the electrical current is
turned off. Watch out for animals, especially poisonous snakes that may
have entered your home during the storm. Keep safe from loose plaster or
ceilings that may have come loose.
2. Assess the damage. If you have evacuated from your home and wish to
turn back, be sure the structure is not visibly damaged and in danger of
collapsing before entering. Do not use electrical appliances that have
been wet, because there are hazards of electric shock and fire.
3. Avoid water-borne diseases. Assume that any water in flooded or
surrounding areas is not safe unless local authorities expressly declared
it to be so. If there is no safe water supply for washing, use bottled
water or disinfected water (by adding 5 drops of liquid household bleach
and let sit for 30 minutes).
Before entering an area that has been flooded, try to don protective
clothing to avoid contact with floodwater. Decrease the risk of mosquito
or other insect bites by using insect repellants. Throw away all food
(even canned ones) that have come in contact with flood water.
SOURCES: Fairfax County Office for Public Affairs, Direct.gov.uk,
firstaid.about.com, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Read more...

For the victims of Typhoon ONDOY

**Following is WHY the National Disaster Coordinating Council became a
DISASTER re Typhoon ONDOY.

By the way, you are directly responsible for it by having tolerated
everything that happened since JANUARY 2001. You simply got what you deserve
all along.


May your relatives, who survived, and the rest of the "Silent Majority" **have
mercy on themselves soon enough**.

May you rest in peace.

*

'GMA used P800-million emergency fund for foreign trips'
By Jess Diaz
(The Philippine Star) Updated August 15, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo used up the government’s P800-million
contingency fund for emergencies like calamities for her frequent foreign
trips, Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III revealed yesterday.
“She exhausted not only Malacañang’s
travel funds
but also the P800-million appropriation for emergencies in the 2008 national
budget,” he told radio station dzMM.
He said he based his revelation on a Commission on
Audit (COA)
report submitted to Speaker Prospero Nograles this week.
“I have a copy of the report. An assistant commissioner of COA even briefed
us on their shocking findings,” he said.
Guingona said the COA findings show that the 2008 contingency fund was not
enough for foreign travels and Mrs. Arroyo had to augment it by P120
million.
“The augmentation was also exhausted,” he added.
Guingona also said the President overspent for her foreign travels between
2003 and 2007 by P1.6 billion.
She has only P1.1 billion under the annual budgets but she spent P2.7
billion over that period, he said.
He said the House of Representatives should have discovered the excess
spending during the budget hearings.
“But the House is dominated by the President’s allies, so they just turn a
blind eye,” he said.
He accused the President of violating the annual budget law “because she
could not augment what Congress had approved and authorized her to spend.”
He said he would demand during the forthcoming budget hearings details on
how and when Malacañang’s travel funds and the appropriation for
contingencies were used.
Mrs. Arroyo’s latest foreign travel was her weeklong working visit to the
United States two weeks ago.
It has become controversial largely due to at least two expensive dinners
the President and her entourage of more than 50 enjoyed in posh restaurants
in Washington and New York City.
Sen. Francis Escudero has criticized Mrs. Arroyo’s frequent travels abroad,
saying she has spent more than P3 billion in taxpayers’ money for them.
Before her latest US visit, she “circumnavigated” the globe by flying to
Tokyo, then to Los Angeles, Colombia, Brazil, Dubai, and Hong Kong before
returning to Manila, he said.
According to former Senate president Ernesto Maceda, Mrs. Arroyo has spent a
total of P5.5 billion for more than 50 foreign trips she has made since
2001.
In a recent television interview, Maceda said appropriations in the annual
budgets for the President’s trips totaled P3.3 billion.
“In addition to these, there are contingency funds that could be used for
foreign travel. Mrs. Arroyo has realigned a total of P2.2 billion of these
funds for her foreign trips,” he said.
He said he got his data from the Department of Budget and Management and the
Senate finance committee, of which he was chairman for five years.
He added that Escudero’s P3-billion figure apparently did not include
realignments from the contingency funds.
Meanwhile, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez confirmed yesterday that President
Arroyo and her large entourage had another expensive dinner in New York City
other than the controversial $20,000 meal at the posh Le Cirque French
restaurant.
“Yes, there was a second dinner in New York. But I was not there. I had
other engagements,” he said.
He could not say where it was exactly or how much the presidential entourage
paid.
Text messages purportedly coming from a staff member of the Philippine
embassy in Washington claim that Mrs. Arroyo’s party enjoyed two dinners at
Le Cirque.
The embassy supposedly paid for the New York City dinners, including the
controversial meal on Aug. 2, for which Press Secretary Cerge Remonde
claimed Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez shelled out $20,000.
The messages also claim it was the embassy that paid for a $3,500-a-night
suite for the President and 60 $950-a-night rooms for her congressional
companions at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where former First Lady Imelda
Romualdez Marcos used to stay.
Suarez and Rep. Romualdez are among Mrs. Arroyo’s favorite congressional
companions whenever she travels abroad.
On Thursday, Suarez claimed that he was the one who paid $15,000 for steaks
and lobsters at a Washington DC restaurant last July 30.

