NEW BEGINNINGS, MAY 1-31, 2023
A discerning ear... According to some bio-medical sources, the sense of hearing is the first of the five senses developed in a human being, starting even while as a fetus in the womb, and the last to go at the point of physical death... And for one primarily visual learner like me and many of us, it is one where the input is quite difficult to remember for a long time too... But I noticed that in the Word, this sense is far more talked about regarding our God than the sense of seeing... For we are taught more often that 'God hears', especially sincere and humble prayers of a contrite and repentant heart (not mouth, meaning our deepest desires, cares and sorrows, even unspoken)... And this seems to be key in how we obey His command to love our fellowman too, as in, when we 'play-by-ear' what other people are feeling, saying between the lines, their situations and conditions, before we even utter a word... Much like the sounds of joy and weeping could not be distinguished in our story today, so too often it is difficult for people to sense from our words whether what we say are spoken out of pride and arrogance in our perceived seniority and superiority when we give advice or admonition, or genuine care and concern... But humble hearts are wise and pour forth wisdom... May we then strive for humility and meekness, that as we gain discernment of people, hearing what they are not saying, or trying to say but they cannot, we can always communicate in ways that build up and encourage, that blesses and inspires, that gives the right answer, that brings life and hope and peace...
Unless the Lord builds
the house... of your life, all your professions and proclamations of faith are
in vain... Because the one whose life is built upon His firm and sure
foundation has no need to doubt and fear about what happens tomorrow, for He is
already there; and what we must do today is to do good and give our best in
everything--in our labors, in faith and worship, in our relations with
others... That manifests that indeed we believe that we have a God who blesses
and restores, who both guides and leads in wisdom, and who gives due reward of
mercy and peace to those who wait on Him, in whatever way, whenever...
Seeing beyond... Means
to have hope that in spite of life's present troubles, a better future still
awaits... With the pandemic-turned-endemic, wars and disruptions, life for many
has turned uncertain and dim, hopeless even, if statistics and surveys on how
many young people around the world see their future be considered... Yet, we
can still believe that as long as there is life, our Creator and Savior gives
us a chance to do better and achieve greater things; as long as we can still
wake up, and tomorrow becomes today, we are still given something to put our
efforts to, to dedicate our energies and talents on, on becoming better people,
and on making this world a better place...
Because our God is not
a God of miscommunication... Two millennia ago, on that fateful Pentecost
holiday, the Word recorded one of its rarest miracles; that actually can be
expained biologically if we take the time to marry science into faith, because
young infants can actually communicate with each other regardless of race and
language if put side by side... By speaking in tongues here do not mean the
gibberish that some fake uttering in order to impress that they have felt the
presence; but actually real, conversational and structured languages and
dialects of different tribes and nations around the Jewish one... And much like
today, if we claim to abide by the faith named after our Savior, we cannot use
language nobody in their logical mind understands; we cannot preach fables and
anecdotes, fantasies and conjectures, nor gloom-and-doom hearsay and prophesy
but real issues... Because everyday life is terrible and horrific enough for us
to create monsters in the minds of others; but loving our fellowman is and
should be as real, tangible and true as our love of God... Gibberish mumbling
does not manifest a baptism of the Spirit, but rather exhibiting the fruits
thereof to one and all--faith brethren or not, favorite kin or annoying
neighbor not withstanding... And we wait for the Spirit, we wait on it, not
scream and conjure it into existence, until we feel tingling sensations (when
accompanied with hoarseness of voice might actually very well lead to colds or
flu rather than the 'Holy Spirit's Presence')... And when we appropriate the
Jewish holiday of Pentecost, likewise, when the tongues of fire were sent to
manifest that salvation is made available to all mankind--regardless of race
and gender; then we fulfill its purpose when we open our lives to be poured out
along with our Savior's streams of living water; that love, mercy, grace,
forgiveness, reconciliation and eternal life be showered to all...
