Saint For the Day

Feast Day of St. Joseph

Pray to St. Joseph. He does wonders!

https://youtu.be/yvid_KnFq7s.

The Sports Fanatic

I don’t know who’s gonna win this year’s NBA Championship but I know who can beat the defending champions, Golden State Warriors. It’s only the Golden State Warriors who can beat themselves and no one else, except, perhaps, LeBron James, whichever team he's with. Wherever inner turmoil, rage, anger prevails, the team who’s got it loses. Nothing beats anyone or anything than a big false ego.

https://youtu.be/0bR1NND_odo

Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets Full Game Highlights / Game 5 /...

4th Power raise the roof with Jessie J hit | Auditions Week 1 | The X Fa...

Damn!

Quote of the Day

"Though we travel the world over
To find the beautiful
We must carry it with us
Or we find it not."
                               - Ralph Emerson Waldo

Prayer of the Day

I saw this prayer on Facebook and, somehow, it resonated with me - I liked it... I really liked it. Here it is -

Read this in silence:

Thank you, Lord, for everything you've done for me. Forgive me of all of my sins. Heal me from the hurt of my past. I love You and need You. Cover me with Your precious and holy blood, my family, my friends, my life projects. Give me Your dream, Lord. Bless and protect everyone that seek You, need You and believe in You.

Give me your dream, Lord....Give me your dream - BEAUTIFUL!

This is Funny!

Dept of Jewish/Buddhist humor:

Jewish Buddhism:

If there is no self, whose arthritis is this?

Be here now.

Be someplace else later.

Is that so complicated?

Drink tea and nourish life;

with the first sip, joy;

with the second sip, satisfaction;

with the third sip, peace;

with the fourth, a Danish.

Wherever you go, there you are.

Your luggage is another story.

Accept misfortune as a blessing.

Do not wish for perfect health or a life

without problems.

What would you talk about?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with

a single Oy.

There is no escaping karma.

In a previous life,

you never called,

you never wrote,

you never visited.

And whose fault was that?

Zen is not easy.

It takes effort to attain nothingness.

And then what do you have?

Bupkis.

The Tao does not speak

The Tao does not blame.

The Tao does not take sides.

The Tao has no expectations.

The Tao demands nothing of others

The Tao is not Jewish.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out

Forget this and attaining Enlightenment will

be the least of your problems.

Let your mind be as a floating cloud.

Let your stillness be as a wooded glen

And sit up straight.

You'll never meet the Buddha with such

rounded shoulders.

Deep inside you are ten thousand flowers.

Each flower blossoms ten thousand times.

Each blossom has ten thousand petals.

You might want to see a specialist

Be aware of your body.

Be aware of your perceptions.

Keep in mind that not every physical

sensation is a

symptom of a terminal illness.

The Torah says,

Love your neighbor as yourself.

The Buddha says,

There is no self.

So, maybe we're off the hook.

Coincidence... Again?!

I saw this TM Breaking News, Bredesen Announcement, on my email and forwarded it to my brothers, as some of us in the family do TM. I had barely left the page when my phone rang and it was my brother, Mike, on the other line.
He says, " I'm at Barnes and Noble's."
And I said, "Ya?"
"I'm holding the book!"
"What book?"
"'The End of Alzheimer's' by Bredesen."
A book?! I thought I was just reading a news article.
"Buy the book!" Of course, timing couldn't be more perfect! How serendipitous!

How do you explain that, Coincidence - NOPE! It's more than that, it's beyond that...

Love it!

This is Funny!

We, insomniacs, usually find ourselves tossing and turning in bed to get some sleep at night.
This morning, I found myself tossing and turning trying to GET UP!

I just got up now... at 3 in the afternoon! Now is that funny... or is that strange?!


Hmm...

Verse of the Day

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

Matthew 18:20King James Version (KJV)

God Works in Mysterious Ways

... Sometimes, in seemingly unmysterious, most mundane setup.

I've been taking antibiotics since last week for some infection. Then yesterday, I called Walgreens for more questions. In the course of our conversation, the pharmacist recommended probiotics. So I bought some yogurt, had some, but then later, I started to worry about the sugar in it, being pre- diabetic. Should I take the yogurt? What about the sugar content? I was terribly concerned. I prayed and prayed... and prayed for answers.

Today, I was tuned in to Dr. Oz show on TV while going in and out of the living room as I was preparing to go out. Just when I went back to the room to turn the tv off, guess what Dr. Oz' topic was - YOGURT!

He had a guest who was an expert on yogurt and they said to always check the sugar content on the package before buying - It should not be more than 18g. Dr. Oz was holding a set of small containers of yogurt like the ones I bought last night. And what did he say, "Throw these away."

