My Reflection on the “Seven Last Words"

First Word:

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Do not do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you – this is the golden rule, a very popular mantra which all of us know, yet few of us actually follow. How do we relate to others? Do we treat them with kindness and sincerity? Do we treat others as slaves? Do we relate to others for the sake of our self-vested interests? Are we using other people to serve our best and not theirs? Are we giving them what they are worth of?

If we come to reflect at how we treat people, we may have different considerations. Having many friends does not assure us that we are being good to others. In my perspective, how sincere we are to others and how we are making others become a better person is a concrete way of being a good social being. Yet, it is not enough. Ultimately, we should bring other people closer to God by how we relate to them. I may not have done this perfectly yet but I hope I have made a positive impact to other people through who I am and how I relate to them.

Second Word:

“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

PARADISE. This is something that everyone dreams of, everyone aims to go to, and everyone strives to discover. What is a paradise? Is it something of extravagant lights? Is it something of fresh air and good scenery? Is it something of fun people and gleeful environment? Is it the feeling of being meritorious? Is it the feeling of self gratification or self realization?

Paradise is in our hearts. Paradise is relatively different for each of us depending on how we tried to discover it and how we accept it. Nevertheless, one thing God has promised us. We will be in paradise once we believe in Him. Believing in him means surrendering our lives to God. When we submit our lives to him, everything we experience and everything we see …is paradise.

Third Word:

“Dear woman, here is your son.”

I really like listening to the Tagalog version of this “Ina, narito ang iyong anak; Anak, narito ang iyong ina”. I am a woman, yet I’m not yet a mother. However, I know how a mother sacrifices for her kids. I know how proud a mother is when her child accomplishes something. I know how grateful a mother is when she sees her child growing to be a daughter/son of God. Most of all, I know how painful for a mother it is to see her daughter/son suffering from pain. This is all because “I am a daughter” and I’m thankful of how my mother has brought me up.

As a child, I may not have experienced the lures in life that other kids may have experienced, I may not have the best things in life, I may not have much when I was young, I may not have a perfect family but I AM SO PROUD that God has given me a wonderful family who perfectly taught me values and endlessly take care of me.

To my parents, Mom and Dad, I am so grateful that you two are my parents. We may not have a perfect family but I guess it was meant to teach me to be strong, to be good, to be excellent, and to be a better person. To my siblings, my sis and bro, I am so thankful that God gave such wonderful people who can perfectly blend well with me. We may have fights, arguments, and disagreements, but we are always tied to each other simply because we are of the same blood and we are all children of God.

Fourth Word:

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Each of us walk different paths in life, some may have a bit easy one and others may complain that it is too much. But one thing I’m sure is that each of us are given different types of struggles in life. Each of us is given different kinds of strength and stamina to go through and overcome such trials. However, there are times in our lives that we could somehow think that God has forsaken us, that life is unfair, that our sufferings are too much, that we can’t surpass it anymore, that our resources are not enough, and that God is not helping us at all.

Despite of all those doubts, all those questions, and all the skepticism, surely God will deliver an angel to make us realize that whatever stumbling block we are thrown at, there is a blessing in disguise.

As the well-known saying goes, there’s a rainbow after the rain. This happens if we continue to trust and believe in the power of His love. God never leaves us!

Fifth Word:

“I am thirsty.”

This word which came out from Jesus is also the same word that many of us are saying nowadays. It is summer season and we just couldn’t endure the scorching heat. We thirst and we want it to be quenched through any form of liquid that could ease this kind of uncomfortable feeling.

Same goes true with our lives, we have different kinds of thirsts, we “thirst” for recognition, promotion, wealth, success, good life, self-gratification, and the list could extend to as long as you can imagine. Yet, have we thought whether these thirsts are worthy to be quenched? Is it really worthy to ask for these?

Sixth Word:

“It is finished!”

This word which was uttered by Jesus before he died simply signifies that he has done the ultimate act of saving mankind. This means he has done his part; he has done what has been entrusted to him by God, the Father. It is finished! We are officially saved!