*COA audit pushed*
For a left-wing lawmaker, the Commission on Audit should form a special
audit team to review the “lavish” spending of President Arroyo in her US
trip.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño personally went to the office of COA chairman
Reynaldo Villar, and handed him a two-page letter containing his request. He
said he merely wanted the “whole truth about the controversies surrounding
the US trip.”
He also invoked Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct for Public
Officials, which may have been violated by government officials who had
partaken of the expensive meals in New York and Washington.
“Like most of our countrymen, I wonder, what other lavish expenses were made
by the Philippine delegation?” he asked. Casiño finds the meal expenses
“irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant or unconscionable even if
bills were footed by a private entity.”
Casiño, fellow Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza
filed House Resolution 1315 that seeks to direct the House committee on good
government to conduct an inquiry on the matter.
Casiño said it is well “within the jurisdiction of COA to determine, through
a special audit, if public funds were irregularly used and if laws and
policies were violated.”
Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod said Malacañang must present to the public a
detailed accounting of
all expenses of the President’s state and working travels abroad, including
her latest trip to the US.
“The people deserve to know how much the President spent for her foreign
travels,” he said.
“The expensive dinner at Le Cirque and the meal at Bobby Van’s Steak House
in Washington are just the tip of the iceberg. Mrs. Arroyo and her entourage
are definitely spending more than what they should during their junkets,”
Maglunsod added.
“Whether the meals were paid for by private individuals or government
officials, Mrs. Arroyo has a lot of explaining to do about her expenses
during her trips and her swelling wealth,” he said.
“It is evident that Mrs. Arroyo and other public officials joining working
and state visits violated Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and
Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” Maglunsod said.

Read more...

Signs of Ovarian Cancer

Something every woman should know. If you are a man, give it to your wife.

SIGNS OF OVARIAN CANCER (even in the absence of Ovaries, and no matter what age you are)



An Eye Opener on Ovarian Cancer

I hope you all take the time to read this and pass it on to all you can. Send this to the women in your life that you care about.

A few years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were inconclusive, and she was treated for everything under the sun until it was too late. This blood test finally identified her illness but alas, too late. She wrote a book to heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her widower.

KATHY'S STORY: this is the story of Kathy West

As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has only recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer, but it is essentially Ovarian Cancer.

Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the "tumour marker" CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and they are treated in the same way - surgery to remove the primary tumour and then chemotherapy with Taxol and Carboplatin.

Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same fate. That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print it and give it or send it via E-mail to everybody you know..

One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility for our own health care. I thought I had done that because I always had an annual physical and PAP smear, did a monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a year, etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last year. When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any of the female reproductive organ cancers.

LITTLE DID I KNOW. I don't have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were removed), but I have what is essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn't it?

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER.

The "CLASSIC" symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and CONSTIPATION and/or DIARRHEA.

I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor. Because these symptoms seemed to be "abdominal", I went to a gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine whether there was a bacteria infection; these tests were negative, and I was diagnosed with "Irritable Bowel Syndrome". I guess I would have accepted this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to you, it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more tests.

They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again assured that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on my scheduled month-long trip to Europe ... I couldn't wear any of my slacks or shorts because I couldn't get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they reluctantly) scheduled me for a CT-Scan (just to shut me up, I think). This is what I mean by "taking charge of our own health care."

The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT normal). Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drawn off at the hospital (not a pleasant experience I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me.

Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid. Finally, finally, finally, the doctor ran a CA-125 blood test, and I was properly diagnosed.

I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET THIS SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, not as part of my annual physical exam and not when I was symptomatic. This is an inexpensive and simple blood test!

PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO INSIST ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS.

Be forewarned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying, "IT ISN'T NECESSARY." Believe me, had I known then what I know now, we would have caught my cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer). Insist on the CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take "NO" for an answer!

The normal range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35. MINE WAS 754. (That's right, 754!). If the number is slightly above 35, you can have another done in three or six months and keep a close eye on it, just as women do when they have fibroid tumours or when men have a slightly elevated PSA test (Prostatic Specific Antigens) that helps diagnose prostate cancer.

Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, and that's the goal in diagnosing any type of cancer - catching it early..

Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY AGGRESSIVE cancer. Please, go to your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have one EVERY YEAR for the rest of your life..

And forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female family members and friends. Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, guess what, I'm exactly 56), women as young as 22 have it. Age is no factor....

A NOTE FROM AN RN:
Well, after reading this, I made some calls. I found that the CA-125 test is an ovarian screening test equivalent to a man's PSA test prostate screen (which my husband's doctor automatically gives him in his physical each year and insurance pays for it). I called the general practitioner' s office about having the test done. The nurse had never heard of it. She told me that she doubted that insurance would pay for it. So I called Prudential Insurance Co, and got the same response. Never heard of it - it won't be covered.

I explained that it was the same as the PSA test they had paid for my husband for years. After conferring with whomever they confer with, she told me that the CA-125 would be covered.

It is $75 in a GP's office and $125 at the GYN's. This is a screening test that should be required just like a PAP smear (a PAP smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries). And you must insist that your insurance company pay for it.

Gene Wilder and Pierce Brosnan (his wife had it, too) are lobbying for women's health issues, saying that this test should be required in our physicals, just like the PAP and the mammogram.

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Ondoy's flood worst in history PAGASA

Source: By RIO ROSE RIBAYA
http://www.mb.com.ph

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services, Administration (PAGASA) said Saturday that the unexpected flood in Metro Manila was the worst one ever recorded in history. While Dr. Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA director, said that yesterday's flood was the worst in history, he added that the amount of rainfall dumped yesterday is expected to surpass the 1967 record and this month's average.

Citing PAGASA records, Cruz said that a total 341.3 mm amount of rainfall had been dumped in Quezon City from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. last Saturday, just six hours following the actual landfall of Tropical Storm "Ondoy" in Central and Southern Luzon provinces. The 24-hour amount of rainfall is expected to overtake the 344 mm level recorded on a 24-hour period on June 7, 1967.


