Nature’s Christmas Tree on Display

          By Vic Odarve

Seemingly unseen by many urban people and usually taken for granted or forgotten by the rural folks, nature’s Christmas trees are displayed in some parts of the African continent in a scintillating beauty…simple, unique, and awesome. From the ordinary palm tree hang several bird’s nests resembling Christmas toys, cards, and gifts. Unique as it is, birds are jumping in the bough of the trees as if singing the Christmas carols; celebrating the incoming Christmas seasons that Christians also rejoice. It is an awesome reminder for mankind that the tree, untrimmed and untouched by human skillful hands, looks like a Christmas tree. It is a nature’s Christmas tree on display!

Natures Christmas Tree

Simply from the common palm trees, they are decorated similarly to our own made Christmas tree. The tree is real and untrimmed; simply the birds’ nests hanging on the leaves as decoration, and birds gather around the nests reminded us like children exchanging gifts. Birds sing in unison as if a choir calling their presence of God the Almighty; they do this at the end of their daily activities before going to rest. The tree attracted everyone, and people know how they loved the nests hang from the leaves of the tree. And it looks like a man-made Christmas tree. Absolutely beautiful and so simple!

This nature’s Christmas tree is something unique as it brightens the spirit of everyone. Instead of cards, expensive gifts and long ribbons and garlands made of beads to accentuate the color of your choice, birds’ nests were hung on the tree itself. Nature’s decors it for an elegant look! It never fails to bring smiles to people’s faces and proudly invites everyone for the perfect holiday season. People say the tree was the coolest, prettiest, and perfect Christmas tree. It is a unique Christmas tree; keep the people fully reminded and exactly what they wanted on a Christmas tree.

Walking Christmas Tree

It is an awesome nature’s reminder! This tree reminds us of our strong spiritual connection to our Christian belief and to some extent, its display gives us a more celebration; hence glorifying our God. It also shows our strong kinship and oneness with nature; the palm tree once again painted the scenes of serenity and grandeur described by the psalmist in the word of God. Although Christmas tree tradition dates to the 16th or 15th century, which devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes, to date we would do well to remember that they are ultimately symbols of the One who gave himself to mankind.

And as we greet the Christmas celebration, this palm tree decorated with birds’ nests is indeed the simple, unique, and an awesome Christmas tree that nature wants to display to mankind!

Merry Christmas to all!

 

Ang Kaminyoon Ug Kapalaran sa Tawo

       ni Vic Odarve

Malipayong Kaminyoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dunay malipayong kaminyoon mihangtod sa  kamatayon

Apan dunay milungtad usab pero kalbaryo pagaantoson

Ang uban nagbulag na lang kay sakit na gyod sa dughan

Daw ang kaminyoon nahisulat gyod sa atong kapalaran.

 

Kinsa nang malipayon sa kaminyoon dala ang kadaugan

Nga gitrumpeta uban sa mga bitoon sa kawanangan

Gisangyaw ang walay katapusang himaya ug kalipay

Ang kamatayon ra makabulag ug mao ra ang utlanan.

 

Kalbaryo sa Kaminyoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apan ang uban nag-antos sa mapait nga kalbaryo

Ang panag-ipon nahisama sa nagsigang imperno

Kangitngit man sa kinabuhi daw walay nay katapusan

Sa asawa ug bana walay pulos ang ilang panag-uban.

 

Duna sab nagbulag tungod gyod sa ngil-ad nga batasan

Dili na maagwanta ug di na gayod pwedeng matambalan

Kay diay sa hilom gitagoan sa bag-o pa nilang panag-uban

Karon di na maantos gawas kon sa hingpit imo biyaan.

 

Panagbulag ang gidangatan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O kaminyoon ikaw ang mas labawng gamhanan

Kay nakig-uban nimo ang tagsatagsa nga kapalaran

Ug ginasulat naman sa mga propeta ug patriarka

Ang nagkadaiyang kahimtang sa mga bana ug asawa.

 

sinulat sa mga propeta ug patriarka

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kalipay man o kasakit o panagbulag man ang mahiaguman

Andam dawaton kay gihatag ug gililok man sa kahitas-an

Kaha badlis man kini sa atong paglawig sa kalibutan

Swerte man o dili, ang kaminyoon apil sa atong kapalaran.

 

Visit Your Ancestral Home, Please!

                     By Vic Odarve

A visit to our ancestral homes enables us to trace our roots, remind our past, and provide a thrill to learn how our great-grandparents lived in their heydays. This gives us a unique opportunity to connect our relatives and friends that for many years we have not seen face to face. It also allows us to see what have had happened to some of the places where we once considered as a playground when we were still young and carefree. Further, if this is a land of our birth, we are stepping back in time; the land where your life had started, and a visit provide a thrill on how things are going on. A visit to our ancestral homes maybe a journey of our lifetime… before we traveled to another universe and see our Maker.

