This is the product of my fertile thoughts. I am recreating them here and am sharing them with you, dear bloggers, for whatever benefits, if any, you could derive from them. I wish you could be more open and share with me your comments and suggestions so that I can improve on my blog. Thank you, God bless and have a nice day. Mel Avila Alarilla
Your most productive years may have been behind you now and
you spend your time in utter loneliness and isolation, reliving your
glorious past. Before, you were used to the praise and adulation of
your millions of fans, but now you are left alone, staring on a blank
wall where the sound of silence seems so deafening. Ah yes, you could
still hear the applauses, the laughter, the celebration every time your
name was called during curtain calls. Your name was on everyone's lips
and dashing gentlemen made a beeline to hand you their bouquet of
flowers. You have them all, boxes of chocolates, endless greeting
cards, love notes- everything that reminded you of the tumultuous glory
days of your life. People swooned when they heard your voice, and
each end of your production numbers were greeted with thunderous
applauses and endless calls for an encore.
Ah, you
remember your past loves, the endless queues of men in your life. The
fabulous places you have reached, the how do you do's with the high and
mighty in your heyday. You have been around the world living in the
adulation of your legions of fans. You savored each inebriating moment
of your existence. You transferred from arms to arms, intoxicated by
the love abundantly poured on your lap by your countless lovers. But
you had your final curtain call. You are no longer famous. You are no
longer beautiful. The voice that has so captivated millions of souls
have now been reduced to a croaking and melancholy voice.
And as you look at the empty wall on a cramped room you are renting,
you felt the hot tears of loneliness and grief falling from your eyes,
gliding down your face. You closed your eyes and relived once more in
your mind the glory days of your youth, when the world adored the
beautiful and marvelous you. That was your very last curtain call.
Early next morning, the porter of the hotel found a lifeless corpse of
an old and emaciated woman still clutching in her hand her favorite
photograph.
Tags: Vaudeville Superstar, Rich and Famous, Last Curtain Call Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Every
year as the new year approaches, we make a list of our new year's
resolutions. At the advent of each new year, there is always a stirring
in our souls to break free from our wretched past. But
after only a month or so of futile attempts, we always end up a
miserable failure. Why? Because by nature, we are weak and prone to sin.
By nature, we are prone to violate our own moral standards. And even
if we honestly want to change and take on a new path in life, it is
almost impossible for us to do so without assistance from a higher
supernatural source.
True transformation, wherein we finally
break free from our wretched and sinful existence, is done only through
the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can effect a
genuine and lasting change in our lives where we choose to live a godly
life rather than a sinful existence. This is what is termed a born
again experience and it can be effected only if we accept Jesus Christ
as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins to Him and let His most
precious blood wash clean all our sins in life.
By doing this, we
invite the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and our long
dormant spirit suddenly becomes alive and active. Thus we become a new
creation. Our old sinful selves are dead in transgressions and we are
now alive in the grace of God and declared holy by the righteousness of
Jesus Christ. That is true transformation wherein we live a new life
dedicated to loving and serving God and becoming a vessel and a conduit
of God's blessings and grace to others.
THE HARVEST IS PLENTY BUT THE WORKERS ARE FEW. WILL YOU HEED THE CALL OF THE LORD TO BECOME A WORKER IN HIS VINEYARD?
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
We associate Christmas with endless shoppings, with sumptuous foods on
Christmas eve and Christmas day, of never ending gift giving, of going
to carnivals and fairs, and other forms of merry making characterized by
wanton display of one's affluence and goaded on by crass commercialism.
That's
why every year, when Christmas season approaches, 3/4 or more of the
world's population feel dejected and lonely. Why? Because they lack the
resources to buy all the nice things that will make them and their loved
ones (especially their children) happy on Christmas day.
Why?
Because they have accepted in their minds that Christmas is all about
the ostentatious display of one's wealth come Christmas day. The world
has accepted the gross commercialism and materialism that the western
countries have ingrained in the minds of all the people in the world.
