God blessed the broken road

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus:]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You’ve been there you understand
It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]

Now I’m just rolling home
Into my lover’s arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

1.          Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you
walk, smile.

2.          Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3.          Sleep for 7 hours.

4.          Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

5.          Play more games.

6.          Read more books than you did in 2007.

7.          Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8.          Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the
age of 6.

9.          Dream more while you are awake.

10.        Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat
less food that is manufactured in plants.

11.        Drink plenty of water.

12.        Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13.        Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.

14.        Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner
with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present
happiness.

15.        Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot
control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

16.        Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade
away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a
lifetime.

17.        Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and
dinner like a beggar.

18.        Smile and laugh more.

19.        Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t
hate others.

20.      Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21.        You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22.      Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

23.      Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what
their journey is all about. Don’t compare your partner with others.

24.      No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25.      Forgive everyone for everything.

26.      What other people think of you is none of your business.

27.      However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

28.      Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your
friends will. Stay in touch.

29.      Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or
joyful.

30.      Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

31.        The best is yet to come.

32.      No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

33.      Do the right thing!

34.      Call your family often.

35.      Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.

36.      Each day give something good to others.

37.      Don’t over do. Keep your limits.

38.      Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

(This song is for my princess Nathania Liora…)

By Celine Dion

If I could
I’d protect you from the sadness in your eyes
Give you courage in a world of compromise
Yes, I would

If I could
I would teach you all the things I’ve never learned
And I’d help you cross the bridges that I’ve burned
Yes, I would

If I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn’t mine
I’ve watched you grow
So I could let you go

If I could
I would help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears
But I would
If I could

If I live
In a time and place where you don’t want to be
You don’t have to walk along this road with me
My yesterday
Won’t have to be your way

If I knew
I’d would try to change the world I brought to you to

(Isn’t there and extra ‘to’ there?)

And there isn’t very much that I can do
But I would
If I could…
oh baby… I just want to protect you
and help my baby through the hungry years
cause you’re part of me
and if you ever… ever need
I said a shoulder to cry on
Or just someone to talk to
I’ll be there… I’ll be there
I didn’t change your world
but I would
If I Could!

Your Size Doesn’t Matter;

What Matters Is The Size Of Your Dream

I just read the biography of John Gokongwei, The Path of Entrepreneurship.

          It’s an incredible story.

Did you know that on his 80^th
birthday, he gave away half of his billions to charity? I want to do
exactly the same thing when I reach 80. (I’ve got a few more years to
earn my billions.)

A few weeks ago, I visited San Carlos University in Cebu.

I
saw first hand a beautiful, massive school building donated by John
Gokongwei—to the tune of P150 Million. He’s also donated other
buildings to Ateneo de Manila and Sacred Heart School in Cebu.

          Not bad for a guy who was selling peanuts at the backyard of his home.

 Actually,
John Gokongwei was born to a rich family. His father owned a chain of
movie houses. A chauffeur drove him to school. And in school, he had
lots of friends because he would invite them to watch movies for free.

         
But when he was 13, his father suddenly died of typhoid. Because his
father’s empire was built on credit, they lost everything—the
businesses, the house, the cars…

          “When the free movies disappeared, I lost half of my friends,” he said.

         
When John had to walk 2 miles to school for the first time, he cried to
his mother. But she said, “You should feel lucky. Some people have no
shoes to walk to school.”

          The 13-year-old John was forced to work.

         
He woke up at 5am to bike to the market with his basket of goods. There
he set up a tiny table to sell soap, candles, and thread.

          In 1943, he expanded his business. From Cebu, he would transport tires on a small boat called a batel to Manila. That was a five-day journey! And in Manila, he would buy goods he could bring back and sell in Cebu.

          Fast forward today and John Gokongwei leads a multi-billion empire consisting of Cebu Pacific, Sun Cellular, Universal Robina, Robinsons malls, and a host of other companies. (I like Jack n Jill snacks, so I’m a fan.)