After expecting the tropical cyclone

to bring stormy weather in most parts of Luzon until today, the top PAGASA official said the level of rainfall is also expected to even surpass 391.7 mm average rainfall in Quezon City for the entire month of September.

He also explained that Tropical Storm "Ondoy," which was expected to move towards the South China Sea away from the Philippine area of responsibility early this morning, could double or at least increase the amount of rainfall in the next 12 hours.

Cruz added that "Ondoy," which was last spotted over Pampanga province as of 5 p.m. yesterday, also dumped unusually high amounts of rainfall over Bulacan that prompted PAGASA to release 175 cubic meter of water each second from Angat when it reached its critical level at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

"Ondoy" was last spotted over the vicinity of Pampanga while packing maximum winds of 85 kph near the center and a gustiness of 100 kph that prompted PAGASA to raise storm signals in 20 provinces in the regions of Cagayan, Bicol as well as Central and Southern Luzon.

Public Warning Storm Signal No.
2 was hoisted over Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, and Northern Quezon, while the lowest storm signal was declared over La Union, Nueva Viscaya, Benguet, Quirino, Aurora, Bataan, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, the rest of Quezon, including Polilio Island and Metro Manila. PAGASA advised residents living along the coasts of provinces under Public Warning Signal No. 1 and 2 to be on alert against big waves generated by Tropical Storm "Ondoy," which could still trigger more flashfloods and landslides.

Slowing its northwestward movement from 19 kph to 13 kph, the storm was expected to cross Pampanga to Zambales tonight and reach the South China Sea at about 230 kilometers west northwest of Iba, Zambales this morning or at about 190 kilometers northwest of the town by Sunday afternoon.

Cruz clarified that there would only be a gradual improvement of weather today as the storm has been expected to continue enhancing the Southwest monsoon, which will keep bringing rains over Central and Southern Luzon provinces as well as the Visayas region.

In a gale warning posted at 5 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said that the storm will bring occasional rains with gusty winds of 55 to 75 kph that will make the sea condition the seaboards of Southern Luzon rough to very rough with big waves as high as 3.7 to 6.5 meters. PAGASA added that the seaboard of Mindanao will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds of 55 to 67 kph that will make the sea conditions rough to very with big waves as high as 3.7 to 4.5 meters.

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Pres. Cory Aquino Dies

Source : By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

Filed Under: Health, death notices, Cory Aquino

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino has passed away.

She was 76.

Her son Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III confirmed that she died of cardio-respiratory arrest at exactly 3:18 a.m. Saturday at the Makati Medical Center.



Mrs. Aquino has been diagnosed with colon cancer early in 2008 and has been confined at the Makati Medical Center for more than a month.

Mrs. Aquino, widow of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., will be remembered as an icon of democracy, having led a military-backed popular revolt in 1986 that ousted a dictator who ruled the country for 20 years.

At about 5 a.m. outside the hospital, Noynoy read a statement announcing the death of his mother.

The statement read:

"Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m., August 1, 2009, of cardio-respiratory arrest.

“She would have wanted to thank each and every one of you for all the prayers and your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country.

“Hinihiling po ng aming pamilya ang kaunting panahon para makasama namin ang aming mahal na ina.

“Later today, we will be announcing further details of her wake para sa lahat ng ating mga minamahal na kababayan na nais magbigay ng respeto sa aming ina. Maraming salamat po.”

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed her condolences to the family of the former President, Arroyo's press secretary said.

The President is set to declare a week of national mourning, said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde in a live phone patch from the US where he is accompanying Arroyo who is on official visit there.

Remonde said the President could cut short her trip but that they were going to discuss the matter when they get to New York, their next stop after Washington D.C. where she met President Barack Obama at the White House.

Arroyo is expected to be back in Manila on August 5.

Remonde also said that under the law, all presidents were entitled to a state funeral but added that this would be subject to the family's approval.

Popular TV host Boy Abunda, a close friend of the Aquino family, told reporters on Saturday that the Aquinos were praying the Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary when Cory gave her "last deep breath.”

Abunda said all five children of Mrs. Aquino, and her close friends and relatives were at her bedside when the former leader passed away.

After that last breath, Abunda said, Mrs. Aquino's children quietly cried.

"Malungkot. Tahimik na nag-iiyakan. Tahimik, except for Kris who was very quiet," he said, referring to the youngest daughter of Mrs. Aquino.

"Kris was very quiet. She was displaying such courage pero noong dindadala palabas mga labi ni Tita Cory... because you have to remember that Kris was in the hospital, Kris was by the side of her mother since July 20 hanggang sa mga oras na yun. Hanggang ngayon si Kris ay nasa tabi ng kanyang ina," Abunda said.

He said a Mass, officiated by Fr. Catalino Arevalo, was held after Mrs. Aquino's death.

Abunda said Arevalo is a very close friend of the former leader and had been officiating a Mass for her at the hospital.

A family driver of the Aquinos was seen loading stuff into a white Toyota Hi-Ace van parked at the back entrance of the hospital. He said the boxes and luggage belonged to Kris who left the hospital early Saturday morning.

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Michael Jackson Dies

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop" who once moonwalked above the music world, died Thursday as he prepared for a comeback bid to vanquish nightmare years of sexual scandal and financial calamity. He was 50.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.





"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" _ which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" _ is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.

At the time of his death, Jackson was rehearsing hard for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13.

As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."


The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There."

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, and Jackson's death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure _ a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions, and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."

"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.

Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary. He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers _ Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito _ in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.

The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."

The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

By then he had cemented his place in pop culture. He got the plum Scarecrow role in the 1978 movie musical "The Wiz," a pop-R&B version of "The Wizard of Oz," that starred Diana Ross as Dorothy.

