Wandering Mind

Busy people’s plates are always so full that their minds tend to wander. In a poll of 2,000 people conducted in the UK for Avery Office & Consumer Products sometime ago, busy people forget an average of five important facts/tasks every day.  

Some of the top answers on what people forget are: calling people back; replying to emails; colleagues’ names; cellphones; reading glasses; and files on the printer. 

Bonnie (an accountant for various firms) shared this story. “I was frantically looking for my 

reading glasses everywhere, only to be told it was perched on my head.” 

Does that sound familiar? On occasion, we find ourselves drifting, causing people we’re conversing with to ask, “Hey, are you still there?” 

There is an old hymn that speaks of wandering mind: "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” written by Robert Robinson in 1757.  The lyrics say,  “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” 

This hymn is about the writer not focusing his heart and mind on the Savior who so loves him. He is in good company. He has busy us and Apostle Paul. “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:19 NLT)  

Then there’s King David who had the same lament, “I have tried hard to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands.” (Psalm 119:10) 

There are too many distractions in this digitized life when we desperately want to go back to our Anchor. Even when our hearts long to seek Him, our wandering mind draws us away.  

We ask, we beg, for the Lord's restraining grace when our minds stray!  

Recluse No More

For three years since the pandemic began, I had been a recluse by choice. I didn’t want to risk it—with the coronavirus haunting us. Tony has co-morbidities that I didn’t want to compromise. Except for one family reunion of about 13 people in an Airbnb  on Christmas, I attended church online and taught Sunday School online as well. 

Now that the health protocols have slackened, with many people no longer apprehended for not wearing masks, I decided to attend the opening of the art exhibit of a dear friend and former colleague, Caloy. 

It was like breaking a three-year fast. 

One other friend suggested that we meet up on that same date, at an earlier hour, to “launch” my book, “Teacher in Me” (written at the height of the pandemic and published by CSM Publishing), among close friends within the area. 

I prepared early, making sure I had a signed copy for everyone.  

And so it happened! We met at Jaeu, a Japanese-European resto in the mall. It was fun, nostalgic, and heartwarming: a grace gathering I wouldn't miss for the world.  

We reminisced, ate, laughed, cried a little, and exchanged gifts through a raffle. 

Then we headed to Metanoia, Caloy’s exquisite art exhibit. More chit-chats, reminiscing, and re-connecting, frozen for posterity in my heart and in these photos: 

Someone once said, friends make us laugh a lttle harder, cry a little less, and smile a lot more.  Indeed! And if I may add . . . they break you loose from being a recluse. 

Pandemic Soul and Sole

Both my soul and my sole graphically illustrate how the three-year pandemic had been for me: stark contrast between worldly pleasures and spiritual treasures. 

The world was in a panic, rushing to discover a vaccine/cure that can manage the Covid-19 virus. 

While at that, my own outer world stopped. Book publishing, which is 90% of my concerns, could not move forward as offices and printing presses closed shop. My part-time teaching job, our family business (medical transcription school), activities such as clan reunions, book talks, church worship and fellowship, etc. were put on hold until . . .?   

SOUL: Since we were at home 24/7 due to health protocols, days blended into nights. It did not matter what time we woke up and what time we went to bed. For the first time, our family broke bread together—morning, noon, and night. Tony and I bonded like we never had before—talking and laughing about anything under the sun. Schedules did not matter because routine was scrapped. 

I was not worried about death or sickness, but concerned about how to manage both. Hospitals and funeral parlors overflowed. Meanwhile, friends were dying here and abroad. Messages of death and anguish filled social media. 

But I knew that by grace, a new day, hope, would never leave, as captured by award-winning artist Glen McGraw’s “PINK Sunrise.”  The tide rolls; the sun shines.

 

I got busy helping with the PINK political campaign of VP Leni, the presidential candidate who symbolized hope. 

I wrote hundreds of hopeful blogs and three books on grace, even if there was no prospect of any ever being published. My Sunday school class for women required me to study Scripture and Theology closely.

Yes, my inner world kept going. There was movement in my soul. 

SOLE: All material things that are worn when going out to face humanity stayed put inside boxes and closets. The new footwear I bought before the pandemic was left idle and untouched. 

None, no movement for my sole. 

ooo

On the first day of face-to-face classes, I shook the dust off my blazers, bags, jewelry, and shoes. While spiritedly lecturing on consumer behavior such as materialism, of all topics, I tripped and fell down the floor. The culprit? My sole! 

It is all too clear, worldly pleasures do not last; spiritual treasures do. 

"Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:20-21)

Apostrophe Amore

There seems to be a love affair between the apostrophe and a number of people. This obsession to put an apostrophe before the final “s” in a regular plural noun, where it shouldn’t be, is beyond my comprehension. I think I need brain surgery to understand this mystery.  

