Fathering Chika

One of my greatest finds at the 2024 Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) is Mitch Albom’s latest book, Finding Chika. 

Only on the first page and I am already crying buckets. Don’t get me wrong; it is not a tearjerker. But as a writer myself, who often writes about adoption, everything  about the book resonates with me. 

I’d retitle it Fathering Chika, if I could. 

Albom of Michigan is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. A non-father, he unconditionally loves, like his own, a kid of no blood relation, of a different race and country, and born under unknown circumstances. 

He writes, “Families are like pieces of art, they can be made from many materials. Sometimes they are from birth, sometimes they are melded, sometimes they are merely time and circumstances mixing together like scrambled eggs in a Michigan restaurant.” 

What grace it is to read a book such as this, specially these times when there are over 147 million orphans in the world, and love is being redefined or ignored.  

Shock and Awe

Before I could recover from the bliss of a magical surprise, I watched in shock and awe how people in my circuit moved somewhat eerily that morning. 

Tony wouldn’t join me for breakfast, our daily ritual. Son #3 woke up early and hurriedly walked to the gate a few times.  Mother Teresa was busy arranging everything neatly in the living room and flowers in vases at the terrace. 

Then as I sipped my coffee, I heard the doorbell ring and son #3’s voice, “What took you so long? She’s already having breakfast.” 

A throng of people carrying trays and trays of breakfast food came in noisily, and shouting, “Happy birthday!” 

I was in my house dress and slippers, with my hair uncombed. Here they all were and I had no chance to powder my nose. A most beautiful cake with my age on it was the centerpiece, a reminder of the years with which the Lord blessed me.

Grace, grace eveywhere! They sang a hymn after which they prayed for me.   

From the terrace to the garden for a photo op

Why would anyone fuss over an insignificant mortal like me on my birthday, when all through my long life I never did?  

Again, I am stunned. The fullness of joy cannot be defined. The photos speak, but they leave all those in my heart unheard.  

Who am I to deserve this? “...what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:4 (ESV) 

A Day Minus the Writing

This is one of those days when I am raring to write (as I always do) but can't because there is some speaking to do. Yes, every once in a while, I get invited to speak. And everything else gets fuzzy-wuzzy.  There is the audience to think about, the speech, the slides, plus other things that invite butterflies to invade the tummy. 

I am clinging on to this verse today: 2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV) "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

Tomorrow is another day . . .

A Magical Surprise

My birthday has come and gone. Two months have passed and I have not yet blogged about it. That is unusual for someone who blogs about anything and everything. 

What kept me? 

Words. 

I had no exact words to describe how I felt. Again, it is unusual for someone who has been working with words for over two decades. 

My Sunday school group, women of varying ages and persuasions in my home church, are my prayer warriors and spiritual family. I was tasked to prepare our lessons, put them in fancy slides, and we all discuss the facts behind them every Sunday after the Worship Serice.  The discussion is always alive  and we learn from each other. After an hour of exchanging thoughts and expertiences, we go home full, nourished with the Word. 

Then one Sunday, after our traditional wacky group shot to end the session, someone turned off the lights. Then one came in cradlling a birthday cake with my name on it. Two candles flickered in the dark. And everyone sang the Happy Birthday song.

It was magical—I was transported to a neverland where love swayed like birthday balloons above me, a place where 79 years worth of grace rained down at the same time.  

And now, two months later, no matter how hard I try, I can’t recall if I ever said “Thank you.”  

But then again, gratitude is not a sound, it is a silent song kept in the heart but heard like magic. These women and I share the same heartbeat: we begin and end our meetings with prayers of gratitude to the God we all serve.  

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)     

No Writer’s Block, No Dead Air

“How do you deal with writer’s block?”  I was asked on air, during a live interview by the hosts of Straight from the Word on Light TV – God’s Channel of Blessings (Channel 33). 

It’s a question that pops up in all my book events.

