Jaylen Soccer Picture

Just showing off this handsome picture of Jay. He looks like his dad.

Journey of Faith: SYD-WYD 2008

In less than a fortnight, Sydney will be transformed by the hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims participating in discovering and rediscovering their Christian faith in Sydney's World Youth Day 2008. The SYD WYD 2008 (click for my previous blog!) will be held from 15 to 20 July at the Randwick race horse tracks and other various Sydney venues.

My friend, Nanette and Bob just picked up a distant niece from the airport the other day. One of the many thousands of young men and women on the pilgrimage. Her name is Ina, from San Francisco, California. Together with another fifteen youngsters, they flew to Adelaide (what a fitting place, the "city of churches") this morning spending time on outback Australia: "... experiencing God in the outback as she (Ina) puts it."

According to Nanette, "She (Ina) has a bubbly personality and gets along well with Nicole and Mikey. Last night, they spent hours just talking.. in Mikey's room... and practicing her Australian accent on them. Nicole told her she needs more practice. She cracks up at all of Nicole's jokes."

Ina's mom emailed her the following, with the title: "Trust in the Lord Jesus"

"Tomorrow you will be joining a pilgrim. It's a journey together with some of the students where you will travel OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. You will walk for miles and miles to reach your destination in search of God's LOVE and MERCY. You will experience a once in a lifetime journey in search of the TRUTH. The truth that there is GOD. Whatever hardships you encounter along the way, trust that GOD is with you and has always been ever since you were born. He will be with you along the way. Trust in the Lord Jesus.

Love,

Mom"

(Photo credit, MJB - taken at Glebe's St James Catholic Church, love Sydney's sandstones in most heritage buildings and churches.)

Get Well Maxine!

(Photo courtesy of itsosuruh's Flick'r site.)

This is Maxine a year ago at her 19th birthday.

She does not know me, but I know her namesake: Dad and Bro Max Bravo. Father to our DeMolay brother and father of Maxine, Dave Allan (DAZB)

She's twenty now and is suffering from seizures brought about by a viral infection.

The doctors are doing their job to cure her and we can only pray for her and her family for strength and guidance. Pray that she will recover from this illness, that her family and friends be blessed for keeping her in their prayers. Most of all, for their support to keep Maxine well.

We know prayers work:

My grandson, Jaylen, who suffered from leukemia two years ago and is well now.

Another friend of ours, Eric, suffered from aneurism, been comatose, put under induced coma and now can walk and talk a bit. He is still in the hospital, but this is a great improvement from coma and aneurism. We just visited him the other night and he can even recognised us and communicate by hand signals.

We hope and pray that God give His grace and blessings to Maxine as well.

Happy Birthday Nanay: 3 June

Today is also my Nanay's birthday, her 89th birthday. Jaylen shares her birthday, June 3.

May and June are busy months for us, in terms of birthdays.

Starting with my sister Olay on May 5, my late father-in-law on May 20, my elder sister, Ate Mae on May 21, May 27 for my brother-in-law, Jun, then Aiyee on the 30th of May.

June 2 is my brother-in-law's birthday, Kuya Chito and June 3 is my mother and Jaylen's birthdays. June 4 is Ate Zeny, my other sister-in-law and June 5, my sister's Wiws birthday.

So these two months are quite busy, lots of parties to go to.

Come next year would be a big birthday party for my Nanay Olive, she will turn 90 years old.

I am just wondering what I can give as a present to a 90 year old mother?

I have another year to think...

Jaylen Turning Lucky 7

Seven must really be a lucky number. Especially for our Jaylen who is turning seven tomorrow.

So on Saturday, 7 June there will be a special birthday party and thanksgiving celebration. If you are in the area please drop by to wish him well!

I am five now Honey! Ashlee

This is what my Ashlee said to Honey when she phoned him this morning to say Happy Birthday!

My small look-alike (poor boy!!) turned five today. Kids like to be older, while we want to get younger. Crazy world isn't it? But kids, like any other kids like birthdays, especially if its theirs. Do you think it has something to do with lots of presents? Your guess is as good as mine!

Aiyee, as I fondly calls him, loves the colour blue. Good thing that his soccer team sports the same colour, shown above photo taken a few weeks ago. His first goal: on the opponents' goal. This "competition" is more on kids having fun and building skills at the same time. The parents are more aware of winning and loosing, and everybody is a coach on the sidelines. Aiyee take all these "coaching" in stride. "Aiyee, do something!" his mom shouted at one time, only to be reproached by the coach: "He is running and doing something!"

At five, what does Aiyee wants? I think he wants more of those toys shown on tv. He always makes it a point to let me know that he wants so and so toy when advertised on tv... sort of "wink.. wink Pappy... my birthday is coming" and you know what I want.

I think I'll buy him whatever he wants, his turning five anyway.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea: 24 May

Hello, I just registered for this fund raising event and I am hoping that you'll support me on this endeavour.

The official Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is on Thursday, 22 May 2008.

We will have a fundraiser at work this Thursday, but I am organising a similar fundraising at the Pole Depot, Saturday following the 22nd, which is on the 24th of May.

If you are in the area at TAFE Meadowbank, the TAFE's Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is at building P function room (Canteen), See Street, Meadowbank (NSW, Australia), from 9:30 AM till 12:00 PM. Donation at the entrance. Please drop by and have tea with us.

My one is at Pole Depot, 23 St Georges Road, Penshurst (NSW, Australia), from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, Saturday, 24 May 2008.

Most of you are very fortunate by not being personally afflicted by cancer. For us, we have been unfortunately "tagged" by cancer. Fortunately for us and for our grandson Jaylen, leukemia (ALL) has an 80% chance of survival. We are one of those 80% lucky ones.