Ancestral house

A timely visit is usually done during fiesta celebration and reunion activities where relatives and friends are also around. This gives us a unique opportunity to connect our relatives and friends that for one reason or another, could not make a visit. Our old folks at home welcome us with big smiles, treated us like kings and queens, and huge open arms extending a mile out of their sleeves. Here, plenty of stories were told with a bottle of beer, singing, and dancing, and tracing the roots from the grandparents. The best part could be listening to our grandma, and grandpa reminisces 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 have had happened to some of the places filled with memories during our younger days. For most of us, we consider a visit as an awesome adventure. In our last visit, for example, we came to a path that leads 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 were nearly filled with tall grass after a massive landslide happened a decade ago. It is still clear in my mind how I keep running on this mountain slope before.

Farmland visit

Going back to the old trail, I can feel like walking through mists and clouds along the mountain ranges, meet all the fairies and magical creatures, and watch the birds doing orchestra along 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 keeping our rice fields. It is sort of feeling that cannot be captured on camera and 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 had I did not study in a university and became an engineer, I might still be working in the rice fields, instead of doing lectures in the fields of engineering here and abroad.

Our ancestral homes also provide us a glimpse of how things are changed rapidly where today’s technology is far more advanced. The old house standing could serve as powerful reminders 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 about 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.

Be Positive and Contented; the Gateway to Happiness

 By Vic Odarve

Although life is made up of ups and downs, thinking positively, coupled with contentment on what we have, may lead to a happier life. When life takes unexpected turns and brings along a traumatic pain, evaluate events with an open mind; convince us that life must move on regardless. Think positive. Contentment is necessary for attaining a positive state of mind; accepting the situation; and allowing us to move ahead.

Thinking positive and contented

Sometimes life gives us pain and heartaches. It is up and down. Think positively. If our failure is awry, inflicting pain and self-pity; positive thinking draws us to accept them as a learning experience and then move on. In Statistics, it is impossible to have all failures; there must be a success. Basically, life is made up of two components: sadness and happiness. Even the universe consists of positive and negative energies. My engineering student have spent about 10 years in schooling due to part time job finally becomes an Engineer, a profession he is dreaming of. He really thinks he could finish it and he did it! 

 

Positive thinking can create a realistic plan for goals in life; allows us to move ahead after some failures; and recovers our feeling of loss. This leads us to a better and happier life.

Be happy

On the other hand, contentment is necessary for attaining a positive state of mind. By accepting the situation, we ca move ahead.  By appreciating the great things, we currently have in life may feel us a happier life. Do not compare ourselves with others because we live differently. Be contented with our achievements for it is our real accomplishment. Be ourselves. Do not imagine things that beyond our reach. Do not feel jealous and insecure. Be contented with what we have. Do not match our neighbor’s new tennis rackets, shoes, iPads, I-pods, etc., feeling we are behind. Do not feel devastated that somebody overtakes us in some areas of our life. Be contented and live well on what we have. 

Visiting Old folks

Like the sparrows and water lilies, we have the right to live and be happy in this universe. No matter what troubles the world brings to our life, we must be at peace with our parents, brothers and sisters, and friends and deal them in a gentle manner. There is always a void that cannot be filled up with material things. This is really a wicked world; a troublesome place unfolding uncertainty that bring us only broken dreams. But no matter how wicked and corrupt, it is still a beautiful world. We must strive to be happy and have peace with our God and peace within our soul. Be always be with God for with Him nothing in your dreams is impossible.

Be positive and contented; the gateway to happiness.

Ang Kahaponon sa Kinabuhi

tinagik ni Vic Odarve

 

Mayana Village Sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nakita  na ang unang bidlisiw sa adlaw

Ning kinabuhi daw usa ka lulinghayaw

Nga niabot na sa pungtod sa kapanahunan

Karon ania na paduol na sa katapusan.

 

Sa pagsugod pa sa sayong kabuntagon

Nga nagkamang sa inahan pagakargahon

Adto sa umahan ug unang edukasyon

Ang palibot  malipayong handomon

 

Panahon sa kabatan-on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginasulat  na ang hitabo sa kaudtohon

Didto sa  panahon sa pagkabatan-on

Nagsugod ang gugmang pagabation

Kay ulitawo na ang atong panuigon.

 

Karon ang panahon na sa kahaponon

Mius-os na ang  katahom ug mga pahiyom

Kunot sa nawong ug sa isip makalimoton

Kay tigulang na gyod bisan ug unsaon.

 

Kahaponon sa kinabuhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makita  nga migamay na sab imong higala

Ang uban  barkada naa pa; ang uban nipanaw na

Mao na gyod na ang badlis sa atong kinabuhi

Ang tanang tawo moagi ug dili makadumili.

 

Gusto unta balikon ang mga kagahapon

Matam-is ug masakit man nga handomon

Kay sila kabahin na sa atong kinabuhi

Nga kanunay makigdula sa atong pagbati.

 

Amahan sa Langit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karon hinay na ang kahayag ug puli na ang kangitgit

Kay moadto na  sa amahan naglingkod sa langit

Ginasulat na sa mga propeta ug mga patriarka

Tanan may kahaponon ug di na matingala pa.