Mother Teresa... Amazing Soul of Hers

3 hari lalu saat sedang makan bersama, suami gw cerita soal tulisan mother teresa yang baru ditemukan dan dimuat di yahoo (untuk lengkapnya please visit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20070823/wl_time/motherteresascrisisoffaith).

Ada 3 wanita yang sangat berpengaruh mewarnai kehidupan saya... pertama adalah my mom, lalu mother teresa dan yang terakhir... Ms. Oprah Winfrey! hehehe...

Dan tulisan mother teresa yang baru ditemukan ini membuat saya tercengang-cengang...

Dari seluruh kehidupan pelayanannya yang luar biasa... hampir setengahnya ia menjalaninya tanpa merasakan Tuhan dalam kehidupannya.

Ini membuat gw bener2 ngga habis pikir dan bener2 speachless...

She didn't feel God for almost half of her life... and yet... she always speaaked about Jesus.

Hatinya selalu terarah ke Tuhan dan melewati padang gurun yang tak ada habisnya... hanya Yesus yang menjadi kekasih jiwanya.

Dan dia.... memancarkan kasihNya kepada orang-orang di sekelilingnya.

I wish... I have that grace...

I wish... I bring smile and joy to everyone i meet.

I wish... I wish... this simple soul of mine filled with His love...

How I desire to love you Lord... more and more each day

And walk through my days in the world meaningful to others.

love letter from my Mindy

I Am Your Puppy...

I am a Puppy; hopefully you would not yell, hit, strike, kick or beat a 6-month-old human infant, so please do not do the same to me. I am delicate, and also very impressionable. If you treat me harshly now, I will grow up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked or beat. Instead, please guide me with encouragement and wisdom. For instance, if I am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" and hand me a toy I CAN chew. Better yet, pick up ANYTHING that you do not want me to get into. I can't tell the difference between your old sock and your new sock, or an old sneaker and your $200 Nikes.

I am your Puppy, and I will love you until the end of the Earth, but please know a few things about me.

I am a Puppy, this means that my intelligence and capacity for learning are the same as an 8-month-old child.

I am a Puppy; I will chew EVERYTHING I can get my teeth on. This is how I explore and learn about the world. Even HUMAN children put things in their mouths. It's up to you to guide me to what is mine to chew and what is not.

I am a Puppy; I cannot hold my bladder for longer than 1 - 2 hours. I cannot "feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come out. I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, and I cannot have "bladder and bowel control" until 6 - 9 months. Do not punish me if you have not let me out for 3 hours and I tinkle. It is your fault. As a Puppy, it is wise to remember that I NEED to go potty after: eating, sleeping, playing, drinking, and around every 2 - 3 hours in addition. If you want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 7 or 8 p.m. A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, and will avoid you being mad at me.

I am a Puppy, accidents WILL happen, please be patient with me! In time I will learn.

I am a Puppy, I like to play. I will run around, and chase imaginary monsters, and chase your feet and your toes and 'attack' you, and chase fuzzballs, other pets, and small kids. It is play; it's what I do. Do not be mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow and sleep all day. If my high energy level is too much for you, maybe you could consider an older rescue from a shelter or Rescue group. My play is beneficial, use your wisdom to guide me in my play with appropriate toys, and activities like chasing a rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for me. If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk," by giving a loud YELP, I will usually get the message, as this is how dogs communicate with one another.
If I get too rough, simply ignore me for a few moments, or put me in my crate with an appropriate chew toy.

I am a Puppy, and I am a creature with feelings and drives much like your own, but yet also very different. Although I am NOT a human in a dog suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every whim. I truly DO want to please you, and be a part of your family, and your life.
You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner and companion, so do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger. Do not judge me harshly but instead mold me with gentleness and guidelines and training into the kind of family member you want me to be.

I am a Puppy and I am not perfect, and I know you are not perfect either. I love you anyway. So please, learn all you can about training, and puppy behaviors and caring for me from your Veterinarian, books on dog care and even researching on the computer! Learn about my particular breed and it's characteristics, it will give you understanding and insight into WHY I do all the things I do. Please teach me with love, patience, the right way to behave and socialize me with training in a puppy class or obedience class, we will BOTH have a lot of fun together.

I am a Puppy and I want more than anything to love you, to be with you, and to please you. Won't you please take time to understand how I work? We are the same you and I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort, fear, but yet we are also very different and must work to understand one another's language, body signals, wants and needs. Someday I will be a handsome dog, hopefully one you can be proud of and one that you will love as much as I love you.

Love,
Your Puppy

the one and only: our wedding photo

Ini mungkin agak aneh buat cerita orang menikah...

Tapi percaya atau tidak... kita cuma punya 1 foto pernikahan diantara foto2 yang lain...

hehehhe... lucu juga sih... cuma ini satu2nya...

A Woman for All Vocations

by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

Can a woman like me aspire to emulate such an amazing woman—the Virgin Mother of God, the first disciple, the matriarch of the Holy Family, and the Mother of the Church? Recalling instances in Mary’s life, we call to mind her gentleness, humility, holiness, perseverance, selflessness, and unwavering faith.

I ask myself this because I know I will never accomplish what our Blessed Mother has, or even come close to her holiness. Yet all women are called to holiness—whether in the sublime role of raising children, as a wife, as a single woman, or as a woman religious. And Mary demonstrates attributes and virtues that all women can emulate, whatever their vocation.

Mary’s deep faith was the foundation of her great holiness. Even though Mary was the Mother of God, we should remember that Mary was human like us and prayed to be unwavering in her faith, just as we also are called to do. Mary’s faith is the same gift available to us. We can ask Mary to be a mother to us and guide us closer to her Son, Jesus.

A Faithful Heart
Wanting to imitate Mary’s virtues, we may try to figure out what made her tick. Images from our Catholic tradition and Scripture may come to mind. We may be reminded of Mary as a faithful Jewish girl praying with her people in Palestine for the coming of the Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s promises. Mary was familiar with Isaiah’s words that a virgin would conceive and bear a child called Immanuel—“God with us”—but never imagined that she would be that virgin.