During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning, even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.

Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."

Jackson's 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.

"He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit," he said. "People might have started to think of him again in a different light."


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-_n_221104.html

Read more...

Cancer Update

No plastic containers in microwave.


No water bottles in freezer.


No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.



Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic
Bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at CastleHospital ,
Was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.
He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.

He said that we should not be heating our food in the
Microwave using plastic containers...

This especially applies to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin
Into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic
Containers for heating food.... You get the same results, only without the dioxin.
So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc.,
Should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.
It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away
From the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons....


Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when
Placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high
Heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent

To anyone important in

Your life!
Bottled water in your car is


very dangerous.

This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia .

A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and the Doctor told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.

The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!

Read more...

Female Heart Attacks Different from Males

I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read.

Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction). Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack ..

you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.



'I had a heart attack at about 10 :30 PM with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.

A moment t later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation--- the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE&n (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasms), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when ministering CPR).

This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening -- we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!

I lowered the foot rest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else ... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment.

I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics .... I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to un-bolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the radiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications? ') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into m y heart where they installed 2 side by side stints to hold open my right coronary artery.

'I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stints.

'Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.'

1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body not the usual men's symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up ... which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before..

It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can take an aspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road.

Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.

Do NOT call your doctor -- he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.

3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

Read more...

Abortion ~ (Nice Story)

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:
"Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 yr. old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together."
So the doctor said: 'Ok, and what do you want me to do?'



She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: "I think, I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'


She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is.


There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.
The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!
'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.


The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!

Read more...

HURTS NEVER LEAVE YOU WHERE THEY FIND YOU!

Excerpt from "TURNING HURTS INTO HALOS & SCARS INTO STARS" by Robery H. Schuller (Thomas Nelson Publishers)


YES,
YOU'RE ON A TRIP CALLED LIFE. Did you choose this tour? "Of course
not!" you answer. That answer is both right & wrong.

- You chose to drive; you didn't choose to have that acident.
- You chose to marry for love; you did not choose to be betrayed.
- Your spouse died. (This trip you're on--grief--you didn't choose it! Or did you?)

Wait
a minute. This hurt you're experiencing is the cost you pay for the
hapiness you chose. Life is a toll road. Everything that's nice has its
price.

"My hearing is going. It's hard to grow old," one man said
to me with a negative overtone. I admonished him (I think gently but
honestly) with this short sermon: "Growing old is the price we pay for
not dying young."

Now you're on an adventure. A pilgrimage. A trip
and a tour through a land where you've never traveled before. Some
decision you made somewhere, sometime, put you on this path, and you
are now surprised at the toll gate. You chose the path, not knowing the
price.

Warning! Don't make the impertinent, unintelligent, and cynical assumption that the price is too high.

The well-known saying "It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all" is all too true.

Yes,
the price you have to pay might sem high. But recall all the pleasures,
satisfactions, and benefits, and you'll have a rebirth of positive
possibility thinking. Your heart will move from pain to praise. Pay the
toll and thank God for the trip you've had!

Read more...

B's Savior

It's very heart-warming to know how our children see God. Though still young, we marvel at how much they understand God, how they grasp His love for man.

As we teach them about God, never lose sight of the inspiration that their innocence provides and the love that their little hearts give.



B's Savior
by Nette Andres

Yesterday evening after tea, as the winter sun reluctantly said goodnight, B (Nette's toddler) read out The Toddlers Bible Easter Book (by V. Gilbert Beers) to me and E as we all snuggled in his cozy bedroom.

As he read and pointed out the pictures, I was amazed and thankful at how much he already knew about what Jesus went through during Holy Week:

B: Look, Nanay. That's Jesus riding a donkey on Palm Sunday! When do we get to wave palms at Jesus, too?

Me: Why, this coming Sunday in Church! Isn't that exciting? But we just get little-bitty cross-shaped palms over here, not like the nice swishy ones we had in the Philippines.

B: When we go to visit the Philippines, can we have a swishy palm to wave to Jesus?

Me: Of course, B! Each of us will have a swishy palm on Palm Sunday! You know when I miss home the most? It's during Holy Week... Someday, we will be able to have Holy Week in the Philippines again.

B: Okay... (then moving on to the next story) Jesus had a special supper with His friends here... Nanay, Jesus says here, "Remember Me, Remember how I will die for you.." (Then he paused, thinking.) Is He talking to them or to us?

Me: To us, B, to all of us. He wants us to remember Him, and that's what we do when we go to Communion in church, when you cross your arms over your chest and stand in the queue, even if the priest isn't allowed to give you the host yet.

B: And Jesus is IN the bread, right, Nanay. And someday I will also get to eat Jesus Bread, too!

Me: That's right, B, next year you'll be eating Jesus Bread, too.

Then B read us several more stories, until we finally got to the part where Jesus dies on the Cross... This was a tricky part, a part he almost always skipped because the images and descriptions of Jesus dying and suffering on the Cross made him feel sad and upset... He always avoided looking at the nails or talking about Jesus' wounds... So this time, I watched him closely, curious about whether he would skip or read on.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Greatest 5
God Recites Psalm 139
Not Only for UP Students
What Do You Want
Believing and Achieving Greatness
A Music Degree
---------------------------------------------------------------

To my surprise, B read on.

B: See here, Nanay. Jesus is wearing a crown of thorns, it's not a real crown, and it's painful... It says here, "Jesus wants to help us live with God in heaven. When we sin, we can't go there. But Jesus died to take away our sin. He wants to be our Saviour. He will if we ask. Will you ask Him?"

