HP matching type exercise embedded trial only

Avoid big words and pompous diction (4)

Matching exercise

Match the items on the right to the items on the left.

ascertain	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
conceptualize	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
encompass	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
hypothesize	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
inundate	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
operational	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
optimum	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
perpetuate	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
peruse	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
reciprocate	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best
stipulate	??? include working flood guess find out plan study, look at return agree continue best

Heartlight: free resources like pictures, e-cards, Powerpoint templates and backgrounds, etc.

Heartlight Magazine offers numerous free resources for churches and ministries:

[1] Heart Gallery (thousands of scriptural artwork images available for viewing; select from the most recent, past favorites, or search to find exactly what you're looking for)

[2] HeartCards (a free electronic Christian greeting card service for friends and loved ones world wide with topics such as Salvation, Friendship, Love, Thanks, Comfort, Encouragement, Praise, Inspiration; you can customize the e-card as to style, sound and date.)

[3] PowerPoint resources (collection of templates, images, and slide show presentations to help assist you in your particular ministry; Templates - with various themes; Backgrounds - images for presentations; Seminars - presentations done by Heartlight staff

From Heartlight’s Rules of Use

We are truly pleased to provide these resources for you to use in your ministry. Our mission is to provide resources for victorious Christian living in today’s world.

You are free to use and share this copyrighted material for personal, church, and ministry use for both public and private presentations as long as this notice, the materials themselves, and any of the associated images are not changed and it is not distributed, bundled, or reproduced in any form and sold, or requires shipping or handling charges. These materials are intended for free distribution for Christians to be used to the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Unless otherwise indicated, all PowerPoint resources are Copyright HEARTLIGHT®, Inc., 2001. http://www.heartlight.org.

Remember a missionary this Christmas

Missionary Christmas

Christmas was special when he was a child,
food and presents and carols and smiles.

Tree decorating was great family fun,
and cold nights by the fire watching old reruns.

But then one day God spoke to his heart,
and he gave up his culture to make a new start.

Now taking the Gospel to far off lands,
his Christmas is different than what he had planned.

The weather is sticky, with stench in the air,
the needs that surround him are terrible to bear.

Instead of carols and Christmas bells,
he hears chanting and the casting of spells.

The childhood dream of Christmas in the snow,
was left at the altar when he decided to go.

If only the ones who he left behind,
would remember his face during this special time.

And send him a note, or a word of thanks
or maybe even something he could put in the bank.

Then Christmas would not be so tough this year
and even for the missionary it would “good cheer.”

©Wayne Dillard 2004
www.prayercentral.net

Through the distance ...

“And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.” (Gen 31:49)

“Is the Lord going to use in a great way? Quite probably. Is He going to prepare you as you expect? Probably not. And if you’re not careful, you will look at the trials, the tests, the sudden interruptions, the disappointments, the sadness, the lost jobs, the failed opportunities, the broken moments, and you will think, He’s through with me, He’s finished with me, when in fact, He is equipping you.” (The Mystery of God’s Will, by Chuck Swindoll)

And the bride wore white ... Seven secrets to sexual purity

Note: I first posted this article December 10, 2007 in my Salt and Light blog. I am reprinting it here to include the results of the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study conducted by the UP Population Institute and in view of the raging controversy over HB 3773 or the “Integrated Reproductive Health and Population Reduction Bill”. Please surf to the PRO-Life Philippines website for its critique of HB 3773.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Statistics on teenage pregnancies and sexual experiences

Dr. James Dobson, I think, said that a million teenagers in the US get pregnant every year. In the Philippines, according to the 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey, one out of four women become mothers by age 19 while four out of 10 women in the 20-24-year-old bracket have already engaged in sexual activity.

The 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS 3) conducted by the UP Population Institute and the Demographic Research and Development Foundation, Inc. revealed the following alarming statistics:

[1] Twenty-three percent of youth have engaged in premarital sex. A considerable number of sexually-active youth have had multiple partners, with almost half of the males (49%) and 11% of the females reporting more than one sex partner. One in five of the sexually-active males had paid for sex while 12% had accepted payment for sex. Prevalence of commercial sex is negligible among females, with less than one percent of the girls having paid or been paid for sex.

Over time, there has been an increase in the proportion of sexually active youth in the country, from 18 percent (among those aged 15-24) in 1994 to 23 percent in 2002. The age of first sex is also getting younger. Based on the 2002 survey, 1.2 percent of both young males and females have already engaged in sex before they turn 13 years old. Before reaching 18 however, the probability of engaging in sex increased sharply for males (28 percent) while 12 percent would have done so among females.

Previous analyses conducted by the UP Population Institute on the sexual behavior of Filipino youth have highlighted the increasing influence of peers on young people's decision whether or not to engage in sex. Peers have also been cited as important source of information regarding sex and reproductive health matters, along with the media.

[2] While nearly all (95%) young adults have heard of HIV/AIDS, 73% believe there is no chance of them getting HIV/AIDS.

[3] The percentage of young adults who think that AIDS is curable more than doubled between 1994 and 2002. In 1994, only 12.5% thought that there was a cure to HIV/AIDS. This increased to 28% in 2002.

