The Chapter Carved in My Memory

The year 2021 marked the 411th anniversary of the most important event in English Bible translation history.  Since its first printing in 1611, the King James Version (KJV) remains the bestselling English book of all time. 

Why is that? 

This translation was done by 47 men who were England's "best of the best" in Hebrew and Greek language studies and biblical scholarship.  All were clerics in the Church of England, but all viewpoints were represented—from high church Anglo-Catholics to low-church Puritans. 

Divided into six committees, they met in three separate locations. All had the opportunity to read and comment on the entire manuscript. The result? A unified product.   

Aside from being an accurate translation, the KJV is a literary masterpiece. According to experts, “It is definitely not colloquial, but it combines simplicity with majesty. The quality of its language and style may seem formal . . . to readers today, but they were the daily speech of the time.” 

Since the KJV is not conversational, many say it is stilted. 

I think it is elegant. 

Its cadence and word patterns remind me of Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter (my staple reading in college and thereafter). 

As a religious authority, the KJV has provided a standard of language excellence among generations of artists, poets, musicians and political leaders. The phrases from KJV below are now woven into the fabric of the English language: 

“a drop in the bucket”

“cast pearls before swine” 

“eye for an eye” 

“fall from grace” 

“holier than thou” 

“in the twinkling of an eye: 

“money is the root of all evil”

“the powers that be”

“two are better than one” 

“two-edged sword”

“white as snow”

“woe is me” 

“my brother’s keeper” 

“the blind leading the blind” 

“the kiss of death” 

Plus many, many more. 

I didn’t know any of the  above as a child, but the KJV was our church’s Bible. In Sunday school, we had Bible verses to memorize, which I enjoyed, because the lines rolled in my tongue. 

As a writer today, I refer to various translations, but the KJV remains my personal favorite. (I am blogging about it today because in the Philippines, January is Bible Month.) 

This chapter, with its vivid imagery that paints the role of Jesus in our Christian faith, is carved in my memory. When it is read in church or anywhere, I recite it silently in KJV: 

The PINK Less Traveled

We all know the drill. 

Presidential candidates spend millions to hire brilliant minds to create and produce their campaign materials (with an integrated slogan repeated in jingles and ads) for airing on mass media. They likewise finance impact projects of local officials to get them on their side. Plus more.  

That's the common path.   

VP Leni chose the less popular and the more difficult option: the path (or pink, her campaign color of hope) less traveled. 

She announced early on that she could not do any of the grandiose campaign tactics, because she has neither money nor resources. This gave birth to volunteerism. 

There is no space big enough to show all the materials (tons upon tons of songs, jingles, art works, etc.) with a myriad of different slogans, done for free by volunteers of all ages. 

VP Leni also chose to dwell only on what is for the common good, even pausing from her campaign to personally visit and help the victims of Typhoon Odette. This encouraged groups to donate, organize, and help prepare relief goods. 

The path less traveled is a phrase associated with Robert Frost's 1916 poem, "The Road Not Taken." The last stanza reads: 

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This phrase relates to life in general—when it dawns on us that we cannot always do what is easiest. Sometimes, we reluctantly take the less crowded path, but there, we find solutions we never knew before.  

In our Christian history, Jesus took the path less traveled. From birth to death, He did what seemed undoable. And what a beautiful ending He gives to all who believe!  

During this presidential campaign, those of us who have chosen to trek the pink less traveled are meeting unexpected problems, but they are not insurmountable. If we hold on and unite for our shared goal of an efficiently-run country by electing Leni as our president, we can (we will!) reach the path's end—and, by grace, what an incredible ending it would be!   

 

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT) 

Photo credits: all borrowed from VP Leni's various pages and groups

RSVP

RSVP means “please respond.” It is the acronym for the French phrase Répondez S'il Vous Plaît.

This requests the invitee to formally accept or decline the invitation to the event on or before a specific date.     

In the Philippines, many forget to RSVP or mistakenly think it is not important enough to respond. That's why hosts are often left holding the bag, because preparations (and expenses) are based on the number of confirmed guests. On the day of the affair, many of those who did not confirm show up—or vice-versa. 

Perhaps you have attended a few occasions with vacant tables because the hosts tried to guess how many would come. Then there are affairs where new tables had to be hurriedly set up because even those who did not respond to the RSVP arrived and brought along family members. 

There is a standing and open invitation for us that we need to RSVP—the sooner the better. It’s found in many Bible verses.   