At this point, B stopped and appeared to be considering the question. And I suddenly felt the Spirit gently nudging me to give my son a gentle nudge, as well. So I did.

Me: B, do you want to ask Jesus to be your Saviour?

B: Yes... (And without waiting for me to say anything more, he immediately turned to talk to Jesus right there, as any child would.) Jesus, will You please be my Saviour? (Then he paused a bit, looking up at the ceiling.) Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

In my heart, I rejoiced! At age 6, B's simple prayer might not technically be considered a turning point, a dramatic "conversion experience" but I am certain, deep in my heart of hearts, that the Lord HAS heard B's prayer, and that He was pleased with it, and will honour it and remember it. I'm sure that B's whole heart was in that prayer, and I simply know that Jesus saw into B's soul like no one else can, and just loved him, loved him, loved him. I felt my tears welling up and pricking my eyes, but somehow I managed to keep them from falling until after I tucked him in and kissed him goodnight.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bo's Marian Pilgrimage Notes (I wish I was there too! - jun)
We're All Pilgrims, (Day 1)
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, B, last night, on the 30th of March 2007, whether you knew it or not, you gave your life for the first time to Jesus. And whether or not you understood everything your prayer means, I'm sure Jesus will teach you, day by day, as you grow in His love. He heard you, He saw what was in your young heart, and He will be your Saviour from now on.

One of my favourite saints, St. Therese of Lisieux, once said that "prayer is an aspiration of the heart, a simple glance directed to heaven..." and that "like a child... very simply to God what to say, without composing beautiful sentences, and He always understands ." This is what you did last night, B, you sent a simple, childlike glance of love towards heaven, and you asked Jesus in the simplest words possible that He be your Saviour. And I believe, and I know, that Jesus heard your perfect, beautiful prayer last night.

Jesus heard my prayer, too, when I was just 14, and although I was still very young then, my prayer mattered to Him, too. He met me where I was, and brought me to where I am now, starting with and because of that prayer. I just know in my gut that He will do the same with you. Jesus is YOUR Saviour now, B, simply because you asked Him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pastoral Letter On the Elections Addressed to the Youth

VOTE 4 U! - a reality game show on the elections is now on television.. .
Vote 4 U is a project of the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA)
with the Parish-Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

Catch it on TV Maria, the cable channel of the Philippine Catholic Church,
at Dream Satellite Channel 21, Destiny Cable Channel 96 and
Unicable Cebu Channel 17, on the following broadcast schedule:

Episode 1- April 30, 12:47 and 4PM
Episode 2- May 2, 12:30 and 3:30 PM, May 3, 4AM

You may also view a 3-minute vidcast of Vote 4 U at www.youtube.com/cfavideo
Check out www.cfamedia.org for more info!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And I commit myself to you and your brother E, to be your guide and your companion as you discover Jesus' love, to be as good a witness as I humanly can be, to help you nurture the intimate relationship you're already starting to have with the Lord. As your mother, I can do no greater thing than to bring you and E to Jesus. More than just caring for your needs or teaching you to be clever in school, your Tatay and I are called to be your first links to God, your first evangelizers, your first experience of Church on earth. When you get older, it won't matter to us if you become rich, successful, famous or accomplished in the eyes of men. What will matter to us is if Jesus is still in your heart, if you love Him and if you are trying your best to love as He loves. And in the end, that is all that really matters.

What you did last night will stay with me for the rest of my life, B. You are such an inspiration to me. You are teaching me how it is to please the Lord, with childlike simplicity and a readiness to embrace what Jesus gives, no questions asked, no ifs or buts, no fancy words or fireworks. It gives me hope in my own walk with the Lord. Believe it or not, at your tender age, B, you are a shining example to me. My own little saint-in-the-making.

How wonderful it is that Jesus loves us all, and wants to be our Saviour, whether we are six or sixty-four.


Nette Andres is a wife and mother living in the UK. Her artistry and creativity shines through in everything she does. Her faith and love for the Lord is felt in every word she writes. Visit her blogs RiverPilgrim and Look Into My Eyes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks and God bless.

Jun Asis. C3PO
www.mabutingbalita.net
www.magandangbalita.com

Read more...

The Testimony of the late Rio Diaz-Cojuangco

the late RIO DIAZ -COJUANCO testimony
LET'S MAKE OURSELVES CLOSEST TO GOD


Please do read this testimony of the late Rio
Diaz-Cojuanco and pass this on to your loved ones!

Sad and touching, but real.



RIO DIAZ's Testimony (Aug 17,2003)


Six months ago, my family was preparing for my
funeral, but I stand here before you today by God's
grace because He still has a purpose for my life.

Let me share with you my story..

In April, l99l, I began to host Eat Bulaga!, a
noontime show that brought me fame beyond my wildest
dreams. I earned good money while I made
people laugh. What a blessing!

October of l993, I met Charlie. Single and
good-looking, this guy has a terrific sense of humor,
a man with a big heart. 'Kung sa beauty contestant,
beauty and brains.' At a certain point in our
relationship, we both knew God brought us to be
together...for life.

In August, l994, we were married. After four wonderful
years of marriage, God blessed us with two children,
Claudia and Jaime. Thirteen years earlier, I was
blessed with a son, Ali, from a previous
relationship.

May of l998, Charlie became Congressman and I became
Vice Mayor of Pontevedra ( Negros Occidental).
November of the same year, during a routine check-up,
they discovered some abnormalities in my stomach area
which, the doctors said, could be solved by a minor
procedure.

A few days later, my supposedly one-hour surgery
turned out to be a six-hour-and- a-half surgery. I was
diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer..