While there are more pressing issues around the world (like world hunger, the environment and recently the devastations in Burma and China caused by natural events), we tend to support those close to our hearts, those that have touched us.

The cure for various cancers, while a dream for now, is one of the "holy grails" in the medical field. We need more funding for research to combat this ailment. This is what The Cancer Council is doing every 22nd May, to not only raise awareness but also raise the needed funds for various research.

If you wish to donate please click here, or if you wish to donate in your locality, just Google cancer society or council in your country.

Thank you so much for your time and generosity; and hope to see you in our Biggest Morning Tea!

Mother's Day: 11 May

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there!

I chose the above photo to illustrate what mothers are like. They are, for the most part, our rock - where all our dreams and hopes are anchored on. While they are hard in some ways to bring us into this world, you'll see that they - as the ebb and tides continue to pound her, are also shaped and reshaped by their children's love.

I always remember the "Flower Talk" of my youth:

"... dedicated to our mothers, whose love never fails. You may rise to positions of great influence in commercial, political, or professional life, but you can never reach the heights of your mother's secret hopes for you. You may sink into the lowest depths of infamy and degradation, but never below the reach of her love. The memory of it will always stir your heart. There is no man so entirely base, so completely vile, so utterly low, that he does not hold in his heart a shrine sacred and apart for the memory of his mother's love.

"Were I to draw you a picture of love divine,
it would not be that of a stately Angel,
With a form that is full of grace.
But a tired and toil worn mother
With a grave and tender face."

It was your mother who loved you before you were born--who carried you for long months close to her heart and in the fullness of time took God's hand in hers and passed through the valley of shadows to give you life. It was she who cared for you during the helpless years of infancy and the scarcely less dependent years of childhood. As you have grown less dependent, she has done the countless, thoughtful, trouble-healing, helpful and encouraging things which somehow only mothers seem to know how to do. You may have accepted these attentions more or less as matters of course, and perhaps without conscious gratitude or any expression of your appreciation.

You are rapidly approaching the time in life when you will be entirely independent of your mother. The ties with which dependency has bound you to her may be severed as you grow older, but the tie of mother-love can never be broken.

Thinking back upon the years of your life when you have reached the threshold of manhood, your mother might well say in the words of the poet:

"My body fed your body, son,
But birth's a swift thing
Compared to one and twenty years
Of feeding you with spirit's tears.
I could not make your mind and soul,
But my glad hands have kept you whole.
Your groping hands Bound me to life with ruthless bands.
And all my living became a prayer,
While all my days built up a stair
For your young feet that trod behind
That you an aspiring way should find.
Think you that life can give you pain
Which does not stab in me again?
Think you that life can give you shame
Which does not make my pride go lame?
And you can do no evil thing
Which sears not me with poisoned sting.
Because of all that I have done,
Remember me in life, O son.
Keep that proud body fine and fair.
My life is monumented there.
For my life make no woman weep,
For my life hold no woman cheap.
And see you give no woman scorn
For that dark night when you were born."

"Far in the dim recesses of her heart
Where all is hushed and still,
She keeps a shrine.
'Tis here she kneels in prayer
While from above long shafts of light upon her shine.
Her heart is flower fragrant as she prays.
Aquiver like a candle flame,
Each prayer takes wing
To bless the world she works among,
To leave the radiance of the candles there."

Happy Birthday Olay: 5 May

Well, I did not forget. I must admit I am just a bit lazy to call ot text. I am sorry. Monday was my youngest sister's birthday. can't forget even if I wanted to, you see we have this great birthdays. I don't know how my Nanay and Dy (Mom and Dad) did the dates:

My Nanay was born June 3 and I was born January 3.

My Dy's birthday is November 21 and my elder sister, Mae is May 21.

My two younger sisters: Wiw's birthday is June 5, while Olay is May 5!

My other half siblings birthdays are a bit off: July 28 for Ate Aida and February 14 for my Kuya Danny,but see multiply 14 by two equals?

My other two half siblings: Jay and Joy (I am not kidding, those are their names), unfortunately I don't know their birthdays. But hey, they got this sort of Ying-Yang names. That must count for something.

So all these wonderful numbers are weaved into our so-called birthdays. I have not seen or heard anything like this in any other family. We're freaks of nature or was it just a coincidence.

Anyway, Happy Birthday again Olay! Here's hoping and praying that you have more to come.

By the way the flowers are for you.

Phases of Life 4: Wake Up Eric!

Eric is just 45 years old and is in an induced coma. He was, since Monday when he suffered aneurism at work and was rushed to Westmead Hospital. He regained conciousness the next day, was promptly operated on and was put in an induced coma to stabilize his condition. He is still in ICU at Westmead.

We are praying for him at this stage, as science has done its job. His wife and children misses him. His brothers here in Australia and parents in the Philippines and countless relatives and friends in both countries are praying for him.

Praying that Eric will survive and surmount this "test" and the will of God; whatever that may be, "Be Done". It is not wishful thinking, but a cry for help, for strenght and guidance.

Our healing prayers for Eric. For Chona and their children and for Bubot and Sonny and their parents; our prayers for strenght in this very difficult time.

This April 2008, as the month is drawing to a close, Eric's "slice of life" - a phase in any one's life managed to just pipped in. I was only planning for three stories: a child celebrating his second bithday, a mother celebrating her 100th birthday and a friend who just died of cancer. Now, Eric, another friend - a fourth phase of life, hanging on to dear life.

(Just in case you're wondering what the picture is all about, it is stripped copper wires that we recycle. Eric and I are both into electronics, and that is the connection. Life, like these copper wires are inter-connected and inter-mingled - and like life we are recycled to that great beyond!)