Good Boy Nermal!

Nermal turned 7 today!

Happy Birthday little buddy!!

Nermal : mmm good.... btw, thanks Tita Ghee and Ate Ally for the awesome birthday card!

On his last birthday, I had mentioned that Nermal had been working on a new trick for quite some time.... But unfortunately we haven't had a chance to film it for y'all.... well our schedules finally converged, so here is Nermal's latest death-defying feat of catrobatics! Are you ready for it?... but first, let's recap some of his old tricks....

And now, for Nermal's newest trick.... drumroll please....

Okay, that trick was not all that it was supposed to be.... Nermal was supposed to have done a triple flip before jumping through the hoop, and the hoop was supposed to be on fire, but Nermal was being a little pussy.... if you listen carefully, you can even hear him whine right before he jumps.... don't worry though, we'll keep working on it....

Good boy little buddy! Nermal a cat who can do dog tricks cat does dog tricks

TECHNORATI TAGS: cat tricks, Nermal's birthday

Sunrise #13,021

I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know which way I've come, but for You I'll wait 'till Kingdom come....

"the Lord addressed Job out of the storm....
Where were you when I founded the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its size; do you know?
Who stretched out the measuring line for it?
Into what were its pedestals sunk, and who laid the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

And who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb;
When I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door,
And said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!

Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place
For taking hold of the ends of the earth, till the wicked are shaken from its surface?
The earth is changed as is clay by the seal, and dyed as though it were a garment;
But from the wicked the light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered.....

Then Job answered the Lord and said:
Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more."

from the Book of Job
chapters 38 and 40

totus tuus ego sum Domine

TECHNORATI TAGS: a Mississauga sunrise
WHERE IS THIS?: check the map
FOLLOW UP POST: Sunrise #13,386

Another Deep Thought from the New York City Subway

okay, this didn't really happen on the New York City subway, but on a New York City bus.... the title is just for continuity purposes....

I found myself on the M96 heading towards the green 4, 5 and 6 subway line along Lexington Ave.... just that morning, I learned that despite running on the same track, the 4 and 5 line is an express to Harlem and that the 6 is the one to take if you want to get off at various stops in between downtown and uptown.... geez, why is life so complicated?... will I ever understand the NYC subway system?... anyways, Soulmate looks up and says, "That's for you".....

"O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people in't!"
- William Shakespeare (1554-1616)
from The Tempest

WORD to dat W.S.... wow she was right, it really is for me.... it made me think of a trinity of goodly creatures who have helped me along my recent journey.... Soulmate, Sr. Theresa, and DC....

Soulmate, if you're reading this, I haven't had a chance to really say thank you for that letter you wrote me on January 3, 2008.... it's what Dr. Conrad Fisher would have described as a "letter from God"... I've kept it close ever since.... I needed to hear that at that moment.... I knew there was a reason why we became soulmates way back when... unfortunately my short term memory takes over a lot, but fortunately since that letter, you have been splashing my face with much needed cold water with the goodly things that you do and the goodly person that you are....

Sr. Theresa, you taught me once again that sometimes a coincidence is no mere coincidence, but a divine happenstance.... Providence if you will.... your happening upon my blog and the perfectly beautiful storm of events that followed gave me a good smack back to the reality that gives me peace....

DC, you gave me a good punch in my gut.... an appropriate analogy since you are a mixed martial arts expert.... after still refusing to believe that a goodly Hand was still at work in my life, the series of events which began with you was an exclamation point to a couple of smacks and splashes of cold water to the face.... thank you brother....

For quite some time now, I have been standing on the edge of a cliff staring into the dark abyss of atheism.... I never jumped in, but man was I ever close... today, I am still standing on that cliff, but now, because of goodly people, it is no longer the tips of my toes which teeter on the edge, but the backs of my heels.... with my feet firmly planted, I face now the Mountain Top, and it is beautiful... I'm sure I'll probably glance behind me once in a while to look into the dark abyss, but it won't have the same pull on me ever again....

