MARGIENARY

In my language group (Kalanguya--Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, Ifugao, Pangasinan provinces), the early translators opted to borrow 'tribu' from Ilocano to translate the 12 tribes of Israel.  We do have words (poli, bonat) which are roughly synonymous to the Tagalog 'lahi, angkan' but their range of meaning is wider than the 'tribe' term as intended in Hebrew.  "Poli" can  also mean customs, superstitions, traditions, animistic beliefs, while "bonat" usually  mean descendants or relatives. So to limit the meaning of 'poli' to a group of people descended from a common forefather', we use its verb form (inpoli ni hi Jacob), because to only say 'poli ni hi Jacob' would be confusing specially without context. (It could be understood as 'the superstitious beliefs of Jacob).  We say "hawal ni dowan tribun Israel (the 12 tribes of Israel)" and/or "waday hawal ni dowan tribu ni inpoli ni hi Jacob  (there are 12 tribes...

Do you have people in your FB friends list who keep sending you long devotionals or news without even having a personal conversation with you ever since you accepted their friend request?  I have been receiving a considerable number of chain messages in my private messaging box and today I got so irritated that I started to write a status message on Facebook about it.  But then I thought better of it, and so I cut it from there and decided to come and reflect here.  This was what I wrote: "To Whom It May Concern: Please stop forwarding chain messages to my inbox, even ones which you think I might be interested in. It is annoying to see very long copied and pasted stuff from people who don't even bother to say Hello!" It was a mild rebuke I know but I thought of the bitter taste it might leave some of my friends who would chance at it and how I would be causing the same irritation these chain messages caused in me. Therefore, I decided against it. It is always good f...

The other day, I finally went to a health club to get some help regarding my need to get a grip regarding my health issues.  In short, I went to get help about the most doable way for me to lose my unhealthy extra pounds. I listened to the evaluation, I was weighed, I was preached to, ..not really, it was participatory all the way, :-)  and then I bought my products. Yes, I decided to give Herbalife another go. Today, I read some scary testimonials about the products but I'll wait and see how it's gonna work in my case.  I did the Leslie Sansone 2-Mile Walk and then went out to teach a group of women at a seminar. I could not get my BP to come down afterwards and until now, I can feel the blood pumping through the veins in my skull.  It's causing me headache too, and while I was talking moments ago at the seminar, the muscles in my mouth begun trembling so I chose to stop then.  Good thing, I was already in my last slide. BP=136/102 mmHg Sugar: 5.5mm/mol ...

There was a resurrected interest for this song and more than two people were asking for the words so I decided to just try and remember the words and publish it here: THANKS Penned by Me Music by:  Norman S. Malcat Life is not a bore after all When you came to my life Everything for me was all  in a clear perspective After I've accepted your gift There's a joy like never before You've turned my fears into strength And I found out there is peace in you. Chorus:   Thank you for giving yourself Thank you for saving my soul Thank you for the promise of tomorrow I never deserved these But you gave it all to me anyway. Now that I'm living for You I could not understand some of Your plans But I am assured that whatever happens You'll be with me all throughout the way. Bridge: I understood you died for me You paid my debt in Calvary I can never repay you For it's your blood that washed all my sins away.  Author's...

I usually get weird (emotional, crazy, impulsive, unpredictable and whatnot) after undergoing some sort of a difficulty, be it about work, health, or just plain old life happening. Therefore, I was not surprised to find myself in such a state since yesterday. So here is the craziness resulting to more craziness. Sometimes you just gotta burn through words to keep it together. As it is, I was mentally beat after that intense and mind-numbing job that I did over the past three weeks. And so to unwind, I decided to crash and do nothing that needs too much brain energy, so I thought I'd settle in and bring a semblance of order to my files and email accounts. As I dug through hundreds after hundreds of spam and thousands of social notifications, product promotions and whatnot, I came across this short poetry that someone wrote to me some years ago.  I don't want to be presumptuous and say that it was written about me personally but I was told that I somehow inspired this perso...

First, Welcome Back, self! I haven't been here for so long. I haven't been anywhere, if you must know, other than at my Facebook wall. Needless to say, I miss blogging.  I got lazy, to be honest. A laziness that was all encompassing that it became a lifestyle for a whole year or so. What prompted me to dig up my username and reset my password so that I could log on in here again? Well, a socially-motivated observation.  I was in a micro-lending office this morning where people from all walks of life were trying to get their hands on a few dimes to make ends meet for their families. Okay, probably not from all walks of life, just from my "chosen" kind of life.  I had a little emergency this week so I heeded my little sister's advice and went to a lender. I could not help but notice the condescension being thrown at people's faces around that table this morning.  The tone of voice, the expression on the faces of the lenders, the upward tilt of their chins, i...

There was a time in my life when I spouted questions and sentiments that go like this: Lord, I’m confused I thought that when I choose to believe in You You would part the sea so I could walk on dry land That when I choose to follow you You would neutralize the venom of serpents And let me walk in the wilderness without worrying about beasts of prey I thought that when I choose to put my faith in you You would show me your plans and allow me to be a part of it. Why then do I now feel that a darkness has begun to engulf me Why do I feel like the path you had me take has reached a dead end I could manage a fork in the road, a crossing, or an uphill climb, but a dead end? Why, when I thought that I have put my 101% faith in you, you would pull the rug from under my feet, causing me to fall down on my knees again Why, when I thought I know what you want me to do, where you’d have me go You would let a fog of confusion come down that I would not be able to...