Those who know me well (and kindred spirits whose passion is writing) know my predictable answer, “I don’t. I don’t believe in writer’s block.” 

“Huh?” is the usual response. 

Writing is not only when we have pen and paper on hand, or when we are poised to type on our keyboard. It is a constant mind-and-heart activity.  It happens in all our waking hours, often in our sleep, too. Ideas continuously buzz in our head and thump in our heart. So the paper does not stay blank or the keyboard does not stay idle once we decide to record those buzzes and thumps. 

“Oh, so no writer’s block! Exactly like no dead air,” Sis Sarah, the female host exclaimed. 

On point. I know how dead air can be deadly (long ago, I was a radio host, too). It could cause a listener to tune off and advertizers to tune out. 

I am grateful to Light TV for inviting me to talk about my thoughts on writing and for promoting my new book, Everyday Grace for Kids. Even if only one of the over 3k listeners had been encouraged to write for the Lord, it is grace beyond measure. I pray that many young people would join the ministry of writing for readers to meet our Savior.  

Everyday Grace for Kids

Meaningful days ahead for book lovers! The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) will happen from Sept 11-15 at the SMX Convention Center. It is always a keenly awaited event for those who, like me, love to read. 

What makes it even more meaningful is that my book, Everyday Grace for Kids (365 Devotions on Drawing Closer to God) will be launched. I have braced myself for a long Saturday--from morn till night--for the “Meet and Greet” and book signing.  

As all authors know, book launching is a peak event we all look forward to, like a denouement in a stage play. All resolved! 

After many months of agonizing over words, punctuation marks, and other nitty-gritty of writing, then revising and revising (working in tandem with editors) and then final proofreading (again in close coordination with seasoned proofreaders), it’s here! 

A short backstory:

Kids today have more than they could handle, In my youth, there was no computer that brought about social media, vlogs, AI, and other apps. There was no mobile phone that spawned selfies, groufies, music apps, gambling apps, etc.  No online classes that cause boredom, disorientation, inattention, frustration over weak wi-fi connection, and disinterest.   

These children need grace every single day to cope with the complexities of modern life. They need to go back to their middle, the core values our Lord instituted since the beginning of time. 

Although I no longer have small children, I am concerned about the children of others. How can we help guide them to the right path?  Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” 

But parents are as busy as ever with various intricate issues. Yet they need to pass on the Word to their children. Daily devotionals can help in the training. Christian writers provide tools: we simplify, serve the Word into bite-size pieces that kids can understand, see in concrete images, and take to heart. 

Hence, this book. 

They Laugh and I Cry

Laughing emojis are strewn all over social media. 

Many posts make fun of people’s mistakes. Some dig into the private lives of celebrities. Some  ridicule public officials’ faux pax. Some cast aspersions on someone's misery, disguised as a joke.  Some hurl savage insults. Some judge without knowing the facts. Some praise abusive memes. 

And today! In major newspapers' front-page photos, the fugitive Alice Guo is shown laughing triumphantly in wacky poses, like a celebrity, with our authorities and NBI agents. These have gone viral on social media.   

And we reward these with laughing emojies?!  

I cry over what we have become. 

What is so funny? Why do we laugh over sad, depressing comments of and issues on how we view people and life. Is laughing over our misery the special menu for today?  

“Lessen the grief! Ignore the news and social media,” I keep reminding myself. 

“But I need to read my friends’ encouraging posts,” I reply to me. 

 
So I scroll through those hundreds, sometmes thousands, of laughing emojis. 

And I cry, and click on this emoji--a sore thumb in a sea of laughter. 

By grace, the Lord makes me remember the beginning of time. This was once a perfect place. But our first parents upended it big time. And now we are all messed up: happy over what is sad. 

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20 ESV) 

Turning 50

Randy threw a big party for his wife, Salve, when she turned 50. “A golden Age has to be celebrated,” he told the guests.  

During the party, Salve candidly told some of her guests, “When Randy planned to celebrate my 50th birthday, it was like a wake-up call. I suddenly had a change of mindset; I used to think that people in their 50s were old. But here I am, feeling as young as ever!” 

