The Lord Said, “Choose Life”: Its Meaning and Connection to Our Daily Life

Deuteronomy 30: 1- 20 is a very special part of the Bible, not because of its content but it’s significant connection to our spiritual life as Christians.

The passage there kept coming back to my mind for the past several months and I contemplated about its connection to me.

I thought about my troubles and struggles as a normal human being. The decisions I made and their effects to me now.

The other meaning of the passage, aside from its literal meaning as interpreted and explained by others, came to me when one time I sighed about the hurdles I overcame then said, “Thanks I am still alive.” But then another question popped up, “Why I am still alive?”

After thinking deeply why, I exclaimed, “Because I chose life.”

There were many times in my life when I was in a situation to choose what should I do: Should I steal to satisfy my hunger, wants, or desires? Should I end my life because the problem was heavy a burden it seemed to have no solution in sight? Should I surrender because I can’t take the hardships of life anymore? And many more setups where I need to make a decision of doing good or doing bad.

Today, as I am thinking about it, I am happy and very thankful to the Lord for His guidance for me to make the right decisions of choosing life instead of death.

I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re at now but I am hoping that, as Christian, whatever decision you make it is pro-life. Choose life.

There are temptations that seem look like validate our decision to decide otherwise, like stealing because we are dying of hunger. However, let us remember what Jesus told Satan when he was tempted to turn the stones into bread and other tricks to make Jesus slipped into his destruction - all the decisions he made was to choose life.

If we steal, we may not die immediately but we could be jailed, or the people will lost their trust in you because you’re ready to do bad once in a very trying situation. Others commit suicide without even trying to fight they may have the chance to win.




If you’re a soldier who happens to be in an encounter with enemies outnumbering your group that the chance to survive seems to be zero, will you point your gun into your temple and kill yourself or commit suicide by pointing your gun to the enemies and try to kill at least one of them or who knows many of them. Your death will not be in naught because you died fighting.

The same thing in life. We fight by trying to find solutions to our troubles, and if you feel like all alone, pray because He is always there ready to help when a faithful believer calls for help. Remember when Jesus was on the cross, he forgave one of his companions hanging on a cross when he asked Jesus to remember him. What more of us who believe in Him.

Jesus, said, to look for His help when we need a helping hand because we are down and troubled. Therefore, choose life or always do what’s good in the eyes of G-d because everything is to be gained, rather than losing all because we chose otherwise thinking we have the right to do it since it’s our life or death.

May He continue to bless us with His guidance and overlook our shortcomings and not use them to turn His back on us.

Ant’s Ingenuity: What ants Do If they Can’t Take Home a Very Large Food?

We were walking with my patient one morning this week as part of his physical therapy when I noticed a snake-like curved mountain of brown earth on the ground on the side of the road. The thing was ants’ art they wanted to show people how good builder they are.

There was a heavy pouring of rain the night before and stopped like about four hours past. The view deepened my admiration to the ants’ swiftness and cunningness in making that one meter long and about five inches diameter size of mound of earth. I guessed they needed a day to do but looks like they just needed a few hours to complete the task which reminded me of what unity can do - nothing is impossible as shown by these little red ants.

At first I thought it was just a common thing and once more admired the work by comparing it to a real mountain without forests in it.

I was about to step away when I noticed something peculiar at the tip of the mound that was partly lying on the edge of the road.

I got inquisitive when I saw there is a partly covered white color under the mound. Curious about what was it and to prove if my first impression was right, I used the tip of my shoe to remove some of the earth at the middle and saw a body of dead snake.

Wow, what a sight! So, that’s what ants do when they can’t carry a food home – they just make a home of it!






Well, I imagined what a beautiful home would be after consuming all the flesh of that snake leaving only the bones! It will look like one of Hollywood’s fairy tale caves made up partly of a giant snake’s bones and thought of me inside of it.

I was fascinated by the sight so I took a video and a few shots. I hope it can give us some education about ants’ technique when the food they found is too large to carry home.

I was lucky because my cellphone’s battery was very low but still was enough to capture a glimpse of other creatures’ wisdom.

How To Teach A Kid Avoid Bed-wetting as Young As Two MOnths Old?

I can still remember when I was about probably 3-5 years old when my father whips my butt with a slipper because I wet our floor cover we slept on together with the blankets.

I didn’t know how I stopped wetting. What I could remember is I only got awaken whenever I feel the need to urinate.

