None of us want “spoiled” kids – kids who are bratty, self-centered, demanding, inconsiderate. So, what spoils children and what doesn’t?

When I was raising my children, I was often told that I would spoil them if I didn’t let them cry – if I held them a lot. Fortunately, I didn’t believe this nonsense.

You can’t spoil a child with love. Children need love as much as they need food and water. The problem is in defining “love.”

We are not giving love to our children when we give them everything they want on the material level. Parents often think they are loving their children when they pile them up with all the toys or activities they desire, but what is the actual result of indulging our children in this way?

There are three big negative consequence of “spoiling” our children on the material level: (more…)

Honestly speaking, I wasn’t able to finish a college degree because of financial matters. I’m actually a scholar at one university in town. Yet, I still wasn’t able to get a degree.

In the middle of my college life bad things start to pile up that I could no longer bear the thought of it. The only person who makes me feel life is beautiful is my husband. We are both in college at that time. So, we decided to live together to make each other a shoulder to cry on.

Don’t get me wrong, he is not the reason I stopped schooling. I did stop because it was the perfect choice at that time. I think if I did continue schooling, I will end up in the being super miserable today. It’s actually the perfect choice I made because I have a loving and happy family today.

The only drawback of my decision is the fact that I can’t get an office job. But, that is no longer an issue because I’m a plain housewife ever since I got married. However, there is still a part of me that wants to achieve something. That sense of achievement can only be satisfied if I can finish a college degree. I’m not after getting a career or the earning potential because that would not be a sensible mindset. For my age, it is no longer the thing I am thinking. I’m only after the sense of self-fulfillment.

Anyway, with my daughter’s permission, I’m now ready to finish something for myself. Currently, I am checking at several research college degrees at CollegeDegreesToday. Their goal is to provide a comprehensive guide for finding the right accredited college or university. All of their education partners have been carefully selected from the top online and campus based schools across the nation. They offer you the ability to search by degree level, degree program, online school, campus based school, or vocational program. Hmmm, vocational program would be nice too.

It has been said that a Mothers touch is different. It seems Dad always says, “Go ask your mother”. One thing about being a mother, the touch of love, joy, protection, and care comes naturally. These are just a few attributes a mothers touch produce. When your child is sick or not feeling well – who does he call? Mothers! Dad could be sitting right next to your child. But nothing is like a Mothers Touch! When you find out you are going to be a mother, you change physically and emotionally. Preparing for this new role is challenging, most of all it can be rewarding for you and your children. Along with the touch of a mother, we must also make plans to meet our children needs – financially, spiritually and emotionally. God’s Word has given us clear instruction for training our child. Proverbs 22:

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. That touch of instruction carries great rewards, however motherhood is not easy! We can’t give up on any little obstacle: We must be determined to be the best mother we can. We can’t let challenges in life consume us. Find time to relax, read, enjoy a brisk walk, a soothing bath to keep your mind from the hustle, you encounter in life. As you continue to apply the Word of God to your life, you will find your mind renewed, and you will achieve victories! (more…)

At present communication shorten distance among family, friends, and other relationship. Through computer via internet and cellphones you can reach your family in seconds. Distances don’t matter at all as long as you have these modern gadgets. You can talk to your relative in person trough webcam. These gadgets draw the relationship closer.

I am speaking base on my experienced. Eldest daughter went to Manila last year in search for job abroad. This is the first time that she was separated from us. I could have been worried if not seeing her in the net, or hear her voice on the phone. Through cellphone which is more convenient and easiest way to be connected.

Cellphones which is common communication also gives me the joy of talking to my mother who lives in the province. The gadgets made me to check my mother frequently. I’m thankful that these gadgets were invented and I should have mentioned the phone service provider here in the Philippines. I want to give credit to them because their services are excellent. But according to my neighbor who go to United States often and lately decided to go there for permanent residency. She recommends Spectrotel phone service provider as the best in the United States. According to her this is high-quality, high value local and long distance phone services in the country. The reputation of Spectrotel as a full telecommunication service provider is premier. These were subscribers’ feedback.

Leaving in the city is quite fast-pacing compare to the life in the rural areas. But it is rewarding too because you don’t have to walk miles away anytime of the day, since all kinds of transportation are accessible near or far destination. These amenities that city life gives not only comfort but also polluted air that we breathe. Heap piles of garbage from the dense populated city do contribute as pollutants. Factories have this kind of hazardous smoke that completes the list of pollutant contributor.

Davao city is not that worst yet because the city has thorough study on city zoning plan. Except for the vehicular smoke which cannot be prevented, factories here are located in a place with exact buffer zone not to disturb residence of nearby subdivision. We also had a proper garbage disposal, all garbage here are collected daily and brought to the smoky mountain in very far flung areas to avoid flies swarming. If you happen to visit any residential area here you can see two or more trees planted in the yard. Trees can help purify air. What you can see in EcoQuest international fresh air brochure, you can see in Davao city too. It’s a matter of good governance to come up with this kind of atmosphere.

This morning I have my time spared for watching television. I was resting as well, because I had bad back pain which I really had to take some break. I am hook on the show at cable channel, like national geographic, travel and living, discovery channel and many more. This morning discovery channel had their documentary film: which was all about the native living in the rainforest of West Papua New Guinea. I had my fascination watching those films, though it has nothing to do with what I am doing in life. My children teased me often times that I was a Kombai (one of the tribe in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea). I don’t know sometimes, it made me think they were just fixated character but not at all, they were genuine people in flesh and blood.

This morning was all about the Mek tribe. These people wore nothing except the adult male have their pennies’ inserted in koteka gourd that the flesh was extracted after it is grilled. The women have grass netting made into like a skirt. These people were real survivor. They farm and eat sweet potatoes. They sometimes hunt unto the forest, where the only catch they had is a small lizard. But the first time I saw them on television their houses were still build up on the highest tree they had. Today houses are built in land.

Mark and Olly who filmed their lives were there a year ago. That time these people had no farm at all. When they had their merry making they simply chopped down tree they called sago, extracting the flour which according to Mark and Olly: it has the most disgusting taste, it is very dry too, and that it is almost impossible to swallow. They also let the trunk to rotten and collect all the beetle larvae inside the trunk for the merry making.

Though this time around, their lives are a lot better, thanks the two American gentle men who at least give them maybe some hints on planting and harvesting their own food. Now they plant potatoes already. They have chicken and pigs also.

They marry and have children and their children just grow up with out the comfort of warm blanket. I can see children begging alms in the place I live, it hurts I can utter in silence that God is not fair. Now it hurts that these Mek tribe didn’t even know money and clothes. They also had a small knowledge on producing their own crops. No wonder they have a very low life expectancy. The oldest among them is forty seven. I wish that they also can have their way to civilization so their lives will improve more.