BUT, is that all? Are we really saved? Have we done our part? In salvation, God can do His part but we should also do our part. For us to be truly saved, we should abide to the rules of God. We can’t be perfect, we commit mistakes, but “have we asked for forgiveness?”

Personally, I can say that I commit mistakes and there are those I commit repeatedly. Of course, I want to be saved but I am not sure yet if I have done enough to be worthy of His salvation. Nevertheless, I truly believe that God is a forgiving God. So, I can claim that I will be saved.

Seventh Word:

“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” 

For mankind, I could say that this is the concrete act of following God. Entrusting everything to Him is the greatest thing a person could do. Why? Because when you entrust yourself and your life to God, you will accept everything that goes with it, easy or challenging, good or bad. In entrusting everything to Him, we forget our own desires, our personal interests, and our selfish motives.

This could be an ultimate act of being a good follower of God but this is not an easy thing. This is one of the most difficult to do. For us, humans, it’s not easy to give up our own desires. We oftentimes plan and schedule everything for the achievement of our goals, and objectives in life and we forget to follow what God has planned for us.

These SEVEN LAST WORDS have really made me realize that I should do my part to be worthy of His sacrifice. 

PHOTO CREDITS:

Google Images

www.jesuswalk.com (first picture)

en-gb.facebook.com (1^st word)

en-gb.facebook.com (2^nd  word)

wanderingmedic.wordpress.com (3^rd word)

capfrans.blogspot.com (4^th word)

www.nwcrc.ca (5^th word)

www.becomingastrongwomanofgod.com (6^th word)

en-gb.facebook.com  (7^th word)

Mt. Tarak: Redefining “Major Climb”

There are different types or classification of climbs considering the type of mountains being climbed and many other factors such as weather, type of trail, and so on. So, what is a major climb? Let me leave to you the official meaning of a major climb in its literal sense for you to search on. In the meantime, let me give my own definition of a “major climb” based on my first experience of it at Mt. Tarak Ridge. 

Remembering and Forgetting

Do you have a good memory? Are you good in recalling details?

Well, each of us may have our own capability, or should I say, level of capability in recalling things. We may say that some people naturally have strong memory recall while other s may have very weak ones.

So, how do we remember things? How do we remember and why do we forget some?

Theories of Forgetting:

There are many theories of forgetting and various classifications of the theories. Yet, for ease in “remembering” these information, let’s just have the basic ones.

1. Availability theories 

This theory states that memories are forgotten because they have been permanently lost from the brain. This is mainly used to explain forgetting in short term memory. (e. g. trace decay theory)

2. Accessibility theories 

This theory on the other hand states that memories still exist but are difficult to retrieve. This is mainly used to explain forgetting in long term memory (e.g. cue –dependency theory)

On Remembering

Our recall of any memory may depend on a number of factors. One good illustration on some factors can be presented in the “serial position curve”. This states the relation between the serial position of an item (its place in the list) and the ability to recall it.

This curve presents:

1. The Primacy Effect, which entails that items near the beginning of the list are easier to recall than those in the middle; and

2.The Recency Effect which says that those near the end of the list are also easier to recall than those in the middle.

The normal serial position curve shows that items in the middle of a list are the most difficult to commit to memory. However, this disadvantage can be reduced or eliminated by making the item distinctive, so that it stands out from the other middle-list items. For example, the item could be printed in red when the rest of the items are printed in black. The contrasting color draws attention to the item, and it receives more processing.

How Quickly Do We Forget?

According to Ebbinghaus, the level at which we retain information depends on a couple of things: (1.) The strength of your memory; (2.) The amount of time that has passed since learning

How Can We Retain More?

1. Repetition

Repetition is easy enough and it is the more frequently we repeat something, the more likely it is to stick. Usually, reviewing at regular intervals does increase retention and that over time. Frequent review can help retention, but over time, we still tend to forget what we’ve learned.  This is why reviewing and cramming for exams can provide dividends in the short term.