Life is incremental
and insidious... Because we do not find meaning in great breakthroughs and
grand revivals, nor in sudden spurts of inspiration and bursts of courage and
conviction; but the patience and persistence of living through and conquering
our inadequacies and life's uncertainties everyday and each moment... Like what
Zechariah reminded ancient Israel, may we not despise small, quiet efforts that
build faith and resilience; because the lives we make are built on each little
unrecognized task for the glory of our Maker, in the still, small voices of
heartfelt and silent prayers, in the quiet help and support extended to those
who need and are less capable, not in screams and shouts of vain and selfishly
proud, yet empty adoration and fake praise...
The wild card and the
tactician... Was how one beloved drama nicknamed two of its fiercely
competitive characters... In life too, we may often do our best to plan what we
want, to strive to get what we believe is best, to carefully and judiciously
curate what we present to society because we want them to believe we have
perfect lives; but there is always a wild card... In Daniel's book and in the
lives of His friends, it is the presence of God, His deliverance and care
against the machinations of the enemy... If we worship and believe in the same
God, we too can trust in this wild card; so that we can have the courage to
break free from the chains of our pre-programmed and puppeteered existence into
the wider, more unfamiliar, scarier and more challenging world outside... For
in our weakness, He is our strength; and in our doubts, anxiety and
uncertainty, He is our guarantee, our sure hope and confidence, our security
and peace...
The good neighbour...
Seems to be the one commandment of our Savior most of us love to disobey... But
truly, even when most of us consider wealth to be a measure of success, it is
loving and being good to your neighbour, and living in peace with them--from
your nearest housemate or kin, to those living around your abode--which is
self-actualization for those of us who proclaim ourselves to belong to the
faith named after our Savior... Instead of being rich and of high status in
society, may we instead strive everyday to be good neighbors, and so do the
will of the One who called us to eternal life, who told us to, "love our
neighbour as we love ourselves"...
March of the
monitor... Another one of the things I truly miss living in the province is the
regular sounding of the monitor lizard; which a former retired office mate said
that every "tuk - ko!", means the pay has already been credited to
the bank (lol)... Seriously though, because of urbanization and climate change,
these creatures' habitat has steadily been degraded... On the spiritual side
though, there is much to learn about the faithfulness of the monitor lizards in
keeping time and seasons; unfortunately however, such is not the case when we
monitor each other's personal or spiritual, mental and psychological
performance and achievements... In the Word today we learn that each of us is
accountable directly to God for our actions, whether that be to our lifestyle
and preferences, how we treat others and make them feel... For a life full of
anxiety and effort to prove our worth is vain; and unless you are a monitor
lizard, don't monitor other people's life but your own... You can always pray
for your concerns and fears, your doubts and inadequacies; and if you are
concerned about others, it wouldn't impoverish you to lend a helping hand; and
much
more, it enriches your
soul to pray for others too...
Different skreeks...
One of the joys of living in the farm, which I miss so much living in the city,
is the sound of critters at night... I've gotten so used to it that short of
fully understanding what these guys are saying, and without looking at a watch,
one would know what time of night it is approximately by the pattern of
skreeks: few hours before midnight, they make,
"skreek-skreek-skreek!" sounds repeatedly... After midnight, the
pattern goes: "skrook-skreek, skrook-skreek, skrook-skreek!"... Those
are just my interpretations though, as not being an entomologist, I still do
not understand "bug language"... What's amazing though, is that our
God and Creator has given us the bugs to coexist with, to remind us that if we
keep pace with the earth through our daily endeavours, they too mark time and
seasons, milestones and breakthroughs on their own terms and manner of
communication... May we always learn to appreciate life and all creation, and
do our part to preserve it and be the good stewards we were meant to be...
Expecting rudeness...
There are certain places and certain people from whom, because of involuntary
observation, prior experience and knowledge, one can only expect rudeness,
ignorance, tactlessness and entitlement... Which isn't surprising since the
ancients, and even the Word, prophesy many people in these days to be so... But
as a lifetime observer of people and seeing many time-honored and worthy values
degenerate over time, one understands that there are still a few good people
who exhibit acts of nobility, grace and kindness, but since they are treasures,
are hard to come by and require much discernment... Thankfully, we have a God
who triumphs over history and makes sure that our run in it will be filled with
His presence and love, that we may manifest these to others too...