“I am 60,” Ciony replied, “and I know that if the Lord would give me more years, I can still do something important.”  

That set everyone counting the number of productive years they might have left. Salve said, “I have 20 more years!” 

“Or even 30,” Ciony said. Then she quoted a Bible verse, “Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty.” (Psalm 90:10 NLT) 

“We are all still young, then,” Salve said.  

In the book of Philemon, Paul, who was already of advanced age, wrote a letter requesting Philemon to take back his runaway servant, Onesimus. “. . . I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.” 

This was Paul’s attitude about serving the Lord even at an old age.  

Age 50 and beyond? 

Despite our limitations, grace is unlimited. It enables us to do what we can—no matter how small—for the Lord until He calls us Home.

Pain of Childbirth

In our forbears’ time, epidurals (medication for pain relief) were unheard of. 

Our mothers delivered their babies the natural way. My mother would advise would-be moms,  “Choose to give birth the natural way. It’s a beautiful experience.” She had no other words to describe it, but “beautiful experience” remained in my mind. 

For my first childbirth, I ignored my mom’s advice because I was too anxious. My obstetrician (OB) found it necessary to give me epidurals. 

My second pregnancy, however, was a different story. It was extremely delicate and pain-filled. On my 6th month, my OB advised hospital confinement to save the baby. But after two weeks, I went into labor and the pain worsened. In the delivery room, my OB was apologetic. “I can’t give you any medication to lessen the pain. To save your baby, we want him breathing normally.” 

Immediately after I birthed my son, the pain miraculously disappeared and all I could feel was peace, as though my squirming-in-pain self was gone forever. My mother was right all along, it was like basking in grace, a beautiful experience. 

Jesus used childbirth to describe physical pain—and the joy that follows it. 

Before he went to the cross, He told His disciples about a time of great pain and sorrow, “You will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John 16:21-22 NLT

 

After pain comes joy. That is the essence of earthly pain and the heavenly joy that comes with life everlasting.  

Grrr!

“A dog’s warning sign” is a common clue in crossword puzzles. The answer is “grrr.” 

In general, according to veterinarians, dogs growl to mean, “Stay out of my way or I’ll bite you!” If we stay away as warned, we are spared from being bitten and the trouble that follows afterwards. 

This has an equivalent in church. It is called the ministry of warning, defined as cautionary proclamation of red flags. 

Ministry of warning cautions us against believing in false teachings, feel-good theology, and dangerous ideologies. The goal of this ministry is to guide us in our Christian walk so we can be faithful to the Lord and His Word. Unfortunately, people who verbalize warnings are often misunderstood—and sometimes questioned by those who believe that God’s people must be edified instead of warned.  

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 (NLT), Apostle Paul stressed to the church, “. . . we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” 

We also read in 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 

Are we responsible for warning others in his/her spiritual walk? 

If we are a parent, a Sunday school teacher, a church leader, a pastor, or a concerned church member, we certainly are. We all have a Biblical ministry to warn our faith brethren when they veer away from God’s teachings. 

The ministry of warning is part and parcel of our duty as followers of Christ so nobody gets bitten by the prowling enemy.  

Appetizers: Storybooks and Videos

Different research groups/companies publish annual data about their projects the past year. To know the state of Bible reading, for instance, we can compare data among these research groups. One said that 69% of Americans read the Bible. 

Another group reported that 50% of Americans are Bible users. Meaning, they engage the Bible by listening to, watching, and praying using Bible text. 

These numbers tell us that people still read the Bible despite the growth of other reading materials. 

For many children, Bible-reading regimens were jump-started by storybooks, which retell Bible stories through simple words and interesting visuals. Other kids, those whose parents are digital natives, get their first Bible stories through videos. 

“After my introduction to Bible stories through books and videos, I was excited to read more about them as I grew up,” Lysa, a faithful Bible-reading teener said. “Storybooks and videos only tell you so much. I want to know why and how these happened.” 

