Proper church behavior

What is happening to the behavior of our church goers? I was at the AIM chapel attending Mass and I noticed a guy texting on his way to Communion. He is about to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord and instead of meditating on this miracle of our salvation, there he was texting away. Then I noticed another man getting restless because the queue to Communion was long, but instead of calmly waiting for his turn, he took a golf stance and practiced his swing twice. He must have noticed my look of disapproval, and stopped. I know this is hard to believe but it happened. Can you please write about norms of proper church behavior? – Mari

A church, no matter what denomination, is a house of worship and prayer. Therefore, proper norms of conduct are observed. Majority of Filipinos grew up as churchgoers and while church dress code has gotten more casual, codes of behavior have not changed. In the past, men and women were expected to be "properly dressed." The ladies usually wore dresses with sleeves and their heads were covered with veils. Men never wore jeans and were always in leather shoes. Nowadays, jeans, sneakers, and long shorts are allowed. Women don’t wear veils anymore. But silence is still observed so as not to disturb the faithful who are fervently praying. Cell phones should be put off or put in a silent mode. Texting is definitely a no-no. Golf practices should be restricted to the driving range or at home, not in church. The House of God should be treated with reverence through proper behavior.

* * * Natural Face, Eye ‘Lifts’

I spend long hours in front of my computer screen and I end up with tired eyes. What should I do to get rid of tired-looking, droopy eyes? Can you also give me some tips to give my face a new look? – Sanya

The old-fashioned way to reduce eyelid puffiness and make eyes sparkle is to put teabags on top of your closed eyes for five to 10 minutes. If that’s too messy, dip cotton pads in hot water and put them on your eyes for a few minutes. A few drops of Visine could help give the eyes that extra sparkle. Here are some other tips for reinventing your looks. Let’s start with the hair, your crowning glory. Does it need a new shade that will be more flattering to your skin tone? A good hair colorist should be consulted. Some women opt to go lighter as they get older as very dark hair makes one look harsh. Go to a good hairdresser and experiment with a new hairdo. This could change your looks a great deal. Next, ask your beautician if you need to reshape your eyebrows. You will be surprised how eyebrows could change your facial expression. Too dark and bushy could make you look masculine and strong which is not the look you would like to have. You could also experiment with the help of a makeup artist and the right makeup could really do miracles. Consult a dermatologist if you need some injections to fill the deep lines between your eyebrows. Deep lines between the brows give you that worried or angry look. The dermatologist will probably suggest a mild peel to refresh the face. You can also enroll in a gym and work out, stretch and tone to keep you fit. If your teeth are too yellow, consult your dentist on teeth bleaching. White sparkling teeth are in. With cheap and painless methods of teeth whitening, one shouldn’t go through life with yellow teeth. All these celebrities, Madonna, J. LO, Britney Spears, to name a few, have different looks all the time. It’s all about reinventing themselves through exercise, diet and the help of good beauticians. Go for it and good luck!

* * * Afraid To Love Again

After a year of being alone and healing myself from a broken heart, I am now ready to embark on a new relationship. But how can I not repeat the mistakes I committed in the past which resulted in failed relationships and left me depressed for months? I am interested in a new girl and I’d like this one to be better than my last. – Mr. Exhausted

First of all, come to terms with the idea that you are only human, you are not perfect and you are bound to make mistakes. So failed relationships are not the end of the world. To start with, make life a no-fault system. Stop blaming yourself or anyone else. You made a choice and you should be able to face the consequences. If you don’t like the consequences, make new choices but don’t blame anyone nor feel guilty. It’s very important to be honest with your feelings and express them to your new girlfriend. Focus on the positive. As the poet Collette said, "What a wonderful life I’ve had. I only wish I realized it sooner!" The sooner you realize that life is beautiful, you will look at your new girl on a positive light which is important to achieve a healthy relationship.

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