Word Factory

Icon

Manufacturing words since February 2006.

Straight Line

For Tatay this Father’s day

The boy labors to draw
a straight line on a clean
sheet of paper with nothing
but his bare hands and
a pencil that was once as
sharp as a needle.

The sweat on his forehead
threatens to plummet
like waterfalls, arrested only
by the folds and creases
that his young face could muster.

The boy is unaware of the man
who has been standing
at the background

watching

his every move.

The boy turns around. The folds and
creases in his face morph into
a tranquil plane.

The man approached him.
Brought out a ruler.
Held his hand.

Father and son,
they began to draw

a straight line.

Filed under: Poetry, Tatay , , , ,

Fatherly Advice

Milk is a staple in a regular phone conversation between my father and me. Almost always, right before we hang up the phone, he would ask whether I have my ration of vitamins, and snacks, and groceries. And of course, milk. Lactose intolerant that I am, milk is not exactly my favorite drink.

Yesterday, I bought a carton of fresh milk. I sent my father a text message informing him of such fact. He replied: That would make you alert and smart.

For that, I need to drink milk more often.

Filed under: Daily, Parents , , , ,

Change has come to America

barack

Change has come to America. But I have no doubt that its ripples will reach Philippine shores in no time. For starters, almost all of the major dailies today have for their banner headline the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States.

On another note, Al Mohler has posted  a wonderful prayer for President Obama. He says that Christians are instructed to pray for their leaders. Check it out.

Filed under: Politics , , , ,

Busy Week Ahead

Next week is going to be a terribly busy week for me. I have Labor midterms on Wednesday. I’m on-call for recitation for both classes on Credit Transactions and Special Proceedings. I was also informed by the class President through a text message that I am, “fortunately or unfortunately one of the fifteen lucky or unlucky people who were randomly chosen as volunteers for Local Government class on Tuesday.” The message has an accompanying advisory: Those chosen must study extra hard for the quiz.

As before, I know that there is a temptation to worry. My prayer is that I would not forget that the God who gave me strength, wisdom, and grace before is the same God I can rely on today.

Filed under: Malcolm, Prayers, University of the Philippines , , , , , , ,

Everything was a blur

I had my eyeglasses refracted last Monday. I didn’t have an extra pair, so I went home consciously feeling a certain kind of lightness, as if some weight was lifted from my face. But other than that, everything was a blur—literally. I got my old lenses back as keepsakes.

lenses2

Filed under: Daily, Photos, UP , , ,

Great Reminder from Charles Spurgeon

“A heart full of praise is heaven in the bud. Perfect praise is heaven full-blown.”

Filed under: Christianity , , ,

Reading List

In his blog, Stephen Altrogge asks his readers what books are on their reading list. Aside from a mountain of Supreme Court cases and a slew of boring codals which I’m required to read for my classes (try reading the National Internal Revenue Code, and I’m sure you’d be lost in the maze of long articles with long enumerations, and with little regard for rules on antecedents), here are the books which I am reading or planning to read:

1. Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz. I’m halfway through it already. Very good thus far.
2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I have picked up and put down this one for a very long time. I got the book more than 5 years ago. I really hope to finish it this time.
3. A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
4. Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. This is to satisfy the C.S. Lewis fan in me.
5. 12 Ordinary Men by John Macarthur. I saw this book on Booksale for 60 pesos. I bought it without second thoughts.

Any recommendations?

Filed under: Books, C.S. Lewis, Lists, Literature, Reading , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12:59 pm

clock

Filed under: Photos, photography , , , , ,

8 things I’m thankful for this 2008

1.    My second-hand Mac.
2.    The LCD television I won in a raffle contest.
3.    My family.
4.    Lessons on humility and trust. They were oftentimes learned in difficult, pushed-against-the-wall kind of situations. I’m still learning up to now.
5.    Another year in law school. I’m not quite sure how I was able to get past through certain subjects, but what I know is that it isn’t because of anything in me. It was purely grace.
6.    God’s patience and mercy. I’m stubborn and hardheaded that it would not be a surprise if someone gives up on me. God does not. And what a comfort it is.
7.    My local church. For how God used it to edify, rebuke, teach, and encourage me in my walk.
8.    Christ. That He should come to save wretched sinners like me when He is under no obligation to do so leaves me in awe.

Filed under: Christianity, Praise Items , , , , , , , ,

From a fishbowlful of names

In his blog several weeks ago, Tim Challies has written about how he hasn’t won anything in his life. He asked whether his readers have it differently, and I was planning on giving him a reply that says something like, “Not really, Mr. Challies.” This is a fairly accurate statement, at least insofar as it concerns raffle draws, because while I could point to certain memories of going up the stage to receive this and that prize, I could only remember two of them.

During one fiesta celebration in our village, my name got picked by Ma’am Valme from a tambiolo. She is a slim, middle-aged lady with a disposition of a preschool teacher and a charm of a politician. Clad in my old and dirty pair of rubber slippers, ill-fitted shirt and worn-out pants, I went up the stage to receive my reward. Just as I was about to leave, she thrust the microphone to me, and declared that I should say a few words. My voice was shaky and my pauses frequent as I tried hard to conjure an impromptu, Oscars-like speech. My brother was savoring the scene, and was laughing so hard at my expense.

My name also got picked during our church’s Family day celebrations this December. I became a recipient of an alarm clock and two sets of pens that I need. A lot of gifts were given that day that it seemed all you had to do to win anything was to be present.

However, beginning this December 13, I would be able to remember three. Here’s an account of how I won the third time:

After Tax 2 class, my classmates and I decided to eat at a nearby canteen. To be able to go there, we passed through the main entrance of the college. Tables were set and several people were coming in for a Christmas party that we had not been invited to and that we had no intention of attending. But this lady stopped us, and directed us to occupy an empty table. We were delighted. Free meals are always something to be delighted about.

Then, we were handed tickets, one for each of us. We obediently filled it out with our names. Mine bore the number 185. We were told the tickets were for the raffle draw. They were giving out, among others, two 19-inches Phillips LCD televisions. My classmates all wanted to win. I was the most cavalier. I didn’t want to come in front lest I be made to conjure an impromptu, Oscars-like speech again.

Then the guy picking out the winners announced my name. I won the television. And there was no need for the speech.

I gave the television to my parents when I came to the province for the Christmas break. Our old one is very old, indeed. My parents bought it when I was 8. I’m 23 now. When I told them my name got picked in a raffle draw, my mother thought I was joking. When she realized I was not, she exclaimed, “An unexpected blessing from the Lord.”

I agree with her. It is an unexpected blessing, indeed. It is a blessing because it is undeserved. I didn’t do anything good to merit it—I didn’t do anything at all except, perhaps, write my name on the ticket. It is unexpected because I came to school only to attend classes. I was not told there was going to have a party downstairs. I was not told someone would hand us tickets to fill-out. I was not told my name would be called. And it was from the Lord. I believe that God is in control of everything, even in the picking of a name from a fishbowlful of names.

Filed under: Christianity, Christmas, Koronadal, Malcolm, Parents, Praise Items, UP, Vacation , , , , , , , , ,

a

 

July 2009
S M T W T F S
« Jun    
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031