You Reap What You Sow

Good morning said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on ground.

The man slowly looked up.

This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life.. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.

His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. "Leave me alone," he growled....

To his amazement, the woman continued standing.

She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically.. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader..

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.

"What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked..

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet.. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer.. I didn't do anything."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived...

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady.. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

"Oh."

The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. "Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes.. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet.. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus... He led me to you."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways...

"Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And..And thank you for the coffee."


If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.

If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh.

But, if you have missed knowing my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, you have missed everything in the world.

Have a Wonderful Day. May God Bless You Always and don't forget that when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you..

God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart..

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go.
Only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

The power of one sentence!

God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor.

God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close..
If you need God to open some doors for you....send this on.

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing...

Galatians 6:6-8

Love...

Sometimes, in our relentless efforts to find the person we love, we fail to recognize and appreciate the people who love us. We miss out on so many beautiful things and simply because we allow ourselves to be enslaved by our own selfish concerns.�

Go for the man/woman of deeds and not for the man/woman of words for you will find rewarding happiness not with the man/woman you love but the man/woman who loves you more. The best lovers are those who are capable of loving from a distance, far enough to allow the person to grow, but never too far to feel the love deep within your being.�

To let go of someone doesn't mean you have to stop loving, it only means that you allow the person to find his own happiness without expecting him to come back. Letting go is not just setting the other person free,but it is also setting yourself free from all bitterness, hatred, and anger that you keep in your heart.�

Do not let the bitterness rare away your strength and weaken your faith, and never allow pain to dishearten you, but rather let you grow with wisdom in bearing it.�

You may find peace in just loving someone from a distance, not expecting anything in return. But be careful, for this can sustain life, but can never give enough room for us to grow. We can all survive with just beautiful memories of the past but real peace and happiness come only with open acceptance of what reality is today.�

There comes a time in our lives when we chance upon someone so nice and beautiful and we just find ourselves getting so intensely attracted to that person. This feeling soon becomes a part of our everyday lives and eventually consumes our thoughts and actions.�

The sad part of it is when we begin to realize that this person feels nothing more for us than just friendship. We start our desperate attempt to get noticed and be closer but in the end our efforts are still unrewarded and we end up being sorry for ourselves.�

You don't have to forget someone you love. What you need to learn is how to accept the verdict of reality without being bitter or sorry for yourself.�

BELIEVE me, you would be better off giving that dedication and love to someone more deserving. Don't let your heart run your life, be sensible and let your mind speak for itself. Listen not only to your feelings but to reason as well.�

Always remember that if you lose someone today, it means that someone better is coming tomorrow.�

If you lose love, that doesn't mean that you failed in love.�

Cry if you have to, but make it sure that the tears wash away the hurt and bitterness that the past has left with you. Let go of yesterday and love will find its way back to you. And when it does, pray that it may be the love that will stay and last a lifetime.

- this was sent to me last Aug. 19, 2002. I didn't really bother reading this email back then but right now I can feel its meaning, its truth that somehow kinda nudges me back to reality - the reality that I am still alone.�

hope everyone who reads this will learn something, or realize things, or even understand what's been there for some time now..

this is me on emo mode, on a very long, unproductive, tiring, boring, and lonely day... bye.

Cagayan de Oro mourns and thanks Tita Cory

Noon of today, the CDOBloggers had to meet at divisoria for some work to do for the upcoming Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 (MBS3).

While we were waiting for the others, I saw yellow ribbons tied at posts around divisoria. I had to take a photo so I can blog about it and let the Aquino family know, in a way, that Cagayan de Oro appreciates so much what Tita Cory has done for everyone. Here's a photo of yellow ribbons we saw around divisoria earlier today:

Yellow ribbons around divisoria for Tita Cory

After a very long, productive, and tiring day, we headed back to divisoria, arrived there around 8pm, so we can go back to our respective homes. As we were about to get a taxi, my sister and I saw this - flowers and candle offerings for Tita Cory from fellow Kagay-anons.

Stage facing the Plaza.

Flowers and Lit Candles from Kagay-anons
(back of the stage)

I had my sister take photos cause I didn't see any media people around, maybe they didn't know or maybe we were just early there. We weren't able to take much photos because my camera ran out of batteries.

