Have I Done My Best?

I never finish a book. Not even if I had all the time in the world. 

Whenever I re-read any of my published books, there is always a turn of phrase or a group of words that I wish I had written differently—to express the idea better.

My new book on retirement (13 chapters in all) is due tomorrow.

October was my first deadline so I completed the manuscript then.  But for some reason or another—editor's schedules, for one—it was postponed to the first week of January. Between October and the new deadline, I revised and re-wrote it for the nth time. 

Then came another postponement: last day of January—tomorrow.  

Guess what I have been doing? Tweaking and twisting again and again, and printing every revised chapter over and over, in case I missed some errors on the monitor. I have so far used up two reams of bond paper and two black-and-white printing ink. 

But I keep celebrating, too. There has not been a day that I didn't thank God for the grace of guidance in choosing my words. Every other day I treat myself to either roasted chestnuts (they'd be gone anytime now that Chinese New Year is over), or a saucer of pomegranate seeds covered with dark chocolate (a gift from my cousin Minna), or a cup of Earl Grey tea (a gift from Beng, my editor).

When do I say, “Enough!”?  When my editor says, “Please send the manuscript NOW.” 

In the workplace, my former boss used to stress, “The work is never done.” One must always find ways to improve it.

In my own workplace, the work is really never done.  I believe that those who have committed themselves to a ministry must always ask themselves, “Have I done My Best?” 

As I now fiddle with my manuscript some more before tomorrow's deadline, I sing the hymn “Have I done My Best for Jesus?” that asks the same questions I ask myself when I write:

“I wonder, have I giv'n my best to Jesus
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calv'ry
I know the Lord expects the best from me.

Chorus:

How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I helped to free?
I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
when He has done so much for me?  

How to Celebrate Chinese New Year

Tony and JC looked forward to and got ready for a Chinese lauriat. Meaning, light lunch and no snacks. But when we got to the venue, their hope was quashed.

It was an elegant European-inspired boutique hotel, with no touch of Chinese whatsoever. The huge dining table, however, had New Year symbols like pineapples, oranges, and bamboo, so maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance of getting a lauriat.

The three of us were invited by Tony's nephew, H, a food connoisseur and a restaurateur. He hosted the dinner for his family and some kin (us), a total of 17. What a thoughtful, generous soul!  Unlike my blood family which is loud and rough, H's family is genteel and quiet.

Seven waiters hovered over us and got our choices for the main course, "Lobster or Beef?" That done, they gave each of us our dinner list and the first course was served. By this time we knew it was going to be French all the way.

Bon apetit!

Poached oysters in 3 ways: mignonette granite; with pommery mustard cream and gelee; with white wine-saffron sauce

All you could hear was the clinking of dinnerware and intermittent soft conversations, and my "oooh and aaah"  over the impeccable food presentations and exquisite melt-in-your mouth dream flavors, and the shameless flashing of my camera.

Lobster Quenelle with light crustacean bisque, fried tarragon leaves

Cold salad of crab with avocado, green apple and curry oil

Coddled egg with truffled brown butter, asparagus, prosciutto & chips

Roasted rib-eye of beef with potato puree, glazed root vegetables and black truffle rugout

Fresh strawberry salad with mint and home-made balsamic vinegar ice cream

Tarte Tatin, Gorgonzola Dolce and pecan brittle

Tea: French Earl Grey!

To say everything was G.R.E.A.T. would be inaccurate. With his cellphone, JC was able to show Tony and me all the cyber rave reviews on the food being served and on the two private chefs who were hired for the occasion.

Even with my Ilocano palate (and plebeian taste), I did relish every morsel of every masterpiece. Tony and JC suddenly forgot all about their craving for Chinese lauriat.

My point-and-shoot camera couldn't do justice to the grace that came with every change of dinnerware and silverware, but the photos above will always remind me of that unusually quiet and lovely night when the Chinese world celebrated with noisy revelry, while we enjoyed a relaxed dinner of probably the finest French cuisine I have ever had anywhere.