[4] More males than females are familiar with sexually-transmitted diseases (70% vs. 63%) although males are more likely to think that AIDS is curable (30% for males vs. 26% for females).

[5] Thirty two per cent of Filipino teenagers (15-19 years old) knew that their single female friends are sexually active while 38 percent said that their single male friends have already engaged in sex. This interesting information provides yet another clue on the extent of sexual activity among Filipino teenagers.

In addition, their report on their friends' sexual activity also shows some degree of awareness on the possible consequences of sexual activity. They said that half of their female friends who have engaged in premarital sex got pregnant. Of this proportion, 4 out of 5 pushed through with the pregnancy and slightly more than half of those who went through with the pregnancy eventually married the father of their kids.

Among their unmarried male friends on the other hand, 4 in 10 claimed that their friends got somebody pregnant. Out of this number, 2 in 5 ended up marrying the mother of their kids.

On a more personal note, I have known of incidents involving unwed pregnancies and premarital sexual activities involving pastors’ kids and teenagers who grew up in church. One pastor asked me if he could solemnize a marriage between members of his church (both minors), the girl having gotten pregnant. I informed him that under the Family Code, no person below 18 can get married, even with parental consent. One pastor in Cavite who has become frustrated by what was happening to the young people in his church once asked me what to do.

I strongly support sexual abstinence and purity programs such as True Love Waits and Silver Ring Thing. One author I highly recommend to you (whether you are a mother or father, a teenager, a pastor or youth director) is Dannah Gresh.

Resources on sexual purity before and during marriage by Dannah Gresh

Dannah’s websites are www.purefreedom.org, www.secretkeepergirl.com and www.dannahgresh.com. Her books on sexual purity before and during marriage are “And the Bride Wore White”, “Pursuing the Pearl”, and “Secret Keeper Girl”.

November 2006, I gave a lecture for the BMP-HELP pastors conference in Tagaytay City. Rushing home to Manila in the afternoon, I got to OMF Lit Bookstore in Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong just before 5 PM. From the love gift given to me by the pastors, I was able to buy at nearly seven hundred pesos the very last copy of “And the Bride Wore White”. March 2007, I gave this book as a graduation gift to the love of my life. She is the second most beautiful woman in the universe. Who is the most beautiful woman in the universe, you ask? Well, who else but movie actress Angel Locsin!

In the Purefreedom website, Dannah and her husband Bob, explain what their ministry to young men and women is all about:

It is the mission of Pure Freedom to equip men and women of all ages to live a vibrant life of purity, to experience healing from past impurity if it exists in their lives, and to experience a vibrant, passionate marriage which portrays the love Christ has for his Bride the church.(Ministry verse: Ephesians 5:31,32)

Pure Freedom provides resources with radically-unique approaches to focus on specific issues that teen girls and/or guys face in the area of purity and holiness. Our events, the hallmark of our ministry, are about sexual purity and yet they are much more about the totality of a life submitted to the will of God in a quest to enjoy the blessings of His plan.

We believe that the temptation to fail sexually comes in different forms for girls and for boys. We also believe that they will one day enjoy God's gift of sex within the confines of marriage for different reasons. Whereas the girls are primarily emotionally driven, the guys are primarily driven by sight. Because of this dichotomy, it is vital that we educate them separately and emphasize different areas of temptation.

In their seminars for young men and women, Dannah and Bob have expounded on the Bible’s principles on sexual purity through their discussion of the Hebrew word "yada". In their website, they explain that "yada" is used to both refer to holy sexuality as in that between Adam and Eve AND to refer to the holy knowing that a man can know with God. It speaks of the emotional and spiritual nature of a relationship.

Seven secrets to sexual purity

Dannah, in her book “And the Bride Wore White”, discusses the following secrets to maintaining sexual purity:

[1] Purity is a process.
[2] Purity dreams of its future.
[3] Purity is governed by its value.
[4] Purity speaks boldly.
[5] Purity loves its Creator at any cost.
[6] Purity embraces wise guidance.
[7] Purity watches burning flames.

Dannah does not simply discuss things at a theoretical level. One of the very practical tips she gives in her book on how teenagers can stay sexually pure is to "stay public and stay vertical."

The quest for a pure, passionate marriage

The second book by Dannah Gresh which I have read is “Pursuing the Pearl” (it was a gift from Bro. David Witta and his family from Massachusetts, USA). In this book, she discusses what she calls “The Enemy’s Fake Pearls” which are [1] status and stuff; [2] social acceptance; [3] giving up and starting over; [4] pride and dreams.

Locally, this book costs around four hundred pesos. That is quite steep, but what Dannah says in page pages 62 and 63 are worth the price of the book. She warns her readers, “Sexual impurity is a zero tolerance arena. You are on shaky ground if there are emotional bonds being created between you and another man (or your husband and another woman).” Dannah explains that these bonds begin with little things like:

• Innocently having lunch alone with a man


• Seeking advice from a man about personal issues, especially marital issues


• Seeking or accepting frequent praise or affirmation from the same man


• Being or becoming comfortable with being alone in an office or a home together


• Intentionally seeking out time to be with this man


• Manipulating your schedule to see him


• Spending time fantasizing about him

If you are parents concerned about your teenage kids and their sexual purity, a pastor or youth leader seeking to help your youth group, or a man or woman thinking of the best Christmas gift to give the love of your life, consider giving them any of Dannah Gresh’s books.