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! (Isaiah 55:1 NLT) Continue reading up to verse 7, and you’ll find how sincere, how ardent, how urgent this invitation is. It is God’s offer of salvation and a promise of everlasting life.

This invitation is reiterated by Jesus many times.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“ . . . ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'” (Mark 1:17)

“Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4)

Everlasting life does not begin when we die as believers. It actually begins when we confirm His invitation anytime, even as I write today, right now: "I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior" and receive the grace of salvation.  

As we grapple with enormous problems during this pandemic, God’s call for us to live with Him forever and ever—in a wonderful place no human imagery can replicate—is the greatest invitation of all! 

This is an RSVP we cannot and should not ignore

Photo credit: thespruce.com

PINK outside the Box

One of the things I learned in the workplace that I'll take to my grave is "Think outside the box."  

This metaphor means: think differently, unconventionally, or take a new, unpredictable perspective. It is creative thinking. 

The word "meh" was not in vogue then, but my boss in advertising (a British gentleman) would have used it each time I showed him work he had already heard before.  

I am using this metaphor for VP Leni. She is not your typical politician; she thinks outside the box. Let me cite three of her decisions, among many:    

One, when President Duterte, out of pique, dared her to take the lead of the anti-drug war since she was so critical of it, everyone knew it was a trap and she should decline.  To everyone's surprise, she accepted the challenge. After 18 days, she was sacked.  Traditional politicians would have been shamed and hit back big time. But no, she said she would do anything for the country, and went on with her advocacies unhurt.   

Two, she has been trolled and maligned with below-the-belt fake news, making her look inept, weak, and dumb. Instead of clarifying such news and defending herself, she said it is not her loss; she sleeps well at night. 

Three, she encourages her supporters to use kind words that heal instead of crude cusses that hurt. 

Unlike ferocious beasts that traditional politicians are, Leni's growing base—who chose pink as Leni's campaign color—have organized themselves into various groups and are taking the cudgels for her.

Leni inspires thinking outside the box.  

"Meh" does not figure in her people-led campaign that has developed into a movement. Many of the activities are unconventional, spurred by volunteerism—free artwork by artists, free songs and jingles by musicians, free tarps and stickers from donors, free treatment by doctors, free legal advice by lawyers, free tutoring by teachers, and free lugaw (porridge) from community pantries. Then there are caravans and homes being decorated with pink lanterns. Plus many, many more.  

Look closely at how these photos illustrate thinking outside the box. 

" . . . let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16 NLT) 

Note: All the above images were borrowed from posts on FB. I wish I could name their creators, but they remain anonymous. I am grateful for their generosity. 

Refreshment on Saturday Nights

Before the pandemic, I blogged about this special night. 

Three years later, I find myself pining for those nights when we could physically converge in every member's home, round-robin hosting.  

The pandemic stopped those nights, but not the meetings. Our venue simply shifted online. 

As we struggle over another coronavirus variant, Omicron, that has raised the number of infections and deaths in the last three months, we still link-up. There are problems that prevent us from doing so regularly—bad internet connections, upended schedules, illnesses, migration abroad, and work-from-home jobs—but we keep trying. 

After a toxic week reading about pandemic data and hearing about loved ones getting sick or perishing, this night is my oasis, where the grace of soul-nourishing refreshment is abundant. We call our group (a part of our church's cottage ministry) the Reuben Tribe.  

Yes, on Saturday nights, the Reuben Tribe comes together to arm its members, so they will have the strength to battle the dangers of the world outside (on top of the pandemic, the political campaign has fomented fierce fighting, worsened by cursing, name-calling, and mud-slinging). 

We focus on the Word, comfort each other, and pray to the One Whose grace controls all. 

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 ESV

OMG

Like a donkey, I bray “Oh my God!” when something startles me. Then guilt, heavy guilt, hits me big time. 

"Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain,"  a number of Christians warn us. They frown upon this interjection because it invokes the name of God. If my grandmother were alive today, she’d wash my mouth with hard detergent and water. 

It is never my intention to mock God with this expression; it just seems to come naturally. I’ve been trying to say "OMG!" its abbreviation, so it could mean either "Oh, my goodness!" or "Oh, my gosh,"  but OMG does not reflect the peak of emotions that “Oh, my God!” evokes. 