My jaw dropped!  It was unbelievable that their topic was on yogurt, to begin with, but when he said those words, it was like him talking to me directly. I sat down for the rest of the program - Flabbergasted!

God talked to me through Dr. Oz... Dr. Oz answered my questions... God answered my prayer.

How great is that!

Word of the Day

HAPPY

Lately, I've been seeing this word, HAPPY, everywhere - on billboards, TV, Facebook, blogs, etc. Funny because I've been thinking what music I will do next for my gig with MANNY MOKA's BAND in July or so, and my song, "Be Happy Be" has been coming to mind at the same time the word keeps appearing from everywhere. Which came first, the signs or the thought about my song - Coincidental, serendipitous? Doesn't matter, I like it. I'm loving it.

So "Be Happy Be", it is!😀

Snack Time

Junk food - Pepsi and potato chips?! Yup, unhealthy, right? Especially for me, basically, a vegetarian. I eat fish and fowl outside the house but at home, we're vegetarians.

But today, somehow, my body wanted chips and soda. I saw this Spicy Sriracha potato chips at a health food store and, I thought, "This will go well with soda."

Plain and simple, I followed the urge - I bought them!

... and I loved it! It was great. It was fun.

Sometimes you just have to break the rules and not feel guilty about it.  If you're happy, that's what it's all about. As long as you're not hurting yourself or others, enjoy it. Moderation is the key.You're not gonna get fat with a few junk food! If you're eating "Unhealthy" once in a while and enjoying, that's healthier than if you're eating "Healthy" only to impress.

The secret to life - Be happy!

Inspiring... and Inspired!

I got discount tickets for tonight's ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT at SF Jazz Center as a BERKLEE alumna, specifically as a member of the SF BERKLEE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, Robert Glasper being Berklee alumnus himself, crossover star pianist between acoustic jazz, hip hop, contemporary R&B.

The concert started with a footage on the big screen about Bruce Lee talking about Karate. That while, he says, it's easy to do his act just to show off his skills, "it's really all about expressing yourself." 
"... Honestly! Not lying, but being honest with yourself," he says.

And while the video slowly fades, Robert Glasper also slowly comes to the stage with his band, first, the drummer setting up the tempo, as the rest start walking towards their instruments. And the band plays mightily! Funk, jazz, R&B! Two songs in a row, then he introduces his band members - Awesome!

Then he pops out his first question, "What's jazz?"
He specifically talked about jazz tonight, being a Berklee night at SF Jazz Center. And like Bruce Lee, he says, "It's about expressing yourself."
Being honest, not lying, not showing off, but just expressing yourself.
He says there are 2 words that made him break the rules, make changes, be fearless in music - FUCK IT!!

I've never been so inspired! I tend to limit myself, hold back my music sometimes for whatever reason - insecurities, inadequacies, etc.. As we all know, we're always our worst critics.

After watching him, I realized why he named his band Robert Glasper Experiment. It's an experiment of all kinds of music!  And jazz, specifically, being so creative, is really about expressing yourself, in whatever form, free form, no form, whatever, as long as it sounds good... OR, even awful!

As he kept repeating his mantra for the night, "Fuck it... Express yourself!"

... So fuck it! I'm gonna express myself!! 

Yup!... Now I'm Fearless.

Muhammed Ali (1942-2016)

The fondest memory I have of Muhammed Ali was the "Thrilla in Manila"fight in the 70s. Everything else pales before and after. Ali's pictures were all over the newspapers and I particularly saw one where he was standing on a weighing scale and his penis was showing underneath his shorts.  I was initially shocked. But looking alongside the other photos, there was nothing extraordinary about it. It was the most natural thing like all the rest, very matter-of-factly, no malice - I liked that!

On the day of the big fight, my brother, Jesse, went to work at about 4 in the morning and finished everything he could before 9 so he could see the fight live! It was really a "Thrilla"!! Needless to say, Muhammed Ali won. Of course, as he always self-proclaimed, "I am the greatest!!!"
In the beginning, I thought he was all ego until I realized, it was all about self-confidence. Beyond self-confidence - It's knowing yourself.

And who can forget his most famous quote, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." - Love it!


Today, just now, it was announced all over the news, Muhammed Ali, the greatest American boxer, passed away.

Muhammed Ali is simply beyond words for me. I'll let the news talk -

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/03/us/muhammad-ali/

http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/look-back-boxings-ali-frazier-thrilla-in-manila/

Rest in peace, Muhammed Ali. Your memory lives on...

Quiet Time

This is Live webinar right now.  First time for me. After that, it must be just audio, I don't know.  But I'm loving it... Anything about TM excites me, uplifts me, fulfills me, and I always wanna share with you all. Very interesting!