The only book by Dannah Gresh I haven’t read yet is “Secret Keeper Girl.” Two problems. One, as far as I know, there are no copies of this book locally. Two, even if it were available, how do I go about buying the book? Hey, I am a guy and I’m thinking, what would the store clerks say if I bought a copy of this book?

Footprints

Leona Lewis’ “Footprints” song is SportRelief charity's official anthem for 2008. The song was written by Per Magnusson, David Kreuger, Richard Page and Simon Cowell based on the highly popular “Footprints in the Sand” poem (more on this poem below). Wikipedia reports that "the song appears on Lewis's debut album Spirit which debuted at number one in nine countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, New Zealand and Germany. It also holds the record for the biggest digital album sales in a week ever for a new artist, male or female." There is also a complimentary "Footprints In The Sand" ringtone. The lyrics of the song are posted below:

You walked with me
Footprints in the sand
And helped me understand
Where I'm going

You walked with me
When I was all alone
With so much unknown
Along the way
Then I heard you say

(Chorus)
I promise you
I'm always there
When your heart is filled with sorrow
And despair
I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand

I see my life
Flash across the sky
So many times have I
Been so afraid

And just when I
Have thought I'd lost my way
You gave me strength to carry on
That’s when I heard you say

(Chorus)
I promise you
I'm always there
When your heart is filled with sorrow
And despair
I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand

When I'm weary
Well, I know you've been there
And I can feel you when you say

I promise you (you)
I'm always there
When your heart is filled with sadness (when your heart)
And despair (and despair)
I'll carry you
When you need a friend (need a friend)
You'll find my footprints in the sand’

(I promise you)
(I'm always there)
When your heart is full of sadness (sadness)
And despair (And despair)
I'll carry you (I'll carry you)
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand.

Footprints in the corridor

I took this picture sometime in 1991. A group of students on their way to our school’s Speech Festival had covered their whole bodies from head to foot with some sort of powder. As they walked barefooted, they left footprints along the corridor. I hesitated shooting the footprints because I wanted to save my favorite black and white film Kodak Tri-X for the Festival. But I eventually decided to shoot two pictures (this one) and another from the opposite side. Moments later, our school janitor mopped away the footprints.

“Footprints in the Sand”

I am sure you have heard the song “Footprints in the Sand” several decades before Leona Lewis' version. It became number one in Billboard’s Gospel chart and then crossed over again as number in the pop charts. The song used a poem of the same title as its chorus. Several writers have claimed authorship of this poem, namely, Ella H. Scharring-Hausen, Mary Stevenson, Floyd Keeton, Burrell Webb, Carolyn Joyce Carty, and Margaret Fishback Powers. Whoever the real author may be, here is a version of the poem for your reading and writing pleasure:

One night I had a dream.

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and the other to God.

When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at a time along the path of my life there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of my life.

This really bothered me and I questioned God about it.

“God, you said once I had decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troublesome time in my life there is only one set of footprints.

”I do not understand why in times when I needed you most, you would leave me.”

God replied, “My precious, precious child I love you and I would never, never leave you during your time of trials and suffering.

When you see only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you.”

Wikipedia describes the Footprints poem and its influence in this way:

Footprints, also known as Footprints in the Sand, is a popular allegorical text written in prose. There are three versions of the poem all with the same title but different authors. While critics have debated the literary merits of the piece, it has been enormously popular worldwide, especially among American Christians.

The text describes a dream, in which the person is walking on a beach with God (in some versions, specifically identified as Jesus). They leave two sets of footprints in the sand behind them. Looking back, the tracks are stated to represent various stages of this person's life. At some points the two trails dwindle to one, especially at the lowest and most hopeless moments of the character's life. When questioning God, believing that God must have abandoned his follower during those times, God gives the explanation: “During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you”.

Free Sunday afternoon lecture-seminars for Baptist churches, adults and youth groups

Each seminar features the following combined topics (on a 2 to 5 PM schedule):

[1] Essential provisions of the Family Code (one hour, 15 minutes)

[2] Protecting your marriage from marital infidelity (one hour, 15 minutes)

[3] Cybermissions: how church members can participate in evangelism and world missions through the Internet (30 minutes)

Other available topics: Preventing the sexual abuse of children (adults); Introduction to photography (youth groups; OHP or LCD projector needed).

Contact Atty Gerry T. Galacio at gtgalacio@yahoo.com if your church or group is interested in these seminars.

Free PDF newsletters now available

I am publishing a bi-monthly PDF newsletter titled “Legal issues and family matters” based on materials posted in my Legal Updates blog and from my Family Matters website. If you want to receive this free newsletter on a regular basis, please e-mail me at gtgalacio@yahoo.com.

View and download the available newsletters

Happy Father's Day!