2. Quality of memory representation

A better approach for long term retention is to focus on the quality of the information represented in memory and the meaning of the information to you. The more relevant, meaningful connections you can make with the new information in your mind with things you already know, the better your memory retention over time.  If you learn something, and it is important to you, and you can connect it with many things you already know, your memory retention will be very high. If you learn something, and it is not important to you, and you do not connect it with anything you already know, you will have poor retention and require regular repetition.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.simplypsychology.org

Photo Credits:

christopherschulstad.blogspot.com

vocabularylogdynamic.blogspot.com

www.saidaonline.com

iwantslimbelly.com 

picus.sns.it

From DREAM…to REALITY

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. 

-Walt Disney

Every dream starts with a dreamer. A person needs to possess the strength, the passion, the perseverance, and the courage to pursue them. A dream does not come like magic which happens in a blink of an eye without any conscious effort. Any dream, big or small, can do come true.

It has been many years that I’ve been so curious about Cebu and some of the remarkable places there that I see in pictures or read in books. What ignited my interest in visiting the place is that it is very close to my hometown, Siaton, Negros Oriental, but I haven’t had the chance of being there. Now that I’m already working and earning on my own, I have realized that many things are already within my reach since I have a little bit of resources to suffice my simple, little dreams.

Last year (2012), my sister, my mom, aunts, grandma, and I booked a trip to that beautiful island well-known to many tourists. Another realization that came to me was, in order for you to achieve your dreams, there will be people who will serve as instruments to make the ladder to your dream easier to climb. I am grateful to some of my relatives who have been so supportive of me and my family. Another realization I had was that, for a dream to be realized, one must have the patience to wait. It does not come in an instant if it’s not yet the right timing.

Early this year, January, 2013, we had our most-anticipated family trip to Cebu. Two weeks before the trip, I had to make the itinerary (at least, list of places) to visit there. I listed most of the well-known places close to Cebu City where Cebu Business Hotel is located.

While listing, I came across this picture of some historical landmarks in Cebu… (I told myself, “I shall take pictures of these places when I get there.”)

                                              www.cebubesthomes.com 

While collating my pictures after the trip, I noticed that I was able to take snapshots of the places (with ME on it) I listed and posted a week before the trip.

This simple illustration of a dream come true may be too shallow yet it gave me a strong impact. Dreams do really come true if we make ways to achieve it. And, as I said earlier, a dream starts with a dreamer. There is indeed no impossibility in realizing the desires of our hearts.

Dream big! ^_^

Crossing the Monkey Bridge in Madlum River

Bridge is basically a structure built to provide passage over physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, and the like. It is therefore meant to make transportation easier. How about a monkey bridge? Well, it can make transportation easier as well – that is if there are no other means available. If there is no raft, no wooden bridge, or boat, then a monkey bridge would be a great option to cross an obstacle. However, it could be an obstacle itself.

During our trip to Manalmon, one activity that most of our men co-hikers enjoyed was crossing the monkey bridge. What’s good about this is that you don’t have to pay for the transport when you cross via the monkey bridge, unlike if you cross the river through a raft.

It was indeed a thrilling activity since you have to step on the wires and hold the wires as well for you to be able to cross and if your legs and arms are not strong enough, you would plunge into the water. Well, good if you know how to swim, you’ll still enjoy even if you fall. However, considering the height, it will still be a painful fall. That’s the reason I did not try it. I was not very confident of my leg strength plus I don’t know how to swim. 

Spelunking in Bayukbuk Cave

Spelunking, otherwise known as caving, is defined as the hobby or practice of exploring caves. Caving is termed as “spelunking” primarily in the United Stated and Canada while it is referred to as “potholing” in the UK and Ireland. Nevertheless, internationally, it widely recognized as caving and spelunking is now becoming a widely-accepted terminology.

Caving is usually undertaken as a form of pastime activity, an outdoor activity for physical exercise, for simple exploration of nature, an avenue for another hobby such as photography, or an arena for a team sport. If you go there in a big group, it will surely enhance your camaraderie as this will uplift the spirit of unity among members.

Our group was composed of 18 people but since some of them have been to the place just few weeks ago, they decided not to join. One was not able to join because she was not fit to do the activity. So, we were around 15 people who did the challenging activity. Together with our guide, we had to surpass the challenges of getting through those narrow pathways, getting scratches and scars because of some slippery parts and the rough stones, hanging to the vines, stepping on a hanging ladder, and many more.

