Circle 46

Today is the 9th Anniversary of my search-in circle... Circle 46!

~~~ Search-In CIRCLE 46 (USLS-IS) ~~~ ::: Anne Reyes ::: Arien Labrador ::: Chino Cosculluela ::: Christine Mendez ::: Clarence Cepeda ::: Eliza Eusebio ::: Gerard Arcenas ::: Irvin Dennis Aguirre ::: John Ledesma ::: John Dennis Rabang ::: Julius de la Cruz ::: Kathleen Nava ::: Leah Miranda ::: Leizl Soquina ::: Linn Benedict Doble ::: Mark Nowell Tanoja ::: Mary Grace Miranda ::: Neil Carmona ::: Neil de la Rosa ::: Neil Ibonia ::: Paolo Deles ::: Rene John Nunez ::: Rhyan Tagle ::: Rose A.G.L. ::: Toni Angelique Saraos ::: Tracy Vallota ::: ~~~ Search-In CIRCLE 46 (USLS-IS) ~~~

Circle Anniversary - November 19, 1995

Circle Song: Pray For Me (Michael W. Smith)

Here is where the road divides
Here is where we realize
The sculpting of the Father's great design
Thru' time you've been a friend to me
But time is now the enemy
I wish we didn't have to say goodbye
But I know the road He chose for me
Is not the road He chose for you
So as we chase the dreams we're after

Chorus:
Pray for me and I'll pray for you
Pray that we will keep the common ground
Won't you pray for me and I'll pray for you
And one day love will bring us back around again

Painted on our tapestry
We see the way it has to be
Weaving thru' the laughter and the tears
But love will be the tie that binds us
To the time we leave behind us
Memories will be our souvenirs
And I know that thru' it all
The hardest part of love is letting go
But there's a greater love that holds us

(Chorus)

... Circle 46 (Search-In Retreat, Nov.17-19,1995) ...

Winter Rain

It rained today.
I mean, this evening.
Well, rain is rain, but in this middle eastern country where rain is considered a miracle, it was a momentous occasion --something worthy of a blog post--- even for me who came from a country with tropical climate. (hmmm... just makes me miss home even more!)

I was trying to get some sleep when I noticed some light flickering across the bedroom once in a while, disturbing the utter darkness. (I don't call it "my" bedroom coz I'm not paying for it.)
I was thinking maybe some bright light from a tower crane at a construction site nearby was the culprit.
It came as a surprise to me when I realized that the flashes of light were actually caused by lightning!

Anyway, I've had a few minutes of rest so I got out of bed, looked out the window, and was just baffled to see how water falling from the sky could look so fascinating at night.

Seashells and a Sunset

It was just an ordinary Thursday afternoon at home. At half an hour before sunset, my sister called and invited me to join them (with her husband, my brother-in-law) to go to the beach to pick up a few seashells. Since I had a busy morning in the office and I had insufficient sleep the previous night, I made alibis to stay at home. I wanted to take a relaxing nap. My sister insisted, telling me I need to get some fresh air, that I haven't been to a beach for a long time, that I won't feel sleepy there, etc... Well, since it was more convenient for me to go than to argue with her, I finally conceded.

The seashells were so interesting... really interesting. Some of them were empty and some had these little alive creatures inside. Some were smooth and shiny, while some were rough and jagged. The seashells looked alike and yet they were so unique from each other. They looked the same and yet so different. Just like human beings. Or memories. :)

Ahh, it was really breathtaking... the sunset. I can confidently bet that all the colours visible to the human eyes flashed across the sky as the sun disappeared from the horizon. What a spectacular view! It made me feel so thankful to be alive! And it made me wish I could take a walk along the seashore more often and watch a sunset at every opportunity. If only... if only.

As I listened to the sound of the endless splashing of water against the shore and felt the touch of the clear water in my hands, the soft, powdery sand at my feet, and the cool breeze on my cheeks, I uttered a silent prayer thanking God for the blessings... the blessing of this moment and the blessing of His presence.

I shall put a frame around this memory and keep it in a place where I could pick it up again whenever I need to be reminded to always value this life and marvel at God's grandeur and love. :)

Song Offerings

Just finished reading the book I have recently added to my list of favorites:
GITANJALI (song offerings) by Rabindranath Tagore.
(it's also available on the net!) [http://www.schoolofwisdom.com/gitanjali.html]
Ah, this piece of reading material truly captivates my heart! (Just can't get enough of it!)
Here are some excerpts:

LET ME NOT FORGET
As my days pass in the crowded market of this world and my hands grow full with the daily profits,
let me ever feel that I have gained nothing---let me not forget for a moment,
let me carry the pangs of this sorrow in my dreams and in my wakeful hours.
...
When my rooms have been decked out and the flutes sound and the laughter there is loud,
let me ever feel that I have not invited thee to my house---let me not forget for a moment,
let me carry the pangs of this sorrow in my dreams and in my wakeful hours.

LOST TIME
On many an idle day have I grieved over lost time. But it is never lost, my lord.
Thou hast taken every moment of my life in thine own hands.
Hidden in the heart of things thou art nourishing seeds into sprouts,
buds into blossoms, and ripening flowers into fruitfulness.
I was tired and sleeping on my idle bed and imagined all work had ceased.
In the morning I woke up and found my garden full with wonders of flowers.

LAST CURTAIN
I know that the day will come when my sight of this earth shall be lost,
and life will take its leave in silence, drawing the last curtain over my eyes.
Yet stars will watch at night, and morning rise as before,
and hours heave like sea waves casting up pleasures and pains.
When I think of this end of my moments, the barrier of the moments breaks
and I see by the light of death thy world with its careless treasures.
Rare is its lowliest seat, rare is its meanest of lives.
Things that I longed for in vain and things that I got---let them pass.
Let me but truly possess the things that I ever spurned and overlooked.

Gitanjali has combined poetry and praying in a way I could never have imagined possible in the literary world... This work is indeed impressive!!!


... Gitanjali ...

Chiaroscuro

In painting, chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface. In Italian, 'chiaro' means 'light' and 'scuro' means 'dark'. The painting or drawing of forms where depth and space are illustrated contrasting light and shade producing an effect of diffuse and luminosity.

I've always been mystified by this concept--
the concept of light and darkness, good and evil, black and white, heaven and hell, sunshine and shadow, sunrises and sunsets, tears and laughter, school enrolments and graduations, droughts and floods, fire and ice, deserts and rainforests, meeting and separation, birth and death, slumber and awakening. Yin-Yang. Contrasts. The list can go on and on.

Perhaps these contrasts are so essential that even the Holy Bible speaks about them in the [3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes]... A Time for Everything.

Well, perhaps I'm just consoling myself. Today is the fourth All Souls' Day since I have started thinking seriously about death. The fourth All Souls' Day when I solemnly remember that my dad already went ahead of the rest of the family.

Ah, we really do not know which day is our last day on earth.
Better for us to strive to be happy everyday. Better for us to live life in the best way we know how.

Life is too short... life is too short... life is too short...