Of Giving Thanks and Learnings: My DepEd NLTSGO 2010 Experience

(sharing a note posted by my son on FB)

Of Giving Thanks and Learnings: My DepEd NLTSGO 2010 Experience
by Gabriel C. Jose on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 12:03am

**This isn't my note yet for the whole team of DepEd 2010, core, facis, adult supervisors, etc. More time should be alotted for that.:p**

Last September 4-7, 2010, I was in Baguio with a group of 76 Atenean facilitators including my fellow core members, External Relations head, plus our org moderator, and two Ateneo Office of the Student Activities professionals. On September 6, three Strains alumni joined us and assisted us during the event. The whole group I was with was composed of special individuals and indeed. I can never thank them enough.

This project wouldn't be successful without them. We facilitated around 5000-5500 Supreme Student Government Officers about teamwork in this year's National Leadership Training for Student Government Officers. We ourselves got a first hand experience of the value of teamwork and we applied it during the project. We came to Baguio to inspire people. I'm sure we were able to inspire them but what's also noteworthy is that we ourselves were inspired by them.

This is the biggest project I've handled so far (5000-5500 student leaders all over the nation, taking care of 76 Atenean facilitators, a project with one of the most heavily-funded government organization- Deparment of Education) and I've never faced challenges as big as the ones I've encountered here. I've learned a lot thanks to the project and especially the people involved- Strains' External Relations Head, the core, Osa professionals, org moderator, team heads, day heads, facilitators.

September 4-7 was indeed a learning experience for me, but moreoever it was a time I realized that I have a lot of people to thank for who I am as a person right now. I know that it's still a long way from here, but thank you, for bringing me here. :)

And oh, yes, I consider the project a success. :) I love my country. :)

AM+DG

Welcoming message in behalf of Strains
"The Student Leader"
A Supreme Student Government Publication
2010 Special Edition

Department of Education Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs presents of Certificate of Appreciation To Ateneo Student Trainers, September 7, 2010.
L-R Executive Director (DepEd-CSCA) Joey G. Peláez, Me (Strains Project Head for DepEd NLTSGO), Camille Encarnacion, (Strains Project-deputy head for DepEd NLTSGO), Camille Dayrit (Strains Secretariat head for DepEd NLTSGO)

On the other son

Question: What causes sibling rivalry?
Answer: Having more than one child.
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Of course it is not recommended to have just one child, especially if the married couple has been blessed with the capacity and resources to have more children. I have been blessed with four children, all boys with ages ranging from 5 to 21 years old. There is no sibling rivalry, simply because our scrappy 5-year old happens to dominate all of us.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most famous parables taught by Jesus. There are many enlightening interpretations and reflections on this beautiful parable, mostly focused on the prodigal son and the loving, forgiving father. There is however, a third personality in the parable that deserves more attention than he gets - the other son. In Pope Benedict's book "Jesus of Nazareth", he accords a beautiful reflection on the other son and I want to share this.

...The older brother now makes his appearance. He comes home from working in the fields, hears feasting at home, finds out why, and becomes angry. He finds it simply unfair that this good-for-nothing, who has squandered his entire fortune - the father's property - with prostitutes, should now be given a splendid feast straightaway without any period of probation, without any time for penance. That contradicts his sense of justice... Bitterness arises in him: "lo, these many years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed any of your commands," he says to his father, "yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends" (Lk 15:29).

The father goes out to meet the older brother too, and now he speaks kindly to his son. The older brother knows nothing of the inner transformations and wanderings experienced by the younger brother. of his journey into distant parts, of his fall and his new self-discovery. He sees only injustice. And this betrays the fact that he too had secretly dreamed of a freedom without limits, that his obedience has made him inwardly bitter, and that he has no awareness of the grace of being at home, of the true freedom he enjoys as a son. "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (Lk 15:31).

The parable breaks off here; it tells nothing of the older brother's reaction. Nor can it, for at this point the parable immediately passes over into reality. Jesus is using these words of the father to speak to the heart of the murmuring Pharisees and scribes who have grown indignant at his goodness to sinners...

The Holy Father makes an inspiring reflection of how Jesus woos the heart of the misguided. This reflection is timeless, and its reality is here and now.

Here is a video clip of a sibling rivalry in another species, yet it amusingly reminds us of a human reality.

Great place, Davao

Davao truly is a remarkable city, and Metro Manila pales way, way off in comparison, at least from my brief observation on a recent trip. So, I agree with this guy when he enumerates so many reasons why living in Davao is such an excellent choice.

It is fast becoming a destination of choice for local and some foreign tourists, although I felt the tourism industry here needs some serious boosting.