OMG was first used over 100 years ago (Sept. 8, 1917) by a retired admiral of the British navy in his letter to Winston Churchill. He had to abbreviate “Oh, my God” (the first words in the act of contrition) because the phrase was regarded as the purest of profanity. 

Years later, the phrase has become a little less irreverent. In text messaging and on social media, OMG is one of most common expletives used, intended to mean “wow” in one’s loudest voice when something surprising happens. 

Most people today do not consider it profane at all. John McWhorter, a linguistics professor, Manhattan Institute, wrote, “The literal meaning of the exclamation is long gone. Any expression loses its power over time." 

The notion that I am disrespecting God when the expression erupts from my mouth is too distant from my mind. It's just something that explodes out of me, like “Gee!”  

My guilt led me to ask Pastor Ralph, our youth pastor, one day, “Is ‘Oh, my God’ taboo?” 

His response, in summary: “More than the words we speak, God sees the motives and intentions of our heart. If I say 'Praise the Lord!' but my heart is cursing Him, then in reality, I am not praising, but cursing the Lord."  

That drove my guilt away. 

But he continued: “The issue here is, will 'Oh, my God!' build up others in faith? If it causes division, then let’s strive not to use it. Let’s weigh the pros and cons—it accurately expresses our emotion; on the other hand, is it edifying others and glorifying God?”  

My guilt came back with a vengeance, so I brayed the abbreviation, "OMG!" 

I Think, therefore I'm PINK

Cogito, ergo sum is a statement by 17th-century philosopher René Descartes in his 1637 Discourse in the Method. It is more familiar to us in its English translation, "I think, therefore I am." 

Simply put, it means, if I am able to think, therefore I exist. Anyone capable of any form of thought exists without any doubt. 

In this context, the English line is being used in reference to the University of the Philippines' (UP) oblation, the iconic statue symbolizing selfless offering of oneself to his country. 

Now, at this crucial time of seriously thinking whom to vote for as our next president, I join the decision to choose PINK, VP Leni's campaign color. After comparing the candidates' performance, achievements, credentials, sincerity, and predisposition to offer oneself selflessly to our country, I think without any tinge of doubt, it should be Leni. 

So I sought out UP alumni, who share my views, by trying to join the "Taga UP for Leni and Kiko" FB group. To be accepted, I had to answer three questions: 

1) Degree and UP campus
2) Why Leni?

3) Write the lyrics following UP naming mahal ____________ (UP hymn in Filipino.) 

Answering the first two was a cinch. But the third . . . well, somewhere between my graduation in the Mesozoic Era and today, the UP English hymn was translated to Filipino. 

I thought, Duh, and quickly typed, "In my time it was UP Beloved." I was tempted to send them a video of me singing at the top of my voice (below), but c'est la vie. 

U.P. beloved, thou Alma Mater dear

For thee united, our joyful voices hear

Far tho we wander, o'er island yonder

Loyal thy sons we'll ever be

Loyal thy sons we'll ever be.

I narrated that to my UP chat group (all PINK but much younger than I am) and they flooded my wall with laughing emojis. 

To my surprise, the admin of the UP FB page immediately approved my membership. This proves once again that people in UP think—and therefore we are PINK.

I am being facetious, but all kidding aside, thinking is necessary in deciding who could best lead this country from where we are—mired in debt, beholden to China, and bitterly divided, unmindful of good values.  

May these 100 photos help us think PINK. 

"Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." 2 Timothy 2:7 (ESV) 

Christmas Parties during a Pandemic

Are Christmas parties possible during a pandemic? 

Well, if you consider staring at a screen filled with tiny squares (each showing either a moving face or a frozen icon) a party, then yes. 

I attended three such parties. Each time, I tried to dress up—from the neck up—to feel Christmassy and get some festive spirit. 

After the third one, I decided to send my regrets to the other invites.  

Parties are social affairs, where people chat, walk, bond, and laugh freely with others. Then there's a rich array of special food. In an online party, these are not possible. The emcees try their darnedest best, but the response they ever get are words in the chat box. The games fall flat because joshing and cheering, which make contests exciting, do not exist. 

So why hold parties during these unusual times? It is one way to "see" each other and to cheer each other up. If we know our Bible, God wants us to be happy. 

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) - “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” 

Psalm 126:2 (NLT)  - “We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. . .” 

In fact, God repeatedly encourages us to be joyful. Words such as “rejoice,” “be of good cheer,” “give thanks” are all different ways of God telling us to be happy.