At times, we find ourselves in situations requiring faith in God, but our humanness causes us to feel inadequate or to fear that we are not faithful enough. When I hemorrhaged at 10 weeks pregnant with my fifth child, I was required to have faith that God’s holy will would be fulfilled, whatever it would be.

My doctor told me that I was miscarrying and conducted an ultrasound to check on the baby. When the ultrasound revealed a tiny baby with a beating heart, I was ordered to stay on complete bed rest and just wait. The doctor added that he wished the miscarriage would hurry up, saving me from further anguish.

I shuddered at his words and chose to hope instead. I rested and waited and never stopped praying. My four children bustled around me as I did my best to stay still and have faith in whatever it was that God had planned for us. I knew Bl. Teresa of Calcutta at the time, and she instructed me to call upon the Blessed Mother and to wear a Miraculous Medal that she had given me. She reminded me to trust in Our Lord, stay close to Mary, and pray, “Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now.”

Our prayers were heard, and after a long nine months Mary-Catherine was born! In retrospect, I can understand why Our Lord may have given me another reason to pause during that pregnancy: While I was kept still, I was inspired to write about motherhood. These reflections have since been published. As a busy mother with four children and another on the way, I might never have had a spare moment to sit down to write! Our Lord knew what He was doing.

Humble Generosity and Courage
We know that when the angel Gabriel visited Mary with the announcement that she would become Jesus’ mother (Lk. 1:26–39), the humble teenager found it difficult to believe that it was she, a simple girl, who was chosen by God. Taking the blessing to heart, Mary responded with her courageous “yes” to God.

Shortly afterward, her generous heart sent her on a journey into the hill country, pregnant and “in haste,” to help her cousin Elizabeth, who was much older and also expecting a child (Lk. 1:39). Mary surely prayed and reflected throughout her journey, while the blessedness of Jesus dwelled within her. After Elizabeth’s baby leaped in her womb upon Mary’s arrival, the two women embraced. Elizabeth praised Mary for her great faith, and Mary humbly responded with the words of the Magnificat, glorifying God’s holiness, justice, and mercy, and foretelling that all generations would call her blessed because of the great things the Lord had done in her (Lk. 1:46–55).

When we question our own ability to courageously answer God with our “yes” when He bids us to follow Him, we must remember that, as women, we are also blessed with generous and courageous hearts like Mary’s. Graces are available to us to be courageous and to respond with love in all situations within our vocations. Throughout our daily lives, we are presented with many opportunities to put our own needs aside and go “in haste” to help—to help our children, our spouses, our parents, our neighbors, our coworkers, or whomever God has put into our lives.

The Simplicity of Love
Mary was led on a donkey by her beloved husband, Joseph, in search of a place to give birth and faced only rejection by the innkeepers. Soon afterward, Jesus’ infant cries were comforted at His mother’s breast in a stable. Our King and Savior was born into poverty, resting in a wooden manger of hay—hardly what is expected for a King’s birth! Angels sent simple shepherds to Mary and Joseph to see their holy baby. Mary “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19).

When we women face rejection in one form or another, we can pray for the graces we need to continue on, just as Mary did at the inns and later, when she felt the sting of the rejection of her Son by the very people He helped.We can imagine Mary throughout the hidden years, teaching Jesus on her knee in the warmth of their humble home. As Jesus grew, Mary surely encouraged her Son to help Joseph in his carpentry. Mary’s faith deepened in the cenacle of prayer that she fostered in the heart of her home.

Mothers, too, live through hidden years, raising their families and trying to remain simple. Especially when children are young, mothers may find themselves housebound with the care of the family, children’s illness, or infants too small to go out. Mothers can make their home a “domestic Church,” as Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have spoken of, by praying within the home, teaching the children, and thanking God for the blessedness of their families and the opportunities to care for them.

“Do whatever he tells you”
At the start of Jesus’ public ministry, sympathetic that a bride and groom were without wine, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They have no wine.” While Jesus appeared reluctant to perform His first miracle, saying that His hour had not yet come, Mary confidently told the wine stewards to “do whatever he tells you” (Jn. 2:2–11). Mary’s initiative, intercession, and obedience ultimately nudged on her Son. Thus, the power of a mother’s love brought about Jesus’ first public miracle.

Women, as mothers, have within reach the tremendous power of prayer. A mother has the ability to influence her children for better or for worse. A faithful mother’s prayers will always be heard by God. In their intercessory role, faithful mothers are forever praying for the welfare of their children, both for those living at home and for those who are grown and may have strayed away from the Church. A mother’s prayers can be just as efficacious as those of our Blessed Mother and have the power to work miracles in human hearts.

The Heart of the Home
Women can learn from Mary as one who listened to God and allowed the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide her. She gave herself completely to the will of the Father. We learn from Mary that a mother’s prayer is powerful. When we are asked to endure suffering or pain within our vocation, we can turn our thoughts to Mother Mary, who was no stranger to suffering, and ask her assistance and intercession.

When it is difficult to trust in God, we women can meditate on Mary’s faithful trust in Our Lord, drawing strength from her as we pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit. When those of us who are mothers experience the deep joy within our role, we can feel an affinity with someone who has also experienced this deep joy in mothering Jesus.

Mary’s marvelous “yes” to God changed the entire world for all eternity. May all faithful women also courageously answer Our Lord, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” as they strive to live holy lives and raise their families in a cenacle of prayer fostered in their homes, pondering it all deep within their own hearts and setting an example for all women.

A Promise to Myself

I feel good... nenonenonenonet... :-)

Hihihi... itu adalah alarm handphone gw yang tiap pagi...

Judulnya emang I feel good,... dan gw berharap itu bisa menstransfer semangat ke gw setiap pagi.

Tapi alhasil ya nasib... hehehe... lebih banyak gw mematikan itu HP dan kemudian memakai waktu yang tinggal sedikit untuk terus tertidurrr... :-)

Yes... i think segar ngga segar it's about choice.