Half of this part of Velez road was closed with RTA watching over it. We saw a few men and women in yellow shirts with Tita Cory's picture, we also saw nuns at the plaza. I was going to ask them about what's going to happen tonight but they looked busy trying to organize things and talking so I didn't get the chance to.

the Men wearing Tita Cory shirts busy talking about something.

Yellow flowers for Tita Cory

As we stayed a bit longer, a lot of people came and lit a candle for Tita Cory as they passed by. Also those people who just came out from work, like these people from Agfa Colorhouse whose office is about a block away from this street.

Kagay-anons lit candles for Tita Cory

More people arrived and lit a candle for Tita Cory
(my last photo of the night)

When my friend PangitSter plurked that he just got home, I asked him if there was still people in the plaza, he said there were alot, maybe they'd go on a vigil. I thought the same way, we just don't know the exact details. I just overheard the guy talking when we left that there was going to be a mass while he was talking about how good Tita Cory was.

To the icon and mother of Philippine democracy - we will miss you po. Thank you for giving us the inspiration and a lot of hope for a better Philippines. For the sacrifice, the hard work, and the love you have shown for the Filipinos. We thank you po. You will be always remembered by the Kagay-anons.

REGISTER & VOTE Bus & Rock the Vote Visits Cagayan de Oro

July 30, 2009 – The REGISTER & VOTE (RV) Campaign Bus visited Cagayan de Oro with RV Movers Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros, Atty. Alex Lacson, and Congressman Teddy Casiño. The RV bus, which symbolizes the Register and Vote (RV) Campaign, aims to empower up to nine million first-time Filipino voters through voter registration, as their first step to political empowerment and public participation, also to inspire Filipinos from different sectors and geographic locations to move for positive change through online and offline cooperation, knowledge sharing and information exchange, capacity-building, and public information and advocacy.

The first stop of the day was at PJoe's Diner at Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Mall where the MOA signing between Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, RV Team, and COMELEC took place at 10:30 AM. I didn't get to witness this event cause I was still dead asleep on my bed, but 3 of our fellow CDOBloggers officers were able to make it there - pinks0da, Dingexx, and Magman who were so star stricken to see and sit with Senator Kiko Pangilinan himself who was way taller and much more handsome than showed on TV. They were so stunned that they didn't even notice nor were they enticed of the food served right in front of them.

CDOBloggers arriving at Pryce Plaza Hotel

CDOBloggers talking about PJoe's MOA Signing with Sen. Kiko & COMELEC

Next stop was at Pryce Plaza Hotel for a meeting/press conference/forum with Sen. Kiko and the Department of Agrarian Reform-X (DAR). It was also participated by different non-government organizations (NGOs) from Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and other provinces of Region 10. This is where I and some more of the CDOBloggers came in – Mike Abonitalla, Venus, Bang, BBJane, May Ann, and Magnus. This is also where we got our official Media pass. We then had a very quick lunch – most of us didn’t get to finish our lunch because our food came in late and we were so excited when Ms. Irene said it was time for our picture taking with the Senator. We then rushed out the hallway before the Senator came out and prepped ourselves there. As Sen. Kiko was approaching us, Ms. Irene and Ms. Julie then pointed at us and introduced us as the bloggers of Cagayan de Oro and we smiled with pride while Sen. Kiko himself shook hands with my fellow bloggers. We then had a group photo, taken by Bon Aserios, with the Senator.

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan awarding land titles for DAR at Pryze Plaza Hotel

Bon Aserios and Ms. Irene Aserios prepping for the quick
CDOBloggers shoot with Sen. Kiko Pangilinan

Before leaving Pryce Plaza, we were given the chance to take photos of the RV Bus and also got the chance to ride on the bus as the team headed to MUST (Mindanao University of Science and Technology) for an afternoon forum with the students. We were welcomed by the MUST tribal dancers as the bus was entering the vicinity. As the Senator was about the speak, the heavy rain came pouring down, but it never stopped the students to listen and show interest on Sen. Kiko’s advocacy speech, encouraging the students to be part of the 9 million expected first time voters this coming 2010. I, for one, will be part of it. Yep, it’ll be my first time then – don’t ask why. LOL.

