The Moment Of Truth

The pressure was on…a missed shot by the MEGAFORCE, who has been known as the unstoppable team around; inbound by the ITSD, who was lagged behind by 3 points in an 11-second shot clock, 98-101 score, with no timeouts left for both teams;--- rebound by Water, then passed it to Ramon Guico who made some cross-over to the three-point area, time ran down to 3 seconds… and got it for THREE!!! Oh boy!!! Wow! That was a crucial basket by the ITSD team and made it 101-101-all situation into a ballgame extension that was well managed and captained by playing-coach Dindo Gonzales, who have finished the ballgame with an easy, confident free-throw shots.

The ITSD reaped off the MEGAFORCE with a 5-point lead, 107-102 score, in a big Friday-night ballgame that coasted the team to the championship match against the QMS Hospital/Caloocan.

An amazing game, in what is truly one of the most memorable playoffs in basketball game I have ever played with. There are those who say that “ It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game that counts.” The secret of the ITSD team didn’t rely on one person alone. Every part and every role had their practical, effective and essential place in the ballgame. A concerted effort from the highest pointer, Jules Bustamante, an MVP( Most Valuable Player )candidate; with killer shooter, El-presidente’ Ramon Guico, another potential MVP candidate, and the legendary strategic, well-crafted move by our playing-coach Dino Gonzalez; a bombastic ball-handling skill by Bong, or should I say, “Bombastic BONG”; a cheesy, easy-basket by Sir Clarence; Quadrupled-towering-tandem rebound by Comendador, Water, Jun, Toffee, Gueco, and the insider, Tejada; with matching sassy, snap shot by RG Guico; and an insy', wincy', steal by gad-fly Lacay; on a cruising, jack-drilling Jackass with an unrelenting support of patience by Paul the apostle; the small but terrible facetious Fabian the Giant; to the Daunting Don Ouanio and our feng-sui master Gerry. All of these are recipes of the winning team. Big or small contributions they may be, but the spirit of winning runs into our blood.

Life is like a ballgame, wherein, individuals score points, but teams win games. Anyone of us may contribute to win the struggles in living. Athletic events is the legitimate brother of life moments. It doesn't matter if you finish the race but how have you been during the race.

I remember the last quarter of the game when everybody was exhausted and in great despair. In good faith, I prayed to God for an extra strength to sustained us and give us the best shot. I have asked him, if not twice...thrice, but, he didn't permit the things to turn out what exactly the way I want it to be. Then, I finally realized that, " If god closes the door he opens up a window." He always wanted to play the game according to his will. He is a God full of surprises...a delightful Father. He wants his children to give their best and he will do the rest.

Ramon Guico, one of my team-mates, shared about his prayer, " I really prayed for that basket, and was granted. " said he. Come to think of it. It was a three-point shot on an 11-second shot clock situation wherein the opponent was leading by three points. Wasn't that an amazing, fabulous, magnificent and vindicated shot from above, was it? Indeed it was.

God works when the least we expect him because he has sat his trust upon us as much as we should trust him and believe in him that he will give exceedingly and abundantly more than what we can ask or what we can think and imagine, according to his power that works within us.

Little contributions matter. Even small playing time in a ballgame can make a big leaping difference. The lost of playing time or basket is a gain of another. I remember what chemistry has taught me, " Energy can neither be destroyed nor be created but can only be trasformed. Every moment in a ballgame is part of the biggest game known as...LIFe. A connection between people and God. An unrelenting interaction between God and his children. The crowd, in the same way prayed for our winning. It's remarkably a manifestation of a " GOD-AT-WORK."




link me!

Little Parable About MoThErS

The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
" Is the way long?" she asked the guide.
“ Yes, and the way is hard, you will be old before you reach the end of it, but the end will be better than the beginning,” said he.

The young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than those years. So she played with her children and bathed with them in the clear streams of water, and the young mother cried, " Nothing could ever be lovelier than this."