In the end, however, the source of true joy is in God. Putting the Source of all grace above us is where we find true happiness. 

Christmas in 2021 was indeed a merry one. 

Fiscal Failure

Heart failure is one of the most common causes of a person's sudden death. 

This might have happened to our dear Fiscal, the street cat (nicknamed in Filipino as pusakal—short for pusang kalye) who abandoned the streets one day in 2017 and made our home hers, too. 

We lost her today, January 6, to what I would rather call Fiscal failure, six days after refusing to drink or eat.

On New Year's day she was hiding in dark places and wouldn't ingest anything. Before we knew it, she disappeared, her food and drink untouched.  

F-I-I-I-S-C-A-A-A-L! 

Our voices competed with the firecrackers. We posted a LOST SIGN at the guard house. On January 3,  we knew we lost our unfailing stress reliever for good. My research on why cats disappear gave me distressing data, "So they can die in peace." 

Fourth day: son #1 heard faint noises up our ceiling. Son #3 and our househelper, Mother Teresa, with flashlights, searched the cramped area, and sure enough, she was there but refused to come out. Mother Teresa brought up food and water instead.  

Finally, after much coaxing on the 5th day, her food and drink ignored, Fiscal came close enough to be taken down. We gave her a private room with four "beds" (two baskets, a box, and a drawer) and one "bathroom" (a large basin with sand). 

That was when we discovered she had two big wounds. Meanwhile the Veterinary clinic was already closed.  

All through the night, son #3 (Fiscal's self-appointed boss) and Mother Teresa, who fed her using a dropper, kept vigil. With the little energy she had left, Fiscal tried to get out of the room. 

Early this morning, Tony called the Vet. Before he could reply, our dearest pusakal had a Fiscal failure—beside the door, perhaps still trying to get out "to die in peace." 

Now Fiscal rests in peace in our garden, beneath the flowers. 

Over the tears, Father, we thank You for Your grace of four, fun-filled Fiscal years.  

What Award Do You Treasure Most?

My friend, Ardy Roberto, the moving force behind "Project Author," invited me to one of his online meetings with would-be authors (halfway through their first book), to share writing tips for quick results.  Meaning, how to finish a manusript that is precariously teetering between busyness and procrastination. 

It was in the Q&A portion when I was asked: "What is your most treasured award?"  

“Award I treasure most,” I repeated his words and chewed on it. 

“Yeah,” he said. “You’ve had many, but you must have a favorite.” 

Right then and there, it dawned on me that more than all the awards and recognition I have received for my books, what I treasure most are . . . 

“Letters,” I replied. “Notes, messages, and written feedback from my readers. These are what keep me writing.”  

I stockpile them in shoe boxes (yes, I print the digital ones) and when I feel low or fearful about anything (the bedlam created by the virus, for instance), I re-read some and my adrenaline kicks in again.   

As I pursue writing about God’s grace in both storybooks for children and inspirational books for adults, He reminds me that my job is singularly focused on "selling" hope. So He sends me treasures such as these: 

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV) 

Happy PINK Year!

This is our second New Year's Day wearing face masks outside our homes. The unwanted, untamed enemy in this protacted war keeps mutating instead of surrendering, so we continue to be armed and guarded. 

Despite all that, we welcome the new year with hope—symbolized by the color pink. We cannot be  disheartened. We need to look toward a rosy future, when a new president will inspire us to love instead of bicker, give instead of take, work instead of play, speak kindly instead of rudely, unite instead of divide, embrace simplicity instead of luxury. 

Nobody among the candidates for president personifies all these but VP Leni Robredo. By researching on her life, works, and advocacies, I discovered that these are indeed her core values, which dovetail with mine.    

Here's wishing one and all a happy pink year!  

Oh, how about New Year's resolutions? 

I count this as one of mine: continually pray for grace that we as a people will always choose who and what is right and good for our weary, weakened, and wounded country—so that it will be in the pink of health again.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night . . ." Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV)

One Child at a Time

"Releasing Children From Poverty in Jesus' Name"

This first line in the Compassion International (CI) brochure so moved me, I tearfully prayed, In however way I could serve . . .

The next day, CI's National Director  was accompanied by a friend to ask me a question. Saying "no" was not an option. 

"Would you be willing to be a part of the five-man National Advisory Committee (NACs)?" 

The NACs would screen candidates for the Leadership Development Program (LDP)—CI-sponsored high school graduates entering college. I looked forward to meeting the other four members. As I was already neck-deep in writing value-driven stories for children, this new job would add dimension to my craft. 