Gw berasa banyak hari-hari gw yang terlalui dengan keadaan yang negatif dari gw.

Jadi bawaannya setiap hari gw malessss terus :-)

Tetapi hari-hari belakangan ini, gw mulai menggiatkan sel-sel otak gw untuk terus dan terus memancarkan energy positif :-)

Sebelum tidur... gw banyak membayangkan semua hal yang indah-indah... semua mimpi dan harapan gw... (hihihi... ini gw belajar dari buku The Secret)

Dan sesaat sebelum bangun dari tempat tidur gw... gw selalu bilang ke diri gw... "everything i need comes to me..!" hehehe...

Dan percaya atau tidak... banyak hal akhir-akhir ini terjadi tanpa di duga2.

Itu memang daya tarik dari semua pikiran positif yang kita pancarkan ke sekeliling kita.

Semua yang positif selalu membawa sukacita, and it's really about a choice!

So... setiap pagi... gw berusaha untuk feel good, and I choose to feel good.

Karena berpikir positif saja kadang tidak cukup kalau kita tidak merasa positif.

Woooooo! I feel good... nenonenonenonet... :-)

God's Word for Me: Because I Love Her

Because I Love Her

I made her. She is different. She is unique. With love I formed her in her mother's womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember that with great pleasure the days I created her. To Me she is beautiful. I made her. I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh and see the silly things she does. She is herself and no one else. This is how I made her.

I made her pretty, but not beautiful. Because I know her heart and I know that she is vain. I want her to search her heart and learn that in Me she would be beautiful. It would be My spirit that would draw people to her. I made her in such a way that she would need Me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be, because I want her to turn to Me in her loneliness. I made her dependent, so that she would depend on Me. I know her heart. I know that if I had not made her like this, that she would go her own chosen way and forget about Me, her creator. I have given her many good and happy things because I love her.

I have seen her broken heart, the tears that she cried alone. Many times she has stumbled and fallen because she would not take My hand. She has learned hard lessons because she would not listen to My voice. So many times I have watched her go on her way alone, now she is Mine again.

I made her and then I bought her. I paid a high price for her because I love her. I have had to reshape her and remold her, renewing her for My plan. It hasn't been easy for her, or for Me, I want her to be conformed to My image. This goal I have set for her because.....I love her!!!

Love Yourself

Love Yourself —
Or You Won’t Be Able to Love Anyone ElseYou Cannot Give What You Don’t Have
by Bo Sanchez

I’ve got a confession to make.
As a young Christian, I used to believe that we shouldn’t love ourselves.
To me, loving myself was another word for selfishness.And I have an embarrassing experience to prove it. One day, as a 14-year-old kid, I went to confession and said, “Father, I play the guitar for our prayer meeting, but I sometimes feel proud whenever I play the guitar — because I know I play well.”The white-haired priest chuckled, patted me on the shoulder, and said, “Son, a part of that feeling of yours is good, wholesome pride.
That’s important in life. So go ahead and play your guitar, feel good while you play it, and have a sense of pride doing so. Love yourself, son.”I nodded my head but told myself that I would never go to this priest again.
Obviously, this priest was less spiritually than I was. So he couldn’t understand me — the way some spiritual directors misunderstood mystics. He was not in my league. I belonged to the likes of St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.Twenty-five years later, I laugh at my arrogance.Today, I’ve grown older — and humbler. (I hope. Because someone told me that if you say you’re humble, you’re not. Gosh.)

I now feel very strongly about this truth: That I cannot love anyone else — not even God — if I don’t love myself. Why? Because I cannot give what I don’t have.

ON PROUD PEOPLE
In fact, I've met very few really proud people in my lifetime.Because most of what we call "proud" people are just the exact opposite: They're very insecure people who're so desperate to prove themselves. They brag of their achievements, they boast of their wealth and they act really bossy.But deep within, they're desperate for someone to love them. Because they don't love themselves.

ON HYPERCRITICAL PEOPLE
Have you met a hypercritical person?I've met a few of them. They love to tear others down.Somehow, they feel they have received a Divine Appointment to tell the world how rotten everyone is. So they'll criticize this person and that person — and you almost feel that he really enjoys throwing rubbish at everyone.Are these people proud?On the contrary, I’ve discovered that these self-appointed critics hate themselves.Subconsciously, they simply project themselves onto others — so they like taking shots at everybody.I repeat my thesis: When you don’t love yourself, you’ll have a difficult time loving others.

LOOK AT HOW YOU VIEW OTHERS
Here’s a clue as to how you view yourself: Check how you view others. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.— Cherie Carter-Scott, Ph.D Your reactions to others say more about you than they do about others.Because every human being you meet is a mirror.
Do you know that upon meeting a total stranger, you form an impression of that person in the first four minutes of your encounter? You decide in the first four minutes what you like or don’t like. These decisions will be based on facial features, tone of voice, cologne scent and your own past experiences.Your reactions to other people are really just barometers for how you perceive yourself.If you accept that, then every human encounter becomes a gift from God for you to learn about yourself. What you see in others is only a projection of yourself. So learn! What irritates you in that person? Their pride? Their rigidity? Their selfishness? Look deep inside, and you will find the same things in a slightly different form or shape.
Every time someone irritates you, or angers you, or hurts you, ask: What gift is being given to me? This person is a mirror. What is he teaching me about me? One day, I was in a meeting with a man whom I perceived to be disorganized.He didn’t come prepared for our meeting, and there was no forward planning involved, and it was as though nothing much was going to happen.As I continued to judge him, I hit the pause button and searched deep inside: Did I hate my own disorganization? And the answer was a very loud YES!So this irritation I was feeling wasn’t about this man.

It was about me — I didn’t like the part of me that was disorganized.Just being aware of these dynamics will help.Let me now try to clarify what it means to love yourself.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE TREATED BY OTHERS?

