1 cup friendly words
2 heaping cups of understanding
4 heaping tsp time and patience
A pinch of warm personality
Dash of humor

Mixing:
Measure words carefully. Add heaping cups of understanding. Use generous amounts of time and patience.
Cook in front burner, but keep temperature low; do not boil.
Add generous dash of humor and personality. Season to taste with the spice of life.
Serve in individual molds.

From Recipes for Busy Little Hands by D.J. Croft

“Is it full?” is a popular science experiment that we do to enrich our discussions about the concept of full or empty. For this activity, the teacher usually prepares a glass, some pebbles, sand, and water. As the different items are poured into the glass, the students are asked if the glass is full. Usually, they would say ‘yes’, then end up being amazed because the glass apparently is not full as other items such as the sand and water can still fit inside.
I have known this experiment for years. However, just recently, I read a former classmate’s post in a social networking site- an article that had given this simple activity an inspirational twist.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a
very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They
agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once
more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar – effectively filling the
empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are
the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else
was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else—the small stuff. ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the
pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the
things that are important to you.

‘Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children . Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to
clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The
rest is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’
The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.’

Thank you Eileen for sharing this article to us  …

I got this text from a friend of mine… a friend who share the same sentiments as me… I guess we need something like this once in a while… Read on and be inspired.

One day the villagers decided to pray for rain.  On the day of the prayer, everyone gathered but only one boy came with an umbrella.  That’s FAITH…

When you throw a one year old baby in the air, he laughs because he knows you will catch him.  That’s TRUST…

Every night, we go to bed. Though we are not sure that we will get up tomorrow, we still have many plans for the coming days.  That’s HOPE…

I put my FAITH and TRUST in God… With HIM in the midst of my being, I shall never lose HOPE…

As a tribute to all the women in the world, my good pal Rej shared this fine piece of literary work by Victor Hugo… It offers a point by point argument as to why women should be regarded as equals of men… Definitely, a must-read for the daughters of Eve…

“Who said that the woman is inferior to man? I maintain that man and woman are equal”

Man is the highest of all creation…Woman is the most sublime of all ideals.

God made for man a throne, for a woman an altar; the throne exalts, the altar sanctifies.

Man is the cerebrum, woman is the heart; the cerebrum fabricates light, the heart produces love.
Light fecunds, love resuscitates.

Man is the code, woman is the gospel; the code corrects, the gospel perfects.

Man is a genius, woman is an angel; genius is undefinable, angel is unmeasurable.

man is strong in reasons, woman is invincible in her tears; reason convinces the most stubborn, tears soften the hardest of mortals.

Man is the temple, woman is the sanctuary; before a temple we revere, before a sanctuary we kneel.

Man is the eagle that soars, woman is the nightingale that sings; to fly is to dominate the space, to sing is to conquer the soul.

Man is capable of all heroism, woman of martyrdom; heroism ennobles, martyrdom sanctifies.

Man is the ocean, woman is the lake; the ocean has its pearl that adorns, the lake has its poem that dazzles.

Man has a lighthouse, his conscience; woman has a star, the hope; the lighthouse guides, the hope saves.

At last, the man is placed where the earth ends, and the woman where heaven begins. Who said, therefore, that woman is inferior to man?

It takes a hundred men to make an encampment, but a woman alone can build a home. I not only admire the woman as the most beautiful object ever created, but I revere her as the redeeming glory of humanity, the pledge of all human virtues, the sanctuary of perfect quality of head and heart.

She is the one thing in this world that remains constant, the one peak that is always above the clouds, the one window where lights always burn. The only star that darkness cannot quench is the woman’s love.

It excuses the most cruel injury; perennial of life. It grows in all climates. Neither coldness nor neglect, harshness nor cruelty can extinguish it.

Woman’s love is the perfume of the heart. It is the one love that is forever constant, the one love that has wrought all miracles of art, the love that conquers the world. The love that has given music from the cradle, song to the end of the closing symphony that brings away our sous on the wings of fire.

“it is greater than might, sweeter than life, and stronger than death. Without this love, the world would be a curse.”

There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in… Leonard Cohen

This quotation can mean different things to different people.  It may denote opportunities or failures, triumphs or heartaches.  For what has transpired in the last 48 hours of my life and my family, it is all about second chances.

I have lived a life of contentment.  Comparing to many, I may as well say that it has also been a life of abundance.  Grateful to still be in the confines and comfort of my parents, our financial condition is stable.  With blossoming careers, we have enough to provide for ours and our children’s needs.  As such, we were able to buy a lot and a car, invest some money in a buy-and-sell cars venture, and purchase appliances and various expensive things.

But nothing lasts forever- life is too erratic to remain in a plateau.  As we celebrate my husband’s 33rd birthday, he met an accident that had almost left me a widow, and my kids, fatherless.

After a night out with friends, my husband drove our car to pick me up in Zulu (somewhere in Angeles City).  I have no qualms with him driving during late hours.  In our many years of being together, there have been many occasions where he would drive home very late at night.  I realized that my continuous bantering would be futile, as he would still insist on doing what he wants.  It is during these times that even with a troubled heart, I have sought God’s protection. I leave everything to my faith in the Lord, that regardless of my husband’s weaknesses and overconfidence, God would still bring him safely home.

The wee hours of the morning of February 14 made me realize that God is teaching us a very important lesson in life.  That despite His divine guidance and protection, we are still answerable to what will become of us.  We reap what we sow.  And as we plant the seeds of irresponsibility and carelessness, the aftermath of our follies result to grave consequences.

God giveth and God taketh away.  That February 14, the day when we were supposed to celebrate and give thanks to another year in his life, God took away many things from us.  But, despite of all that, I realized how much He loves us.  He took away many unimportant things in our lives but He chose to save the one dearest to our hearts.  No matter how much I compute our losses, it can never compare to Him saving my husband’s life.  Looking at how grossly wrecked our car was, no one could ever imagine how he survived with a few cuts, bruises, and broken teeth.  We are overjoyed and grateful for being given a second chance at life… another opportunity to right the wrong and to pursue greater and more significant dreams for our family…

A friend once asked me this question: What do you really want in life?  This seemingly simple question proved to be so difficult to answer.  However, Oprah posits that to answer this question, we have to first determine what makes us the happiest every day.  I can only think of one thing- everytime I go home after an exhausting day at work and find my family’s welcoming embrace and happy smiles, then I am truly happy.

I guess, it had been hard for me because I have always associated my sense of achievement with career.  Upon reflection, I realized that our personal successes would mean nothing if we are unable to share them with someone else.  Indeed, Thomas Jefferson’s quotation rings true… The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.

Working hard and excelling in one’s field is not a sin.  However, as we trod the path towards financial and professional success, we must not forget to stop and take the hand of those that really matter along the way.