An ARCHIPELAGO challenge

 

Psalm 93:3

King James Version

3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 

the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their waves.

My country, the Philippines, probably has the cutest shape.

Her shape has always reminded me of a dog sitting on its haunches.

As an archipelago, she is surrounded by bodies of water.

There's the vast Pacific Ocean to her left, the South China Sea to her west, the Philippine Sea to her east, and Celebes Sea to her south.

We also have our "submarine" trench, the famous/infamous "Philippine Deep".

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize she can be under the mercy of waters.

And this, we are, especially half of the year.

Actually, for sometime now, it's mostly the wet season.

The dry season -- summer -- has gotten shorter.

But thank GOD for only two seasons to deal with.

It's something that's easy to "master".

Except my country seem to have not mastered it yet.

Still, my country is a hardy nation, with friendly people, who have braved the rainy season, the storms, and the monsoon season.

Oftentimes, it's that monsoon season that is tougher than the stormy season.

The storms often augment the monsoon's power.

A couple of weeks ago, my high city to the north has endured two months of non-stop rain, and storms.

The people groaned, "When will this stop?"

The lowlanders groaned, too.

Our dams had to release water because of the volume of rains.

Our mountains released water through rivers, creeks, ditches, and it all flowed to the lowlands.

As you can imagine, much flooding, and destruction, occurred.

It has been so, all the years of my life.

But towns, and cities, became more populated.

Mayors, and governments, approve all that expansion.

But maybe, they had not prioritized town, and city planning.

Do they have a master plan at all?

Maybe, they built houses, rerouting drainage systems.

Or maybe over the drainage system itself.

Judging by the volume of water with no exit, those may be so.

And when they start building high-rises, and malls, there go the drainage for neighboring towns.

We all know water seeks its own level.

We all know she has a mind of her own.

Stop her one way, and she'll find another.

Close off her exit, and she'll merely rise.

If garbage is stuck in the exits, you can expect flooding.

I traveled to the south a few days ago.

I could not believe the murkiness of a large bay.

What has happened to its former beauty?

Now, there are many developments around it.

Of course, it's probably also reflecting the dark sky at 4:00 p.m.

It felt like 7:00 p.m.

And yes, it was raining as I neared my destination.

But I was spared from experiencing what locals reported were floods to the knee.

It doesn't take a genius to determine that water must have an exit.

Where else does it exit but to the sea?

If we keep it inland, you can imagine what it would do to homes, and villages.

The city is clogged with homes, buildings, and developments.

The drains are clogged with garbage.

Would officials' brains be clogged with debris, too?

Is that why they allow contractors to build randomly, and surreptitiously?

I studied architecture.

The government imposed a "building code".

I know about zoning, and such.

I especially love "plumbing", and "electrical" studies.

You may have a pretty home, but if those aren't wisely planned, you'd have problems.

"Structural" stuff I left to the civil engineers.

It's not one of my strengths.

As born again watchman, my strength is the HOLY SPIRIT.

He teaches me all I need to know now, regarding past, present, and future.

He teaches me GOD's ways, versus man's ways.

All is made clear by SPIRIT.

When you open your faucet, water empties down the drain.

It exits through drainage systems.

Imagine if it can't exit.

Your house gets flooded, too.

All that filth and sewage will back up.

Imagine a whole town, or province, experiencing floods.

You will not want to wade in deep water.

There are currents, garbage, and rat droppings.

Even snakes.

So, when I hear of government contractors being held accountable now, I think to myself, it's something that ought to have been done 60 years ago.

What should have been addressed was proper planning, drainage, and zoning, for an expanding population.

Here, alone, is a very telling fact:

"As of July 1, 2024, the Philippines had a population of 112,729,484.[11] More than 60 percent of the country's population live in the coastal zone[475] and in 2020, 54 percent lived in urban areas."

-- Wikipedia

If greed, and self-propagation, were not part of the equation, flood control would have focused on "prevention".

It's really all about foresight, not poor sight.

May government officials wake up.

Too many people have suffered already.