Only when I got married and observed how my wife trained our children I understood how children bedwetting can be avoided or to minimized to none at all.

In order to save from diapers, my wife had our son urinate before sleeping at night, then at midnight, three in the morning, then again when the baby woke up in the morning.

This practice became a habit that our baby learned to give signals of uncomfortableness each time he felt to empty his bladder. I said, “Wow, even babies don’t want to be dirty!”

The question is how my wife knew the timing that our baby needed to empty his bladder?


For the first two months she observed our baby’s behavior and schedule in addition to his reactions whenever he needs to relieve himself.

That practice was carried on to our next two children - then now to our fourth who is now 2 and ½ years old. In fact we still have the last pack of the diapers I bought when she 1 year old.

The only time the kids ended up wetting their diapers were when we feel lazy to get up at night, we attended a party, during travels, and when we ignore their signals. And that’s only when they can’t shout enough to tell us. By the age of two years old bedwetting is completely gone.
Mothers are amazed to know our kids inform us they need to go to the washroom to clear their bowels or bladders. Well, we are also amazed to know that their 3 years old kid is still wearing diapers 24 hours a day and complain it’s expensive to raise a baby.

What are the signals a baby is about to urinate?
1. Kicking = my wife said our baby starts to thrust his feet removing the covers
2. Crying – not really crying but something closed to it to call attention.
3. Taking note of time cycle - Like adults, babies have their own time schedule for feeding, siesta time, and relieving themselves. Usually two hours to three hours are the gap though for some maybe shorter or longer depending on the established habit. Usually, a baby who just relieved herself/himself will want to be breastfed.

For grown-up kids, I believed the best way to let them stop bedwetting is to remind them about going first to empty their urinary bladder before going to bed at night. And if possible make a deal with them you will wake them up at the middle of the night to again urinate until they establish a routine and will do it by themselves.
Getting upset with them when they have accident will not help but only make them pressured and anxious which will make them lose self-respect.

Save Money On Baby Diapers

If you are a young mother or planning to be a mother soon, one of the things that you have to budget is your baby’s diapers for years. I heard mothers and fathers complaining about how expensive it is to have a baby because of their diapers.

A healthy baby can use about five diapers or more in 24 hours. It may become less as they grow up, but still a lot of money and a heavy burden when our income is not steady or when the salary is just enough to buy food. I know because I experienced it, I am just blessed with a wife who knew what she was doing in order to lessen our expenses on diapers.

My wife taught me how, actually, I learned by observing her.

When we had our first child, I thought I was going to spend a lot on diapers for at least three years, and also laundry soap to wash his nappies. I was just happy my wife is a firm believer of breastfeeding, so, I didn’t have to worry about milk.

On the first day to two months I was buying diapers and to control using much of it, we had to use nappies during the day and use only diapers when we go out.

At night, we get up to change wet diaper at least two times.

Then on the second month, I was amazed that my wife was getting up not to change diapers but taking the baby in the washroom and had him empty his bladder. I asked how she knew it’s time for the baby to urinate. She told me the baby give signs which she learned by observing the pattern of his waking up, the noise or movements he did to signal he was about to urinate.




But how did she know the baby was not asking for her milk? Well, that’s another sign – the baby will automatically move his head and look for his food. But before feeding him, she would bring him first to the washroom to relieve him. However, that doesn’t apply to his emptying his bowel until he was five or six months old, and completely no more diapers when they were already 10 months old.

We have four children. All of them were trained the same thing, though the youngest, who is now two years old was trained when she was four months old, and she is no longer using any diaper at all. Our friends and neighbors, who have the same age or even older child than her, are amazed when she would say “Pee-pee” when she needs to urinate or “Pooh-pooh” when she needs to empty her bowels.

Well, this one was an old traditional way of mothers in the old days to start disciplining their children. It only changed when new things were made to make life easier – or should I say in the contrary because one must work harder to meet the modern needs of life today.

WARNING: Be Careful How to Pacify Your Kids

"You might be planting bad behavior to your kids while they're still babies"

Are we puzzled why our children fight us back or bullies in school, when we knew we never told them to fight back; in the contrary, we always tell them to forgive? Well, never told them those words but we might be unaware we gave them examples on how to react on such situations – when they were very young and naïve.