One day, I was speaking to a group of women.I asked them, “How do you want your husbands to treat you?”Their answers were candid. I wrote them on the board…
• “I want him to be patient with me when I make mistakes.”
• “He should be thoughtful of my needs.”
• “I would like him to give me rest when he sees that I’m tired.”
• “Yes, he should treat me out for a mother’s day off!”
After a barrage of answers like these, I turned the tables around and asked, “Now tell me, my dear women, do you treat yourself in these ways?”Their faces went blank. Finally, one woman asked, “What do you mean?”“
First, are you patient with yourself when you make mistakes? Or do you endlessly criticize yourself, replaying inyour mind your failure again and again? How many of you are your harshest critic?”I saw a raise of hands.“
Second, are you thoughtful of your own needs? Do you actually know what you need? Or are you always subsuming all your needs for the needs of your children — that you no longer know what you need?”Some women were already holding hankies over their faces.“
Third, do you give yourself rest? Or do you feel guilty when you take a break, feeling as though your own mother were there beside you, telling you to get up and do something?”Many of them nodded.“
Fourth, do you give yourself a mother’s day off? Do you actually write it on your calendar and announce to the family that you’ll take it?”I continued,“Mothers are known for recklessly not loving themselves. They act like they’re superheroes, and worse, martyrs. They’ll work and work and work until they feel depressed and die. But mothers, remember that if you don’t value yourself, you’re teaching your kids not to value themselves as well.”Here’s our problem: We like others to treat us well.But do we treat ourselves well?Many of us don’t.

Let me just share with you a few ways of loving yourself…
1. BELIEVE IN YOUR WORTH

Why do people perform poorly in their finances? Why do people have pathetic, lifeless, boring marriages? Why do people fail in their spiritual life?Why do people have relationship problems?I’ll tell you why. In the past 25 years of helping people, I’ve realized that most of our problems come from one thing.Here it is: We don’t think highly of ourselves.It gets complicated after that.Here’s our problem: We like others to treat us well. But do wetreat ourselves well?Many of us don’t.But that’s the basic problem. Perhaps as little children (or even as babies growing in the womb of our mothers), we received messages from the ultimate authorities of our lives that we’re bad and stupid and failures and unworthy of love.That could have been done verbally.That could have been done through actions — such as when parents abandoned us or if we have been physically abused.These negative messages are powerful, and we carry these beliefs for the rest of our lives.

2. CHANGE YOUR LABELS

I’ve met husbands who have invisible labels hanging from their necks that say, “I’m a lousy husband.”I’ve met wives who carry invisible placards everywhere they go that say, “I’m a terrible mother.”I’ve met hoards and hoards of people who unconsciously hold up a sign that says, “I’m poor and I’ll always be poor no matter what I’ll do.”Gosh. It’s frustrating helping people like these.Because we become the labels we unconsciously carry in our hearts.Unless they themselves change their labels, no great change will happen in their lives.Here’s the truth — and I hope you make them your labels: You’re not perfect — but you’re perfectly loved by God. You’re not complete — but you’re completely loved by God. You’re not whole — but you’re wholly loved by God. And God has made you perfectly, completely, wholly lovable.Here’s my principle: If you want to be successful in life, you’ve got to love yourself the way God loves you.You’ve got to reprogram your negative beliefs about yourself, and replace them with new ones: That you are child of God, that you can do great things, that you are special and wonderful and beautiful…

3. TAKE CARE OF EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE

Respect your body.People who eat unhealthy stuff, who smoke, who drink need to look deep within themselves and ask, “Do I love my body or do I dislike it?”Feed your mind with only the best!People who watch end- less TV every day aren’t loving themselves. People who don’t take time to grow in their intellect through reading and reflection aren’t loving themselves.Nourish your soul.People who don’t prioritize daily prayer, reading Scripture, and partaking of the Sacraments — because they don’t have the time — aren’t loving themselves.Can I make a suggestion? Write a list of 100 ways of loving yourself.
Call it “Love Me” activities. Stuff that will refresh you, bless you, nurture you.

I’ll give you some items in my list…
Watch the sunset
Read a good book
Take a long walk
Have an “alone time” every week
Have a massage
Listen to your favorite music
Have pizza with a friend
Eat fruits for breakfast
Have a salad every meal
Pray every morning
Kiss my wife seven times a day
Play with my sons daily And when you start valuing yourself, you’ll begin to realize that it’ll be easier to value others around you.Deep within you is a love tank.You won’t be able to give love if your love tank is empty. Fill up your love tank with love, and then you have something to give. Because you cannot give what you don’t have.

KBo’s Action Steps:
1. Do you love yourself? Do you feel yourself worth while? Do you accept yourself for who you are, weaknesses and all? Do you nurture yourself and take care of yourself?
2. List down “Love-Me Activities,” things that you enjoy and have always wanted to do to nurture and care for yourself.

God bless you, my dear friends...

Women... by my beloved JP II

Pope John Paul II has majestically portrayed the charism and genius of femininity in his apostolic letter"Mulieris Dignitatem"

According to the Holy Father, the essential components of women are so exemplary as regards the sincere gift of self, that this can be compared to the great mystery of the Church as Spouse united to Christ. The Pope underlines the special sensitivity that woman has for man, and, indeed, for everything essentially human, and which is expressed in the natural tendency to especially direct her attention toward some particular person.

The woman's personality, given her tremendous capacity of love, cannot fulfill itself except by giving love to others.
Her strength lies precisely in the gift of self, and in the fact that God entrusted man to her. "Thus the 'perfect woman' (Proverbs 31:10) becomes an irreplaceable support and source of spiritual strength for other people, who perceive the great energies of her spirit."

Understanding Asthma

Understanding asthmaThis common disease can claim lives, so control it as early as possible.
By Dr. Sonia J. Silos

A good friend of mine in his mid-30s has had asthma since childhood. He tells me that his attacks since then have been few and far between, but that they come at the most inopportune moments. He says, "It has reminded me of its presence at the worst times: when I am elated, when I exert myself physically or at the tail end of the flu."
Yes, living with asthma is difficult but it doesn't have to be that way. The first step is learning about the disease and how it affects you. This will help you better understand how to treat, manage and, ultimately, control asthma.

