Wandering Mind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recluse No More

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

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

It was like breaking a three-year fast. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pandemic Soul and Sole

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

None, no movement for my sole. 

ooo

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

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

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

Apostrophe Amore

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, it is totally different with God. 

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

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

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

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

One-upmanship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

photo credit 

State-of-the-art CCTV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Is Everything Okay?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every day is Resurrection Sunday in our soul!   

Is Good Friday Any Good?

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

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

Even so, everything about good Friday is good. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lord, we can never thank you enough.  

Making a Choice

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

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

“‘Barabbas!’ the people shouted. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rear-view Mirror

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He tells us to focus, simply focus on Him.   

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

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

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

Red Tape

Jemuel had been retired two years when he finally received his SSS pension. Before then, he was told to retrieve all documents from his past office, which had already closed shop. He was also told to produce affidavits to prove that the person Jemuel M. Vargas was the same as Jemuel Vargas. 

At the SSS office, he begged to see the person in charge of records, but was told that he had to make an appointment. It would have been so easy to explain how, somewhere along the way, the office he was working for had dropped his middle name from some documents. 

Meanwhile, Jemuel’s health was deteriorating and he could hardly commute from one place to another for all the SSS requirements. 

Red tape. 

We are all familiar with how it stretches to years what otherwise could be done in days. 

Contrast this with the way the Lord made Himself so accessible. He even provided us a number of ways to reach Him: praying with our voice, our thoughts, and our pens. We can also listen to Him anytime by reading His Word.  

At any moment we can talk to the Creator of the universe! Not only are we welcomed into His presence, we are also invited, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

“Let us come boldly.” No ID card, no password, no waiting time, and no appointment necessary to reach our heavenly Father. 

No red tape.     

In fact, we are told, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need . . . Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand . . .” ( Philippians 4:6-7) 

Grace is more accessible than anything we can think of.     

Finest Art in Flight

Every morning, since the pandemic began, Tony and I would spend our time savoring grace on the terrace: read the day’s newspapers and solve their crossword puzzles; read books; discuss about or argue over politics; catnap; review old photo albums; watch Mother Teresa water our garden; and enjoy the sight and sound of many birds. 

These flying marvels come and visit because our house is surrounded with trees. They sway with the branches and chirp our virus fears away. Some hover comfortably above us. 

Perhaps because of the summer heat, we see various migratory birds from cold places. 

“Look! That bird looks unusual,” Tony said one morning, pointing to a stunning work of art in flight, not much bigger than his thumb but with a tail three times its body size! 

I clicked my phone camera and tried to research online what it might be called. 

I had read up on birds before and in fact blogged about their colors, but I could not find the same exact bird in my camera. So I typed "rare birds" and eureka! I found tons of other unusual birds, which took my breath away!  

Sometime ago I also oohed and aahed over rare flowers and blogged about them. It was an underwhelming post, if one were to imagine all of the flowers that God has created. 

Now comes another word-deficient post—on rare birds. Of the over 100 rare birds (from different places in the world) I pored over, I am sharing photos of only 12 for lack of space. 

Each of these birds is a perfect example of the finest of fine arts in flight. Their beauty is indescribable and the reason for their creation is unexplained. 

We can only take a hint (our wisdom for understanding is finite) from Scripture:  

“Then God said . . . ‘Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.’ So God created . . . every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:20-23 NLT) 

Do you know of a bird photographer who has taken the photos of all birds of every kind?   

Tools, Not Schools

Many people today (and that includes me) rely on the Internet too much that we take what we read as gospel truth—and so they become schools, institutions for education. 

Google is now also a verb—a useful action word when we want quick answers to our questions. Professors scratch their heads (or bang them on the wall?) when they read student papers with cyber info put together, minus critical thinking. 

And today, the chatbot is all the rage. All one has to do is ask a question and voila, the answer comes! 

Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant are now members of many households. Then just recently, ChatGPT was launched to answer questions of practically anything on many areas of endeavor.  

The sad truth is, Internet data and information are simply tools. We still need to sift, analyze, and re-check them before we come into conclusions. 

I tried chatGPT to test how accurate it is. I used myself as guinea pig because only I know all facts about me. All the areas underlined in red are either wrong or no data.   

In sum, this chatbot does not really collate all Internet data—not about me anyway. It gives erroneous information that could mislead all readers, except me.  