The re-telling of Bible stories through books and videos, therefore, are appetizers for the main entree. They are helpful to whet our appetite, but they should not take the place of the Bible. 

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”  (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)  

 

By all means, let’s use all tools available to us to make children interested in the source of all truth—the Bible—so that they will be Bible readers like Lysa when they grow up.  

Spending Is Investing

The Sunday school teacher’s opening line in his adult, all-male class was, “Spending is investing,”    

“How’s that again?” the businessmen in the room asked.  

“That got you, didn’t it?” he joked. “Perhaps you’re thinking about money—you either spend it or invest it. But we’re looking deep into how we should spend our time with God. The longer we spend time with Him by studying His Word, finding out what pleases Him, and living our life according to His will, the bigger is our investment for our future.”   

“I never looked at it that way,” one smiled.  

The teacher asked them to read one of the verses they were to discuss. Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” 

A dynamic discussion ensued. 

The next verses were about the Parable of the Rich Man (Matthew 19:16-21).   

A man asked Jesus what good acts must he do to have eternal life. Jesus answered in verse 17 (NLT), “. . . if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”  Jesus then enumerated God’s commandments. 

The man replied that he has been obeying all the commandments, so what else must he do? 

In verse 21, Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

“Giving our money to the poor, so we could spend our time with Jesus, is our investment for our future in His kingdom,” the teacher explained the verse. 

“Hmmm,” the businessmen nodded, seeing these two terms—investing and spending—in a new light.    

 photo credit 

Talk of the Town

Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines is rising at an alarming rate. In 2019, it affected 5.99 of teenage girls. It’s the second highest rate in Southeast Asia based on Save the Children's Global Childhood Report. That’s about 538 Filipino babies born every single day. 

“In my time, there was hardly any teenage pregnancy,” scoffed Mrs. Gomez, a public school teacher. 

“Why is that?” asked a young, new teacher. 

“If you got pregnant out of wedlock, you’d be the talk of the town! People will gossip about you non-stop. Either you leave the neighborhood in shame or marry the father of your child quickly to stop the talk.”  

Time was when people were restrained from doing anything outside of the norm because they were afraid of what others will say. What others thought of someone was a motivation for right conduct. 

“Don’t dare besmirch our reputation!” “Don’t bring shame and scandal to the family!” These were common admonitions by parents to their children to act properly in public.  

But this is what the Lord said in Isaiah 51:7-8 (NLT), “Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever.” 

If we do what is right in God’s sight, we need not fear the gossip of men. Otherwise this could lead to our downfall. The only thing that matters is the Lord’s approval. So we are called to trust only Him and His word. 

“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” (Proverbs 29:25) 

Gender Confusion

Confusion leads to chaos. That’s what happened after the women’s preliminary round boxing match at the Paris Olympics. By now, many of us have read the news and controversy on the Net. 

Angela Carini of Italy quit the bout against Imane Khelif of Algeria after only 46 seconds. She cried that “. . . one punch hurt so much.” And that she never had been hit that hard before.  

That was all it took for people to brand Imane, who has the physique of a male, a transgender.  Many celebrities weighed in on the accusation and branded the match as misogyny and other gender/inequality issues.  

Only after the dust had settled did the facts surface.  Imane is a woman, but has a rare genetic condition—she has an X chromosome and a Y chromosome (pattern for males). Medical authorities call this:

Swyer syndrome. Huh? 

It’ s “having normal female reproductive organs, including a uterus, fallopian tubes, and vagina. However, the ovaries do not develop and are replaced by clumps of tissue where they would normally form.” This syndrome is usually not diagnosed until puberty, when menstrual periods do not begin as they should. 

This is the fallen world we live in. That’s why we who believe the Scriptures hang on to grace for inner peace.  

Gender issues have caught fire and it can no longer be extinguished. It has drawn an irreconcilable and irreparable wide wedge between those who believe in the creation and those who posit inclusivity. 