One of the oldest ways to pacify crying babies when they slipped and fell on the floor, hit their head on something is hitting back at the object, like the chair, the floor or anything that they hurt themselves or a sibling, playmates, and even a parent who made them cry.

This kind of pacifying kid’s feeling is very wrong as is proven by my little girl. My mother-in-law use the method to pacify the feeling of my girl to stopped her crying whenever she hurt herself from falling on the floor, or hitting her knee or head on a chair, or a sibling that caused her to cry.

I am aware about the bad effect of this technique so I warned my wife and my older three kids to never pretend hitting back on the floor, chairs, or anyone of them whenever she was hurt by them or hurt herself on objects. This rule was an old one I made since the birth of my first child; however, it was forgotten after 12 years of not having another kid. It’s not that I am smart, but I learned it from my parents.

However, I hadn’t spoken to my mother-in-law about it. And I was shocked to see how my little girl, Iriz Kate, reacted whenever she hurt herself or when she was hurt by her older sister, and two brothers. One of her reactions I recorded it using my cellphone.

One time while she was playing, she accidentally slipped on the floor and hurt her knee, so, she cried. I tried to stop her and pacified her. I noticed she was signaling me to hit back on the floor by pointing at it, but I told her “No.” She sat down on the chair and continued crying. Then she started kicking the chair and hitting it with her hands, and talking like the way her grandmother talks whenever she pretended hitting back on the objects that hurt my little girl.

Young and naive they are, it’s the time they learn behaviors and attitudes that they will carry with them throughout their lives. From being conceive till they are kids are the times of their being sponge-like character wherein they absorb everything they see and hear from us.

We as adults think what we are doing or showing don’t affect them are unaware we are inculcating into their mind and bones teachings they will not have an easy time to change once they are already grown up.

The good thing is while they are young it can still be changed especially when they are yet still considered babies, like, my kid who now forgot the thought doing revenge whenever she is hurt by an object or by her playmates. She now understands that it is normal to get hurt when one does not be careful, and it is part of socialization to be accidentally hurt by a playmate.

The bad part is when they are already in their teenage years. This is a little too late to correct the bad behaviors and attitudes they learned from us because it makes them confused. And when they rebel or we can no longer influence them like when they were yet babies, we tend to blame the environment and try to absolve ourselves from the responsibility especially when we can no longer take things in control.

How Mayweather and Pacquaio will be remembered?

The recent hullaballoo about Mayweather and Pacquiao fight is just getting into my nerves sometimes – well, maybe because Pacman is my country mate, but, no, because Mayweather is giving so many excuses that only his fans believe. However, that is not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about how both fighters will be remembered based on their conducts now.

Mayweather says he is one of the greatest boxers, if not the best, that ever walked this planet. Crazy! People in the future will not buy it if he retires without fighting one of the greatest fighter that walked this planet during his time – which is everyone knows – Manny “Pacman” Pacquaio.

If I will be one of those generations in the future I will never believe Mayweather as a great fighter but I will believe he is the only fighter that is most terrified to even think of the shadow of one boxer of his time. Going back to the history of boxing, there was no one ever ducked a challenge from another fighter during their time that long. Thanks to Mayweather he is making a history about a great fighter who is so afraid of another fighter.

According to one of my friends, the Mayweather-Pacman fight will not happen because boxing will be dead if they do fight, no matter who wins. According to his analysis, once it is determined who is the better boxer there will be nothing interesting to talk about in boxing which signals that boxing is dead as people will turn their attention to FFC and MMA as becoming popular sports today. He said there are no other names in boxing that is making noise like Pacman and Mayweather. After Tyson, Holyfied, Lewis of the heavyweight boxing is no longer one of the most talk about sports if not because of Manny Pacquaio and Mayweather – in short, the controversy they make gives juice to squeeze and make boxing still a popular sport.



However, I disagree because if they fight, whoever wins will make a big noise for a long time in the boxing world. Basing on their age now, I can guess safely that both fighters have only a few years left in their career and the timing to have a fight that will make boxing popular until some names emerge is now. If they fight now, their fight will be a talk of the town for ten years or even more, especially, if they have a rematch which is very likely to happen barring any unfortunate accident to them.