May law makers abide by what JESUS taught us:

John 13:34-35

King James Version

34 A new commandment I give unto you, 

That ye love one another; as I have loved you, 

that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know 

that ye are my disciples, 

if ye have love one to another.

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CARINA the cruel

Mark 4:37

King James Version

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, 

and the waves beat into the ship, 

so that it was now full.

She ain't sweet.

She ain't gentle.

She's mean.

She's abrasive.

She lambasts you.

She lashes at you.

And she's covering as much ground as she can.

First, the Philippines.

Now, Taiwan, and southern China.

Feeling the wrath of her winds, and whims.

Other storms "whammed" at you.

Carina STABBED.

I almost literally felt her "stabs" at my windows.

Threatening to break the few panes left.

I felt her growing threat, and power.

Ambushing me, as I wrote.

As if she wanted to stop me.

She's gonna stop a worker of GOD?

As Bart would say, "Eat my shorts!"

Ain't gonna happen.

Yesterday at 4am, I heard a loud explosion.

A transformer blew up.

A usual occurrence here.

Probably an overloaded circuit.

Maybe the wildly swaying tall bamboo trees hit the lines.

Power went out soon after.

And we tended to more leaks in our 50-year-old house.

Which, I'm grateful to GOD, has been holding up.

Yesterday, at dusk, I actually saw a lineman at work.

Saw him, from below our house, just at that EXACT moment.

He used a long pole, and "fished" a broken trunk from the lines.

If I had not seen it, I wouldn't have believed it.

That trunk hooked itself upside down upon the electric lines .

Leaves, branches, and all.

First time I'd seen that.

But the lineman did an astounding job.

With ease, expertise, and conviction.

Oh, the things GOD makes me witness!

Perhaps, that was the cause of the day's brownout.

We did have electricity in about an hour's time.

I just LOVE how GOD "plants" me in "strategic spots".

Where I can observe most things.

First hand.

He knew I'd tell you concrete examples.

To support all my articles.

Because man is usually skeptical.

But I've got proof.

I always want to make sure I've got proof.

No tall tales for me.

We've heard of "Ivan the Terrible".

"Bloody Mary".

"William the Bad".

"Charles the Mad".

"Louis the Do-Nothing".

All terrible monarchs.

So we shall call this storm, "Carina the Cruel".

International code name, "Gaemi".

Perhaps, we shall also call her "Gaemi the Gargoyle".

We learn this about "gargoyles":

"In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle (/ˈɡɑːrɡɔɪl/) is a carved or formed grotesque[1]: 6–8  with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between."

-- Wikipedia

Except in Carina's case, this "gargoyle" spouted water INTO buildings, not away from it.

Carina/Gaemi did NOT prevent water from "running down masonry walls".

She ERODED the "mortar between".

Have a look at what she's done (nine hours ago as I write this):

Of course, as Carina leaves our PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility), another LPA (Low Pressure Area) hovers south, in Mindanao.

When that happens, we in the north feel it, too.

Because we're high up, we feel weather changes.

Or at least, I do.

My dreams tell me "stuff".

Carina's probably the strongest storm we've had in years.

I've noticed the past couple of years our summer's short.

The rains would come soon enough.

This year, summer was longer.

But Carina dampened all those sunny days.

As we experience weird weather here, surely you do, too.

We've heard of flooding where it doesn't flood.

Tons of tornado outbreaks in the U.S.

Even had dreams about it.

And found ties of it with "elections".

Strange connection, that one.

As I write this, I hear the sky rumbling.

I also hear rains coming -- soon.

We were warned there'd be more rains, even up to the weekend.

Well, it's Friday in the Philippines now.

My country men are resilient people.

We shall get through this, once more.

Nothing can dampen our spirits.

Except if we turn away from GOD.

That would be it for us.

My city alone, being up in the mountains, gets battered a lot.

Whether typhoons, or earthquakes.

I thank GOD our house has held up.

From all that decades of battering.

Even as our walls, windows, and roof bear the scars.

Well, the rain's a battering ram again.

I have to tend to the leaks.

But first, this article has to get to you.

As architecture grad, I must also tell you another thing:

Have NO obstruction on your roofs.