Prayer is never
intermittent... Probably because I am never a fan of diet and exercise, the
word "intermittent", is not exactly one of my favorites (since I have
already and will for a long time, associate it with a diet fad)... Just like
being healthy starts with the ingrained habit of accepting your body shape and
size, age, the effects of gravity, the accumulation of blessings and good
things, diet should be preceded by the word "healthy"; and an
everyday, every moment, unconscious habit... So I believe it is with prayer and
communication with our God and the people He sends our way too... Because life
goes on, and for as long as we breathe, as long as we still have the right and
capacity to life, we also still have the obligation and ability to pray--not
loudly for show or to influence and impress others, but silently, in still
small voices that manifest the presence, the stillness, the peace and confidence
of faith in a God who is everywhere, who is always willing to listen and
respond in His own amazing ways...
God's not deaf...
That's worth repeating countless times to ourselves, until it becomes a default
part of our system... As we diligently go through the rest of our lives living
simply yet generously, in humility and respect, in freedom and fairness... That
we have a God who hears our most silent prayers and wishes, and to whom we do not
need to shout or scream for acknowledgment like spoiled brats, nor badger and
nag repetitively for impact... When we give Him time to talk by being quiet and
at peace, by slowing down and listening, He hears and answers, and gives us
discernment to learn and understand about the good things He sends our way...
May we keep that to heart, and be encouraged and strengthened for the rest of
our journey...
Grandparents' pet...
Anyone who grew up close to or raised by grandparents can attest to how loving,
soothing, and more understanding they are... Like a neighbour's kid this
morning, who was crying and screaming because he doesn't want to go to school,
but with a few soothing words from grandma, calmed down and reluctantly went
ahead with his mom to prepare himself... Maybe that should be our great lesson
in life too, as we are besieged by anxiety and worry, insecurity, OCD, PTSD,
ADHD, and various other mental health conditions we deny and falsely attribute
to us trying to make life perfect and whole... Because we can never have the
perfect life with our own efforts; even how much we struggle to project our
best; that can only come from the confidence and peace in knowing we have a God
who appreciates us, who can relate to our struggles and tolerate our
idiosyncrasies, but who always understands and is willing to give us a hand...
Seen and valued... For
many of us, it is a sad fact that we only value and recognize people from whom
we believe we can reap benefits; but distance ourselves when those same people
are in need themselves, not even bothering to give time to ask about their
issues and concerns, their priorities and goals... And hurtful as it may seem,
but that is normal human nature: to take advantage of people and situations,
sometimes even inconveniencing them in inopportune moments, but discarding them
when they have been bled dry... But thankfully we have a God of justice and
provision; Who always looks out for the good of His people; who gives strength
to the weary, deliverance to the abused, recompense to the disadvantaged, and
hope and strength to the depleted... May we learn to value others as He values
us; that in all situations we may be a blessing, not a burden; that we may be
good influences, not burdensome hitchhikers...
We know no one, not
even ourselves... No, not our friends who only tell us what is good about their
lives, who may share their struggles and hardships but only from their points
of view, nor the influencers and online follows who only show their curated
lives on socmed... But thankfully, we have a God and Creator who knows us
inside out, who is fully aware of our potentials because He planned it, and who
can equip us in every way even when we doubt our capacities... May we learn to
tap into that eternal source of hope and strength, as we live the rest of our
days manifesting His love and wisdom, His grace, generosity and mercy to all...
You can't make a leaf,
but you can be vertically aligned... It seems that the trouble for many of us
is we think we can do anything we want if we put our mind to it... Quite the
contrary though, for there are far too many things that other people do that we
can't, nor can we even have control over our own bodily functions... Sometimes
too we think we know everything, but are ignorant of even simple history, of
people's personalities, and the workings of the cosmos... And so there is
nothing left better for us to do than to humbly accept our shortcomings; and
for the rest, to look up and trust that the One who designed and ordered the
universe will also consistently put our lives in order... So that we do not
subscribe nor compare our milestones and achievements with others; for to each
of us is given grace each day, and a chance to do good and great with the lot
given to us... That is, when we can't even create a living matter from
non-existent ones, when we can't even understand how things and people came to
be, what we can do is be vertically aligned to the One who gave us life, and to
be horizontally in tuned with others, especially those whom He sent our way...