If only Marquez is young enough to fight Pacman, I believe they will make the most exciting history in boxing. And even though he retires undefeated, Mayweather will be remembered only as the money fighter but not a great fighter, while many Pacquaio and Marquez will be lined to the likes of those great fighters ahead of them, such as Muhammad Ali, Julio Caesar Chavez, Ray Leonard, Duran, Tyson, Holyfield, and the others who did not sidestepped a challenge during their career.

So, how will Mayweather be remembered in the future?

Mayweather will be remembered as the only fighter willing to give up his belt just not to fight Pacquaio. A COWARD that’s how he will be described.

And Pacquaio? He will be remembered as the only 8th division world title holder. One of the greatest fighters like Ali, Duran, Leonard, Chavez, and other great boxers that walked this earth.

Hilot sa Pilay

Isa sa mga pinaka-komon na dinadala sa akin para ipahilot ay mga batang may “Pilay” o yong mga batang nilalagnat sa tuwing hapon na may kasabay na ubo. Kaya naisipan ko na itoy isulat dito para sa mga magulang lalo na ang mga nanay para alam papaano hilutin ang pilay sa bata. Pero, kahit sa mga may edad na ito ay pwede rin gawin dahil minsan tayo man ay inuubo at nilalagnat din sa tuwing hapon, yon nga lang at hindi kagaya noong mga bata pa tayo.

Ang ubo ng batang may pilay ay tuyo o dry cough sa English. At kahit pa ito ay painumin ng painumin ng mga gamot na reseta ng doktor ay hindi natatanggal. Pero bago ang lahat nais kong ipaalala na ang bagay na ito ay hindi sinasabing hindi na ninyo kailangan dalhin sa doktor ang mga anak ninyo kung pagkatapos ng mga dalawang – tatlong beses ay walang makita na pagbabago sa hitsura o kalusugan ng bata.

Ang pinakakailangan dito ay langis ng niyog na sariwa o yong hindi panis. Malinis ang mga kamay at dapat din nahugasan ang bata ng maligamgam na tubig para malinis siya pagkapos mahilot at tutulog na. Ang paghilot sa batang may pilay ay kadalasan pinaka-maigi sa gabi bago matulog dalawang oras pagkatapos kumain.

 1. Tanggalin ang pang-itaas na damit ng bata o kung maluwang at ayaw niyang mahubaran, itaas lang ito
      hanggang sa balikat.

2. Lagyan ng langis ng niyog ang isang kamay, isang kutsara ay puwede na o tantiyahin lang. Huwag
    mag-alala na kaunti ang nailagay dahil puwedeng dagdagan kung kinakailangan.

3. Ang pilay ng bata ay kadalasang sa bandang itaas ng likod pero pwede rin hilutin hanggang sa may
    balakang, yong nga lang mas lalong bigyan ng pansin ang bandang itaas. Ito kasi ang laging nababanat
    tuwing iginagalaw ang mga kamay at kung binubuhat natin sila. Basta hagurin lang ng marahan at hanapin
    ang mga parte na may laman, at sa mga sugpongan o “joints” ng mga balikat. Katamtaman lang ang diin.

    Kung isang buwan hanggang tatlong taon ang bata kahit haplos-haplos lang dahil madaling mag-response
    ang kanilang katawan sa hilot at gagaling agad. Kapag may pilay, kadalasan ay nararamdaman ang
    reaksiyon ng laman ng bata. Kapag bihasa ka na at sanay na, balang araw ay lagi mo iyon maramdaman
    sa  mga hinihilot mo. Ngayon, kung wala sa itaas, ang bandang hihilutin mo ay sa bandang pigi ng bata.
    Hilutin ang malaman na bahagi hanggang sa balakang o “Lower-back.”

4. Pagkatapos mahilot ang likod o pigi ng bata ay huwag kalimutan na hilutin din ang mga paa – mula hita
    pababa sa mga daliri ng paa.



Hilutin ang bata ng sampu hanggang labilimang minuto lang. Pero kung sanggol pa lamang limang minuto ay sapat na. Ulitin ang paghilot kinabukasan. Pagkatapos nito, ay dapat masigla na ang bata at wala ng lagnat at ubo sa hapon. Pero, kung meron pa rin ubo, dapat ay wala na ang sinat sa tuwing hapon. Yong ubo ay siguro dahil may ibang dahilan lalo na kung may lumalabas na plema(Phlegm). Kung ganoon dapat ipasuri na ang bata sa manggagamot para maagapan kung ang sanhi ng ubo ay dahil sa bakteria.