My advice to students and to everyone, including me, is: let us look at information from the Net, no matter how advanced the creators claim it is, as simply TOOLS. They are not substitute for SCHOOLS. 

Critical thinking is key to learning. We need to listen to our professors or our bosses, or those who have the original, authentic wisdom and knowledge that the Internet appropriates for popularity, and eventually for money. 

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." (James 1:5 NLT)

Day of Forests

Today, 21 March, has been declared by the UN Forest and Agriculture Organization as International Day of Forests. We celebrate the ways in which forests and trees sustain and protect us. 

Sustain and protect . . . how? 

“They purify the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, prevent erosion, and act as an important buffer against climate change. Forests offer a home to much of the world's diverse array of plants and animals and provide essential natural resources from timber and food to medicinal plants.” (World Wildlife Fund Inc.) 

Together, we must guard against any form of deforestation. We need to tend and watch over God's creation.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Waren Brasse

March 17: Green Day Memories

As a part-time girl Friday, I had to finish my errands before rushing to my classes at the Chicago Art Institute. I took my job seriously because it earned me some money to augment my meager allowance. 

“Hey, Grace, come! This won’t take a few minutes!” my big, burly boss called. When he as much as whimpered, I moved. He and the rest of the staff were looking down from our 17th floor window. 

“Aaahhh!” Ooohhh!” 

The Chicago river turned green! I pinched myself, trying to wake me up from fantasy land. But the green river was real! It was March 17 (never mind the year), St. Patrick’s Day. On this day, everything turned green—not with envy, but with a celebration only the Irish can pull off. 

St. Patrick’s Day originally started as a Christian feast day celebrating the life of this important man for spreading Christianity in Ireland in the late 5th century. But the day has mutated into a time of revelry and a celebration of all things Irish. Many people wear green, wear lucky charms like the four-leaf clover, and drink green beer. 

Why green? In 1798, the year of the Irish Rebellion, this color became officially associated with the day when they sang the song “The Wearing of the Green,” tying the color’s relevance to Irish history.

I remember that Chicago green day today and thank the Lord for those grace experiences that livened up my busy, struggling student days.     

Let me leave you, my cyber friends, with my favorite Irish blessing as we yelp, TGIF! 

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

International Women's Day 2023

In Scripture, when God created man, He did not create a person with no gender. He made a distinction: man and woman. 

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."  (Genesis 2:21-23 KJV) 

Since 1908, women have been demanding for better conditions in workplaces. Two years later, Clara Zetkin, leader of the “women's office” for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed in a conference the celebration every year of an International Women's Day—to press for demands.

And so on March 8 this year, we again celebrated this special day. 

While I agree that women have less say in all aspects of politics and the economy, I celebrate the day not to push for reforms but to thank the Lord for creating women. We have been given roles to play, as outlined in the Bible.     

This year, I am grateful to the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) for featuring women writers, whose books they carry, in an exhibit. 

The books I write are of grace; by grace, at the NLP, more readers will find them and be reminded of their own gifts of grace.  

Testy and Cranky

Many young people perceive seniors to be testy and cranky. 

“I have a right to be!” exclaimed Mr. Ogaras. “I have paid my dues. I don’t owe anybody anything anymore.” 

Well, older adults get crotchety not because they think they are entitled to it, but because, according to Ali, a psychologist, “Seniors know their longevity is running out. They no longer earn as much as they did, yet their medical needs cost more than their Social Security pension. Then there are the physical discomforts—aches, pains, constipation, rheumatism, etc.—that come with the decay of the human body.” 

“May I add,” said a friend in her 70s, “Adult children who use Mom and Dad for babysitting or being there when needed, take some spark out of us. Of course, I enjoy this new role, but since we are just their hands and no longer in control, we feel helpless sometimes.”  

“As they say, ‘He who has the gold makes the rules,’” sneered Mr. Ogaras.  

“That’s where the testiness and crankiness come in,” Ali said, laughing. 

Many of us seniors may plead guilty to these bouts of bad behavior, which cause misery to the people at the receiving end. Being pleasant, then, is the route to go—a deliberate daily endeavor.  

How? 

Scripture can help us. It details a virtue that corrects unpleasantness: gentleness. It is the quality of being kind, mild-mannered, and gracious. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2 NLT)

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  

Gentleness towards others is a struggle. Oh, how we need gobs of grace do it—every single day!  