The maternal
instinct... Is what defines true motherhood... To care and nurture, to feed
with food and wisdom, to teach and lead well, and to guide in humility and
love... And not necessarily having your own physical kids... For there are
those who have given birth, yet compete with their children for attention and
affirmation, in acting childish, immature and clueless themselves... While
there are those who haven't birthed with their bodies but with their hearts, in
their wide and deep capacity to understand, to relate, to embrace diversities
and quirks, in the love and acceptance they shower upon the difficult, the
unlovable, the grumpy, the sarcastic, the bitter and depressed, the
know-it-all... For we are all kids by heart, exploring ang journeying through
life none the wiser... But for the rest of us who have learned to accept the
good and bad while remaining joyful and hopeful, they are the mothers in us;
and even with much or bereft of commercialism and trade, deserve to receive a
worthy and heartfelt thanks and greeting: Happy Mother's Day...
Non-dissimulated...
Lately, as I got older, I have one other favorite Cebuano rendering of a rather
deep word, one that I parroted from my late maternal grandparents,
"dissimular"--to pretend to do something, but actually having
different intentions or ulterior motives... And it seems our story and text
today tell us that in order to live the proper life, we have to avoid that;
although sadly, a lot of brethren seem to engage in that deplorable habit in a
kind of hypocrisy, just to be called religious or holy, but underneath are full
of envy and insecurity, fear and anxiety... It is good to heed the words of the
apostle; for love indeed, cannot be manifested with fakery; and the false and
pretense will always leak out and be discovered... May we be authentic people,
in how we love and care for each other, in how we share our God's grace and
goodness to one and all...
Anger reveals who we
are... This message really hits close to home, especially for the many of us
who struggle with our tempers and patience... Because no matter how good we
think we may be, how smart and accomplished, how wealthy, how strong in faith
and convictions, how high in status, the moments that try our patience and
tests our temper bring out the real us... And it is quite easy to feel superior
and rant on others when we think they come up short, when we feel they block
our way to getting what we want, when we think they commit a social or moral
faus pax, than to see that the issue is us--or rather, our lack of
understanding, patience, our carefully-masked up insecurity and fear, our
photoshopped hypocrisy, that is tethering on the brink of a catastrophic reveal
because someone 'got our goat'... May we understand that life is too short to
waste energy on getting angry and forcefully demanding to be treated the way we
think we deserve, but rather to be patient and appreciative at each little
moment we are allowed to breathe, and to enjoy and do good with our short,
vapor-like existence in the whole course of history and human interactions...
How the birds and ants
see... Is as different as night and day... Like seeing from the 91st story of a
tall skyscraper, birds can see a lot, even the whole picture, but may miss the
details... Much like people who often generalize things but fail to understand
and be empathetic to the needs and issues of others... While those who see like
ants can nitpick at the tiniest details, but can't even see what's beyond the
corner, unless they have as keen a sense of smell as these our little creature
friends... Thankfully we have a God who can see in both manners and beyond; so
that even if the world neglects us, fail to see what we are really going
through, uncognizant of our situations and the issues we face, He is always
attentive to our needs, and desires that every day, in every way, we are at
peace, and we enjoy all the love in His presence... May we have the humility to
perceive, and the stillness and patience to wait on Him and His leading...
We are only as good as
our word... And we show whom and what we worship by how we deal with others
through our words... Such is the case of our story today, of stolen amulets and
figurines believed to bring good luck; of the sincerity, respect and consideration
of our talk; and the manner in which we pray... For we do not serve a God that
we can hold physically in hand, nor is He deaf and blind, nor His knowledge of
languages limited, nor does He need us to touch amulets and figurines to invoke
Him, nor for us to shout to the top of our lungs to call on Him or show the
world that we worship Him... For He who created us is everywhere, and He did
not manifest Himself to Moses from winds and the storms but through a gentle
whisper... Likewise, we can only pray in secret, from the bottoms of our
hearts; and we can only perceive Him as we obey His Word to do good to our
fellowman regardless of who they may be, or whether they do good to us in
return... Our God is Creator, He is in creation; He can never be held nor
stolen nor adored and fellowshipped with exclusively, but in wisdom, in love,
in peace and order amongst the chaos, in humility and grace amidst life's
harassments and tragedies...