Remember folks that your actions have consequences.... even if you don't realize it, what you do may actually be transforming you into an instrument of the Almighty.... your words may be making you into a messenger of good news.... angels really do walk among us....

pay it forward....

TECHNORATI TAGS: new york city, MTA, train of thought, faith journey Soulmate

I was a Godfather at 13?!.... or was it 14?

I guess I'm the ninong type or something coz I've accumulated quite a number of godkids: Kim, Zachary, Mickey, Janel, Bryan, Xadel, Andrea, Summer, Aiden....darnit, I feel like I'm forgetting someone.... it's hard to get old.... okay, I'm not that old, I got a bunch of godkids because I started early.... I started godfathering when I was 13 or 14!... ya, I know I was a teenage (god)father.... hey when someone asks you to be the godfather to their child, it's an offer you can't refuse....get it, nudge, nudge ("The Godfather" reference).... anyways.... so last week the Church welcomed two new members to the Body of Christ: my newest goddaughter Ava, and since she comes in a 2-pack, my newest godson Jaiden.... it'll just get confusing for everyone to figure out who calls who ninong and who calls who tito... 2 for the price of one, you can't go wrong.... Ava and Jaiden Nadgir

Infant baptism may not make sense to some people, I mean what does a baby know of sin and repentance or especially of original sin.... it's actually for us, the parents, godparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and indeed the entire Body of Christ.... an opportunity for us to renew and live our own baptismal promises by teaching the faith to a new soul.... when they grow up and are old enough to decide for themselves, they can choose to complete their baptismal rite with a baptism of fire by the Holy Spirit... or not.... until then, we choose to speak for them....

If you asked me a while ago, I would have told you that I could never be a ninong again.... how can someone who questions the very existence of a god even begin to teach a child about the love of The Almighty Everlasting God.... by some force of Providence, I became a ninong again when my faith was in the process of full restoration.... so when the deacon asked "parents and godparents, do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?".... my "I do" got stuck in my epiglottis out of a sense of shame for my faithlessness.... what I'm certain of about my faith is that it teaches about a God of forgiveness, redemption, and renewal.... so on this baptism I renewed my faith not only for these two new souls, but also for my own soul....

The godparents: keepers of the light of faith....

so, for your baptism Ava and Jaiden, I've written you a letter.... you obviously do not understand this now, but maybe one day in the distant distant future when you're old enough, you'll google yourselves and maybe you'll find Ninong's letter.... hopefully it'll mean something to you at that time:
Ava Nadgir Jaiden Nadgir
February 22, 2009
Dear Ava and Jaiden,

Today, we claimed you for Jesus Christ. That means nothing to you now, but it means everything to Ninong. It means everything to me because I know Him so well, and would like you to know Him as I do. I hope I'll be able to show you what I mean as you grow up. I hope that when you have voices of your own, you will choose to claim yourselves in His name. Until then I will speak for you.

As you grow up you are going to hear that "God loves you" all the time, this isn't just another cliché. He loves you so much that he has given you your parents, godparents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc. who will love you and take care of you. We have waited for you for a long time. You are so blessed, and I know you will be blessed all your lives. You won't really appreciate what "God loves you" truly means though, until life gets difficult.... when you find yourself in a situation where things are not going right for you, or worse yet, when you find that your world is deconstructing right before your eyes, and you can do nothing but pray for help. If anything like that should happen, keep the faith and be patient because prayers are heard and answered. The answer may not come exactly when or exactly how you wanted, but trust me, it will come.... and the answer will be exactly what you need.

I hope that you will not have to carry too heavy a cross in your lives, but life will throw you some doozies, so hang in there and hang on to the hands of the people that love you, especially God's. I look forward to watching you both grow up.

God bless you,
Ninong Pom

TECHNORATI TAGS: ninong