Chimneys for one.

Fireplaces can be pretty.

But once your house is old, the leaks come.

Many other things I can tell you.

It will have to be for another article.

Soon as I've accomplished that, I'll include the link here.

So, come back here, every so often, thanks!

Lastly, as born again, this I must also tell you.

No matter the troubles we may all face, or be in.

Weather-wise, or other-wise.

Only through JESUS can we be saved.

In ALL ways you can think of.

Mark 4:37-41

King James Version

37 And there arose a great storm of wind,

 and the waves beat into the ship, 

so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, 

asleep on a pillow: 

and they awake him, 

and say unto him, 

Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, 

and rebuked the wind, 

and said unto the sea, 

Peace, be still. 

And the wind ceased, 

and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, 

Why are ye so fearful? 

how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, 

and said one to another, 

What manner of man is this, 

that even the wind and the sea obey him?

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GRANDFATHER's river STONES

 

Proverbs 8:19

King James Version

19 My fruit is better than gold, 

yea, than fine gold; 

and my revenue than choice silver.

If the stones could speak, they'd tell you of the day I saw them.

And plucked them out of the river.

But first, something about grandfathers.

I need to revisit my roots.

I am fortunate I have two grandfathers, who farmed.

I am fortunate, they lived off the land.

I am fortunate, they are well-grounded.

My father's father was from the south.

My mother's father was from the north.

And my parents met halfway -- in Baguio City.

Thus, it was with great delight I visited one grandfather's home in Bacnotan, La Union many years ago.

He had passed on sometime before then.

But I found myself there, visiting relatives.

For whatever reason, I was drawn to the river.

My grandfather's place was on a hill, and the river just below.

The water was low, below the ankles, and a carabao was there.

Alexey Demidov photo

To my great delight, I found lots of colorful river stones!

If you know anything about me, I always get excited when I see stones, pebbles, rocks.

What more these, made even more colorful by the water!

Smoothened by the river, kissed by the sun, they were at their most beautiful.

I wondered how long the river flowed around, and over them, for them to be smoothened and "weathered" like that.

Perhaps, they knew I'd be visitin', a rock lover, and shone their brightest light.

I didn't know how much I could carry, for there was so many.

I ended up bringing home four rocks.

The ones you see above.

I also learned the river would swell during the rainy season.

And it would reach my grandfather's area.

I looked up from the river, seeing how high the hill was.

I hurriedly gathered my rocks, and climbed back up.

Somehow, I could feel the river's potential "power".

Even during that sunny, quiet day.

As a kid at school, I was always fascinated with "geology".

I loved hearing the words "weathering", "fossils".

And all things "earth".

I would collect every fossil I could find.

My drawers were always full of cool "finds".

I didn't know I'd end up taking Architecture.

Even as my heart was in writing.

And archaeology.

As well as geology.

And psychology.

But never biology.

To this day, I still have plastic containers of stones I've picked up along the way.

Their shape, color, texture, and material keep calling to me.

When I got off "new age", I stopped collecting them.

Although I liked crystals, I didn't know what to do with them.

They were just lovely to look at.

I was puzzled how the new agers used them for "energy", and all that.

Although I was trained in Reiki, and that was also about "energy healing".

All I knew, even before becoming born again, is wanting to be able to "heal" without all the paraphernalia.

I envisioned I'd be able to sit in front of a person, sitting in silence, holding both their hands, looking into their eyes, gaining understanding of their suffering, and somehow, healing would transpire.

Right.

I don't have such power.

When GOD made me born again over four years ago, I turned to JESUS.

He was everything I needed to know about.

He is the ROCK.

1 Corinthians 10:4

King James Version

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: 

for they drank of that spiritual Rock 

that followed them: 

and that Rock was Christ.

He is the GREAT Physician.

Matthew 15:30

King James Version

30 And great multitudes came unto him, 

having with them those that were lame, 

blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, 

and cast them down at Jesus' feet; 

and he healed them:

He is HEAD of ALL principality, and power.

Colossians 2:10

King James Version

10 And ye are complete in him, 

which is the head of all principality 

and power:

Now, ALL rocks speak to me.