Among all the punctuation marks I review (yes, review, because all my students have gone through high school where grammar is drilled into their system) in my English classes, the use of apostrophe is the most difficult to teach and for many students to re-learn or unlearn. 

Any dictionary tells us that an apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate only two things: 

1) possession or ownership (e.g., Karen’s sons);

2) omission of letters or numbers (e.g., isn't; class of ’99).  

Outside of those two, amore for the apostrophe must end. 

However, it is totally different with God. 

To Christians, “s” is never added to God, because there is only ONE God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. 

Should we add an “s,” then an apostrophe is a must!  God owns everything and therefore, the format is . . . God’s grace, God’s people . . . God’s ad infinitum, indicating possession. 

“For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36 (NLT) 

When we refer to God, let’s fall in love with the apostrophe, the punctuation mark that shows He possesses and owns all.

One-upmanship

We have all met the likes of an I-am-better-than-you personality. They are in our circles, in public places, proclaiming their greatness. They just have to be better than anyone. 

Let’s listen to this conversation between Red and Green:  

Green could be telling the truth, but why make Red feel small?  

One-upmanship originated in sports. It is the practice of successively outdoing a competitor by discomfiting him. The term has since been used for any assertion of superiority. 

Its opposite is humility, a trait or an attitude the Bible encourages everyone to pursue. Being humble doesn't mean to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself less. You can have strong self-esteem but not brag or make a big deal of yourself to others. 

According to psychologists, it is often people with low self-esteem that feel the need to practise one-upmanship to make themselves feel better.  

The Lord longs to lead His children toward humility. His Book tells us, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Philippians 2:3 NLT)  

We also read in Proverbs 11:2, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

If Jesus, the Creator of the universe, was humble, why can’t we—His mere creation—do the same? 

This verse echoes all the others that admonish us when there is a temptation to act like Green.   

“Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”  (Romans 12:16) 

photo credit 

State-of-the-art CCTV

CCTV (Closed Circuit TV), a surveillance system with cameras, recorders and monitors, has so fascinated me, I wrote a blog about it sometime ago. 

This modern contraption is able to do many things more quickly than a human being can: apprehend speedsters on the highway, catch thieves, cheaters, bullies, and all kinds of offenders in any place where it is installed. 

There are different brands and models of CCTV—the higher the cost, the better it can “see” and “hear.” Yet, the CCTV, no matter how technologically advanced, is not foolproof. It can only catch action and hear sounds within a certain range.  

There is a state-of-the art CCTV that can see all, hear all, feel all, taste all, smell all, and know all—including what goes on inside of us: God.     

He is omnipotent (all-powerful). He is omniscient (all-knowing). He is omnipresent (all-present). There is no way anyone can hide any sin from Him. 

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:13 NLT) 

We can only describe the things He can do, but no artist, not even the great masters, can render them visually. I found two that capture a few dimensions of Him.  

While He sees what we do wrong, He also sees what we do right.  

He holds the universe (plural, as astronomers have recently discovered that there are many) in the palm of His hand.  

 

In Scripture, we read that in the temple one day, Jesus noted that many rich people put in large amounts of money in the collection box. 

In contrast, a poor widow dropped in two small coins. Jesus told His disciples, “. . . this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”  (Mark 12:41-44) 

 

God also hears our silent, private prayers. “. . . your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" (Matthew 6:6-8) 

What’s best is, this state-of-the-art, divine CCTV sees every heart and fills those that are committed to Him with grace.  

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him . . .” (2 Chronicles 16:9) 

No CCTV, not even a future invention (with advances in artificial intelligence and technology), will compare or even come close to what God sees, feels, hears, tastes, smells, and knows for eternity.  

Is Everything Okay?

Yes, everything seems "okay" these end times. What used to be abominations are now accepted in society and are even cheered and applauded. 

To name a few: Spare the rod in disciplining a child; celebrate in public same-sex marriage as you would for a man and woman’s; allow premarital sex between couples who are in a relationship. 

More: Praise smart lawyers who defend killers in broad daylight, to get away with the crime—with no questions by authorities; ignore bitter rifts caused by politics among friends and families; idolize financially corrupt and morally bankrupt celebrities; worry not about biblical values totally slipping away; plus even more.

This social media fashion meme says it all.  Literally, waistlines can now be necklines; pants legs can now be arm sleeves. Weird, but today, this is "normal" and even considered cool and creative.   

My son #1, who sometimes share my home office, and I chat about the apocalypse as foretold in the Bible. 

The original word in Greek is apokalypsis. It means an unveiling, a revelation.  It’s not just about the world’s end, but making us see many things hidden before. There are today deeper truths being unveiled.