Then the night came, there was a storm, and the path was dark where the sky was filled with grayish clouds, whence, the children shook with fear and cold. And the mother drew them close, covered them with her mantle, then the children said, "Mother we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the mother said to her children, “This is better than the brightness of the day, for I have taught my children courage."


And the morning came, there was a hill ahead of them, the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary too, but at all times she said to her children , " A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed and when they reached at the top they said, " Mother, we wouldn’t have done it without you."

When the mother lay down that night, she looked up at the stars and said: " This day is a better than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."



And the next day came strange clouds darkened the earth, clouds of war, hate and evil ruled the sky, thus, the children groped and stumbled. And the mother said, "Look up!” They Lift their head and saw above… an Everlasting Glory. It guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. and that night the mother said, " This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children GOD."



And the days went on, and the months, and the years, the mother grew old and was little and bent. But her children, where the way was hard, they helped their mother; and when the way was rough, they lifted her for she was light as a feather. Till they came to a hill , and beyond the hill they could see a shinning road and golden gates flung wide.

And mother said, " I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know, that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them," then the children said " You will always walk with us mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

Then they stood and watched her as she went all alone, then the gates had closed after her. And they said; " We cannot see mother anymore, but she is indeed with us still, because a mother like ours, is more than a memory…. for she is a living presence.


Give your mother a bi----g hug now!

HAVE A HAPPY AND LOVELY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL !!!


link me!

StresszzZest.

Whew! feeling irritable, indifferent; petty complaints, pressured at work, burnout at home, grueling, grumblings, grouchiness, short attention span and exhaustion? ----These are signs of stress. Remember, you'll never get to know them, till you say to yourself, " I've had enough! I'm sick and tired of this…" and for your finale, " I QUIT!"

I have read a lot of books regarding stress-releasing, stress-relieving or stress-management articles and journals. They all boil down to one thing: get away from its sources. What ever we do, which ever way we go, stress factors are also always on-the-go. Stress is everywhere and anywhere. Traffic jam, crowds, noises, hunger, school, work, and, believe it or not, even in the state of too much joy and too much pleasure can be possible sources of stress. Meaning... it's a part of life. Think about this. Stress has been with us since we were born. Every baby being born, cries. Why? Imagine yourself in a very peaceful, quiescent, warm, comfortable, water-bed surroundings and most especially, so close with your mother; then, suddenly subject yourself now with a so cold, queer, weird, uncomfortable, mid-air-hanged position, with matching slap shot on your back by an unknown guy, the obstetrician, then being taken away from mother… Arrrgh! Uh ha, uh ha, uh ha… The same scenario we experience with stress. We thought that the unfamiliar environment is beginning to digest us. So it only means one thing. Simple. The unfamiliar should be recognized as a usual thing, wherein, just as a part and parcel of the natural process of living. Ironically, people who suffer from burnout or stress, always feel that they are being pushed to their limit. The question is, what’s our limit? Mind boundaries are very common syndrome. More often than not, we mend walls, where we hit ourselves all the time when we put demarcation for our threshold as far as stress is concerned.

God has changed my paradigm. He taught me to view stress in a different perspective. The more we press on things, the more they will annoy us. We are always left with no options but to cry out loud. I look at stress as a spice to life. Or perhaps, consider everything as a fragrance, whereas, you can smell the scent of life. For I look at life as a small yard of hard work, and a vast area of leisure. I remember my father when he was still alive, he kept on telling me his remorse and regrets regarding his retiring from work: he shouldn’t have stopped working, he should have put up a business, should have prepared things for the future; for the last time he saw himself, he was struggling for life. He never got himself to slow down, neither appreciate the things that surround him. All that he knew was to work, and work, and work… and die.

I smell stress like a vinegar. You might be laughing right now alright… but from that smell, follows sumptuous barbeques, steaks, oysters and lobsters. These are my favorites. Not to mention some veggies, for they too are essential to life. Vinegar is really good for seasoning, and, is as similar as stress is good for one of our recipes in life. So I thank the Lord for creating stress, for without stress...life is bland. Well, stress yourself and put a zest to your life. Convert STRESS into ZEST, now.

link me!