After going through all those things, the price is the good view outside and the thought of having accomplished such a challenging and risky activity. Because we enjoyed it, some of us even asked for more (haha!).

Hiking to the Summit of Mt. Manalmon

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. Mt. Manalmon is perfect for hikers who are new to hiking or mountain climbing as the hike does not take more than 30 minutes. The mount is only 196 MASL. 

For beginners, this is perfect for a first try. It will not give you “trauma” since it’s not that tedious. Plus, reaching the summit will definitely give you a glimpse of nature’s beauty. Atop, you’ll have a view of the Madlum River, Mt. Gola, and Mt. Arayat. Apart from that, the fresh air on top will even make you want to stay longer there. Most importantly, the place is so perfect for “pictorials”. 

Mt. Manalmon: A Haven of Great Adventure

I have been to some climbs, major and minor ones, but this has been one of the most fun. Aside from the fact that I was with a big group (biggest group so far among all the climbs I had) – a group of 18 people, there are a variety of activities that can be enjoyed in this place aside from hiking. One can enjoy river crossing, spelunking, zip lining, rappelling, river rafting, crossing bridge, rock climbing, and more! Well, the adventure that you can experience will depend on how far you can go. Anyway, you always have the choice to go for something that you think you’ll enjoy.  

Getting There

Since we are a group of 18, we decided to rent a jeepney for ease in travelling and to save some penny as well. We rented the jeepney for only Php 4,500 plus we have to pay for the toll, gas expenses, as well as the driver’s meals. The rental fee covers the trip going to Mt. Manalmon jump off (Brgy. Sibul, San Miguel, Bulacan) and going back to Ortigas, Pasig.

If you will commute going to the location, you can take a Cabanatuan-bound bus from Pasay or Cubao. Then, drop off at Brgy. Kamias. According to one of our co-hikers, the fare is around 120-130. From there, you can take a tricycle going to Sitio Madlum, Brgy. Sibul and it will cost you around 200 per tricycle. So, individually, you could pay 50 or 60 each if you will be in 3 or 4 in one tricycle. This trip takes around 40 minutes and prepare yourself for a bumpy road trip as the road is quite rough. ^^ 

Buying Foods and Beverage

Before we reached the jump off, we dropped by a market in Brgy. Sibul to purchase some foods for our 2-day stay in Manalmon. While the other members of the group were purchasing stuff at the market, the rest were busy looking for snacks since it was already late in the afternoon and we’re kind of hungry already (esp. myself, since I didn’t have lunch that day).

       the contenders for Ms. Manalmon 2013 (hahaha)

Start of the Adventure

When we reached the jump off, we were amazed to hear some people enjoying the videoke. Well, if you like singing, you can still keep that hobby even if you are in the rural. After taking some pose, we had to cross the river via rafting. After that, we had to ready ourselves for the trek and registered. Then, we had to negotiate with the guide about the plan/ itinerary.

The Trek

Since it was already a bit late, we had to prepare the headlamps because it was already a bit dark. However, only half had headlamps. So, some had to go after the ones who have headlamps (I was one of them!^^). 

To reach the campsite, we had to cross a river, get in a small cave, and walk through the grassland. In crossing the river, be careful! Some stones may not be that strong to carry your weight (based on Grace’s experience) and it might cause you to slip. In hiking and getting in the cave, headlamp is indeed necessary. So, if you’ll have a night trek, make sure you have your headlamp!

On our way, we were asking the guide if we could camp near the river or near the summit. The best option was to camp near the river since it’s quite challenging to go to the summit at night knowing the fact that some don’t have headlamps. Well, I guess it was indeed a great idea to camp there. It was not too cold and the water source was just close to us. We could easily wash our dishes, and even our hands and face.