          How did that happen? How could Cebu Pacific (the airline that made flights so affordable) start from selling peanuts? How could Robinsons malls start from a tiny table in a palengke?

 Simple:
John Gokongwei started small but dreamt big. His dream was so powerful,
it fueled his daily life. He worked hard to make his dreams come true.

          And that’s a universal principle you can bring to the bank.

 Do you want to succeed in life?

          Start small, dream big.

1) Start Small

I
know one very impatient person who did the very opposite: He liked to
start big. I saw this man everyday. When? When I see the mirror!

Yes,
this is my weakness, and I’ve paid dearly for it. But I’m
learning. Here’s the reason why we need to start small: Because at the
start of our learning curve, we will fail. You can bet your life on
that. Beginners will fail, period. But if we start small, our failures
won’t crush us. But if we start big right away, our failures will be
big too, and we may give up. Believe me, in my businesses, I’ve lost
millions because I didn’t know how to start small. I will never forget
this lesson because of my very high tuition fees!

2) Dream Big

I know some people who dream small dreams.

And these small dreams don’t happen. Because from the very start, they’re not exciting enough. So they don’t even take off.

Here’s
what I found out: Small dreams attract small men. Big dreams attract
big men. As well as all the big resources of the universe.

In
my ministry work for the Lord, I’ve learned that its easier to raise P1
Million than P100,000. And it’s easier to raise P10 Million than P1
Million.

Friend, your size doesn’t matter.

What matters is the size of your dream.

As you focus and work on your dream, you grow as big as your dream.

As you grow your dream, you also keep growing.

As you expand your dream, you also keep expanding.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

      
From a column of Ally
McBeal

    I have a friend who is falling in love. She
honestly

    claims the sky is bluer. Mozart moves her to
tears.

    She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover
girl.

    "I’m young again!" she shouts exuberantly.

    As my friend raves on about her new love, I’ve
taken a

    good look at my old one. My husband of almost
20

    years, Scott, has gained 15 pounds. Once a
marathon

    runner, he now runs only down hospital halls.
His

    hairline is receding and his body shows the
signs of

    long working hours and too many candy bars. Yet, he

    can still give me a certain look across a
restaurant

    table and I want to ask for the check and head
home.

    When my friend asked me "What will make this
love

    last?" I ran through all the obvious
reasons:

    commitment, shared interests, unselfishness,
physical

    attraction, and communication. Yet, there’s
more.

    We still have fun. Spontaneous good times.
Yesterday,

    after slipping the rubber band off the rolled up

    newspaper, Scott flipped it playfully at me:
this led

    to an all-out war.

    Last Saturday at the grocery, we split the list
and

    raced each other to see who could make it to
the

    checkout first. Even washing dishes can be a
blast. We

    enjoy simply being together. And there are
surprises.

    One time I came home to find a note on the
front door

    that led me to another note, then another,
until I

    reached the walk-in closet. I opened the door
to find

    Scott holding a "pot of gold " (my
cooking kettle) and

    the "treasure" of a gift package.
Sometimes I leave

    him notes on the mirror and little presents
under his

    pillow.

    There is understanding. I understand why he
must play

    basketball with the guys. And he understands
why, once

    a year, I must get away from the house, the
kids –

    and even him — to meet my sisters for a few
days of

    nonstop talking and laughing.

    There is sharing. Not only do we share
household

    worries and parental burdens — we also share
ideas.

    Scott came home from a convention last month
and

    presented me with a thick historical novel.
Though he

    prefers thrillers and science fiction, he had
read the

    novel on the plane. He touched my heart when he

    explained it was because he wanted to be able
to

    exchange ideas about the book after I’d read
it.

    There is forgiveness. When I’m embarrassingly
loud and

    crazy at parties, Scott forgives me. When he
confessed

    losing some of our savings in the stock market,
I gave

    him a hug and said, "It’s okay. It’s only
money."

