Right after SEP Mindanao 2004 (SEP means Summer Enrichment Program), I created Youthoughts, a youth forum for youths and singles in May 2004. Its purpose was for youths and singles to continue their interaction not only during the yearly youth summer camps but all throughout the year throughYouthoughts, a youth forum on the internet.Youths and singles mainly from the Visayas and Mindanao participated in this forum. Some youths in Luzon joined occasionally but I guess the language barrier was a hindrance. The language used would often shift from English and/or Tagalog into Cebuano.

Discussions focused on various youth issues and the youths were encouraged to share each other's thoughts, give advice to one another, help one another, encourage one another and so on. Sometimes, I do give advice (as a pastor and a father) especially when I'm personally asked to give my thoughts on an issue. This forum lasted until about October 2008.

"One thing sure in life is death and taxes." So goes the saying. Just a few hours ago, my wife and I joined some friends to go back to the same place we went to a few months ago... the cemetery. We went to the same spot to see the burial of a fellow church member, an elderly man who died of cardiac arrest a few days ago. When this elderly man's wife died months ago, I captured that moment in a photograph (at right) when he was sitting and grieving while his wife's tomb was being sealed.

These are realities in life which make us stop and think about the meaning of our existence on this planet. It is good to enjoy life to the fullest. But we must not shun some hard cold realities in life like death... and taxes. It's a good thing to search for meaning in life. Find out why we're here on earth. This will better prepare us to face the hard realities of life... and our eventual death.

I got this interesting article, "Why men shouldn't write advice columns" (see right -- click to zoom and read article) and it drives home a point. In this somewhat tragic and humorous article, a lady is seeking advice on what to do with her marital problem. But the columnist/counselor totally missed the point. Instead of giving good counsel on her marital problem, the counselor gave an advice on how to solve a car problem. He totally missed the point!

Isn't this true also in our lives? It happens all the time. It happens when we communicate with our fellowmen. And it happens when others communicate with us. It is easy for us to misunderstand what others are saying.

As we were having our dinner at the ground floor restaurant of Sychar Hotel here in Davao, my daughter Jinjie who was surfing on the internet using my laptop excitedly said, "I won in Pokemon Philippines' banner making contest!"