Cancer?

No one had cancer in the family. My life flashed
before me. My world suddenly caved in. The doctors
were quite frank. They told us that I had only a
couple of months to live. Stage 4 cancer is like a
death sentence.

As my doctor was speaking, I didn't understand a word
he said because all I could think of was Charlie, my
children, my family, my in-laws, would whisper, Lord,
help me...help them, Lord!

They're all suffering. I don't know how to comfort
them. The day before my first chemotherapy, I said,
Lord, just tell me you're in control. Tell me that no
one made a mistake and I'll be fine no matter what,
Lord. Somebody gave me a devotional book entitled
Streams in the Desert which I read
at 3 o'clock in the morning. It said, this is my
doing.

Your weakness needs my strength and your safety lies
in letting me fight for you. You did not come to this
place by accident. You are exactly where I meant you
to be. You were so busy that I could not get your
attention and I wanted to teach you some of my
greatest truths. The pain will leave you as soon as
you learn to see me; in all things. These words became
the pillow on which I rested my weary head.

I surrendered to God all my fears, all my burdens and
my family as I began my journey of trials. I focused
on His promises as Jesus said, Surely I am
with you always.

By God's gracious mercy and beyond all medical
explanation, after six months of chemotherapy went on
remission. Eight months later, the cancer was back.
More surgery, more chemo. And then again, God allowed
healing for me. The best lesson I am learning from
this is how God allows us to enjoy life with His
moment by moment of grace. My third bout with cancer
entailed three different chemotherapies infused at the
same time. The Lord allowed me to learn to NEVER GIVE
UP, NEVER GIVE UP...PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD.

Three times, I was at the threshold of death.
Medicines and state-of-the- art treatments were
notworking anymore. Not all the money in the world nor

the best doctors on earth can make us live if God
doesn't want us to. During those times, God comforted
my heart with these verses: Why are you downcast o my
soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in
God for I will yet praise Him my Savior and my Lord.

But let me tell you about my latest brush with death.
After spending Christmas with my family here in Manila
, I left for San Francisco in January of 2003 for my
check-up. I knew there was something terribly wrong
with my body. I had sleepless nights; I was steadily
losing weight; I couldn't eat
anything.

By the time I had completed all my tests, I was only
96 pounds. My doctor said, the cancer has spread. You
need to be confined in the hospital. Your food passage
is completely blocked by the cancer. I don't know how
much time you have. Not much. Maybe a month. But I
promise you will not feel the pain.I hugged Dr. Fisher
and thanked him. I told him, don't be sad. I
know God is in full control of my life.

I went home that night to make some arrangements and
my daughter was fast asleep. I knelt down by her
bedside and I cried, Mama loves you so much that it
hurts. Lord, you know how much I love my Ali, my
Claudia and my Jaime. You gave them to Charlie and me
and I thank you. I know in my heart that Charlie will
love them and watch over them. Lord, take care of my
husband because I love him very much. But much more
than this, it comforts me to know that I could never
love them as much as you love them. I thank you,
Father God.

Charlie remained by my bedside day and night,
caressing me, talking to me. It pains me to think how
much our husbands or wives suffer the fear of
losing us.How blessed I am to know how much my family
and friends love me.

The Lord allowed me to experience deep, deep, sleep.
I have never ever felt that kind of peace, peace that
surpasses all understanding. Dr. Fisher explained to
Charlie that my nourishment would come from a bag of
liquid attached to me, which has to be administered
on a daily basis for life. I would never be able to
eat
or drink again.

Surgery was ruled out, so was radiation. As a last
recourse, it was suggested that I do the mildest
chemo but if I so much as cough, he would remove it
and just keep me comfortable. I was in awe when I was
told how many people were praying for me. By God's
sovereign mercy, I never coughed.. One month later, my
cancer level went down by half. I am now only a few
points away from being on remission.

And as if this weren't enough, God's incredible bonus
is that I am back to my full d iet. I can eat and
drink
anything now! Once again, the doctors were amazed.
Yes, isn't our God amazing? God spared my life when
Stanford doctors had given up on me.

In my heart, I knew why. God allowed this miracle in
my life to show us how gracious He is and what a
powerful weapon prayer can be. And that God can
perform miracles in our lives, if you let Him. I will
never fully understand God's ways but I do know that
God has a purpose for each of us. When God calls you
to live for Him, He will invite you to be a part of
something much bigger than yourself, something that
requires the very best of you, something that
may outlive you. When God calls us to a powerful
vision, it may transcend safety and it may transcend
common sense because it is all about Jesus Christ.
Without Jesus, we will not make it!

Do we know, do you know, what God wants you to do
withyour life? If you are uncertain of God's will for
your life, surrender all your plans to Jesus because
God's plans for us are perfect.

The cancer in my body, I did not choose. But in God's
sovereignty, He allowed this affliction in my life.
But I ask you, what is the cancer in your life?

Is it the cancer of unforgiveness, jealousy, lust,
anger or bitterness that you are holding on to?
What are the wrong choices you continue to make
because they give you temporary pleasure but can
permanently destroy you -your husband or your wife or
your children or your circle of influence?

If you are going through a time of terrifying
darkness and despair, or are plagued by doubts that
are slowly eroding your hope that things can get
better, I urge you to surrender it all to God;
give Him full control of your life. It is the only
way to live.

Lord, forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, come into my
heart; be my Lord and my Savior. In Jesus' name, I
pray. Amen.