No doubt H paid a handsome bundle for the 11-course luxurious dinner, but my thinking is, you can't put a price tag on what you feel is the best way to enjoy the company of your family on an occasion as important as welcoming the new year.

Chefs par excellence: Chris Bautista, executive chef at Gourdo's and Farah Tolentino-Ylagan, chef of staff of Le Canard d'Or (considered by foodies as Manila's master of foie gras) are friends who share a deep passion for cooking.  They were both trained in classical French techniques during their long stay in Paris.

"Which was your favorite?" the duo asked.

"Everything!" I said.  It was the truth, but really, the foie gras took my breath away.

So how do you celebrate Chinese New Year? Go French!

Bonne année et bonne santé! (translation: Happy New Year!)

Mille fois merci, Lord.

Heaven is for Real

“Heaven is a place. It is not a state of mind,” our pastor stressed in his sermon. “The Bible says so.”

To Bible-believing Christians, there is no question that heaven is indeed a place. No matter what others say about heaven—bliss in one's heart or peace in one's mind, yada, yada—I know that those who have entrusted their lives to Jesus will go to that beautiful, breathtaking place someday.

I have read a few books that detail a short glimpse or tour of the afterlife, and I have actually talked to a child who claimed to have gone to heaven and back, but my belief in the heaven that the Bible describes remains unchanged. 

Currently on the New York Times bestsellers list is a book entitled “Heaven is for Real” by pastor Todd Burpo.  He tells the story of his son Colton who at age 4 (the age of Adrian, my grandson) visited heaven while he was undergoing a life-threatening surgery.

Most of Colton’s experiences are validated by a Bible verse. As a writer myself, I was curious as to how the author could put a story together which came in bits and pieces from the mouth of a growing boy for a period of 6 to 7 years.  I couldn't put the book down.  

What riveted me most was the part where Colton's sister (miscarried at two months) happily hugged Colton who had no idea who she was.  The Bible is silent on what happens to babies who die at birth.  But I have always believed that God's grace has something wonderful planned for all his creation, which includes my son Adrian who died 14 hours after birth years ago. Colton has painted for me one healing scenario. 

So what's the point of the book? Well, it is to convince readers that heaven exists. 

That's where book reviewer/blogger/pastor Tim Challies has a problem. Colton went to heaven and “his experience now validates heaven's existence?!”

He suggests that we go back to the Scriptures.  “ . . . the Bible gives us no indication whatsoever that God will work in this way and that He will call one of us to heaven and then cause us to return. It is for man to die once and then the resurrection. To allow a man (or a boy) to experience heaven and then to bring him back would not be grace but cruelty.”

The trouble with a book like this is that, he adds, “through their experience we now find confidence that what God says is true.”  It should be the other way around. A testimony of a child cannot, and must not, replace Bible truths.

After mulling this over, I am reminded that these are indeed the last days. Many new teachings that come in many guises can distract us from “keeping watch.

Grace in a Bottle

Believe it or not.  Without electricity, a soda plastic bottle can light up a house like a real light bulb! 

Oh???  

Just pick up a 1.5 liter plastic clear soda bottle, fill it with distilled water and a small amount of bleach (to prevent germs or dark contaminants from developing), fit the bottle in a small metal sheet, then put it in a hole on the roof. The bottle will absorb the sunlight and, like a 60-watt bulb, will brighten up the room!

The power comes solely from the sun. So when the sun is up, the bottle lights up.It shines brightest at noon.

Tony explained this to me between amazed gasps (mine) and gulps (still mine). "The solar bulb technology was developed by Illac Diaz who was part of a group of students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which came up with the device. Illac eventually made this readily available through his MyShelter Foundation."

To mark Rotary-at-Work Day in November, 61 Rotary Clubs in District 3830 (Makati, Paranaque, Las Pinas, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and Pateros) brought solar bulbs to more than 10,000 low-income homes in Metro Manila.