When a Good Deed Goes Bad

It was a perfect day to celebrate the almost-end of the pandemic. As we no longer hear of hospitals being overcrowded with people sick with Covid-19, I declared myself safe to go out. 

A friend, who just arrived from her US vacation, and whom I have not seen for three years, called and declared, “Let’s have coffee and catch up!” 

“Let’s!” 

We met in a coffee shop and chatted till our voices turned hoarse. We each rode a tricycle (also my first in three years!) to go home. 

“How much is the fare now?” I asked the driver. 

“Fifty pesos,” he said quickly. 

Euphoric over my rare day out, I gave him P100 and told him to keep the change. “From Leni,” I joked.

He froze for a few seconds then thawed. Behind his mask I could “see” a big smile. He exclaimed over a dozen “thank yous.” 'Twas a good deed to punctuate my rare day out.  

Teresa met me by the door and said, “Isn't it shocking that the tricycle fare jumped from 25 pesos then to 39 now?"  

“What?! But the driver charged me 50!” 

“Haha,” she laughed, “you were duped!” 

I suddenly remembered the sardonic phrase, “No good deed goes unpunished.”  Acts of kindness backfire on those who offer them. 

Are random acts of kindness a thing of the past? I thought, as the tricycle driver morphed into an enemy in my mind.  

Feeling distraught, I recalled my go-to grace verse found in Luke 6:27 (ESV), “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.”

Call me naive, but I can’t allow one bad tricycle driver to stop me from doing a kind deed. 

If It Ain’t Broke

There is an an unwritten agreement in advertising: if the ad is still working well, don’t touch it because the change can be risky—it will either succeed or fail. 

Eventually, however, because of changing consumer behavior and trends, the ad has to be replaced.  

In sum, nothing on earth stays the same. Even if things are working well today, they can bog down tomorrow. 

After the rain, streets get flooded; after an earthquake, a mountain could disappear; after a volcanic eruption, a whole village could be buried; after a fire, structures and even people turn to ashes.  

The same is true with man and all living things. 

We are born, we grow up, we grow old, then we die. In life, our hair falls off, our bones atrophy, our muscles weaken, our skin wrinkles, our mind dulls, etc. Science has come up with theories about matters of consequence, only to be debunked by new discoveries. 

There is only One that never, ever changes—our Creator and everything about Him: His Word, His blessings, His authority, His plans, and His love for us.     

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT) 

“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)  

“. . . the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken." (Psalm 33:11)

“Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Matthew 24:35)  

If it ain’t broke . . . “’For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,’ says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:10) 

Join me in a prayer of thanksgiving: For manifesting faithful love and abundant grace in the dark and bright phases of my life, thank You, Lord. Amen.

Photo credit

24-Hour Love Collage

Separated by time and space, exacerbated by the pandemic, my siblings and I have not seen each other for almost three years. We had to make do with group chats and photos sent via cyberspace. 

But nothing can take the place of face-to-face get-together—hugging, chatting, catching up, reminiscing, and doing everything together. 

We had that rare chance this month, but only for 24 hours.  My brother Earl and his wife, Tess, are on a short 13-day visit from Australia, so their schedule is tight.  

We were ecstatic when they said they would hop over to our place with four others—my sister, sis-in-law, and niece. Bliss. 

A blog is not enough to record all the wondrous things that happened. I made a collage of all our photos shared on the Net by whomever took them to document the love. 

But then, again, love cannot be recorded with words and images. Only our heart can, and only by grace.

John 15:12: "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Growing into a Goliath

Underdogs in different organizations (business, sports, politics, etc.) use what is called “David strategies” to overcome Goliaths—the biggies, leaders and favorites. 

This of course originated from the oft-told Bible story of David, the shepherd boy who slew the celebrated warrior, Goliath. The concept is simplistic: Goliath represents life’s giant problems around us, which we could conquer if, like David, we have God in our lives. God will do the fighting for us. 

I held on to this simple concept all my life—till now. 

Although I wholeheartedly believe that we cannot fight our own battles without God, I came upon a more profound lesson from David and Goliath. It is one of the many blessings of the pandemic, while worshiping at home, and listening to a pastor's message online. 

“Goliath is arrogant, full of Himself. Hailed as a great, undefeated warrior, he does evil in God’s sight,” he said from the pulpit. “When we have achieved fame and amassed riches in life, we think we are invincible in our 9’9” frame and—knowingly or unknowingly—we lord it over everyone smaller or less than us. In this state, we are Goliath; we do not need God.” 