Of JESUS.

And not anything else.

JESUS is my foundation.

Upon Whom my soul is built.

And the river passing by my grandfather's land is GOD.

The FOUNTAIN of LIVING WATERS.

We only need to believe in JESUS, and we shall be nourished.

John 7:38

King James Version

38 He that believeth on me, 

as the scripture hath said, 

out of his belly shall flow 

rivers of living water.

I'd not have been a good geologist, even if I wanted to.

I'd have defied the corporations.

I wouldn't have used my skills to "mine" for gold.

And to strip areas of resources.

Causing denudation of forests.

Causing flooding in other areas.

Causing wealth in a few, and poverty to most.

Defacing the land, stripping it bare.

Being in the surface in comfort.

While workers can barely breathe underground.

Thinking of greed, while everyone was in need.

I'd have been very ineffective to the elite.

I serve only GOD.

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RIVER stone image by author.

Our NATIONAL flower

 

Psalm 103:15-17

King James Version

15 As for man, his days are as grass: 

as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; 

and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the Lord 

is from everlasting to everlasting 

upon them that fear him, 

and his righteousness 

unto children's children;

Does your country have a national flower?

A flower you can call your own?

Something representative, and symbolic of your country?

We do have, in the Philippines.

I'm glad SPIRIT led me to a photo today.

Even as I was searching for something else.

Something ENTIRELY different.

Then I realized He led me to our national flower.

The SAMPAGUITA!

The one woven into garlands.

Sold by vendors outside Catholic churches.

Or along sidewalks, at the foot of the church.

The one that entices me, as I walk.

Its aroma making me stop, each time.

And I head to where this tiny, lovely flower is.

I make time to inhale its delicate scent.

Grateful, for its heavenly scent.

A scent, like no other.

When I was still Catholic, I'd buy a garland, or three.

And place if over the Virgin Mary's clasped hands.

But things changed when GOD made me born again.

EXACTLY 56 months today.

I don't honor statues anymore.

I honor GOD's laws instead.

But I will always respect people, and His creation.

How Someone so powerful, could create something so delicate!

Such is the sampaguita.

It's white petals, so cool to the fingers.

But it's so delicate, it doesn't last with the heat.

Nor the touch of one's fingers.

It turns brown soon enough.

But after the original fresh fragrance is gone, a scent lingers.

Until it's turned all brown.

Still, it has given us pleasure for that moment.

From its all-too brief existence.

How GLORIOUS our GOD is!

How wonderful His creations are!

How it pleases my born again soul!

I can only feel gratitude in my heart.

At the little things many tend to overlook.

In their haste to go about their way.

And yet, this tiny flower makes people stop.

As they inhale the fragrance that only GOD could infuse.

Upon a flower, among many other flowers.

But this sampaguita has a fragrance all its own.

I will share with you what I learned about it today:

"Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine)[1][3] is a species of jasmine native to tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia.

Jasminum sambac is a small shrub or vine growing up to 0.5 to 3 m (1.6 to 9.8 ft) in height. It is widely cultivated for its attractive and sweetly fragrant flowers. The flowers may be used as a fragrant ingredient in perfumes and jasmine tea. It is the national flower of the Philippines, where it is known as sampaguita,[9] as well as being one of the three national flowers of Indonesia, where it is known as melati putih.

Jasminum sambac (Filipino and Philippine Spanish: sampaguita) was adopted by the Philippines as the national flower on 1 February 1934 via Proclamation No. 652 issued by American Governor-General Frank Murphy.[24][25][26]

Its most widespread modern common name "sampaguita" is derived from the Philippine Spanish sampaguita; from Tagalog sampaga ("jasmine", a direct loanword from the Indian sanskrit word campaka), and the Spanish diminutive suffix -ita.[27][28] It is also by native common names, including kampupot in Tagalog; kulatai, pongso, or kampupot in Kapampangan; manul in the Visayan languages; lumabi or malul in Maguindanao; and hubar or malur in Tausug."