"We distributed/installed more than 11,300 bulbs, which hopefully will make it to the Guinness Book of Records," Tony wished.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (God bless you, dear soldiers) helped assemble the ‘bulbs’ and delivered the finished products to the concerned communities.

Now more families can see better in the dark little rooms they call home, without having to shell out extra money for a light bulb and electricity.

God uses groups (Rotary Club, AFP) and people (Illac Diaz and co.) to bottle His grace, then He lets it shine upon those who need it most.

Earl Grey Day

Earl Grey, JC's male guinea pig, just became a father to three adorable pups!

His wife, Chai, has been kept busy breastfeeding them.

We'd been on tenterhooks anticipating Chai's day of delivery. “Anytime now,” JC kept saying. But he was a bit concerned that there might be trouble. Chai got pregnant too young, too soon. “In cases like this, either the mother or the pups don't make it.”

So every now and then I'd go and take a peek at their cage. I thought that giving birth to pups was going to be something long and  laborious (pun not intended) and I might be able to help—I wasn't sure how.

But early in the morning, JC said, “Mom, come look!” Three little chocolate-nougat  chunks were darting in and out of their house and toys—so quickly you have to be alert to know where they are. They took after their tea-colored mom, Chai, who was leaping  around, too, as though nothing significant just happened.

Earl Grey's family

Not one is gray like his/her dad. 

Then later in the afternoon, I got a bag of goodies from my friend (and editor) Beng who just arrived from the US. Inside was a pack of Earl Gray tea (complete with a teacup)!

What do you know? Two Earl Greys in a row! 

Earl Grey Day is not a holiday in the national calendar, but it is a red-letter day of grace, double grace, in mine. So tonight, I will drink a cup of Earl Grey to celebrate Earl Grey's new fatherhood status and Chai's successful dart to motherhood.

I'd invite JC and Tony for a tea toast,  but they're not great tea fans, just odd coffee people.

Go Ahead, Drink and Drive

This road sign, posted by my friend Adie on his FB wall, made me ponder and wonder about how the human mind works.

We know what we need NOT do, but we do it anyway.  We know the consequences of what we do wrong, but we do it anyway.

We all have this sign installed along the road of our conscience, but we ignore it sometimes, or completely.

Me to me: Go ahead—

Worry, and you'll get sick and feel awful.

Rush, and you'll regret your actions.

Fume, and you'll say hurtful things in anger.

Loaf around, and you'll amount to nothing.

Judge, and you'll likewise be judged.

Gossip, and you'll destroy people's reputation.

Hoard, and you'll never know when enough is enough.

Pamper and reward yourself, and you'll forget about your neighbors.

Worship at the altar of your worldly treasures, and you'll forget about the God who gave it all.

The scriptures couldn't be clearer: Romans 6:22-23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The wages of sin are the jail, the hospital, the morgue, plus the direst of consequences you can think of: death. 

And eternal life?

Right now, while we still have the faculties to drive down the road of our conscience, we need grace to help us take stock of the road signs and go through the route of Jesus, which ends (or begins) in life everlasting.

Circle of Love

My family and I are somewhere in this circle of 140 people made up of siblings and cousins; aunts and uncles; lolos and lolas; and in-laws.   

Many will say this is a friendship circle, as it is better known in camps and jamborees, but I prefer to call it circle of love, especially because our reunion theme was, Love Actually. 

This is reprised every year in the clan to which I belong (my mother's side) as a ritual of leaving the old year and meeting the new one.

Fifteen minutes before midnight, we gather (babies are roused from their sleep, oldies are escorted in, and kiddies are herded from where they are galloping around) to form this circle.

It is the highlight of our three-day reunion, now on its 67th year. One may skip any of the activities but never this one.

While holding hands (folded right over left), we sing at least four songs: Dundungwen Kanto (an Ilocano serenade), to remind us of our roots; Let Me Call You Sweetheart (an old love song), to remind us of our forbears; Auld Lang Syne, to be in tune with the rest of the world; and Bless Be the Tie that Binds, to honor the One who keeps us together. 

