Old Pictures; Beyond Forgetting

        By Vic Odarve

Old photographs capture priceless moments, recall details, and remind us of the footprints of our forefathers. Old photos are a living witness to the happiest or saddest moments in our lives; they allow us to recall all the details later in life and rewind how life was spent during those times.

Ancestral house -Mayana

Yes, in my ancestral home, old, framed pictures hanging on the wall remind me of where I spent my childhood days, my great-grandparents’ heydays, and some of the most memorable parts of my life. In one of the photos, I was once a platoon leader of a boys’ scout group getting ready for a jamboree competition in a nearby village. In a scout drill formation, we were dressed completely in uniform and wore caps on our heads. Even in black-and-white, it was clear that we were students at Mayana Primary School. Scouting has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. My parents told me that I always loved scouting during my primary education. And this old picture confirms it!

As I continued to scan the photos, old memories from the distant past began to flash back and forth in my mind. The traces of memories that appear to disintegrate over time seem real and fresh. Looking back to my childhood days, with the days spent together with our great grandparents and country people, these memories are beyond forgetting!

Boys Scout 1967

It is indeed enjoyable to see these old pictures. It stirs our memories and recalls the days of our youth. I would like to rewind to the good old days when we played basketball games during fiesta celebrations. Now, the village of Mayana is one of my favorite getaway destinations. Going back to the old trail of the San Miguel Academy, I can feel like walking through mist and clouds along the mountain ranges, meeting all the fairies and magical creatures, and watching the birds doing orchestra along with the canopies. Whenever I remember my good old childhood days, it is sort of a feeling that cannot be captured on camera and is more than the old pictures hanging on the wall.

There really is no place like home. Old pictures remind me of the places and events where I come from; the land of my birth; and with all its diversity, the good and the bad, I would like to go there first over anywhere else in the world. It is just proper to share our good old days and momentous moments with our sons and grandsons to show how we lived our lives before.

College Days- U of Bohol

The Bible puts it this way:

"Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." Deuteronomy 4:9

For those of us who are still alive, old photographs serve as a reminder and a trigger for our memories. It is beyond forgetting!

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

China and Russia; Equated to Hitler's Germany

                 by Vic Odarve.

Authoritarian rule, expansionist policy, and bullying small and powerless neighbors are all common denominators in countries that started a massive, bloody conflict and saw it spiral out of control. Authoritarian rule is like martial law, in which a few elite people make decisions and control the economy. They must extend areas under the pretense of releasing their enslaved people to strengthen their authority and for economic reasons. They intimidate and bully small and powerless neighbors with their advanced and superior military hardware. It was done earlier by Nazi Germany. China and Russia are now equated with the Nazis.

Russia's President Putin

Both China and Russia are authoritarian countries; that is, only a few manage and control the government and repress their citizens. Russia, a corrupt country, fights for its survival to make its place safe from corruption. Since authoritarian rule represses its citizens, many journalists who try to investigate the government’s shadowy activities and transactions die a horrible and excruciating death, leaving no traces nor investigation. Both countries have a tightly controlled political system that leaves little room for dissent. Confrontation seems futile; people are too scared to form a united opposition. Some European countries, including the United States, accuse Russia of "selective prosecution" and abuse of the legal system. One common ambition of these two countries is to expand their present territories, whether by force or by other stealthy means.

Putin wants to restore the old USSR with Russia as the center of its power and a powerful army in the heart of its satellites, including Ukraine. Russia has warned the United States, NATO, and the European Union to stay out of his invasion of Ukraine because it possesses nuclear weapons and could lead to nuclear Armageddon. Putin is far more dangerous than politicians.  In his 20-plus years of rule, President Putin has conquered Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, sliced part of Georgia, and helped Syria's civil war. He is now invading Ukraine and warned NATO to keep their hands off from the war or else he will pull the trigger on his nuclear arsenal.

