i have been reading parenting books recently and it has re-adjusted the priorities in my life once again...

i want to do my utmost to be a true husband and a true father... i want to be a true man! i realised that man nowsdays have lost the true meaning of manhood... they think that manhood is about acting cool, about having a sociable night life, about having nice cars and big houses, about dining in fine restaurants, about having a well-built body, about bringing in the money for the family and that's all... they are no longer functioning properly as a husband and a father...they are too obsessed with work and pleasures... they have taken a back seat in shaping their family... they are not connecting with their kids... they are taking their wife for granted... and this has got to change...at least for my case... i have to be more proactive... to make a real difference in their lives... amen

Comment! (0) | Recommend! | Categories: fatherhood [t]

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR NOTES OF CONCERN!
I am pretty fine now... everything is back to normal again :D

though 2 days late, i have decided to continue with the tuesdays series...

what are your views about emotions? (so timely)

Though man tend to be more rational than emotional, I tend to incline myself to the latter. I tend to show my feelings more openly and let my heart rule over my mind. This may be undesirable at times when it comes to decision making but i have decided to enjoy the way i am created and to put it to good use.

How? by feeling for others so that i am sympathise with them... by smiling at them... by laughing with them... by crying with them... what is more straight forward than that in showing that i have feelings for the people around? by putting feeling in the things that i am doing and enjoying it to the max... by putting feelings in the stories i read, the movies i watched, the songs that i hear so that it will help me to remember and appreciate them better... by putting feelings in my speech so that i can touch people's hearts and their mind...

also, barnishing negative feelings is all so important... keeping feelings of resentment, anger, jealousy and bitterness within me is more intoxicating than inhaling smoke from a cigarette or drinking down a barrel of beer... the moment i am filled with such emotions, I will quickly let them go... it's silly to hold on to them... the longer you hold, the more unlikely you are to let them go... never let these feelings weigh you down... it is not worth it! how do i let go? I let God... i cast them all at His feet... how do i do that? i take a deep breath and sigh... as i do, i pray and ask Him to take it all away... and He always do... :D cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you :D

Comment! (0) | Recommend! | Categories: emotions [t]

i have been down these couple of days...

feeling sick... had to breathe through my mouth

don't feel like talking much to anyone...

dont' feel like doing anything...

don't feel like blogging...

don't feel much emotions at all...

just going through the motion day by day...

until i let go and let God...

i am thankful everything is coming back again...

slowly but surely...

:D

Comment! (2) | Recommend! | Categories: spiritual [t]

went to the oldest passenger ship (it was built in 1914, 2 years after Titanic) that is currently docked beside vivo city. it's called the MV doulos, where doulos in Greek means servant. you can sign up for a 2 years stint on board if you want to but you have to serve in all areas (big or small) while you are on board to keep the ship going. there are about 350 passengers VOLUNTEERS on board from 40 over nations around the world. They aim to bring knowledge, help and hope to all the nations they visit through the books that they sell. their bestseller all these years is the Bible and that is one book that changed more lives than any other books in the world! the tour guide who brought us around is from brazil and his name is Junior. He has already spent 1 year on board and he enjoys the experience tremendously! He mentioned that there is no culture on board as everyone is all mixed up! he stays with a japanese, an indian and a mexican in a small cabin. seeing them working and living together really amazes me and makes me yield to sign up for it! :D

anyway, i bought two books from the book fair to beef up my knowlege in parenting:
1. 10 secrets for raising sensible, successful kids
2. raising a modern-day knight (a father's role in guiding his son to authentic manhood)

the ship is open to the public until this sat. they will then set sail to philippines! bon voyage! :D

Comment! (1) | Recommend! (1) | Categories: ship visit [t], servant [t], books [t]

what is your view about family?

to some, a family may just be a genetic relationship between a group of people known as the parents, the children and the siblings. some go through life, hating their fathers for not supporting the family or being angry with their parents for dictating their lives, or bitter about the favourtism shown to their siblings and ended up treating them as enemies or coming home to an empty house with family members living together (but not living their lives together), each busy with their own stuff and living in their own private space or some having only a father or a mother as their family member as a result of divorce or some having foster parents who have kids of their own but became their artificial family when their natural parents decided to forsake them.

why do i start with such a negative picture of a family? well, that's how most families in modern society are these days and that is why, all the more, we should not take our families for granted and we should be happy with the normal families that we have!

a supportive and loving family does not come naturally these days. The love required, the sacrifices to be made and the ability to recognise each other's uniquesness and roles in the family are missing these days. Although the natural bond is there, the natural affection that should come along with it is surprisingly lacking among families. perhaps it's the fast-paced lifestyle that have crowded and numbed our feelings, leading to communication breakdown or the variety of entertainment offered on TV or on game consoles or on the Net that stranded us from reality and responsibilities. whatever the case, the easy way out is to look for another group of people who will accept you, make you feel loved and share your interests. friends now take the place of the family (which is forsaken) to provide the intimacy that humans long for. yet, we dont realise that a friend (no matter how close) can never really stand with you through every thick and thin. only your family can... even though this may not be obvious to some until the most crucial moments... never ever give up on your family cos they will never ever give up on you...the blood is always thicker than water...

for me, i am still learning how to establish my own happy family... i have much to learn in being a father... i have much to learn in being a husband... and this learning will never end... :D

Comment! (0) | Recommend! | Categories: family [t]

We are designed as social beings. we are created to have relationships and there is a principle on how a relationship is established. if the principle is violated, the consequence is eventually death...be it physical, emotional or spiritual death...

a relationship has 4 stages:
1. introduction
2. acquaintance
3. friendship
4. intimacy

for a relationship to develop fully and enter into maturity, the relationship must go through all 4 stages in that order.

however, people of the opposite sex are beginning to violate this principle so frequently nowsadays. some jump from introduction to intimacy all in a single night. this only leads to regrets and disillusions. if someone is trying to be close to you by skipping step 2 and 3, you better ask the person to back off and take it easy. we need to take things one at a time...

the 4 stages must be experienced if you want to increase the chance of a lasting marriage. divorce rate is reaching an all time high these days b'cos people come in and out of a marriage without first knowing their partner well as an acquaintance and then a friend. they dont try to know the other person well enough and said "i do" easily, only to regret later after another life is born out of that marriage. beware and be careful with relationships... it can make or break a person.

have you ever thought why there is such stringent rules to ensure that a person must pass theory tests before they can take a road test to be given the license to drive but not for marriage? a car can turn into a weapon of mass destruction if it is in the wrong hands but isn't marriage equally, if not, more damaging when a "wrong" pair of couple is in it?

may all relationships turn out well for you and me :D

Comment! (2) | Recommend! (1) | Categories: relationship [t]