The world’s view of success and how we achieve it make us grow into a Goliath. We pursue power and fortune as the world defines them. This thought occupies our being; we claim our successes as the products of our own strengths. We ignore the role of the Lord in our lives.    

“We need to fight the giant we have become," the pastor continued. "But on our own, we cannot. Without God, David could not have trounced Goliath. We need the Lord to curse the giant in us, the way He cursed the Israelites when they did evil in His land."  

This fight between the big warrior and the small shepherd foreshadowed the coming of Jesus. People expected our Savior to be a warrior who would crush the Romans. 

Instead, He took on the enemy of Israel (and the world): SIN. He defeated it in an unexpected way—by dying for our sins on the cross.

We face Goliath every day—externally (slave to the good things in life) and internally (slave to sin). But when we put our trust in Jesus, and totally depend on His grace unknown and beyond degree, we will know that our achievements are not about laurels, cash, and earthly glory. It’s about Jesus. Only Jesus.  

Photo credit 

A Celebratory Selfie

In Chicago, when I was young and restless, I aced my class in photography. I only had what we called a Brownie camera in those days, while my classmates had professional doodads.  

But my teacher always gave me an A+ for creativity in all assignments, because every single one was out-of-the-box.  Unfortunately, all those shots were part of my portfiolio which became school property. I misplaced the negatives and never got them reprinted. 

Today, photography is a different ballgame. Cameras now are part of our phones and selfies are as  natural as breathing.  

Born in the Jurassic period, I don’t take selfies. But one day this love month, I was in a celebratory mood. My sister messaged me that my “change of name” to my real name, Grace, has been approved by the powers-that-be. Finally I got rid of Mary Grace!  So I took a selfie of Grace to commemorate the breakthrough. 

As you can see, it’s anything but celebratory. How can a photographer angle a camera properly when the subject is herself? The lights, shadows, composition, distance—they could not be tamed. Where has “say cheese” gone? 

Nonetheless, no one can crush a cheerful spirit. I uploaded my non-celebratory, celebratory selfie to mark the special day. It got over 300 heart emojis.   

Just about the same time. I received a digital portrait of me from a friend.  I uploaded it also to my FB page, and it got over 300 emojis! This is his perception of me, wow, a far cry from my somber selfie, which is my reality. 

The only similarity between them is the  color PINK.  

Both perception and reality celebrate the day I am finally and legally the Grace I have always been. 

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverb 17:22 

Valentine's Day 2023

 "Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses." Proverbs 10:12 (NLT) 

"We love each other because he loved us first." 1 John 4:19 

Saying "Yes"

Our pastor was quite emphatic behind the pulpit that Sunday morning, “Heed God’s call every single time! Don’t ever miss an opportunity to tell His story.” He then enumerated familiar excuses of people in avoiding jobs for the Lord: 

In our women’s gathering after the service, we discussed a forthcoming event that needed a speaker. Nobody volunteered. So the president of our group said, “Grace was our speaker the last time, so can we have a volunteer?” 

“Blessie!” exclaimed a chorus of voices.

“Oh no, no, no!” she said. “I am not a good speaker.” 

Someone jokingly nudged her, “Remember the message half an hour ago? We need to heed every call from God. This is an opportunity for you to speak about Him.” 

Blessie blushed and said in a tiny voice, “I am sorry, Lord. If you are calling me, I will come.” 

We gave her a prolonged applause.  

When God asks us to do something out of our comfort zone, we become fearful. But we must always remember that every call from God is an opportunity to say, “yes,” trusting His wisdom and not our own.   

At the event, everyone was immensely blessed by Blessie's message, spoken with passion and conviction:  

By her example, let’s go back to His promise in Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” 

May He continually give us power and joy so we can say “yes” to what He wants us to do, even if it is something out of our comfort zone. 

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This blog was written before the pandemic; I am re-uploading it in memory of Sis Blessie, who turned her back on her lucrative career as a metallurgical engineer to say "yes" to her role as a Pastor's wife—raising three daughters, who are all just as passionate in serving the Lord. 

Sis Blessie again said "yes" to the Lord on Tuesday this week when He called her home to join her husband and all those who faithfully served Him in this temporal place. Although we mourn her leaving us so soon, we rejoice because she is now in that perfect place where we shall worship God together again, someday. 

More importantly, she left us a lasting legacy of saying "yes" to the Lord whenever He calls.