The world celebrates Father’s Day on Sunday, June 15. This early, I’d like to share with you a very popular selection entitled “Father’s Love Letter”, the video version of which has been viewed by million of people around the world. Father's Love Letter is a compilation of Bible verses from both the Old and New Testaments that are presented in the form of a love letter from God to the world. The Flash movie version (around eight minutes long) is available in English and more than 80 other languages. The website’s home page describes FLL in this way:

Father's Love Letter is a selection of paraphrased Scriptures. Each line in the Father's Love Letter message is paraphrased, which means we have taken each scripture's overall message and summarized it as a single phrase to best express its meaning.

The Power Of God's Word

This message has the ability to change lives because it is God's Word. The Bible describes God's Word as living & active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) and promises not to return empty (Isaiah 55:11).

Countless Stories

We have heard countless testimonies from thousands of people all over the world who have had a life-changing encounter with God while experiencing the message found in Father's Love Letter.

This Letter Was Written For You ...

... and its words are penned from a God who loves you and desires to be the Father that you have been looking for all your life. Wherever you are in your journey, we hope that this love letter will encourage you, comfort you and guide you on your way home.

In a world of absentee or abusive fathers, FLL provides abundant hope, indeed a very rare commodity these days. I do have misgivings about FLL’s message. As Ptr. John Piper says in his book “The Passion of Jesus Christ” (page 29),

“There is only one explanation for God’s love for us. It is not us. It is ‘the riches of his grace’ (Ephesians1:7). It is all free. It is not a response to our worth. It is the overflow of his infinite worth. In fact, that is what divine love is in the end: a passion to enthrall undeserving sinners, at great cost, with what will make us supremely happy forever, namely, his infinite beauty.”

Be that as it may, below is the text of Father’s Love Letter. To view the Flash movie (English version), click here.

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad.

Free online tutoring in conversational English

The website “English for Asians and Africans” at http://www.e4aa.org/ is now offering free online tutoring in conversational English. As of now, because of the limited number of tutors, this is being offered to students, professionals, etc from African and Asian countries excluding the Philippines. Click here for the names and schedules of the online tutors.

Note to blog visitors: Blogger.com is having problems

Please take note that Blogger (a free service provided by Google) is currently experiencing numerous bugs (missing page elements, server cannot be found, cannot post comments, etc). If you surf to http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help, you will see a lot of angry comments by a lot of angry bloggers over this breakdown in Blogger.com’s service. I am thankful for Blogger.com’s free service and I just have to wait until the bugs have been fixed.

If you have any legal inquiries, please e-mail me, instead of using the Post Comments dialog box. Thanks!

Recent articles from my blogs

Free legal information at www.familymatters.org.ph

Baptist Churches in the Philippines at www.baptist-rp.blogspot.com

Music recital 2008, Asia Baptist Bible College

8th World Missions Conference, Bethany Makati, February 12-14, 2008
Reaching the world for Christ through the Internet; "English for Asians and Africans" now online
Medical mission, BBC Sta. Mesa (Manila) with High Street Baptist Church (Springfield, Missouri, USA) team
59th Anniversary, Baptist Bible Church (Sta. Mesa, Manila), January 13, 2008
Christmas cantata, Baptist Bible Church, Sta. Mesa
Getting married? A look at what covenant marriage is all about
Missions conference, Grace Bible Baptist Church, Dasmarinas, Cavite
ABBC 2007 concert
The Estrada vs. Escritor case: Did the Supreme Court legitimize live-in relationships in the name of freedom of religion?
Life after life: medical criteria of “death”, its legal definition in the Philippines, related issues and Biblical perspectives
"Better English for Filipinos now online"; Reaching the world for Christ through Internet evangelism and cybermissions; volunteers needed for "English for Asians and Africans" website (additional topics as of October 22, 2007: Asia has 459 million Internet users out of a total population of 3.7 billion; Africa with a total population of 933 million, has some 44 million Internet users. South Korea, with an Internet user population of 34 million, now has 80% of homes with broadband connection)
Upcoming event: 18th Fundamental Bible Conference, October 23 to 26
ABBCAA Pastors and Workers Conference, San Mateo BBC, October 1
Online Bible study with Ptr. Jose Luis Reunilla
Department of Education regulations on the teaching of religion in public schools
The need for SEC registration of churches; sample Constitution and Bylaws
Seminars on the Family Code and RA 9262
Asia Baptist Bible College 33rd Graduation Activities, March 6 to 9, 2007
Bethany Baptist Church (Makati) 53rd Anniversary and 7th World Missions Conference
Yearend Family Fellowship, Bethany Makati, December 31, 2006
Legal and Biblical seminar on “The Family Code of the Philippines” and “The Biblical basis for marriage” at Grace and Truth Baptist Church, Kawit, Cavite, December 3, 2006
A Heart for the Harvest, Youth Missions Conference, Sta Mesa BBC;
Baptist Mission Partners Pastors and Churches Annual Conference, Tagaytay;
Soul Winning Revival Conference, October 23, 2006;
Asia Baptist Bible College faculty meeting;
Legal seminar, Christ Bible Baptist Church, Paliparan, Dasmarinas, Cavite;
Mission Month, Promised Land Bible Baptist Church, Dasmarinas, Cavite;
Ptr. Nable, Bethany Makati, and Dr. Armie Jesalva, Cebu BBC, awarded honorary doctoral degrees by Louisiana Baptist University;
Iloilo Baptist Church Orchestra at Bethany Makati

Salt and Light blog at www.-salt-and-light-.blogspot.com

And the two shall become one ...

