“I will come back for you,” Eddie told Mark as he also had a trial to attend. The trial lasted for three hours, and when he returned, the prisoners, including Mark, were gone. A few years later, they heard that Mark was stabbed to death in prison during a jailhouse riot. -- Sim Silverio, Our Life and Times

When life’s sailing gets rough, when we do not know what to do, where to go, and how to accomplish our goals, we must trust, not in our wisdom, but more than ever before in the “Star” from above. Let a stronger faith in God be one of our New Year’s resolutions. -- Msgr. Gutierrez, Lower Your Nets

This is it – 2009 is upon us. As usual, many of us make New Years resolutions, if for no other reason than to at least feel good until we break them. But this year we should do something a bit differently. Let’s make resolutions that we can keep. So to that end, I offer these New Years resolutions. Feel free to use as many of them as you can stand. -- Miles Beauchamp, PhD, At Large

The year 2008 was a terrible year for many of us but it is over now and we should be happy that we survived to see the New Year. We could always start our day being thankful for the gift of life. We could try to learn living one day at a time without being in a hurry. We should learn from our mistakes and dream big again but this time we won't try to reach for the sky. We don't have to compare ourselves to others. We should try to keep smiling because it's contagious and help spread happiness. -- Bill Labestre, MBA, Bill's Corner

What is it about the New Year that strengthens our resolve to make a fresh start? Is it because every January we have that opportunity to transform and take our life to a new direction? Is it because “hope springs eternal” and we have hope that we can change for the better? Or is it because the decisions that we make today will impact our tomorrow? -- Zena Sultana-Babao, Light and Shadows

“As someone who grew up in a place where basic resources are scarce and is now living in a prosperous community, I can readily say that prosperity is a matter of will and sense of self-purpose,” says Dr. Florabel F. Oliver, DDS. -- Ashley Silverio, Profiles

Over the years, KCS has helped the Filipino community build its problem-solving capacity, leadership, and health promotion programs. Through its Siglang Buhay (Cancer Prevention) project, for example, we have empowered local associations by expanding or diversifying the lifestyle activities of their members and their relatives, friends, and neighbors. -- Dr. Riz Oades, PhD, Voices and Images

We are presently preparing a request for humanitarian reinstatement in behalf of a client in Manila. Let us call him Jose. He was petitioned by his biological father in 1997. The petition was approved a month later. Since he is an unmarried child of a US citizen, his visa became available a few months ago. Unfortunately, last month, while he was waiting for the interview appointment, his father died. -- Atty. Jojo Karagdag, Phil-Am Laws 101