The Socials

It is customary for hikers to have this kind of activity when camping. This is a way to get to know each other much better to feel at ease being with the other members of the group. If there are new members in the group, it’s great to have a self-introduction activity. For our group, it was a very common and “corny” but fun way of self-introduction. Wanna know how? One has to introduce oneself by giving the name, nickname, and an actor/actress he/she resembles. Most remarkable ones were Nikki Gil aka Grace, Angelica P. aka Elaine, Choco Martin aka Tristan, and Derek aka Ronel (hahaha!). Well, anyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. So, guys don’t judge them, okay?^^

After that, we had our sumptuous dinner (I had to say sumptuous because I was very hungry at that time, so I enjoyed it!). Kidding aside, the fried chicken with mongo was perfect for dinner. Then, the drinking session followed.

The session was involuntarily ended because the raindrops started falling. Probably, it was telling us to stop being noisy. Because of that, some tents had to be covered, especially ours. Thank you to Choco Martin and Derek for doing the task for us. We appreciate your efforts.

Hike to the Summit

I was awakened by some of them at around 5 or 6 AM. They said we have to hike going to the summit before our breakfast. For some, it became a motivation to hike (am I right, Grace?). After the tiring hike, at least there is something to look forward to --- the “sopas” (soup). The trek was a little short as this is simply a minor climb. It took us around 20-30 minutes. However, some members are still new to climbing so it took them a little longer.

Breakfast

Some of our co-hikers did not go to the summit anymore because they’ve been to Manalmon a number of times. So, they made the most anticipated “sopas”. Ronel, Tristan, Kookie, and Maricar were left in the campsite. I don’t know exactly who did most of the labor in preparing the breakfast but I guess Kookie was the chef (hehe! Thank you so much guys! You are indeed generous!).  Though the soup was a bit salty, we still enjoyed it. Eating breakfast became even more challenging because it was raining. ^^

Our Adventure

Hiking 

Mt. Manalmon is perfect for hikers who are new to hiking or mountain climbing as the hike does not take more than 30 minutes. The mount is only 196 MASL. For beginners, this is perfect for a first try. It will not give you “trauma” since it’s not that tedious. Plus, reaching the summit will definitely give you a glimpse of nature’s beauty. Atop, you’ll have a view of the Madlum River, Mt. Gola, and Mt. Arayat. Apart from that, the fresh air on top will even make you want to stay longer there. Most importantly, the place is so perfect for “pictorials”.

                    The view's really refreshing, isn't it?

                with almost everyone in the gang...

             with my favorite girls during the climb... ^_^

      Of course, I should not fail to have myself a souvenir! ^^

Spelunking in Bayukbok Cave 

Our group was composed of 18 people but since some of them have been to the place just few weeks ago, they decided not to join. One was not able to join because she was not fit to do the activity. So, we were around 15 people who did the challenging activity. Together with our guide, we had to surpass the challenges of getting through those narrow pathways, getting scratches and scars because of some slippery parts and the rough stones, hanging to the vines, stepping on a hanging ladder, and many more.

After going through all those things, the price is the good view outside and the thought of having accomplished such a challenging and risky activity. Because we enjoyed it, some of us even asked for more (haha!). 

       this is the reason why it took us a while to get out of the cave... haha!

Crossing the Monkey Bridge

During our trip to Manalmon, one activity that most of our men co-hikers enjoyed was crossing the monkey bridge. What’s good about this is that you don’t have to pay for the transport when you cross via the monkey bridge, unlike if you cross the river through a raft in which you have to pay 5Php.

It was indeed a thrilling activity since you have to step on the wires and hold the wires as well for you to be able to cross and if your legs and arms are not strong enough, you would plunge into the water. Well, good if you know how to swim, you’ll still enjoy even if you fall. However, considering the height, it will still be a painful fall. That’s the reason I did not try it. I was not very confident of my leg strength plus I don’t know how to swim. 

Rappelling

I had my first experience of rappelling when we hiked Mt. Batulao last year. It was a very short one but it may be dangerous for someone who has never tried this kind of activity. One fellow really had a hard time there.

In Bayukbok Cave, we had to rappel even at the beginning part of spelunking. It was also quite short but it was a tough one since we had to step on some rocks and stone, in which some are rough and some are slippery. I even slipped in one part of it. Nevertheless, it was worth the try. If you have mild acrophobia, it might help you overcome such fear. ^^

PHOTO CREDITS: Thank you Darwin, Glen, and Danica for sharing the pictures. I owe you this article guys! ^_^