What is asthma?
Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs and its airways. It affects adults and children alike, but asthma in children is different, explains Dr. Agnes Sebastian-Sanchez, pediatric pulmonologist at the Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center and the Healthway Medical Clinics (both in the Philippines). "Children have smaller airways so the symptoms are exaggerated, particularly in younger kids."
Asthma is a chronic condition characterized by acute attacks. These attacks are caused by hyperreactive airways, which produce increased mucus, then subsequently tighten and narrow, causing airway obstruction. All these bring about the common asthma symptoms of coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
But what exactly causes the airways to hyperreact? There are numerous asthma triggers and each individual has his own particular trigger. Once you identify what sets off your asthma attack, you can begin to avoid or limit your exposure to them.

Dr. Rommel Tipones, adult pulmonologist at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in the Philippines and the Healthway Medical Clinics, shares these handy tools for controlling asthma triggers.
Quit smoking. Ban smoking inside your home.
Keep furry pets out of your home.
Keep doors and windows closed to control the entry of outdoor allergens. Air-conditioning, although expensive, will help.
Remove stuffed animals, carpeting, curtains, or anything that collects dust, from the bedroom. Cover your mattresses and pillows with airtight covers.
Get a flu shot each year.
These are safe for adults and children over 3.

Drugs definedAsthma medications can either be inhaled or swallowed (systemic medication). Tipones says inhaled medications are preferred because they deliver the drug direct to the airways, decreasing any side effects that affect the whole body (systemic effects).
Medications are classified into relievers, which help stop attacks once they start, and controllers, which help prevent attacks from starting.
Relievers consist of bronchodilators, which keep the airways open, allowing you to breathe during an attack. Inhaled bronchodilators in the proper dose and frequency are very effective. It is the one medication that every asthmatic should have handy wherever he goes. Inhaled bronchodilators are the medication of choice for exercise-induced asthma and are the only medication that those with mild asthma will ever need.
Systemic bronchodilators, although equally effective, have more associated side effects and so are not frequently used. Side effects include a rapid heartbeat, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, dizziness, irritability and difficulty sleeping. When these occur, tell your doctor immediately.
Controllers are anti-inflammatory medications that reduce the swelling of airways and their mucus production. There are different types, including the ever-popular corticosteroids. These are recommended for daily use and are safe and highly effective for long-term therapy. But remember that they have to be used regularly and consistently for maximum effect.
Inhaled corticosteroids are the most frequently used controller medication, but they require spacer devices to avoid side effects such as throat infections. Systemic steroids are only given for severe, uncontrolled asthma. They are extremely effective but can cause serious side effects with prolonged use. Among the many side effects are weight gain, nausea and vomiting, face puffiness and foot swelling, hyperacidity, growth retardation in kids, early cataracts, delayed wound healing and infections.
As such, avoiding their long-term use whenever possible, especially in children, is prudent.
The doctor's roleYour treatment program will usually be individualized because each person's asthma is different. What works for your friend may not work for you. It is the doctor's role to choose the right medication at the right dose for your particular asthma.
After you have been prescribed asthma medicine, see your doctor even when you feel well.

Regular checkups can help your doctor ascertain if the medicine is working well for you. "Generally, improvement should be seen within a month of starting treatment," Tipones points out. It is vital for your doctor to know if:
You are taking more than the usual recommended dose.
You have symptoms at night and have trouble sleeping.
Your daytime symptoms are increasing.
These things signal that your treatment program is not working, and a change of medication or additional medicine might be needed.

Asthma and you

Finally, successful asthma management relies heavily on you as the patient. Everyone with asthma has a responsibility to learn everything about the condition.
Know your symptoms and what to do about them. During an attack, knowing the signals that precede it is vital, especially in young children, who usually can't report what they feel. Your job as a parent is to spot those early signs to ward off a severe attack. Be alert for cough especially at night, noisy, irregular breathing, wheezing, flaring nostrils and pursed-lip breathing.
Learn about your medication and how it works. Inhaled bronchodilators relieve symptoms quickly. They take effect within five to 10 minutes, when symptoms should start abating. The earlier treatment is given, the less medicine you'll need to control the attack. It is best to give treatment within five minutes of an attack.

Discover what your triggers are and work hard to avoid or control them.

Complete control of all your triggers is impossible, but you can decrease the frequency and severity of attacks. For instance, those with exercise-induced asthma need not curb their sports activities; they may be advised to take medication instead before engaging in strenuous activity.
Swimming has long been touted as the best exercise for asthmatics. Sebastian-Sanchez says, "Children can benefit from swimming because it teaches proper breathing techniques and there are less environmental triggers associated with it."
Take your med exactly as prescribed, even when you feel well. With controller medicine, the effects are not evident immediately. It takes a few weeks for them to work. For this reason, some people discontinue medication because they deem it unnecessary or see no attack forthcoming.

To control your asthma continuously and permanently, you must adhere to the treatment exactly as the doctor recommends. "Asthma management requires a partnership between the patient, his family and their doctor," Sebastian-Sanchez stresses.
Asthma can last a lifetime and can even be life threatening, but if you manage it properly, it is almost always controllable.

"At The Exact Time I Was Complaining, God Was At Work"

Let me tell you a fascinating story.
Lizette shared this beautiful story to me this morning and I just knew in my heart that I had to share it to you.
Nick and Lizette are my great friends. Lizette is helping me in Catholic Filipino Academy, where we help parents teach their kids at home.
Her husband Nick got a job offer in Canada and has applied for a work permit. (Yes, in a few months, I’ll be losing Lizette from my team as she’ll be joining her husband in Toronto.) This is what happened.

