// thoughts

Eating ice cream and a warm slice of apple pie is always good! But when you don't eat breakfast and don't have anything in your stomach, then decide to eat apple pie a la mode....bad idea.

Just did it and well it's not sitting too well right now. Let's just hope my stomach calms down a bit.

You have been warned. Do not eat apple pie a la mode in the morning when you have nothing in your stomach at all!

+ mon

Ahhh the joy of Metrocards and buying them each daily, weekly, monthly to get to work and school. From my years of commuting here in the great old NyC there's one thing that I realize about Metrocards.

Seeing Metrocards on the floor at the subway stations means absolutely nothing, as people just throw their used and zero balance cards on the floor.

But if you see a Metrocard anywhere other than a subway station, pick it up! Chances are it fell out of someone's pocket and is loaded with money and rides!

For the second time in three months I have done just that. Yesterday I was in church and saw a Metrocard on the floor, I picked it up knowing that it had some sorta rides left on it (it was at least going to save me $2.00). So I got it and tried it out this morning and it's a 30 day metro card that someone just bought yesterday! Wo O o O ohoOo O o !

Back in October, the same thing happened. I found a Metrocard on the floor in the hallway of my office and picked it up. Found out that it was a unlimited card for a month! Sweet deal!

Ok that's it, just thought I'd share that - so if you see a Metrocard on the floor and it's not in the subway stations, pick it up!

+ mon

Went to Simbang Gabe last night at the Philippine Consulate on 5th ave with some friends last night. This was my second time going, the last time I went was on Friday and there was this Monsenior there that was doing the mass. He was freakin' hilarious! The stuff he was saying, the things going on were just too funny.

So last night, I was hoping it would be him again - low and behold it was him! He greeted me right before the mass since he remembered me from the other mass I attended. During mass from Friday he was just saying all this funny stuff and was very "entertaining." So I was expecting the same thing and wasn't expecting much "substance" from what he was going to say, but rather just a good laugh.

But I was wrong, I learned a lot of things last night from the little that he said. One of our youth has an awesome name! Some of you know him as Em, and his full name is Emmanuel. The meaning of Emmanuel is God is present. How awesome is that name?!

Well here are a few other things that I learned last night and had a chance to reflect on from Monsenior.

-in Christmas put back Jesus, say Merry Christmas and don't leave out Christ
He was saying here that during Christmas time, even when we know some person celebrates Christmas we'll say "Happy Holidays" and forget that the real meaning of this time of year. We're preparing for Christs birth, His entrance into the world! So when we go around greeting people, tell them "Merry Christmas."

-let Him in our lives so we won't be afraid
This is something that I know is true. Those days of not trusting Him fully and being apprehensive of listening to what He wanted to do and I'd just do what I wanted to do was the time in my life when I was scared of things, scared of anything and everything happening. But if we open ourselves up entirely to Him, with no hesitation, no holding back, we will see the wonder of His power. We won't be afraid anymore because what's there to be scared of when we know that He is on our side? We won't need to worry about the worldy things, we won't need to worry about the problems in our lives, just as long as we let Him guide us, let Him be with us, let Him. Like one of the things I quoted in another post I made - Let go and let God.

-freewill was given to us so we can choose to love Him or not, we can say no
This was one most touching things I've heard. I don't know why but this one hit me. He said that the reason we were given free will was so that we can choose what we do, say yes or no - even to Him. We can say "no" to Him, it's up to us. God wants us to love Him, but with free will it's our choice. Love is never forced, love is given voluntarily by that person.

-if there is no God then there is gluttony, averice, lust, greed, and all the other sins because we become our own Gods
This one is sooooo true! If we don't believe in Him, if we don't let God into our lives, everything is about me. I remember those times when I would just question God all the time and just forget about Him. Those were the times I would just think soley of myself - fight with my friends, family and whomever because I was selfish and just wanted things to happen for me.

These are just my opinions about the things he said, this is my analysis. Great mass last night and great lessons learned

Fun times for all!

+ mon