The Royal Reading

      While many were enthralled by the pomp and pageant of the event in London that is the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the “Royal Reading”, delivered by the bride’s brother, James Middleton, proved to be a powerful and moving exhortation not just for the bride and the groom, but for everyone to live lives characterized by love.

      James Middleton read from Romans 12: 1-2, 9-18 after his big sister had exchanged vows with Prince William:

      “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.

      “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

      “Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12: 1, 2, 9-18)

      Italics are provided by me.  It’s a very well-chosen piece for such an important event, and I’m very glad it comes from the bestselling book of all time, the Bible.

~Florent Flora

My Baguio Quadrathlon

      Some people train for and run the MARATHON, some go the extra step and do the TRIATHLON. There's even the famed PENTATHLON and the DECATHLON for olympians.

      As for me, I did the QUADRATHLON last weekend and I didn't need to train hard for it. The only requisite to do the Quadrathlon is to have lots of time, lots of heart, lots of patience, and to make it a family activity.

      Here's my "Quadrathlon" in pictures:

1. SWIM!

      Getting some sun at the Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa

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2. BIKE!

      At Baguio City's Burnham Park biking area

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3. ROW!

      At the Burnham Park lagoon

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4. RIDE!

      At the Wright Park with "Spider" and "Strawberry"

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     I've grown up in Baguio City and have visited almost all the places there is to visit there. I'm certainly the first to say that it's a ho-hum activity just to go around Baguio and see its tourist spots.  This time, however, doing it with the family has introduced a fresh and exciting experience for me and this is definitely one activity that I would do over and over again!

      To my wife, Charry, thank you for putting up with and coping with the challenges of travel, preparing for the trip, handling the cranky kids and all, just to make this trip possible. Kudos and hugs and kisses to you -- mwah mwah mwah! :-)

The Greatest Equation

Lenten Season: Time to reflect on the essence and foundation of our Christian faith...

Image background from freefoto.com

"He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)