Who knows us... A
famous leadership expert says that in terms of promotion, it's not whom you
know that's key, but who knows you... Funny, considering that in the workplace
and in society, a lot more people would suck up to the powers-that-be, even
putting others down just so they could rise up... Good thing to know that in
the eyes of our Maker and Savior, it is His knowledge of us that ensures our
endurance and deliverance... I never fail to get amazed at certain people whose
prayers seem to always get good answers, and realize that indeed He is
attentive to their cries, no matter when and where, and of whatever kind... Are
our lives known by our God? Can He distinguish us inside out? Are our actions
to Him and others distinguishable and marked with His presence, love and grace,
and not for the likes and impressions we crave from people and faith
brethren?... Even if we are incognito and irrelevant, unknown to the rest of
the world, may we find confidence and peace, in the daily effort and
connection, in the daily grace and privilege that we are known by Him...
Vincit omnia
Veritas... Is a famous quote made a motto of one of our local fraternities, as
also plastered by them around the city's walls... And indeed, much as many
unscrupulous and notorious people throughout history have tried to bury and
cover it up, to falsify and smokescreen it, to change the narrative, it always
comes out, delivering a hard comeuppance, determining and changing the course
of history, discourse, civil, political and spiritual society... And when our
Lord and Savior declared Himself to be the Truth, may we realize that a fake
faith too does not pay; fake goodness and principles built on lies only lead to
a sorry end, and a filtered, curated life is vain, joyless and devoid of peace
and contentment... May we uphold the truth, be sincere and authentic, be
discerning and profound, as we remain humble and understanding, generous,
courteous and kind; for these are the ultimate manifestations of our love for
our God, our love of our fellowman, and our love for life and creation...
More than fellowship
and human companionship, but His presence... That is what we need for right
worship and relationship with our Creator, and that brings us salvation and
inner healing... Like true friends who may be apart for decades but remain
close at heart, so is our unseen God to those who truly love Him--unperceived
by the physical senses, yet firmly convinced that His power and glory, His
mercy and love surround and fill us each day... So that no matter the hardships
in life, we do not need to manifest our own strength and power, we do not need
to feel superior and rule over others, we need not accumulate much wealth and
status; because if our faith is true, and our obedience in Him faithful and
pure, He fills us with His presence, His strength, His wisdom, His humility and
greatness in every situation... Indeed, a life truly reformed and transformed,
a life destined for greatness even beyond the grave, starts here now in faith,
in patience, in understanding, unassuming and humble, yet kind, courteous,
tactful, magnanimous and real...
Thankfulness is a
lifestyle... And as such, it manifests God's Spirit in our lives... We can give
thanks through words; but we can give thanks through deeds, especially when we
pay forward, when we free ourselves from greed and pride, when we strip
ourselves of vanity and envy, when we are generous and understanding, when we
remain humble, helpful, resourceful and hopeful; knowing that because our God
has dealt with us so graciously in the past, He is going to do more so now and
in the future; and the thankful heart expresses and lives that attitude even
now... Let's always give thanks to our God, and to the people He sends our
way...
Fruits borne by
grace... We believe we have been saved from the death of our souls through the
grace of our Maker and Savior... Pre-Jesus' time, Moses also experienced such
when he repented of his murder, and self-exiled from civilization to live the
nomadic life... And when such grace comes true in our lives, regardless of what
we are and what we believe in, we become less selfish and judgmental, we become
more giving and understanding, we stop imposing our own beliefs and convictions
on others, we stop thinking we are better just because we attend church
regularly, we have more degrees, we are more entitled because we have more
connections, we have accumulated more friends and family, status and wealth...