Real relationships: how to make bad relationships better and good relationships great
Getting married: A look at what “covenant marriage” is
Love and Respect
The Rose
And the bride wore white ...
Together, forever!
What cancer cannot do
Protecting our families and churches against Internet pornography
Deal or no deal?
The One and Only [2]
Procedures in adoption under RA 8552
Life after life [3]
Relationships, social isolation, heart disease, premature deaths and a cat named Angelica
Acronyms for better marriages: BEST, COUPLES, CHAIRS, ZTE and NBN
The only exercise some people do is jumping to conclusions
The grass is not always greener on the other side
Hi, Pangga! May energy ka ba?
Are computers masculine or feminine?
Transformers: Why do persistent suitors become passive husbands?
Legitimation, the rights of illegitimate children, Spongebob and Gary, Dingdong and Marianne ...
God Of Wonders and Father's Love Letter
Men are terrible mind readers ...
Coming attractions:Is Rusty Lopez anti-male, anti-fathers or anti-family?
Legal lessons from Willie Revillame and Liz Amoro; emotional abuse and psychological violence
Words and pictures
Coming attractions: relationship tips from the "Transformers" and Mr. Bean
To Have and To Hold: upcoming seminar on marriage and relationships, by Chip Ingram, GCF, July 14, 12 nn to 6PM
Ruffa, Yilmaz, TV Patrol, divorce and remarriage by Filipinos; John and Gretchen?
Fathers' Day special
Update on the Mary Winkler case: A word of hope and encouragement for pastors' wives and female church workers
Love, friendship, second chances and a roll of film
Marriage: The Ultimate Fighting Championship
Rights and obligations between husband and wife from the Biblical standpoint and that of the Family Code of the Philippines
Life after life: Farewell to Dra. Myrna Gigantone
Want to get married? A look at what "covenant marriage" is
Farewell to a former high school student
Kris, James and Hope
Love Potion No. 9
"Calling all women" seminar by Burst Forth Ministries, Feb. 24, 2007
Wedding bells for Leili and Jarold
Hate Eight? Eight kinds of husbands and wives
Tom Jones, men and women, husbands and wives, and back to the future
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on the family and family home
“Saving Private Ryan” and God’s seeking heart
June brides, wedding vows and coming attractions
The Battered Woman Syndrome; Spousal abuse: In the name of submission?
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on marriage
Marriage: The ultimate fighting championship
Mind reading and negative interpretations
The joys of photography
“Coming Attractions” In sickness or in health; the Battered Woman Syndrome; a Christian guide to fighting for your marriage; dreary divorce statistics and sexy lingerie to create better marriages in Australia …
Move over, Jang Geum! All about women ...
“Why do men think the things they think, say the things they say, and do the things they do?”
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Primer on the Newborn Screening Act of 2004
Primer on the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2004
Want to get married? A look at covenant marriages
How to save your marriage alone
Emotional word pictures as communication tool in marriage
Can you read my mind?
Do wives really want their husbands to share feelings, thoughts, etc with them?
Boundaries in marriage
Oldies but Goodies: Ten Commandments for wives and husbands
Hope and help for the battered woman: Biblical response to spousal abuse

Legal Updates blog at www.famli.blogspot.com

RA 9439 Hospital Detention Law

When husband and wife have not seen each other for more than seven years, does it mean that their marriage is now void?
Republic Act 9285 Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004: How to solve legal disputes without going to court
Questions and answers on inheritance (1): no children and without a last will and testament
Family Code of the Philippines: Requisites of marriage, void and voidable marriages, annulment, declaration of nullity, property relations
The Rose
DNA testing to prove legitimacy or illegitimacy of children; Supreme Court’s New Rule on DNA Evidence
Dual citizenship: A primer on RA 9225 Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003
The right of a divorced Filipino spouse to remarry under Article 26 of the Family Code
Disinheriting children and descendants, legitimate as well as illegitimate
How to disinherit your spouse
Protecting our families and churches against Internet pornography; court decisions on pornography and obscenity
Procedures in adoption under RA 8552
Can a man who had a sex change operation have his birth certificate entry for gender changed from "male" to "female"?
Getting married? Take a look at what "covenant marriage" is all about
Legal definition of "death" in the Philippines
Pending legislation: Senate Bill No. 1587 or “An Act Safeguarding The Health Of Filipino Mothers At The Time Of Their Childbirth”
Curfew for minors now illegal under RA 9344
Primer on the Family Code of the Philippines: Absolute community of property
Primer on the Family Code of the Philippines: Donations by reason of marriage
When a man is married to or living in with several women successively or simultaneously, who has the right to inherit from him?
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on the property relations between husband and wife
God Of Wonders and Father's Love Letter
Can an unwed mother avail of the benefits of the Solo Parents Welfare Act?
Support for abandoned wife and family
What happens in an annulment case if the respondent fails to file an Answer?
Custody battles over children: What determines fitness of a parent over another?
Is bigamy committed when a person gets married to another party while his or her petition for annulment of a previous marriage is pending in court?
Sample Constitution and Bylaws for churches
Seminars on Family Code and RA 9262
Can you legally force your spouse to live with and to love you?
Can a mother be deprived of custody of her child?
Legal lectures, NSTP, L.D. Woosley bethany Colleges, Feb. 24 and March 10, 2007
Senator Miriam's Youth Suicide Prevention bill
Pending bills in the Senate and Congress: Foster Care and Youth Suicide Prevention
Requirements for the issuance of an Original Certificate of Title
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on legitimation
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on illegitimate children
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on paternity, filiation and legitimate children
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on legal separation
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on the family and family home
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on rights and obligations of husband and wife
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on void and voidable marriages
The Battered Woman Syndrome as a defense; the Marivic Genosa case
Family Code of the Philippines: Primer on marriage
Legal seminars, Nicanor Ibuna Elementary School (San Juan)
and Pinagbuhatan Elementary School (Pasig), October 23 and 25, 2006
Primer on the Anti-Sexual Harrassment Act of 1995
Primer on the Newborn Screening Act of 2004
Primer on RA 8972 Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000
Covenant marriage
Mediation not allowed in domestic violence cases, with apologies to Pia Guanio
Amy Perez case: psychological incapacity in annulment of marriage
The Estrada vs. Escritor case: Did the Supreme Court legitimize live-in relationships?