"We commit to honor Jesus Christ in all that we do. Jesus is the core of our ministry and his life and teachings shape our programs," read CI's mission. 

Unto Jesus, I worked with four gentlemen of various persuasions for a good six years (2004-2010), documented in dozens of blogs. We'd meet several times a year to screen LDP prospects and help train the chosen ones in congresses. 

This ministry enabled me to write a book on these scholars'

struggles, dreams, and breakthroughs:

Circle of Compassion

Stories of children released from poverty  

Fast forward to 2021 . . . 

I got a call from CI's Angel, inviting me to speak at a gathering of CI alumni. 

Alumni! The "kids" we helped mentor over 12 years ago! I thought, rejoicing over their  theme, which is the title of one of my books, "Grace under Pressure." 

It was a morning of no pressure, just pure grace, unsullied by pandemic fears. I had a chance to chat with these graduates again, after many years. These once-children-released-from-poverty-in Jesus'-name are now successful professionals in their fields, and are paying it forward by participating in the CI program "Sponsor a Child." 

"Sponsor a Child" is about sharing $38 per month, which translates to life-changing opportunities for poor children to: attend school, afford food and medical care, and be mentored in a safe environment—a local evangelical church where they will get to know Jesus, whose birth Christians the world over are celebrating this month. 

Dear cyber friends, may I invite you to give a life-changing gift to one child in poverty this Christmas?

Here's the link:

https://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/

Home PINK Home

For years and years, I would not repeat my Christmas tree motif. Thinking up of what next? was hard to ignore.   

Then five years ago, we lost our long-time househelper, Ate Vi, to an undiagnosed ailment, and so I lost my persistent prodder, "Christmas is three months away; don't dilly-dally deciding on the trimmings!" 

Our tree departed with her. The pandemic made things worse—or better, depending on how you look at it. My interest in crafts departed as well. 

But on Halloween last month, Mother Teresa brought out a cornucopia of old decor from the storeroom. Before she could ask, I told her to put up some of them herself. 

Just in time, pink parol (lantern) leaped out of social media.  Supporters of VP Leni Robredo were (and still are) ordering them from lantern makers.  "It's symbolic of hope; let's hang them in our homes," they announced.

This trend resulted in a cottage industry in various places. "This is not just for Christmas; let's leave them hanging till May [the presidential election]," friends encouraged other friends.      

Suddenly, I had bespoke Christmas theme! Tony called up several lantern makers who all said, "All sold out. If you can wait another two weeks . . ." 

No, we couldn't wait. Finally we found one, but for pick-up.  

And so, they surround our home (on a corner lot), reminding passers-by that on Christmas, a season of grace, Hope came. 

Two of these lanterns made it to our terrace to frame our shrunken, token (1.5 feet) Christmas tree, trimmed with pink ribbons and balls.  

Indeed, if we vote for an honest, hard-working, and transparent president with exemplary track record like Leni, we can hope to rise from the ruins of the epidemic and calamities that have strained the economy of the Philippines, your home and mine. 

"The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright." Proverbs 3:33 NLT 

PINK and Simple

In December, it's Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. 

Among Christians, there are no ifs, buts, ands, or maybes. Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus. This Holy Birth is the reason for the holidays, plain and simple. 

The phrase plain and simple means, essentially or fundamentally so, without exaggeration or elaboration.

In our home, we try hard to take this phrase literally—the birth of Christ was plain (no fuss) and simple (no fanfare). We celebrate it with the least fuss or fanfare. 

We attend a solemn Christmas service (online for the second year) then break bread late in the evening, after which we open utilitarian* gifts, others given months before**, for each other.  

This year, as the country gears up for the presidential election, I discovered that "plain" is interchangeable with  "pink," the campaign color of VP Leni Robredo. 

Pink has been defined as volunteerism and giving of self. Because Leni lacks resources, supporters have been donating time, money, food, materials, and energy for the benefit of other people in the community. What a spirit of social responsibility without expectations of any reward!  

Volunteerism can't be anything but love, the color of Christmas. 

Love has been most palpable after Typhoon Odette left many areas in total ruin—homes and crops are either flattened or swept away; people have perished or are gravely hurt; and hearts are in grief or broken. 