Grace bearing fruit in us is like that of Moses: transformed, reformed,
stripped bare of the sandals of vanity; for in the Holy place of God's presence
in our lives, there should be room only for listening to His will and plan for
us, obedience to His leading, and doing greater things not by our intellect and
strength, but by His power, and for His glory...
The inner weapon... Is
best, and manifests well in humble confidence... That in spite of our daily
realities, a better life awaits, greater things lie ahead... And whatever may
be our status in life, irrespective of wealth or language, a heartfelt prayer
to our God and Maker is the most human and humane thing to do; acknowledging
our mortality and dependence, and giving us courage to do good, to face life's
challenges, to be a source of hope and inspiration, and to be a force for good
to others... May we always be prayerful in any situation...
Keep on walking... My
late maternal grandpa reached 94 in relative good health due to a virtually
stress-free disposition, exercising in his latter years through daily
neighborhood hikes... And I just learned from a drama show that when drunk,
taking a hike helps sober people up... One realizes that life indeed is
challenging and burdensome; but a hike, a stroll, a regularly-cadenced stride
helps to calm our nerves and alleviates anxiety, with the movement of which
even modern-day doctors say is one of the most effective ways to prevent and
cure inflammation, which they say is the leading cause of diseases... Yes, at
whatever age, especially in our advancing years, as long as we keep to the safe
paths, and watch out for falls and slips, steady, regular walking helps us
achieve a good and healthy life... So it seems in the spiritual too: even with
tiredness and disillusionment, diminished capacity and resources,
discouragements and setbacks, as long as we keep on the right path on the
journey and be careful not to give up, give in, slip up or fall down hard, we
can hold on in hope and faith... Tiredness and sore bones are only temporary
predicaments, not final judgments; we are tired and sore because we have done
something, we have exerted our effort; but what should keep us on and help us
endure is because we are doing, we are exerting, we keep on walking...
Tuck Everlasting, and
family... Was a fun read and an eye opener too... For many of us want to live
and stay young longer; so much so that we do everything we can, and pay as much
in procedures and for food and fad diets and exercise to do so... But taking it
from a family who was always on the move because they wouldn't want to call too
much attention on themselves when they never grew old and their neighbors did,
would mean that such desires for immortality is alienating and insular... For
our God has ordained that life and time take their course and toll on us, to
develop and make us grow in wisdom and acceptance; and true beauty is
manifested in us when we gracefully embrace our age, our status, our diminished
capacities; because that would mean we are ever closer to Him in dependence, in
spiritual and physical presence... Yes, the gray hairs and wrinkles, the wobbly
knees and aching backs are bothersome, and friends and loved ones may leave,
neglect or abandon us to move on to their next exciting life-phases; but if we
can find confidence and hope that our Savior had prayed for us and loves us so
much, and He intends in every way to provide and care for us, then the
advancing and twilight years are more than welcome... The farther we go and the
longer we spend in life means the closer we get to our ultimate victory in His
kingdom...
That one candle
stand... In the church of the sectarian school I teach, there is a religious
icon assemblage of a half-naked Christ, fronted by rows of 12 candlesticks,
with 5 directly in front of the icon, 6 in the next row, and 1 alone in the
third... I realize that it depicts the disciples after the Lord's death and
resurrection; particularly after the treacherous one, Judas, committed suicide,
and was replaced by Barnabas the Encourager... And so we learn that in our
faith and life journey, we get into our breakthroughs, we persevere and endure
not only of what we are, what we have and what we believe in; but because our
God sends "Encouragers" - - friends and family whom we do not realize
become our real life coaches, and who and with whom we share our faith and
reason for hope... May we not let the spirit of fear, pride, discouragement and
disillusionment make us lose sight of our life's purpose and goal; may we be
sensitive to the needs of others and not just say in words but act to encourage
and inspire; while we open ourselves up to the encouragement of those who truly
care for us, to guard ourselves well, yet to not forget the lesson from those
who seek to belittle, insult, oppress, abuse and take advantage of us... For no
matter what we encounter in our journey, we are confident that our Savior who
finished His work for our salvation, will also complete His work in us as we
live that gift and grace throughout our lives...
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