Enjoy! 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL MOTHER OF ALL, MY MOM!!

Timeless - The Picture of the Century

My mother at 100 years old

(March 9, 2016)

                                                                

When I was a little girl, I thought my mother was the most beautiful lady in the world and the greatest mother of all. She just turned 100 this year 2016, and, yes, she’s the most beautiful woman in the world and the greatest mother of all!

My Mom came from a little town of Placer, Masbate. And one of my most unforgettable anecdotes about her is when she was about 11. She was playing at her front yard when she heard a voice, “Esperanza, Esperanza… Poise.”

She didn’t know what it was, where it was coming from.  It repeated, “Esperanza, Esperanza… Poise.”

She looked around and saw a bird on a tree… and it was the bird talking!! And this time, she saw the bird literally saying, ”Esperanza, Esperanza… Poise.”

She didn’t know what “Poise” meant, so she ran home to look for the meaning of the word - Poise (noun) - Calm confidence in a person’s way of behaving; a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession 

Looking back, my Mom says that it must’ve been Nature’s way through the bird to prepare her for what she was to become - 

My mother took high school in 3 three years at that time when there was no such thing as “Accelerated”! She graduated class valedictorian. She went on to study medicine in UST and became the first lady physician of Masbate. Later, she moved to Manila, after marrying a lawyer, Pacifico P. de Castro, she met in Manila when she was in College, and had 5 children, with me, the youngest and the only girl. My mom went to UP and earned her certificate in Public Health, and soon after worked as Municipal Health Officer of Mandaluyong, of which she founded the MANDALUYONG MEDICAL SOCIETY, which has become an integral part of PHILIPPINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. She moved on to become Provincial Health Officer of Pasig, and finally, City Health Officer of Quezon City. She was also one of the founders of FAMILY PLANNING OF THE PHILIPPINES. And who would expect that one day, her husband, my dad, would become one of the Justices of the Supreme Court!

At UST’s 400^th year celebration in 2011-2012, my mother was the oldest living alumna and was awarded a platinum medal.

My mother is the heart of the family, the light of the home, the source of all our joy, healing, and strength. She is my most powerful influence and greatest inspiration in life!!

(This is an article I wrote for our school's CHS Newsletter, WE, THE ALUMNAE, featuring Alumnae's Mothers/Grandmothers)

Less is More

Lately, I've been drawn to quotes, thoughts for the day, and the like. I hear them, see them everywhere on the web, TV, billboards, etc., sometimes just a word or two, a phrase, a line, simple but profound, short but clear - Succinct. Even at Sunday mass last week, (which I haven't been attending for quite a while), the General Intercession or Prayer for the Faithful was the shortest I've ever heard. Where the lector would generally pray:

Lector: For Pope Francis that he........... (whatever the intention is), let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer. 
Lector continues on with each petition, (describing each intention), and everyone answers similar response.

This one was simply:

Lector: For Pope Francis, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer. 
Lector: For President Obama and all world leaders, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.

... and so on.

Again, short and clear. To the point. Sometimes, less is more. It's what's been beckoning me nowadays.


... I like it!

Thought for the Day

"I always say that incurable means "curable from within". - Dr. John Demartini - WOW!

First, the word, Impossible. I remember when that word meant just that - Impossible! In all contexts of the word. And life was frustrating, disappointing, discouraging and on and on.

Now words are redefined. The paradigm shift on 'Impossible' now is I'M POSSIBLE - Unbelievable!

And now, the word, Incurable. I remember when that word meant just that - No cure, hopeless, a death sentence, and on and on. It affected everyone diagnosed with such diseases as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and more. It broke relationships, tore families apart, destroyed lives. It was devastating.

Now the new perspective on 'Incurable' is CURABLE FROM WITHIN.

Now there's hope. Bigger hope. Brighter future. We can see light at the end of the tunnel, and it's getting closer, bigger, brighter! 

Yes, we may not see cures from all diseases in this lifetime, because we are talking cure from the Outside, where matter, our bodies, is a physical substance, somethinng that occupies space and time, and where Western medicine takes over with research studies, breakthroughs, clinical trials and more. Needless to say, it shall take time.

But cure from the Inside, from inside out, from inside each one of us, where Spirit lives, yes, we can see cures in this lifetime, and it can happen in an instant, like right here, right now.

How?! To our limited human minds, it's difficult to grasp. But to God's mind, the answer was and has always been there and will always be there. It is here and now, this very moment. Once we tap into God's mind, into God's consciousness, the cure is there. It's marvelous!


IT IS... MARVELOUS!!