President Xi Jinping

China, in addition to planning to annex Taiwan, claimed almost the entire South China Sea (an area defined by the "nine-dash line," which Beijing claims stems from 2,000 years of history in which the Paracel and Spratly island chains were considered integral parts of the Chinese nation). Both the Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal, which is located 100 miles (160 km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China. China, on the other hand, turned deaf ears to their neighbors’ complaints, built an airstrip, and conducted oil exploration in the contested South China Sea.

With a powerful military at their disposal, both countries tend to intimidate and bully their neighbors through military posturing, invading sovereignty, and annexing territory. Economic sanctions have been imposed on Russia, but this has had no effect on Putin; Asian countries have filed cases against China, but China has ignored them.

As always shown in history, appeasement or concession to an aggressor does not work, as in the case of Hitler; economic sanctions may bite, but do not always sway these leaders to back down; military solutions accelerate the fuel burning. The only diplomatic effort may save us from these conflicts and a nuclear explosion. These leaders, when cornered, choose instead to escalate the crisis and risk an all-out confrontation. But China and Russia offer their own new world order calculus, which, most people say, can be equated with Nazi Germany.

THANKS FOR VIEWING

An Unattainable Dream: An Ideal Family

                By Vic Odarve

Even though all families can be robust and healthy, only a few appear to have it "together," while others appear to fight to keep their own. An ideal family is a caring environment in which happy and loving parents and socially and academically successful children bind the members together. The members of the family share pleasurable experiences and work together as a unit, while the parents resolve conflicts constructively through efficient communication. However, only a few succeeded in the real world; for others, an ideal family remains a dream and imagination.

A perfect family remains an elusive dream

 In an ideal family, parents, as prime movers, must provide comfort and emotionally fulfill all members. They must be cheerful and loving and spend positive time together with the kids, building their wonderful feelings and relationship in the process. Talking, planning, and working on certain things together builds strong family ties. Since every individual is unique and disagreements arise, conflicts must be dealt with constructively. Effective communication provides an emotional and sound environment.

Outstanding family results in a well-knitted and strong child-parent relationship bonded together by love. They look at their parents as models. They should love each other as much as their father loves their mother. They learn how their parents do everything to keep the family connected and bonded together; how activities are managed and controlled to make the world go around harmoniously.

An ideal family is like a beautiful sunset of Mayana

But in married life, it is not always a picture of beautiful sunsets; sometimes the journey is rough, and temptation abounds along the way. When I visited a friend of mine a few days ago, his family seemed perfect; a beautiful home with three kids, beautiful cars of the latest model, a beautiful wife managing good company; everything, as it would appear, was perfect. And he was just promoted to an executive in a big company; his career is in high gear. But after spending a weekend with them, I noticed their family was not a happy one. There seemed to be a feeling of disunity among them. The negative attitude of the children was clear, as was the insecurity of love, etc. The wholesome relationship was obviously missing an ingredient that could not be replaced by all their material possessions and professional accomplishments.

A happy moment

Sometimes couples’ relationship and life satisfaction set off to their lowest point; turning sour, humiliation, distress, troubling, sleepless nights, and, if not well attended, ending in divorce and separation. Even kings, princes, and celebrities in our society separate from their wives or husbands one after the other. In 1527, King Henry VIII of England, after feeling dissatisfaction with giving birth to his wife, a son, separated from his wife Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. This act was not approved by Rome and, after years of conflicting views, England established their own Anglican Church. There are celebrities, too, that have been very successful in their careers, but not so successful in their marriages. One of them is the famous Elizabeth Taylor, who has taken sacred vows eight times and still finds the ideal family elusive.

Henceforth, for several people, the search for the ideal family exists only in their imagination. The commitment of love and dedication for husband and wife and children is simply out of the spectrum; numerous culprits wreak havoc on the relationship, which finally leads to an ugly end... to divorce and separation. When parents separate, it creates a great pain in the whole family, but as time passes, children learn to adjust and understand that family life is not at all ideal!