CDOBloggers with the Register & Vote (RV) Bus outside Pryce Plaza Hotel

Bang, Pinks0da, Venus, BBJane on board RV Bus

Magnus, Dingexx, and I on board the RV Bus

Magman on board the RV Bus

MUST welcomes us with dances

Dingexx, I, Ms. Irene Aserios, and Pinks0da at MUST grounds.

MUST students listening to Senator Kiko Pangilinan under the rain

Eager and Interested students listening to
Senator Kiko Pangilinan under the bad weather.

We, Magman and I, were then toured by Pinks0da and Dingexx around their alma mater. After the quick tour, the RV Team headed for COC (Cagayan de Oro College) for another talk. We didn’t go with them this time cause we wanted to rest and gather up strength for the concert. We took a quick snack at KFC Limketkai and headed to Pinks0da’s place for a quick rest.

6:00 PM came; we rush down to Xavier University Gym, since it was time for the Rock the Vote Concert featuring HALE, SPONGECOLA, LUKE MEJARES and other surprise guests. As the Cagayan de Oro local bands played, Ms. Irene asked us to go in front and squat at the front row portion of the floor so others would follow. As we were sitting there, we could feel everyone staring at us wondering what we were doing. The emcee’s then announced the dance floor was for everyone, people from the balcony went rushing down to sit with us and we all enjoyed the CDO local rock bands: Upstart, Tabularaza, Twin Chicken, and K9 among others. Tj Ortiz and Sandy David also shook the crowd with their acoustic music where the audiences sang their hearts out – each of the artists also was inviting and encouraging everyone in the gym to register and vote on the upcoming election, to make a difference, to not just complain about the current leaders – but to find a way to change by registering and voting for a better leader.

CDOBloggers first on the XU Gym dance floor.

Twin Chicken at the Rock the Vote concert - CDO

Tabularaza at the Rock the Vote concert - CDO

K9 at the Rock the Vote concert - CDO

Sandy David at the Rock the Vote concert - CDO

We then paused to welcome the special guests – the RV Movers Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros, Atty. Alex Lacson, and Congressman Teddy Casiño and Xavier University’s very own Fr. Jet Villarin.

RV Movers in Rock the Vote, XU Gym, Cagayan de Oro

XU's Fr. Jet Villarin leads the prayer for President Cory Aquino.

Fr. Jet led the prayer for former President Cory Aquino’s health before the Unity Statement took place. We were given glow sticks before they arrived and we weren’t informed we were going to use it for that portion, so instead of using the glow sticks, we used our cellphones to light up the gym as sign of Unity of the Filipino people in the call for REAL CHANGE. That we deserve better. Our families deserves better.

Unity Statement and lighting of our cellphones. Photo by Bon Aserios

CDOBloggers right beside the stage.

CDOBloggers on the dance floor.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan at the Rock the Vote Concert - CDO

After each of the RV Movers came up to talk and encouraged everyone to register and vote. The rocking of the gym continued – this time Luke Mejares, Spongecola, and Hale did the job. We would like to thank Ms. Irene Aserios for giving CDOBloggers the opportunity to join this event with special privileges, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have seen/touched/photographed these very special icons of the country up-close and personal. Thru this event, I will get registered – together with my fellow unregistered cdobloggers, who lost hope in our election system and the government – this is for our future and our families’ future. Let’s all register and vote this coming 2010!

Luke Mejares at the Rock the Vote Concert - CDO

Spongecola at the Rock the Vote Cagayan de Oro

Spongecola

RV Movers enjoying the show

Our pic with Spongecola-Yael's shoe, we were just below him

Hale at the Rock the Vote Concert - Cagayan de Oro
(photo taken from afar - you'll know why later. hehe)

CDOBloggers with Congressman Teddy Casiño.

CDOBloggers with the RV Team

CDOBloggers with Noli Benavent - the guy behind NO TO CON-ASS

The "pulis" who didn't allow us to come back up on stage, even if we were there the whole time way before they stood their post there. To think Hale was the last band to play that night. We were a bit annoyed and pissed for this, we were able to cover almost all the event's happenings except Hale's because of them. Anyway, we got some pics from afar and we decided to leave cause of dismay but we did enjoy the event.

CDOBloggers last men standing.

More photos of the event here.