Alas, there will be many more of this in the coming days. 

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” 2 Timothy 3:1 ESV

First photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

TOXIC

That word describes how I feel whenever I turn on my computer. Although I am excited to write my next book or blog, I warm up by wandering to social media. Toxic, indeed! 

Half truths, fake news, plus AI generated words and images have altered the world I grew up in. Click baits are pits that can snare anyone unaware. 

Just recently, the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics triggered heated discussions and mudslinging. I had to do research to find out what is true or false—and decided to stay away from the narrative. 

I wonder why I hardly read my friends’ posts anymore. In their place are ads, vlogs of known and unknown personalities, and short reels and videos. Someone mentioned algorithm—what’s that? To keep my sanity, I retreat to my own files, blogsites of faith brethren and my favorite authors, and write some more.  

A dear faith sister, Billie, was suddenly rushed to the hospital last week because of irregular heartbeat and blood pressure. Now finally back at home, she is still prohibited by her doctors to read the newspapers, turn on her computer, watch TV, or use her cellphone. I am tempted to follow those orders.

But God's grace gives us a respite from this toxicity. I saw real flowers in a farm (Dewi Sri) that our family (complete!) retreated to last month. I requested my daughter-in-love, a seasoned photographer, to take pictures because the flowers I now see online are altered by technology.

Aren’t these lovely? They are as real as God created them. Toxicity begone! 

"Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” (Luke 12:27 NIV) 

Pie Surprise

A small restaurant in Las Pinas serves yummy desserts, but the favorite of diners is called Pie Surprise. The dessert looks like an ordinary pie but what’s inside—which is changed daily—is a secret. Sometimes it has sweet buko mixed with chunks of mangoes, sometimes it has shredded melon drowned in creamy cheese, etc.  

The restaurant is not advertized, yet it is popular among people in the neighborhood by word-of-mouth. 

Jesus seemed to have a secret menu, too.  When He told His disciples that He had “food” they knew nothing about, didn’t it sound like a surprise pie, too? 

In John 4:30-34, many people from the village lined up to see Him. Because He had not eaten, His disciples kept urging him to take something. But Jesus replied (verse 32 NLT), “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” 

Puzzled, His disciples didn’t know what food He was talking about! Jesus explained (verse 34), “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” 

This secret food has been disclosed and it is now offered to one and all. 

Jesus invites all of us to trust His ability to satisfy the deepest longings of and emptiness in our heart by His caring grace. If we accept His invitation, we would discover how to truly live—not just by  physical food that delights and keeps us healthy—but by the Spirit of our God that satisfies our soul. 

Only Christ, the Living Bread, can satisfy our spiritual hunger. 

Self reflection: How can I thoroughly digest and share this with others so that they, too, may never be spiritually hungry again?  

Mother’s Day 2024

For many years now, son #1 always posts online my photo taken in ancient years on Mother’s Day. 

This tradition I truly appreciate because it makes me reminisce those days when I was an active mom, attached (literally) to my sons, who at their ages today have their own busy lives. I had my time of enjoying amazing grace of a spcial kind.  

In those days, both sons (son #3 was still just an inspired thought) obviously hated cameras. It took time before Tony could click the shutter because one refused to smile and the other one simply hid his face with his hand while clinging to me. 

Another tradition is receiving flowers from abroad from son #2, facilitated by my daughter-in-love. If you are a mom and have grown-up sons, you know well, as I do, that the look of awe they lavished on you as babies is gone with the wind. That’s why we’re grateful for pets. Our askal (asong kalye; street dog) pet, Judge, always makes me feel like a rock star and relive those memories. 

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV) 

Priceless Anniversary Gift

On the 4th of July this year (our wedding anniversary), Tony and I received a gift so precious, we were dumbfounded.  

Our only grandson, Adrian (a playful, active, funny, talkative, loud, and curious little boy the last time we saw him five years ago), appeared before our eyes. But in form and substance, a totally different human! 

