TO THE ONE

To the one, whose voice I love to hear,
and face I love to touch
To the one, who lets me have my way,
yet protects, and supports me in every way
To the one, who brightens up my lonely days,
and gives me strength for life
To the one, who coaches good Math,
and tucks the kids to bed each night


To the one, whose lap Lemuel and I loved to sit on
To the one, with hands so comforting

To the one, who I love to squeeze hug
To the one, who extends me more closet space
To the one, whom with I found the joys of marriage
To the one, who loved me just as I am
To the one, who means the world to me…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

System Recovery

My home computer was paralyzed by a Trojan Zlob virus for a week and it is really a pain for me especially that I needed to download driving directions for our travel agendas. During this infected period, I tried calling Symantec Corporation to have the virus removed. I’m just surprised when they told me they will be charging me sixty nine dollars to walk me through the process. The virus is not included in their live updates and when I asked why, the technical person told me they still don’t know how the virus gets into the system, but they can cure it. Hmmm…Surely I wouldn’t pay that sixty nine dollars, it is thirty nine dollars more than my annual subscription.

Desperately wanting to restore my computer, I read the manual, for the first time (yes, Virginia! it is not my nature to read manuals), on doing a system recovery. My research however was interrupted by the many features I didn’t know, my PC has. I know I have a DVD and CD burner, a nine-slot card reader, multiple USB ports, but I didn’t know I have such incredible software that came with it. So then my desire to have the PC restored was intensified, it must be done fast, the solution a complete destructive recovery, restore the factory settings. At this point, I called HP Tech Support, only to my dismay that I will be charged forty five dollars to walk me through the destructive recovery process as my warranty is one hundred twenty days expired. No way! Am I being doomed because I’m not an extended warranty person? Options? I went to their website and downloaded the instructions free of charge, thanks to them, it is so detailed and user friendly, I am back on the net.

While in dilemma of an infected system, I learned about firewalls and various anti-spy software, a more secure internet browser with built-in anti virus and anti-spy (for free), and a couple of other things which I can do, myself, to protect my computer from viruses. I felt good and secured that my PC is now up to date and equipped with the necessary tools to prevent infection.

I myself was also troubled in the past days as if I was infected by a virus, that despite the hot weather in Southern California for the past week, the sun didn’t shine on mine. The system is corrupted and the memory is failing, problems here and there, or rather, viruses replicating itself, I need a system recovery, and so I did. Armed with a loving anti-virus Brack 2006 and firewalls of prayers, I am back to factory settings. Aside from this shelter, God sent more freebies through a friend named Debbie, I don’t know why, whenever I’m troubled, she always sends me an inspiring email that suits the current situation, Heaven must be using her.

Of viruses and malicious spies, of troubles and worries, I learned to build a firewall from a reliable source…GOD that is…comes with a free extended warranty.

I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image. Stephen Hawking

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Love on a Deeper Meaning

Time doesn't make this article old as its contents is so very true now as it was thirteen years ago when I wrote it. It'll give you an insight of why I chose this man to spend my whole life with....

A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRAYER

As the days draws near, we delight in thinking that Valentine’s is just around the corner. What makes the day exciting is the sharing of love, which is primarily what the season is all about. Inspired by commercialism, we have cast the valentine fever everywhere: roses at the streets, chocolates, concerts, dinners, and other sweet little things - are all but a show of sharing our feelings towards our loved ones. But if we dig deeper into thinking how it is to really share love without showy displays – our minds would really wonder how?...then we think of various ways.

Allow me then, to share with you a personal experience of feeling love on a deeper meaning.

One Saturday evening, after hearing mass, I asked my fiancé what is it that he prayed for, he replied, “that there will be peace on earth” – not surprised, but it sounded so unusual so I asked him, “Why don’t you pray for something specific? Something that concerns you, your life and your wishes?” And he answered, “Because everything that I wish for my life depends entirely on what I’d prayed for – Peace on earth.”

Days had passed and I still wondered over the thoughts – then I stopped upon hearing the world news, “The allied forces had fired bombs against Iraq”, the television footages showed innocent people had gotten hurt – lives had been taken, such a cruel sight – a clear indication that peace wasn’t on that side of the earth. Suddenly, there were no longer specific prayers and individual wishes, for life had been ruined and dreams shattered.

I asked myself, should all the people pray for Peace, would it be the same? Maybe the world would be a happier place to live in. Maybe there’d be no war – we don’t know. But one thing’s sure, our life and everything that we dreamed of will turn to waste if there is no peace.

This Valentine season, let’s live with the tradition, let love flourish in the air, but let’s try to indulge less in spending for commercialized expressions of it. Let’s try a meaningful way of doing this – on a general view, maybe a prayer for peace will manifest our love, not just for our loved ones, but for all the people on earth. For isn’t it what God wants of men? “Love one another” and “Peace on earth.”

As for me, things have changed; I share the same feelings with my loved one.

Now we’re two in wishing for that different kind of prayer…can I count you in?... Maria Elizarah 30 January 1993 (A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRAYER WAS PUBLISHED IN LIVEWIRE ON FEBRUARY 1993)

"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed."-- J. Krishnamurti

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