    There is sensitivity. Last week he walked
through the

    door with that look that tells me it’s been a
tough

    day. After he spent some time with the kids, I
asked

    him what happened. He told me about a 60-year
old

    woman who’d had a stroke. He wept as he
recalled the

    woman’s husband standing beside her bed,
caressing her

    hand. How was he going to tell this husband of
40

    years that his wife would probably never
recover? I

    shed a few tears myself. Because of the medical

    crisis. Because there were still people who
have been

    married 40 years. Because my husband is still
moved

    and concerned after years of hospital rooms and
dying

    patients.

    There is faith. Last Tuesday a friend came over
and

    confessed her fear that her husband is losing
his

    courageous battle with cancer. On Wednesday, I went to

    lunch with a friend who is struggling to
reshape her

    life after divorce. On Thursday, a neighbor called to

    talk about the frightening effects of
Alzheimer’s

    disease on her father-in-law’s personality. On Friday,

    a childhood friend called long-distance to tell
me her

    father had died. I hung up the phone and
thought,

    ?This is too much heartache for one week.?
Through my

    tears, as I went out to run some errands, I
noticed

    the boisterous orange blossoms of the gladiolas

    outside my window. I heard the delighted
laughter of

    my son and his friend as they played. I caught
sight

    of a wedding party emerging from a neighbor’s
house.

    The bride, dressed in satin and lace, tossed
her

    bouquet to her cheering friends.

    That night, I told my husband about these events.
We

    helped each other acknowledge the cycles of
life and

    that the joys counter the sorrows. It was
enough to

    keep us going.

    Finally, there is knowing. I know Scott will
throw his

    laundry just shy of the hamper every night;
he’ll be

    late to most appointments and eat the last
chocolate

    in the box. He knows that I sleep with a pillow
over

    my head; that I’ll lock us out of the house at
a

    regular basis, and I will also eat the last
chocolate.

    I guess our love lasts because it is
comfortable.  No,

    the sky is not bluer: it’s just a familiar hue.
We

    don’t feel particularly young: we’ve
experienced too

    much that has contributed to our growth and
wisdom,

    taking its toll on our bodies, and created our

    memories.

    I hope we’ve got what it takes to make our love
last.

    As a bride, I had Scott’s wedding band engraved
with

 Robert Browning’s line "Grow old
along with me!"

    We’re following those instructions. "If
anything is

    real, the heart will make it plain."

   
*******************************************************

    There are some people who meet that somebody
that they

    can never stop loving, no matter how hard they
try. I

    wouldn’t expect you to understand that, or even

    believe it, but trust me, there are some love
that

    don’t go away. And maybe that makes them crazy,
but we

    should all be lucky to end up with that
somebody who

    has a little of that insanity. Somebody who
never lets

    go. Somebody who cherishes you forever."

    –Ally McBeal

My life was a constant uphill climb
Never got it right
Each one I loved went through a change of heart
You came and my world turned upside down
You sung a different tune
Can’t let go
It keeps playing on my mind

Now there’s a reason to wake up each day
A reason to shake my blues away
Now I am whole, a lucky soul
I wanna thank you for your love
Thank you
Thank you for your love

Confused
My heart was in a daze
Learn to live with pain
I loved too haste then watch it go to waste
You came and brought music to my soul
Inspired me to the very core
You touched me well
No one has been before

* Now there’s a reson to wake up each day
I thank the Lord for sending you my way
Now I am whole, a lucky soul
I wanna thank you for your love

Thank you
Thank you for your love

I saw the world in shades of black and gray, yey
Turning blue with every passing day
Just when I thought that maybe all was lost
My life took on a new turn
And it’s all because
It’s because
(repeat *)

Now looking back
All the pain
No more dark clouds
No more rain

Thank you (Thank you)
Thank you for your love 

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a
well. The animal cried piteously for hours as
the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the
well needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began
to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the
donkey realized what was happening and cried
horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he
quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally
looked down the well. He was astonished at what
he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his
back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel
dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it
off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey
stepped up over the edge of the well and
happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds
of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well
is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out
of the deepest wells just by not stopping,
never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

Live simply and appreciate what you have.

