A Personal Confession

     That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit.  Third quarter had just come to its end.  A lot of new lessons I'd learned again.  I want you to see me in the best possible light.  As a student and what I am going to share next strips away the lovely facade and makes me look very, very human.

     You see, although I have already read about HTML TAGS- TAG ATTRIBUTES, FONT ATTRIBUTES, HTML IMAGES, HTML LINKS and HYPERLINKS/ HYPERTEXT and a few more drafts to go before finishing this usual and challenging third grading period, this is not the order in which my notes was written.  I just could not get a handle on this thing.  And so when I came to write, I skipped this topic first, finished the rest of my drafts for my blog and then went back to fill in my missing exercises if ever I had happen to missed one of it.  I sat at my computer, I typed words for my own blog then edited if its needed.  Seldom do I read what others have said on a topic at that time I'm writing.  Being totally honest, sometimes far too honest for my own good, whenever I knowingly make mistakes I own up and get on with life.  My second reflection was of my own hurt and my need to exert more effort to cope up with my studies this time around.  My own cup is fuller because I've pulled the plug on some stuff I didn't even realize existed because I was too busy to notice and too indifferent to care.

     Now I challenge myself, take some time to reflect on my past performance.  After my drafts were written and posted, I was eager to get back to my blog and make a glimpse of it.  I'm sure the Holy Spirit was saying, "There's a lot more, Manilyn."  But I know I can only handle so much at once.  I may have tried to do the right things this time, but my motives weren't always spotless.  But together, I'll work on it.  I've taken the first step and flush away the negative dregs in my cup with miracle-working with hope in the future and all that I'm dreaming of will have its own fulfillment.

"New Year, New Me"

     What's new with me?  With the economy still in tatters, I decide to keep the old stuff to save up for the future use.  But why not?  It's a sure way to beat economic beatings.  Besides, our old house still offers warmth at night, my running shoes can still do walking service, my grandfather's clock still tells time.  Though how much I attempt to live with something old, I know I have to give space to something new.  What's in defines what has-been.  Both are akin to change.  I deal with them daily.  At times, I notice, at most, I don't.  They're always around-providing wisdom as old as time and lessons as fresh as mornings.  But if I still miss to notice it in a somewhat mundane lifestyle, newness can be expressed in similes.

     Do not count what you have lost, instead, cherish what you have and plan what to gain.  The past may not return but the future may fulfill the lost.  A bountiful of blessings awaits me today.  That's why I put my trust in God for He is the source of everything.  Keep safe as you ring in the New Year!

     Let yesterday handle its burdens.  As the sun rises on a new day-arise, smile, look up and whisper a little prayer.  I must look forward and may I be filled with hope.  I have felt God's presence near me in a warm and special way.  And in His loving kindness may He always be with me as a source of inspiration and guide me in all I do.  Another journey to life has started with a wonderful year, after one year at a time, see me more clearly as I have gone on life's ways and by ways.  Sometimes things change, plans fail, joy fades and excitements have gone.  When I look beyond, I have started to question why?  Life is a challenge-dare it and life is a game also-play it.  I shouldn't surely have worried about yesterday with all my regrets and tomorrow with all my uncertainties.  Today is all I have.  The things I have learned will keep me on.  Time has a way of changing things.  I have learned to accept what life has thrown at me; most brought pain and regret.  Every failure is a lesson well-learned, every success is a battle well-fought for life ain't easy.  I have been wrong to learn what's right, stumble to persevere.  I fell down to rise again and to lost to try harder.  I will get this through.  I have not been the best of everything, but I can make the best of everything that I have.  I have taken every unfavorable experience as a challenge and opportunity to learn rather than discouragement.  I never have been discouraged when things go beyond my expectations.

     Not all change is improvement, but without change there can be no improvement.  As God has said, "Just build a better you."  Don't look forward to what may happen tomorrow.  Be at peace, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.  So never despise life's fiery trials for they are God's way of bringing out the best in you.  I should change for the better this year.  So let's give thanks to God for everything.   

"Keeping in Mind our Mother Tongue"

     "He who does not love his own mother tongue, is worse than a beast and rotten fish," is widely quoted to promote the use of Tagalog among Filipinos.  For our native tongue is a measure of worth of nations, towns, and kingdoms.  That in each person alike, deserves any creation born free.  It's about the love of one's native language and the way one's treasure it.  Thus it should be nurtured gladly as our mothers nurtured us.  Our language has been taught for us to use, then it's like all the highest that we know-our mother tongue.

     Manifestly, our native tongue, Tagalog should still be keep in our mind.  Education that begins in the language of the learners has far more positive effects in school children.  This allows for better conceptualization and deeper thinking.  A strong commitment to support mother tongue instruction and multilingual education to improve educational quality, especially for disadvantaged groups, and to promote cultural and linguistic diversity in all societies.

     While there are many factors involved here, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding.  It became crystal clear to all present that mother tongue education should be the way to go so that basic education in the Philippines would truly move forward.  The reasons behind promoting mother tongue education do not seem to be evident to many educators and lawmakers in this country, even if the concept is almost axiomatic to the rest of the world.  In the Philippines, mother tongue education is already being practiced with success.