-- Wikipedia

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Our THREE countries

 Isaiah 31:1

King James Version

31 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; 

and stay on horses, 

and trust in chariots, 

because they are many; 

and in horsemen, because they are very strong; 

but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, 

neither seek the Lord!

My stand remains the same.

For whatever country in the world is involved.

We cannot rely on our own wisdom.

We cannot rely on our own strength.

We cannot rely on our own unity.

We need GOD.

We need His Son, JESUS.

We need to be taught by the HOLY SPIRIT.

We need to be born again, that we may have SPIRIT.

There can be no peace, until we believe in JESUS, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6-7

King James Version

6 For unto us a child is born, 

unto us a son is given: 

and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 

and his name shall be called Wonderful, 

Counsellor, 

The mighty God, 

The everlasting Father, 

The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace 

there shall be no end, 

upon the throne of David, 

and upon his kingdom,

 to order it, 

and to establish it with judgment 

and with justice 

from henceforth even for ever. 

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

All our attempts at peace are futile, unless we all believe in the same GOD.

Exodus 3:6

King James Version

6 Moreover he said, 

I am the God of thy father, 

the God of Abraham, 

the God of Isaac, 

and the God of Jacob. 

And Moses hid his face; 

for he was afraid to look upon God.

Matthew 22:32

King James Version

32 I am the God of Abraham, 

and the God of Isaac, 

and the God of Jacob? 

God is not the God of the dead, 

but of the living.

Acts 3:13-15

King James Version

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, 

the God of our fathers, 

hath glorified his Son Jesus; 

whom ye delivered up, 

and denied him in the presence of Pilate, 

when he was determined to let him go.

14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, 

and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

15 And killed the Prince of life, 

whom God hath raised from the dead; 

whereof we are witnesses.

As it is, the Philippines is primarily Roman Catholic.

The U.S. took out GOD from their government.

Japan believes in many other gods.

But we all worship the same god.

The god of money.

Which JESUS warned us about:

Matthew 6:24

King James Version

24 No man can serve two masters: 

for either he will hate the one, and love the other; 

or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. 

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Today, the U.S., Japan, and Philippines are united against provocations from China.

The Philippines' navy and fishermen are constantly harassed by China.

We do not have the capability to defend ourselves.

We are an archipelago, surrounded by oceans.

We need superb air, sea, and land defense systems.

Which our presidents haven't really looked into, surprisingly.

We are like "sitting ducks" in an ocean of plenty.

Everyone knows the resources we have.

And the strategic importance we have.

Of course we are grateful for any help from other countries.

Granted that there's no hidden agenda.

It's election season in the U.S.

Also, our three countries had a dark past.

The Americans occupied us before.

The Japanese did the same.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

The Americans bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

And today, we're all friends.

Such is human nature.

Fragile.

Flimsy.

Fearful.

That's why the Bible warns us:

Psalm 118:8-9

King James Version

8 It is better to trust in the Lord 

than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to trust in the Lord 

than to put confidence in princes.

I trust the LORD alone.

In GOD is LOVE.

Jeremiah 31:3

King James Version

3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, 

saying, 

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: 

therefore with lovingkindness 

have I drawn thee.

In JESUS is GRACE and TRUTH.

John 1:17

King James Version

17 For the law was given by Moses, 

but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

In SPIRIT is LIBERTY.

2 Corinthians 3:17

King James Version

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: 

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 

there is liberty.

If we are a true born again, we will rely on GOD alone.

We will not have hidden agendas.

We will not plot against each other.

We will not plot against any other country.

We live by GOD's laws.

Realizing that, without JESUS, we can do nothing.

John 15:5-7

King James Version

5 I am the vine, 

ye are the branches: 

He that abideth in me, and I in him, 

the same bringeth forth much fruit: 

for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, 

he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; 

and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, 

and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, 

and my words abide in you, 

ye shall ask what ye will, 

and it shall be done unto you.

And if we're not born again?

We're toast.

Matthew 13:41-43

King James Version

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, 

and they shall gather out of his kingdom 

all things that offend, 

and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: 

there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth 

as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

P.S. 

China's response to the trilateral agreement among the THREE countries can be heard here.

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