                                  THANKS FOR WATCHING.

When a Child Smiles

                   By Vic Odarve

A baby's smile is more than just a smile. It's a smile that creates a bonding and attachment feeling. A child's smile is stronger and more enticing than any other smile. It's contagious in the sense that it may make other people grin. Children are God's blessings, and their smiles capture the mood of the day. When a baby smiles, we can't help but smile back. Something unusual is happening inside your heart, a sense of connection and bonding. This sensation has a significant impact on their growth. They felt comfortable and secure. Their manner of communicating and delivering essential information is through smiles. Your payback smile, too, helps the babies learn and understand the world around them. Thus, gradually, and steadily, connection and bonding emerge —A bond becomes stronger when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons in a molecule.

Attentive and observant

 What makes their smiles more powerful, and enchanting are their innocent and fascinating faces. Their simple, sincere, and straightforward smiles can attract more than admiring looks. Their cheeks rise and the skin around their eyes bunches up... a true feature of a true smile. Their smiles are also bliss for all those seeking the happiness of other people. Unlike adults, whose smiles are often fake and superficial, children offer perfect smiles. Going back to our old pictures while we were still young, carefree, and eager to explore the world is itself a source of entertainment. Our smiles, then, were once powerful and fascinating, showing the world our innocence!

Their smiles are powerful

Children could make others smile. Their gestures and smiles are very interesting to observe, especially if they are doing funny things in a crowd. It can brighten your day and make you forget about your daily toxic stress. It changes your depressive mood to a happier one and sets the tenor of your day. Hagler, who has been involved with the foundation for children for over a decade, said seeing the kids' smiles on their faces brings a smile to my face too. Over the long term, smiling can have a positive effect on our well-being, improving our health, perception at work, social life, and making us feel happier and less stressed. A good smile can help release emotions, especially those emotions that might be bottled up inside our hearts.

 Therefore, children’s smiles are something that connects us together to their world; they are so unique and interesting that it makes others smile. Their smiles are more than smiles! 

 

     

THANKS FOR WATCHING......

 

 

Quizzes That Students Love

       BY Vic Odarve

One student quipped after the quiz, "It was so simple but challenging." 

Students love this type of quiz. They find the quiz on finding the determinants, inverse matrices, and eigenvalues, and eigenvectors give them the opportunity to test how far their learning has progressed on that course. That is, taking a simple but challenging quiz!

Engineering Mathematics Quiz

What makes it simple? It is simple because the given matrices during the quiz were almost like the examples discussed in detail during the classroom session, except for a change to one of the entries in every row. This type of quiz is challenging because it uses open notes, books, and other related materials. Laptops are allowed where they can use the program MS Excel. But everybody must observe the "strictly no borrowing materials from classmates!" rule.

Another word of caution! Solutions must be legibly written and presented in detail, or step by step. Laptops are used only for counterchecking or guiding as they are works in progress. That’s it, and nothing more!

Why does this type of quiz work?

Open books, notes, and related references during quizzes are welcomed by engineering students. Mathematics, especially dealing with matrices, is difficult to work with. As the size of the matrix grows, so does the difficulty of computation. Rules are sometimes complicated and require complete understanding before our confidence in getting the correct answer develops. Memorization of procedures does not work well if done without understanding, as you will soon forget the procedures as the solution progresses. Most often, in matrices, a change of a single element or entry will change the whole environment of computation. The solution is very sensitive to the slightest changes in the initial condition of the matrices. Just like in chaotic theory, any error in a single step can produce a large error in the final answer. That’s why opening notes, books, etc during quizzes works well with matrices. The main objective is to familiarize students with the algorithm on how to get to the final answer.

The reason is clear. Let the students learn the basics of matrices' operations. With almost all computation nowadays done by a computer, we are preparing our students for this world ahead. It is then that the classroom learning comes to work in the open fields after completing their course. In the real world, computers and engineers work hand in hand in the industrial fields.