In other countries, this is replicated by clan members who can't be with us.

On this 67th year we surprised ourselves by singing spontaneously, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” (Lutkin's Sevenfold Amen), in a perfect four-voice harmony, just after the pastor among us said the prayer of thanksgiving.

“This is the only clan I know,” someone whispered, “who can sing this benediction at a drop of a hat, beautifully, without any rehearsal.”

Well, we grew up singing it in the church choir.

There is debate on when this circle of love started, but I don't remember nor know any other way of welcoming the new year. Friends have exciting stories about how their New Year celebration went, but for me, this simple, familial tradition matches none.

The circle of love is symbolic of how we uphold each other in grief, and how we celebrate together in joy.

How heartwarming to end and begin every year with family—people who worship the same loving Savior and have the same blood running in your veins! 

Before we break out of the circle to form a rowdy and energetic human train, the oldest in the clan starts off the electric trail with one hand. He squeezes the next person's hand—and that person likewise does the same—until everyone in the circle is properly electrified.

Then comes a deafening countdown: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, Happy New Year!  Now, quickly go under your right arm, turn around, and . . . whee!

Can grace be more electrifying?

(Circle photos are by Noel; clan official photo by Dannie)

Uncommon Common Year

Happy New Year! To mark the beginning of 2012, I am putting up a new header that mimics fireworks.

My old one comes down with the old year.

This year is another common year. Meaning, it is an ordinary year of 365 days, not a leap year. But I feel it will be an uncommon year, and an extraordinary one.

So many things are happening simultaneously all over the world: disasters, government upheavals, economic downturns, civil wars, moral degeneration, idol worship, and many more.  And it isn't going to get better.

In many evangelical churches, the sermon is mostly about the end times. There are just too many signs about God's second coming that are difficult to ignore. It seems to be the beginning of the end.

The six signs of the end of age given by Jesus in the book of Matthew alone are being fulfilled at a very fast rate daily.  In Matthew24:3 Jesus was asked, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"  Jesus replied:  

1.  False prophets and christs
Matthew 24:5 "For many will come in my name, saying, I am christ, and will mislead many."

Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many."

We've heard of many prophesies about the end of the world, and also of cult leaders claiming to be the messiah. 

2.  Famines and earthquakes
Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."

A large portion of the world's 5 billion people are suffering in hunger.  And a  staggering number of seismic events occur around the world daily, more than those from 1890 to 1900.

3. Wars
Matthew 24:6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end."

We simply have to turn on our TV sets or goggle news websites and we hear of  wars and impending wars in many places of the world killing thousands of people. 

5.  Tribulations
Matthew 24:8-9 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.  Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name."

Christians are suffering from ridicule, hatred, or discrimination in many parts of the world today. 

6.  The gospel preached throughout the world
Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come."

Media has made it possible for the gospel to be preached around the globe. And at no time has there been more Bible translations than today; the Bible continues to be the best-selling book of all time. Missionaries are traveling to places unreached by media to preach about the good news of salvation.

ooo

Nobody knows when the end of age will come; it can come this uncommon year or any common year thereafter. But to those who believe in the saving grace of Jesus, we are encouraged to "keep watch."

A great way to keep watch is to live like today were our last.

But we can't do that without grace. My prayer, then, is that we may all be blessed with a grace-focused, grace-centered, grace-aligned, and grace-filled year!

Wait Till the Darkness Is Over

Year 2011 is almost gone; let us end it with hope.

The kind of hope that when we look up, even in darkness, we see a castle in the clouds.

The kind of hope that despite all the disasters and death around us, the darkness will be over. 

The kind of hope that is so eloquently woven in a Christmas song that children today may  not know, Whispering Hope. In my youth, it was one of the most sung hymns in house-to-house caroling. In amateur singing contests, it was the choice piece of many contestants.

But even I have not thought of it for a long time, until last Sunday when I heard it over the car radio.  I sang along and for the first time, I heard the lyrics clearly.  Beautiful phrases:

Soft as the voice of an angel . . . 