Nick went through the required medical exams for his work permit. After a few days, the doctor called up to tell him that he discovered a mass in Nick’s x-rays. Very much alarmed, he asked Nick to go through a CT scan. “It could be a possible aortic aneurysm which would require immediate surgery,” the doctor told him.
Nick however wasn’t disturbed. “Doc, that mass that you saw may just be my 3rd kidney.” It was a harmless condition his doctor in Manila discovered many years ago. He learned that it occurs to one in two million people.
Still, the doctor asked him to go through a CT scan.
But here was Nick’s problem: The CT scan costs $1,100. Being in Canada without a work permit yet, he was basically broke.
And when Lizette heard the news, she was totally distraught. She complained to God. “Lord, why are you doing this to us? How are we going to pay for this?” she cried out to God in despair.
But at the exact time she was complaining, God was orchestrating His beautiful work.

At that time, Nick was attending a Men’s Retreat in Canada.
With him were thirty-two men, leaders from five different prayer groups of migrant Canadians of mixed nationalities—Latinos, Indians and Filipinos.
Deep inside, Nick felt a nudge from God, telling him, “My son, share your problem to your small group leader”.
Obviously, Nick was feeling ashamed because the last thing he wanted to do was to be a burden to people he hardly knew. He also feared rejection and embarrassment. Again he felt the Lord saying, “Trust these men…they are sons of mine. They will care for you.” Unsure if it was the Lord who was speaking, he kept his problem to himself while asking the Lord to give him a sign.

But after one of the sessions, the audience was broken up into small groups. And the “small group discussion starter” flashed on the screen floored Nick completely. It said, “If you need $1000, who are your friends who would help you?”
The words hit Nick like a bolt of lighting from Heaven. Yes, God wanted him to share! At that point, Nick began to cry as he felt God was his “small group leader” telling him, “Don’t worry, I will take care of your needs.”
So Nick shared his story to his small group of guys. And immediately, the small group leader told him, “Share it to the whole group.” Again, he felt so ashamed, but the leader insisted, and so he shared.
The response was spontaneous. A basket was passed and the men dropped in $10, $20, $50… One man gave $200. And one group of men gave $750.
On that day, $1,500 was collected for Nick, much more than what he needed.
Nick was so overwhelmed by the love of the men around him. And by the love of God through them.
God used Nick’s problem to turn 32 strangers into brothers that are sincerely willing to love and help each other.
One man in that group even told Nick, “In case the doctor finds out you need surgery, please tell me. I’m a banker. I’ll guarantee your loan.”
Back home in Manila, his wife Lizette heard the good news, and began to cry again. This time, tears of joy… and shame. “Bo, I was so ashamed,” she told me, “Because at the precise moment that I was complaining, God was already meeting our needs.”

Today, Nick already had his CT scan, and true enough, the questionable mass was his third kidney. As I write this piece, his medical results are now being processed at the immigration office and very soon, Nick will receive his work permit.
I know Nick and his abilities. Aside from an IT job already waiting for him, he’s also forming a medical tourism business. I know Nick will prosper in no time.
But the humbling experience of being on the “receiving” end will forever be etched in his heart. And very soon, Nick will find himself in the “giving” end also, helping those who will be in the same situation he was in.
I know. Many years ago, when I was poorer than a rat, I remember receiving money from generous people. “Here’s for your transpo,” someone would slip P100 in my pocket. Another person would shake my hand with an envelope, saying, “This isn’t for your ministry, Bo. This is for you—for whatever you need.” I open the envelope and see P10,000. I still cry as I remember these stories of love.

Today, God has blessed me with “sidelines” that provide for my personal needs. And yes, I’m on the “giving” end of the stick now. And what joy it is to share blessings.
I told Lizette that God doesn’t mind our complaining. There’s nothing to be ashamed about.
He loves us, all of us—with our tears, our worries, and our doubts included.
And all our imperfections won’t stop Him from blessing us.

Behind the scenes, He orchestrates His beautiful work in us.

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

everything i need.. comes to me!

Hehehe... kata2 di atas ini ud beberapa hari gw ucapkan setiap bangun tidur.
Gara2 gw lagi seru sama buku The Secret dan Quantum Ikhlas... yang isinya The Law of Attraction.
Awalnya gara2 suami gw yang bacaannya semua yang soal leadership dan dia lagi belajar banyak banget dari share2nya Bo Shanchez... ditambah gw lagi memperdalam ilmu bio fisika... sampailah gw pada pengertian2 ini.
Ada pada pengertian seperti ini, sangat di luar perkiraan gw...
Tapi i really looking forward buat semua yang baik, datang menghampiri hidup gw...

It's a interesting story yang gw dapati dari pengertian ini...
I will share with you...

... soon...

about my hubby? here's my opinion...

My Josef Riko Ariefano
-Still can’t believe it…-

Back in 1995… when we first met… hehehe...
Tapi title Still Can’t Believe It kayaknya diucapkan oleh banyak orang mengenai keberadaan kita bersama.
After I sail over 7 seas… still can’t believe I anchor my heart to you.

Because of your constant passion… you teach me how to dream.
Because of your never ending love to God… you show me how to love.
Because of your patient for me… you give me a reason to be patient.
Because of your trust in God… you make me learn how to entrust my life to Him.
Because of your ability to forgive… you make me feel I’m loved.

And many because yang gw ngga bisa sebutkan.
Tapi setelah 3 tahun ada dalam kehidupan pernikahan bersama riko, rasanya (sadar/tak sadar) banyak hal dalam diri gw yang disembuhkan karena cinta yang riko berikan ke gw.

I feel beautiful when I am with you.

Gw selalu amazed kalau melihat dia menceritakan apa yang jadi passion dia. Kayaknya semangat yang gw lihat di tahun 1995, saat pertama kali gw mendengar apa yang ada dalam hatinya dia, ngga berbeda sedikitpun. Passion itu tak lekang oleh kegagalan, luka, yang terjadi melewati waktu selama ini.
Saat waktu lewat segala yang terjadi memakan habis semua harapan, percaya, dan cinta gw… rasanya Tuhan memberikan seorang Riko untuk gw. Dia seperti hadir dari semua ketidak-mungkinan yang gw pikirkan.