Campus Connection blog at www.campusconnection.blogspot.com
Photojournalism (40): Where do we go from here?

The Rose
Photojournalism (39): Correct exposure
Photojournalism (38): Shutter speed
Photojournalism (37): depth of field
Photojournalism (36): Through the lens
Photojournalism (35) : Campus news photography, and working on your yearbook
Photojournalism (34): Using your flash
Photojournalism (33): Photo essays using the chronological approach
Apollo Moon Documentary Bears Witness for a Creator
Photojournalism (32): Photo essays and themes
Photojournalism (31): Photo essays and sequences
Photojournalism (30): Shooting portraits
Photojournalism (29): Shooting at night
Photojournalism (28): Silhouette
Photojournalism (27): Reflections
Photojournalism (26): Shadows
Photojournalism (25): Shooting groups
Photojournalism (24): Types of pictures
Photojournalism (23): Composition
Photojournalism (22): Conveying depth
Photojournalism (21): Natural frames
Photojournalism (20): Foreground and background
Photojournalism (19): Rule of thirds
Photojournalism (18): Emphasis by lines
God Of Wonders and Father's Love Letter
Photojournalism (17): Picture formats
Photojournalim (16): Choosing your viewpoint
Photojournalism (15): Scale
Photojournalism (14): Quality and direction of light
Photojournalism (13): Cybill Shepherd, Ryan O’Neal, Mary Stuart Masterson, Robert Downey Jr, love, friendship, second chances and a roll of film
Photojournalism (12): reading pictures
Photojournalism (11): Creative writing through seeing
Photojournalism(10): Decisive moment
Photojournalism (09): Learning how to see
Photojournalism (08): Color or black and white?
Photojournalism (07): Element of perspective
Photojournalism (06): Element of patterns
Photojournalism (05): Elements of tone and contrast
Photojournalism (04): Elements of form and texture
Pictures from Miriam College (High School) photojournalism seminar
Photojournalism seminar for schoolpaper staffers of Miriam College High School Department (Quezon City) on Saturday, June 30, 9 AM
Photojournalism (03): Lines and shapesPhotojournalism (02): "I Am A Camera"
Introduction to photojournalism
Love Potion No. 9
Charlie Brown, Soren Kierkaagard, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Jim Elliot, Peter Marshall and zoe ...
Reflections on graduation time
Is God real? By Andy Wineman
Gokusen na naman!
Can You Prove the Existence of God? by Gregory E. Gannssle, PhD
Is There A God? By Marilyn Adamsom
Review: Conveying depth and depth of field
“Saving Private Ryan” and God’s seeking heart
Photojournalism (40): Where do we go from here?
Photojournalism (39): Correct exposure
Photojournalism (38): Shutter speed
Regional Schools Press Conference, Dep Ed Region III, Talavera National High School, Nueva Ecija, November 13 to 17, 2006
Division of Pasig City and San Juan Press Conference, Nov. 6, 7 and 10, 2006
Photojournalism (37): Depth of field
Photojournalism (36): Through the lens
Group reports, Psych 118, UP Diliman
13th Division Young Writers Press Conference, Pasig City and San Juan
Parliamentary procedures contest, Division of Pasig City and San Juan
Bar exams 2006
Pasig V District Mini Press Conference
Photo essays using the chronological approach
Photo essays and themes
Photo essays and sequence shots

SEC before and after

“The Rose”

Where do we go from here? 2007 is over and we’re on the first day of 2008. We don’t know what this year will bring as these verses tell us:

Joshua 3:4 “that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.”