Friends,

Get inspired with Rio 's story like me. It just
occurred to me that I am also too busy with my life
& work right now. Oftentimes, I forget to pray and
thank the Lord for all the blessings that I
receive.. I even keep on complaining that what I have
is never enough. I keep on questioning Him with all
the unfairness that I observe and demanding for a lot
more. I don't have any idea on the plans that he has
for me because I am usually blindfolded with my own
desires - desire for luxury, power & control,
recognition , & comfort. I think I must also start
surrendering everything to Him and let Him lead me.
Didn't you guys notice how exhausting our lives are?
I always feel like I' m on a race and catching the
leading car! How about you?

I wont wait for a cancer to strike before I will
recognize God's plans! I wont promise anything
but I'll do my best!

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MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CANCER PATIENT

Hi There,



I am Evangeline Naron, a single mother, Oldest in 5 siblings. I live with my parents, brother and siters.We live at Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

We would like to seek help from the government of any entity regarding any assistance for my mother Trinidad Naron. She was diagnosed of lung cancer stage 3 last April 2009. And now her cancer was in the stage 4. We know that that treating cancer needs a lot of money for her medication and until now she has not went any treatment specially chemotherapy due to financial problem.

I am the only one who have a a work in our family, one of my brother had a nervous breakdown and also needs a maintenance on his medication. My father is a Barangay Councilor in our barangay. We do not have any financial sources aside from my jobs.

I am hoping through this letter, That we are able to touch your lives/ heart in some ways and to anyone who will be able to read this letter to please help my mother on her medication/chemotherapy or on her maintenance in medicines and oxygen.

To anyone who want to help on my mom condition you are also welcome to visit my mother so that you can see her real condition.

Attached is her Medical Abstract, Biopsy and CT Scan for your references.



Thank You Very Much,

God Bless You All,



Evangeline Naron
Tel # 639205348854
enaron@gmail.com
Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite

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SIGNS of OVARIAN CANCER

SIGNSOF OVARIAN CANCER (even in the absence of Ovaries)
THIS IS A MUST TO READ TO THE END

An Eye Opener on Ovarian Cancer

Ihope you all take the time to read this and pass it on to all you can. Send this to the women in your life that you care about.

Years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were inconclusive, and she was treated for everything under the sun until it was t oo late. This blood test finally identified her illness but alas, too late. She wrote a book to heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her widower.

KATHY'S STORY: this is the story of Kathy West

As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has only recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer, but it is essentially Ovarian Cancer.

Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the 'tumor marker' CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and they are treated in the same way - surgery to remove the primary tumor and then chemotherapy with Taxol and Carboplatin.

Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same fate. That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print it and give it or send it via E-mail to everybody you know.

One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility for our own health care. I thought I had done that because I always had an annual physical and PAP smear, did a monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a year, etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last year. When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any of the female reprod uctive organ cancers.

LITTLE DID I KNOW. I don't have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were removed), but I have what is essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn't it?

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER.

The 'CLASSIC' symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and CONSTIPATION and/or DIARRHEA.

I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor. Because these symptoms seemed to be 'abdominal,' I went to a gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine whether there was a bacterial infection; these tests were negative, and I was diagnosed with 'Irritable Bowel Syndrome.' I guess I would have accepted this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to you, it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more tests.

They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative I was again assured that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on my scheduled month-long trip to Europe . I couldn't wear any of my slacks or shorts because I couldn't get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they reluctantly scheduled me for a CT-Scan (just to shut me up, I think). This is what I mean by 'taking charge of our own health care.'

The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT normal). Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drawn off at the hospital (not a pleasant experience I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me.

Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid. Finally, finally, finally, the doctor ran a CA-125 blood test, and I was properly diagnosed.

I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET THIS SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, not as part of my annual physical exam and not when I was symptomatic. This is an inexpensive and simple blood test!

PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO INSIST ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS.

Be forewarned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying, 'IT ISN'T NECESSARY.' Believe me, had I known then what I know now, we would have caught my cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer). Insist on the CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take 'NO' for an answer!

The normal range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35. MINE WAS 754. (That's right, 754!). If the number is slightly above 35, you can have another done in three or six months and keep a close eye on it, just as women do when they have fibroid tumo rs or when men have a slightly elevated PSA test (Prostatic Specific Antigens) that helps diagnose prostate cancer.

Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, and that's the goal in diagnosing any type of cancer - catching it early.

Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY AGGRESSIVE cancer. Please, go to your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have one EVERY YEAR for the rest of your life.

And forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female family members and friends. Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, guess what, I'm exactly 56), women as young as 22 have it. Age is no factor.

A NOTE FROM AN RN:

Well, after reading this, I made some calls. I found that the CA-125 test is an ovarian screening test equivalent to a man's PSA test prostrate screen (which my husband's doctor automatically gives him in his physical l each year and insurance pays for it). I called the general practitioner's office about having the test done. The nurse had never heard of it. She told me that s he doubted that insurance would pay for it. So I called Prudential Insurance Co., and got the same response. Never heard of it - it won't be covered..

I explained that it was the same as the PSA test they had paid for my husband for years. After conferring with whomever they confer with, she told me that the CA-125 would be covered.

It is $75 in a GP's office and $125 at the GYN's. This is a screening test that should be required just like a PAP smear (a PAP smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries). And you must insist that your insurance company pay for it.

Gene Wilder and Pierce Brosnan (his wife had it, too) are lobbying for women's health issues, saying that this test should be required in our physicals, just like the PAP and the mammogram.