Dari dia gw belajar banyak… Riko membawa gw ke dalam roller coaster kehidupan in a positive way. Dari roller coaster itu gw belajar banyak hal yang gw ngga pernah hadapi sebelumnya. It’s really an up and down journey… but I believe one thing: that I’ll be ok.

I’ll be ok because I have some one who I can believe to take care of me in this journey of life.

Gw percaya… cintanya kepada Tuhan yang akan membuat gw ok. Tuhan akan membuat kami berdua/keluarga kami baik-baik saja…! (hhhmmm… HE has to…!!! J)

Still can’t believe that God gave you for me as my blessing.
I am proud of you my love, and I am proud to be your wife.
Keep on dreamin’ and keep blessing others.
And of course… Keep on lovin’ me yeeeee…! Hehehe…

I love you.
my pray,
-yours-

waaaa... look at my wet nose!

HORAAAYYYYY I'm HEALTHY!

hehehe... anjing gw yang satu ini emang luar biasa deh...
Gw ambil dari Dena dalam keadaan sangat 'minder'
Kalau dipanggil nunduk2 terus, terkencing2 kalau takut, ngga bisa ngonggong...
And after 5 months... look at her now!
She's grounded for 3 months gara2 kenakalannya yang ngga bisa kami atasi.

Dari riko yang ngajarin toilet training sampe kata riko every spot at our house become her public toilet!
So... alhasil... dirantailah dia.
Tapi baru 2 hari... gw dan riko gak tega... jadi dia tetap di rantai tetapi dengan tambahan tali rafia sepanjang apa tahu yang membuat dia tetap bisa tidur di kamar ber-AC sambil nungguin gw/riko kerja di komputer!
Gila juga... kita suka ngomong si Mindy itu sooooo lucky.
Dia minum air mineral... gara2 gw takut dia mencret! ga juga yang repot bersihin tokainya.
Dia makan dog food yang tiap kali beli gw itung masukan kalorinya.
Dia kadang tidur siang ama gw di atas ranjang yang kata riko... lebih empuk dari tuannya kl tidur (krn dia tidur di atas tumpukan selimut)
And look at her wet nose...
Isn't she georgeous?

us in blue black

Gw sama suami selalu menghindari pergi dengan terkesan seperti anak panti asuhan alias berseragam sama.
Tapi apa daya... kayaknya mungkin serumah 3 tahun membuat kami kadang2 can't help it!
here's one of the 'uniform' ocasion.

We Don’t Send Our Kids To School

It’s One Of The Best Decisions We’ve Ever Made

We know. We’re nuts.

We don’t send our kids to school.

Let me tell you why.

When our baby was growing up, we watched how everyone did the schooling thing—and we didn’t like it.

This is what we saw:

Early morning, parents send off the kids to school while they both go to work. It’s rush, rush, rush. At 7am, everyone is out of the house, plowing through morning traffic.

At around 7 in the evening (if there’s no overtime), these exhausted parents arrive home like dried prunes. They have dinner with the kids but have no energy to talk to each other—so they put on the TV and watch telenovelas together. After dinner, Mommy helps Junior with homework.

Let’s say today, the kid’s got homework in Math, English, and Filipino. In Filipino, Junior’s project is to put the photos of 12 National Filipino Heroes on a cartolina. Because it’s already 10pm, Junior is now asleep. So Mommy is cutting photos of the heroes from old magazines, and Daddy is pasting them on the cartolina. The day ends at midnight. Another long day awaits…

We Wanted Another Kind Of Family Life

We asked ourselves. Is this the lifestyle we really want? Or do we want something else for our kids and our family?

We decided to do something radical: We won’t send our kids to school. Instead, we’ll teach them ourselves.

Result? We’ve been doing it for four years now and my son Bene is in 3rd Grade.

That means my wife and I are his teachers, our home is his classroom, our kitchen is his canteen, and our street is his school yard.

Poor kid, right? People tell me he’s missing a lot because we homeschool him.

Hey, I agree.

What My Son Is Missing

Let me give you a partial list of what he’s missing.

· He doesn’t have to wake up at 6:00am everyday to catch the school bus. He doesn’t have to experience being dressed-up and “toothbrushed” by his mother while asleep so he won’t be late for school. He doesn’t have to wolf down his breakfast while rushing out.

· He doesn’t have to ride a school bus. (Ow, shucks.) He doesn’t have to wade through traffic twice a day.

· He doesn’t have to fight with forty kids for the attention of a teacher.

· He doesn’t have to waste a lot of time waiting in school. (Which I feel consumes 30% of school time each day.) He doesn’t have to wait for everyone to line-up for the National Anthem. He doesn’t have to wait for everyone to quiet down before the teacher starts teaching. He doesn’t have to wait for the teacher to explain the lesson a second for those who weren’t listening…

· He doesn’t have to eat sugary snacks in the school canteen.

· He doesn’t get bullied. No jeers. No barbs. No meanness.

· He doesn’t have peer pressure to buy the latest rubber shoe, the newest cell phone, the coolest shirt. He doesn’t have to compare his daily allowance with his classmates.

· He doesn’t have homework when he arrives from school. Nada. None. Zilcho. Zero. He doesn’t have school projects that mommies end up doing anyway.

Should I go on?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Gosh, my son is missing a lot of things.

Instead, Here’s What My Son Has…

So instead of these things, what does my son have to endure in homeschool? Let me see…

· He wakes up at 8:00am. If the entire family attended a prayer meeting the previous night, he wakes up at 9:00am. No problem.

· He has time to say his morning prayers in bed. He joins his mom reading the Bible together. He then takes a relaxing breakfast with his little brother Francis, reads his books, plays the guitar, and the two of them clown around the house.

· He starts class at 9:00am. Each morning, he sings the Philippine National Anthem, says the Panatang Makabayan, and prays his morning school prayer on his own.