On Christmas eve, grace overflowed. We had a home-delivered lunch, a gift from son #2 and family who live faraway. For dinner, we partook of a roasted turkey (this 30-year family tradition is good for three meals), a charcuterie board from a friend, and some go-withs in place of rice. The 13-pound bird is son #1's gift and the preps plus roasting are son #3's. 

The other presents in pink (photos below) are from nieces and other kin.   

000

*I knew son #1 would give me another translation of the chronological Bible this year. But was I suprised when I opened his present: a chronological Life Application Study Bible! 

**My printer died on me in the middle of a book draft. I panicked; I needed a quick  replacement, but I was broke. My knight in shining armor, Tony, bought me a new one and said, "That's my early Christmas gift for you.

"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6 (NLT) 

Too Wonderful for Words

Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ on the 25th of December. 

But the date is inconsequential, really. It could be on the 12th of September or the 29th of February, or any day. Nothing changes the fact that one day long ago, the King of all creation gave man a Gift nobody could ever deserve.

On Christmas, in a lowly manger, God became a mere mortal, so that 33 years later, He would die on the cross in place of sinful me—to have the chance to live with Him for eternity.

He did this in such an incredibly humble manner that is contrary to what He owns and can do. 

Christmas is not about the date, the trimmings we fuss over, the angels, the shepherds, the magi, about the things invented by modern man—the trees, wreaths, blinking lights, and wrapped gifts that define revelry. 

So what is it about? 

Many songs and books have been written to describe Christmas, but it remains—to this day—too wonderful for words. One song title by the Ball Brothers and the Go Fish Band speaks of Christmas thus:

“It’s about the Cross.” 

It’s about how Jesus “came to be born once so that we could be born again.”  

Christmas, when He came to us, was just the beginning of His earthly story. It ended when He ascended back to heaven, after being nailed on the cross. 

“It’s the ending that will save you” the song goes. It’s Jesus’ earthly ending to give us a heavenly life that will never, ever end again.  

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Reflect and pray: 

How would I personally describe Christmas? 

The above is an entry from Memories of Grace 

It's a devotional with 180 one-page entries on various topics like ageing, living with hope, trusting God in the midst of uncertainty; and virtues like faith, grace, patience, gratitude, humility, generosity, and many more. It's available at shop.omflit.com  

I believe memories of grace are unlimited. Everyone has an endless lake from which marvelous memories spring.

Christmas Extravagance

A few houses in our village are go-to places during Christmas. The owners put up thousands of lights that elicit aahs and oohs from all passers-by. The multi-colored lights blink in ways nobody ever thought possible. Neighbors say the owners scour the world for the most magnificent  lights through the year so they could display them on Christmas—as their gift to one and all.  

Every year, people in the area and from different faraway places come in droves just to behold these spectacles. 

Instead of lights, other houses decorate with everything people associate with Christmas celebrations—Santa riding his sleigh with his reindeers, musical bells, the magi, and angels. All of them are bigger than life and move to the rhythm of Christmas carols. Videos complete the décor.  

These houses, too, draw large crowds. 

Such extravagance!  And yet, we know that because the houses are owned by billionaires, the expense for those Christmas displays is just a drop in the bucket of material riches.     

They may splurge all they want, and yet they—anyone—can never approximate nor even come close to the extravagance ordinary human beings were treated to on that first Christmas. 

God gave His only begotten Son as our Christmas Gift so that we may someday live in His house which, I am sure, is beyond magnificence and splendor, defying human imagination.  

Can anyone or anything compare with such heavenly extravagance?  

“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT)  

Reflect and pray: 

Why is there no greater than the gift of Christ Himself? 

Photo credits: top; bottom 

Same Difference

“Mom, you’ve been wanting a new sala set. Now you can choose whatever you want and that’ll be my Christmas and birthday gift to you,” said Mrs. Cruz’ eldest son. 

Mrs. Cruz would turn 75 on Christmas day and was excited over this generous gift. She went to the mall as soon as it opened. After scouring several shops, she saw the sala set she liked. “Please reserve it for me,” she told the salesman. But thinking she might still see something better, she walked round and round the mall. 

One hour later, she exclaimed, “This is it!” She told the salesman she would buy the sala set and wanted it delivered to her home right away.  

“I am sorry, Ma’am,” the salesman replied, “but that sala set has been reserved.” He then looked at his record and Mrs. Cruz read the name, “Mrs. Cruz!” 

She didn’t know whether to laugh or blush. She had totally forgotten it was the same sala set she reserved an hour ago. Am I losing my memory? she worried. Dementia? Alzheimer’s? Amnesia? 

