Thank you, Zig Ziglar! RIP

Win!

I heard the sad news yesterday morning, but I wasn't able to make a blog entry about it because it was a very busy day at work.  I'll make my tribute now, better late than never.

We lost another beloved author in 2012.  First, we lost 7 Habits' Stephen Covey; yesterday, we lost one of the greatest motivational speakers and authors in Zig Ziglar, who died yesterday at age 86.

I have two of his books at home, and I remember that my dad considered his greatest work, See you at the top, as life-changing.

The White Hat and Bettina open in CdeO’s Centrio mall

If you know me personally, you’d know that I’m quite the health nut, and one of my greatest frustrations when going out is finding a snack that would pass my standards when it comes to being both healthy and delicious.  Furthermore, I have 3 kids and a wife, all who won’t mind the bad stuff unless I give them a better alternative (and, truth be told, I have my own lapses as well).

Well, last Sunday saw the opening of a rare find, indeed: a place that I actually can recommend to those who have similar viewpoints as I do; a place where I can take my family and feel good that they’re snacking on wholesome food.

That place is Cagayan de Oro’s first branch of The White Hat, a frozen yogurt place, located on the first floor of the new Ayala Centrio mall.  

If you’re thinking, “Another frozen yogurt place, big deal!” then allow me to correct you.

That's why it's so good!

Most places of this type use the cheap powdered stuff, which lowers cost but makes poor quality yogurt.  The White Hat uses only real dairy.  Yup, real milk turned into real yogurt….and that makes all the difference.

All you need to do is taste it.  It is creamier, yummier, and healthier.  Real dairy, from real Philippine cows, makes for a really good yogurt experience!   Why is real yogurt so good for you?  Well, all the nutritious food and supplements you ingest mean nothing if you don’t have a healthy stomach to digest it with.  Your stomach needs beneficial bacteria, and real yogurt has lots of it.  You can also check out this article on the many health benefits of yogurt.

My kids in their Montessori school’s Foundation Day dress rehersal

One of the things that keeps me busy as of late is the Abba's Orchard School's Foundation Day, which is already coming this Saturday. 

 It's both nerve-wracking as a teacher of the Erdkinder (high school) program, and I hope and pray that my students perform well; and as a parent of 3 kids, as I hope they do awesome in their respective performances.

Please pray for me and my kids. Pray for the weather (this would be done outdoors) and pray for everything to go smoothly. We just had our dress rehearsal last night, and so allow me to post a few pics of my kids in their costumes. Again, prayers appreciated.

My eldest, Lynn, with my youngest, Happy

Conflicts in marriage are a given, use them to strengthen your relationship

I remember a conversation I had with a teen several years ago; this young person’s bitter voice still rings in my ears to this day.  This is what he said:

“If only my parents have gone to this church, they would not have separated.”

He said so because the church where my family worships in (and where the teen attended youth) is known for its great advocacy for the family, particularly our parenting seminars and marriage retreats.

My wife and I have attended several of these retreats (our most recent undertaking was so successful it had to be done 3 times, selling out each time), and one of the lessons that always sticks out is that conflicts in marriage are a given, but if managed properly, they can actually strengthen marriage and family life.

You got that right.  Conflicts can be a marriage strengthener.

Have you seen The Hobbit inspired airline safety video yet?

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the very awesome Air New Zealand flight safety video, inspired by the upcoming The Hobbit film:

 

Such a great idea this is! Whoever thought of this should get a promotion five times over! This leaves me with two questions:

 1) What other sci-fi, fantasy, or fiction would make a great airline safety video like this? 

 2) For Filipino readers, the same question applies but for our local shows (Can you imagine a Darna version of this? Haha)

I’d love to see your comments.

I’m sure this Hobbit inspired airline safety video would not be the last of its kind.  Others would jump in the bandwagon.  I can’t wait to see them.

 Oh, and if you think my hiatus is over, sorry, but not yet. Soon, but not yet.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul.  I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site.  You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)