Kingdoms are rising against kingdoms (wars); aside from the pandemic, hundreds of billions of locusts are swarming East Africa; Satanism has become visibly blatant; wildfires, heatwaves, global warming have ravaged many countries, killing an untold number of people and animals.

Dr. David Jeremiah, a US pastor, asked: "Is the coronavirus a biblical prophecy? It seems to be “the most apocalyptic thing that has ever happened to us." 

The most apocalyptic narrative is, of course, the book of Revelation. It tells about the defeat of an evil beast, a final divine judgment and the coming of a New Jerusalem.

As Christians, however, we find hope in a divine promise that God has saved us for eternity. Regardless of what happens in the world, we have that confidence.

Every year, during Holy Week, we recall man's sinfulness and Jesus' suffering for us on the cross, as reminders of God’s redemption. Then on Easter (Resurrection Sunday), to all those who believe, all abominations will be behind us. 

Light at last, and everything will be okay when our mortal life or the world ends (whichever comes first)—in fact and in truth—forever and ever.    

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) 

Every day is Resurrection Sunday in our soul!   

Is Good Friday Any Good?

This question has been answered and explained umpteen times by theologians, including our own Pastor Moe, on Good Friday. And yet, this day remains too good to be true. 

It was a dark, bleak day, showing the worst in and of us.  These things  came to the fore: betrayal, cruelty, mercilessness, ruthlessness, callousness, poor judgment, etc. Physically, these were played out: blood, wounds, pain, thirst, agony, tears, fear, etc. 

Even so, everything about good Friday is good. 

It was the day the Lord reversed all these by being all these on the cross to represent us, sin. He also demonstrated what would never be approximated by the human heart—forgiveness to the worst of the worst, no questions asked. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do . . .” (Luke 23:34 KJV) 

Right then and there, He showed us how it’s done.  

When one of the criminals hanging on the cross beside His recognized Him as the Saviour, He bestowed instant and total forgiveness. A retired pastor, Bruce Fields, wrote: 

"How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology?  No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, no financial gifts, and no church clothes. 

He couldn't even bend his knees to pray. He didn't say the sinner's prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn't take away his pain, heal his body, or smite his scoffers. 

Yet, it was a thief who walked into paradise the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who He said He was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the lobby. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray."  

Then Jesus died for that thief and for all of us. And our sins died with Him.  

Lord, we can never thank you enough.  

Making a Choice

This post on social media by a Christian friend must have passed my wall a dozen times, but I gave it only a cursory glance. This morning, however, after reading my Bible (Matthew 27), it hit me!  

“The governor asked, ‘Which of the two [Jesus or Barabbas] do you want me to release to you?’  

“‘Barabbas!’ the people shouted. 

“Over two thousand years later, today, we are still choosing Barabbas.”

Our Bible tells us that every year during the Passover celebration, it was the governor’s custom to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. That year, they chose to free the notorious prisoner, Barabbas, over Jesus. 

Life is all about choices. Even an ordinary movement we make upon waking up is a choice: check our phone messages or go to the bathroom. 

Today, called Holy Wednesday by the Christian world (a symbolic day when Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver), may we find time to reflect on the choices we make with every breath we take. It would help to always remember that the Lord chose us. 

In John 15: 16 (ESV), He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” 

Must we choose the world? Barabbas? “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”  (John 15:19) 

Our reward is found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

Let me then share with you my note-to-self starting today: As soon as you open your eyes every morning, choose to be grateful and happy. Thank the Lord for a new day of grace!   

Rear-view Mirror

Automobiles and other vehicles need a rear-view mirror to allow the driver to see rearward. 

This mirror is necessary because a driver should not only focus on where he is going, but to know the movements of other vehicles around him, avoiding collisions and other accidents.  

In our spiritual journey however, a rear-view mirror can only distract us from our goal. 

It is unnecessary. We simply need to singularly focus on where we are going. 

Total focus is demonstrated for us by Jesus during the days leading to His crucifixion. He had a purposeful approach to the city where He knew he would be nailed on the cross, after which He would be resurrected. 

“As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51 NLT)

Resolutely means: bravely, decisively, firmly, steadfastly, obstinately. 

Jesus’ eyes were on the cross. Anything beyond, beneath, beside, or behind that would be a distraction, like images and movements seen from a rear-view mirror. 

Remember when a man (verses 60-61) showed interest in following Jesus, but first wanted to say good-bye to his family? Jesus told him: “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Nothing could deter nor stop Jesus from His goal on the cross: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

He tells us to focus, simply focus on Him.   

How then can we be as focused on Him as He was focused on the cross? 

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13

Wholeheartedly means: seeking His grace to enable us to commit our life to God totally and completely.