Later, she narrated her boo-boo to her friends and like a deluge, she got similar senior stories from all. 

“But hey,” one of them said, “my apo is only 17 but he always forgets to turn off the light or lock the door! It’s not a senior thing!” 

They giggled like teenagers. 

Upon reaching our senior years, many of us begin to worry about mental health. Surely, failing of faculties come with age, but if we are steadfast in our faith, nothing should shake us. 

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Psalm 73:26 NLT) 

Reflect and pray: 

How can I leave my health worries at the Lord’s feet? 

Baby's Firsts

Today, a newborn is welcomed with the best of care—scientific and antiseptic. 

The doctor suctions his mouth and nose to clear away fluids, enabling the baby to breath on his own; cuts the umbilical cord; then takes the baby's heart rate, reflex response, activity, muscle tone, breathing, etc. The infant will also receive antibiotic eye ointment to prevent eye infections and a vitamin K shot to prevent clotting problems, etc. 

Now, contrast this with the night Jesus was born.

Imagine a stable or a cave (the Bible does not specify the place). Both are dark and dingy, perhaps with animals roaring about. There Jesus was laid in a manger, a feed trough for animals, with only His teen-aged mother and father making sure he was comfortable. 

Our Savior’s first human experience was so different from yours, mine, and the babies’ of this modern generation. In the stable or cave, Jesus must have experienced the first of his many tears. He would come to know human sorrow—sickness, death, betrayal, animosity, ridicule, and humiliation, ending in a painful death.  

From that night He was born, God has been with us. “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23 NLT)

Because Jesus loves you and me, He became human, and therefore can relate to our problems. So let us never feel like nobody understands us. Jesus does.

May the Light that shone upon the world that night cast its magnificence into our hearts this Christmas, giving us the peace on Earth of which the angels spoke long ago.

Reflect and pray: 

How can I honor our Savior for such love, first demonstrated on Christmas?  

Less Than Perfect

There are stores selling branded goods at cheap prizes. Reason? 

The merchandise are less than perfect: asymmetrical buttonholes; uneven hemlines; misaligned zippers; unsewn edges, etc. These are goods discarded by quality control. 

Just as there are less than perfect goods, there are also less than perfect people. Well, for one, nobody’s perfect. There are multitudes who spurn God and do everything against humanity and God’s will. But there are those who are the real deal—those who have decided to follow the path Jesus walks on.  

The good news is, Jesus loves all people, including the quality control discards: criminals, lowlifes, and unbelievers. In fact, Jesus did not cast them aside. On many occasions, he sought them out.  

This story is told in Luke 7:37-38 (NLT): 

“When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.” 

The Pharisee labeled her “a sinner ” but Jesus accepted her. He spoke gently to her, assuring her that her sins were forgiven (verse 48).

Jesus loves imperfect people—which includes me. And the greatest demonstration of His love for us is that He came on Christmas for everyone. “. . .  God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

As believers in God’s saving grace, may we be vessels of His love to the other flawed people in our communities so they too may know that they can receive God’s love despite their imperfections.

Reflect and pray: 

How can I share God’s love to less-than-perfect people like me?   

Photo credit: "Jesus' Feet" 

PINK Candle of Joy

Since October, I've been blogging quite often about the color PINK—about keeping a rosy attitude despite a polarized political playground.   

That's why the pink candle, which was lit today by son #3 in church (and which is lit on the 3rd Sunday of the Advent season year after year) particularly piqued (or pinked?) my interest.  

Among Christians, Advent season is a time of preparing our hearts and minds for the celebration of Jesus' birth. The Advent (the four Sundays and weekdays leading up to Christmas) this year began on December 3. 

Once a Catholic tradition, Advent was adopted by other Christian groups in the middle ages as part of our spiritual preparation. 

Why pink? 

It is the color of joy in worship. It is to remind us of the world's joy at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy believers today feel about Jesus becoming flesh on Christmas. 

We remember that glorious day when He came to bestow His all-encompassing grace of salvation on sinful man. 

Pink, symbolic of joy, is about optimism and hope that despite the pandemic problems and other predicaments engulfing us today, we are assured of victory. 

Like the Shepherds one dark night, we are in fear. 

"Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. 'Don’t be afraid! . . . I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" Luke 2:9-11 (NLT) 

Let's light a pink candle in our heart today and fear no more.