What was the result?

As expected, silence engulfed the whole classroom as the quiz started. Everybody was busy and concentrated on their work. There will be no searching for solutions on another piece of paper. All eyes were on their own paper. The time limitation for the quiz was enforced. A real-world in a classroom!

What was the result of that quiz? Sixty percent (60%) of those who took the test passed. Failed students came to me for various reasons. Some confided that they had not prepared well and were not listening during classroom lectures. In summary, failed students had reasons with the same denominator. It's the same old stories! They are still clinging to their old bad habits! They vowed to change the old ways. They blamed themselves for failing the quiz! One thing is certain: the lecturer is not to blame!

So, what is next? Some wept and, admittedly, vowed to change for the better! Then I told these poor youngsters, "Go and change your ways, for it is not too late. More quizzes are coming. Unless you change your ways, you will not pass this course. "

Sounds biblical? Yes. Students must change their ways to pass the course. In the early parts of his preaching, Jesus often told the crowd to change their ways and believe the good news so that they would not perish. Everybody must be prepared.

He said, "The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the good news. ""

1,15 Mark

"I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did. "

13:3 Luke

That’s it. Failed students must change for the better, for they will not only pass this course, but one day they will also meet the One sitting on the throne for final judgment on all mankind.

 

THANKS FOR VIEWING.

 

Did Man See and Talk with God?

                     by Vic Odarve.

Nobody wants to be the one to answer this question. It sounds like it might be figurative, or literal, thus figurative or literal explanations are the most likely options. The following discussions provide insight into God's nature and whether a man has truly seen and spoken with the Lord God.

ABRAM HAD A FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION WITH THE LORD GOD IN GENESIS 18:26-33.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Following the departure of the two angels from Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham and the Lord God had a lengthy face-to-face talk. Abraham was just like a man who asked for something and God responded. It was because Abraham made several requests to spare the two biblical cities from the doom of destruction. That was, he interceded for the sake of righteous ones living with the wicked population. And that Abraham did not believe that God would kill the good people living amid the wicked population. From fifty good people who could be found, he was able to narrow it down to only ten. The Lord God closed their conversation as follows:

32. But Abraham insisted, "May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more." What if only ten can be found? " And Yahweh answered, "For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom." 33. When Yahweh had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham went home.

MOSES HAS A FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION WITH THE LORD GOD EXO 33:11-23

The Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face. Sensing that he had received a favor from God, Moses had several requests regarding how to lead his people, to know His name, and to be assured of His presence. And finally, when Moses asked that he wanted to see his face, God responded in the following conversations.

Moses with God

20 He added, "Thou shalt not see my face; for no man shall see me and live." 21 And again he said, "Behold, there is a place for you with me, and you shall stand upon the rock." 22 And when my glory is gone, I will sit in a hole in the rock and protect you with my right hand until I am gone: 23 And I will take away my hand, and you will see my back parts, but not my face.

NOBODY CAN SEE GOD

But there are several verses teaching us that God cannot be seen. Even Moses' final request to see his face during his conversation with God on the mount was denied, and he was only allowed to see his backs. God told him that "you cannot see my face, for no man can see Me and live! " Exo 33:20. The Apostle John and Jesus told us that no one had seen God at any time, nor heard his voice, nor seen his face. John 1:18 and John 5:37. According to 1 Timothy 6:15-16, no one can see God because He dwells in unapproachable light. God is spirit and invisible. " John 4:24/Col 1:15. God is neither a man nor the son of a man. Numbers 23:19

MAN’S QUEST TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF GOD

Jews believe that God is God and humans are humans. They do not believe that God became human. Judaism and Islam share the same beliefs. However, other Christian religions, most notably The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), teach that God has physical, resurrected bodies in which humans were created in the image of God.