James 14-15 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

As a way of saying thanks for all of you who browsed my blogs and websites (Legal Issues and Family Matters; Better English for Filipinos; and English for Asians and Africans) this year, please let me share with you this story entitled simply “The Rose”. Max Lucado popularized this story in his 1992 book “And The Angels Were Silent”. It surfaced in the Internet sometime in 1996 and has since then achieved the status of an urban legend. It has even become sermon illustrations (please see for example “Easter After Tremors: The Call to Love” by Mark Daniels).

Most reproductions of this story (whether in print or the Internet) state either that the story’s author is unknown or that it originally came from Max Lucado. However, the real author is someone named S. I. Kishor and the story was first published in Collier’s magazine sometime in 1943. In Lucado’s book, it appeared without attribution and was entitled “The People with the Roses.’ In the 1996 Canfield and Hansen collection “A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul”, S.I. Kishor was correctly identified as the author. Be that as it may, “The Rose” has become a runaway favorite among Internet users.

“The Rose” by S. I. Kishor

John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose.

His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.

During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.

When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You'll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel.”

So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he'd never seen. I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:

A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose.

As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes.

The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.

This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. “I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?”

The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. “I don't know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”

It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.

Happy New Year!

Season’s greetings

Free paralegal training for pastors, church workers, Bible school students, and interested parties

Christ Baptist Church, under Rev. Jose Conui III, is sponsoring free paralegal training seminars for its Introduction to Law (ITL) students and for anyone interested in learning the following: [1] procedures in civil, criminal and administrative cases; [2] essential provisions of the Family Code and relevant laws; [3] land problems; [4] SEC registration of churches; and [5] other topics.

Schedules of the seminars are: November 19 and 26; December 3 and 17; January 7 and 14, from 1 to 5 PM. Venue is Christ Baptist Church, B 24 Navarro Cmpd, Soldiers' Hills, Putatan, Muntinlupa City. Certificates will be awarded to those who finish the seminars (total of 24 hours).

For more information, please call Wella Conui at CBC tel. no. 842-4684.

Apollo Moon Documentary Bears Witness
for a Creator

By Mark Ellis, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

LONDON (ANS) -- A film documenting the Apollo moon project using rare footage from NASA contains numerous spiritual references pointing to the existence of God.

“In the Shadow of the Moon” opened September 7th to positive reviews, including a “Critic’s Choice” designation by the L.A. Times and an award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

“It’s a film about the experience of going to the moon told by the people who went – in their own words,” says David Sington, who directed the film. One of Sington’s associates got acquainted with Dave Scott, commander of Apollo 15 and the first man to drive on the moon. “They wanted to organize a reunion of moonwalkers,” Sington says. “That grew into an idea of doing a reunion on film.”

For the complete article by Mark Ellis, please surf over to my Campus Connection blog. You might also want to play this Flash movie "God of Wonders" by Tim Gibson. My personal preference is still the traditional hymns but Gibson's movie is quite appropriate here.

"Better English for Filipinos" now online

This website, located at http://www.betterenglish.org.ph/, offers Filipino teachers and students hundreds of links to free interactive exercises and activities in grammar (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections), spelling, listening, speaking and pronunciation, idioms, vocabulary, reading and writing from the best ESL and EFL resources on the Internet.

It also has links to numerous free online resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, translators, diagnostic tests, thousands of literary works, online newspapers and Internet radio stations from around the world, etc.

A unique feature of this website is the section on "Learning English and creative writing through photographs." Related to this section is the blog "A picture is worth a thousand words ..."

Note: I am currently putting the finishing touches to another website titled "English for Asians and Africans" which will offer, besides the resources mentioned above, free online tutoring in conversational English. Hopefully, this website will be online on or before the end of October.

God Of Wonders and Father's Love Letter

Tim Gibson created this Flash movie based on the song of the same title by Caedmon’s Call / Third Day. The movie takes about 45 seconds to load on a dial-up connection. Click the galaxy-like image at the lower right hand corner to begin. Despite some theologically objectionable graphics in this movie and my preference for traditional hymns, I hope this movie lifts up your spirit during this very rainy day!

Please also take time to view the "Father's Love Letter" at www.fathersloveletter.com/fllpreviewlarge.html. This is an eight minute preview of the 25-minute video created by Barry Adams and which has been viewed by millions. In this day and age of absentee fathers and dysfunctional families, you will learn from this Flash video of a different kind of a father.

Special thanks to everyone who browsed www.familymatters.org.ph or availed of the free legal information and Biblical counseling services of the website and its related blogs: [1] “Legal Updates” at www.famli.blogspot.com; [2] “Baptist Churches in the Philippines” at www.baptist-rp.blogspot.com; [3] “Families of Faith” at www.families-of-faith.blogspot.com; [4] “Salt and Light” at www.-salt-and-light-.blogspot.com; and [5] “Campus Connection” at www.campusconnection.blogspot.com.

Deepest thanks to everyone who received every Monday morning at 8:30 to 9 AM my “FYI – new article …” text messages and forwarded them to others.

Tender thanks to the women (betrayed, battered or abandoned by their husbands) who e-mailed me, with the hope that the legal information I provided has helped even in some small way. Psalms 68:5 says, “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.” James 1:27 also declares, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Sincere thanks to the BMP-HELP pastors and church workers for their love gift during their Tagaytay, November 23, 2006 conference; it enabled me to pay for the next quarter web hosting fees of the Family Matters website.