Give more.

Expect less

NOW …………

Enough of that crap . . The donkey later came back,
and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.
The gash from the bite got infected and
the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY’S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover
your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

I wont talk
I wont breathe
I wont move till you finally see
That you belong with me

You might think I dont look
But deep inside
In the corner of my mind
Im attached to you
Im weak
Its true
Cuz im afraid to know the answer
Do you want me too?
Cuz my heart keeps falling faster

I’ve waited all my life
To cross this line
To the only thing thats true
So I will not hide
Its time to try
Anything to be with you
All my life I’ve waited
This is true

You dont know what you do
Everytime you walk into the room
Im afraid to move
Im weak
Its true
Im just scared to know the ending
Do you see me too?
Do you even know u met me?

I’ve waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing thats true
So I will not hide
Its time to try anything to be with you
All my life I’ve waited

This is true

I know when I go ill be on my way to you
The way thats true

I’ve waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing thats true
So I will not hide
Its time to try anything to be with you
All my life I’ve waited

This is true

I was awake a minute before i received a text message from my father. As if im waiting for it to come. It was 3am (May 26,’07) & he informed me that the criminal was finally found. They’re in the NBI & interrogating the criminal. I was relieved. I know now that my brother’s soul would be forever at peace. When he was asked why he did it, he simply said that he’s mad with someone & ready to kill him. But he could not find him. So when my brother passed by, he stabbed him instead. Thrice at the back.

I’m feeling the pain again like the first time i heard my brothers struggling in the hospital. This time again, I was not in the scene to hug my parents. I was not there to ease there anger against the criminal. When I called my mother, she was crying. And there’s nothing I did but to listen. She’s been into so much & her only daughter was away.

But i am so thankful that our prayer was fulfilled. The criminal was captured after 5 months of hunting. The justice has been given at last!

Ill be counting the days im returning home. The first thing i will do is to visit the criminal & hurt him in many possible ways. Ohh im itching to do it! Please forgive me God if i lost my control…just let me do it. Just this one…

There are times in our lives when we are swept over by raging emotions. Times when we are overwhelmed by sadness and overcome by misery. Times when we feel that we are loved only for the worth others could get from us and not for who we really are. It is natural to feel this way. Sometimes, we all need to be alone, to feel blue, to feel lonely, to listen to a song and cry.

Then we ask ourselves, ”Why does this song have to end?” Why do we have to cry when love is taken away from us? Why does it have to hurt when we let go of someone we love? In a relationship we treasure, the hardest thing to do is saying goodbye and setting someone free. In every last embrace, a part of us dies. Every teardrop that falls washes away our hopes. Then, we are left with nothing but pain and bitter memories because we have lost love but never knew how and will probably never know why.

We try to get away but every move we make somehow has its way of reminding us of the past all over again. Every turn of our head and every blink of an eye remind us of love lost in eternity. It makes us wonder how one person can make us feel so empty, so alone, and so desolate.

Every song no matter how beautiful it is will have to end on its last note. Like every day has its night, all that has started will have to end in its own time. It is an inevitability that we cannot restrain, something that we cannot control, and just a fact that we have to accept and live up with.

Let us remember that our lives don’t have to end where our heartaches begin. Somewhere, someone will come along and sing us his song of love. Someday, someone will fill our lives with joy and happiness. Somehow, we’ll find love again. It will wipe away our tears and bring us the promise of a new life, a new hope and a beautiful beginning.

- Joe D Mango (From the album LOVENOTES… Feeling Blue)

(Another note that reminds me of my past. A note that brings hope & courage to move on.)