Thursday, June 28, 2007 @ 8:00 AM

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The session today about “love” made me see the difference between the points-of-view of students in our class. I also learned that there are different types of love, namely, liking, infatuation, empty love, romantic love, fantasy/illusory love and true love. All these types of love, except for the last. is not what we can define as “whole/complete” love (one that satisfies and lasts forever), because the three components of real love which are intimacy, passion and commitment are what make love “whole/complete”. If one of these components go missing in love, chances are that love will not last, or you will not be satisfied with that love.

1 Corinthians 13 - Love

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is what I consider the ultimate description of love. As described in the class earlier, the passage also agrees that love is a “warm feeling balanced with reason and commitment”. Love is a sacrifice and a blessing to those who have it. It is a sacrifice because it can hurt one so much, and yet still be seeked. It is a blessing because through love, we become complete human beings. Love is accepting a person for who he is, no matter what his shortcomings are.(For me) Love is the mark that god left in humans to prove that he exists. As Blaise Pascal once said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in every one of us that only God can fill.” Love is like God. A person always desires to be loved, because it is only through love that a person becomes satisfied. Without love, wealth, success and power means nothing, because love is a need and desire that surpasses all worldly things.

I never have been into a “love relationship” (girlfriend/boyfriend), but as far as I am concerned, love should be decided by both the heart and the mind. Love is not like obssesion which just fades away and left as it is. Love is made through conscious effort. It is, like said earlier, a commitment with intimacy and passion in it. Before deciding on a relationship, one must first ask him/herself if he is ready to commit to a person for life, no matter what happens, because a “relationship” with a person might as well lead to marriage with him/her. “Relationships” should be dealt with seriously, because this is what determines a married life. Also, while still in this “relationship”, one should learn how to restrain him/herself from physical intimacy, because this might lead to pre-marital sex. If one truly loves another, one is more than willing to wait until marriage. Others might say that this is such a traditional way. but through “waiting”, one will know how much he/she means to the other, and this “waiting process” will be able to determine the intactness and wholeness of ones married love. As they say, “True love will always wait.”

Labels: Module 6

Thursday, June 21, 2007 @ 8:00 AM

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The topic “etiquette” made me aware of my habits on how to deal with others. It made me recognize the habits of mine which are considered inappropriate and acceptable. I learned that etiquette is not just about good manners, but also about personality. A person’s etiquette is similar to the way he/ she dresses. It is what gives other people an impression on you, whether it is good or bad. It made me aware of the right ways to deal with people, and the acceptable behavior in certain situations.

In public and professional etiquette, I scored 49 checks out of the 53 that are applicable to me. The 3 “x”s are in “Etiquette in Restaurants” and the other is in “Telephone Manners” namely: (1) ordering directly from the waiter, (2) avoiding talking when your mouth is full, (3) spooning soup away from you, and (4) answering phone calls within 3 rings or less. I had these 4 “x”s because (1) I’m too shy to order directly, (2) I cannot stop talking when I’m engaged in a topic, (3) I find it more convenient to drink soup by spooning it towards me, and (4) I want to make sure that the phone call is not a prank call.

I plan to correct this improper etiquette of mine by improving my personality and by disciplining myself. In case (1), I should learn to speak out and tell him/ her what I want. In case (2), I should shut my mouth and avoid joining too much in conversations especially when on a dining table because I might end up “showering” the person I’m talking to with food bits. In case (3), I should sacrifice convenience because I might get the soup on my clothes, and in case (4), I should try to erase the notion of mine that people who ring the phone less than five times are prank callers.

As I mentioned earlier, etiquette shows your personality. It shows how you deal with people. It is not just good manners, but it also helps make the world a better place to live in.

Labels: Modules 4 and 5

Thursday, June 14, 2007 @ 8:00 AM

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Proper Behavior
1. Helping a teacher carry her luggage.
2. Falling in line while waiting for the elevator to land.
3. Greeting a teacher/school official in the corridors.
4. Listening even if the topic the teacher is explaining is boring.
5. Saying “excuse me” when getting out of the elevator.
6. Segregating garbage into the right section. (biodegradable/ non-biodegradable)
7. Returning trays and plates in the designated areas assigned by the cafeteria management.
8. Keeping right while going up and down the stairs.
9. Saying “sorry” when bumping into someone.
10. Being in class on or before the teacher arrives.

Improper Behavior
1. Leaving the classroom without arranging the chairs and erasing the blackboard.
2. Pressing both up and down buttons and unnecessary floors while waiting for or while in the elevator.
3. Not flushing the toilet after use.
4. Eating in non-eating areas like the library or the conservatory.
5. Leaving food wrappers or containers on the table after eating.
6. Kissing each other (girlfriend-boyfriend) in public places.
7. Passing through the guards without presenting bags for inspection.
8. Going inside the classroom even if the teacher and/or students from the previous class is still inside.
9. Using the cellular phone while in class.
10. Being noisy inside the library.

Labels: Modules 4 and 5

Thursday, June 7, 2007 @ 8:00 AM

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1. How can I live my life fully?
I will always seize the day, do my best in everything I do, and live life with passion and intimacy with the Lord.

2. How do I want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as somebody who always tries her best in order to make life better/ worth living.

3. How can I make a difference?
I can inspire people to give their all and love their God and country.

4. How do I decide on what to write in my mission statement?
I decide on what to write by judging what I, as a person with my kind of personality, can do in my life.

5. How do I feel about it?
I feel great because as I saw the goals plotted, I saw my worth as a person.

6. How can I be comitted to it?
I can be comitted to it by offering all of it to God because He is the one responsible for my existence and ultimately for who I came to be.

Labels: Module 3

I believe in...
doing my best to bring honor to my family, friends, country and God.

As a son/ daughter...
I will continue to obey my parents because I know that they know what is the best for me.

As a brother/ sister...
or rather a cousin... (since I do not have any siblings), I want to set a good example to those who are both older and younger than me. I like to develop a closer bond with them.

As a leader...
I want to inspire the group to do their best in the job/ project we are doing. I do not want them to just settle for second best, because the more minds, the more/ greater we can achieve.

As a student...
I will try my best to make myself interested with the subjects I am taking up, because they take me one step closer in achieving my college degree. I do not just want to grow academically, but emotionally, spiritually and socially as well.

As a friend...
I like to be always there to comfort and inspire them in good times and bad.

As a member of the DLSU-Manila community...
I will always do my best to bring honor to the school's name wherever I go, by being a Christian leader for God and country.

As a citizen of the Philippines...
I want to be part of the team that will make the Philippines a great nation.

Labels: Module 3

Peak Moment...
When I visited the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, I saw that the gifts God has bestowed upon men are actually used to glorify His life and His name

Dream Outstanding Moment...
I want to become a catalyst for change in our country, and maybe even the world. I want to finish college, have a good job practice, and at the same time, inspire people to love God and our country.

Down in Dumps Moment...
During the last quarter of my high school life, school was so hectic that I'd be thankful for having four hours of sleep. Tons of tests and projects were due everyday, and there were times I wanted to give up physically, mentally and emotionally.

Things you don't know about me are... (2 true, 1 false)
* I did not move on with my life for more than a month when my dog (first pet) died.
* I was so happy when I stepped on Platform 9 3/4.
* I almost got stuck (and lost) in a city in a foreign country, and my Dad got mad with me because I cannot decide which souvenir to buy.

Labels: Module 3

for a bigger view, click the picture above

Labels: Module 3