· In every subject, he has the undivided attention of his devoted teacher. He can ask any question he wants, anytime he wants, and his teacher will answer him. When he doesn’t know the answer, he says, “Let’s research for the answer now.” And they log onto the internet, read a few books, and viola—the answer is found… together.

· He and his mother love talking about their faith. They also like singing together.

· He can tell his teacher, “Mommy, I want to know more about stars. Can we read about that tomorrow?” And his mother will say, “Let’s make that our science class for today!” And because it’s his interest, he needs no prodding to study. He wants to learn. He loves it.

· He can tell his teacher, “Mommy, I don’t understand this math problem. Can we slow it down a bit?” And his mother will say, “Sure thing. Let’s go through it one more time…” until he’s totally satisfied.

· Classes are only from Monday to Thursday. Because every Friday morning, he meets other homeschooled kids. They play together, do art work together, sing together, and just have enormous fun. (Yes, homeschooled kids have shown to be very sociable and confident, due to high self-esteem.)

· Every Tuesday afternoon, he attends a gymnastics class. Again, we don’t force him to do it. He loves tumbling, cartwheeling, and running around with the other kids.

· Each day, his class ends at 2pm or 3pm. But that’s because class was so exciting, both mother and son didn’t want to stop.

· After his class, my son goes out and rides the bike with his cousin or they play with the computer together. In the evening, since there’s no homework, he reads whatever books he likes to read. My suspicion? Because he’s interested in reading the books he chooses, he probably learns more in his free time than in his formal class time!

· When I’m free, I teach him how to compose songs and improve his guitar playing (That’s his Music Class), how to write short stories (That’s his English elective), and how to expand his bangus or milkfish business (That’s Entrepreneurship 101). Yes, he sells fish to our friends, and he divides his profits to tithes, alms, savings, and toy money! (Personal Finance 101). When my son hit 7 years old, I taught him how to read the Business section of the Newspaper. He loves asking about the stock market. He knows that we have to buy “low” and sell “high”.

· In all these, the greatest benefit is really having an incredible relationship with our kids.

We love homeschooling. Aside from all these benefits, we save a lot of money. We also don’t spend on daily allowance, school bus, etc. So we’re saving a bundle.

I know homeschooling is not for everyone. But it should at least be looked at.

I’ve trained myself that we shouldn’t live like everyone else if we believe that there’s a better way out there.

Explore. Search. Look at options.

You’ll be surprised at what you’ll discover.

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

The power of fear

Yes... the Power of Fear...
kadang kita ngga merasakan itu ada dalam diri kita dan melumpuhkan kita...

Semalam ada sepasang sahabat lama kita, yang sudah lamaaaa sekali ngga pernah kontak2.
Kita cuma kontak2 saat ada yang bday atau kl ada yang penting2 banget.
Semalam mereka datang... buat ngobrol2 tukar pikiran karena mereka musti memutuskan sesuatu yang penting dalam kehidupan rumah tangga mereka.
Issuenya sih simple... mau beli rumah.
Tidak ada masalah apa-apa, harga, tipe rumah, luas rumah, keadaan rumah dan lingkungan rumah... semua ok... kecuali satu hal! letaknya di TUSUK SATE....
Sebagai anak Tuhan memang keadaan ini mungkin tidak akan mempengaruhi sedemikian besarnya. Tapi tidak untuk teman gw ini... khususnya sang istri.
Awalnya dia biasa-biasa aja... tapi setelah dia tahu bhw suaminya memberikan DP untuk rumah itu... dia dihantui ketakutan yang begituuuuu besar sehingga sangat mempengaruhi keadaan dia akhir2 ini.
Ketakutan akan tahyul... rumah tusuk sate akan membawa kematian begitu menguasai dia.
Tapi setelah ngobrol2 panjang lebar, krn kami teman lama... ada beberapa kejadian di masa lalunya yang dulu pernah gw tahu. Dua peristiwa itu adalah... kematian kakak iparnya yang meninggalkan keponakannya yang masih demikian kecil waktu itu dan kemudian... peristiwa perdarahan dia setelah melahirkan putrinya yang pertama.
Dan dua hal ini membuat sahabat gw ini gak mampu keluar dari ketakutannya, bahkan untuk alasan tusuk sate ini pun demikian.

Gw kembali merenungkan hidup gw.
Kadang... banyak waktu kita mengijinkan ketakutan-ketakutan merajai hati kita.
Gw khususnya kadang meng'entertain' ketakutan itu, dan kemudian itu melumpuhkan gw untuk melangkah.
Padahal satu hal juga yang gw percaya Tuhan pasti pengen kita happy.
Kita menjadi seperti yang kita pikirkan.
Saat kita memikirkan semua yang jelek2 dan takut2, itulah yang terjadi pada diri kita krn kita mengarahkan kekuatan kita kepada energy itu.
Cuma takut akan Tuhan dan kepercayaan kita akan cinta Tuhan... yang mampu mengatasai this power of fear.

love song from my hubby

Di sel group gw... kita lagi ada acara bikin positive site dari setiap org yang ada.
Maksudnya supaya setiap orang mengetahui kekuatannya dan dapat mempergunakannya sebaik mungkin...
Dan minggu lalu... suami gw menuliskan sesuatu dan menyanyikannya! hehehe..
Dari pacaran dia janji bikin lagu buat gw... akhirnya baru setelah 3 tahun menikah terealisasi...
Anyway... gw hampir meneteskan air mata sangking terharunya hehehehe...
cewek mana sih yang gak suka dipuji-puji heheheh...
here's the song...

Lovely Lia

Do = C

Song and lyric: Riko

4/4

It’s because the sparkle

In your eyes

That I think of you

Days and nights

It’s because the smile

On your lips

That I think of you

Always by my side

It’s because the touch

Of your skin

That I can’t get you

Out of my mind

But most of all I love you

And it’s because you are you

Reff:

I love you because you are my lovely Lia

You’re the God-sent-angel by my side

Who loves me thru and thru

I love you because of who you are to me

And when forever is thru’

I’d spend the end with you

Saying I love you.

Jakarta, August 2007

r.