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Purpose Driven Life

This is an absolutely incredible interview with Rick Warren, author of
'Purpose Driven Life' His wife now has cancer, and he now has 'wealth'
from the book sales. In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick
Warren , Rick said:

'People ask me, 'What is the purpose of life?' And I respond: In a
nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last
forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my
body--but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions
of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life
isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just
coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The
reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than
your comfort

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making
your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of
life. The goal is to grow in character.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the
toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark
time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe
that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of
like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something
good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something
bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something
good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If
you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, 'which
is my problem, my issues, my pain.'

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off
yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of
thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for
her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her
character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a
testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For
instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million
copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with
before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego
or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety
and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide
what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from
the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call
The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care
for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since
I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be
able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions?
Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism?
Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God,
if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and
love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list.

He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're
called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult moments, SEEK GOD. Quiet moments,
WORSHIP GOD. Painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD. '

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CANCER

Useful Information on one of the deadliest diseases of our time: CANCER



1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.




2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.


3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone
marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder.

By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract.Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened; soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment.

A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites,which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a betteralternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.


12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Floressence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger,
unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to
relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

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Salty Coffee: An amazing Love Story

He met her at a party. She was so beautiful, many guys were chasing after her, while he was so plain and simple, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but to be polite, she consented. They went to a nice



coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home.... suddenly he asked the waiter.

"would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

Everybody stared at him, How strange! His face

turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

She asked him curiously; why you have salt in your coffee? He replied: "when I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I like playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who still live there". While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched.

That's his true feelings, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can share his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has ties to his home.

Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date. She found that he was actually a man who meets all her demands; he had

tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed knowing him! Thanks to his salty coffee!

The story ended just like every beautiful love

story , the princess married the prince, then they lived happily ever after... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some

salt in it, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest, please forgive me, I have been lying my whole life. This was the only lie I told you---the salty coffee.

Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change it, so I just went ahead.I never thought that could be the start of our conversation! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but

I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you about anything..

Now I'm dying, I'm afraid of nothing so

I can tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste.. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!

Since I met you, I don'tnever feel sorry for everything I did for you. " Having you with me is the biggest thrill of my whole life. If I can live a second time around, I would still want to know you and have you for the rest of my life,even though I have to drink the salty coffee again".

Her tears made the letter totally wet. One day, someone asked her: how did the salty coffee taste? It was very sweet, she replied.

Love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but to understand, not to hear but to listen,

not to let go but to HOLD ON !!!!

Don't ever leave the one you love for the one you like, because the one you like will leave you for the one they love. Tonight your true love will realize how much they love you, between 1 and 4 in the morning. Tomorrow the shock of your life will

occur. If you break the chain you will have bad luck for 10 yrs if you don't pass this on to 15 people in 15 mins including the one from whom you

got this..

Forget the things that make you sad .... Remember the things that make you glad.

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Theology of Faith

Rev. John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago,
writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:


Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students
file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology
of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my
mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which
hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I
had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just
coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't
what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that
day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately
filed Tommy under "S" for strange... Very strange.

Tommy turned out to be the "Atheist in residence" in my
Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked
at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally
loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace
for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a
serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the
course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone,

"Do you think I'll ever find God?" I decided instantly on a
little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically.
"Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you
were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom
door and then called out, "Tommy! I don't think you'll ever
find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!"
He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.

I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed
my clever line -- He will find you! At least I thought it was
clever Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly
grateful.



Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal
cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When
he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and
the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy.
But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first
time, I believe.

"Tommy, I've thought about you so often; I hear you are sick,"
I blurted out.
"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a
matter of weeks.."
"Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked.
"Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied "What's it
like to be only twenty-four and dying? "Well, it could be
worse."

"Like What?"
"Well like being fifty, and having no values, thinking that
drinking booze, seducing women, and making money are the real
biggies in life."

I began looking through my mental file cabinet under "S" where
I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I
try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life
to educate me.)



"But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is
something you said to me on the last day of class." (He
remembered!) He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would
ever find God and you said, 'No!' which surprised me Then you
said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even
though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My
clever line. He thought about that a lot!)



"But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me
that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating
God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I
really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven.
But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever
try anything for a long time with great effort and with no
success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying.
And then you quit



"Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more
futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or
may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really
care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I
decided to spend what time I had left doing something more
profitable. I thought about you and your class and I
remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness
is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost
equally sad to go through life and leave this world without
ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.'"

"So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the
newspaper when I approached him. "Dad.
"Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper.
"Dad, I would like to talk with you."
"Well, talk.
"I mean . It's really important."

The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?"
"Dad, I love you, I just wanted you to know that." Tom smiled
at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt
a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. "The newspaper
fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could
never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged
me.
We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the
next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see
his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me."



"It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried
with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real
nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been
keeping secret for so many years.
"I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so
long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I
had actually been close to.



"Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't
come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an
animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through.
C'mon, I'll give you three days, three weeks.'"

"Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour.
But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You
were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him."
"Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying
something very important and much more universal than you
realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way
to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem
solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather
by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He
said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living
with God and God is living in him.' Tom, could I ask you a
favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain.

But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you
come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them
what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it
wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell it.
"Oooh.. I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for
your class."
"Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a
call."


In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that
he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a
date.
However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more
important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his
life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made
the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more
beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man
has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.
Before he died, we talked one last time.
"I'm not going to make it to your class," he said.
"I know, Tom."
"Will you tell them for me? Will you ... tell the whole world
for me?"

I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best."
So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple
story about God's love, thank you for listening. And to you,
Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I
told them, Tommy, as best I could.
If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a
friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for
publicity purposes.


With thanks,
Rev. John Powell, Professor, Loyola University, Chicago

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