On the way back from the Philippine Eagle Conservatory center, we dropped by the Malagos Garden Resort.
A comparison with my experience in Jurong Bird Park in Singapore and the Warrook Cattle Farm in Australia immediately comes to mind, although in my opinion, Malagos Garden Resort combines the best features of both tourist spots. Simply put, nature is more generous with Malagos Garden Resort. There was a bird/animal show that we chanced upon, although it left much to be desired compared to the great shows in Jurong and Warrook. The birds and animals simply need more professional training and handling. The creatures simple ignored their handlers, even as the tricks are supposed to be simple. The goat for example, completely ignored its trainer and had other (romantic) things in mind, much to the consternation of its handler. I guess that was the most amusing part of the show. Oftentimes, the emcee had an embarrassingly tough job making adlibs. I suppose the show could easily be improved however, and besides the Malagos Garden Resort has a lot more things going for it. Next time I'm thinking of booking accommodations at the place (yes they have them) instead of at a regular hotel. It's about a 30-minute or so drive from the city proper.



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It's a real battle

There is a legend that the Queen of Sheba once sent two bouquets of roses to Solomon. One was genuine and the other was artificial. According to the legend, she challenged Solomon to detect which was artificial and which was genuine, without touching it.

Solomon opened the window and let in a swarm of bees, which at once settled on the real roses.
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In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells of the requirements for real discipleship. I was at first puzzled by the comparison with a king at war:

"What king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?".

But then I realized that Christ's followers are into a deadly spiritual battle with evil. Jesus tells us to be ready and give up inordinate desires, or else we can not follow Him. Oftentimes, these inordinate desires consume us to the point that we are not even aware that we are already unfit for battle. So there is a need for introspection. I remembered a management book I was reading about Sun Tzu on the Art of War sometime ago.

"He who has a thorough knowledge of himself and the enemy is bound to win all battles. He who knows himself but not the enemy has only an even chance of winning. He who knows not himself and the enemy is bound to perish in battles".

King Solomon and Sun Tzu understands the principles of coming to terms with reality, but it is only Jesus who can see through our inner selves and guide us through.

This morning we conducted the 5th session of our CFC Christian Life Program at 9am to 11am after the 7:15am mass. It was a lazy Sunday morning, there was a drizzle, and it was very tempting to sleep late. I guess the participants and the CLP service team won one battle, but there will be lots more. I did get a restful nap in the afternoon. God is good.

xposted for CatholicFriends

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MeKeni Rogers Beer-Gin House sues Church

(forwarded email)

In Balibago, Angeles City, MeKeni Rogers Beer-Gin House began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business.

In response, the church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with Petitions, Candle Light Vigils and Prayer Rallies.

Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

After the bar burning to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather self-righteously complacent in their outlook, bragging about “The POWER of PRAYER”, until the bar owner sued the Church on the grounds that the church "was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means".

In its reply to the court, the Church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise.

The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply and at the opening hearing he commented:

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who now believes in the Power of Prayer, and an entire Church congregation that nowdoes not."
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Note: If I were the judge, I would have immediately dismissed this suit on a technicality:

"You should have sued the heavens as the principal and the Church only as conspirators. This is a technically stupid charge. Case dismissed !!!"

:-D

The Big Boink theory

Stephen Hawking: God didn't create universe

Yeah, the same renowned scientist who said "if we want to survive beyond the next century, our future is in space".

This time, Stephen Hawking argues in a new book that ""the universe can and will create itself from nothing", banishing a divine creator from physics.

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist,...It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going," he writes.

So gravity started it all. But then who/what created gravity? Hawkins doesn't say.

His latest comments suggest he has broken away from previous views he has expressed on religion.
Previously, he wrote that the laws of physics meant it was simply not necessary to believe that God had intervened in the Big Bang.

He wrote in A Brief History ... "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know the mind of God.".

Very interesting. Imagine human reason discovering everything, even the mind of God. That is pretty much spectacular, considering science has not yet discovered the cure for the common cold. Or why babies are revived with the mere touch of a mother. Our why ball pens tend to disappear into thin air.

Last time I heard, God said He created everything. That is, God created everything except Stephen Hawkins. Methinks that is true because of the immutable law of "tit-for-tat".
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Miracle premature baby

Mother brings baby son back to life two hours after doctors pronounce him dead

It was a final chance to say goodbye for grieving mother Kate Ogg after doctors gave up hope of saving her premature baby.

She tearfully told her lifeless son - born at 27 weeks weighing 2lb - how much she loved him and cuddled him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

Although little Jamie's twin sister Emily had been delivered successfully, doctors had given Mrs Ogg the news all mothers dread - that after 20 minutes of battling to get her son to breathe, they had declared him dead.

Having given up on a miracle, Mrs Ogg unwrapped the baby from his blanket and held him against her skin. And then an extraordinary thing happened.

After two hours of being hugged, touched and spoken to by his mother, the little boy began showing signs of life.

At first, it was just a gasp for air that was dismissed by doctors as a reflex action.

But then the startled mother fed him a little breast milk on her finger and he started breathing normally.

'I thought, "Oh my God, what's going on",' said Mrs Ogg.

'A short time later he opened his eyes. It was a miracle. Then he held out his hand and grabbed my finger.

'He opened his eyes and moved his head from side to side. The doctor kept shaking his head saying, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it".'...
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Awesome. Read the rest here.