Wait till the darkness is over,

Wait till the tempest is gone.

Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,

After the shower is gone. 

 It was written in 1868 by  Septimus Winner, a prolific songwriter (Ten Little Injuns, Listen to the Mockingbird) who released much of his work under the pseudonym, Alice Hawthorne. 

The text of Whispering Hope appears to be based on the scriptures:

Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain . . .”

1Thessaloninans 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us . . .”  

Yes, the darkness will be over. Lord, please grant us grace to wait with peace and patience.

Gifts of Grace and Hope: Christmas 2011

Have you ever heard a conversation as strange as this before?

Husband (to wife): I still haven't bought you a gift.

Wife: I still haven't bought you a gift either. 

Silence.

Husband: What if—

Wife (finishing her husband's sentence):—you don't give me any, then I need not give you one. 

Husband (smiling): Deal.

Wife: Deal.

That conversation isn't strange, it's true. It was between Tony and me a week ago. And opening no gift from him and laughing about it now, I come across this FB entry of my friend Sito.

Question: Did you get everything you want this Christmas?

Answer: No. But then it is not my birthday. Did you give the celebrant what He wants this Christmas?

ooo

No matter how hard we try to remind ourselves that Christmas is not about us, we lapse. Let me write this on a Post-it: Christmas is about the birth of a Savior, who left His heavenly riches to become poor because of His love for us.  

ooo

This holy birth is what the world celebrates on December 25. And this was how the members of my small family—those of us who were able to be physically together at this time—celebrated it:
 

(Our 6.2-kilo turkey came out nice and brown this year, and tasted just as good.)

(It took a day and a half for Ate Vi and JR to prepare this special bird.)

(Hats off, or on, to the chef!)

(Top right photo: Ate Vi receives her gifts from each member of her second family.)

(Photo op with the dining table centerpiece)

(Tee from Vietnam and Prince Valiant Collection 4)

We remembered, and continue to remember that all the trimmings that come with Christmas every year are a celebration of the gifts of grace and hope to have eternal joy with the Word—who became Flesh on a glorious Christmas day—after our life on earth shall have ended.

Mary Christmas, Merry Christmas!

Two dear friends led me to think deeply about Mary this Christmas.

First, Yay.  She cried, “Yay!” when she found a book with an accompanying music CD at the second-hand bookstore where we had been browsing (heavy-duty reading, actually) books after books for almost an hour.  Glancing at the cover, I immediately hummed, “Mary Did You Know?”

The tune and lyrics of this song, written by Mark Lowry and put to music by Buddy Greene in 1984, touched me greatly when I heard it sung in our church the first time years ago. It never fails to move me still every time I hear it: 

“ . . . Mary did you know that your baby Boy has come to make you new? This Child that you've delivered will soon deliver you. 

“. . . Mary did you know that your baby Boy is Lord of all creation?” 

In Luke 1:46-47, Mary said,“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . .” 

Second, Josil. He was the devotion speaker at the Christmas party of the OMFLit Christian Writers Fellowship and his message centered on the nativity scene, particularly Mary's reaction to what has happened.

Luke 2: 18 and 19: “ . . . and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Amidst the excitement, amazement, and joy, Mary stayed quiet and reflected in her heart the meaning of it all.

May we be like Mary as we prepare for our Christmas celebration today and have a Mary Christmas. Amidst the merriment—frantic excitement, frenzied amazement, and feverish joy—all around us right now, I pray we find time on Christmas eve to stay silent for a few special moments and ponder the greatest Gift ever given to man: the grace of salvation.

The Lord of all burst forth on earth on that early Christmas morn to deliver Mary, all mothers, all fathers, all sons and daughters, and all of creation.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Student Woes

Schools are on Christmas break, so teachers/professors have time to huddle. Guess what they talk about?

You can name that tune in one note: student woes. 

The consensus is, a teacher needs patience unlimited. Let me share some of the tales I either experienced myself or heard from my peers. I am surprised at how similar these stories  are, with slight variations.

ooo

A student rushes to the exam room two hours late, “My alarm clock was set for PM not AM!”

ooo

Student: My computer got a virus. Can I submit my assignment tomorrow?