Everywhere
in the world, people associate Christmas with Santa Claus and his
gifts, with white Christmas characterized with snow and all the fun
games of winter, with Christmas trees, with colorful Christmas lights,
with fireworks, with fine new clothes, Christmas caroling, and with
plenty and sumptuous foods.
But what is the real meaning and
essence of Christmas? It seems that people have lost track of the true
reason why we celebrate Christmas.
Luke 2:8-14 says, "And there
were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel
said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that
will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you: you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a
manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with
the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."
The birth of Jesus Christ in a humble manger have presaged the opening
of heaven's gate for all people to be saved by His eventual death on the
cross and His resurrection from the dead. Thus, we should be
celebrating Christmas in memory of the birth of our Lord and savior
Jesus Christ whom the Father sent to redeem fallen mankind.
We
should celebrate Christmas in our hearts as we feel God's presence in
our lives. The real merry making and the indescribable joy of the true
Christmas will be fully experienced by us when we come face to face with
our Savior in His kingdom, to live in blissful existence with Him
forevermore.
Let us rediscover the original joy of Christmas by letting Jesus Christ enter our hearts.
We will not be always here to stay. Tomorrow, we may be gone from this world. What legacy would we want to leave behind?
We tread the sands of time but once in our lifetime. Good or
bad, people will remember us for what we stood for. How we stood amidst
the tremendous pressures that pushed us down? How we managed our tears?
How we survived the pains? How we overcame all the bitterness and
sorrows that welled in our hearts? And in the end, how we made peace
with our Creator?
We move along the sands of time but once, to measure each and
every song that influenced our lives. We recalled the lonely verses that
pulled our hearts burning with fervent hopes of a bygone love. How
strange that we faced the unfathomable horizons beyond, never knowing
what lies behind the curtains of time. With each heavy steps, our feet tread on the golden steps of the sands of time. Then we leaved our legacies behind.
It
was just like yesterday when I had an argument with my wife and we had a
falling out. I had to get out of the house to simmer down. As I was
walking in the park, I saw a flower, a red one standing at the edge of
the park. I was mesmerized by it that I found myself going out there to
pick it up. What kind of flower was this? It was gorgeous and the color
was crimson red, just like my blood. As I picked it up I thought of my
wife. How lovely was she. It was just like yesterday when I married her
and we had a turbulent relationship. We had our shares of quarrels but
somehow, we managed to patch things up. And today was just like any
other day that we had a spat.
As I
looked at the flower, my anger seemed to have vanished and I realized
just how important she was to my life. Ah, I'm going back to her and fix
our relationship. I could not really go on with my life without her.
And the children, they need a father to bring them up as wonderful kids.
How foolish of me to run out of my house. Hah, I'm going back and
straighten everything out. And I promise to God that I will never
quarrel with my wife again. Life is more bearable with her charming
presence around.
The house was in
disarray. Everything seemed in topsy turvey. Rows of flowers lined the
entrance to the house. It was so bright inside. People were milling
around. Stifled cries can be heard outside. I saw familiar faces in the
house. My father was there and so was my mother. I saw faces of my
friends and relatives there. They were all there. Must be some sort of a
reunion I guessed. Then I saw my wife. How lovely was she. She was
wearing a white gown. And I saw my children, their faces ashen and sad.
How I missed them all. I will tell them how much I love them.
I approached my wife and gave her the flower that I have. And she
placed it with the other flowers in a big vase. I counted them all.
Twelve white flowers and mine was the thirteenth, one that stand out in
crimson red.
Everything became so
eerie. Something's wrong. Suddenly, I realized that my father and mother
were dead and so do all the relatives and friends that I saw there.
They were all dead. My God don't tell me that my wife and children are
all dead too.
Everything seemed to
whirl around me. Flashes of darkness and light kept flickering all
around me. My body stiffened and I could sense a vague light penetrating
my eyes. Then voices occupied the peripheries of my mind. He's coming
into. He is breathing. He is alive. I saw people milling all around me.
And I saw the loveliest face that ever beheld my eyes. It was my
beautiful wife, as she hugged me with all her might. And I saw my
children milling around me, all crying unabashedly. What happened? I
asked timidly. You were ran over by a car and you were brought here in
the hospital already dead. The doctors tried to revive you and it's only
now that you were revived.