Is this anthropomorphism or theophany (divine manifestation)? Anthropomorphism is a literary device employed by a writer to give a clearer picture of the subject he is presenting. This refers to the perception of a divine being or beings in human form. The purpose of which is to describe God in terms more understandable to humans.

Abraham with God

Man’s quest to understand the nature of God varies from one religion to another. As long as we live physically in this world, we try to decipher our environment as what we perceive through our five senses. In the case of Moses, as a sinful human being, he cannot look upon the pure deity of our Creator and live. Thus, God mercifully does not provide him an opportunity to see his face.

The Bible itself was written by God, and as such, it contains the mind of God. It is written for mankind. God the infinite communicates with man the finite through the Bible; thus, a careful interpretation of God and His nature to literal extremes is truly required. One word of caution: every verse of the Bible may be interpreted so as not to contradict the other verses.

Understanding God's nature is necessary for unraveling His mystery. This largely depends on you. The key to understanding is by reading the Bible. Read the Bible frequently and be humble before Him. In the words of Abraham, "Who am I, Lord?" I am only dust and ashes?

So, did any man see God and converse with Him? The answer is yours and is irrevocable. But we don’t have to worry. All of us will see God face-to-face at the time of judgment.

THANKS FOR WATCHING

 

 

 

 A Visit to our Ancestral Home

         by Vic Odarve

 A visit to our ancestral homes allows us to trace our origins, remember our past, and revel in the excitement of knowing how our great-grandparents lived in their prime. It also allows us to reconnect with family and friends we haven't seen in years. It also enables us to see what has happened to some of the places we used to consider playgrounds when we were younger and more carefree. Furthermore, if this is our birthplace, we are stepping back in time; this is the place where your life began, and a visit gives you a sense of how things are going.

Ancestral House

A visit to our ancestral homes may be a journey of our life before we travel to another universe to see our Maker. A timely visit is usually made during fiesta celebrations and reunion activities where relatives and friends are also around. This gives us a unique opportunity to connect with our relatives and friends who, for one reason or another, could not make the visit. Our old folks at home welcomed us with big smiles, treated us like kings and queens, and extended huge open arms extending a mile out of their sleeves. Here, plenty of stories was told with a bottle of beer, singing, and dancing, and tracing the roots of the grandparents. The best part could be listening to our grandma and grandpa reminisce about the people and events from their past. Here we learned that some of our relatives and friends are already gone, while some are still living.

A tour of our hometown also allows us to see what has happened to some of the places that were filled with memories during our younger days. For most of us, we consider a visit an awesome adventure. On our last visit, for example, we came to a path that led off down a sloping mountain near the river where I had played with my kite before. The trees had grown up a lot in some areas, and the once nicely kept rice fields were overgrown and nearly filled with tall grass after a massive landslide a decade ago. It is still clear in my mind how I kept running on this mountain slope before.

Going back to the old trail, I can imagine myself walking through mists and clouds along with the mountain ranges, meeting all the fairies and magical creatures, and watching the birds perform an orchestra with the canopies. Thus, we remembered our good old childhood days, where we spent much time playing with our neighbors and assisting our parents in maintaining our rice fields. It is the sort of feeling that cannot be captured on camera and is more than the old pictures hanging on the wall. It is an exhilarating feeling to walk in the footsteps of your ancestors. Sometimes a visit gives me a feeling that if I had not studied at a university and become an engineer, I might still be working in the rice fields instead of doing lectures in the fields of engineering here and abroad.

Ricefields

Our ancestral homes also provide us a glimpse of how things are changing rapidly where today’s technology is far more advanced. The old house standing could serve as a powerful reminder for the current and future generations about how life once was, back in the days when smartphones, videokes, and other gadgets were all still unheard of.

There really is no place like home. Our ancestral home reminds me of the place and events where I come from; the land of my birth, and with all its diversity, the good and the bad, I would like to go there first over anywhere else in the world.