Now all of 17, he has evolved into a compleat gentleman: reserved, handsome (very!), with a well-built bod and a bass voice that can be heard only when he responds to questions. 

I actually blogged about him, based on his mom’s photos emailed to us three years back. At that time, there were hints that the once-little-boy is now only in our memory bank, which defies time. 

Adrian reminds us that grace is never the same, but always generous. The Creator designed our lives to come in seasons. Life stage is the term psychologists use. My term, very old--the season where Tony and I are basking in today.   

We met this new gentleman in a party thrown by his other set of grandparents, whose wedding anniversary date is the same as ours.  

We thank God for the season that was. Is. Will come.  

Chain Reaction

Micky, his older sister, and their parents are active in church, serving Jesus in various ministries with a passion. 

It was not always that way. 

After Micky had learned about Jesus’ love for him and received Him as his Savior, his parents were livid. They belonged to a different faith and were extremely disappointed that Mickey had turned away from it. They instructed Micky’s Ate to go with him to church and keep a close eye on him. 

In church, Ate got caught up in Jesus’ wonderful story of grace and love for sinful people like her. It wasn’t long till she realized she needed Jesus and became a believer herself. 

Their parents were now agitated. They had to see for themselves what was happening to their children in church. They sneaked in the church while the midweek service was ongoing and sat at the back which was unlit. It was at this time that the pastor began his message. As they listened, the powerful Word of God penetrated both their hearts and as soon as the service was over, they both went to their children, and asked how they, too, could join the family of Christ.   

This chain reaction is not surprising. 

It happened to Micky’s family and it can happen to any family. 

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." (Hebrews 4:12 NLT) 

Since that midweek service, father, mother, Ate, and Micky have been working together, trying to duplicate the chain reaction that happened to their family. 

Many books inform, but only one transforms—the Bible. 

“Yes, Dear”

This phrase was common when I was growing up. 

During parties, I would hear the grown-ups joke about a husband being henpecked, or “under the saya [skirt]” in Filipino. In those days, machismo was in vogue—the father was the boss and the mother was to do his bidding. 

After all, the Bible specifies in Ephesians 5:24, “As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.” 

  
Otherwise, the man of the house would be labeled, “Yes, dear.” 

Then the feminism movement (the advocacy of women's rights for the equality of the sexes) gained popularity and the word “submit” is now being omitted in many wedding vows. “Yes, dear” is extinct.  

Obedience or submission, however, cannot and should not be ignored. As believers, we are called to a life of obedience. Submission of wives to husbands as in the verse above and Colossians 3:18 remains unchanged. 

“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.” (Ephesians 6:1 NLT) 

Even Jesus showed obedience: “. . . he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8) 

Jesus also reminds us, “If you love me, obey my commandments." (John 14:15)

 
There’s a promised reward for obedience, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.” (Deuteronomy 28:1) 

Lest it be forgotten, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible emphasizes obedience. In the Ten Commandments, obedience to God is of prime importance. 

Landmark

As taught us in grade school, a landmark is a feature of a landscape or specific place that is easily seen and recognized from a distance. 

We are all familiar with famous landmarks such as Paris’ Eiffel tower, New York’s Statue of Liberty, Agra’s Taj Mahal, London’s Stonehenge, Pisa’s Leaning Tower, etc. When you see those landmarks, there is no doubt in your mind where you are. 

Before technology came in with navigation tools in our mobile phone, we needed a landmark to go to places we’d never been to before.  We drew directions on paper and asked for a specific landmark close to our destination. 

“Beside the pink four-story building . . .” “Just behind the grade school . . .” “Two blocks from SM Mall. . .” etc.  

Despite technological help, many people today still resort to specifying landmarks, because they are easy to spot. They provide guidance, pointing us to the right direction. 

Guidance is certainly what every growing child needs. In fact, even adults with Ph.Ds or years of experience also need guidance for things outside their area of expertise. 