Heartfelt thanks to Bro. David Witta (from Massachussetts, USA) and his family for their gifts of books and CDs. Same for Ptr. Norwin Cruz of Grace Bible Baptist Church, Dasmarinas, Cavite (and Doha , Qatar), Bro. Nazario Angeles Jr., missionary to Saipan, Ptr. Joey Conui of Christ Baptist Church, and Ptr. Manny Orara of Maranatha International Baptist Church for their words of encouragement and affirmation for the value of these Internet ministries.

Appreciative thanks to Ptr.Gerardo Nable and my Bethany Makati churchmates, especially Coty Cataluna, Ligaya Gutierrez, Cherry Molina, Lyn Solis, Jonas Pimentel and Deacon Mario de Ocampo Jr.

Grateful thanks to spouses Robert and Ela (Flores) Questadio for their faithful reading and discussion with others of my Salt and Light articles. Ditto for Mylah Reyes-Roque, Rizal High School Class ‘87, for the affirmation to continue writing (George Bernard Shaw once said, “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.”)

Earnest thanks to webmasters Armand Serrana of Moriah BBC for the technical info on HTML and Dreamweaver, and Erin Cabanawa of Pasig BBC for the hyperlink to my website.

Warmest thanks to the pastors, church workers and members, Bible school students, teachers and students who attended my lecture-seminars (legal, covenant marriage and photojournalism):

[1] Legal seminars, Landmark Baptist College, Pasig City, February 28 and March 7, 2006

[2] RA 9262 seminar for NSTP students, L.D. Woosley Bethany Colleges, March 4, 2006

[3] Covenant marriage seminar, Baptist Men and Women’s Joint Fellowship, Baptist Bible Church, Sta. Mesa, Manila, under Ptr. Joseph Boyd Lyons, February 26 and March 26, 2006

[4] Family Code seminar, Maranatha International Baptist Church, Parang, Marikina, under Ptr. Many Orara, February 26, 2006

[5] Legal seminar, Grace Bible Baptist Church, Dasmarinas, Cavite , under Ptr. Norwin Cruz, March 18, 2006

[6]Legal seminar, Single Parents for Christ, led by Sis. Linda Pawhay, March 19, 2006

[7] Baptist College of Leadership, Faith Baptist Church, Novaliches, under Ptrs. Gary Phillips and Lance Gotcher, April 6, 2006

[8] Legal seminar, Biblical Fundamentalism Conference, Christ Baptist Church, Muntinlupa, under Ptr. Joey Conui, May 11, 2006

[9] Paralegal training and Introduction to Law, Christ Baptist Church, Muntinlupa, under Ptr. Joey Conui, June 19 and 26, July 3 and 10, 2006

[10] Photojournalism seminar, Maria Montessori Christian School, Pembo, Makati, August 19, 2006

[11] Photojournalism training and contest, District 5, Division of Pasig City and San Juan, Caniogan Elementary School, September 7 and 8, 2006

[12] Family Code seminar, Christ Baptist Church, Paliparan, Dasmarinas, Cavite, under Ptr. Paulo Malabanan, September 17, 2006

[13] True Love Waits lecture, Promised Land Bible Baptist Church, Dasmarinas, Cavite, under Ptr. Renato Dognidon, September 17, 2006

[14] Panel discussion, Psych 118, UP College of Psychology , October 10, 2006

[15] Photojournalism contest and Division Press Conference (grade school level), Division of Pasig City and San Juan, October 5 and 10, 2006

[16] Legal seminar, Nicanor Ibuna Elementary School, San Juan,Metro Manila, October 23, 2006

[17] Legal seminar, Pinagbuhatan Elementary School, October 25, 2006

[18] Photojournalism seminar, Santolan High School, October 20, 2006

[19] Photojournalism lecture and contest (high school level) Division of Pasig City and San Juan, November 7, 2006

[20] Regional Schools Press Conference, Region III, Talavera, Nueva Ecija, November 14-17, 2006

[21] Family Code seminar, Moriah Bible Baptist Church, Marikina, under Ptr. Efren Padua, November 12 and 19, 2006

[22] Legal seminar, Baptist Missions Partners (BMP), Annual Pastors and Workers Conference, Tagaytay, November 23, 2006

[23] Family Code seminar, Grace and Truth Baptist Church, Kawit, Cavite, under Ptr. Cornelio Datur, December 3, 2006

[24] Legal seminar, God’s Grace Christian School, Santolan, Pasig City, December 20, 2006

[25] Technical writing seminar for Student Council officers, Division of Pasig City and San Juan, December 27, 200

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18

To God be the glory!

Bro. Robert Questadio and Sis. Ellenor Flores wedding, July 29, 2006, Bethel Baptist Church, Quezon City

Some jitters before the big moment

Making sure the veil's right

Robert with parents and parents-in-law waiting for the processional

Ptr. and Mrs. Gary Philipps
Bridesmaids galore



A picture of serenity

Sharing a secret at the altar