And I
saw the red flower that she held in her hand. Where did you get that, I
asked? I got it from you. You were clutching this flower as though your
life depended on it. Ah, freedom at last. I have been given back a new
leash on life.
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Literary/Short Story
You may be groaning right now from the heavy burden that is on your shoulder, but take heed, the Lord is just strengthening those shoulders for you to be able to bear the burdens of others. You may be in a very dark tunnel right now unable to see anything at all, but take heed, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. You may be complaining right now about how hard it is to climb your mountain, but take heed, after your arduous climb you will see the most spectacular scene at the top of the mountain.
Life is like that my child. The Lord seems too harsh on us at times, but please remember that He will never give us any trial wherein He will also give us sufficient grace to overcome them.
The eagles cannot fly to the very heights of the sky if they were not pushed out of their comfort zones by their mothers who wanted them to fly on their own. The process may be painful and scary as the young eagles plummet to the ground but with tremendous pain and efforts of flapping their young wings, they eventually learn how to fly and soar ecstatically among the clouds.
Pearls are made when an intruder invades the oyster who secretes that powerful enzyme that kills the intruder and turn it into an elegant pearl. The salmons swim upstream half way around the world to return to their spawning grounds where they eventually die after laying their eggs.
Life is ebb and flow, strike or miss. Nobody has a monopoly of the very best and the worst of life. Each person has his own cross to carry and the burdens to bear, but after the hard lessons in life are learned, the Lord will give us the crowning glory of success.
Hold on, push through, climb higher still. For every tear that you shed a crowning joy is waiting for you. You were fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord and He will not stop pushing you to your limits until that masterpiece which is you has been fully developed for the whole world to marvel and admire. God loves you more than you will ever know. Did He not die on the cross for you? So when you are burdened by the heavy load you are carrying, remember that the Lord is at your side crying and sighing with you. Smile child. It is a beautiful life. It is a wonderful world. Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines
Our
bodies communicate with us in so many ways, but oftentimes, we never
listen to them. If we will only make it a habit to listen carefully to
what they are saying, then we can save ourselves from lots of troubles.
For example, our bodies communicate to us when we are hungry or when we
are already full. But no, we let ourselves go hungry when we are so
busy and try to push the feeling of hunger out of our mind's perception.
The result, sooner or later, we develop ulcers. Or our bodies tell us
that we are already full and fully satisfied, but no, our mind still
wants to gorge on the delectable fares on the dining table. And the
result? Sooner or later, we develop unwanted fats that can lead to full
blown obesity.
Pains, fevers, dizziness, neuralgia, and
other bodily symptoms are the ways our bodies communicate with us. We
must be very sensitive to their messages if we want to live a fully
healthy and longer lives. A nagging pain in the neck and at the napes
could mean a high blood pressure. This could be accompanied by
dizziness and a feeling of nausea.
For most part of my
life, I have not been to doctors. They only make me more sick and
panicky. I just listened to my body talks and I responded to them
accordingly. Of course, I am not recommending what I am doing to
others. I can do this because I live by faith and not by sight
(senses). My complete trust and confidence in the goodness of God and
His faithfulness to His promises plus the unmistakable language of my
body have kept me relatively healthy and alive all these years although I
was diagnosed to have life threatening diseases a long time ago. When
your body talks, please listen to it attentively, then do whatever
necessary things you have to do and live a relatively healthy and
trouble free life.
Tags: Health, Body Talk, Symptoms,
Life, Longevity, Freedom from Pain, Neuralgia, Dizziness, Sensible Diet,
Exercise, Clean Living, Healthy Lifestyle, Wellness, Live By Faith,
God's Promises, Long Life
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7b)
DO YOU NEED HELP? ARE YOU IN THE DARK? CAN'T FIND YOUR WAY AROUND? NEED A FRIEND WHO WILL STICK WITH YOU THROUGH THICK OR THIN OR WHEN EVERYBDOY ELSE HAS DESERTED YOU?