Jesus addressed people’s need for guidance when He met and talked to His disciples about His impending departure from earth in the Upper Room. He said (John 16:13 NLT), “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”  

God’s Spirit is as distinct as a landmark! 

In this world of disunity, where guidance is desperately needed, God's landmark could be obscured by clouds of edgy ideologies, skewed Bible interpretations, and new expressions demanded by political correctness, and the conflicted emotions within us. 

How then can we see that landmark clearly? 

We need to revisit God’s word, our written map. The Holy Spirit clearly points to specific principles that reveal the way of the Lord. Our feelings and affections will always lead to the wrong road without the grace of discernment to see this landmark clearly, minus the clouds. 

Because God gives us freedom to make decisions where there are no moral laws to be broken, we are given several options. The Holy Spirit would certainly bless any of those that do not clash with the Lord's Word. 

The Word of God is the confirmation that we are led by the Holy Spirit. It is my prayer that we depend on the Holy Spirit to be our Guide, our Landmark, in all of our travels in life. 

Reflective Seminar

This concept is an adaptation of  "reflective learning," documented from the works of Dewey (1938) and Schon (1983). It’s defined as “focus on the development of critical-thinking skills through the internal process of examining strengths and exploring areas for improvement.” 

The learner therefore clarifies concepts/theories from his own understanding and cognition. 

Knowing how long I have been a teacher, son #3 (head of our church’s Discipleship Ministry) asked me to facilitate a seminar for our brethren who teach (Sunday school VBS, small groups, evangelism, etc.).

Huh? 

These teachers belong to different age groups, have varied experiences, and are all volunteers! The seminar would be unlike those held in businesses, where everyone is a paid employee. 

My thought balloon: I can’t ram down their throats what I know about teaching. So I mined the good Book for wisdom and begged the Lord for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

So there—reflective seminar:    

"As teachers, we all need to look inside of us," I began. Then I presented the meaning of EXCELLENCE, as defined by the Lord, and asked questions based on Scripture, peppered with stories of my own failures and successes as a part-time college teacher for more than 20 years. 

Again, I adapted Start, Stop, Continue (a retrospective exercise used in workplaces) but tweaked it by beginning with Stop. By knowing our weaknesses, first of all, we can devise ways to turn them into strengths through concrete plans.  

The seminar was from 9 AM to 2 PM, with a break for lunch. 

Thirty teachers for Jesus received their Certificate of Completion, which is simply the starting gun in the run toward excellence. 

Am I Late?

If you have a scheduled meeting at 8 AM and you arrive at exactly 8 AM, are you late? 

Yes. No ifs, ands, or buts.  

The 8:00 AM schedule is for the meeting to start and not arrival time. 

This I learned the hard way when I was new in the workplace. I arrived at the meeting venue at exactly 8 AM and to my surprise, the chair (my boss) started presiding to everyone but me. I scampered for a vacant seat, trying not to make any noise, but my handbag fell to the floor and made a loud thud. 

Everyone looked in my direction, the boss stopped talking, and I wished to be swallowed by the ground! 

From then on, I make sure that I am at an event or meeting half an hour before the scheduled time—one hour, if I had a part in the program.  

This was why I was there, one hour before the scheduled time, for a seminar I facilitated at our church.

The extra 60 minutes gave me enough time to pray for guidance, set up my slides, check the sound system and air-conditioning, arrange the chairs for maximum interaction among the attendees, and other odds and ends.  

"Am I late?” was also one of the questions I asked in the seminar, which was designed to be reflective. I asked questions from beginning to end about proven theories to allow the attendees to self-reflect and come up with their own evaluation on how they are performing as teachers. 

Yes, the seminar was for teachers (Sunday School, VBS, evangelism, discipleship, and wherever there is a need to teach God’s Word). 

Because it was a self-reflective seminar, the title was interrogative: 

And the last question was: 

My own answers to this question is written in one whole book, published by CSM.  

(Details of the seminar are in another blog post.)