Teacher: I won't be here tomorrow and the rest of the week. 

Student: Next week then?

ooo

A student begs and begs the teacher to allow open notes the following exam day.  The teacher relents. 

Exam day:

Student: I left my pen at home, can you lend me yours? And oh, can you please explain what this question is all about? 

Teacher: “Look it up in your book, it's one whole chapter." 

Student: “Sorry, I left my book at home, too.”

ooo

Teacher: As I repeatedly stressed for several sessions now, today is the deadliest deadline for your term papers.  

Student: “I am done, I just haven't printed it yet.”

Teacher: So you don't have it with you TODAY.    

Student: I have it all in my flash drive TODAY. I'll turn it in tomorrow after printing it.

ooo

Student: Why did I get such a low grade?

Teacher: Ask yourself.

Student: I did, but I didn't know the answer. So I am asking you.

ooo

Me: I can't teach you all about good writing in one semester. Reading will teach you that.

Student: I hate reading.

Me: That's the worst statement I have ever heard in my life.

Student: Why?

Me. Try saying that to another author.

ooo

The horror tales go on and on. So why stick around and teach?

I believe teachers are given such woes to teach us patience. This will arm us against the onslaught of non sequitur logic in our day-to-day walk with fellow mortals. Besides, without student woes, what would teachers huddle about? 

Seriously, teaching has its moments, and they far outweigh the woes. The students who make it big in the world after graduation are more than enough rewards for teachers. We have many of those!

We even have a Miss World runner-up who impressed judges with her intelligence and poise.

One graduate sent me a text message on Teacher's Day: “Thank you for knowing I could write before I did. With your guidance, I have just been hired as a writer in a multinational corporation and am toying with the idea of writing my first book!”

ooo

Oh, yes, the grace of teaching turns student woes to student wows!

"Philippine Collegian" Nostalgia

A childhood family friend, Vic, who has remained a pal through the years, emailed me this caricature by Ely Santiago (well-respected caricaturist, painter, and social commentator until his demise in 1993).

It made me grin for very long minutes and remember those wonder years when I was in college, a staff member of Philippine Collegian, the official student publication of the University of the Philippines (UP).  

That's me wearing a weird wavy page-boy hairdo beside our editor, Lito Imperio, at the helm, among section editors and writers.

Peering closely at the thinner, younger versions of ourselves, I can recognize only a few faces now and what they did for the publication—it's been several millennia! But I remember vividly those weekly night-to-dawn press work somewhere. 

The crammers among us would bang away on vintage typewriters while I'd fall asleep sitting down, waiting patiently for the proof of my page fresh from the rotogravure (computer denizens, google the word if you don't know what it means!).      

Then the boys, gentlemen of the first order, would bring me back to my dorm in a cab at around four or five in the morning.

Those were the crude, creative days before computers and cellphones, so the work took 20 times longer—and 20 times more exciting.

Vic has also emailed me in the last few weeks recent photos of these talented writing bunch—now with balding and graying hair—in various reunions. Along with the photos was a rundown on what they had been up to. Yes, they have regularly kept in touch! Sadly, two had disappeared in the latest shots due to lost battles with fatal ailments.

After UP, the road forked, and I journeyed on a different route. That's why I am delighted to get to know, the second time around, these friends of long ago.

Soo Inn Tan, another friend from a totally different writing circle, said this in his latest essay, "Nostalgia is an attempt to reconstruct an idealized past.” 

Well,  that's precisely why this phrase has become a cliché, "the good old days." We want to keep thoughts of the past forever good. 

"Will you come to the next get-together?" Vic asked.

"Why, yes."

For sure, I'll find plenty of good there, plenty of grace, as I did in the UP Philippine Collegian long ago.

Joy to the World

Joy to the World is NOT a Christmas carol.

That got you, didn't it? It shocked me, too.

Among the many Christmas carols we sing this merry season, Joy to the World stands out as a favorite, or the most popular of them all.
 
In many places, in fact, this is sung with everyone being asked to rise, ending the event on a high, joyful note.

Growing up, I have always thought that it was composed as a Christmas song—to welcome the birth of Christ.

Recently, however, I found out that the English hymn writer who wrote it, Isaac Watts (1674-1748), based the song on Psalm 98 in the Bible. Let me quote here verses 7, 8, and 9:

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the earth and all living things join in.

Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord.

For the Lord is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice.

Psalm 98 is about the second coming of Christ, not his birth. So the hymn Joy to the World is all about being joyful that Christ is coming back to earth to render justice to all people.

The song was first published in 1719 in Watts' collection—The Psalms of David.

Watts, a pastor, wrote many hymns and carols and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree by the University of Edinburgh in 1728. He penned the words of Joy to the World as a hymn praising Christ's triumphant return at the end of the age, rather than a Christmas song celebrating his first coming as a baby born to Joseph and Mary in a stable.

The music was adapted and arranged to Watts' lyrics by Lowell Mason in 1839 from an older, extremely popular melody, Handel's Messiah by George Frederick Handel (1685-1759), also often sung on Christmas.

After knowing all these facts, I looked up again the lyrics of Joy to the World. And true enough, they are about the joy we will feel when Jesus comes again!

For me, however, it does not really matter whether the song is for Christ coming to the world the first time or the second time. It is a triumphant song that expresses joy, fitting for the grandest birth of all.

So please join me as I sing the second and last stanza, and remember that over 2,000 years ago, a Baby was born in a lowly manger and all the world rejoiced.

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let Saints their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, Repeat, the sounding joy

Rejoice! Rejoice in the Most High,
While Israel spreads abroad
Like stars that glitter in the sky,
And ever worship God,
And ever worship God,
And ever, and ever worship God.

By His grace, may the world have joy, joy, joy this Christmas!

My tree this year (lit and unlit) 

My Author Story

How did I become an author? What or how much of me did it take to get there?

These were the questions I needed to answer in my talk at the Project Author Seminar of Salt and Light Ventures at the AIM conference hall.

Answering those two questions in book talks and casual encounters with readers has been no big deal. All I have time to say is an abridged version of how indeed did I end up being an author, when all my life I was an ad gal.

But to speak for 45 long minutes—now, that had to be a tell-all, including all the "lurid" details. This I only realized when I was beginning to write my talk.  

Alas, there was no turning back!  I couldn't say no to the organizer's Chairman and CEO, my friend Ardy, who has been trying to arrange a meeting with me for a year now, but, well, you know how dates can be so ephemeral in this chaotic age, and so the appointment never happened.

I had to retrace my steps from the day I decided to have my manuscripts published. Then I discovered I had already been writing about those in bits and pieces in my book-in-progress on retirement, which I am currently fine-tuning before turning it over to my editor.

The book and the talk, they somehow dovetailed by coincidence, if not by divine providence.

As it happened, the talk was a preview of the book. And judging from the audience response, I ought to have at least a few guaranteed readers when the book goes to press. The feedback I got was totally and delightfully unexpected.

"I definitely will write my own story of grace NOW," someone said after my talk.

"Can't dilly-dally any longer. I need to take my manuscripts seriously soon," another one said.

"Now I know exactly what to write about—and I will go for it!" said a young gentleman.

"I've been mulling over these topics," a soft-spoken lady told me, showing me her notes. "Now I am confident I am in the right track."

I also got several private and wall messages on FB and email saying how my author story made them rev up their idling writing engine.

I had prayed that my talk would encourage the attendees to throw caution (and fear) to the wind and follow their heart: write.

That hope is now a certainty. If only 50% of the 40 who attended the seminar had been emboldened to have their thoughts published in print or on e-pages, then every second of the 45 minutes would have been worth it!

And oh, my author story is nothing spectacular compared to other authors'. My answer to both questions: it is a simple story of grace.